B"H
Thursday, Sivan 19, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / June 8, 2023
This week's Parsha, Beha'alotcha (Numbers 8-12), begins with the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah (Candelabra) in the Holy Temple. The Torah refers to the lights of the Holy Temple as, "Ner Tamid" - a "constant light".
Although we do not have the Bet Hamikdash, the synagogue is called a "miniature Temple". To remind us of the Menorah in the Holy Temple, the synagogue also has a "Ner Tamid", an eternal light, in front of the ark.
Candles and light play an important symbolic role in the Synagogue as well as in the Jewish home.
Our sages say, "The candle of G-d is the soul of man." Thus, at a Yartzeit, a candle is lit to honor the soul of the deceased. Before Yom Kippur, we light a candle in honor of the souls of our loved ones who have deceased.
At a marriage ceremony, many have the custom that the bride and groom are led to the Chupah (marriage canopy) with candles. The candles represent the two souls which will be united in marriage.
Shabbat and holidays are also ushered in with candles. When one departs this world, we again light candles in honor of the soul which has departed.
Mitzvot are compared to a candle, while the Torah itself is compared to light. For the Torah and mitzvot illuminate and enlighten one’s immediate surroundings and the world.
The Midrash explains that while keeping the light of Torah and mitzvot is up to us, maintaining our light, which is our soul, is completely in the hands of G-d who gives and controls life. Thus, G-d says, "My candle (Torah and mitzvot) is in your hands while your candle (soul) is in My hands. Take good care of My candle and I will take good care of yours!"
"A small amount of light pushes away much darkness," say our sages. In the second chapter of Pirkei Avot, we are told, "Be as careful in the performance of a minor mitzvah as in a major one”, for the "light" of even a minor mitzvah is sufficient to dispel much darkness.
Before the days of electricity, Russia's main streets were lit by kerosene lamps. Each night, a city employee would make the rounds and light these lamps to illuminate the street.
"The function of a Jew is to be a lamp-lighter," said Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber of Lubavitch. "It is not enough to feel spiritually enlightened and warmed by the light of one’s soul, one must also use their spiritual fire and make an effort to light up the candle/soul of another Jew by bringing them closer to G-d through Torah and Mitzvot."
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Friday, Sivan 20, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / June 9, 2023
This week's Torah portion is Beha'alotcha. This Shabbat, we recite the second chapter of Pirkei Avot. Amongst the many teachings in this chapter are the following teachings of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi:
“Be as careful in the performance of a [seemingly] minor mitzvah as of a major one, for you do not know the reward given for the various mitzvot. Reflect upon three things and you will not come to sin: Know what is above you; An Eye that sees, an Ear that hears, and all your deeds are recorded in a Book."
"Know what is above you" - The Hebrew words for, "Know what is above you", are "Da mah l'ma’alah mimcha." This can also be translated as, "Know that what happens above is from you." According to the teaching of our sages, whatever happens in heaven above and the reward in the World-to-Come is directly affected by the good deeds we perform in thisworld.
“Know what is above you" - The story is told of a group of children who had a contest to see who could climb to the top of a tall ladder. One after the other, the children climbed about halfway, became frightened, and gave up. Only one boy managed to make it to the top.
His grandfather asked him, "How did you accomplish what the others couldn't?"
The boy answered, "The other children kept looking down as they climbed the ladder, thus, realizing how high they were, and they became frightened. I, on the other hand, continuously kept looking upand realized how low I was, so I wanted to go higher and higher. This is why I was able to reach the top."
“Know what is above you," says Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. By “looking up” we will be encouraged and strive to go higher and higher spiritually, thus we will not come to sin.
"An Eye that sees" - A Rabbi paid a wagon driver to take him from one town to another. On the road they passed a field full of hay and the driver decided to help himself to some bailed hay. He stopped the wagon and jumped to the ground.
"Rabbi, if you notice anyone watching, let me know immediately!" Assured that nobody was watching, and the Rabbi was on guard, he ran toward the field.
No sooner did the wagon driver start gathering the hay, when the Rabbi yelled out, "Someone's watching! Someone's watching!" The driver dropped the hay, ran frantically back to the carriage, and drove away as quickly as he could.
After a while, he turned to the Rabbi and said, "Rabbi, I didn't see anyone! Are you sure someone was watching?" "Definitely!" replied the Rabbi, pointing upward, "G-d was watching!"
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 8:24 / Shabbat ends: 9:40
B"H
Monday, Sivan 23, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / June 12, 2023
At the end of last week’s Parsha, Beha'alotcha (which we read in the Diaspora), the Torah tells us that, “Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth.”
Q.Moshe attained the highest spiritual level any human achieved or could achieve. In many ways Moshe was even greater than the angels. Moshe was the only human who was on Mount Sinai for a total of 120 days. G-d praised Moshe that he was the only person with whom G-d spoke “mouth to mouth.” How can we explain rationally the fact that Moshe was the most humble person on the face of the earth? He surely knew his great qualities. How could he feel so humble?
A. There is a saying in the Talmud, “Whoever has one hundred wants two hundred; whoever has two hundred, desires four hundred, etc.” The more one possesses, the more one desires. In other words, the more one has the more they feel they are missing. This is especially true with spirituality.
It is precisely for this reason that Moshe was so humble. Moshe attained the highest spiritual level and the highest level of Torah knowledge, more than any other human being. From his vantage point he realized that there was so much more beyond his reach. Thus, he felt he was missing so much more. This made him the most humble person on the face of the earth.
In many synagogues there is a sign, “Da lifnei mi ata omed” – “Know before whom you are standing.” The reason for this is that prayer must be with humility. We shouldn’t come before G-d saying, “You owe me. I deserve that you fulfill my requests.” We should pray with humility; that G-d answer our prayers out of His infinite kindness, even though we may not be deserving. Realizing before whom we are standing in prayer helps us feel humble. The more we focus on G-d’s greatness, the more we realize our own shortcomings. This helps us pray with humility.
It was the same with Moshe. His knowledge of G-d’s greatness surpassed that of any other human being. Thus, he realized that with all his great virtues, he was so insignificant in the presence of G-d. As a result, he was the most humble person upon the face of the earth.
Also, Moshe felt that his qualities were a gift from G-d. It was not his achievement, only that G-d chose him to lead the Jewish people. Moshe thought, had G-d chosen anyone else for this role, they would have surpassed his accomplishments. Thus, he was the most humble person.
A poor man once came upon a tremendous treasure of the most expensive diamonds buried in the ground. Afraid of being seen, he quickly stuffed his pockets with as many diamonds as he could. When his family saw the treasure, they were all jumping with excitement… But he was very sad. When asked why he was so sad, he replied, “You’re happy because this is all you see, but I know that compared to what I left behind, what I took is so insignificant. The same was with Moshe. Realizing how much was beyond him which he couldn’t attain, made him feel very humble.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Sivan 24, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / June 13, 2023
The Torah readings these weeks differ between Israel and the Diaspora. Israel is one Torah portion ahead of us. In Israel this Shabbat they will read Parshat Korach. In the Diaspora we will be reading Parshat Shlach.
Parshat Shlach begins with the story of the 12 spies that Moshe sent to scout the land of Canaan which G-d promised to give to the Jewish people. Yet, instead of returning and encouraging the people to go and conquer the land, ten of the spies brought back a negative report which discouraged the people.
They brought back enormous fruits from the land. Displaying the fruits, they told of the giants who live in the land. They concluded their report by saying, "The land through which we have passed is a land which eats up its inhabitants!”
The Jewish people were so distressed, upon hearing this, that they wanted to return back to Egypt, refusing to go into the Promised Land. G-d punished them and instead of continuing to the Promised Land they stayed in the desert for forty years, until all those who refused to go to Israel died. Only their children eventually merited to go into The Land.
Q. Why did they describe the land as, "a land which eats up its inhabitants?"
A. In order that the spies should not be harmed, G-d brought a plague wherever the spies went. Thus, the people of the land were busy burying their dead and did not pay attention to the spies. Had their faith in G-d been complete, the spies would have realized that this was for their benefit. However, because they lacked faith in G-d's promise that the land was good, they attributed the deaths to, "a land which eats up its inhabitants!"
Q. The spies said, "And we were in our own eyes as grasshoppers and so we were in their eyes." What lesson can one derive from this?
A. Our Rabbis explain that just as a person is in his own eyes so too he is perceived by others.
Had the spies been positive and confident in their mission, remembering that they were sent by Moshe, they would have been proud of their mission. However, with their negative attitude ("we were in our own eyes as grasshoppers") they projected the same image about themselves to the inhabitants of the land; as small and meaningless creatures.
There is an important lesson here: When we do a mitzvah, performing our G-dly mission in this world, it is important to feel proud and positive about what we are doing. This feeling will then be projected and transmitted to others. They will look at us positively and they too will be influenced to do the same.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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