B"H
Tuesday, Shevat 20, 5784 / January 30, 2024
This week’s Parsha, Yitro, is about the Giving of the Ten Commandments and the Torah at Mount Sinai. It is one of the smaller Parshiot in the Torah, yet it includes in it the entire Torah, as our sages tell us that ALL the 613 mitzvot are included in the Ten Commandments.
The name of the Parsha, Yitro, is after Moshe’s father-in-law. The Parsha begins with the story of how Yitro, who resided in Midyan, was the priest of Midyan and an idol worshipper, decided to join the Jewish people. He also brought with him his daughter, Tziporah, Moshe’s wife, and their two sons. They had stayed with Yitro when Moshe returned to Egypt to bring the plagues upon the Egyptians and lead the Jewish people out of Egypt.
Moshe’s older son was Gershom. “Gershom” is a combination of two words, “Ger–shom,” which means a “stranger” (Ger) “there” (Shom). Moshe named him Gershom, because Moshe had to run away from Egypt and came to Midyan, where he was a stranger in a foreign land.
Moshe’s second son, Eliezer, is also a combination of two words; “Eli-Ezer, which means “my G-d” (Eli) “Is my help” (Ezer). Even in his difficult time in a strange land, G-d was his help.
Q. The Torah describes the coming of the Jewish people, which were a few million strong, to Mount Sinai: “He(the (Jewish people) rested there by the Mountain.” Why does the Torah say, “Herested” in singular and not “Theyrested” (plural)?
A. When the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai, there was unity among them, as never before. In the words of our sages, “They were as ONE person with ONE heart." This is why the Torah uses the word, HE (singular) to describe the entire Jewish nation, as a result of their great unity. They came to Mount Sinai on a Monday and G-d gave them the Torah on that Shabbat.
Q. Why did G-d choose Mount Sinai as the mountain upon which to give the Torah?
A. Our sages explain that Mount Sinai was a small mountain. Rather than giving the Torah on a taller and more distinguished mountain, G-d chose Mount Sinai. G-d wanted to teach the Jewish people that Torah is acquired and internalized only through humility.
This is also the reason that Torah is compared to water. Just as water will always flow to a lower level, so too Torah is found with those who are humble.
Unity and humility go together. Strife and intolerance are caused by selfishness and haughtiness. When the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai and realized that this particular mountain was chosen by G-d because it is a small mountain, they too practiced humility, which brought them to unity! Humility is the key to unity and unity is the key to our success as a nation and a people.
MAY WE ALL STAY UNITED IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL. MAY G-D HAVE MERCY UPON THEM AND HAVE THEM RELEASED FROM CAPTIVITY NOW.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
Monday, Shevat 19, 5784 / January 29, 2024
The Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai is in this week’s Parsha, Yitro.
Yitro was Moshe’s father-in-law who lived in Midyan. Upon hearing of the miracles which G-d performed for the Jewish people, he left the comfort of his home and went to join the Jewish people in the desert. He converted to Judaism, then returned home to convert the other members of his family.
In the Parsha, before Giving the Torah, G-d gave Moshe special instruction for the Jewish people. He told Moshe: "This is what you shall say to the House of Jacob ("Beit Yaakov") and tell the sons of Israel ("Bnei Yisrael"); 'You saw what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on wings of eagles and brought you to Me. And now if you listen diligently to My voice and preserve My covenant; you shall be My special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests (Kohanim) and a holy nation."
Q. Why does G-d use two expressions: House of Jacob and sons of Israel? Are they not the same?
A. “House of Jacob” refers to the women and "Sons of Israel" refers to the men. G-d told Moshe to prepare everyone for the Giving of the Torah. However, He told Moshe to speak to the women first.
Q. Why did G-d want the women to hear the message first?
A. The Midrash explains it as follows: "G-d said, 'When I created Adam and Eve (Chava) and commanded not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, I gave the commandment to Adam, and Eve heard it from him. In the end, this commandment was transgressed. Now I will tell Moshe to speak to the women first. This way, the Torah and mitzvot will be preserved!"
Q. Why are the women called, “House of Jacob?”
A. The women are the foundation of the home. The survival of the Jewish nation and the transmission of Jewish values throughout the generations depended more on Jewish women and mothers, than on the men. The mother’s influence in the home and on her children is more effective and guarantees Jewish continuity.
Q. On which day of the week did G-d give the Torah?
A. On Shabbat. At the end of the story of the creation of the universe, the Torah states, "And G-d finished on the seventh daythe work which He did." (Genesis 2:1-2). The Rabbis ask, "How can the Torah say that G-d finished on the seventh day? We know that He restedon the seventh day!"
They answer that it also refers to the seventh day, the Shabbat, in which G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people. On that seventh day- the day when G-d gave the Torah - the universe was given its purpose and considered finished and complete!
WITH SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
Friday, Shevat 16, 5784 / January 26, 2024
In this week’s Parsha, B’Shalach, the Torah relates how G-d provided the Jewish people with Manna - Bread from heaven.
G-d told Moshe, "I will cause it to rain bread from heaven; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion each day, that I may test them to see whether they will follow my laws or not."
The manna came down each morning covered with a layer of dew. No matter how much manna a person collected, or how little one collected, when they brought it home it amounted to exactly "one Omer" per person in the household. Each day, they went out and gathered their daily portion of manna. Anything left over to the next day became spoiled.
The manna did not come on Shabbat. Instead, each Friday, they received a double portion of manna.
The two Challot we place on the Shabbat table each Shabbat are to commemorate the double portion of manna which came down in honor of Shabbat.
G-d supplied the Manna during the entire 40 years in which the Jewish people traveled in the desert.
Q. The disciples of the Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, asked him, "Why didn't G-d give them a year's supply of manna all at once? Why did they have to go out and collect the Manna each day?"
A. Rabbi Shimon replied with the following parable: A king had a son whom he loved very much, and he provided him with all his sustenance. In the beginning of the year, the king would give his son all that he would need for the entire year. As a result, the son would visit his father only once a year.
The king wasn't happy with his son's lack of visitations, and he decided to provide food for his son, one day at a time. From that day on, the son appeared before his father each day!
"The same was with Israel," explained Rabbi Shimon. "By having to depend upon G-d for their sustenance each day, the people of Israel were compelled to direct their hearts to their Father in heaven on a daily basis!"
There is a wonderful lesson in this for us. The fact that G-d doesn't give us our needs all at once and sometimes they come with effort, is actually a sign of His great love toward us. Hashem wants our communication. He desires that we pray and connect to him. When we pray each day for His help, we appear before G-d each day and reinforce our relationship with Him daily.
WITH SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 4:33 / Shabbat ends: 5:41
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