B"H
Monday, Shevat 15, 5779 / January 21, 2019
Today is the 15th day of the Hebrew month, Shevat, also known as "Tu B’Shevat - Rosh Hashanah L'ilanot - New Year for trees."
Why is this day called Tu B’Shevat? Each Hebrew letter has a numerical value. The two Hebrew letters Tet & Vav, which make up the word "Tu," add up to 15. Tu B’Shevat means the 15th day in Shevat.
The practical purpose of identifying a New Year for trees is that, in Israel, one must give tithes from the harvest reaped each year. The 15th of Shevat marks the New Year for trees and thus determines the tithes to be given from the fruits of that year. All fruits that started blossoming before the 15th of Shevat were considered as of the previous year. The ones which began blossoming after the 15th of Shevat were considered as fruit of the New Year.
Celebrating Tu B’Shevat also expresses our love for our Holy Land, its fruits and its special mitzvot.
According to our sages, the significance of New Year for trees to us is based on the following Torah verse (Deut. 20:19), "Ki Ha'adam Eitz Ha'sadeh" - "Man is compared to a tree."
A person is likened to a tree in many ways. For example, for a tree to become full grown and healthy giving delicious fruit, one must attend to the tree from when it is still very young. In fact, the most crucial time is when the tree is young and susceptible to all kinds of dangers.
The same is with people. To assure that our children grow up spiritually and morally strong, we must take extra care to give them the proper spiritual nourishment when they are young. Just like a small mark on a young tree can turn into a large scar as the tree grows, so too, even a small negative impression on a young child can have a most lasting devastating effect when they get older.
Q. This week’s Parsha is Yitro. How can we connect New Years for trees with Parshat Yitro?
A. Parshat Yitro is about the Giving of the Torah. The Torah is also compared to a tree; "Eitz Chaim" - "A Tree of Life." The sign of a healthy tree is that it grows and gives fruits, which benefit others. So too, a Jew must continue to grow in knowledge of Torah and continue to bear fruits which are the performance of mitzvot and good deeds and helps others enjoy the fruits of the Torah.
The Fifth Commandment of the Ten Commandments is: “Honor your father and your mother.” Here too, we find the connection to a tree. To make sure that a young tree grows straight, it is supported from two sides from a very young age. The same is with our children. Father and mother must be the two supporting pillars for their children so that they grow straight and healthy. Investing in our children is the greatest and most rewarding investment one can and should make.
May we all be blessed with everlasting Nachas from our fruits - from our children.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Shevat 16, 5779 / January 22, 2019
In this week's Parsha, Yitro, we read about the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.
Q. In the Torah there are 613 commandments. Were all commandments given at Mount Sinai?
A. According to our sages, all 613 mitzvot of the Torah were given at Mount Sinai. In fact, they are all hinted and contained within the Ten Commandments and are equally important.
The reason our sages didn't include the Ten Commandments in the daily prayers, as they did with the Shema (Hear O Israel), is so that we shouldn’t think that the Ten Commandments are more important than any of the other mitzvot of the Torah.
Q. What is the significance of the number ten (“Ten Commandments”)?
A. The world was created with ten sayings by G-d (let there be…), as recorded in the Book of Genesis, in the story of creation. Our sages tell us that, the ten sayings with which G-d created the world, correspond to the Ten Commandments. It teaches us that the purpose of creation is for the Torah.
Q. Before receiving the Torah, the people of Israel proclaimed, "Na'aseh V'nishma" ("we will do and we will understand"). First, we will do, and only after, we will understand. What is the lesson in this for us?
A. This teaches us that one should observe the mitzvot (commandments) even before they understand the reason for the mitzvot. The action is what counts.
Q. How long was Moshe on Mount Sinai before coming down with the Tablets?
A. Moshe remained on Mount Sinai for forty days. At the end of that time, he came down with the Two Tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were engraved. But when he saw the people worshipping the Golden Calf, he broke the Tablets. Eighty days later he came down with the Second Tablets.
Q. When one is called to the Torah, we refer to it as an "Aliyah." Why is it called Aliyah?
A. "Aliyah" means "going up." Since the Torah is read on a Bimah, which is an elevated platform, one would ascend when being called to the Torah. Also, being called to the Torah is a spiritual elevation.
Q. How many letters? How many words? How many verses? How many Parshiot does a Torah scroll have?
A. The Torah has: 304,805 letters; 79,847 words; 5,888 verses; 54 Parshiot.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Thursday, Shevat 18, 5779 / January 24, 2019
The highlight of this week's Parsha, Yitro, is G-d's giving the Ten Commandments to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. This great event took place seven weeks after The Exodus.
Q. Why did G-d wait 50 days after the Exodus to give the Torah?
A. During their enslavement in Egypt, a majority of Jews adopted the ways of the Egyptians. As a result, they had fallen to a very low spiritual level, even to the extent of worshiping idols. In order to receive the Torah, they had to elevate themselves spiritually. Only when they achieved that spiritual level did G-d give them the Torah. This process took seven weeks, as each day they were elevated to a higher level.
The Midrash gives another reason with the following parable: A king had a son who was sick for a lengthy time. When the young prince finally felt a bit better, his teacher asked the king to send the boy to school. But the king replied, "My son has not yet fully recovered. For the next few months let him stay home, eat and drink, until he fully recuperates, and after, when he is completely recovered, I will send him to school.
Similarly, G-d said, My children have just come out of Egypt where they were tortured and enslaved for over one hundred years. How can I give them the Torah so soon? Let them enjoy the Manna, the water of the well and the quail. I will wait until they have fully recovered. Once they are completely healed, then I will give them the Torah."
Q. There are 620 letters in the Ten Commandments. What is the significance of this number?
A. They correspond to the 613 Biblical Mitzvot plus 7 Rabbinical laws, which total 620!
The Torahs in synagogue have a crown on them. The "crown" on top of the Torah scroll is called "Keter Torah." The word "Keter" (crown) has the numerical value of 620 (20+400+200=620). This also alludes to all the Biblical and Rabbinical mitzvot, which together total 120.
Q. The first letter of the Ten Commandments is "Alef,” which has a numerical value of 1. The last letter of the Ten Commandments is "Chaf," whose numerical value is, 20. Together they total 21. What is the significance of this?
A. If we add up the first letter of each of the Five Books of the Torah, they come to the total of 21 (2+6+6+6+1). This teaches us that the entire Torah – all Five Books of the Torah, were given at Mount Sinai. According to Rabbi Sadiya Gaon, all the mitzvot of the Torah are encoded in the Ten Commandments.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Friday, Shevat 19, 5779 / January 25, 2019
In this week’s Parsha, Yitro, we read about the giving of the Torah.
The giving of the Torah was the greatest event in our history. The miracles in Egypt, the Exodus, the splitting of the sea and the Manna from heaven were all for the purpose of giving the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.
Although the Giving of the Torah took place 3331 years ago and was a one-time event, yet, G-d commanded us to remember it each day. For is a spiritual sense, the Giving of the Torah is every day of our lives; as our sages tell us, "Each day the Torah shall be in your eyes as new!"
In the blessing we recite when called to the Torah in which we bless G-d for giving us the Torah we say, “Noten Hatorah” - not in the past, but for giving us the Torah in the present.
The Parsha describes how the Jewish people prepared to receive the Torah as follows: "In the third month of the departure of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, on that day, they came to the desert of Sinai… And He [Israel] camped there opposite the mountain."
Q.Why does the Torah first refer to the Jewish nation encamping at Mount Sinai, in the singular, "And he [Israel] camped there opposite the mountain?"
A. According to our sages, when the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah there was great unity among them, as never before; "they were as one person with one heart." This is why the Torah uses the singular ("he") to describe the entire congregation.
Q. How did camping at Mount Sinai cause them to be united as one?
A. The answer can be found when we understand why G-d chose to give the Torah on Mount Sinai, which was a small mountain, rather than on a taller and distinguished mountain? Our sages reply that G-d wanted to teach the Jewish people that Torah is acquired and internalized only through humility.
This is also why the Torah is compared to water. Just as water will always flow to the lower level, so too, Torah connects with those who are humble.
Strife and intolerance among people is caused by selfishness and haughtiness. When the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai and realized why this mountain was chosen for the giving of the Torah, they too practiced humility! Humility is the key to unity!
The Rabbi of Koshnitz would say, "If all of Israel would join hands together in unity they would blend into one big hand which would reach all the way to the Heavenly Throne!"
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 4:32 / Shabbat ends: 5:30
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