Friday, Tammuz 29, 5781 / July 9, 2021
This Shabbat is Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the new month Menachem Av.
The nine days, from Rosh Chodesh until the ninth day of Menachem Av, are days when we minimize even more in joyous events. Many do not eat meat during these nine days (except on Shabbat). There are various customs we do or refrain from doing to remember the tragedies which befell our people during these nine days.
Rosh Chodesh Menachem Avis when Aaron the High Priest (Aharon HaKohen) passed away, at the end of the 40 years in the desert. Aaron accompanied Moshe when he went to Pharaoh to command him to let the Jewish people go. Together with Moshe he led the Jewish people through the forty years of their desert journey. Like his brother, he didn’t merit to enter into Israel. Aaron was 123 years old at the time of his passing. Just like his brother Moshe, he too was buried in the desert.
Aaron had a unique quality; He loved peace and went out of his way to restore peace between husband and wife and between one person and another. In his unique, non-judgmental, and peaceful way he would also make people realize when they sinned, restoring peace between man and G-d.
Aaron accomplished this through his genuine love for people. When two people quarreled, Aaron would go to one of them and say, “I met the other person and he very much wants to be your friend again, but he is afraid to approach you because you may reject him. After convincing the person that the other one sincerely seeks his friendship, Aaron would approach the other one and tell him the same. Eventually, both made peace with each other.
If Aaron heard that a person sinned, instead of rejecting him, as many did, he would go out of his way and befriend him. The person thought to himself, “If Aaron only knew the sin I committed, he would surely not have become my friend.” The sinner, ashamed of what he did, repented.
Our sages in Pirkei Avot tell us, “Be of the disciples of Aaron; loving peace, pursuing peace, loving people and drawing them to Torah.” The reward for bringing about peace is eternal; one reaps the reward in this world and also in the World-to-Come.
About 175 years ago, rabbis and Russian government officials met to try to nullify some of the harsh decrees of the Russian Czar depriving Jews from earning a decent and respectable livelihood. During the meeting, Rabbi Menachem Mendel (known by his writings as the Tzemach Tzedek), spoke out strongly against the Czar for his heartless treatment of Russian Jews.
One of the rabbis turned to Rabbi Menachem Mendel and said, “You know very well that for this kind of talk you place your life in danger and our sages say, “One who willingly places his life in danger will lose his share in the World-to-Come!” Rabbi Menachem Mendel, whose love for his people was boundless, replied, “If my fellow Jews cannot have their share in this world, of what value is to me my share in the World-to-Come!”
Today, the 29th day of Tammuz, is the yartzeit (day of passing) of the great sage and Torah commentator, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as Rashi. He passed away in the year 4865 (1105) at the age of 65.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 8:26 / Shabbat ends: 9:39