B"H
Friday, Iyar 26, 5778 (41st day of Sefirah) / May 11, 2018
This Shabbat we will conclude the third book of the Torah, the book of Vayikra (Leviticus).
The last Parsha of the Book of Leviticus is Bechukotei. The Parsha begins, “If you follow My laws and guard My commandments and observe them. I will give your rains in their time, the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will produce it’s fruit… You will live safely in your Land. I will grant peace in the Land and you will go to sleep with nothing frightening you. I will eliminate wild animals from the Land and foreign swords will not pass through your Land.” These are special blessings which G-d gives for the Land of Israel.
When the Torah reader reads the last verse of this Parsha, everyone rises. When he concludes the reading, the entire congregation recites in unison, “Chazak, Chazak, Venitchazek.” Translation: “Be strong! Be strong! And may we all be strengthened!”
With all that has been happening on the Israeli Syrian border this week, we wish our beloved Israel, “Chazak, Chazak, Venitchazek. - Be strong! Be strong! And may we all be strengthened!” Israel’s strength is our strength!
May Hashem guard and protect the Jewish people wherever they are, especially in the Holy Land. May Hashem guard and protect the soldiers of the IDF – on land, in the air and at sea, that they accomplish their missions with great success and no harm shall befall any of them.
Being that this Sunday is Mothers Day, we wish all mothers the above blessing, “Be strong! Be strong! And may we be strengthened!” May Hashem bless our mothers with physical strength, good health and lots of Nachas from their children and grandchildren.
One of the greatest mitzvot in the Torah is honoring parents. The mitzvah is not only when they are alive, but also after their passing. We give charity in their memory and recite the kaddish on their yartzeit and recite the Yizkor on the holidays – keeping their memories alive.
Honoring parents is one of the Ten Commandments. However, it is unique in that it is the only one of the Ten Commandment for which G-d prescribed a reward – the reward of long life.
This Sunday is also a very special day, known as Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day. On this day, fifty one years ago, the Holy city of Jerusalem, was returned, after two thousand years, to it’s rightful owner - the people of Israel.
With the American Embassy moving to Jerusalem this week, we say, “Chazak, Chazak” - “Be strong! Be strong! And may we all be strengthened!”
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 7:56 / Shabbat ends: 9:07
B"H
Monday, Iyar 29, 5778 (44th day of Sefirah) / May 14, 2018
The holiday of Shavuot begins Saturday night. In Israel, Shavuot is a one day holiday. In the Diaspora we celebrate two days.
Shavuot commemorates one of the most important events in Jewish history; the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Torah was given 3330 years ago, in the Hebrew calendar year 2448.
Q. Why is the holiday called “Shavuot”?
A. Shavuot in Hebrew means "weeks." Shavuot is the only holiday for which the Torah did not establish a specific day of the month. It is celebrated on the 50th day, after counting the Omer for a period of seven weeks. The name Shavuot is because the holiday comes seven "weeks" after we begin counting the Omer on Pesach.
Q. The three festive holidays; Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot are in the spring, summer and fall.Why are there no Biblical festive holidays in the winter?
A. In the days of the Holy Temple it was a mitzvah for Jews living throughout Israel to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the festive holidays and celebrate there. Our sages explain that G-d didn't want to make it difficult for the people to have to go to Jerusalem during the winter months, so He didn't assign any holidays in the cold and rainy winter months.
Q. What is the meaning of the word, "Torah"?
A. "Torah" means to "teach" and to "guide". The Torah teaches and guides us how to conduct our lives in accordance with G-d's will.
Q. The Ten Commandments are first recorded in the Torah in the Book of Exodus (chapter 20). How many letters are there in the Ten Commandments as they appear in Exodus?
A. 620 letters.
Q. What is the significance of this number to the Torah?
A. In the Torah there are 613 commandments (mitzvot). In addition to these mitzvot, the sages have added another seven mitzvot, which together make 620. The 620 letters in the Ten Commandments alludes to the fact that all the mitzvot are rooted and enshrined in the Ten Commandments.
Q. How old was Moshe and his brother Aaron at the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai?
A. Moshe was eighty years and Aaron was eighty three.
HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL AND WONDERFUL DAY
B"H
Wednesday, Sivan 2, 5778 (46th day of Sefirah) / May 16, 2018
Shavuot, the Holiday in which we celebrate receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, begins this Saturday night. In Israel, where only one day is celebrated, the holiday is Saturday night & Sunday. In the Diaspora we celebrate two days; Sunday and Monday.
Q.How many letters, words, verses, and Parshiot are in the Torah?
A. The Torah has: 304,805 letters; 79,847 words; 5,888 verses; 54 Parshiot.
Q. On Shavuot we read Megilat Ruth, the story of Ruth, who converted to Judaism. Why?
A. Shavuot is the Yartzeit (day of passing) of King David, who was a direct descendant of Ruth. We read the wonderful story of King David's great-great-grandmother, Ruth, who converted to Judaism.
Ruth didn't convert and accept the Jewish faith for any material gain. In fact, she gave up a materially secure life for a life of poverty in order to join her mother-in-law, Naomi, and the people of Israel. Her mother-in-law explained to her that joining the people of Israel at that time would bring great physical hardship for her. Ruth replied, “Do not urge me to leave you, for wherever you go, I will go; where you will lodge, I will lodge; Your people are my people and your G-d is my G-d; where you die, I will die and there I will be buried!”
The story of Ruth teaches us that we must not learn the Torah and fulfill mitzvot for personal gain. Rather, we should feel fortunate that we were chosen to be entrusted with the Torah and mitzvot and do our best to fulfill G-d’s commandments, regardless of the effort or expense involved.
King David, whose yartzeit is on Shavuot, wrote the book of Psalms (Tehilim). It contains the songs and prayers which King David offered to G-d. Jews have always turned to the Psalms whenever they were in trouble and needed G-d's help. David was King of Israel for forty years and died at the age of seventy.
Q. What special role did the Jewish children have at Mount Sinai at the Giving of the Torah?
A. Our Sages say that before G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people, He demanded guarantors that the Torah will be studied and cherished. The people made a number of suggestions which were rejected by G-d. Only when they declared, "Our children will be our guarantors, did G-d agree to give the Torah.
Giving our children a Jewish education from a very early age is essential to the survival of Torah and thus the survival of Judaism and the Jewish people.
HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL AND WONDERFUL DAY
B"H
Wednesday, Sivan 9, 5778 / May 22, 2018
Shalom. I hope you all had a very wonderful holiday Shavuot.
Shavuot, the holiday of the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, was the marriage of the people of Israel and G-d. At Mount Sinai we exchanged vows with G-d, where we swore that we will never exchange Him for any other G-d and G-d vowed that He will never exchange us for any other nation. The Torah is the marriage contract between us and G-d.
We are now in California where we spent the holiday and are now looking forward to celebrating our granddaughter’s wedding next Tuesday, G-d willing.
From the spiritual marriage we all experienced on Shavuot, we are looking forward to the marriage of our granddaughter. May G-d bless you all to merit many happy occasions in your family.
This week’s Parsha, Naso, is read (in most years) on the Shabbat after Shavuot. Naso is the longest Parsha in the Torah. It is befitting that on the Shabbat immediately after Shavuot, the holiday when we received the Torah, we should read the longest Parsha.
In Parshat Naso we find the three-fold priestly blessing which was recited by the Kohanim (priests) in the Holy Temple. "May the L-rd bless you and guard you. May the L-rd make His countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the L-rd turn His countenance toward you and grant you Shalom-peace. And they [the Kohanim-priests] shall put My name upon the children of Israel and I will bless them."
Q. What is the connection between the three-fold-Priestly blessing and the fact that it is read from the Torah on the Shabbat after Shavuot?
A. Blessing in Hebrew is “Beracha” which begins with the letter, Bet, the second letter of the Hebrew Aleph Bet. The Torah also begins with the letter “Bet” (“Breishit”).
Our sages ask, why doesn’t the Torah begin with the first letter, Aleph? They reply, “G-d wanted to begin the Torah with the Bet for it is the letter which spells the word Beracha-blessing.” G-d wanted to tell us that through Torah we acquire blessings.
Thus, the Shabbat after the holiday of Shavuot we read Parshat Naso in which G-d gives us His three-fold blessing, to show us that through Torah, which was given on Shavuot, one acquires G-d’s blessings.
Q.The longest Parsha in the Torah and the longest chapter of Psalms and the longest Tractate of the Talmud have something in common. What is it?
A.The longest Parsha, Naso, has 176 verses; The longest chapter of Psalms has 176 verses; The longest Tractate of the Talmud, Baba Batra, has 176 pages.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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