B"H

Friday, Kislev 1, 5782 / November 5, 2021

Today is Rosh Chodesh Kislev – the first day of the month, Kislev.  Kislev is the third month of the year, when counting from Rosh Hashana.  It is the ninth month when counting from Nissan.

The Hebrew calendar has been set in a way that certain months always have one day Rosh Chodesh and some two days.  The month of Kislev, however, varies. In some years, Kislev has one day Rosh Chodesh, as this year, and in some years two days Rosh Chodesh.

The holiday of Chanukah is always on the 25^th day in Kislev, in the Hebrew calendar.  On the civil calendar, this year Chanukah begins, Sunday night, November 28.

Each month, about a week after Rosh Chodesh, when the "New Moon" is visible again, we recite a special prayer and blessing called, "Kidush Levanah" - "Sanctification of the Moon."  This prayer is said outdoors on a clear night when the moon is visible. It is preferable to say this prayer at the conclusion of Shabbat (Motzaei Shabbat).

Q.  Why is the "Kidush Levanah" - "Sanctification of the Moon" recited at the conclusion of Shabbat?

A.  One reason is that due to the importance of this prayer, we recite it at the end of Shabbat, while we are still dressed in our festive Shabbat clothes.

Another reason:  The mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh, is a sign of encouragement to the Jewish people.  Just as the moon reappears on Rosh Chodesh after being invisible at the end of the month, so too, will the Jewish people, in the end, become rejuvenated and strong and have our Holy Temple back, no matter what adversary we may experience during the exile years.

The Holy Temple was destroyed on a Saturday night.  Thus, on Saturday night, the time when we lost our Holy Temple, we recite the “Kidush Levanah” prayer, proclaiming our faith in the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.  May it be speedily in our days. Amen.

In this week's Parsha, Toldot, the Torah tells us that Yitzchak (Isaac) called Esau and said to him, "I am old, I do not know the day of my death."  Yitzchak asks Esau to go hunting and bring him food, "so that I may bless you before I die."  Rivkah, who knew the true character of her son Esau, wanted Yaakov to receive the special blessings.  She prepared special food and instructed Yaakov to dress in Esau's clothes so Yitzchak may think he is Esau and receive his father's blessings.  Yaakov indeed received his father’s blessings.

Q.  Yitzchak said, "I do not know the day of my death."  Why doesn’t one know the day of death? 

A.   According to our sages, G-d did not reveal the day of death in order so that a person will not become depressed as the time of death nears.  On the other hand, if a person will know that the time is far in the future, they will postpone repenting and amending their ways, figuring that there is still much time.

The Talmud tells that Rabbi Eliezer instructed his students, "Repent one day before your death!"  His students asked him, "How does one know the day of death?" He replied, "Exactly! For this reason you must repent each day of your life!"

SHABBAT  SHALOM & A WONDERFUL CHODESH-MONTH

Montreal candle lighting time: 5:17 / Shabbat ends: 6:21

B"H

Monday, Kislev 4, 5782 / November 8, 2021

This week’s Parsha, Vayeitzei, begins with Yaakov’s (Jacob) leaving his parents home and going to Charan to his uncle Lavan. His parents encouraged him to leave because his brother, Esau, wanted to kill him for outsmarting him and receiving the blessings from their father, Yitzchak. They suggested that he marry one of his uncle’s daughters. Yaakov was 63 years old when he left his parents.

The Torah describes in detail how, when Yaakov came to Charan he met his cousin, Rachel, who would become his future wife. He met her at a well when she brought her father’s sheep to drink. The Torah says, “When Yaakov saw Rachel, the daughter of Lavan, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Lavan, Yaakov went and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and gave the flock to drink.  And Yaakov kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and cried.” Usually, it would take many shepherds to roll the rock but Yaakov did it all by himself.

Q.  How long, after leaving his parents, Yitzchak and Rivkah, did Yaakov actually come to Lavan?

A.  14 years!  He spent these fourteen years studying at the Yeshiva of Shem’s, great grandson, Eiver.

Q.   Why did Yaakov cry when he saw his cousin and future wife, Rachel?

A.   Our sages give the following reasons:  1)  Yaakov was bothered by the fact that he came empty handed and couldn’t present Rachel with gifts, unlike his mother Rivkah, who received many gifts. 

2)  Yaakov saw that after her passing, she will not be buried together with him in the Me’arat Hamachpeilah (Cave of the Patriarchs), in Hebron.  Rachel was buried in Betlehem.

Q.   Who else, in the Torah met his wife at a well?

A.    Moshe.  He met his wife, Tziporah, at the well in Midyan.

Q.   How many years did Yaakov spend at his father-in-law’s home in Charan?

A.  Twenty years.  Seven years he worked for Lavan to marry his daughter, Rachel. At the wedding night he fooled him and gave him his older daughter, Leah, instead. He worked another seven years for Rachel. He also worked six years to accumulate enough wealth to return to his parents.

Q.   How many of Yaakov’s children were born while he was still in Charan?

A.   Eleven sons and one daughter were born before he returned home. Binyamin (Benjamin) was born on the way back home.  Rachel died soon after the birth of her son, Binyamin.

Q.    How old was Yaakov when he came to Lavan and how old when he left?

A.   Yaakov was seventy seven when he came to Lavan. He was 84 when he got married and left at the age of ninety seven. He travelled for two years and came home at 99.

A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Thursday, Kislev 7, 5782 / November 10, 2021

A synopsis of this week's Parsha, Vayeitzei: 

At the urging of his parents, Yaakov (Jacob) goes to Charan, to his uncle Lavan.  On the way, G-d appeared to him in a dream and promised to protect him.  Yaakov arrived in Charan and stopped by a well in the field.  There was a huge heavy stone upon the well.  Noticing three flocks of sheep lying idly by the well, Yaakov asked the shepherds, "Why aren't you giving the flock to drink?" They replied, "The stone upon the well is heavy.  We have to wait until all the shepherds gather so we can roll the stone off the mouth of the well". At that moment, Rachel, Lavan's daughter, came to the well with her father's sheep. "Upon seeing her, Yaakov rolled off the stone from the well by himself and Lavan's sheep drank."

Lavan had two daughters, the older one was Leah and the younger one was Rachel.  Yaakov loved Rachel. Yaakov said to Lavan, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter".  Lavan agreed and Yaakov worked for seven years. The Torah says, "And they seemed to him but a few days for the love he had for her."  

When the seven years were up, Lavan made a wedding-feast, but instead of Rachel, he gave Leah to Yaakov.  In the morning, Yaakov realized that it was Leah.  He said to Lavan, "What have you done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you fooled me?"

Lavan answered, "It isn't proper to give the younger daughter before the older one".  Lavan offered to give Yaakov his younger daughter, Rachel, in exchange for another seven years of work.  Yaakov agreed.  After seven days he married Rachel and in return worked for his father-in-law, Lavan, additional seven years.  Later, Jacob also married Bilha and Zilpa, the maid servants of Leah and Rachel.   Yaakov was 84 years old when he married Leah and Rachel.

Leah gave birth to four children; Reuben, Shimon, Levi and Yehuda.   "And Rachel saw she did not bear children to Yaakov and Rachel envied her sister; and she said to Yaakov: 'Give me children, if not I am a dead person'".  Yaakov replied, "Am I in the place of G-d, who had withheld from you the fruit of the womb".  Then Bilha gave birth to Dan and Naftali.   From Zilpah, Jacob had two sons, Gad and Asher.  After, Leah again gave birth to Issachar and Zevulun and a daughter, Dina. 

"G-d remembered Rachel and G-d opened her womb." Rachel gave birth to a son, "And she called him Yosef (Joseph) [which means to add], saying: May the L-rd add to me another son."   Rachel did have another son, Binyamin (as we will read in the following Parsha, Vayishlach), but she died during childbirth. From these sons of Yaakov came the 12 tribes of Israel.

After twenty years living with Lavan, Yaakov decided to take his family and return to his parents. It took two years until he finally came home, encountering many difficulties along the way. The birth of the Jewish nation was laden with difficulties. The end result was that it made us stronger and everlasting.

A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY