B"H
Monday, Elul 8, 5781 / August 16, 2021
Rosh Hashana, the Hebrew New Year, will be in three weeks, beginning Monday night, September 6th. Unlike other holidays which are celebrated only one day in Israel, Rosh Hashana is a two day holiday in the Diaspora as well as in Israel.
As with other Jewish holidays, it is a mitzvah each year before Rosh Hashana to study, review and become re-educated about the mitzvot, historical events, customs and reasons connected with Rosh Hashana.
Q. Why is the holiday called "Rosh Hashana?"
A. The literal translation of "Rosh Hashana" is, "Head of the year." Rosh Hashana is not only the beginning of the New Year, but even more important, the "head" of the New Year.
Our sages explain that just as the head controls and directs the activities of the entire person, so too, everything which will transpire in the coming year is determined on Rosh Hashana. Rosh Hashana is the universal day of judgment when G-d judges the entire world.
Q. Each Jewish holiday relates to a specific historical event which took place on that day. What historical event took place on the first of Tishrei to warrant this day to become Rosh Hashana?
A. According to the Talmudic sage Rabbi Eliezer, Rosh Hashana is celebrated on the sixth day of creation – it is the day in which Adam and Eve were created.
Q. Why on the day when Adam and Eve were created, not on the day the world was created?
A. The purpose of creation was so that mankind would make this world a dwelling place for G-d's presence. This is accomplished through observing G-d's commandments. Since mankind is responsible to fulfill the purpose of creation, Rosh Hashana - the New Year – is on the day when Adam and Eve were created.
Q. Rosh Hashana is the universal Day of Judgment when G-d judges the universe. Why was Rosh Hashana - the day in which Adam and Eve were created - chosen as the universal Day of Judgment?
A. On Rosh Hashana, the very same day in which they were created, Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit of the "tree of knowledge." G-d passed judgment upon them on that day as the story is told in the beginning of the Torah. Our sages say that G-d said to Adam, "Just as you stood in judgment before me today, so will your descendants be judged each year on this day."
Q. Why does the Cantor wear a white robe on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur?
A. White symbolizes cleanliness and purity. The white garment alludes to the words of the prophet, "Even if your sins will be as scarlet, they will become white like snow." It is a symbol of forgiveness.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & A SHANA TOVA
B"H
Wednesday, Elul 10, 5781 / August 18, 2021
Each of the holidays has a special mitzvah connected with that holiday. Passover we eat matzah, maror and drink the four cups of wine. In the days of the Temple we also brought the Passover offering. During the holiday of Sukkot we eat in the Sukkah and perform the mitzvah of reciting a blessing over the four species. On Rosh Hashana we perform the special mitzvah of blowing the Shofar.
As with many of the other mitzvot which the Torah commands us to perform, the Torah does not always state their reason. The same is with the mitzvah of blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashana. Yet, there are various explanations and reasons for this special mitzvah and its connection to Rosh Hashana. Here are some of them:
1) Rosh Hashana is the Day of Judgment. The sound of the Shofar on the Day of Judgment serves as a wake-up call to repent and return to G-d.
2) Rosh Hashana is the day when we crown G-d as the King of the universe. At the coronation of a king, it was customary to blow trumpets. Blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashana proclaims G-d’s Kingship over the universe.
3) The sound of the Shofar reminds us of the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, which was accompanied by, "thunder, lightning and the sound of the Shofar" (Exodus 20:15). Sounding the Shofar each year on Rosh Hashana reminds us to observe the Torah and adhere to its mitzvot.
4) The Shofar is made from the horn of a ram. Sounding the Shofar on Rosh Hashana recalls the ram which was sacrificed in place of our forefather Isaac. With that, Abraham withstood the greatest of all tests. Sounding of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana is our prayer that G-d should take into account, on this day of judgment, Abraham’s merit and his complete faith by his willingness to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac upon G-d’s commandment.
Q. How old was Isaac at the time when Abraham placed him on the altar?
A. Isaac was 37 years old then. It also shows Isaac’s commitment as at the age of 37 he went along willingly with his father. With the blowing of the Shofar on the Day of Judgment, we pray that in the merit of Abraham and Isaac G-d will grant us, their descendants, a good, healthy, and sweet year.
The Shofar is also a sound of hope.It reminds us of the ultimate redemption, with the coming of Moshiach whose arrival will be announced with the sound of the Shofar.
Q. Why is the ram's horn, which we blow on Rosh Hashana called "Shofar?"
A. "Shofar" comes from the same root as "Shapru" which means to "make better" and "beautify." The sound of the Shofar is a call which reminds us to "better and beautify" our deeds in the coming year.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & A HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR
B"H
Thursday, Elul 11, 5781 / August 19, 2021
One of the mitzvot in this week's Parsha, Ki Teitzei, is the commandment-mitzvah of "Hashavat Aveidah" - "returning a lost object" to its rightful owner.
The Torah states: "When you see your brother's ox or sheep go astray you cannot hide yourself from them. You shall bring them back to your brother. If your brother is not close to you or you don't know him, then you shall bring it into your own house, and it shall be with you until your brother seeks it and you shall give it back to him."
Q. Parshat Ki Teitzei is always read in the month of Elul – the month in which we prepare for the New Year. The Torah reading each week conveys a message related to that time of the year. What is the message from this mitzvah to each of us for the month of Elul?
A. "Hashavat Aveidah" - "returning a lost object" in a spiritual sense refers to "Teshuvah" -repentance. The word “Teshuvah” comes from the word “Hashavah” – to return.
Elul is the month of "Teshuvah" when we must "return" and restore our G-dly soul (which may at times have gone astray, during the past year), to its original form of holiness and purity.
Here is another lesson for the month of Elul from the name of the Parsha, Ki Teitzei. The Parsha begins, "Ki Teitzei" - "when you will go to war on your enemies…" Ki Teitzei is written in the singular as if the Torah speaks to a single person going to battle. Doesn’t it take an army of many divisions and soldiers to fight a war?
Our sages in the Talmud tell us that King Achav and the people of Israel in his time sinned by worshipping idols, which is one of the worst sins of all.
Yet, when they went to war, they were victorious. Why did G-d help them when they were idol worshippers? The answer is that although they sinned against G-d by worshipping idols, they displayed a tremendous level of unity amongst themselves. They cared for one another.
Thus, "Ki Teitzei" is written in the singular to tell us that the secret of victory can come only when Jews are "united" as one person. This is a lesson for the month of Elul when we need to exhibit Jewish unity.
There was a wise man who had twelve sons. Before he died, his children asked him for advice on how to succeed in life. He told each of them to go out and bring back one twig. He took each twig individually and broke it effortlessly. He then told each of them to bring him one more twig. He tied the twelve twigs together and challenged each one of his sons to break it. Yet, as much as they tried, they couldn’t break it.
“This is my last and lasting advice to you,” he said. “As individuals you can easily be broken, but as ONE, no one can break you. Just “stick” together as one!”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & A HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR
B"H
Friday, Elul 12, 5781 / August 20, 2021
This Shabbat we read from the Torah Parshat Ki Teitzei. After this there are only five Parshiot left until the end of the Torah. There are many mitzvot in this Parsha. Here are some of the mitzvot which apply today:
When one finds someone’s lost property it should be returned to its rightful owner. One is prohibited from making believe they did not see it. They have a mitzvah to pick it up and return it to the rightful owner.
When one sees a fellow’s animal lying under its heavy burden, they must help to lift it.
When building a house, one must build a fence around the roof so that no one will fall from it. The same applies with an open pit. One must build a fence around it so that no one will fall into it.
One is not permitted to plow with an ox and donkey together.
When giving a loan to a Jew or taking a loan from a Jew one is prohibited to take or pay interest.
Rabbi Yaakov Orinstein was asked by a Gentile about this Torah law. “How can you claim that your Torah is fair, when it prohibits you from taking interest from a Jew, yet allows you to take interest from a non-Jew?”
Rabbi Orinsten replied, “This law is very fair. Fairness is only when it works equally both ways. Had a non-Jew been prohibited from taking interest from a Jew, then it would be fair not to take interest from him either. But Torah law allows a non-Jew to charge a Jew interest, so why shouldn’t we be allowed to charge him interest.
"You shall not plow with an ox and donkey together." The Iben Ezra explains the reason for this prohibition is out of pity for the donkey which is weaker than the ox and plowing together with the ox is beyond his strength.
The Chezkuni gives another reason: The ox chews its cud while the donkey does not. If they will plow together the donkey, seeing that the ox is constantly chewing, will think that the ox is eating while it is not. Since this will cause it pain, the Torah prohibited it. There is a great lesson in this. If we must be so careful not to hurt the feelings of an animal, how much more so do we have to care about the feelings of our fellow person.
The story is told of a rabbi who attended a wedding of one of the wealthy people in his city. It was customary that an area of the hall was designated for the poor, where they benefited of a warm meal.
However, the rabbi noticed that the waiters first served the wedding guests who were enjoying their meal, while the poor were sitting and waiting. "Why aren't the poor being served?" he inquired of the host.
"When the guests are finished being served, we will serve the poor..."
"You are transgressing a prohibition of the Torah!" replied the rabbi. The Torah prohibits the plowing of an ox and donkey together because the donkey will see the ox chewing its cud and thus feel pain and anguish. Now, if the Torah is so concerned with the donkey's feelings, how much more should you consider the pain and feelings of the poor, who see everyone eating when they are not!"
This lesson applies especially in the month of Elul, when we pray that G-d grant us a happy & healthy New Year.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 7:35 / Shabbat ends: 8:38
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