Monday, Tammuz 28, 5780 / July 20, 2020

While the Shabbat Torah readings are now the same in Israel and the Diaspora, the Pirkei Avot (Chapters of our Fathers), which we recite each Shabbat, are not. In Israel they will recite, this Shabbat, the third chapter, while we in the Diaspora recite the second chapter.

Although written two thousand years ago, these lessons are valid today as they were then.  Here is a lesson from the second chapter: “Be as careful in the performance of a[seemingly] minor mitzvah as that of a major one, for you do not know the reward given for mitzvot.”

Q.  Why can’t we judge which mitzvot are minor and which are important ones?

A.  What we see from our perspective may not be exactly the way the mitzvahs are in reality from

G-d’s point.  We, from our vantage point, cannot correctly evaluate the real value and effect of individual mizvot. A mitzvah which may seem minor to us or a transgression which may seem insignificant to us, may in fact be very major. Thus, we have to be extra careful with every mitzvah. The following story illustrates the point.

A poor man once came to the home of a wealthy person and asked for some old clothing.  The people in the house had pity on the man and told him to go to the attic and choose some clothing.

The poor man went to the attic, found some old clothing, which he decided to take.  Looking around for rope to tie his bundle, he saw some rope wrapped around a nail on the wall.  Without thinking much of it, he took out his pocket knife and cut a piece of rope.

Instantly he heard a tremendous crash down below. Before long, everyone came racing to the attic, “You broke our beautiful chandelier!” they screamed.

“But I only took a small piece of rope!” the poor man tried to defend himself. “How could I have broken your chandelier?”

They answered bitterly: “This smallropewas holding the chandelier to the ceiling. By cutting this small piece of the rope, the chandelier fell to the ground and broke, causing a bigdisaster!”

Our sages teach us that it is the same with mitzvot. Some mitzvot may seem insignificant, but in truth, just as the small piece of rope holding up the chandelier, they may be very very significant.

This is why our sages tell us not to judge the value of mitzvot. What may seem small and insignificant, may indeed be very great and valuable with so much depending on it.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

Please note:  Torah Fax will not be published regularly during the next three weeks

B"H

Friday, Menachem Av 3, 5780 / July 24, 2020

This Shabbat we begin the last Book of the Torah, the Book of Deuteronomy (Devarim).  The Parsha begins, "These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel." The entire fifth Book of the Torah, are the words which Moshe spoke to the Jewish people before his passing.  It covers a span of 36 days, after which, on the seventh of Adar, Moshe passed away.

In this last Book of Devarim, Moshe reprimands the Jewish people for all their past mistakes. He reminds them that soon, when they enter the Promised Land, they shouldn’t make the same mistakes as their parents did, which resulted in their staying in the desert for forty years. As a true shepherd, he wanted to make sure that after he is gone they should continue following the ways of the Torah.

The Midrash asks, "How is it that here the Torah says, "These are the words that Moshe spoke," yet, in the Book of Exodus, when G-d tells Moshe to go speak to Pharaoh and to the Jewish people in Egypt, Moshe replies, "Oh G-d, I am not a man of words..." Moshe claims that he cannot speak!

The Midrash replies: "Rabbi Tanchuma said, this is compared to a peddler who was going around selling material.  Wherever he went he would call out, ‘I have special wool to sell.’"

Once he passed by the palace.  The king called him over and asked him, "What are you selling?" The peddler replied, "I have nothing to sell."  "But I just heard you announce that you have special wool to sell," said the king.

The peddler replied: "It is true that I announced I have good wool to sell.  But this is for the ordinary person.  For you, my king, who is so mighty and who has the most expensive materials that can be found, for you I have nothing to sell and nothing that you would buy!"

The same says Rabbi Tanchuma was with Moshe. At The Burning Bush, in the presence of G-d, Moshe claimed that he was not a man of words.  But now in front of the Jewish people, he was indeed a man of words. Thus, the Torah says, "These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel."

Parshat Devarim is always read on the Shabbat before the fast of the 9th of Av, when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temples. The very first words of the Parsha, "These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel," emphasize an important point, which is very appropriate for this time.

The destruction of the Second Temple came because of strife amongst Jews. It is important at this time to strive for unity amongst us. The words "to all of Israel," in the beginning of the Parsha, allude to this point. It reminds us the importance of Jewish unity – that we are all equal.

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montrealcandle lighting time: 8:13 / Shabbat ends: 9:23

Please note:  Torah Fax will not be published regularly during the next two weeks

B"H

Monday, Menachem Av 6, 5780 / July 27, 2020

We are now in the Hebrew month of Menachem Av. Wednesday night (July 29) & Thursday (July 30) is the fast of Tisha B’Av - the ninth day of Av. Tisha B'Av we fast and mourn the destruction of the Two Holy Temples in Jerusalem.

Our sages say, "When the month of Av enters we minimize in happiness." Thus, during the first nine days of the month, until after Tisha B'Av, we don't celebrate or engage in joyous activities.

The First Temple, which was built by King Solomon, stood for 410 years and was destroyed on the 9th of Av, by Nebuchadnetzar, king of Babylon.

The Second Temple stood for 420 years and was also destroyed on the 9th of Av, close to 500 years after the destruction of the First Temple.

Both Temples were destroyed on the 9th of Av, as a result of the sins of the Jewish people. Yet, our sages draw an important distinction between the sins which caused the destruction of the first Temple and the sins which caused the destruction of the second Temple.

Our sages say that the First Temple was destroyed due to the sin of idol worship. The Jewish people strayed from worshipping G-d and turned to worship all kinds of idols.  The sin which caused the destruction of the Second Temple was "Sinat Chinam" - "unjust hatred" amongst Jews themselves.

Idol worship is one of the gravest sins in the Torah.  Indeed, the second commandment of the Ten Commandments is the prohibition against idol worship. The sin of idol worship is so severe that even when one is given the choice of worshipping an idol or being killed, they should die and not worship the idol. Yet, seventy years after the first Temple was destroyed, G-d forgave them and let them return to rebuild the Temple.

But the Second Temple, which was destroyed for the sin of hatred amongst Jews, has not yet been rebuilt after two thousand years!

This teaches us how great is the sin of strife amongst ourselves and how important is the mitzvah of "Ahavat Yisrael" - Love amongst our people. 

Thus, during this week of Tisha B'Av, it is customary to enhance our love for each other through acts of kindness and the distribution of extra charity to help the poor and needy. 

We pray that through "Ahavat Yisrael" and the performance of these mitzvot, we will merit the third Holy Temple - with the coming of Moshiach.  May it be speedily in our days.  Amen.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

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