B"H

Friday, Menachem Av 7, 5781 / July 16, 2021

This Shabbat night & Sunday is Tisha B’Av(9th Av) – the fast of the nineth of Av, when we commemorate the destruction of the two Holy Temples in Jerusalem. The first Temple stood for 410 years and the second Temple for 420 years. The second Temple was built about 70 years after the destruction of the first Temple.

Q.   Everything is by Divine Providence. Why is it that both Temples were destroyed on the same day?

A.  Our sages say that G-d directs good events to happen on good days and bad events on bad days.  The 9^th of Av was historically a sad day.  The Torah tells us that on that day, the 9th of Av, less than four months after the Exodus, the Jewish people refused to go into the Land of Israel. The Torah tells us that after the spies came back with a negative report, Jews cried that night and refused to go to Israel.  G-d then decreed that they will die in the desert. Only their children went into Israel forty years later.

Thus, the ninth day of Av was prone for punishment for the Jewish people, by their own choice, for refusing to go to the Promised Land.  When they sinned many years later, it was on that day that the Temples were destroyed, and they were driven out from their land.

We remember the destruction of the Temples through fasting, reciting special prayers which remind us of our great loss. We read from the Torah in which G-d warns the Jewish people about adhering to the Torah and mitzvot, especially in the land of Israel. We also recite the book of Lamentation.

Because Torah study brings joy to a person, we refrain from studying Torah during part of Tisha B’Av, except for the book of Lamentation and laws concerning mourning and stories related to the destruction of the Temple, found in the Talmud and Midrash. 

On Tisha B’Av we recite the Morning Prayer without the Talit and Tefillin. We will use them only for the Mincha service (afternoon prayer). 

Yet, with the mourning and fasting, we also have to keep in mind that all this is only temporary.  G-d promised through His prophets that in the end, when the right time comes, He will rebuild the Temple and there will be days of peace and tranquility to the people of Israel, to the Land of Israel and the entire world. For two thousand years we lived with the combination of mourning and hope, with sorrow and reassurance at the same time.

For two thousand years we believed that deep within the embers and ruins of destruction, G-d planted the seeds of our salvation.  Jews never lost hope and faith, even against all odds.  Two thousand years of Jewish history is proof of how true this is.  No matter how many times various nations tried to destroy us, even in our generation, in the end we not only survived, but came out stronger than before.

Some had a custom not to save the book containing the special prayers for Tisha B’Av. They would put it away with the hope that by next year Moshiach will be here, and these prayers of lamentation will never have to be put to use again.  May this be the last Tisha B’Av with the coming of Moshiach. Amen.

SHABBAT  SHALOM

Montreal candle lighting time: 8:21 / Shabbat ends: 9:33

B"H

Monday, Menachem Av 10, 5781 / July 19, 2021

Today is the day after Tisha B’Av. From today there are seven weeks until Rosh Hashana.

The three weeks leading up to Tisha B’Av are called the Three Weeks of reprimand.The seven weeks after Tisha B’Av are called seven weeks of comfort. Each Shabbat of these seven weeks we read a special Haftorah which tells of how G-d will bring comfort to the Jewish people.

This Shabbat, which is the first Shabbat after Tisha B'Av, we read Parshat Va'etchanan.  This Shabbat is called, "Shabbat Nachmu" ("Shabbat of comfort"), as the Haftorah of this week begins with the words "Nachmu NachmuAmi" - "Find comfort, find comfort, my people." 

In this week's Parsha we find the "Shema" - "Hear O' Israel the L-rd is Our G-d the L-rd is one.”- “You shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  

The Sh'ema prayer is recited threetimes daily; in the morning prayer; in the evening prayer and before going to bed.  With the Shema we affirm our belief in G-d and our love for Him.

The words "B'chol M'odecha" - can also be translated, "With every measure."  Meaning, that even if G-d acts with us in a measure that may not seem good, we must love Him just the same.

Our sages say that, "One must bless G-d for the bad just as for the good!" No matter whether experiencing good and happiness which shows G-d's kindness in a revealing way or when one, G-d forbid, experiences suffering, one's love for G-d must not waiver.

Q.  Why do we cover our eyes when reciting of the Shema?

A.  When reciting Shema, one must have total concentrationupon the meaning of the words and the affirmation of total belief in G-d. Thus, covering our eyes is so that we will not be distracted while reciting this verse.

In Parshat Va’etchanan we also read about the mitzvah of Mezuzah – affixing a Mezuzah on our door-posts. Every door-post (except the bathroom) needs a mezuzah. The Mezuzah is not the cover but the insert which is inside the cover. The mezuzah is a parchment on which the Shema is written by a G-d fearing scribe, according to specific Halachic requirements.

Q.  What is the meaning of the word Mezuzah?

A. "Mezuzah" means "door-post" for the Mezuzah is placed on the door-post. Also, the Hebrew word "Mezuzot," found in this Parsha, is written: mem, zayen, zayen, vav, tav.  If we rearrange the letters we can spell the two words, "zaz mavet," which means "pushing away death."  A kosher Mezuzah acts as protection.

In Psalms King David says, "G-d shall protect your exit and your entry from now and forever." Our sages say that this applies to the Mezuzah. It acts as a shield and protects us, not only when we are inside the home but also when we go out.  May G-d protect us all.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Wednesday, Menachem Av 12, 5781 / July 21, 2021

This Shabbat is the first Shabbat after Tisha B’Av and is called “Shabbat Nachmu” –  “Shabbat of comfort”. In the Torah we read Parshat Va’etchanan, which is always read on the Shabbat after Tisha B’Av.

Q.   Why is this Shabbat called, “Shabbat Nachmu - Shabbat of comfort”?

A.  The reason is that the Haftorah we read this Shabbat is the prophecy of Isaiah which begins with G-d’s words, “Comfort, comfort My people! Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and announce to her that her period of Exile has been fulfilled and her sins have been forgiven.”

The Prophet Isaiah continues, “G-d is coming to redeem you… G-d will lead you out of Exile like a shepherd pasturing his flock, who gathers the lambs with his arms and carries them in his bosom…”

The entire Haftorah speaks of the final redemption through Moshiach.  Although it has been 2000 years that we are awaiting the redemption, Jews have never given up. It is due to our profound belief in the coming of Moshiach that helped us get through all the difficulties of the past 2000 years of exile.

Our sages say that G-d’s measure of good is much greater than His measure of punishment. The three weeks leading up to the 9^th of Av, when the Holy Temples were destroyed, are called “The Three Weeks of punishment.”  In contrast, there are seven weeks now, from this Shabbat until Rosh Hashana, which are called, “seven weeks of comfort.  Indeed, the measurement of comfort is greater than the measurement of sorrow.

This week’s Parsha, Va’etchanan, is the second Parsha in the Book of Deuteronomy.  In it, Moshe, just before his passing at the age of 120, tells the Jewish people how lucky they are to finally be going into the Holy Land. As for himself, Moshe tells them, although he prayed (“Vaetchanan”) many prayers that G-d let him enter into the Promised Land, it didn’t help. In fact, G-d told him to stop praying for the decree was sealed and he had to die in the desert.

Q.  Why, after all of Moshe’s prayers, didn’t G-d let him go into the Land of Israel?

A.   G-d hears every prayer. Our sages explain the reason G-d did not answer Moshe’s prayers to go into Israel, as follows:  A leader carries responsibility for the action of his people.  G-d entrusted Moshe to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt and bring them into Israel.  But Jews, unfortunately, did not have complete faith that G-d would come through on His commitment and that the land was as good as G-d promised.  They wanted to send scouts to check it out for themselves. Moshe went along and sent the scouts to spy the land. But, when the scouts came back with a negative report, the people refused to go to the Promised Land. 

G-d’s punishment was that they would die in the desert and only their children, who were under the age of twenty at that time, will go into Israel.  They stayed in the desert for 40 years, until all those not permitted to go into Israel, died.

Because Moshe was their leader and, in some way, also responsible for sending the scouts which resulted in them staying in the desert, he too, especially after his mistake of hitting the rock instead of speaking to it, had to die in the desert and be buried together with his people.  May it indeed be a Shabbat of comfort. Amen.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY