Monday, Tishrei 5, 5785 / October 7, 2024

Today, October 7^th, is exactly a year, on the secular calendar, since the massacre in Isarel in which over one thousand men women and children, were murdered with the greatest form of violence and brutality. Many have been maimed and wounded. In addition, many were taken captive, of which over one hundred are still in captivity. May G-d have mercy upon them and have them released immediately.

Who would have believed that one year later they would still be in captivity under the harshest of conditions by Hamas beasts…

October sixth last year in Israel was on the holiday of Shmini Atzeret, the last day of the Sukkot holiday. It started out as the holiday of rejoicing… Yet, that day of rejoicing was turned into a day of mourning… It felt like we had two days of Tisha B’Av, which is the saddest day in the year, the day when the Holy Temples were destroyed. That holiday of Shmini Atzeret, when we should be rejoicing with the Torah, was transformed into a day of grief and mourning.

The mind is blank… There is so much to say… Yet, there are very few words with which to say them. There are no words to express the grief we all feel for the hostages, their families, the wounded and those who were murdered. The questions are many… and there are no answers.

Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are of the happiest days in the Hebrew calendar. Yet, on Shmini Atzeter we recite the solemn Yizkor prayer in which we remember our loved ones who are deceased and no longer with us. If it was a mystery, why on that happy day do we remember our loved ones who are gone? Today, we understand that for us, happiness and sadness sometimes are blended together…

Rosh Hashana we celebrated the creation of the Universe and the creation of Adam and Eve. The Torah tells us that when G-d created the world, light and darkness served together. There were no boundaries between light and darkness and they both were mixed together…  However, G-d wanted them to serve separately, and G-d separated between light and darkness. He called light DAY and darkness NIGHT.

Last year Shmini Atzeret was a day when light and darkness were intertwined… The Hamas forces of darkness attacked the Jewish forces of light… From the darkness of the tunnels came the murderous barbaric Hamas terrorists to assault the forces of light as Israelis were celebrating the festival of Sukkot.

We know that G-d created the world in a way, as our sages say, “A small amount of light pushes away much darkness.” Thank G-d, the IDF was able in the past few months to get rid of much of the darkness by eliminating many of the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. May they wipe all of them from the face of the earth. May G-d watch & protect the IDF. May the light at the end of the tunnels become closer… May the light of freedom shine bright and lead the way for our hostages to be freed very soon.

May the following words of the Haggadah (recited on Passover), “May they go from slavery to freedom; from grief to joyousness; from mourning to festivity; from darkness to light; from bondage to redemption.” Be fulfilled immediately. AMEN.

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

B"H

Wednesday, Elul 29, 5784 / October 2, 2024

This is the last Torah Fax of this year, 5784.  Next Torah Fax will be, G-d willing, next week, after Rosh Hashana – in the Hebrew year, 5785.

Q.  On the first day of Rosh Hashana we go to a body of water, preferably one which has fish in it.  We recite a special prayer and symbolically throw our sins into the water.  This service is called “Tashlich.”  What is the reason for this custom and why is it called Tashlich?

A.  "Tashlich" means "to cast away."  The name is derived from the words of the prophet Micha, "And you shall cast into the depth of the sea all your sins" (Micha 7:19).  The Tashlich service consists of going to a lake, river, or stream, preferably which has fish, and reciting various verses from the Bible and Psalms.  After reciting Tashlich, we shake out our pockets or the corners of our garments over the water.  This symbolizes the concept of casting our sins into the water.

There is another reason we recite Tashlich which has to do with the Torah reading of the day.  According to the Midrash, when Abraham went to offer Yitzchak (Isaac) as a sacrifice, Satan placed many obstacles in their way.  One of them was that he created a river to block their path.  Abraham and Yitzchak continued walking right into the river. When the water reached their necks, Abraham exclaimed, "Save us G-d, for the waters have come to take my soul." G-d ordered Satan to remove the obstruction. 

The Tashlich service commemorates the self-sacrifice of Abraham and Yitzchak in order to fulfill G-d's will.  On Rosh Hashana, we ask G-d to apply this in our favor and as their descendants, and bless us in their merit for a good, happy and sweet New Year.

Q.   Why do we choose a body of water which contains fish?

A.   Fish have no eyelids; thus their eyes are always open.  In the same way, we pray that G-d, "Who neither sleeps nor slumbers" (Psalms 121), should watch over us continuously.  

Q.  On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur every Jew attends synagogue. In synagogue, even those who don’t wear a head covering at all times will be required to wear one.  The head covering is called, “Kipah” or “Yarmulka.”  What is the reason we cover our heads?

A.  Covering our head is an expression of our fear of G-d.  It symbolizes that there is a greater power over and above us.  “Kipah” means “covering.”  The word "Yarmulka" is derived from the Hebrew words, "Yarei M'elokim" which means, "to fear G-d."

I hereby want to express special thanks to all who responded to our Rosh Hashana Campaign. 

May you and your loved ones be inscribed in the Book of Life and Good Health.  May the New Year bring you only blessings, prosperity and Nachas.  May the New Year, 5785, usher in an era of peace for Israel and for the world.

UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW

Montreal candle lighting: Wed. 6:14 / Thurs. 7:13 / Fri. 6:10 / Shabbat ends: 7:10

B"H

Tuesday, Elul 28, 5784 / October 1, 2024

From Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur, we recite four extra passages during the Amidah prayers, asking G-d to inscribe us in the Book of Life.  In the first passage we say, "Remember us for life... inscribe us in the Book of Life"; The second passage is, "Who is like You merciful Father, who in compassion remembers His creatures for life."; The third passage is, "Inscribe all the children of Your covenant for a good life." In the fourth we pray to be inscribed, "In the Book of Life, blessing, peace and prosperity, deliverance, consolation and favorable decrees..." First, we ask for LIFE, then for good life, for prosperity etc. 

In the world we live in today, many are more occupied with "wealth" than with "health."  In the hustle bustle of day-to-day life our priorities may become distorted, and we sometimes forget to appreciate and be thankful for the miracle called LIFEwhich G-d grants us every second of the every day.

In the Modim prayer, recited three times daily, we thank G-d, "For our lives which are committed in your hand, and for our souls which are entrusted to You, for your miracles which are with us daily." On Rosh Hashana we are reminded of our priorities - to be inscribed in the Book of Life for life and good health.

A Chassid once came to his rebbe complaining that he had had a bad year financially.  The rebbe asked him, "How is your health and the health of your family?"  He replied that health was, thank G-d, good.  The Rebbe reminded him the words of the Talmud, “He Who gives life will surely give sustenance!"

The Rebbe explained: A businessman was traveling home from the fair and had with him a large sum of money.  The way home was long and for Shabbat he stopped at an inn run by a Jewish innkeeper. As it is not permitted to carry money on Shabbat, the businessman gave his wallet to the innkeeper for safekeeping until after Shabbat.  The wallet contained 5,000 rubles plus 5 kopikes (pennies).

All Shabbat the businessman was worried whether the innkeeper was trustworthy and will he ever see his money again.  Immediately after Shabbat he asked for his wallet which the innkeeper returned. The merchant quickly went back to his room and counted the money and found all 5,000 rubles intact." 

Said the Rebbe, "Do you think that after the innkeeper returned the full 5000 rubles, would he still be worried whether the five pennies-kopikes were also returned? Only a fool would suspect the innkeeper in not giving back the five kopikes when he was trustworthy with the large sum of 5000 rubles!"

"The same is with you," concluded the rebbe.  "G-d gave you and your family life and health which is worth far more than anything else in the world. Don't you think that you can trust Him to also give you your sustenance? If you have true faith that G-d grants you proper health, you will automatically have faith that He will bless you in your business dealings and will provide you with your livelihood too. This is what the Talmud means, He Who gives life will surely give sustenance!

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

UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW