Thursday, Tishrei 25, 5779 / October 4, 2018

This Shabbat we read Parshat Breishis, the first Parsha of the Torah, beginning the new Torah reading cycle for the year 5779.

Parshat Breishis begins with the story of creation. The Parsha describes what was created on each day of the Six Days of creation. The Torah tells us, “G-d completed on the seventh day the work which He had done and He rested on the seventh day from all the work which He had done.”

The above verse seems contradictory. If G-d completed His work on the seventh day (Shabbat), then He didn’t really rest the full day of Shabbat? Our sages explain that G-d indeed finished all of creation in six days. However, there was one thing missing; the creation of the concept of rest. G-d created that on Shabbat through His resting on Shabbat. For this reason, the Torah says that G-d finished all His work on Shabbat. His resting on Shabbat created rest, thus, completing the work of creation.   

The Torah tells us that on each day of creation, except for the second day, “G-d saw what He created and it was good.” But, for His creation on the second day, it doesn’t say that it was good.

Q.Why doesn’t it say, “G-d saw what He created and it was good” on the second day?

A. Our sages explain: On the second day of creation, G-d said, “Let there be a firmament (sky) and let it separate between the upper waters and the lower waters.” On the second day G-d created separation. Although it was necessary to create a separation between the waters above and below, G-d didn’t say, “It was good.” Because separation and division cannot be described as good.

In this Parsha we read about the creation of Adam and Eve and their children, Kayin and Hevel.

The Torah describes how Eve and Adam ate from the forbidden fruit, which resulted in them being expelled from the Garden of Eden.

The story of Kayin murdering his only brother Hevel and Kayin’s punishment, is also in this Parsha. Later in the Parsha the Torah tells us that at the age of one hundred and thirty Adam and Eve had another son whom he named, Sheit.

Although Adam later had more sons and daughters, the Torah does not relate their names.

Adam lived to the age of 930!

The Parsha ends with the birth Of Noach (Noah). Noach was the tenth generation from Adam.

At the age of five hundered Noach had the first of his three sons, Shem, Cham and Yafet.  

Thus, Parshat Breishis covers a span of about 1500 years.

HAVE A GOOD, HEALTHY, HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Friday, Tishrei 26, 5779 / October 5, 2018

Shabbat we read Parshat Breishis, starting the Torah from the beginning.

Q.How many Parshiot (portions) are there in the Torah? A. Fifty four.

Q.The Torah begins with the word Breishis. Thus, the first letter of the Torah is the Hebrew letter,  Bet. Why did G-d choose to start the Torah with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet and not with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Aleph?

A.The Hebrew word for blessing is Beracha/Baruch. Every blessing begins with the word Baruch. The Hebrew word for curse is Arur, which begins with the letter, Aleph. For this reason G-d chose to begin the Torah with the second letter, Bet, to teach us that Torah and the observance of its mitzvot, bring blessings. 

Q.Adam and Chava were the first man and woman. What is the reason for their names?

A. Adam comes from the word Adamah, which means earth, because he was created from the earth. Chava comes from the word, Chaya, which means life. The Torah tells us  that Adam named her Chava, for she is the mother of all [human]life.

Q.The Torah is not a history book. Torah is about observing G-d’s commandments. Why does the Torah begin with the story of creation and not with the story of the Giving of the Torah and the commandments at Mount Sinai?

A.In order to accept G-d’s commamndments, we first have to know that G-d created the world and everything in it. The story of creation tells us that the universe was created by G-d, for the purpose of observing His commandments. Knowing that our entire existence is continuously dependent on G-d, makes fulfilling G-d's commandments the correct and logical thing to do.

The first of the 13 principles of Jewish faith (as established by Maimonides) states, "I believe with complete faith that the Holy One, blessed is His Name, creates and guides all creatures, and that He alone made, makes and will make everything."

Our sages emphasize that the first three words of the Torah "In the beginning, G-d created heaven and earth," in themselves contain an important message; "In the beginning" i.e. the basisof everything we do and the guiding factor of our lives is  to remember that, "G-d created the universe."

Our sages point out that the last letters of the first three words ("Breishit Bara Elo-him") and the final three words of the story of creation ("bara elo-him la'asot") spell the word "Emet" - "Truth."

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montreal candle lighting time: 6:09 / Shabbat ends: 7:09

B"H

Monday, Tishrei 29, 5779 / October 8, 2018

Shalom. I hope you had a very joyous and wonderful Sukkot and Simchat Torah holiday.

It is with gratitude to G-d that I inform you that our daughter in Toronto gave birth to a baby girl.

B”H, mother and daughter are doing well. May G-d bless you all with simchas and nachas.

In this week's Parsha, Noach, the second Parsha in the Torah, we read about the story of Noach and the Great Flood. 

G-d said to Noach, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence, and I will destroy them with the earth."

G-d commands Noach to build an ark to shelter him, his wife, their three sons and their wives, from the Great Flood which G-d will bring. He also commanded Noach to bring into the ark two of each of the non kosher species and seven from the kosher animals, so they too will be saved from the flood. 

The Flood lasted forty days.  But, the water was so high and the destruction was so great that they had to spend a full year in the ark, until the water receded and it was safe to exit.

Q.  How long did it take Noach to build the ark?

A.  120 years.  The reason is that G-d wanted to give the people a chance to repent. But they didn't repent and G-d brought The Great Flood.

Q.  How old was Noach when G-d brought The Great Flood?

A.  600 years old!

Q.  How long did Noach live?

A.  The Torah tells us that Noach lived to the age of 950. His grandfather, Metushelach, lived to the age of 969. He died seven days before the flood. Noach’s father, Lemech, died a young man, (by comparison), at the age of 777. He died a few years before the flood.

Q. The rains lasted forty days. Is there any significance in the fact that it rained for forty days?

A.   Yes.  The purpose of the water was not only a punishment, but also a purification process to purify the world. Just like a mikveh (ritual bath) needs a minimum of 40 se’ah (certain measerment) of water to purify a person, so too, the waters came down for 40 days to serve as a spiritual cleansing and purification process.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY