B"H

Wednesday, Menachem Av 1, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / July 19, 2023

Today(Wednesday) is Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av. Like every other Rosh Chodesh, additional prayers are recited, and the special Rosh Chodesh Torah reading is read.

Today begins the special nine-day mourning period for the destruction of our Holy Temples. Certain restrictions apply during these nine days, which ends with the fast day of Tisha B’Av – the nineth of Av when the Temples were actually destroyed.

Today is the yartzeit (day of passing) of Aaron the High Priest.Aaron’s day of passing is the only date mentioned in the Torah associated with someone’s passing. The Torah doesn’t even give us the exact day when Moshe or their sister, Miriam passed away. Aaron was special that the Torah writes the exact day of his passing.

Aaron was three years older than his brother Moshe (Moses).  Aaron accompanied Moshe when he went to Pharaoh to command him to let the Jewish people go.  Together with Moshe he led the Jewish people through the forty years of their desert journey.  Just like Moshe, Aaron was not permitted to go into The Promised Land.  He passed away at the age of one hundred and twenty-three.

Our sages tell us that Aaron had a unique quality; He loved peace and went out of his way to restore peace between husband and wife and between one person and another. In his unique, non-judgmental and peaceful way he would make people realize when they sinned against G-d, thus restoring peace between man and G-d. 

Aaron accomplished this through his genuine love for people.  When two people were angry at each other, Aaron would go to one of them and say, “I met the other person and he very much wants to be your friend again, but he is afraid to approach you because you may reject him.  After convincing the person that the other one sincerely seeks his friendship, Aaron would approach the other one and tell him the same.  Eventually both of them made peace with each other.

If Aaron heard that a person sinned, instead of rejecting him, as many did, he would go out of his way and befriend him.  The person thought to himself, “If Aaron only knew the sin I committed, he would surely not have become my friend.”  Aaron didn’t reveal that he knew, but, the sinner, ashamed of what he did, repented.

Our sages say that although we cannot attain the spiritual level of Aaron the High Priest, yet, this particular quality of loving peace and promoting peace, is something we must all seek.  In Pirkei Avot, our sages tell us, “Be of the disciples of Aaron; loving peace, pursuing peace, loving people and drawing them to Torah.” It is something we can and must strive to attain.

Over 150 years ago, rabbis and Russian government officials met to try to nullify some of the harsh decrees of the Russian Czar against Jews, which deprived Jews from earning a decent and respectable livelihood. During the meeting, Rabbi Menachem Mendel (known by his writings as the Tzemach Tzedek), spoke out strongly against the Czar for his heartless treatment of Russian Jews.

One of the rabbis turned to him and said, “You know very well that for this kind of talk you place your life in danger and our sages say, “One who willingly places his life in danger will lose his share in the World-to-Come!”

Rabbi Menachem Mendel, whose love for his people was boundless, replied, “If my fellow Jews cannot have their share in this world, of what value is to me my share in the World-to-Come!”

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & CHODESH-MONTH

B"H

Thursday, Menachem Av 2, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / July 20, 2023

This Shabbat we begin the last Book of the Torah, the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy). 

The Book of Devarim begins with, "These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel."  The entire Book of Devarim are the words which Moshe spoke to the Jewish people before his passing.  Moshe began the last Book of the Torah on Rosh Chodesh Shevat and finished one month and one week later, when he passed away on the seventh of Adar.

In this last Book of the Torah, Moshe reprimands the Jewish people for all the past mistakes, reminding them that when they enter the Promised Land, they shouldn’t make the mistakes their parents made. As a result of those mistakes, they stayed in the desert forty years and didn’t come into the Land of Israel.

Our sages say that the difference between the Book of Devarim and the rest of the Torah is that previously Moshe spoke to them whatever G-d told him to say. But now much of what he spoke to them were, “his own words.” As a true shepherd, he wanted to make sure that when he is gone, they should continue following the ways of the Torah.

The Midrash asks, "How is it that here the Torah says, "These are the words that Moshe spoke," But in the Book of Exodus, when G-d tells Moshe to go speak to Pharaoh and to the Jewish people in Egypt, Moshe replies, "Oh G-d, I am not a man of words..." Moshe claims that he cannot speak!

The Midrash replies: "Rabbi Tanchuma said, this is compared to a peddler who was going around selling material.  Wherever he went he would call out, ‘I have special wool to sell.’"

Once he passed by the palace.  The king called him over and asked him, "What are you selling?" The peddler replied, "I have nothing to sell."  "But I just heard you announce that you have special wool to sell," asked the king.

The peddler replied: "It is true that I announced I have good wool to sell.  But this is for the ordinary person.  For you, my king, who is so mighty and who has the most expensive materials that can be found, for you I have nothing to sell and nothing that you would buy!"

The same says Rabbi Tanchuma was with Moshe.  At The Burning Bush, in the presence of G-d, Moshe claimed that he was not a man of words.  But now in front of the Jewish people, he was indeed a man of words.  Thus, the Torah says, "These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel."

Parshat Devarim is read on the Shabbat before the fast of the 9th of Av, when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temples.  The very first words of the Parsha, "These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel," emphasize an important point, which is very appropriate for this time.

The destruction of the Second Temple came as a result of strife amongst Jews. It is important at this time to correct this and strive for unity amongst us.  The words "to all of Israel," alludes to this point.  It reminds us that at this time we especially need to emphasize and practice unity amongst us.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY 

B"H

Monday, Menachem Av 6, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / July 24, 2023

We are now in the Hebrew month of Menachem Av. The 9th day of Av is a fast day called, called “Tisha B'Av.” On Tisha B'Av we fast in mourning for the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem.

The fast of Tisha B'Av, this year begins this Wednesday evening, July 26 ending Thursday night, July 27.

Our sages say, "Mishenichnas Av Mema'atin BeSimcha" - "When [the month of] Av comes we minimize in happiness". Thus, until after the fast of Tisha B’Av, we don't celebrate or engage in joyous activities. We also do not eat meat nor drink wine (except on Shabbat) these days, until after Tisha B'Av.

The First Temple, which was built by King Solomon, stood for 410 years and was destroyed on the 9th of Av by King Nebuchadnetzar of Babylon.

The second Temple, re-built 70 years later, stood for 420 years and was also destroyed on the 9th of Av.

Although both Temples were destroyed on the 9th of Av (about 500 years apart), our sages draw an important distinction between the sins which caused the destruction of the First and Second Temples.

Our sages tell us that the first Temple was destroyed due to the sin of idol-worship.

The sin which caused the destruction of the second Temple was "Sinat Chinam" - "unjust hatred" amongst Jews.

The sin of idol-worship is one of the gravest sins in the Torah.  Indeed, the second commandment of the Ten Commandments is the prohibition against idol-worship. Although the sin was so grave, only seventy years after the first Temple was destroyed, G-d forgave them for this sin, and they rebuilt the Temple.

The second Temple which was destroyed for the sin of hatred amongst Jews has not yet been rebuild after two thousand years!

This dramatically shows us how important is the sin of lack of "Ahavat Yisrael" - Love amongst our people. Thus, during the days before Tisha B'Av, it is customary to enhance our love for each other ("Ahavat Yisrael") through acts of kindness and the distribution of extra charity (Tzadakah). 

At this time of the year when we need to add in love and unity among Jews even more than usual. We pray that G-d bless our people in Israel with the blessing of peace and unity amongst all Jews.  

For, through Ahavat Yisrael, unconditional love amongst us, we will merit the Third Holy Temple - with the coming of Moshiach.  May it be speedily in our days.  Amen.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY