B"H
Friday, Adar 7, 5785 / March 7, 2025
Today, the seventh day of Adar, is the birthday and also the day of passing of the greatest and most revered leader of the Jewish people, Moshe Rabeinu (Moshe our teacher).
Moshe was born in Egypt on the 7th of Adar and passed away 120 years later on the same day of the month. He was buried in the Sinai desert. No human was present when he passed away. G-d Himself attended his burial, and no one knows the exact spot where he is buried.
Moshe brought the Jewish nation out of bondage and crossed them through the sea. Moshe brought down the First Tablets, which he broke when seeing the Jewish people worship the Golden Calf. He later went up the mountain and brought down the Second set of Tablets. He led them throughout their forty years in the Sinai desert and before his passing wrote many Torahs - one for each tribe.
Moshe was from the tribe of Levi. He and his wife, Tziporah, had two sons: Gershom and Eliezer. The Torah tells that even at the end, his strength had not weakened, and his eyesight had not dimmed.
Moshe died on Shabbat. The Midrash describes Moshe's death as "Mitat Neshikin" – it was not an ordinary death by the angel of death, but by a G-dly kiss his neshama ascended on high.
When the time came for Moshe to leave this world, G-d told him to go into a cave where three angels attended to him. G-d said, "Moshe, close your eyes," and Moshe closed his eyes. Then G-d told him, "Put your hands together," Moshe did. G-d said, "Put your feet together," and Moshe obeyed. G-d then took his Neshama (soul) back to Him. The Torah tells us that there never was, nor will there ever be, a prophet like Moshe, who saw G-d "face to face" (Deut. 34:10).
One of the attributes that made Moshe so special was his love for every single Jew. When the children of Israel sinned by worshipping the Golden Calf and G-d wanted to destroy them, Moshe said, "If you don't forgive the people of Israel, then erase me from Your Book (Torah) that you wrote."
G-d forgave the Jewish people, but also partially fulfilled Moshe's request to, “erase him from the Book.” Moshe's name appears in every Parsha from his birth, which is recorded in the beginning of the Book of Exodus, through the Book of Numbers, except in this week's Parsha, Tetzaveh. The reason Parshat Tetzaveh was chosen is that this Parsha is always read on the Shabbat before or the Shabbat after Moshe’s passing. By not mentioning his name here the Torah alludes to his passing. May his memory be a blessing to all of Israel. Amen.
This Shabbat being the Shabbat before Purim, we read from two Torah’s. In the first, we read Parshat Tetzaveh. In the second Torah we read about the special mitzvah of erasing the memory of Amalek, as Haman, the villain who wanted to annihilate the Jewish nation, was a descendant of Amalek.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 5:32 / Shabbat ends: 6:35
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
B"H
Thursday, Adar 6, 5785 / March 6, 2025
The holiday of Purim which we will celebrate next week, Thursday night, March 13 & Friday, March 14, is a Rabbinic Holiday. The miracle of Purim took place close to 1000 years after the giving of the Torah. Although it is a rabbinical holiday it is a very important holiday.
Our sages say, “When the month of Adar comes we must increase in happiness.”
The reason this month is so special and happy is due to the miracle of Purim, which took place on the 14th day of this month, Adar. Although Purim is not one of the holidays mentioned in the Torah and is considered a rabbinical holiday, yet, it’s the most joyous of holidays in the Hebrew calendar.
Q. Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of the month, why is the entire month a happy month?
A. The villain Haman, who wanted to annihilate the entire Jewish nation, men, women and children, cast lots to pick the monthhis plot can succeed best. When the lot fell on the month of Adar, he was very happy. Haman said, “Now I know that I will succeed because in the month of Adar, Moshe, the great Jewish leader who brought them out of Egypt, passed away. It must be a month of bad luck for the Jewish people.
However, the reverse was the case. The Talmud tells us that what he didn’t know is that Adaris also the month in which Moshe was born. The merit of Moshe’s birth was so great that it overrode the fact that he passed away this month and Jews were saved. Because the fact that Moshe was born in the month Adar was a factor in the miracle of Purim, we are happy the entire month.
Q. G-d’s name doesn’t appear in the entire Megilah. Why?
A.“Megilat Esther" is the only book in Scriptures that does not mention G-d’s name at all! Our sages tell us that the word "Esther" comes from the root "Astir," which means to "hide." The name “Megilat Esther" alludes to the fact that G-d's presence in the Megilah is "hidden."
The story of Purim seemed like a natural outcome of Queen Esther’s influence on her husband. But in truth it was a miracle. The lesson of Purim is that we too should recognize our everyday normal events, like walking, talking, breathing, etc., as hidden miracles. Although they seem to be natural events, they too are great miracles, for which we must show our gratitude to G-d.
Here we see that the very same month which seemed to Haman to be a cause for pain and sorrow for the Jewish people, turned out to be for them a month of salvation, redemption and great joy.
Purimteaches us a very important lesson. It reminds us that what we may at times perceive as negative and harmful can, with G-d’s help, turn out to be a true blessing in disguise.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
B"H
Wednesday, Adar 5, 5785 / March 5, 2025
Next week, Thursday evening, March 13th and Friday, March 14, we will celebrate one of the the most joyous holiday in the Hebrew calendar – the holiday of Purim. Celebrating one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history - the miracle of Jewish survival, as recorded in the Megilat Esther.
Purim is the only holiday about which a special Megilah scroll was written, describing the details of the miracle. The Megilah was incorporated into the Holy Scriptures.
The Megilah is read twice during Purim; In the evening after the Maariv service and during the morning service. The Megilah, like the Torah, is carefully hand written on parchment by a scribe.
Q. Why is the holiday called Purim?
A. “Purim” comes from the word "pur" which means "lots." The Megilah tells us that, upon receiving permission to annihilate the Jewish people, Haman cast "lots" for the best day and month in which to execute his plan. When the lot fell on the 13th day of Adar, Haman was very pleased, for he knew that Moshe (Moses) passed away in the month of Adar.
Haman said, "Now I am sure that my plan will succeed for the leader of the Jewish people died in Adar and thus this month must be an unlucky month for the Jews." But, as our sages tell us, Haman didn't know that Moshe's birth was also in Adar and as a result it turned out to be a good month for Israel and the month of Haman's downfall.
Q. What is the meaning of the word Megilah?
A. The root of the word is Galgal or Vayagel, which means to roll. The Megilah, like the Torah, is rolled to open and close.
Q. The Megilah was written by Mordechai and Esther, yet it is called "Megilat Esther" - "Scroll of Esther" - giving the credit only to Esther?
A. Esther was the one who put her life at risk for her people. Esther’s Jewish identity, when she married King Achashveirosh, was not known, so her life was not affected by Haman's decree. Yet, she placed her life in danger to plead for her people revealing her Jewish identity. Since Esther put her life in danger more than Mordechai, the Megilah was named after her.
Another reason is that Esther (not Mordechai) was the one who insisted that the story of Purim be recorded and be added to our Holy Scriptures. Thus, although Mordechai was also involved in its writing, it was named "Megilat Esther."
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
B"H
Tuesday, Adar 4, 5785 / March 4, 2025
We are now in the Hebrew month of Adar. Our sages instruct us that when the month of Adar enters we should increase in simcha-happiness. One of the greatest miracles happened to the Jewish people in this month, the miracle of Purim, when the Jewish people were saved from annihilation.
In the Torah, where the months are identified not by names, but by numbers from one to twelve, the month of Adar is the twelfth month of the year.
The holiday of Purim is celebrated each year on the evening of the 13th of Adar and the next day, the 13th of Adar. This year we celebrate Purim Thursday night, March 13, and Friday, March 14.
Q. How can Adar, which is the sixth month from Rosh Hashana, (New Years), be the twelfth month?
A. According to the Torah, the calendar year doesn’t begin in the first month, only in the seventh month. The months and years are independent of each other. The month of Nissan is considered the first of the twelve months of the year, although it is seven months after Rosh Hashana.
Q. This sounds a bit confusing… Why did the Torah establish a different beginning for the months and a different time for the beginning of the year?
A. The years are counted according to the creation of the universe. Rosh Hashana is celebrated on the day when Adam and Eve were created. The month of Nissan became significant only later at the time of the Exodus. In special recognition to the importance of the Jewish people and their Exodus, which took place in the month of Nissan, G-d assigned Nissan as the beginning and head of the months of the year.
Q. Why is the miracle of Purim, which happened over two thousand five hundred years ago, so special?
A. In the Megilah, which records the story of Purim, we are told that Haman wished to annihilate the entire Jewish people. He influenced Achashverosh, King of Persia, to decree, "To destroy, slay, and exterminate all Jews, young and old, children and women, in a single day... and to plunder their possessions..." Had it not been for the miracle of Purim, this evil decree would have, G-d forbid, wiped out the entire Jewish nation, because at the time, all the Jewish people lived under his rule.
Thus, Purim commemorates the greatest miracle in Jewish history when we were saved from total annihilation. Over two thousand five hundred years have gone by since the story of Purim, but very little has changed in the Persia-Iran-Hamas of today. They still want to wipe us out… But G-d is with US.
The miracle of Purim should serve as a wake up call to all those who spread hate and incitement against our people. Purim reminds us that our existence has always been a miracle and with G-d’s help, the miracle continues. Am Yisrael Chai – the Jewish people will live on forever!
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
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