B"H
Wednesday, Tishrei 30, 5782 (Rosh Chodesh Mar-Cheshvan) / October 6, 2021
In this week's Parsha, Noach (Noah), the second Parsha of the Torah, we read the story of The Great Flood.
The Parsha begins, "These are the generations of Noach. Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted in his generation; With G-d walked Noach. And Noach begot three sons; Shem, Cham and Yefet. And the earth was corrupted before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence. And G-d saw the earth and, behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. And G-d said to Noach: 'The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence. Behold, I will destroy them together with the earth..."
G-d commands Noach to build an ark for histo be saved family. He tells Noach to bring two of each species of non-kosher animals and seven of each kind of kosher animals into the Ark to be saved from The Flood.
Noach spent 120 years building the ark. On the 17th day of the Hebrew month Cheshvan, the Mabul (Great Flood) began; "On the same day were broken all the fountains of the great deep and the windows of the heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights... and the waters increased and the ark was lifted up above the earth... and all the high mountains were covered... Every living substance which was upon the face of the earth, from man unto cattle unto creeping things and unto the fowl of the heaven were blotted out. Only Noach and those that were with him in the ark were left." One year and ten days they spent in the ark. On the twenty seventh of Cheshvan G-d told Noach to emerge from the ark.
Although the people committed the greatest sins which included idol worshipping and adultery etc., as Rashi explains, "the divine decree was sealed only because of robbery." In other words, G-d tolerated sins committed against Him, but brought the greatest disaster against all of man-kind for sins committed against each other.
Q. Why were they punished through water?
A. Here is one explanation: In the beginning of creation, we find that the earth was completely covered with water. On the third day of creation, G-d said, "Let the waters be gathered together unto one place and let the dry land appear and it was so." The Midrash tells us that G-d said to the water, "I will put sand around the oceans to prevent you from flooding the earth".
However, the particles of sand were afraid of this tremendous responsibility, "How will we, such tiny particles, which even the smallest wind can blow us away, be able to accomplish this important task?! How can we hold back the mighty sea?"
"Don't worry!" G-d assured the sand. "It is true that you are tiny and light and each one of you on their own has no might. But, if you stick together and stay united, your power will be enormous that even the mighty sea you will hold back!"
In contrast to the unity of the particles of sand which hold back the sea, the divisiveness of the people in the time of Noach, brought about that the waters again flooded the world and brought great destruction with it. For there is no greater force to prevent disaster and bring good to the world than peace, harmoney and unity.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & CHODESH TOV
B"H
Thursday, Mar-Cheshvan 1, 5782 (Rosh Chodesh) / October 7, 2021
Today, is the second day Rosh Chodesh of the new Hebrew month Mar-Cheshvan.
About half of the Hebrew months have one day Rosh Chodesh, and half are two days Rosh Chodesh. Mar-Cheshvan always has two days Rosh Chodesh.
Q.What determines if a month has two days or one day Rosh Chodesh?
A.Some months consist of 29 days, while other months have 30 days. When the outgoing month has 29 days, then there is only one day Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the new month. But, when the outgoing month has 30 days, then the last day of the outgoing month (30th day) and the first day of the new month, are both Rosh Chodesh. As the outgoing month, Tishrei, has 30 days, we celebrate the incoming month, Mar-Cheshvan, with two days Rosh Chodesh.
Q.Is there any connection between the month of Mar Cheshvan and this week’s Parsha, Noach?
A.Yes. The story of The Great Flood, which is recorded in Parshat Noach, began on the 17th day of Mar-Cheshvan. Noach (Noah), his family and all the animals spent a full year in the ark. On the 27th of Mar-Cheshvan (365 days later) Noach and all who were saved emerged from The Ark.
At the end of Parshat Noach we read about the birth of Abraham. Although, Noach and Abraham were both righteous people, yet, there was a great difference between them. Our sages explain it with the following parable:
Many people were sitting in a freezing cold room. Two of the people decided they couldn't stand it any more. One person put on a fur coat. Although he was now comfortable, everyone else in the room, was still freezing. The other person decided to get wood and make a fire. He not only warmed himself, but everyone else in the room as well.
Noach was similar to the first person. He was righteous, but he didn't go out of his way to call people to repent which would have saved his generation. He didn’t even pray that G-d spare the people. If people asked him the purpose of the Ark, Noach told them, but he didn't do enough to prevent the disaster of The Great Flood. This is the reason the Great Flood is at times called, "The waters of Noach."
Abraham, by comparison, was different. When G-d wanted to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorra, Abraham went out of his way and prayed that G-d save the people.
The lesson is obvious: It is not enough to think only about ourselves. We have to do our best to help others too. This is why Jews are called, Children of Abraham, although we come from Noach too. It teaches us that we must be like Abraham – to think of others and feel responsible for their wellbeing.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
& WONDERFUL HEALTHY CHODESH - MONTH
B"H
Friday, Mar-Cheshvan 2, 5782 / October 8, 2021
In this week’s Parsha, Noach, the Torah tells us that after the waters of The Great Flood receded, Noach wanted to check if it was safe to leave the ark. Noach sent forth a dove to see if the waters abated from the face of the ground. But the dove didn’t find a resting place and returned to the ark. Noach waited seven days and again sent forth the dove out of the ark. The dove came back at evening with an olive leaf in her mouth. Noach knew that the waters were abated from the earth.
Q. What is the significance of the olive leaf which the dove brought back to Noach?
A. Our sages explain, with the "leaf in her mouth" the dove was expressing to Noach, "I prefer my food, even when bitter as the olive branch, by the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He, and not sweet as honey through the hands of people."
In the Grace-after- Meal, we thank G-d for the food we ate and we pray, "Our G-d, our father; tend us, nourish us, sustain us, feed us and provide us with plenty, and speedily, L-rd our G-d, grant us relief from all our afflictions. L-rd our G-d, please do not make us dependent upon the gifts of mortal men nor upon their loans, but only upon Your full, open, holy and generous hand that we may never be shamed or disgraced."
Q.There is a special blessing we recite upon seeing a rainbow. "Blessed are you L-rd, our G-d, King of the universe, Who remembers the covenant, is trustworthy in His covenant and fulfills His word." What is the significance of the rainbow that our sages designated a special blessing?
A.The rainbow's significance is found in this week’s Parsha, Noach. After the Great Flood, G-d made the following promise, "Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. This is the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you for all generations: I set My bow in the cloud and it shall be for a covenant between Me and the earth. And I will remember My covenant... and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh."
The Midrash explains that when G-d told Noach to leave the ark and, "be fruitful and multiply," Noach was hesitant, for fear that G-d may again destroy the world. G-d then made an oath not to bring another great flood. Noach was still hesitant and asked G-d for a sign. G-d showed him the rainbow and declared, "This is my sign.” G-d said, “Even if mankind will deserve such punishment, I will look at the rainbow and remember the covenant." As a result, we recite a special blessing upon seeing a rainbow.
The Midrash explains that when two warriors approach each other for peace, they would turn the bow toward themselves to signal that they do not seek war. Thus, G-d said to Noach, "During the Great Flood My bow was drawn against the world destroying all living beings upon the face of the earth. The rainbow resembles the bow pointing upward, this expresses My promise never to direct My arrows of destruction against the world again."
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 6:03 / Shabbat ends: 7:03
B"H
Monday, Mar-Cheshvan 5, 5782 / October 11, 2021
In the beginning of this week’s Parsha, Lech L'cha, G-d commands Abraham, at age 75, to leave his land, his birthplace and his father’s house, and go to the land which He will show him. The Land will later become the Land of Israel. Abraham takes his wife, Sarah (that time she was still called Sarai), who was 65, and his nephew, Lot, and leaves for the unknowen land. G-d promises Abraham, “And I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great… I will bless those who will bless you and those that curse you will I curse;and in you shall all the families of the earth bless themselves."
Throughout the Parsha we read about the many trials and tribulations which Abraham and Sarah endured. Yet, they withstood all the tests and didn't waiver in their faith in G-d.
The Mishna (Pirkei Avot, chapter 5) says, "Our forefather Abraham was tested with ten trials and he withstood them all, to show the degree of our forefather Abraham's love for G-d." The ten tests according to Maimonides are as follows:
1. At the age of 75, G-d commands Abraham to move to an unknown land.
2. There is a famine in the new land and Abraham and Sarah have to move again, this time to Egypt.
3. In Egypt, Sarah is taken from Abraham to King Pharaoh against her will.
4. His nephew, Lot, is captured and Abraham wages war against four mighty kings to save him.
5. G-d promised that a great nation will come from them, yet, Sarah doesn’t have any children.
6.At the age of 99, Abraham is commanded to circumcise.
7. Sarah is forcefully taken to king Avimelech's palace.
8. Abraham has to expel Hagar, mother of Ishmael.
9. Abraham is forced to expel his son, Ishmael.
10.G-d commands Abraham to bring his beloved son Isaac, at age 36, as a sacrifice.
Why did G-d test Abraham? The Midrash explains this with the following analogy. A potter will bang or squeeze on his wares as a way of showing his customers that his product is strong. But he will only do this with a pot that he knows can withstand the beating and pressure. He will not test a pot which is not capable of surviving. The same was with the tests which G-d gave Abraham and Sarah. Their tests proved their strength and made them even stronger when they passed their tests.
Torah is an everlasting lesson for each of us. Life is full of tests. Everyone has his/her tests. We too, should view a test not as a negative, but as a positive. We can do without them but when G-d does put us through tests, He wants to prove our strength and make us even stronger, when we pass our tests.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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