Thursday, Tammuz 28, 5781 / July 8, 2021
This Shabbat we read the last two Parshiot Matot and Masei in the fourth book of the Torah, the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar).
These two Parshiot are always read during the Three Week period, a time when we mourn the destruction of our two Holy Temples. It is a time when we do not perform weddings and we minimize in festivities etc. to remember our great losses.
Q. In the beginning of Parshat Matot the Torah tells us the importance of keeping a vow. What is the connection between the Parsha and the Three Weeks?
A. We find great comfort in the Parsha. For G-d vowed that He will gather us from our exile and rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, with the coming of Moshiach. Thus, we are assured that G-d will also keep His vowand bring about the redemption and rebuild the Temple. May it be speedily in our days.
In Parshot Matot, after commanding about the laws of vows, G-d tells Moshe, “Avenge the vengeance
of the children of Israelof the Midionites, afterward you shall be gathered unto your people.”
G-d commands Moshe to wage war against the Midionites to avenge for what they have done unto the Jewish people, by enticing the Jewish men to perform sinful acts with the Midionite and Moab women and also to bow to their idols. As a result, close to two hundred thousand Jews died. G-d now wanted the Jewish people to avenge what was done to them.
However, when Moshe tells the people about this he says, “Arm from among you men for the war and they shall go up against Midian to avenge the vengeance of G-dagainst Midian.” A force of twelve thousand men went to war with Midian. They won the war and not one Jewish soldier was killed.
Even though Moshe’s passing was dependent on this war against Midian, he didn’t hesitate and encouraged them to go right away.
Q. G-d tells Moshe to “Avenge the vengeance of the people of Israel, but Moshe changes that and says to them, “Avenge the vengeance of G-d.” Why did Moshe change from what G-d said?
A. Rashi, whose day of passing (yartzeit) is Friday, explains that one who fights against the Jewish people is like they are fighting against G-d. Thus, what G-d said and what Moshe said is really the same thing. Avenging for what they did to the Jewish people is avenging for what they did against G-d.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev explains that in effect the Midionites went against both, the Jewish people and also against G-d. To G-d the honor of the Jewish people was most important and thus He told them to go to war to avenge what they did to the Jewish people. But to Moshe and the Jewish people G-d’s honor was most important. Thus, Moshe tells them to go avenge G-d’s honor.
From this we learn the strong bond and connection between G-d and the Jewish people. Our sages teach us, “G-d, the Jewish people and the Torah are firmly bound together and are inseparable.”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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
B"H
Monday, Menachem Av 3, 5781 / July 12, 2021
This Shabbat we will read Parshat Devarim, thus beginning the fifth book of the Torah, the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy). The Hebrew names of each of the five books of the Torah is the same as the name of the first Parsha of that book. The fifth book is called Devarim as the first Parsha is Devarim.
Parshat Devarim is always read on the Shabbat before the fast of Tisha B’Av (9th of Av). This year Tisha B’Av is Saturday night, July 17 and Sunday, July 18. On Tisha B'Av we fast and mourn the destruction of the Two Holy Temples in Jerusalem.
Our sages say, "Mishenichnas Av Mema'atin BeSimcha" - "When the month of Av enters we minimize in happiness." During the first nine days of this month we don't celebrate or engage in joyous activities.
The First Temple, which was built by King Solomon, stood for 410 years and was destroyed on the 9th of Av, by Nebuchadnetzar, king of Babylon.
The Second Temple stood for 420 years and was also destroyed on the 9th of Av, close to 500 years after the destruction of the First Temple.
Both Temples were destroyed on the 9th of Av, as a result of the sins of the Jewish people. Yet, our sages draw an important distinction between the sins which caused the destruction of the first Temple and the sins which caused the destruction of the second Temple.
Our sages tell us that the First Temple was destroyed due to the sin of idol worship. The Jewish people strayed from worshipping G-d and turned to worship all kinds of idols. The sin which caused the destruction of the Second Temple was "Sinat Chinam" - "unjust hatred" amongst Jews themselves.
Idol worship is one of the gravest sins in the Torah. Indeed, the second commandment of the Ten Commandments is the prohibition against idol worship. The sin of idol worship is so severe that even when one is given the choice of worshipping an idol or being killed, they should die, but not worship the idol. Yet, only seventy years after the first Temple was destroyed, G-d forgave them and let them return to rebuild the Temple.
However, the Second Temple, which was destroyed for the sin of hatred amongst Jews, has not yet been rebuilt after two thousand years!
This teaches us how great is the sin of strife amongst ourselves and how important is the mitzvah of "Ahavat Yisrael" - Love amongst our people.
Thus, during this week before Tisha B'Av, it is customary to enhance our love for each other through acts of kindness and the distribution of extra Tzedaka-charity to help the poor and needy.
We pray that through "Ahavat Yisrael" and the performance of these mitzvot, we will very soon merit the third Holy Temple - with the coming of Moshiach. May it be speedily in our days. Amen.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Wednesday, Menachem Av 5, 5781 / July 14, 2021
The entire Book of Devarim, which we begin this Shabbat, are Moshe’s farewell words to the Jewish people before his passing.
They are words of rebuke and words of encouragement. Moshe reminds them of the many mistakes they and their parents made over the past 40 years of his leadership. The prices they paid for their mistakes and at the same time he ecourages them not to repeat those mistakes in the future. He blesses them as they are getting ready to enter into the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership.
One of the passages in the Parsha is when Moshe reminds the people how G-d took care of them and of all their needs for the past forty years as they travelled through the desert. He tells them, “G-d your G-d has blessed you in all the works of your hand. He knows your travels through this great desert. These forty years G-d, your G-d, has been with you, you have not lacked anything.”
Our sages tell us that just like the Jews travelled through the desert until they came to their final destiny – the Promised Land, so too, each of us experience our own travels through life, through our own personal desert, until we reach our final destiny.
During the forty years that the Jews spent in the desert they knew that they had only G-d to rely on. G-d provided them with all their needs. The manna came from heaven; water was supplied from a well embedded in a travelling rock and their clothing grew with them. Their clothes were cleaned and pressed by the clouds of glory, which surrounded them. So too, it is with us. Although we are not in a desert, G-d continues to provide all of our needs.
The only difference is that, then Jews saw open miracles, whereas today they are in the form of hidden miracles, but miracles they are nonetheless.
Every breath we take is a miracle, every step is a miracle. Miracles do happen and they happen every day and every second of the day, whether we recognize them as such or not. The choice is ours.
Realizing that everything comes from G-d and that G-d looks after all our needs, one will feel much at ease; less worried and more secure, as we know we are in good hands.
There is a saying in Hebrew, “He’avar ayin; Ve’haatid adayin, Vehahoveh k’heref ayin, Daagah minayin.” Translation: “The past is already gone, so why worry; The future is not yet, so what’s to worry; and the present.. it lasts as short as the wink of an eye.. so what’s there to worry?”
Our sages say, “Mishenichnas Av memaatin b’simcha” – “When the month of Av enters we minimize in simcha-happiness.” As in this month the destruction of the Temples took place. The Lubavitcher Rebbe was a great advocate of serving G-d through happiness and explained that happiness in itself is a service of G-d. He had a different twist on the above saying. He explained it this way, “When the month of Av enters we minimize (the negative effects of this month) throughhappiness! Through our performance of mitzvot with joy and happiness we hasten the redemption with Moshiach. Amen.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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