B"H
Monday, Sivan 28, 5778 / June 11, 2018
This week’s Parsha is Korach. In the past few Parshiot, the Torah describes many of the episodes in which the Jewish people complained and rebelled against Moshe, which in essence means they rebelled against G-d.
We read how they complained about the manna – their heavenly food that came each day. They also complained about G-d wanting to bring them to the Promised Land, after hearing the negative report from the ten spies. In this week’s Parsha, Korach, we read about another rebellion against Moshe and Aaron, this time by Korach and his 250 men.
Even though the events in the Torah took place over three thousand years ago, Torah comes from the word teaching and lesson. The stories of the Torah contain a lesson for all times.
The Jewish people of that generation had seen great miracles; The Ten plagues, the Exodus, the splitting of the Sea, the pillar of cloud and fire which accompanied them in the desert, the manna, which came from heaven each day and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai etc., one miracle greater than the other. So how can we understand the fact that they lacked trust in G-d?
The answer is that because they saw miracles continuously, they mistakenly viewed them as nature. They thought, how can it be otherwise? As a result, they took these miracles for granted and stopped appreciating the wonderful miraculous blessings that G-d provided for them daily. They stopped seeing G-d’s hand in everything and complained about trivial things.
The lesson for us is that we, too, must realize and appreciate our daily miracles! However, it is essential that we realize them as such and not take them for granted. If we only took the time to think how many breaths we inhale and exhale each day, how many steps we take every day and how many words we speak each day, etc., we would appreciate the magnitude of our daily blessings.
What’s more, our appreciation of all these wonderful blessings would automatically alleviate our feelings of anxiety and distress in our day to day life.
A mother was once walking along the seashore with her son, when a huge wave carried him out to sea. The mother began praying, “Please G-d, give me back my child!” Shortly afterward a huge wave deposited her child unharmed at her feet. The mother embraced the child, “Thank you G-d!. Thank you! I will be forever grateful to you!” Then she looked at her child again, looked up to heaven and said sternly, “And what about his hat?”
Every morning, we recite a number of blessings thanking G-d for giving us so many wonderful things in life, which we take for granted when everything is normal. Concentrating on the good which we receive each day, reminds us not to take things for granted, thus our day will be a happier day!
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Wednesday, Sivan 30, 5778 / June 13, 2018
Today (Wednesday) & tomorrow (Thursday) is Rosh Chodesh Tammuz.
The first half of this week’s Parsha, Korach, is about the controversy which Korach and his 250 people caused against Moshe and Aaron. Most of the 250 people who were influenced by Korach were from the tribe of Reuben, his neighbors.
From the story of Korach’s negative influence on his neighbors, we learn the importance of having a good neighbor. The sage Nittai HaArbeli tells us in Pirkei Avot, “Keep away from a bad neighbor; Do not associate with a wicked person.”
Korach and some of his people were buried alive, when the earth opened its mouth and consumed them and their families. The 250 men perished by fire.
The Torah tells us that there is no greater blessing than the blessing of peace. The Three-Fold-Priestly Blessing to the Jewish people which ends with the blessing of peace. “May G-d bless you and safeguard you. May G-d cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May G-d lift His face toward you and grant you peace.”
Our sages relate the following: When Aaron saw two people quarreling, he would go to one of them and say, “My son, you should only know how upset your friend is, he is tearing his hair out about the quarrel. He is embarrassed to face you because of what he did to you.” Aaron would sit and talk to him until he removed all anger and bitterness from him. Then Aaron would go to the other person and do the same. In the end, he would make sure that they made peace between them.
In Pirkei Avot, Hillel the Elder says, “Be among the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and bringing them closer to the Torah.”
On the lighter side: A 90 year old man comes to the doctor. The doctor gives him a complete physical, puts him through all the tests and is amazed to see that the man is in perfect health.
“You’re in perfect shape. It’s amazing. I don’t even see younger patients looking so good. You must be doing something right. Keep up what you’re doing.”
Then he asks the old man, “Can you tell me your secret?”
“It’s simple. It’s the fresh air. You see, when my wife and I got married seventy years ago, we decided that whenever we get into an argument, one of us will go outside until we both cool down. Now, spending most of my seventy married years outside in the fresh air, that kept me in great shape!”
HAVE A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & WONDERFUL CHODESH
B"H
Thursday, Tammuz 1, 5778 / June 14, 2018
This week's Parsha is Korach. Korach was from the tribe of Levi and a cousin of Moshe. He was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. Korach was jealous that Moshe didn't appoint him to any position of leadership and as a result revolted against Moshe and Aaron. He also convinced 250 people from the neighboring Tribe of Reuben to join him. They assembled together against Moshe and Aaron and said, “You take too much honor for yourselves. The entire congregation is holy, G-d is among them, so there is no need for your leadership."
"Your argument is not against us," Moshe reminded Korach, "but against G-d who commanded me to appoint Aaron." Moshe couldn't persuade Korach to change his mind. Moshe then told the people to move away from Korach. Then, “the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with their households and all their goods."
To put an end to their complaints, G-d told Moshe to take a staff from each prince of the 12 tribes, plus one from Aaron, and place them before G-d. The next day, Aaron's staff miraculously "put forth buds and blossomed and bore ripe almonds." Moshe presented the rods to the people so they could see that G-d had indeed chosen Aaron.
In the Parsha, the Torah tells us that the Kohen and Levi will not share in the land of Israel. Instead, they must be totally devoted to the service of G-d. Instead of a share in the land, gifts were to be given to them; "All the best of the oil, wine and grain" are to be given to the Kohen. This teaches us that when it comes to charity, we have to give the best.
Maimonides writes, "When a person gives something for G-d's sake, he should donate from the best; when building a house of worship, it should be nicer than his own house; when giving food to the poor, one should give from the best of one's table; when clothing the poor, one should give them from the nicest of one’s clothing."
The Talmud tells: A poor man (who was once wealthy), approached the sage Rava and begged for food. "What are you used to eating?" Rava asked. "I'm used to eating a plump chicken with aged wine," the man replied. Rava was upset. "How can you request such food?" he wanted to know.
"Am I asking people to give me what belongs to them? My food comes from G-d and He gives everyone according to their needs. If G-d wants, He will find a way to provide it!"
Rava had a sister whom he didn't see for thirteen years. As Rava and the poor man were talking, Rava's sister arrived to visit her brother. She brought him a gift: a plump chicken and vintage wine!
When Rava saw this, he turned to the poor man and exclaimed; "Now I see that you are right. G-d does provide each person according to his or her needs. G-d intended it for you!"
HAVE A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & WONDERFUL CHODESH
Thursday, Tammuz 8, 5778 / June 21, 2018
This Shabbat we read Parshat Chukat.
Thus, from the story of the Exodus, in the Book of Exodus, until last week’s Parsha, Korach, the Torah records a period of less than two years. Then skips 38 years of what happened in the desert. From this week’s Parsha, Chukat, until the end of the Torah is a period of less than a year.
One of the stories in Parshat Chukat is about the passing of Moshe's sister, Miriam. The Torah tells us that when Miriam passed away, the special well which accompanied the Jewish people in the desert, stopped flowing. Our sages explain that the well which was imbedded in the rock, during their 40 year journey, was in her merit. But when she died it stopped flowing.
When the people realized that they had no water, they complained to Moshe and Aaron, "Why did you bring us into this wilderness to die here? Why did you bring us out of Egypt to this evil place... and there is no water to drink."
G-d told Moshe, "Take your rod and assemble the congregation; you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes and it will give forth its water."
Moshe gathered the people and addressed them, "Hear now you rebels ...." Moshe then hit the rock twice and water came forth abundantly and the congregation drank along with their cattle.
Because Moshe didn't speak to the rock as commanded and hit it instead, G-d said, "Because you didn't believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you will not bring this assembly to the land which I have given them." G-d decreed that Moshe and Aaron would die in the desert. In this Parsha we also read about Aaron’s passing.
Q. How long did Miriam and Aaron live?
A. Miriam was 125 & Aaron was 123. Miriam passed away almost 4 months before Aaron.
Q. Why did the water flow in the merit of Miriam?
A. Miriam had a special feeling for the young. The Torah tells us that while still in Egypt, under the threat of grave punishment by Pharaoh, she devoted herself to saving Jewish babies despite Pharaoh's death decree on Jewish boys to be drowned.
As a reward for saving the Jewish children from death by water, G-d paid her, measure for measure, and in her merit G-d gave water, to the Jewish people during their 40 years in the desert.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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