Thursday, Tishrei 29, 5778 / October 19, 2017

In this week's Parsha, Noach, we read about the story of Noach (Noah) and the Great Flood. 

The Parsha begins: "These are the generations of Noach; Noach was a just and perfect man in his generation and Noah walked with G-d… And G-d looked upon the earth and it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. G-d said to Noach, the end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence, and I will destroy them with the earth."

G-d commanded Noach to build an ark to shelter him, his wife, their three sons, wives, and several of each species, from the catastrophic flood, which G-d was going to bring if the people didn’t repent. 

The Torah describes the severity of the Great Flood. "All the fountains of the great deep were broken and the windows of the Heaven were opened...  The waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains were covered..."  The flood lasted forty days. The destruction was so great that Noach and his family and animals spent a full year in the ark until it was safe to exit.

It took Noach 120 years to build The Ark, in order to give the people a chance to repent.  Even when this didn’t help and the people didn’t repent, G-d didn’t bring the waters with destructive force. He still gave mankind a chance to repent. Only when this too didn’t help, G-d sent the waters with tremendous destructive force.

Our sages ask: Why does the Torah describe Noach as being, "a just and perfect man in his generation." Does this imply that in another generation he wouldn’t be prefect?

Rashi, in his commentary, brings two opinions;  According to some sages, the Torah denotes the great virtue of Noach--that even in his generation, where everyone was so wicked, Noach was righteous.  Had he lived in the generation of Abraham, he would have been even more virtuous. 

But according to other opinions, the term in his generation has a negative implication:  “Noach,” they say, “was righteous in contrast to his generation.  But had he lived in the generation of Abraham he would not have had such great merit in comparison to Abraham.”

Said Rabbi Yechezkel of Kuzmir:  This is the price of leadership. There will always be those who will find fault with a leader no matter how good his intentions are.  Even when the Torah tells us that Noach was a just and perfect man, there are those who find him lacking. 

"This," adds Rabbi Yechezkel, "is the quality of a true and just leader. A great leader and righteous person is not one who tries to do things in order to please everyone, but one who does what is right, regardless of the criticism."  For one who always tries to please everyone in the end pleases no one.

Thursday night, through Shabbat, will be two days Rosh Chodesh of the new month Mar-Cheshvan.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY

Friday, Tishrei 30, 5778 / October 20, 2017

Today, the 30^th of Tishrei, is the first day Rosh Chodesh of the new month Mar-Cheshvan. Shabbat will be the second day Rosh Chodesh, the 1^st of Mar-Cheshvan.

Of the months of the year, about half have one day Rosh Chodesh, and half have two days Rosh Chodesh. Mar-Cheshvan always has two days Rosh Chodesh.

Q.What determines if a month has two days or one day Rosh Chodesh?

A.Some months consist of 29 days, while other months have 30 days. When the outgoing month has 29 days, then there is only one day Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the new month. But, when the outgoing month has 30 days, then the last day of the outgoing month (30^th day) and the first day of the new month, are both Rosh Chodesh. Because the outgoing month, Tishrei, has 30 days, we celebrate the incoming month, Mar-Cheshvan, with two days Rosh Chodesh.

Q.Is there any connection between the month of Mar Cheshvan and this week’s Parsha, Noach?

A.Yes. The story of the Great Flood, which is recorded in Parshat Noach, began on the 17th day of Mar-Cheshvan. On the 27th of Mar-Cheshvan (365 days later) Noach emerged from the Ark.

At the end of Parshat Noach we read about the birth of Abraham. Although, Noach and Abraham were both righteous people, yet, there was a great difference between them. Our sages explain it with the following parable:

Many people were sitting in a cold room. Two of the people decided they couldn't stand it any more.  One person put on a fur coat. Although he was now comfortable, everyone else in the room, was still freezing. The other person decided to get wood and make a fire. He not only warmed himself, but everyone else in the room too.

Noach was similar to the first person. He was righteous, but he didn't go out of his way to call people to repent which would have saved his generation. He didn’t even pray that G-d spare the people. If people asked him the purpose of the Ark, Noach told them, but he didn't do enough to prevent the disaster of the Great Flood. This is the reason the Great Flood is called, "The waters of Noach."

Abraham, by comparison, was different. When G-d wanted to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorra, Abraham prayed that G-d save the people. 

The lesson is obvious: It is not enough to think only about ourselves. We have to do our best to help others, for we are called, Children of Abraham, and should feel, responsible for each other.

SHABBAT SHALOM & A WONDERFUL CHODESH-MONTH

Montrealcandle lighting time: 5:42 / Shabbat ends: 6:43

Monday, Mar-Cheshvan 3, 5778 / October 23, 2017

This week’s Parsha, Lech Lecha, begins with the story of Abraham and his wife, Sarah – the patriarch and matriarch of the Jewish people. 

Lech Lecha is the third Parsha in the Torah. The first Parsha, Braishis was about creation in general and the creation of Adam & Eve.

The second Parsha, Noach, was about the destruction of everything by the Great Flood and afterwoods the rebirth of mankind after the Flood from Noach and his descendants.

The third Parsha, Lech Lecha, which we will read this Shabbat, is about the beginnings of the Jewish nation from Abraham and Sarah.

The Parsha begins with G-d commanding Abraham, who was 75 and Sarah who was 65, to leave their homeland and go to the land of Canaan, the land which G-d promised to eventually give to their descendents. From this point on the Torah concentrates on the episodes of Abraham and Sarah and their descendants. This Parsha covers a span of twenty five years in the lives of Abraham and Sarah.

In the Parsha G-d tells Abraham (Gen. 13:14), "Lift up your eyes and look, from the place where you are, northward, southward, eastward and westward;  For all the land which you see, to you I will give it and to your children forever.  And I will make your children as the dust of the earth so that just like one cannot count the dust of the earth, so too, will your children not be counted."  

Q.  What is the significance of the Jewish people being compared to the sand?

A. According to the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, Jews are likened to earth, "Just like the earth contains hidden treasures which can be extracted only through effort, so too, every Jew has great spiritual treasures hidden within them."

Thus, according to the Baal Shem Tov, when we see a Jew who on the surface is not ideal, we should dig deeper, for every one has great potential, but may need effort to bring out to the surface. 

Maimonides, in his letter of encouragement to the Jews of Yemen, who were experiencing great difficulty and oppression, writes, "G-d already promised our forefathers that, although the nations will oppress His children and try to annihilate them, the Jewish people will survive and be around long after their oppressors will already have been gone. This is the reason for comparing the Jewish people to the sand of the earth.  The earth is continuously stepped upon, yet outlasts all those who step on it. The same is true of Israel," continues Maimonides, "The people of Israel will survive and last forever".

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY