B"H

Thursday, Kislev 29, 5777 / December 29, 2016

Happy fifth day of Chanukah.

Q.  Why do we light the Chanukah candles near a window or door, while the Shabbat and holiday candles we light on or near the table where we eat the Shabbat or holiday meal?

A. Our sages tell us that the purpose of the Shabbat candles is to bring light, which is associated with peace, within ourhome. The home should shine and be peaceful, therefore, the candles are lit by the table where the family eats and interacts together.  

The purpose of the Chanukah candles is different. It is to publicize the miracle of Chanukah to the world at large. They are lit in the evening, when there is darkness outside and they are placed near a window or door so that their lights will shine to the outside and illuminate the darkness of the outside world with the bright holy Chanukah lights, to publicize the great miracle of Chanukah, in which the force of light prevailed over darkness.

The illuminating message of the Chanukah candles is that even the greatest darkness can be overcome with light. Our sages say, “A small amount of light can push away a great amount of darkness.” One cannot fight darkness with sticks, only light has the power to overcome darkness.

How true is this message this Chanukah, when instead of spreading the truth, which is represented by light, the world body called, the UN, from where the Uneducated Nations (hence the name UN) of the world are exporting lies and darkness.

For over two thousand years, the little Chanukah lights represented the great miracle of Chanukah which took place in OUR holy Temple, which was situated in OUR Holy city of Jerusalem. If anyone still needs proof that Jerusalem and the Wailing Wall belongs to the Jewish people, as it has belonged to us for thousands of years, it is the lights of the Chanukah menorah that offer testimony to this. Only one who is blind doesn’t see the light. Unfortunately, there are too many blind people in that building of shame and darkness in Manhattan.

Our sages tell us that the the holiday of Chanukah is so significant, that even when Moshiach will come and the Third Holy Temple will be constructed in Jerusalem and we will again light the real menorah in the Temple, the Chanukah holiday and the lighting of the Chanukah lights will still be celebrated. Spreading the truth and light to dispel the lies and darkness of the world against us, seems to be an everlasting and never ending job for our people.

May G-d protect every inch of OURHoly Land, including Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria - G-d’s gift to the Jewish people. No one, but no one has the right to take it or give it away. Am Yisrael Chai!

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & HAPPY CHANUKAH

Tonight, Thursday night and Friday, is Rosh Chodesh of the new month, Tevet

**Next Torah Fax next week**

B"H

Tuesday, Kislev 27, 5777 / December 27, 2016

Happy third day of Chanukah.

Q.The candles are placed in the Menorah from right to left, but are lit from left to right (the new candle is lit first).  Why?

A. Mitzvot (except for Tefillin) are, in general, associatad with the right. For example, the Shofar is blown from the right side of the mouth. We hold a Kiddush cup with the right hand. Thus, the Chanukah candles are placed on the right sideof the Menorah. But since the new candle, on the left, represents the new dayof Chanukah, we honor it by lighting its candle first. 

One of the decrees during the time of the story of Chanukah, was the ban against studying Torah. The Torah, which is written in Hebrew, is read from right to left. Yet, when each individual letter is written by a scribe, it is started on the left and continued to the right!  Similarly, when we place the candles on the right side of the menorah and then light them beginning from the left side, we are also expressing our thanks to Hashem that through the miracle of Chanukah, we are able to study Torah.

Q.The three mitzvot of Shabbat, circumcision and Rosh Chodesh (sanctifying the new moon) were also amongst the mitzvot that were prohibited at the time of the Chanukah story. How does observing Chanukah for eight daysexpress our gratitude to Hashem for these three mitzvot?

A.Shabbat- As a result of Chanukah being eight days, Shabbat always falls out once and sometimes twice during Chanukah. 

Circumcission- Because Chanukah is 8 daysit reminds us of the eighth day– the day in which we perform the mitzvah of circumcision.

Rosh Chodesh- There is always a Rosh Chodesh during Chanukah (In fact, Chanukah is the only holiday, except for Rosh Hashana, which includes a Rosh Chodesh in it, for it begins in the month of Kislev and ends in the month of Tevet).

Q.  Why did the miracle of Chanukah have to be exactly eightdays?

A.  The Torah says, "He that touches a man's dead body, shall be unclean seven days" (Num. 19:11).  As a result of the war and coming in contact with the dead, Jews were spiritually unclean. Thus, they had to wait until the eighth day, when they were able to produce new oil fit for the lighting of the Menorah. Another reason: The oil for the Menorah had to be of superior quality. As a result, the oil was made from olives which grew on the land of the Tribe of Asher. It took eight daysto travel there and bring their oil back to Jerusalem. 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & HAPPY CHANUKAH

B"H

Friday, Kislev 23, 5777 / December 23, 2016

In the beginning of this week's Parsha, Vayeishev, the Torah tells us of the special love which Yaakov had toward his son, Joseph: "Israel [Yaakov] loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors."  This caused jealousy and rift between the brothers and Joseph.

Joseph had a dream in which he and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field.  Then Joseph’s sheaf stood upright and his brother’s sheaves surrounded his sheaf and bowed to his sheaf! 

Joseph has another dream in which he sees the sun, the moon and eleven stars bow down to him.  The eleven stars obviously represent his eleven brothers, who are bowing down to him. Joseph tells his brothers about his dreams, which further increases their jealousy and hatred toward him.

The brothers sell Joseph into slavery. Joseph ends up in Egypt working for an officer in the king's guard.  Eventually, Joseph lands in prison when he refuses the advances of his master's wife. 

In next week’s Parsha we will read that when King Pharaoh had a dream which no one could interpret, Joseph was summoned to interpret it. This led to Josephs’ being appointed as ruler over Egypt.

On the surface, it looks like the entire episode of how Joseph ended up in Egypt was a result of his brother’s jealousy and something very negative. But in truth, Joseph's ending up in Egypt was ordained by Divine Providence. G-d told Abraham, many years earlier, that his descendants will be strangers in a foreign land.  G-d made Joseph ruler of Egypt to make that transition as pleasant as possible.

G-d many times works in mysterious ways. Yaakov and Joseph were separated for twenty two painful years. But in the end they realized the purpose of their separation when Yaakov finally came to Egypt.

Max was on his way to a job interview. If he could only get this position it would be the fulfillment of his lifelong dream. He drove up to the office building in mid Manhattan, but there was no parking. He drove around the block a few times, but not one parking space was available. It was getting late and he couldn’t afford to be late for this interview. With only five minutes left, he was desperate!  He looked up to heaven and said, “Oh G-d, PLEASE help me find a parking spot…I promise that I will put on Teffilin!! 

All of a sudden a car pulled out and he had a perfect parking place right in front of the building. He was delighted… But as he was pulling into the space, he looks up to heaven and exclaimed, “G-d, forget the deal.. I just found a parking place on my own!

This Parsha is a lesson that nothing is by chance, even when it seems like a natural event. It is comforting to know that everything is by Divine Providence. The Chanukah holiday, which begins Shabbat night is testimony to G-d watching over us at all times.

SHABBAT  SHALOM & HAPPY CHANUKAH

Montrealcandle lighting time: 3:56 / Shabbat ends: 5:06