Monday, Kislev 11, 5780 / December 9, 2019
This week's Parsha, Vayishlach, covers a period of two years in the life of Yaakov. From the time Yaakov left his father-in-law, Lavan, until the time he returned to his parents, Yitzchak and Rivkah.
On his way home, after working twenty years for Lavan, Yaakov hears that his brother Esau wants to kill him for taking the blessings from their father Yitzchak. He sends messengers to tell Esau that he is looking for peace.
The messengers return and tell Yaakov that Esau is coming with 400 men to fight him. Upon hearing this, Yaakov became frightened. He then made plans to counter Esau's threat. Yaakov sent gifts to Esau, while at the same time he prepared for war. Yaakov prayed to G-d to save his family; "G-d of my father Abraham, and G-d of my father Yitzchak, L-rd You said to me 'Return to your country and to your kindred and I will do you good. I am humbled by all the kindness and the truth which you have done with your servant... Rescue me from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau; for I fear him that he may come and smite me, along with the mothers and the children." G-d then sent angels disguised as Jacob's servants. They put fear into Esau and his men so that they wouldn't harm Yaakov.
Our sages ask; G-d promised Yaakov (twenty years earlier), "I will bring you back to this land." G-d also told Yaakov , "Return to the land of your father and I will be with you." So why was Yaakov afraid of Esau?
The Midrash explains this with the following statement, "There is no guarantee for the righteous that they will have it good in this world." G-d may at times fulfill His promise to the righteous in the World-to-Come, rather than in this world. Thus, Yaakov wasn't sure if the fulfillment would come in this world, in a physical form, or in the World-to-Come, spiritually.
In addition, Yaakov knew that his brother Esau performed the mitzvah of honoring his father all these years, while Yaakov, who was away from his parents over twenty years, couldn't observe this mitzvah.
In the Talmud, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said, "All my life I tried to honor my father to the fullest, yet I have not reached one hundredth of the honor which Esau gave to his father." Rabbi Shimon explained that, although Yitzchak was blind, Esau would dress in his most expensive garments, whenever he served his father, even for the most ordinary chores.
Yaakov was afraid that G-d would reward Esau for this great mitzvah of honoring his parents in this world, while keeping His promises to Yaakov in the World-to-Come. This story teaches us how great is the mitzvah of honoring parents.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Kislev 12, 5780 / December 10, 2019
In less than two weeks, Sunday night, December 22, Jews all over the world will light the first Chanukah candle, thus, beginning the eight day holiday of Chanukah – The Holiday of Lights.
Many times I get the following question: “Why do the Jewish holidays vary from year to year? Why do the dates for Passover, Rosh Hashana, Chanukah etc. change from year to year?”
The truth is that on the Hebrew calendar, the holidays are on the exact same day every year.
For example, Chanukah always begins on the twenty fifth day in the month of Kislev. On the Hebrew calendar the day begins not from midnight, as in the civil calendar, but from nightfall. Thus, on Sunday evening, which is the twenth fourth of Kislev, we will light the first Chanukah candle. The dates change only on the civil calendar!
One of the reasons for the name Chanukah is that it combines two words, Chanu (they rested) – Kah (has a numerical value of 25). Chanukah ia always on the 25th day of Kislev.
Q. Why can’t the Hebrew and civil calendar be synchronized?
A. The Hebrew calendar year has 354 days, while the civil calendar has 365 days. This is the reason why the Jewish holidays will differ from year to year on the secular calendar.
Q. Why do we light the Chanukah candles near a window, door or in public places?
A. The reason is to publicize the miracle of Chanukah for everyone to see.
Q. We don’t publicize the miracles of the Exodus or Purim by performing the Seder, or reading the megillah near a window. Why do we have to publicize the miracle of the Chanukah lights?
A. The miracles of the Exodus and Purim were witnessed by all Jews; it affected everyone and was celebrated by everyone as their personal miracle. But, the miracle of the oil, took place inside the Holy Temple.
Only the Kohanim (priests) were allowed to enter the Temple and as a result the miracle of the oil was not visible to the public. For this reason, the rabbis decreed that we should perform the lighting of the menorah in a way that the miracle will be publicized to everyone.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Thursday, Kislev 21, 5780 / December 19, 2019
In the beginning of this week's Parsha, Vayeishev, the Torah tells us, "Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors." This caused jealousy and rift between the brothers and Joseph.
The Torah tells us that Joseph had a dream in which he and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field. Then Joseph’s sheaf stood upright and his brother’s sheaves surrounded his sheaf and bowed to his sheaf!
Joseph has another dream in which he sees the sun, the moon and eleven stars bow down to him. The eleven stars obviously represent his eleven brothers, who are bowing down to him. Joseph tells his brothers about his dreams, which further increases their jealousy and hatred toward him.
The brothers sell Joseph into slavery. Joseph ends up in Egypt working for an officer in the king's guard. Eventually, Joseph lands in prison when he refuses the advances of his master's wife.
In next week’s Parsha we will read that when King Pharaoh had a dream which no one could interpret, Joseph was summoned to interpret it. This led to Josephs’ being appointed as ruler over Egypt.
On the surface, it looks like the entire episode of how Joseph ended up in Egypt was a result of his brother’s jealousy. It seems like something very negative, which Yaakov and Joseph could have done without.
But in truth, Joseph's ending up in Egypt was ordained by Divine Providence. G-d told Abraham, many years earlier, that his descendants will be strangers in a foreign land. But G-d wanted to make that transition to Egypt as pleasant as possible. It came about as a result of Joseph’s dreams and his being sold to the Egyptians. Indeed, G-d many times works in very mysterious ways.
Yaakov and Joseph were separated for twenty two painful years. But in the end they realized the purpose of it all, when Yaakov and his entire family finally moved to Egypt.
Max was on his way to a job interview. If he could only get this position it would be the fulfillment of his lifelong dream and a guarantee to a successful future. He drove up to the office building in Manhattan, but there was no parking. He drove around the block a few times, but not one parking space was available. It was getting late and he couldn’t afford to be late for this interview. With only five minutes left, he was desperate! He looked up to heaven and said, “Oh G-d, PLEASE help me find a parking spot. If You help me now, I promise that I will put on Teffilin every day!!
No sooner did he finishe his prayer when all of a sudden a car pulled out and he had a perfect parking place right in front of the building. He was delighted. He was going to make his appointment! But, as he was pulling into the space, he looks up and said, “G-d, forget the deal… I just found a parking place on my own!
This Parsha is a lesson that nothing is by chance, even when it seems like a natural event, or even a seemingly negative event, it is all by Divine Providence and there is a purpose to it.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Tevet 10, 5780 / January 7, 2020
Today, (Tuesday) is the 10th day of the Hebrew month Tevet, which is a fast day. It is one of the fast days associated with the destruction of the Holy Temple.
Q. What happened on the 10th of Tevet?
A. On the 10th of Tevet in the Hebrew year 3336 (-425), Nebuchadnezar, king of Babylon, began his siege of Jerusalem. It ended in the year 3338 (-423), with the destruction of the First Beth Hamikdash (Holy Temple) and the exile of Jews from Israel to Babylon.
Though Nebuchadnezar's mighty army laid siege to Jerusalem, the small Jewish army within its walls inflicted heavy losses on their attackers. Despite starvation in the city, they fought heroically for two and a half years. Finally, on the 17th of Tammuz, Nebuchadnezar's army breached the walls of Jerusalem. Three weeks later, on the 9th of Av, they set fire to the Holy Temple.
The First Temple was built by King Solomon four hundred and forty years after the Jewish people came to Israel. That Temple stood for 410 years until it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezar.
Q. Why do we remember a tragic event which took place over two thousand years ago?
A. The Code of Jewish Law states the reason: "The purpose of the fast is to stir our hearts to repentance and to remind us of our own misdeeds, as well as those of our ancestors, which brought upon them, as well as upon us, all these troubles. Remembering these events encourages us to improve our ways."
The Prophets tell us that these fast days will be suspended when Moshiach comes and will, in fact, become days of happiness, rejoicing and festivity. May it be speedily in our days. Amen.
Q. How many fast days are there throughout the year and which are they?
A. There are six fast days during the year. The order of the fasts as they occur in the Hebrew calendar are: Tzom Gedaliya - Fast of Gedaliya (3rd of Tishrei); Yom Kippur (10th of Tishrei); Asara B'Tevet (10th of Tevet); Ta'anit Esther - Fast of Esther (13th of Adar); Shiva Asar B'Tammuz (17th of Tammuz); Tisha B'Av (9th of Av).
With this week’s Parsha, Vayechi, we conclude the first Book of the Torah – the Book of Breishis. At the conclusion of the Torah reading everyone announces in unison, “Chazak, Chazak, V’nischazek” – “Be strong! Be strong! May we be strengthened!” Torah is our life and concluding the first Book of the Torah gives us strength to continue studying also the other Books of the Torah.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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