Friday, Kislev 6, 5778 / November 24, 2017
Dear friends, Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes for my father, Menachem Mendel ben Chaya Bracha. He is still in ICU. We hope and pray that all our prayers for him will be fulfilled and that he have a Refuah Shleimah. Amen.
In this week’s Parsha, Vayeitzei, after Yaakov wakes up from his peaceful sleep and wonderful dream in which G-d promises to protect him, he makes the following vow, "If G-d will be with me and will protect me in this way which I am going; He will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear… From everything which You will give me, I will give one tenth to You".
Yaakov was penniless at this time, but he makes a promise that when G-d will help him, the first thing he will do is give a tenth to charity to help others. Tzedaka-charity is a very important mitzvah and has very special powers. Here are some Talmudic teachings about the importance of charity:
Rabbi Assi said, "The mitzvah of Tzedakah is compared to all other mitzvot put together".
Rabbi Chanina said, "Why is Tzedakah compared to a garment? Just like a garment is made up of many threads, so too, each coin and coin given to charity adds up to a great amount."
Rabbi Dustai ben Reb Yanai explains the greatness of Tzedakah, "When a simple person presents a gift to a great king, the gift may or may not be accepted by the king. Even if it is accepted, one is still not guaranteed the privilege of meeting the king. But the Holy One blessed be He acts differently. One who gives even a small coin to a poor person acquires great merit and enters in the presence of G-d. As is written in Psalms (17:15), "Through Tzedakah, I will see Your face!".
Rabbi Yishmael explains the benefit of giving charity, “Whoever trims their possessions and gives to charity will be saved from harsh judgment in the after-life. This is similar to two sheep that were crossing the water. One was sheared and one was not. The sheared lamb will easily pass through the water, while the other one will be weighed down by all the water that was absorbed in its wool."
In Isaiah (chapter 10) the prophet uses the expression, "plant your charity." Our sages explain planting charity, as follows: If a person walks down the street and loses $100, he/she will, naturally, agonize over it. Even if the person later finds $200, he/she may think, "If I didn't lose the $100, I would now have $300!"
However, when a person loses the contents of a sack of wheat while walking through his field and next year finds his field full of freshly grown wheat it would be foolish to think that had he not lost the sack of wheat last year he would have more now! For everything he has now is a direct result of the "loss" which he had. This is the way to view the mitzvah of charity – It is like planting."
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 4:13 / Shabbat ends: 5:17
Monday, Kislev 9, 5778 / November 27, 2017
This week’s Parsha is Vayishlach. In the beginning of the Parsha Yaakov hears that his brother, Esau, who made a vow 34 years earlier to kill Yaakov, is coming toward him with 400 men. "Yaakov was greatly afraid and distressed." he sends gifts to appease Esau and that he should forgive him for receiving his father's blessings. At the same time, Yaakov prepared for battle and prays for G-d's help.
Q. The Torah tells us that before meeting Esau, “Yaakov took his wives and his eleven children and crossed them over the stream.” Yaakov, at this time, had eleven sons and one daughter, Dina. What happened to child number twelve?
A. Our sages say that Yaakov was worried that Esau may fall in love with Dina and want to marry her. To avoid this, Yaakov placed her in a box, so that the wicked Esau will not see her.
Q. In the Parsha we read how, on the way, Rachel gave birth to her second son, Binyamin (Benjamin). She passed away soon after giving birth. How old was Rachel when she passed away?
A. The Torah doesn’t tell her age, but our sages say that she was thirty six when she passed away.
Q. Why did Rachel pass away at such a young age?
A. When Yaakov left his father-in-law, Lavan, Rachel “stole her father’s idols,” so that her father wouldn’t worship his idols anymore. Yaakov had no idea that Rachel took them. When Lavan chased after Yaakov and asked him, “Why did you steal my god,” Yaakov said that he didn’t steal them and added, “With whomever you will find them they shall not live.” Due to this curse, Rachel, who did steal them, died very soon after.
Q. The Torah tells us, “And Rachel died and was buried at the road of Ephrata which is Beth-Lechem (Bethlehem).” Why did Yaakov bury his beloved wife Rachel at the side of the road?
A. Our sages say that Yaakov knew that eventually the Holy Temple will be destroyed and the Jewish people will be exiled and driven out of Jerusalem and on their way they will travel on the road by the city of Bethlehem. For their benefit he buried Rachel at the side of the road, so when they pass her grave Rachel will pray for them.
Q. Where is Yaakov’s wife Leah buried?
A. Leah is buried together with Yaakov in the Me’arat Hamachpeila, in Hebron. Thus, the three patriarchs, Abraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov and three of the matriarchs, Sarah, Rivkah and Leah are buried there. Rachel is the only matriarch that is not buried in Hebron.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Kislev 10, 5778 / November 28, 2017
We are two weeks to Chanukah! The first Chanukah candle will be lit Tuesday night, December 12.
Chanukah being an eight day holiday, there is always at least one Shabbat during Chanukah and sometimes even two, when the first day is Shabbat.
Q. What is the meaning of the name Chanukah?
A. Chanukah means dedication. On Chanukah, the 25th day in the month of Kislev, the Holy Temple, which was in a state of defilement, was re-dedicated and restored.
Q. Why is Chanukah celebrated for eight days?
A. When the Jews re-dedicated the Temple and wanted to light the Menorah, they realized that all the jars of oil were defiled by the Greeks and were not fit for lighting the Holy Menorah in the Temple. They finally found one cruise of undefiled pure olive oil, bearing the seal of the High Priest. However, it contained no more than one days supply. But when they lit the menorah a miracle occurred and the oil lasted for eight days. By then they were able to produce new oil.
Q. Why, in contrast to the Shabbat candles which are lit on the table where we eat the Shabbat meal, the Chanukah candles are kindled near a window or door?
A. The purpose of the Shabbat candles is to bring light within the home. But the purpose of the Chanukah candles is to publicize the miracle of Chanukah. We light the Chanukah candles near a window or door in order to publicize the miracle of the Chanukah lights to the outside world.
Q. Why is it important to publicize the miracle of Chanukah more than other miracles?
A. The miracle of Chanukah, when a small cruise of oil, enough to barely last one day, lasted eight days, took place inside the Holy Temple. This miracle was not visible to everyone, as only the Kohanim (priestly family) were allowed to enter the Holy Temple. Thus, the rabbis established that this miracle should be publicized, so that everyone will know about it.
Q. One is not permitted to have any personal use from the Chanukah lights. Why?
A. One was prohibited to have any personal benefit or use from the objects in the Temple. Because the Chanukah lights commemorate the lights of the Menorah in the Holy Temple, we too, are prohibited to have any use from the Chanukah lights.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Friday, Kislev 13, 5778 / December 1, 2017
This Shabbat we will read Parshat Vayishlach. In this Parsha the Torah relates the story of how Yaakov (Jacob) returns, together with his family back to his parents, Yitzchak and Rivkah.
On the way home, Yaakov hears that his brother Eisav (Esau), who is still angry at Yaakov for getting his father’s blessings, is coming toward him to kill him.
Yaakov sends angels as messengers to tell Esau that he wants peace. But when they return, they tell Yaakov that Eisav is not ready for peace. Instead, Eisav is coming with 400 men to fight him.
Upon hearing this, Yaakov became frightened. He then forms a plan to counter Eisav's threat. Yaakov prays to G-d to save him and his family. He also sends gifts to his brother in the hope of appeasing him. In case that doesn’t work, he also prepares for war.
The Torah tells us how, even before meeting Eisav, Yaakov battled with Eisav’s guardian angel and won. Now, Yaakov felt more assured that he will be safe with Eisav too. When they finally meet, Yaakov bows seven times to Eisav. Yaakov’s wives and sons also bow to Eisav. When Eisav sees thishe hugs and kisses Yaakov. Yaakov and family continue travelling to his parents.
On the way he had to contend with more troubling situations. In the city of Shchem, his only daughter, Dina, was forcefully violated by the prince of the land. Two of Dina’s brothers were so angered that, without Yaakov’s knowledge, they killed every man in Shchem. Yaakov was very distressed and strongly reprimanded them for this.
After this Yaakov’s beloved wife Rachel gives birth to their youngest child, Binyamin, but Rachel dies. Yaakov buries her in the city of Bethlehem. Rachel’s grave-site in Betlehem is visited by tens of thousand of Jews to this day.
On his way home, Yaakov is also notified of the passing of his mother, Rivkah. Yaakov finally comes home after leaving his father-in-law, Lavan. The next twenty years he spends together with his father, Yitzchak. At the end of the Parsha we read about Yitzchak’s passing at the age of 180.
Q. How many years was Yaakov away from home?
A. Thirty five years. He left single and returned with a family of twelve sons and one daughter.
Yaakov and his eleven sons bowed to Eisav. The only one of Yaakov’s children who didn’t bow to Eisav was Binyamin, as he was not born yet at the time of that encounter. He was the only one of Yaakov’s children to be born in Israel. One of the reasons that the Holy Temple (Beth Hamikdash)was built in Jerusalem, on the land of Binyamin, was because he didn’t bow to Eisav!
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 3:54 / Shabbat ends: 5:01
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