B"H
Monday, Iyar 17, 5780 / May 11, 2020 (32nd day of the Omer)
Yesterday was Mother’s Day. A Happy & Healthy Mother’s Day to all mothers.
At the Passover Seder we ask, “Why is this night different than all other nights of the year?” We can ask the same question regarding Mother’s Day; Why is this day different than all other day’s of the year. This is the reason there isn’t one day of the year singled out as Mother’s Day in the Hebrew calendar. For each day of the year is Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day should not be a one-day-a-year event. Especially this year, being very difficult for the elderly who are confined in their homes. We should call them more often if we cannot visit. Honoring parents is a mitzvah which should be observed every day of the year. The mitzvah of honoring parents daily is so significant that it is one of the Ten Commandments. In fact, it is the only mitzvah in the Ten Commandments for which G-d has promised the reward of long life.
I found the following, very touching and heart warming and I want to share it with you: It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.
On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife .
I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised. I asked him, "You still go every morning, even if she doesn't know who you are?"
He smiled and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm. I said, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Iyar 18, 5780 / May 12, 2020 (33rd day of the Omer)
Today (Tuesday)is Lag B’Omer – the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer. “Lag” is a combination of two Hebrew letters, Lamed & Gimel which spell Lag. Each Hebrew letter has a numerical value; Lamed = 30 & Gimel = 3. Together they add up to 33. Lag B’Omer is the 33rd day of the Omer.
Q. What is the significance of this day?
A. On Lag B’Omer we celebrate two historical events: 1) A plague, which took the lives of 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva's students, stopped on this day. (May today’s plague end on this day too)
2) Today is the day of passing (known as "Hillula") of the Talmudic sage and mystic, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai - commonly called by the acronym of his name; Rashbi. He is buried, together with his son, Rabbi Elazar, in Miron, Israel.
It is a very joyous day, especially in Israel where hundreds of thousands of people visit Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s burial place in Miron and rejoice there with lighting bonfires, singing and dancing. The day is also celebrated with picnics, bonfires and mock bow-and-arrow playing. This year unfortunately, due to the corona virus the celebrations are very restricted.
Q. Why is the day of Rabbi Shimon’s passing a joyous day?
A. On the day of his passing, Rabbi Shimon revealed to his disciples the deepest secrets of the Torah and the mystical teachings of Kaballah. On his last day he accomplished the greatest level of holiness one can accomplish. Rabbi Shimon instructed his disciples to mark this day as "the day of my joy."
Q. Why are bonfires lit in honor of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai?
A. The Zohar says that on the day Rabbi Shimon died, a great light of endless joy filled the day because of the Torah secrets he revealed to his students. The sun did not set until Rabbi Shimon had revealed all that he was allowed to. As soon as he was done, the sun set and he died. A fire surrounded the house, preventing anyone, but his closest students from approaching. This is the basis for the custom of lighting bonfires on Lag B'Omer.
The following parable by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is worth remembering. A boat filled with people was sailing. One of the passengers took a sharp tool and began to bore a hole under his seat. The others started shouting, "What are you doing? Stop!"
The man replied, "What business is it of yours? I am boring a hole under my seat!"
The other passengers replied, "Fool! Don't you realize that by boring a hole under your seat, you will flood the boat and we will all drown!"
"Similarly," says Rabbi Shimon, "one must remember that every act we do affects not only us but the entire world!" This lesson is so actual today as we see how unfortunately one person can spread the virus to so many. On the other hand, it teaches us how important and wonderful each mitzvah is, for it affects so many.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL LAG B’OMER DAY
B"H
Thursday, Iyar 20, 5780 / May 14, 2020 (35th day of the Omer)
This Shabbat we will read the final two Parshiot of the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus); B'Har & Bechukotei.
One of the many mitzvot in B'Har is to help another person in need. "And if your brother becomes poor and his strength fails him, you shall support him, whether a stranger or a sojourner, so that he may live with you..."
The Talmudic sage, Mar Ukva, had a neighbor who was a very poor person. Each day, Mar Ukva threw four zuzim (coins) through a hole in the man's door and ran away, so that he would not know who his benefactor is.
One day, Mar Ukva and his wife stopped by the neighbor's house to throw in the four zuzim. But as they did, the poor man opened the door. Afraid that the man would be embarrassed to see his benefactor, Mar Ukva and his wife ran and hid in a large oven used for baking bread. The coals in the oven were still hot and Mar Ukva burnt his feet. His wife's feet were not affected at all and she suggested that he place his feet on hers to avoid further pain.
"We both give charity, so why is it that my feet burnt while yours didn't?" asked Mar Ukva.
His wife replied: "The reason is that you perform the mitzvah of charity by giving the poor people money. Yet, they cannot benefit from this immediately for they must still buy food. But I am in the house and when a poor person comes for help, I give them food which they eat right away and benefit immediately!"
Mar Ukva's charity was legendary. Every year before Yom Kippur, he would send a poor person a certain amount of money. Once, he sent the money with his son, but the boy brought the money back. "The person doesn't need your money,” he said. “When I came to his house, I saw him eating a festive meal and drinking expensive wine!"
"I didn't realize what this man's needs were," Mar Ukva said to his son. "Obviously he needs more than what I gave him." Mar Ukva then doubled the amount and told his son to bring it to the person!
Before Mar Ukva passed away he asked that an accounting of all the money he distributed for charity be brought before him. It amounted to a very large sum. Yet, Mar Ukva wasn't satisfied. "I'm taking too little with me for such a long journey," he stated. He then took half of his possessions and distributed it to charity.
This is why at times the Torah refers to giving charity as “taking.” For the truth is that when we give, we really “take.” G-d pays back many times over in this world and in the World-to-Come.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Friday, Iyar 21, 5780 / May 15, 2020 (36th day of the Omer)
One of the many teachings of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov is that from whatever a person hears and sees they must take a lesson from it. Everything is by Divine Providence, so if G-d made something come our way there must be a lesson in this for us.
Tuesday we have celebrated Lag B’Omer, the day when Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s neshama-soul connected with its maker. Rabbi Shimon's teacher was the great Talmudic sage, Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva’s life story teaches us a remarkable lesson; that through determination and will power, a person can accomplish almost anything. It also proves the above mentioned point of the Baal Shem Tov that from everything a person should take a lesson, for G-d put it in their path for that purpose.
Rabbi Akiva was an ignorant shepherd who worked for Kalba Savua, one of the wealthiest men in Israel at that time. Kalba Savua had a beautiful and talented daughter, Rachel, who recognized Akiva's spiritual potential qualities. They married without her father's knowledge. When Kalba Savua found out, he was enraged and drove the couple away from his home to live in great poverty.
Rachel encouraged her husband to go study Torah. Akiva, who was 40 years old, didn't even know the Hebrew Aleph Bet! Akiva was so sensitive about his ignorance that he actually hated Torah scholars. Rachel, however, urged him to study Torah in Jerusalem, but Akiva was hesitant. He didn't believe that at forty he had a chance.
One day, Akiva passed by a large rock on which drops of water continuously fell. Upon closer examination, Akiva noticed that the water made an indentation in the rock. Akiva thought, "If water, which is so soft, can make an impression on a rock, surely the Torah can make an impression in my heart and mind!"
Akiva then decided to listen to his wife and left for the Yeshiva. Upon being accepted in the Yeshiva, he sat together with little children and learned the Aleph Bet. Akiva dedicated his entire being to studying Torah and excelled greatly. He eventually became one of the leading Sages in Israel and had thousands of students.
Our Sages divide Rabbi Akiva's life in three stages: 40 years he was ignorant; 40 years he studied; and for 40 years, he was the great Sage and teacher. Rabbi Akiva passed away at the age of 120. Rabbi Akiva always gave credit for all his accomplishments to his wife, Rachel. He told his students, "All my Torah and all the Torah which you have learned from me belongs to her!"
Rabbi Akiva took a lesson from a stone and became the great sage for all generations.
Shabbat we read Behar & Bechukotei, the last two Parshiot in the Book of Leviticus (Vayikra).
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 8:00 / Shabbat ends: 9:14
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