B"H
Thursday, Tammuz 8, 5776 / July 14, 2016 - Hakhel year
Twice, during the 40 years in the desert, do we find in the Torah that G-d gave the Jewish people water flowing from a rock.
The first time was when they came out of Egypt into the desert, as told in the Book of Exodus. “G-d said to Moshe… take your staff.. you shall strike the rockand there shall come water out of it that the people may drink” (Exodus 17:5-6).
The second time was forty years later, as told in this week’s Parsha, Chukat. After Miriam’s passing, the water stopped flowing from the rock. G-d told Moshe, “Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes that it should give forth its water.” But instead of speaking to the rock Moshe hit it twiceand water came out in abundance.
The first time, forty years earlier, G-d told Moshe to take his staff and hit the rock.But in this Parsha, G-d told Moshe again to take his staff, but this time he told him to speak to the rock.
Moshe, who was told also this time to take his staff, mistakenly thought that G-d again intended for him to hit the rock. Hitting the rock was considered a sin for Moshe and Aaron and as a result, they were barred from going into the Promised Land.
Q.If G-d wanted Moshe to speak to the rock, why did He tell him to take his staff?
A.There is an old saying about teachers (in the days when hitting a student was acceptable), “a teacher who has to use his strap to punish the students is not a good teacher. A good teacher places the strap on the table or wall where the students can see it, but shouldn’t have to use it…”
This entire episode was a lesson for the Jewish people in obedience and adhering to G-d’s words. Now, as they were ready to go into the Promised Land, G-d wanted the people to know that punishment is used only as a last resort. One needs to listen to G-d’s commandments out of love and respect, not out of fear of consequences. Yes, G-d did prescribe certain consequences for not adhering to His commandments, but that was intended only as a last resort.
If Moshe would have spoken to the rock, as commanded, and it would have given water, the lesson would have been that one should obey G-d’s commandments because G-d said so. But when Moshe stroke the rock right away and the rock gave water, this important lesson was lost on the Jewish people.
Rabbi Eizel Charif once tried convincing a wealthy person in his community to make a charitable contribution for a needy cause. The person was a miser and had a heart of stone, who couldn’t part with any of his money. It took much effort and convincing, but in the end he finally gave a nice donation.
After this Rabbi Eizel would say, “I have accomplished something greater than Moshe. He was only able to get water out of a stone.. but I.. got money out of a stone..”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Wednesday, Tammuz 7, 5776 / July 13, 2016 - Hakhel year
The three leaders of the Jewish people at the time of the Exodus from Egypt and throughout the 40 years in the desert were; Moshe, his brother, Aaronand their sister, Miriam.
In this week’s Parsha, Chukat, the Torah relates about the passing of Miriam and Aaron. It took place during the final year in which Jews were in the desert. Miriam passed away in the beginning of the fortieth year, one year before they entered into the Promised Land. Aaron passed away four months after Miriam. Moshe passed away almost one year after Miriam.
Miriam was five years older than Moshe and two years older than Aaron. She passed away at the age of 125. Aaron lived to age 123. Moshe lived 120years.
While in the desert, G-d supplied the Jewish people with, mannafrom heaven; waterwhich flowed from a rock; cloudsof glory which surrounded their camp to protect them.
The sages tell us that the manna came in Moshe’s merit. The water came in Miriam’s merit. The clouds were in Aaron’s merit.
In this Parsha the Torah tells us that when Miriam passed away, the rock stopped giving water. When Aaron passed away, the clouds were gone.
When the water stopped, the people gathered and complained to Moshe that they had no water and were going to die. G-d told Moshe and Aaron to speak to the rock and it will give water again. But instead of speaking to the rock, Moshe mistakenly hit the rock. Eventually, the water began flowing again, but Moshe and Aaron were punished and they were not allowed to enter into the Promised Land.
Thus, Miriam, Aaron and Moshe were all buried in the desert there.
The Talmud tells that Miriam, who was five years older than Moshe, was instrumental in Moshe’s birth. When Pharaoh decreed that every male born be thrown in the river, Miriam’s father, Amram, divorced his wife. He didn’t want any more children as they would be drowned. It was Miriam, who was less than five, who told her father that his decree is in a way worse than Pharaoh’s. She said, “Pharaoh’s decree only affects males, but yours is also on the girls, who will not be born as a result of your divorce.”
Amram realized that his daughter was right. He re-married Yocheved and as a result, Moshe was born. Thus, Miriam gets recognition for Moshe’s birth.
The Talmud says, “The angel of death had no control over six people: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moshe, Aaron& Miriam. G-d Himself took their souls through a kiss.”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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In loving memory of Shulamit bat Leib – Shulamit Fridman. Yartzeit is today.
May she rest in peace in Gan Eden. May her memory be a blessing.
Dedicated by her family
B"H
Tuesday, Tammuz 6, 5776 / July 12, 2016 - Hakhel year
Parshat Chukat is read this Shabbat. It begins with the mitzvah of "Para Adumah" - "Red Heifer." In Israel Parshat Balak is read.
The ashes of a red heifer mixed with water were used to purify those who came into contact with a dead body so they could enter into the Holy Temple or eat of the holy sacrifices which were forbidden for someone who was impure, especially those coming in contact with the dead.
Death symbolizes the very opposite of holiness and G-dliness, which is called "life". One who came in contact with a dead person became spiritually contaminated and had to go through the process of "purification." Through the Para Adumah – the red heifer, a person was transformed from a state of spiritual impurity to a state of spiritual purity.
The Torah calls this process "ChukatHaTorah." “Chukah” applies to the mitzvot in the Torah that have no logical or apparent reason. This mitzvah is considered illogical due to the paradox of this commandment. While the spiritually unclean person becomes clean through the process of the Para Adumah, the Kohen (Priest) who performs part of the process, becomes unclean!
The irrationality of this mitzvah also has a rationale. This mitzvah teaches us that to make the leap from impurity to spirituality; one has to commit to G-d’s mitzvot beyondthe limitations of one's logic. One has to put their own rationale aside in order to perform G-d’s will.
There is another important lesson in this mitzvah. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that Para Adumah teaches us the extent a Jew must go to help another one spiritually. Just like the Kohen-priest who was prepared to become impure in order to purify and elevate another Jew, so too, if need be, one must make personal sacrifices to help a fellow Jew come closer to G-d.
Our sages tell us that when we make a personal sacrifice to help another person, in the long run we benefit from this too. The following story illustrates this point..
Two peddlers were walking from village to village to sell their wares. One cold winter day it began snowing heavily and walking became treacherous. After many hours, one of them was so overcome by the cold and exhaustion that he fell to the ground.
The partner, also shivering from cold, realized that his friend would freeze to death if left alone. He immediately went to work on his friend, massaging him, moving his hands, feet and limbs, so they wouldn't freeze. He worked for many hours, even though he too was freezing from the cold. Finally, a coach drove by, picked them up and brought them to the city where they were attended to by a doctor.
The one who massaged his friend boasted that hesaved his friend's life. But the doctor told him, "True you saved his life, but he saved your life too... Had you not massaged him and used your hands and feet to help him, you too would have suffered from frostbite!" Helping others is helping ourselves.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Friday, Tammuz 2, 5776 / July 8, 2016 - Hakhel year
This Shabbat, the third day in the month of Tammuz, is the 22nd Yartzeit (1902-1994) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed memory, who led the Chabad-Lubavitch movement for over forty years.
The Rebbe changed the way many American Jews, and Jews throughout the world viewed their connection to being Jewish. Rather than impose his views and philosophy on the million of unaffiliated and non-Orthodox Jews in America and in the rest of the world, the Rebbe created a network of Chabad Houses into which they were all invited.
The forty-four years of the Rebbe’s leadership saw Lubavitch grow from a small movement that had barely survived the Soviet Union and the Nazi Holocaust, to a worldwide community of tens of thousands members. The finest among whom the Rebbe employed to establish the Chabad education and outreach centers, offering social-service programs and humanitarian aid to all people, regardless of religious affiliation or background.
His corps of Lubavitch emissaries (shluchim) went out to build Chabad Houses that reached out to local Jews and to passers by with concrete offerings: a place to stay, a place to eat, a place to pray, a place to study. Today there are more than 1,400 Chabad-Lubavitch institutions in thirty-five countries on six continents.
The Rebbe’s teachings have been published in more than two hundred volumes. He had also written tens of thousands of letters in reply to requests for blessings and advice. These detailed and personal letters offer advice and explanation on a wide variety of subjects, including spiritual matters as well as all aspects of life.
Elie Wiesel, of blessed memory, who passed away last Shabbat, had a special connection with the Rebbe.
“My first visit with the Rebbe lasted almost an entire night,” writes Elie Wiesel in his Memoirs how he came to Brooklyn, sometime in the early 60s, in order to make the acquaintance of the Rebbe.
“The Rebbe had read some of my works in French and asked me to explain why I was angry with G-d. ‘Because I loved Him too much,’ I replied. ‘And now?’ he asked. ‘Now too. And because I love Him, I am angry with Him.’ The Rebbe disagreed: ‘To love G-d is to accept that you do not understand Him.’ I asked whether one could love G-d without having faith. He told me faith had to precede all the rest. ‘Rebbe,’ I asked, ‘how can you believe in G-d after Auschwitz?’ He looked at me in silence for a long moment. Then he replied, in a soft voice, ‘How can you not believe in G-d after Auschwitz?’
In honor of this auspicious day, we should take upon ourselves to perform an extra mitzvah and good deed and to learn a little more Torah. May we merit the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days. Amen
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 8:26 / Shabbat ends: 9:40
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