B"H
Tuesday, Tammuz 17, 5784 / July 23, 2024
Today (Tuesday), the 17th of Tammuz, also known as Shiva Asar B'Tammuz, is a fast day decreed by the sages, in association with the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem.
Q. Why do we commemorate tragic events through fasting?
A. Our sages explain that the Temples were destroyed as a result of the sins of the people. The way to correct them is through repentance and bettering our ways. Fasting is a way to bring a person to humility and thus get the people to repent and fix their ways. Thus, say our sages that fasting is not the end result. It is a means to get us to properly repent and better our ways.
Q. What happened on the 17th of Tammuz?
A. Five tragic events occurred on this day in the course of Jewish history:
1) The First Tablets were broken on the 17th of Tammuz, in the Hebrew year 2448. After spending 40 days on Mount Sinai, Moshe descended from the mountain with The Two Tablets. Upon seeing the people worshipping the Golden Calf, Moshe broke the Tablets on which the Ten Commandments were engraved. Worshipping the Golden Calf was one of the greatest sins performed by the Jewish people.
2) The two mandatory daily sacrifices were stopped. Two sacrifices, called, “Korban Tamid,” were brought upon the altar in the Temple each day, as we read in this week’s Parsha, Pinchas. One was offered in the morning and one in the evening. The morning sacrifice was the first offering of the day and the evening one was the last sacrifice of the day. This went on for hundreds of years. When the city of Jerusalem was under siege it became difficult to obtain animals for sacrifices. It was on the 17th of Tammuz that the Tamid sacrifice was stopped.
3) The walls of Jerusalem were breached. On this day, the Romans succeeded in breaching the walls of the Holy city of Jerusalem, which eventually led to the fall of the city.
4) A Torah was burnt. Apustmus, captain of the Roman occupation forces, publicly burned the Torah Scroll on the 17th of Tammuz.
5) An idol was placed in the Beth Hamikdash (Holy Temple) on this day. Idol worshipping is the gravest sin in Judaism. For all of the above, the 17th day of Tammuz was decreed a fast day.
With the 17th of Tammuz begins the "Three Week" period called, "Bein Hamtzarim" ("between the straits"), which ends with Tisha B’Av (9th of Av), the day in which both Holy Temples were destroyed.
Weddings are not performed during these three weeks, as we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem. May we merit the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple very soon! May we merit everlasting peace for Israel, in Israel and everywhere. Amen!
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
B"H
Monday, Tammuz 16, 5784 / July 22, 2024
This week’s Parsha is Pinchas. The Parsha is named after Pinchas, who was the grandson of Aaron, the High Priest (Kohen Gadol).
Parshat Pinchas comes after Parshat Balak. Both Parshiot carry the name of a person. But, while Parshat Balak carries the name of a wicked king who wanted to destroy the Jewish people, Parshat Pinchas is named after Pinchas, who stopped a plague which caused the death of 24,000 Jews.
The Parsha begins, "And G-d spoke to Moshe, saying: Pinchas, the son of Elazar the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the Children of Israel and I did not destroy the children of Israel in My anger. Therefore, I say: Behold, I give him My covenant of peace (Shalom).”
Pinchas stopped the plague when he killed a leader of a tribe of Israel who sinned with a Midyonite woman in the presence of Moshe and the people of Israel. The Torah tells us that Moshe and the people were crying, as they didn’t know what to do. It was only due to the zealous act of Pinchas, who, reminded Moshe what the law was, and with Moshe’s permission, killed them both, which removed G-d’s wrath from the people.
Although Pinchas’ act may not have been viewed as an act of peace at another time and occasion, yet, in this case it saved the Jewish people and brought about peace between G-d and the Jewish people.
Our sages say that Pinchas and the Prophet Elijah are one and the same. Pinchas’ neshama later came back as Elijah the prophet. One of the many functions of Elijah the Prophet is that he attends every Brit (circumcision). He will also be the one to inform us that Moshiach is here, when the right time comes.
The Mohel (the one who performs the circumcision), announces before the Brit that there is a special chair set aside for Elijah the Prophet and invites Elijah to the Brit, to stand by his side and help him with the circumcision. One of the reasons it is such a great mitzvah and merit to attend a Brit is that we come face to face with Elijah in the same room! We may not see him, but he sees us and blesses not only the baby, but also the family and friends who are in attendance. Elijah-Pinchas brings blessings here, just like he did for the Jewish people in the desert.
Q. Why wasn't Pinchas a Kohen before, since his father and grandfather were Kohanim (priests)?
A. Although the priesthood is passed on automatically from father to son, this special status was to be transmitted only to future generations after G-d appointed Aaron and his sons to become Kohanim. It did not apply to any of Aaron's grandchildren who were living at that time. As a result, Pinchas, who was already born, was not a Kohen until G-d rewarded him the priesthood for his heroic act.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
B"H
Friday, Tammuz 13, 5784 / July 19, 2024
In this week’s Parsha, Balak, the Torah tells how Balak, King of Moab, feared the Jewish people. He hired Bila’am to come and curse them, so that he may win in battle against them and get rid of them.
Bila’am, who was blind on one eye, had special spiritual powers. He was happy to go and curse the Jews. He knew that he needed G-d’s permission to do it. In the beginning G-d wouldn’t allow him to go. Then He gave him permission but warned him to say only what G-d will tell him.
On the way, an angel blocked the road three times and the donkey, who saw the angel, stopped each time. Bila’am who didn’t see the angel, hit the donkey each time. After hitting the donkey the third time, G-d opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Bila’am: “What have I done to you that you hit me these three times?” The angel then told Bila’am, “Go with these men, but you may only speak the words which I will tell you to say.” In the end, no matter how much Bila’am tried, only blessings for the Jewish people came out of his mouth. In many of his passages he predicts about the coming of Moshiach.
Q. Why would the Torah name a Parsha after Balak, who wanted to kill the Jewish people?
A. The Talmudic sages explain that because of the forty-two sacrifices which Balak brought, he had the merit that Ruth descended from him. Subsequently, from Ruth came King David and King Solomon, who built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It is because of Ruth, King David and Solomon, who were descendants of Balak, that the Parsha is called by his name.
Q.Why does the Torah tell us that Bila’am was blind on one eye?
A.As mentioned yesterday, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson as a small child asked his father, “Why did G-d create us with two eyes? I can see even with one eye?"
His father replied, “A person needs two eyes so that with the left eye, which represents judgment, he should look at himself in order to find his own faults and correct them. At another person, however, one should always look with the right eye - with compassion and kindness." The Torah tells us that Bila’am had no vision in one eye - he lacked seeing the good in the Jewish people.
In one of the concentration camps, during the Holocaust, there was a Nazi commander who was extremely cruel to the Jews. He had only one eye, his left eye was made of glass. but it was made so perfect that one couldn’t distinguish it. One evening he called one of the Jews and said to him, “If you recognize which is my false eye, I will give you a decent meal. But if not, I will shoot you on the spot!”
The Jew looked at him for a while and said, “It’s your left eye.”
“You’re correct,” said the Nazi. “I will give you the meal I promised. But how did you know?”
“I saw that only your left eye looked at me with sympathy and compassion… I knew it wasn’t you…”
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 8:18 / Shabbat ends: 9:30
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW.
B"H
Thursday, Tammuz 12, 5784 / July 18, 2024
On this day, the 12th of Tammuz, 97 years ago, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, of blessed memory, was miraculously released from Russian prison, where he was arrested and sentenced to death, for teaching and operating a network of underground schools teaching Torah to Jewish children, which was prohibited by the Stalin Communist regime. In 1940 he came to the USA and established the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in America and globally.
As a child he once asked his father, “Why did G-d create us with two eyes, when I can see even with one eye?"
His father replied, “A person needs two eyes so that with the left eye, he should look at himself to find his own faults and correct them. But at another person, one should always look with the right eye, with compassion and kindness."
This Shabbat we read from the Torah Parshat Balak. In Pirkei Avot we recite the sixth chapter.
In this Parsha the Torah tells us the story of Balak and Bila’am. They both hated the Jewish people and wanted to have them destroyed. Balak was afraid that the Jewish people would conquer his land on their way to their Promised Land. He sent for Bila’am to come and curse the Jewish people, so that he could defeat them. He promised Bila’am money and honor.
In the sixth chapter of Pirkei Avot: “Do not seek greatness for yourself, and do not desire honor. Let your [good] deeds exceed your learning… Your employer [G-d] is trustworthy to pay you for your deeds.”
In the Parsha we read that Bila’am, whom Balak hired to curse the Jewish people, desired wealth, honor and greatness. Because of this he accepted to curse the Jewish people. But in the end, it brought about his downfall. Not only did Balak chase him away in shame, it also brought his death.
Our sages tell us in the Talmud, “Whoever chases after honor, honor runs away from him; but one who runs away from honor, honor chases after him.”
One who seeks honor will not find it and if they do, it is only superficial and temporary. True and everlasting honor belongs to the one who does not care for it. Honor belongs to those who perform good deeds only for the sake of doing good.
A Chassid once came to Rabbi Bunim of Pshischa and complained, “Rebbe, our sages say that one who runs away from honor will merit honor. I am a person who runs away from honor, yet I’m not getting the honor which I deserve?”
Rabbi Bunim replied, “Our sages are speaking about a person who runs from honor completely. You keep on looking back to see if the honor is catching up to you… in your case it will never come!”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
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