B"H
Thursday, Menachem Av 21, 5778 / August 2, 2018
This week’s Parsha is Eikev. Knowing that he would not enter the Promised Land, Moshe spends his final days on this world, preparing the Jewish nation for the future. He cautions them to adhere to all the mitzvot (commandments) which G-d commanded them, as their physical and spiritual welfare in the Land of Israel, depends on their actions.
In the Parsha, Moshe reminds the Jewish people that when they will keep G-d’s commandments, G-d will fulfill His promises to them; "And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will bless the fruit of your body [children] and the fruit of your land.”
Moshe tells them that even their negative experiences during their 40 years in the desert, was a result of G-d’s love for them. He says, “And you shall know in your heart that just as a man reproaches his son so the L-rd your G-d chastised you.”
Moshe compares G-d’s dealings with the Jewish people to a father dealing with his son. When a father punishes his child, it is not to cause him pain and suffering. The opposite is true. When the child strays, the father will punish him, out of love, in order to direct him back on the right path. So too, the trials that the Jewish people endured during their journeys through the desert were in order to lead them to the right path and bring them into the Holy Land.
“As a man reproaches his son so the L-rd your G-d chastised you.” Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev was once traveling and stayed overnight in an inn. A number of Jewish merchants traveling to the fair to buy and sell their goods were also staying in the same inn.
In the morning the merchants rose very early to pray and continue to their destination. Being in a hurry, the merchants prayed very fast, mumbling their words hurriedly. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was bothered by their rushing through the prayers.
When they finished, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak called over one of the merchants and said, “ma, ma, ba, ba, na, na, ta, ta...” The man looked at Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, puzzled. “I cannot understand a word you’re saying.” Again Rabbi Levi Yitzchak repeated the sentence, even faster than before. The merchant shrugged his shoulders, “How can I understand a word you’re saying when you speak so fast?”
“Isn’t this exactly the way you just recited your prayers?” asked Rabbi Levi Yitzchak. “How do you expect G-d to understand your prayers when you spoke to Him exactly as I have spoken to you?”
The merchant replied: “A child chatters and blabbers and no one understands what he is saying. Yet, the child’s parents know exactly what the child wants. We are G-d’s children and as our Father, he understands exactly what we want, what we need, and what we are praying for. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was very impressed with the reply and would repeat this story time and again!
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Friday, Menachem Av 22, 5778 / August 3, 2018
On the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh, we bless the new month, which begins with Rosh Chodesh. This blessing is recited by the cantor and congregation while standing.
On this Shabbat, Parshat Eikev, after the Torah and Haftorah readings, we will recite the special prayer for the blessing of the New Hebrew month, Elul. Rosh Chodesh Elul will be next Shabbat (Aug. 11) & Sunday (Aug. 12).
In the Rosh Chodesh blessing we recite the following, “May He Who performed miracles for our fathers and redeemed them from slavery to freedom, speedily redeem us and gather our dispersed people from the four corners of the earth, uniting all Israel; and let us say, Amen. Then the day of Rosh Chodesh is announced.
Q. What is the reason for the practice to bless the new month on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh?
A. In the days of the Holy Temple, Rosh Chodesh was established by the High Court in Jerusalem. After two witnesses gave testimony that they saw the reappearance of the new moon, the High Court, comprised of seventy one judges, established that day to be Rosh Chodesh. This procedure was repeated every Rosh Chodesh. Messengers were then sent out throughout all of Israel to inform the people which day was Rosh Chodesh.
It was very important to know when Rosh Chodesh was, especially in the month of Nissan, as the 15th day of the month is Pesach, and the month of Tishrei when we celebrate the holidays of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.
At the time of the destruction of the Temple, when the High Court was dispersed, the above process was not practiced anymore and the Hebrew calendar was established for all generations.
Since then, we maintained the tradition of blessing and announcing the day of Rosh Chodesh to remember the custom of the days of the Temple, when Rosh Chodesh was announced by the High Court. We do this in synagogue on Shabbat, as it is a time when many people are in Shul and thus it has more publicity.
“Speedily redeem us and gather our dispersed people from the four corners of the earth, uniting all Israel…” This alludes to the days of Moshiach, when the Holy Temple will be rebuilt. Then we will again go back to the old system when the High Court will establish Rosh Chodesh each month. May it be speedily in our days. Amen.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 8:01 / Shabbat ends: 9:10
B"H
Monday, Menachem Av 25, 5778 / August 6, 2018
One of the many mitzvot in this week’s Parsha, Re’ay, is the mitzvah of Tzedakah (charity).
Speaking about helping the poor, the Torah says, “You shall surely give him. And your heart shall not grieve when you give him; because for this the L-rd your G-d shall bless you in all your works and in all that you put your hand to.”
The Talmud tells the following story: A Roman general by the name of Turnisrufus, asked Rabbi Akiva; "If your G-d loves poor people, as you claim, why doesn't He feed them Himself? Why does he leave their care in the hands of others?"
Rabbi Akiva replied, "G-d gives us the opportunity to perform the mitzvah of Tzedakah, to help others. In the merit of this mitzvah we are blessed and saved from punishment in the World-to-Come."
"Just the opposite!” exclaimed Turnisrufus. Helping the poor will bring you punishment in the World-to-Come. I will explain this with the following parable, he continued. When the king is angry at his servants, he throws them in jail. Surely anyone who feeds and clothes them will be punished by the king. The same is with G-d. If He punished someone to be poor, for sure the one who shows them kindness will be punished, not rewarded."
"Your analogy is wrong," replied Rabbi Akiva. "I will give you a different example. The king's son sinned against his father. In punishment, his father, the king, threw him in jail. Then a person had pity on him and fed the king's son. Do you think that the king will be angry? In fact, the king is certainly happy that someone took pity on his son. “
“The same is with helping the poor,” said Rabbi Akiva. “When we help them, we are helping G-d's children and this invokes G-d's love and mercy upon us.”
Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshischa said it is not enough to give only because you pity the poor person. You should also give because it is a mitzvah to give – because G-d commanded us to give.
When a poor person came to him for alms, Rabbi Simcha Bunim would give him twice. He would give them a donation when he came to his home and he would give them again as he left.
When he was once asked by a poor man why he gave him twice, he replied, “When you approached me for a donation, I gave you out of pity. I felt terrible for you and gave so that I would feel better. It was a selfish giving. The second time I gave was to fulfill G-d’s commandment - to give charity!”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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In loving memory of Miriam Altman- Miriam bat Leib- Yartzeit is today, Av 25.
May her memory be a blessing to her family & may her soul rest in peace in Gan Eden
B"H
Thursday, Menachem Av 28, 5778 / August 9, 2018
In this week’s Parsha, Re’ay, we find over fifty of the mitzvot in the Torah.
In this Parsha we come across the commandment of helping the poor (Tzedakah): “If there will be a destitute person from among one of your brothers, you must not harden your heart or shut your hand from your destitute brother. You must repeatedly open your hand to him and give him charity (if he won’t take charity, give him a loan) sufficient to fulfill his requirements that he is lacking… You should give him repeatedly, and your heart should not feel bad when you give to him. For, as a result, G-d your G-d, will bless all your work and everything you do.”
The following story is from the Talmud: Binyamin, the righteous, was in charge of collecting and distributing money to the poor. One year, when there was a great famine in Israel, a woman came to him and asked for help. Binyamin told her that there was no money left in the charity fund.
The woman said to him, “Rabbi, if you don’t help me, then my seven children and I will die of hunger.” Binyamin told her that he would personally take care of all her needs.
A while later, Binyamin became seriously ill and was about to die. The angels in heaven said to G-d, “Master of the universe, You said that whoever saves one life is considered like they saved the entire world! Binyamin the righteous, who saved the lives of a mother and her seven children, is it fair that he should die young?!”
The Talmud tells us that the Heavenly Court immediately nullified the decree, and he was granted an additional 22 years to his life. This is the power of Tzedakah-charity.
Here is another Talmudic story: Rabbi Akiva had a daughter about whom stargazers forecast that she would die on her wedding day. This caused Rabbi Akiva much worry.
The night of her wedding, when she went to sleep, she took a golden brooch from her headdress and stuck it into the wall. In the morning, she was shocked to see a dead poisonous snake, with her golden brooch pierced through its eye! She ran to tell her father.
"My daughter," asked Rabbi Akiva, "What have you done to deserve such a miracle?"
"At my wedding," she replied, "a poor man came and pleaded for a meal to satisfy his hunger. I saw that everyone was too busy with the wedding festivities to help him, so I got up and gave him my own portion that you, father, had personally served me."
"That's it!" her father exclaimed. "That mitzvah saved your life!"
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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