B"H

Wednesday, Iyar 10, 5776 / May 18, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR

Shalom. It is my pleasure to share with you the reason I missed sending out the Torah Fax for the past week. I was away from Montreal to celebrate our grandson’s engagement in N.Y. – thank G-d. I bless you all that you too should enjoy lots of happiness and Nachas from your children and grandchildren.

In the Diaspora we will read Parshat Emor, this Shabbat. In this Parsha the Torah tells us about the observance of the holidays, "G-d spoke to Moshe, saying: speak to the children of Israel and say to them: The festivals of G-d you shall proclaim to be holy convocations. The following are My festivals…”

Then the Torah goes on to describe the holiday of Passover; the Omer sacrifice; the mitzvah of counting the Omer for a period of seven weeks; the holiday of Shavuot and the sacrifice of the Two Breads on Shavuot; Rosh Hashanah; the sounding of the Shofar; fasting on Yom Kippur - the day of atonement; Sukkot and its mitzvot and the mitzvah of Lulav and Etrog. 

In the middle of describing the holidays and the sacrifices which shall be brought in the Holy Temple during the holidays, the Torah commands about the mitzvah of helping the poor. "And when you reap the harvest of your land you shall not completely reap the corner of your field and the gleaning of your harvest you shall not gather; for the poor and for the stranger you shall leave them: I am the L-rd your G-d".  

Q.  Why did the Torah tell us about the mitzvah of charity ("for the poor and for the stranger you shall leave them") while speaking about the holidays and their particular sacrifices?

A.  According to our sages it is to teach us the importance of charity. “G-d credits whoever gives charity as if they built the Beth HaMikdash (Holy Temple) and presented offerings therein."  In other words, the Torah tells us that a gift to the poor is really a gift to G-d! Today, when we don’t have the Temple, giving charity is our only way of offering gifts to G-d.

Rabbi Akiva was once traveling on a ship when he noticed in the distance another ship which was sinking.  Rabbi Akiva knew that there was a scholar on the sinking ship who would no doubt drown.  But when Rabbi Akiva came to shore and visited the synagogue, he saw the man engaged in study!

"How were you saved from the sinking ship?" Rabbi Akiva asked him.

"Your prayers must have helped me for I was thrown from wave to wave until I found myself on shore."

"What good deed did you do to merit being saved?" asked Rabbi Akiva.

"As I boarded the ship, a poor man came and asked for food.  I gave him a bread.  The poor man said to me, 'Just like you have saved my life, may G-d save your life.'"

Upon hearing this Rabbi Akiva reminded everyone the words of King Solomon, "Cast your bread upon the water and in time you will find it!" Charity our gift to G-d and brings G-d’s gifts to us.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY