B"H

Thursday, Elul 23, 5784 / September 26, 2024

This Shabbat, which is the last Shabbat of the year, 5784, we read two Parshiot, Nitzavim & Vayeilach. They are both small Parshiot for a total of 70 verses.

Parshat Nitzavim was said by Moshe to the entire congregation of Israel on the day of his passing. On that day, Moshe gathered together the entire congregation and said to them, "You are standing this day, all of you, before the L-rd your G-d: Your heads, your tribes, your elders, your officers all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, your stranger that is in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood to the one who draws your water; so that you shall enter into the covenant of the L-rd your G-d and unto His oath which the L-rd your G-d makes with you today... Not only with you do I make this covenant and this oath, but with him that stands here with us this day and also with him that is not with us this day."

"You are standing this day all of you..." Moshe describes ten categories, which encompasses every Jew - from the heads of the congregation of Israel to those who serve as laborers. Everyone is important before the eyes of G-d and thus everyone must stand together as one nation and one neshama-spiritual soul in order to pass into the covenant of G-d.

Parshat Nitzavim, is always read on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashana for its message is especially important for Rosh Hashana. 

"Nitzavim" expresses a "firm stand," with confidence, and security. Our sages say that to be confident and assured that when we come before G-d on Rosh Hashana - the day of judgment - we will be inscribed for a good and sweet year, we, as a nation must make every effort to stand united amongst ourselves.

A father, on his deathbed, called all his children together and gave each of them a stick. He told them to try and break the stick, which each did with little effort.

Then he took all the sticks and tied them together. "Now try to break them!" he instructed.  No matter how hard they tried they couldn't break the bundle of sticks.

"This is my lesson to you, my dear children.  If each one of you cares only for yourself, it will be easy for the outside forces to break you and destroy you.  But if you stick together, no one will be able to harm you!"

When we come before G-d in judgment on Rosh Hashana, we can overcome any adversity as long as we stay together.   Thus, it is customary, before Rosh Hashana to forgive and ask forgiveness for wrongs which we may have done to each other.  This way, we come as one before G-d and receive His blessings for the New Year. May the New Year bring peace and blessings to us all. Amen

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

B"H

Tuesday, Elul 21, 5784 / September 24, 2024

The holiday of Rosh Hashana will begin next Wednesday night, October 2, and continues through Friday, October 4.  Rosh Hashana is a two-day holiday in Israel as in the Diaspora. The special mitzvah on Rosh Hashana is the blowing of the Shofar.

Q.   The first thirty sounds of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana are blown after the Torah reading. Why are they done from the Bimah (the altar), the place where the Torah is read?

A.   One of the reasons for the blowing of the Shofar is to remind us of the special day when G-d gave us the Torah, which was accompanied by the sound of the Shofar.  It reminds us that we should adhere to the ways of the Torah.  Because the sounding of the Shofar is a reminder of the Giving of the Torah, we blow the Shofar on the Bimah - the place where the Torah was just read.

Q.  Why is there a “long sound,” called, “Tekiah Gedolah” at the conclusion of the Shofar blowing?

A.  Before giving the Torah on Mount Sinai, G-d told Moshe to warn the Jewish people not to ascend or even touch the mountain during the Giving of the Torah; “Only when the Shofar sounds a long, drawn-out blast may they ascend the mountain” (Exodus 19:13).  Just like the Giving of the Torah ended with the drawn-out blast, so too, each segment of the Shofar blowing ends with a long blast.

Q.  Why is it customary to eat fish at Rosh Hashana meals?

A.  The Torah tells us that at the time of creation, G-d blessed the fish with a special blessing to be “fruitful and multiply.”  Children are the greatest blessing we can ask for.  Every blessing in the Torah which G-d gave to the Jewish people includes a blessing to be fruitful – a blessing for children. 

On Rosh Hashana we eat fish, which is distinguished with the blessing of being fruitful, as a symbolic gesture that we too should be fruitful and multiply. 

Q.  Why is it customary that the Rosh Hashana Chalot (breads) are shaped round?

A.  One reason is that on Rosh Hashana we crown G-d as the King of the Universe.  The round Chalah symbolizes a crown which is used for the coronation of a king.

Another reason: On Rosh Hashana G-d judges the universe. The round Chalah represents the shape of the world which is judged on this day.

Q.  Why do we dip the Chalah in honey on Rosh Hashana?

A.  As mentioned, the round Chalah represents the world being judged on this day. Dipping the Chalah in honey is our way of requesting G-d to judge us favorably and grant us a sweet year.

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

B"H

Monday, Elul 20, 5784 / September 23, 2024

There are many different customs we do on Rosh Hashana to symbolize that we pray that G-d grant us a good New Year and provide us with all our needs. For example, it is customary to eat from the head of a fish or lamb at the Rosh Hashana meal and recite, "May it be Your will that we be a head and not a tail." We eat the seeds of a pomegranate and recite, “May our merits multiply and be many as the seeds of the pomegranate. We dip the Chalah in honey and pray that we should have a sweet New Year.

The Magid of Dubna explains that although these symbols are important and are part of our tradition, we need to do more than just the symbols.  We need to prepare during the month of Elul through acts of charity and generosity. We need to help make someone else’s life happy and sweet, so that we should be deserving of His blessings.  He explains the Rosh Hashana customs with the following parable:

A poor man was once invited to the home of a wealthy man for a meal.  He was overwhelmed by all the glamour and wealth that he saw in the rich man's house.  One thing amazed him the most.  Every time they finished a course, the owner would press down on a small bell and immediately servants would enter the room with all kinds of delicacies and wonderful, tasty foods. When they finished the course, he would sound the bell and again the servants cleaned off the table and then serve the next course.

He was fascinated by this magic bell. After the meal, he went and bought a bell just like that one.  He came home and with great excitement, called for his wife and children to sit down at the table.  He placed the bell on the table and proceeded to ring it as hard as he could, anticipating that any minute now, waiters will enter with platters of food.  But ring as hard as he would, nothing happened!

Angrily, he went back to the storekeeper and complained that he was cheated.   "Why didn't you sell me the same exact bell that you sold the wealthy man?"

"But it is exactly the same bell!" replied the storekeeper.  "What makes you think that it is not the same?"

He told the storekeeper the purpose for which he wanted the bell.  "How can this be the same bell, when in the rich man's house, every ring of the bell brought food to the table!  In my house, I rang and rang and not a morsel of food was brought to the table!"

The storekeeper laughed, "The bell is worthless in and of itself. It doesn't prepare nor serve the food.  The wealthy man prepared the food and waiters to serve the food beforehand.  The bell was only a reminder to the waiters that it was time to bring the food to the table.  But without preparation the bell is worthless."

“The same is with our many customs,” explained the Magid.  Dipping the Challah and apple in honey, wearing white on Yom Kippur, etc. is like the bell.  We must prepare beforehand, during the month of Elul, through the performance of mitzvot and good deeds, which act on our behalf to bring us a happy and healthy New Year.

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

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