B"H

Friday, Sivan 1, 5784 / June 7, 2024 (45th day of the Omer)

Today, Friday,is Rosh Chodesh Sivan - the first day of the new Hebrew month, Sivan. 

On this day, Rosh Chodesh Sivan, six weeks after the Exodus from Egypt, in the year 2448 (3336 years ago), the Jewish people arrived at Mount Sinai in preparation to receive the Torah. They received the Torah six days later, on the sixth of Sivan, which was on Shabbat.

The holiday of Shavuot comes 50 days after the Passover holiday, when we celebrated our freedom from bondage and slavery. Shavuot and Passover are connected by the mitzvah of counting the Omer, which we perform each night between the two holidays.

Shavuot is the only holiday which is not identified in the Torah by the day of the month. The Torah sets Shavuot on the 50th day after Passover. Thus, we see a strong connection of the holiday of the Giving of the Torah and Passover.

Why is Shavuot and Passover connected? Shavuot is the completion of Passover, for the purpose of the Exodus was for the sake of receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. Indeed, The Ten Commandments, which G-d gave us at Mount Sinai on Shavuot, begin: “I am G-d your G-d, Who has taken you out of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”

This teaches us a profound lesson in the concept of freedom.Even after the Jewish people were liberated from Egypt, they still lacked true freedom.  Only at Mount Sinai, where they received the Torah, which is our guide and purpose in life, did they achieve complete freedom.

Doing what one pleases without direction is not freedom but rather enslavement to one's instincts and desires.  Eventually, it causes a person to feel hollow and lacking purpose. Only at Mount Sinai, with their acceptance of the Ten Commandments and the Torah, did they/we become a free people. 

The Torah describes the Two Tablets given to Moshe from G-d at Mount Sinai, "The Tablets were the work of G-d, and the writing was the writing of G-d engraved upon the Tablets." 

The difference between writing and engraving is that when words are written, the letters and the object they are written on are two entities. Letters engraved on stone are one with the stone in which they are engraved. Similarly, the connection between a Jew and the Torah should be so strong that they are one - i.e. Torah and its commandments must be "engraved" and be part of the soul of every Jew.

The Talmud says, "If a person tells you, I have made an effort in the study of Torah, but I have not succeeded, do not believe him. If a person tells you, I didn't make any effort and I have succeeded, do not believe him. When a person tells you, I made an effort and I succeeded, believe him!"  Torah and Mitzvot take effort, like engraving, but the success and reward is great.

SHABBAT SHALOM & CHODESH TOV

Montreal candle lighting time: 8:23 / Shabbat ends: 9:40

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

B"H

Thursday, Iyar 29, 5784 / June 6, 2024 (44th day of the Omer)

Tuesday night we will celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, the Holiday when G-d gave the Ten Commandments and the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.

Shavuot has many names.  In addition to the names "Shavuot" and “Atzeret, " it is also called "Chag Habikurim" - "Festival of the First Fruits."  It is also known as, "Chag HaKatzir" - "Festival of the Harvest" and "Z'Man Matan Torateinu" - "Season of the Giving of the Torah."

During the time of the Holy Temple there were special sacrifices which were unique to this holiday. The following customs are associated with Shavuot:  1) We eat dairy on Shavuot. 2) The first night of the holiday is spent studying Torah. 3) Many decorate the synagogue with branches and greenery.

Reasons for eating dairy on Shavuot:  At Mount Sinai, the Jewish people were given the Ten Commandments along with the rest of the Torah including the laws of Kashrut.  As a result, when they returned to their tents after receiving the Torah, they couldn't use their cooking utensils which they used before as they were now "Treif" (non Kosher).  Without cooking utensils, they had no choice but to eat dairy on that day.  To commemorate this we too, eat dairy on Shavuot.

Another reason:The Torah tells us, "And Moshe was on the mountain forty days and forty nights" (Exodus 24:18).  "Milk in Hebrew is "Chalav".  The numerical value of Chalav is 40 (Chet = 8, Lamed = 30, Vet = 2).  This alludes to the 40 days Moshe stayed on the mountain receiving the Torah.

Reason for staying up and studying Torah during the first night of Shavuot: When G-d came to give the Torah, it was early in the morning, but the people were asleep. G-d waited for them until they woke up.  We stay up the first night of Shavuot studying Torah to correct this error.

Reason for decorating the synagogue with trees:  The Torah was given at Mount Sinai which is in the desert.  However, in honor of the Giving of the Torah G-d performed a special miracle and the entire area surrounding the mountain sprouted trees and grass.  To commemorate this miracle, we decorate the synagogue with branches, flowers and plants.

This miracle was to teach us that Torah can transform one's life and surroundings from a spiritual wasteland and wilderness into a fruitful landscape filled with wisdom and purpose.

The Torah tells us that the Two Tablets and the Ten Commandments in them, “were the work of G-d, and the writing was the writing of G-d engraved upon the Tablets." 

Letters which are engraved are one with the stone in which they are carved.  Similarly, the connection between a Jew and the Torah should be so strong that they are one. The Ten Commandments were engraved to teach us that the Torah must be engraved in the soul of every Jew.

HAVE A GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND VERY SUCCESSFUL DAY

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

B"H

Wednesday, Iyar 28, 5784 / June 5, 2024 (43rd day of the Omer)

In exactly one week we will celebrate the holiday of Shavuot – when we received the Torah at Mount Sinai, in the Sinai Desert.  

The Giving of the Torah took place seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt. This is why we count the Omer each night for seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, in preparation for the holiday of Shavuot, just as the Jewish people did when they came out of Egypt. Only after this preparation period were they ready for this special event of acquiring the Torah at Mount Sinai.    

Q. Was Mount Sinai, on which the Torah was given, a tall mountain?

A. Our sages tell us that Mount Sinai was one of the smallest amongst the mountains.

Q.Why did G-d choose to give the Torah at Mount Sinai and not on one of the taller mountains, as befitting for such a great event?

A.Our sages tell us that indeed the higher and taller mountains figured that G-d will choose to give the Torah on them. However, G-d chose Mount Sinai, for the very fact that it is not a tall mountain. G-d wanted to teach the Jewish people that Torah cannot be acquired when one feels tall and haughty. Only through humility and modesty can one merit acquiring and absorbing the depth of the knowledge of Torah, like Mount Sinai, the mountain on which the Torah was given.

Lesson: Humility and Torah go hand in hand.

Q. Why then did G-d choose to give the Torah on a mountain? He should have given it on a flat area?

A.Mount Sinai teaches us another important lesson. When coming to learn Torah one may encounter obstacles. Good things do not come easy. G-d wants us to make an effort to study Torah and observe the mitzvot. Mount Sinai teaches us that a person must know that when coming to perform G-d’s commandments they will encounter a mountain of obstacles – whether from within or from without.

But Mount Sinai is a small mountain. Mount Sinai is a manageable mountain. It is climbable. It teaches us that, yes, one has to put effort into it, one has to climb the spiritual mountain, yet,it is within reach of everyone who decides to make the effort.

Our sages say that G-d does not demand of us something which we cannot handle. If He commands us to study Torah and perform the mitzvot, He also gives us the ability to accomplish it.

All we need to do is believe this and make the effort to study Torah and perform the mitzvot. G-d will then help us overcome all obstacles and accomplish this.

HAVE A GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND VERY SUCCESSFUL DAY

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