B"H
Tuesday, Shevat 13, 5781 / January 26, 2021
In this week’s Parsha, B’Shalach, the Torah relates how, after leaving Egypt, G-d provided the Jewish people with Manna – also called, “Lechem Min Hashamayim” – “Bread from heaven.”
The manna started coming down exactly one month after the Exodus. Until then they still had matzot which they took out with them from Egypt, which lasted for a month. Now they had nothing to eat and complained.
G-d told Moshe, "I will cause it to rain bread from heaven; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion each day, that I may test them to see whether they will follow my laws or not".
The manna came down each morning covered with a layer of dew. No matter how much manna a person collected, when brought home, it amounted to exactly one Omer (a specific measurement) per person.
Each day, they went out and gathered their daily portion of manna. Any manna left over to the next day became spoiled.
The manna did not come on Shabbat. Each Friday, they received a double portion of manna. To this day we commemorate this great miracle. The two Challot we place on our Shabbat table are a reminder of the double portion of manna which came down each Friday in honor of Shabbat.
G-d supplied the Manna during the entire 40 years in which the Jewish people traveled in the desert.
Q. The disciples of the Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, asked him, "Why didn't G-d give Jews a year's supply of manna all at once? Why did they have to go out and collect the Manna each day?"
A. Rabbi Shimon replied with the following parable: A king had a son whom he loved very much and he provided him with all his sustenance. In the beginning of the year, the king would give his son all that he would need for the entire year. As a result, the son would visit his father only once a year.
The king wasn't happy with his son's lack of visitation and he decided to provide food for his son, one day at a time. From that day on, the son appeared before his father each day!
"The same was with Israel and the manna," explained Rabbi Shimon. "By having to depend upon G-d for their sustenance each day, the people of Israel were compelled to direct their hearts to their Father in Heaven on a daily basis!"
There is a wonderful lesson in this for us. If G-d doesn't give us all our needs all at once, it is actually a sign of His great love toward us. This way we have to pray to Him each day, thus, we appear before G-d each day. This reinforces our relationship with G-d and His with us, daily.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Friday, Shevat 16, 5781 / January 29, 2021
The main themes of this week’s Parsha, B’shalach, is about the splitting of the sea, and how the Jewish people crossed through it on dry land, while the Egyptians, who were chasing after them, drowned. In the Parsha the Torah records the song which Moshe and the Jewish men sang praising G-d for this great miracle, while Miriam led the women in song. We also read about the manna – bread from heaven, which G-d gave the Jewish people each day during their forty years in the desert.
Q. How many days after the Exodus from Egypt did the miracles of the splitting of the sea happen?
A. The splitting of the sea took place on the seventh day after the Exodus.
Q. On Passover we celebrate the Exodus. Do we celebrate the miracle of the splitting of the sea?
A. Yes. On the seventh day of Passover, known as Shvii shel Pesach, we celebrate the miracle of the Jewish people walking through the sea on dry land.
Q. How many people left Egypt at the time of the Exodus?
A. About six hundred thousand men (ages 20-60). There were the women, children, the elderly and a multitude of people from other nations that left with them. It is estimated to be a few million people.
Q. The reason we eat matzah on Passover is because the Jewish people left Egypt in such a hurry that their dough didn’t have time to rise. How long did the matzah last them?
A. The matzah lasted them for one month. G-d then sent them the mann (manna) “Bread from heaven”.
Q. Why was the “bread from heaven” called “Mann” (“Manna”)?
A. When they first found the Manna it looked unfamiliar to them. They asked, "Mann Hu” - “What is it?" In response Moshe told them, "This is the bread which the L-rd has given you to eat." Moshe instructed them, "Gather of it one Omer [a certain measurement] per person according to the number of your people in one's tent shall you take."
The Torah tells us that if one collected more or less than the prescribed measurement of an Omer, when they brought it home each one had exactly an Omer per person. The name "Mann" is derived from their puzzling expression "Man Hu" ("what is it?"). Mann also means food.
Lesson of the manna: The story of the manna, where each person received exactly the same amount, no matter how much or how little they collected, teaches us that G-d provides each one of us according to our needs. One cannot get hold of more than their share which G-d allotted for them.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 4:39 / Shabbat ends: 5:45
B"H
Monday, Shevat 19, 5781 / February 1, 2021
This week’s Parsha, Yitro, is about thegreatest event in Jewish history – the Giving of the Torahon Mount Sinai, to the Jewish people.
Before offering the Torah to the Jewish people, G-d offered it to many other nations. But after hearing some of the commandments and prohibitions in the Torah, all other nations refused the Torah. Only the Jewish people offered to accept the Torah without any pre conditions and G-d accepted the offer.
Q. How long after the Exodus from Egypt did G-d give the Torah to the Jewish people?
A. Seven weeks later.
Q. On which day of the week did the Jewish people leave Egypt and on which day was the Torah given?
A. Jews left Egypt on Thursday and the Torah was given, seven weeks later, on Shabbat.
Q. Is there any hint in the Torah as to the day in which the Torah was given?
A. Yes.In Genesis, at the end of the story of creation, the Torah states, "And G-d finished on the seventh day the work which He had made..." (Genesis 2:1-2).
The Rabbis ask, How can the Torah say that G-d finished His work on the seventh day, when we know that He rested on the seventh day?
They answer that it refers to the seventh day (Shabbat) in which G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people. On that "seventh" day - the day when G-d gave the Torah - the universe was considered finished for the Torah is the purpose of creation.
Q. Why wasn’t the Torah given to the people as soon as they left Egypt? Why wait seven weeks?
A. The Midrash gives 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 prince back to school. But the king replied, "My son has not yet fully recovered from his illness. For the next few months let him eat and drink 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. How can I give them the Torah so soon? Let them enjoy the manna, the water of the well and the quail. Once they are completely healed, then I will give them the Torah."
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.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Shevat 20, 5781 / February 2, 2021
In this week's Parsha, Yitro, we read about the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. The Parsha is named after Yitro, who was the priest of Midyan and later became Moshe’s father-in-law, when Moshe fled from Egypt to Midyan.
The Parsha begins with Yitro coming to join the Jewish people. He became a true convert and embraced the Torah and mitzvot. This is why the Parsha of the Giving of the Torah bears his name.
Q. In the Torah there are 613 mitzvot (commandments). At Mount Sinai, G-d gave the Jewish people the Ten Commandments. When were the other commandments given?
A.According to our sages, all 613 mitzvot of the Torah were given at Mount Sinai. G-d gave Moshe the other commandments during the 40 days he was up on Mount Sinai. Our sages explain that, in fact, all the commandments are included in the Ten Commandments and are all equally important.
The sages didn't include the Ten Commandments in the daily prayers to avoid the implication that the Ten Commandments are more important than any other part of the Torah. All the 613 commandments are equally important.
Our sages tell us that, the Ten Commandments correspond to the Ten sayings with which G-d created the world, as recorded at the beginning of the Torah in the story of creation. This teaches us that the purpose of the entire creation is to adhere to the Ten Commandments and to observe the Torah.
Q. The Torah tells us that 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 fully understand the reason for the mitzvot. The deed, the performance of the mitzvah, is what counts. Through performing the mitzvot and doing G-d’s will, we connect with G-d, Who gave us these mitzvot.
Q. How long was Moshe on Mount Sinai before coming down with the Tablets?
A. Moshe remained on Mount Sinai for forty days and came down with the First Tablets. However, he broke the Tablets when he saw that the people made the Golden Calf. He then went up for another 40 days to ask G-d’s forgiveness for the people. Then he went up again for another 40 days and came down with the Second Tablets. Thus, he was on Mount Sinai for a total of 120 days.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY
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