B"H

Friday, Tammuz 15, 5781 / June 25, 2021

In Parshat Balak, we read how G-d put words of blessings into Bilam’s mouth and instead of cursing the Jewish people, as he originally intended, he praised and blessed them on three occasions.

One of the many words of praise Bilam said about the Jewish people was, "Mah Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov Mishknotecha Yisrael" - "How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel". 

We begin our daily morning prayers with these words. Although they came from Bilam’s mouth, the Torah tells us that G-d put these words into his mouth and thus they are G-d's holy blessings.

Two expressions are used here to describe the Jewish home; "Tents" and "Dwellings." A tent is a temporary home, while a dwelling represents a permanent home.  

Throughout Jewish history, we shifted between tents and dwellings – between temporary and more permanent dwellings. "How good are your tents O Jacob" - tells us that even when living in tents - throughout our many exiles and persecutions, the Jewish people excelled in their achievements as a people. We are unique in producing the greatest intellectuals, great scholars and superb leaders.  

Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezritch succeeded the Baal Shem Tov as leader of the Chassidic movement.  Before becoming leader, Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezritch was a teacher with a meager income. Living in poverty, he didn't even have the barest necessities, like a decent table, chairs and beds.

Once the Baal Shem Tov asked a visitor to stop in Mezritch on his way home and give regards to Rabbi Dov Ber. When the person came to Rabbi Dov Ber's house, he could not believe its dilapidated state. When he went inside, he was even more shocked at the poverty which he found.  

After giving Rabbi Dov Ber regards from the Baal Shem Tov, the man said; "Rabbi, I am not a wealthy man myself, yet, at home I have a decent table, chairs and beds. How can you live like this?"

Rabbi Dov Ber looked at him, smiled and replied, "You said, at home you have everything you need. Sure, at home one should have all the necessities... I too, at home, have all that I need!"

Rabbi Dov Ber was implying that he did not view this world as his home. To Rabbi Dov Ber, this world was only “Ohalecha” (“tent”) a temporary place to prepare for his real home, in the World-to-Come.

Thus, we recite each morning, "How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel". This serves as a reminder that this world is "Ohalecha" - "Tents" - a reminder that all material possessions are only temporary. 

A Jew's true possessions and REAL real-estate are the mitzvot and good deeds performed in this world - which is truly everlasting, for it benefits us not only in this world but also in the World-to-Come.

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montreal candle lighting time: 8:29 / Shabbat ends: 9:45

B"H

Tuesday, Tammuz 19, 5781 / June 29, 2021

In the Jewish calendar year there are happy periods and sad ones. There are the festive holidays and periods in which we rejoice and celebrate miracles which happened to our people. Then there are the somber times when we remember the tragedies and sufferings of our people.

The next three weeks is one of the saddest periods in Jewish history. During these Three Weeks, from Sunday, the 17th of Tammuz, when the walls of Jerusalem were breached, until the 9th of Av – the day, in which the Holy Temples were destroyed, are days of mourning. During this period we do not perform weddings; we avoid buying new clothes, building or renovating our home or listening to live music. As our sages put it, “We minimize in happiness.”

Although we remember the Holy Temples throughout the year and pray for its rebuilding three times daily, yet we emphasize the loss of our Bet HaMikdash (Holy Temple) more during these three weeks, as the destruction of the Temples took place at this time of the year. Here are some of the ways we recall the destruction of our Holy Temple in our daily lives:

In the 14th blessing of the weekday prayer (Amidah), we ask G-d, "Return in mercy to Jerusalem Your city and dwell therein as You have promised; speedily establish therein the throne of David Your servant and rebuild it soon in our days, as an everlasting edifice.”

In the 15th blessing, we pray for the return of the kingdom of David. "And may our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy..."

When visiting mourners who are sitting Shiva, we comfort them with the words, "HaMakom Yenachem Etchem Btoch Shar Aveilai Zion V’Yerushalaim" - "May the L-rd comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem." In our own loss, we always include the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

At a wedding, which is one of our most joyous occasions, the groom breaks a glass under the Chupah (canopy). This is to remember the destruction of the Holy Temples and the holy city of Jerusalem.

In Psalms it says: If ever I forget you, O Jerusalem, withered be my right hand! May my tongue cleave to my palate, if ever I think not of you, if ever I set not Jerusalem above my highest joy!"

Even at the Passover Seder, when we celebrate the redemption and Exodus from Egypt, we place a hardboiled egg on the Seder Plate. One reason being that mourners eat a hardboiled egg at their first meal after the funeral, it is to remind us of the destruction of our Holy Temples.

But mourning for the Temple should result in positive action. Our sages tell us that during these Three Weeks we should be especially careful in the performance of the mitzvot of, “Love your fellow as yourself.” We should also increase in the mitzvah of Tzedakah (charity). They will hasten the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. May it be speedily in our days. Amen.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Wednesday, Tammuz 20, 5781 / June 30, 2021

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families of the Surfside tragedy in Florida. I am at a loss for words… Only G-d can find the proper words of comfort and the miracle we are all waiting for.

This week’s Parsha is Pinchas. Pinchas was the son of Elazar who was the son of Aaron, the High Priest. It was through Pinchas’ courageous action of killing one of the leaders of the tribe of Shimon for his immoral relations with a Midyonite woman, that a plague, which took the lives of 24,000 Jews, stopped. As a reward, G-d gave Pinchas and his descendants G-d’s covenant of Shalom-peace.

The covenant of Peace which G-d gave to Pinchas was that from then on, he became a Kohen. Although his father and grandfather were Kohanim, Pinchas himself was not a Kohen until this time.

In this Parsha we read about the counting of the Jewish people before going into the Promised Land. It is the fourth time in the Torah that the Jewish people are counted. The first was when they left Egypt. The second time was after they sinned with the Golden Calf. The third counting was after they built the Tabernacle.  In this Parsha, is the fourth count.

All the men over the age of 20 were counted. In each of the four counts there were at least 600,000 men over the age of 20.

The first three counts took place approximately within the first year after the Exodus. This last count took place 39 years later, at the end of their 40 years in the desert, as they were getting ready to go into The Promised Land.

Every counting had to do with a special event which warranted the counting. The first one was when they left Egypt. This was to show that although Jacob came to Egypt, 210 years earlier, with only 70 people, by the time of the Exodus they were six hundred thousand men, plus women and children.

The second count was after they sinned with the Golden Calf, when many of them died. G-d commanded Moshe to count the people to know how many were left. The third counting was after the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was erected and G-d rested His glory on the people, He told Moshe to count them again. Between the second count and the third was about a half year. The fourth counting, in this week’s Parsha, was after a plague killed 24,000 people.

Q. G-d knew their numbers without counting them, why did He command Moshe to count them?

A. Our sages tell us that all these counts were to show and express G-d’s love for His people.

Our sages explain this with the following parable: A shepherd was attending to his master’s flock, when a pack of wolves attacked and ate many of the sheep. After the attack, the owner told the shepherd to count how many sheep were saved. This is because the owner loves and cares for his sheep. Each and everyone is precious to him. So too, G-d’s instruction to Moshe to count the Jewish people was to demonstrate and express His great love for His people.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY