B"H

Monday, Iyar 14, 5781 (29th day of the Omer)/ April 26, 2021

Today (Monday), the 14th day of the month of Iyar, is called, "Pesach Sheini" - "Second Pesach."

Q.  What is the origin and significance of Pesach Sheini? 

A.  The story of how Pesach Sheini came about, is found in the Torah (Numbers chapter 9). Unlike the regular mitzvah of Pesach which came as a result of G-d’s commandment to the Jewish people, Pesach Sheini came about as a result of a request by the Jewish people.  

Exactly one year after the Exodus, G-d commanded Moshe to tell the people to bring the Pesach sacrifice which would then be eaten with matzah and bitter herbs, as they did in Egypt the year before. However, there were people who were spiritually impure due to coming in contact with a dead body, which renders them spiritually impure thus not being able to partake in the sacrifice. 

According to some they were impure because they were carrying Joseph’s body, which they took out with them from Egypt. The men then came to Moshe and said, "Why should we be lacking the mitzvah of sacrificing the Passover sacrifice?" 

Moshe then brought their case before G-d.  G-d told Moshe, "Speak to the children of Israel saying, 'If a man of you or of your future generations shall be unclean as a result of [contact with] a dead body or will be on a distant journey, they shall still make the Pesach offering to G-d. They shall make it on the fourteenth day of the second month… they shall eat it with matzah and maror (bitter herbs)." 

Thus, during the days of the Temple, anyone who was impure or far from the Temple at the time of Passover, they were given a second chance to perform the mitzvah one month later on the 14th of Iyar.

Q.  Why were they carrying Joseph’s body with them in the desert?

A.  Before his passing, Joseph made his family promise that, at the time of the Exodus, they will take his body out of Egypt and bury him in Israel. Joseph’s casket travelled with the Jewish people during their 40 years in the desert and was later buried in Israel in the city of Shchem.

Q.  What is the practical lesson and significance of this day for us when we don’t have the Temple?

A.  Many have a custom to eat some matzah on this day in remembrance of Pesach Sheini.

Although we currently don’t have the Holy Temple and Pesach Sheini doesn’t apply to the Passover sacrifice, yet, the concept and lesson of "Pesach Sheini," is an important lesson in our everyday life.

"Pesach Sheini" is a reminder that we are given “another chance."  We should never give up. It teaches us that, as long as we live, G-d gives us the opportunity and ability to accomplish that which we may have missed earlier, especially in the spiritual realm of doing mitzvot and good deeds. It’s never too late!

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & A NEVER-TOO-LATE SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Tuesday, Iyar 15, 5781 (30th day of the Omer)/ April 27, 2021

This Shabbat we learn the fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot (Chapters of our Fathers). One of the lessons in this chapter is the secret to wisdom, wealth, contentment and happiness. 

The Talmudic sage Ben Zoma says, “Who is wise? He who learns from everyone. Who is strong? He who subdues his evil inclination. Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot. Who is honorable? He who honors others.”

“Who is rich? He, who is happy with his lot.”A poor man found a wallet with one thousand rubles.  The following day when he came to synagogue he heard that Yossel the banker lost his wallet with 1000 rubles and promised a hefty reward of fifty rubles to the one who returns it.

After the service he quickly went to Yossel’s house, knocked on the door and when Yossel the banker opened the door he handed him his wallet with the 1000 rubles.

Yossel took the wallet, counted the money and then said, “I see you already took your reward! There was one thousand and fifty rubles in the wallet and there is only 1000 there now.

“But that’s not true,” protested the poor man. There was only 1000 rubles there. You owe me the reward.  The two men argued and in the end decided to go to the rabbi to settle the case.

They both presented their case to the rabbi. The poor man claimed that there were 1000 rubles in the wallet and he was owed the 50 rubles reward for returning the wallet.  But Yossel, the banker, said that there were 1050 rubles in the wallet. “Rabbi, I trust you believe me,” the rich man added.

“Sure I believe you,” replied the rabbi. The banker was full of smiles and the poor man was devastated. Then the rabbi took the wallet and gave it to the poor man. “It’s yours. You keep it!”

“What are you doing,” protested the rich man angrily. “You don’t believe me, rabbi?”

“Sure I believe you. You said that you were an honest man and I believe that you had 1050 rubles in your wallet. However, I have to believe that the poor man here, who returned the wallet, is also an honest person. If he was a thief he would have taken all the money for himself. Now that I know that you are both honest people, I have to believe that the wallet in question is not the one you lost and it must belong to someone else.  Thus, until the rightful owner is found, the wallet stays with him.”

“But what about my money,” the rich man asked. “Well you will just have to wait until someone who finds a wallet with 1050 rubles comes forward…”

Our sages teach us a very important lesson. It’s not riches which brings true happiness. Rather, happiness makes one rich.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Thursday, Iyar 17, 5781 (32nd day of the Omer)/ April 29, 2021

One of the mitzvot in this week's Parsha, Emor, is the prohibition to slaughter a cow and her calf on the same day. It applies when slaughtering the animals to eat or for a sacrifice in the Holy Temple.

One might think that this is due to the Torah prohibition not to cause suffering to any animal and having the calf killed together with the mother is great torture for the animal.  However, this prohibition applies even when the calf is not slaughtered in front of its mother.  

Q.  What is the reason behind this prohibition?

A.  According to the Holy Zohar, the reason for this prohibition is so that we ourselves should not become insensitive and develop bad character traits.

Our sages tell us that one of the character traits in which the Jewish people excel is mercy ("Rachmanut").  The Talmud says that one can identify a descendant of the Patriarch Abraham by the fact that he or she is merciful to others. 

The Torah prohibition of "Tzaar Baalei Chayim" - "Not to cause suffering to animals" is very strict.  The Torah commands us that when one sees an animal weighed down under a heavy load, that person must help to ease the animal's burden. Also, according to Jewish law, one is not permitted to eat before feeding their animals.  The animal must be fed first!

Our sages also say, "Whoever shows mercy for G-d's creatures will in turn cause heavenly mercy upon themselves.”  

Similarly, Rabbi Chayim Palagi says, “When a person is in distress or sick, he or she should make it a point to be kind to animals, like feeding birds or other animals.  Our mercy on G-d’s creation, invokes G-d's mercy upon us.

The Talmud tells a story about Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, compiler of the Mishna, that for many years he suffered great physical pain as a punishment for not coming to the aid of a calf that ran under his coat while being led to the slaughter house.

Then, one day when he saw the maid in the house chasing away little kittens, he ordered her to stop.  He told her that just like G-d's mercy is upon all His creation, so too, we must have mercy upon all creatures.  As a result of this kind act, Rabbi Yehuda's illness disappeared and his pain was gone.

Tonight, (Thursday night & Friday) is Lag B’Omer (33^rd day of the Omer). It is a very important day in the Hebrew calendar. On this day, a plague which killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s students, stopped. It is also the yartzeit of the saintly Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. In Israel and in the Diaspora, Covid permitting, people will be celebrating with parades, outings, picnics and bon fires to commemorate this special day.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY