B"H
Wednesday, Nissan 12, 5778 / March 28, 2018
Pesach (Passover), which will begin Friday night, is one of the three festive holidays in the Torah.
Each holiday has a spiritual message and should cause us to feel spiritually uplifted. In addition, we are also commanded to wear holiday clothes, enjoy a sumptuous meal, and be physically happy.
Q. Our rabbis ask: Why does the Torah command us to eat and drink as part of the festivities associated with our holidays? Are earthly pleasures really so important? Wouldn't it be better to concentrate on the spiritual aspects of the holidays - the elevation of our soul?
A.Rabbi Yaakov Krantz, known as the Magid of Dubna, explains this with the following parable: There was once a man who was, G-d forbid, lame. He had a friend who was healthy, strong and fit, except that he was deaf.
One day the lame man decided that between him and his deaf friend they can manage to do many of the things which each of them couldn’t do on their own. He would ride on the shoulders of his deaf friend, while he would be the listening ears for him. This way they managed to accomplish many things together.
One day they were passing by a place from where wonderful joyous music was coming. The lame one loved the music and wanted his friend to stop walking so he can enjoy the beautiful music. But the deaf one, who didn't hear a sound, didn't want to stop.
The lame one sitting on top of his friend’s shoulders remembered that he had a bottle of liquor in his pocket. He motioned to his friend to stop and filled him a glass of the liquor. He then filled him another glass and another until the deaf man began dancing.
While he was dancing as a result of his drinking, the lame person riding on his shoulders also danced as best he could to the tune of the music which he was hearing. Although they were both dancing for two different reasons, they were both happy and content!
The same says the Magid is with each of us who is comprised of a body and soul. True, the main purpose and pleasure of the holidays should be their spiritual high and pleasure derived by the soul.
However, the physical part of the person - the body, cannot derive its enjoyment from spirituality and thus becomes an obstacle to the spiritual enjoyment of the soul.
Thus, the Torah commands us that we should have the physical enjoyment, such as food and drink on our holidays. Then with our body being happy and content, our Nesahama (soul) will not be distracted and enjoy the spiritual aspect of the holiday to the best of its ability.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Thursday, Nissan 13, 5778 / March 29, 2018
Rabbi Akiva Eiger, one of the greatest Torah scholars of his day, would invite many poor people to his Seder and did everything he could to make them feel at home. Once, a guest accidentally spilled his cup of wine all over the new white tablecloth. The poor man became very embarrassed. Thinking quickly, Rabbi Akiva Eiger knocked over his own cup and exclaimed, "It seems that the table is not very steady..."
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Before Pesach, a poor man asked the town Rabbi if he could fulfill his obligation of the Four Cups by drinking milk instead of wine because he didn't have the money to buy wine for the Seder.
"The question you asked will need a lot of research", replied the Rabbi, "and since I don't have the time before Pesach, here is twenty five rubles to buy your needs for the holiday".
After he left, the Rabbi's students asked. "Why did you give him so much? Five rubles would have been enough to buy wine."
"From his question, whether he can use milk for the Four Cups, I realized that he also had no meat, for if he had meat how would he be able to drink milk after meat! Now, if he has no meat for the Seder, he surely has no meat for the rest of the holiday meals. What's more, his family must be missing many other necessities as well. So I gave him twenty five rubles and hope it's enough...!"
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Did you hear that the name of the game “The Price is Right” was changed for Passover to, “The Price is Too Much.”
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Q. When G-d sent Moshe to go warn Pharaoh that if he didn’t let the Jews go, he and his people will be smitten with the plagues, he told Moshe to meet Pharaoh at the river. Why, at the river?
A. Because Pharaoh was in di-Nile (denial).
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Child to father: I see displayed on the Seder Table the matzah, maror, salt water and charoset, which represent the harsh labor and the tears which Jews endured in Egypt. Why don’t we also display silver and gold to commemorate the silver and gold which Jews had taken out of Egypt with them?
Father to child: The bitter herbs, the salt water, the charoset, which represent the difficulties and punishments we endured in Egypt, we never got rid of. They lasted throughout the ages. But the gold and silver is long gone.
Have a wonderful Chag Kosher ve’Sameach. A Happy & healthy Pesach, with lots and lots of Nachas. This will be the last Torah Fax until after the holiday.
Enjoy, Enjoy Enjoy!
B"H
Tuesday, Nissan 25, 5778 / April 10, 2018
Shalom. I hope you had a wonderful Pesach holiday.
At the conclusion of the Pesach Seder many recite the following passage, “The Passover Seder is now concluded.” It is followed by a prayer that we merit to perform the Seder next year in Jerusalem in the Holy Temple.
But some have the custom not to say the passage, “The Passover Seder is now concluded.” The reasoning being that even if the physical aspect of the Seder is finished, the spirit, the feeling of freedom and holiness of the Seder, is to continue throughout the entire year.
May it be the will of G-d that we should all be blessed to have continues Nachas and family unity throughout the year as we experienced on the Seder nights. Amen.
We are now in the Sefirah mode. The Torah says, "And you shall count unto you... seven weeks complete they shall be.” From the second night of the holiday of Pesach, until the holiday of Shavuot, (seven weeks), we perform the mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer – counting the Omer, each night, for a total of 49 days.
Each night, at the conclusion of the evening service, we recite a special blessing and count the Omer – stating the number of the Omer for that night.
Q. What is the significance of the “Sefirah” – the counting of the Omer?
A. When G-d sent Moshe to liberate the Jewish people from Egypt, He told them that the purpose of their freedom was to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai. They counted the days in anticipation of the receiving the Torah. We count the Omer daily, from Pesach to Shavuot, when we received the Torah, to remind us that the purpose and realization of true freedom, which we attained on Pesach, is through the study of Torah and adherence to G-d's commandments, which elevates us to being a holy and truly free people.
The word "Sefirah" which means "to count" can also be understood as "to illuminate". Counting the Omer (Sefirat HaOmer) teaches us to illuminate each day of our lives, with Torah and mitzvot. It also teaches us that one should not be content with yesterday's achievements. Rather, each day we should bring additional spiritual light into our lives.
The daily mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer at this time of the year, teaches us that we should make each day count.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Thursday, Nissan 27, 5778 / April 12, 2018
Today has been designated as Yom HaShoa - Holocaust Remembrance Day. Jews all over the world remember their 6,000,000 brothers and sisters, men, women and children, who were brutally murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators just over seventy years ago.
At the Pesach Seder, which we celebrated last week, we raised our cup of wine and recited the "Vehi She’amda" in which we are reminded that, "in every generation there are those who want to annihilate us, but G-d saves us from their hands."
“Yom HaShoah” carries even greater significance today as our brethren in Israel have to deal with their Arab neighbors who want to annihilate them, G-d forbid.
We pray that G-d grant victory to the soldiers of the I.D.F. who are risking their lives on the front lines of battle. May G-d protect them, their families and all who live in Israel.
One of the survivors of the Holocaust was Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halbershtam, of blessed memory. His wife and 11 children were murdered in the Holocaust. He miraculasly survived the labor camps and later settled in Israel, where he established the Kloizenberg Chassidic dynesty. He built the Laniado Hospital in Netaneya.
Yet, during all his time in the camps and after losing his entire family, he never lost hope. He would encourage other Jews not to lose hope, for the day will come when they will be liberated.
One time after one of the SS Nazis beat him mercilessly, another inmate asked him, “Rabbi, are you still going to be saying that you belong to the chosen people?”
“Yes. I will say it with more fervent and meaning,” replied the rabbi. “I will be thanking G-d for choosing me to be a Jew.. and not a murderer, a barbaric, cruel and inhumane, Nazi!”
Q. What is the significance of the Kaddish, which we recite after those who passed away?
A. The "Kaddish" in which we praise, glorify and sanctify G-d's name, serves two functions: It benefits the soul of the deceased to rest in peace in Gan Eden. It also shows that the mourners accept G-d's judgment and proclaim His justice. This, too, benefits the soul of the deceased.
Q. Why is the Kaddish recited in Aramaic, not in Hebrew?
A. At the time the Kaddish was introduced the majority of the people spoke Aramaic and didn't understand Hebrew. In order that everyone in the congregation will understand the meaning of these words, it was established in Aramaic.
Our greatest tribute to the victims of the “Shoah” is doing whatever we can to assure Jewish survival and continuity - physically and spiritually. May we merit the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days. Amen.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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