B"H

Tuesday, Elul 23, 5781 / August 31, 2021

Every Hebrew month begins with Rosh Chodesh. Some have one day Rosh Chodesh while some have two days Rosh Chodesh. Every Rosh Chodesh we recite the Hallel, we say additional services and read the special Rosh Chodesh reading from the Torah.

Rosh Hashana, which is the beginning of the month Tishrei is also Rosh Chodesh (in addition to being Rosh Hashana). However, we do not recite the Hallel or even mention the fact that it is also Rosh Chodesh.

Q.  Why is there no specific mention in the Rosh Hashana prayers to the fact that it is also Rosh Chodesh?  Why isn’t the regular Rosh Chodesh Torah reading read on Rosh Hashana?

A.    Rosh Hashana is the day when we crown G-d as the King of the Universe. When a king visits a city with his ministers and officers, the attention is centered only on the King, not on the officials accompanying him. The same is with Rosh Hashana.  We focus our entire attention on the major holiday, on Rosh Hashana and our acceptance of G-d’s Kingdom, rather than on Rosh Chodesh, which is a minor event by comparison.

Q.The traditional Rosh Hashana greeting we wish each other is, “L’Shana Tova Tikateivu V’teichateimu (“For a good year you shall be inscribed and sealed”). Why is this recited only the first night of Rosh Hashana?

A. The Talmud states that the righteous ones are inscribed for a good year immediately, on the first night of Rosh Hashana. Therefore, if we greet someone in this manner after the first night of Rosh Hashana, we are in a way implying that that person is not among the righteous. Thus, after the first night of the holiday, we refrain from using that greeting, which speaks about being “inscribed.” However, we do wish each other a happy holiday and a good year (omitting the word inscribed). May it indeed be a healthy, wonderful, and great year for all. 

Q.  Why is Rosh Hashana the only Biblical holiday which is celebrated two days in Israel, the same as in the Diaspora?

A. This is because Rosh Hashana is the only holiday which begins on Rosh Chodesh – the first day of the new Hebrew month. In the days of the Temple, messengers would travel throughout Israel and notify the exact day in which Rosh Chodesh was declared.

The other Biblical holidays begin in the midde of the month. By then all of Israel knew the exact day. But Rosh Hashana, which begins on the first day of the month (Rosh Chodesh), and is celebrated on the same day in which the High Court declared Rosh Chodesh, there was no time to inform the people of the exact day. To be on the safe side, everyone throughout Israel celebrated Rosh Hashana two days. That is why Rosh Hashana which was always two days in Israel is now also observed two days in Israel.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & SHANA TOVA

B"H

Wednesday, Elul 24, 5781 / September 1, 2021

The two-day holiday of Rosh Hashana, which will usher in the New Year, 5782, will begin next Monday night, September 6.  It is customary that before Rosh Hashana we recite special Selichot services each day. Sephardic custom is to begin the Selichot services from Rosh Chodesh Elul, one full month before Rosh Hashana.   

Ashkenazi custom, in most years, is to begin the Selichot services on Shabbat night before Rosh Hashana.  However, this year when Rosh Hashana is on a Tuesday, and there is only two days from Shabbat till Rosh Hashana, we began the Selichot service this past Shabbat night. Thus, the Selichot services are recited this year for over a week.

In the Selichot service we pray for G-d’s forgiveness for our misdeeds of the outgoing year and for a blessed New Year. We don't ask for this as a reward for our good deeds, rather we say, "We come before You without good deeds; as poor and indigent we knock on your door [for charity]."

Q.  Why do we ask G-d to grant us whatever we need as a form of charity? It would make more sense to ask for all the good as a reward of our good deeds.  Instead of saying, "We come before You without good deeds," we should have mentioned all the good deeds we performed in the past year.

A.   The Magid of Dubna explains it with the following parable: A poor man desperately needed a coat for his son and himself for the winter months.  He went from door to door collecting money until he could afford one. He then went, together with his young son, to the store to buy the coat.

After choosing two coats, he told the shopkeeper his dire situation of poverty and begged the owner to give him the coats for free.  The kindhearted store owner had pity on him and agreed.  After taking the coats, he gave the owner the money he collected, thanked him, and left.

His young son was puzzled, "Father," he asked, "if you intended all along to pay the merchant for the coats, then why did you ask him to give it to you without charge?"

The father replied, "My son, I never intended to take the coats for free.  However, I was afraid that the money I collected was not enough to pay for the coats.  I asked him to be kind and give it to me for free.  Once he agreed to this, any amount of money which I offered him would be acceptable and he would be very happy, even if it wasn't the full price of the coats."

"The same is with us," explained the Magid.  "Can we honestly come before G-d and say that we have done enough mitzvot to warrant His kindness in return for what we have accomplished?”

Therefore, we ask for G-d's mercy and kindness, saying, "We come before You without good deeds; as poor and indigent we knock on your door [for charity]."  Only after G-d accepts our plea to grant us what we need because of His generosity, can our good deeds and mitzvot which we performed during the year, no matter how few they may be, carry added value to bring us more blessings in the New Year.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & SHANA TOVA

Friday, Tishrei 4, 5782 / September 10, 2021

We are now into the New Hebrew year, 5782. Best wishes for a Shana Tova and a Gemar Chatima Tova – A good, happy, healthy and prosperous new year. May ALL our prayers be answered and fulfilled to their fullest. May G-d’s blessings shower down on us from above and bring fruitful growth here below for good health, Nachas and success in all our endeavors.

There are ten days from the first day Rosh Hashana until Yom Kippur (Yom Kippur included).  These days are known as, “Aseret Yemei Teshuva” – “The Ten Days of Return-Repentance.” They lead up to the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement, when our sins are forgiven.

It is customary to give extra charity between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Traditionally, plates from various charities are placed in the synagogue before Yom Kippur into which contributions are placed. 

In the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur prayers we say, "Repentance, Prayer and Charity nullify a bad decree."  Since it is forbidden to handle money on the day of Yom Kippur, we give extra charity on the day before Yom Kippur so that our mercy for others will invoke G-d's mercy on us.

This Shabbat, we read from the Torah, Parshat Vayeilach. Being the Shabbat between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, it is called Shabbat Teshuva (or Shuva) - Shabbat of Return (repentance). The Haftorah begins, Shuva Yisrael – “Return, O Israel to G-d your G-d, for you have stumbled through your iniquity.” It is a call by the prophet Hosea to the Jewish people to repent and return to G-d.   

Moe was a wealthy businessman in the community.  One day the rabbi met him at a function and exclaimed, “Moe, I haven’t seen you in Shul (synagouge) for years! Moe replied, “Rabbi, going to Shul has become so boring, for every time I come to Shul they are reciting the same prayer… Kol Nodrei… 

There are so many beautiful prayers recited during the year… we should make an effort to attend synagogue on a more regular basis, not just one.. or three days a year. Once we get used to it, it becomes not only spiritually rewarding.. it becomes enjoyable too.

Rosh Hashana was over and Abe needed his tallis cleaned. He called his friend Max to ask what dry cleaner to take it to. Max said, "I take my tallis to Moishe the dry cleaner.  He charges only $4.00."

Abe goes over to Moishe's and finds that the ownership has changed.  He asks the new owner, Mr. Jones, if he meets the old prices. Mr. Jones assures him that he does.

Three days later, Abe goes to get his tallis and is given a bill for $24.00. He storms, "I thought you’re charging the same as Moishe!"  

"I did, " said Mr. Jones, "$4.00 for cleaning the tallis, and $20.00 to untie all the knots…"

We must stay knotted to our traditions... They keep us well connected.

SHABBAT SHALOM - SHANA TOVA & GMAR CHATIMA TOVA

Montreal candle lighting time:  6:56 / Shabbat ends: 7:57