B"H

Thursday, Sivan 14, 5784 / June 20, 2024

Lesson from this week’s Parsha, Beha'alotcha - the third Parsha in the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar).

The Parsha begins: G-d spoke to Moshe, saying: Speak to Aaron and say to him: “When you kindle the lamps of the Menorah,all seven wicks of the Menorah should be pointing towards the center, so they would cast their lights toward the center of the Menorah.”

The Menorah in the Temple had sevenlights; a center light and three branches on each side with a light on top of each for a total of seven lights.  G-d commanded that when Aaron kindles the lights in the Menorah he should make sure that the six wicks on both sides of the center should be pointing toward the center.  This way all seven lights are shining to the center of the menorah.

The Torah continues, “And Aaron did exactly as G-d commanded Moshe.”  The great Torah commentator, Rashi, explains that the Torah is telling us this in praise of Aaron that he did exactlywhat G-d commanded Moshe.

Q.   Why did G-d command that the lights point to the center? What is the lesson from this for us today, when there is no Temple?

A.   The Torah is called light and the soul (Neshama) is also called light.  The center light of the Menorah represents the light of the Torah.  The other six lights represent our souls.  Some Jews are closer to the center light (Torah) and some are further from the center.  Some are on the left and some on the right.  However, our sages say, “Although not everyone can be at the same spiritual level, the important thing is that our intent should be toward Heaven.”  In other words, no matter how much or how little we do, we should have the right intentions and do it for G-d’s sake.  This is our lesson from the lights pointing toward the center.

Q.   What praise is it that Aaron did exactly as G-d told Moshe?  Why would we think otherwise?  

A.  When one is given a newmitzvah they do it with enthusiasm, but when the mitzvah is performed day after day after day, it becomes routine and matter-of-fact and the enthusiasm is lost. 

The Torah tells us the greatness of Aaron that he performed the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah day after day with the same enthusiasm and dedication, as on the first day, when he dedicated the Tabernacle.   Aaron's performance of the mitzvah didn't change, every day was like the first time!

The lesson for us is the importance of performing mitzvot with enthusiasm, even when we have performed the same mitzvah day after day.  For example, prayer, although we pray three times a day, yet, each time we come before G-d to pray it should be with the same dedication as the first time.

The same is with every mitzvah or the blessings we recite each day thanking G-d for all He gives us.  We should show the same enthusiasm and the same gratefulness every day of our life.

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

Tuesday, Sivan 12, 5784 / June 18, 2024

Now that we are after the holiday of Shavuot, here are some questions and answers of what happened right after the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, 3336 years ago.

Q.   How long after the Giving of the Torah did the Jewish people sin with The Golden Calf?

A.    Forty days later.

Q.   What caused them to make the Golden Calf so soon after the Giving of the Torah?

A.  When G-d gave the Torah, He told Moshe to come up to Mount Sinai and be there for forty days and forty nights.  Due to a miscalculation, (as the day Moshe ascended the mountain was not supposed to be counted), the people thought that the forty days were up and Moshe was not coming back.  They insisted that Aaron make them a replacement for Moshe.  Aaron told them to bring their wife’s jewelry, figuring that the women will refuse and thus it will buy him time.  Unfortunately, they brought the jewelry faster than he thought. Aaron threw the gold into the fire and out came the Golden Calf.  When Moshe came down the next day and saw the Golden Calf, he broke the Tablets.

Q.    How many times did Moshe go up Mount Sinai after the Giving of the Torah?

A.   He went up three times, each time for a period of forty days.  The first time was as mentioned before, which resulted in the breaking of the Tablets.  The second time he went up was to pray that G-d forgive the Jewish people and he succeeded.  He came down after the forty days with instructions to bring up another set of Tablets.  He went back up a third time with the Tablets and G-d inscribed in them the Ten Commandments. He came down forty days later, on Yom Kippur, with The Second Tablets.

Q.    What happened with the First Tablets which Moshe broke?

A.    Both, the broken Tablets and the Second Tablets were kept in the Holy Ark in the Holy Temple.  The room in which the Tablets were kept was the most holy place of the sanctuary – called the “Kodesh Hakadashim” – “The holiest of holies.”  Only the High Priest was allowed to enter there on Yom Kippur.

Q.   What lesson do our sages learn from the fact that the “broken” tablets were also kept in the ark?

A.    Our sages say, the fact that the broken Tablets were kept in the Ark, teaches us that one must be very respectful of a scholar who through no fault of theirs forgot their Torah knowledge.

Q.   How was it possible, throughout their forty years travel in the desert, for four people to carry the ark which contained so much gold, plus the two sets of tablets?

A.    Our sages say that it was a miracle! It was really the ark which carried its carriers!  This teaches us that when one invests time and effort in Torah, which is represented by the Holy Ark, in the end, the Torah elevates and “carries” the one who labors over it!

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.

Monday, Sivan 11, 5784 / June 17, 2024

This week's Parsha, Beha'alotchabegins with G-d's instructions to Aaron concerning the lighting of the Menorah, which was performed each day in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and in the Holy Temple.

However, instead of using the word "Lehadlik" which means to "kindle," the Torah uses the word "Beha'alotcha" which literally means to, "go up."

Our sages discuss the reason for this, and many solutions have been suggested.  Some say that Aaron had to go upseveral steps in order to light the Menorah.

Although the Menorah was not high, and he would have been able to clean and kindle the Menorah standing on the ground, Aaron was wearing a plate on his forehead with G-d's name engraved on it.  Therefore, he was not permitted to lift his hands higher than the golden plate out of respect for G-d’s name. Thus, he had to go up steps to clean and kindle the Menorah.

Another explanation is that the lights of the Menorah represent the Jewish soul – the Neshama, which is compared to a candle.  The flame of the candle is continually drawn upward.  So too, the Neshama – the Jewish soul - is drawn "upward" to be connected with G-d, its creator.  Aaron's mission, as High Priest, was to "lift-up" the Jewish souls so that they will strive to connect to G-d, just as the flame of the candle continuously strives to go upward.

"Be of the disciples of Aaron," says Hillel the Elder in Pirkei Avot.  "Love peace, and pursue peace, be one who loves his fellow and draws them near to the Torah."

The Zohar asks why, whenever we Jews study Torah or pray, we sway back and forth? 

The Zohar replies, "The Jewish soul is derived from G-d's Holy fire.  When it studies Torah or is involved in prayer, the soul is connected to its source and like the fire of a candle that constantly flickers back and forth, the soul, which is G-d's candle, is also on the move.

The Midrash tells us that G-d’s commandment to kindle the Menorah in the Holy Temple surprised the Jewish people.  They said, "Is there any darkness before G-d that He needs ourlight in the Holy Temple?"

G-d replied, "It is not for My benefit that I command you to kindle the light in the Temple.  It is for yourbenefit." 

The Menorah in the Holy Temple brought forth spiritual and holy light to the Jewish nation and to the entire world.

Before the days of electricity, Russia's main streets were lit by kerosene lamps.   Each night, a city employee made the rounds and lit these lamps to illuminate the streets. 

"The function of a Jew is to be a lamp-lighter," said Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber of Lubavitch. 

"It is not enough for one to feel themselves spiritually enlightened, warm and elevated.  The name of this week’s Parasha, Beha’alotcha, teaches us that one must use their own spiritual fire and enthusiasm, to make an effort to kindle the candle/soul of another Jew by bringing them also closer to G-d and His Torah and 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.