B"H

Thursday, Sivan 21, 5784 / June 27, 2024

As mentioned yesterday, this week’s Parsha, Shlach, ends with the mitzvah of Tzitzit. We perform this mitzvah by wearing the Tallit (prayer shawl), a four cornered garment, during prayer.  Many also wear a Tallit Katan (small Tallit) all day so they can have the mitzvah all day long.

The Torah states the purpose of this mitzvah, “So that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments...”  The numerical value of the Hebrew word Tzitzit (90+10+90+10+400) is 600.  Each Tzitzah has 8 strings and 5 knots. These numbers add up to 613, which is the total amount of the mitzvot (commandments).  Thus, by looking at the Tzitzit, we remember to perform all the 613 mitzvot. 

Q.   Why is the Tallit worn only during the day (except Yom Kippur)?

A.  The Torah says, “So that you may look upon it.” This tells us that the mitzvah applies during the day when we can see the Tzitzit.

Q.  The only time we wear the Tallit at night is Yom Kippur night for the Kol Nidrei prayer.  Why?

A.  On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement when our sins are forgiven, we are like angels. We wrap ourselves in the Tallit, which is white, as a symbol of cleanliness and purity.

Q.  Why do many who wear a Tallit Katan (small Tallit) place their Tzitzit on the outside?

A.  The Torah says, So you may look upon it.”  Thus, we place the Tzitzit on the outside, so they will be visible at all times.

Q.  On weekdays, together with the Tallit we also wear the Tefillin. The Tefillin have a greater level of holiness than the Tallit. Why then, do we put on the Tallit before the Tefillin?

A.  When we have to perform two mitzvot, it is the mitzvah which we perform more often that comes first.  Being that the Tallit is worn every day of the year, while the Tefillin we put on only on weekdays (not on Shabbat and holidays), for this reason we put on the Tallit first.

On the lighter side: Mr. Goldberg gave his Tallit once a year, before the High Holidays, to the same dry cleaners for twenty years. One year he was a bit surprised when he was greeted by a Chinese man. Mr. Goldberg was hesitant if he should entrust his Tallit with a Chinaman.  The new owner assured him that he will do as good a job as the previous owner. 

Two days later, when Mr. Goldberg came to pick up the Tallit, he was shocked to get a bill for $50.

"Why so expensive?" gasped Mr. Goldberg.  "I gave this Tallit to clean for many years and I was charged only $10?"

“Expensive?” exclaimed the new owner. "Do you realize the time I spent untying each knot…"

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

Wednesday, Sivan 20, 5784 / June 26, 2024

This week’s Parsha, Shlach, begins with the sending of the 12 spies to scout the Land of Canaan (Israel). This exhibited their lack of trust in G-d, Who promised them that the land was a good land. When 10 of the spies came back with a negative report, they refused to go to the land. As a result, G-d didn’t bring them into Canaan-Israel. Instead, they stayed another 38 years in the desert.

The Parsha ends with the mitzvah of Tzitzit: "And G-d spoke to Moshe saying: Speak to the children of Israel and say unto them that they shall make fringes [Tzitzit] on the corners of their garments... and they shall put with the fringe of every corner a thread of blue... so that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of G-d and observe them..." We perform this mitzvah by wearing the Tallit (prayer shawl), a four cornered garment with tzitzit on each corner, every day, for the morning prayer.

Q.   How does the mitzvah of Tzitzit remind us of all the mitzvot?

A.  The numerical value of the Hebrew word Tzitzit (90+10+90+10+400) is 600. Each Tzitzah has 8 strings and 5 knots, which is 13. Together they add up to 613 which is the total amount of mitzvot.  By looking at the Tzitzit, we remember (or should remember) to perform all the mitzvot. 

A wealthy diamond merchant travelled to the fair far from his home, to purchase diamonds, which he would bring back to his city and make a handsome profit.  One day, after making his purchases and preparing to make the trip back home, someone approached him and said, "I have some diamonds which I must sell immediately.  I will sell them for a fraction of their cost if you buy them right now." 

After examining the merchandise, he realized that this was indeed a great deal.  But he had already spent all his money.  All he had left was enough to cover the expenses for the way home, but he felt that he couldn't pass up a deal like this. 

"Instead of staying in luxury hotels and eating good meals, I will buy these diamonds and make do with very little on the way," he decided.  He bought the diamonds and traveled back to his home like a poor beggar.  He slept in run-down hotels and ate lousy meals together with other poor travelers.

One of his friends met him entering one of the dingy hotels.  "Why do you suffer in such conditions, when you can afford good accommodations and fine foods?" asked the friend.  He told his friend how he spent all his money to purchase the diamonds from which he stands to make an enormous profit. 

"But knowing the lifestyle which you are used to, I don't understand how you can tolerate living in such terrible accommodations and eat such cheap food," asked the friend.  He replied. "But, when I look at the diamonds I bought and realizing the potential profit awaiting me, it makes the sacrifice worthwhile.”  

The same is with the mitzvah of Tzitzit.  G-d gave us this mitzvah as a daily reminder of all the mitzvot. The Tzitzit reminds us of all the 613 mitzvot and the great benefit and reward we stand to receive for observing them, making it easier on a daily basis to overcome all obstacles and perform all the mitzvot.

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, Sivan 18, 5784 / June 24, 2024

At the end of Parshat Beha'alotcha, which we read this past Shabbat, the Torah tells us, “The man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth.”

Q.Moshe attained the highest spiritual level any human achieved. The Torah says that G-d spoke to him, “Face to Face,” In many ways Moshe was even greater than the angels. How can we explain the fact that Moshe was the humblest person on the face of the earth? Why did 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, more than anyone else, realized G-d’s infinity, that there was so much more beyond his reach. Thus, he felt he was missing much more than anyone else. This made him the humblest 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 deserve. Realizing before whom we stand 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 on 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 that had G-d chosen anyone else for this role, they would have surpassed his accomplishments. Thus, he was the humblest 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… however, 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 the greatest of all prophets, Moshe. Realizing how much more was beyond him which he couldn’t attain, it made him feel very humble.     

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY

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