B"H
Thursday, 16 Adar 1, 5776 / February 25, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
In the beginning of this week's Parsha, Ki Tisa, G-d tells Moshe that when counting the Jewish people to know their amount, instead of counting them directly, each one should contribute a "half Shekel." By counting the contributions, Moshe knew the count of the Jewish people. The shekels were then used for the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
According to Jewish tradition it is forbidden to count people directly. King David once counted his soldiers directly and a plague broke out and many died. Jews are careful to be counted in a non-direct way. For example, in synagogue, when we want to count if there are ten Jews in attendance for a Minyan (quorum), we count them by using a verse which has ten words in it.
Rabbi Yitschak Elchanan Spector, Rabbi of Kovno, was once collecting charity to provide food and wood for heating for the poor. He came to the home of one of the wealthy people in his community, who was also a Torah scholar. Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan told him the reason for his coming and asked for his contribution. The wealthy man gave a small donation. When the rabbi remarked how small the sum was compared to what he could afford to give, the wealthy man replied, "As you know I spent much of my time studying Torah. This is my contribution to our community. Let other wealthy people, who don't study Torah, help fulfill this community mitzvah."
The rabbi replied, "Your answer reminds me of the following story; During the Russian-Japanese war, every Russian citizen was called to contribute a minimum of ten rubles to the war chest.
Officers of the Czar came to collect money from the citizens of one of the villages. Everyone gathered in the town hall and the officers told them how important it was to contribute. One after the other the peasants announced their contributions of ten rubles. One poor peasant got up and announced that he is giving 100 rubles! Everyone was shocked.
"How can you manage to give such a large sum?" they asked.
The peasant explained, "A while ago I was brought before a judge and fined ten rubles. When I told the judge that I didn't have the money, he sentenced me to a month in jail. Now, I figured if a month in jail is worth 10 rubles, then 10 months in jail should be worth 100 rubles! I'm ready to sit 10 months in jail which should count as my contribution of 100 rubles to the Russian army!" Upon hearing this everyone in the room burst out laughing.
"The same is with you", concluded Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan. "Your studying Torah will help the poor of our city like that peasant's sitting in jail will help the Russian army! True, studying Torah is very important, but it will not make one needy person less hungry or warmer during the winter. One cannot excuse himself from giving charity by opening a Talmud, one must open his pockets and give!"
"This is also the lesson from our Parsha," continued the rabbi. "When it came to count the Jewish people G-d told them to give a half-Shekel coin. In order to be counted one must contribute!"
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, 14 Adar 1, 5776 / February 23, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
Today is the 14th day of Adar 1. In a non leap year, when we have only one month of Adar, today we would have been celebrating Purim. But due to the fact that this year (5776) is a leap year, in which there are two months of Adar, Purim will be celebrated on the 14th of the second Adar.
However, being that in most years, today would have been Purim, we do mark this day as a special day. The 14th day of the first Adar is called, “Purim Katan” – “minor Purim.” We omit the prayers of supplication and consider it a minor festive day. From today to Pesach this year, is exactly two months.
Q.There is a general rule that we don’t push off a mitzvah and we try to perform it at the first opportunity. Why then is Purim celebrated in the second Adar and not in the first Adar?
A. The Talmud tells us that when Haman wanted to annihilate the Jewish people, he drew lots as to which month would be the most appropriate for his murderous plan to work. He knew that many before him wanted to do away with the Jewish people, but G-d nullified their plans, so he tried his luck by drawing lots on each of the months of the year.
When the lot fell on the month of Adar, he was overjoyed. He knew that on the seventh day of Adar, Moses, the leader of the Jewish people passed away. He figured that if Moshe passed away during this month, Adar was not a lucky month for Jews and his plan was going to succeed.
However, what he didn’t know, says the Talmud, is that Moshe, who lived 120 years, was also born on the seventh of Adar. Moshe was the savior and protector of the Jewish people. He led them out of Egypt and brought them through the sea. He led them through the desert for forty years and supplied all their needs. Thus, in the merit of Moshe’s birth, which was in the month of Adar, Haman’s decree was nullified and the Jewish people were saved.
Because it was in Moshe’s merit that we were saved, we celebrate Purim closer to the holiday of Pesach (Passover), when Moshe saved the Jewish people from their Egyptian bondage. In the words of the Talmud, “We connect the redemption of Purim to the redemption of the Exodus from Pharaoh.”
Q.This week’s Parsha Ki Tisa, begins with the half shekel contribution which every male between the ages of 20 to 60 had to contribute toward the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The Parsha also commands about many of the vessels which had to be made for the Mishkan. Then G-d commands Moshe to command the people, “But My Shabbat you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you for all your generations.” Why does the Torah repeat the commandment of observing Shabbat, which was already commanded in the Ten Commandments?
A.To teach us the greatness and importance of the mitzvah of observing Shabbat. The Torah teaches us here that one cannot desecrate the Shabbat even for the sake of building the House of G-d – the Mishkan or the Holy Temple.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Monday, 13 Adar 1, 5776 / February 22, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
In this week's Parsha, Ki Tisa, we read about one of the gravest sins committed by the Jewish people - the sin of the Golden Calf. This took place only forty days after the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. As a result, Moshe broke the original Two Tablets. Only later, after G-d forgave the sin of the Golden Calf, did G-d give him a second set of Tablets.
Q.How did they come to make the Golden Calf only forty days after they received the Torah?
A.When Moshe went up Mount Sinai he told them that he will be up for forty days. However, in Judaism, the day begins with the night before (Like Shabbat which begins Friday night). Thus, because he went up during the daytime, the day he went up was not a full day and was not to be counted. The people mistakenly began the count from the day Moshe went up instead of the day after. As a result, they figured that the forty days ended one day earlier and they thought that Moshe was not returning.
The Torah tells us that, "And the people saw that Moshe delayed coming down from the mountain, so the people gathered around Aaron and they said to him, "rise up and make for us gods that shall go before us; for as for Moshe, the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."
Aaron knew that Moshe would descend from the mountain, so to delay them, he said, "Go and bring the golden rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters."
Aaron figured that the women will refuse to give their jewelry and this would delay them until Moshe came down from the mountain. However, when the women didn't let them have their jewelry, the men took their own golden jewelry and brought them to Aaron.
Q. How is it possible that Aaron, the High Priest, would make the Golden Calf?
A. According to the Midrash, Aaron knew that if the people build an idol on their own, they would complete it quickly. Therefore, he took charge of the job and thus tried to postpone them until Moshe returned. Aaron took the gold and threw it into fire, but unfortunately, out came the Golden Calf!
Q. Why did the form of a calf emerge from the fire?
A. Before Joseph died, he commanded that his bones be taken out of Egypt and be buried in Israel. After Joseph died, Pharaoh had Joseph's coffin placed in the Nile River so that no one could find him. Pharaoh thought that, without Joseph, the Jewish people would not be able to leave Egypt.
When the time for the Exodus came, Moshe went to the Nile and put in a plate which had the words, "Come up ox" written on it, for, in Jacob's blessings, Joseph is likened to an ox. Immediately, Joseph's casket rose to the surface and was taken out with them when they left Egypt. Someone amongst the people had this plate and threw it into the fire with the gold, and a Golden Calf emerged.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Thursday, 2 Adar 1, 5776 / February 11, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
This week’s Parsha is Terumah. In this Parsha G-d commands Moshe to tell the Jewish people to make contributions towards the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The Mishkan was a House built for G-d, in which G-d’s presence will rest amongst the Jewish people. Mishkan comes from the word resting.
The Mishkan was a temporary structure made out of wood, which traveled with them throughout their forty years in the desert. It was taken apart when they had to travel and erected wherever they camped.
The name of the Parsha, Terumah (an offering), refers to the donations which G-d asked them to contribute toward the building of the Mishkan.
Q.Instead of commanding Moshe to tell the people to “give” or “donate,” the Torah says, “Take for me an offering.” Why does the Torah use the expression take when speaking of giving? It should have said, "Give to Me an offering."
A.Our sages explain that the Torah uses the expression “take” instead of “give” to teach us an important lesson about the concept of charity.
Although when we give Tzedakah (charity) it seems to us that we are the ones who are the givers and the needy are the receivers, yet, in truth however, it is the giver who is taking and receiving. The reward one gets for this mitzvah is much greater than what they gave. In truth, giving is taking.
The Talmud explains this as follows: "More than the wealthy person does for the poor man; the poor person does for the wealthy one."
The return one gets for the mitzvah of Tzedakah is of much greater value than what the receiver got.
The following passage is from the Talmud concerning the mitzvah of Tzedakah (charity):
Rabbi Yehuda says, "Ten hard things have been created in the world. The rock is hard, but iron shatters it. Iron is hard, but fire softens it.
Fire is powerful, but water extinguishes it. Water is heavy, but clouds carry it.
Clouds are thick, but wind scatters them. Wind is strong, but a body resists it.
The body is strong, but fear crushes it. Fear is powerful, but wine banishes it.
Wine is strong, but sleep works it off. Death is stronger than all, yet, charity delivers from death, as is written, "Charity saves from death."
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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