Monday, Iyar 21, 5785 (36th day of the Omer) / May 19, 2025
B"H
Monday, Iyar 21, 5785 (36th day of the Omer) / May 19, 2025
The Torah reading for this coming Shabbat are the two final Parshiot in the third book of the Torah, B’har & Bechukotei. This concludes the third Book of the Torah – the Book of Leviticus (Vayikra).
Parshat B’har begins with the mitzvah of Shemitah – the Sabbatical year. “G-d spoke to Moshe at Mount Sinai, saying, ‘When you come to the Land that I am giving you, the Land should rest a Shabbat to G-d. Six years you may sow your field and for six years you may prune your vineyard and gather its produce. But the seventh year the Land shall have a complete rest – a Shabbat to G-d.’”
During the Sabbatical year, the owner of a field, and everyone else were equal. Everyone had the same rights to the produce of that year. The poor and needy can help themselves to whatever is in the field.
Q. What lessons does the mitzvah of Shemitah teach us?
A. The Shemitah year teaches to better understand and appreciate the needs of the poorwho don't have their own fields and must continuously rely on the mercy and generosity of others.
During the Shemitah year, when everyone is equal, the ones who own fields would have a better feeling and understanding of what the poor go through all other years. This gives them a better understanding of the importance of helping those in need.
On an extremely cold night, the town Rabbi was collecting money to buy firewood for the poor. He went to the home of the wealthiest man in town and knocked on his door. When the rich man opened it and invited the rabbi in, the Rabbi didn't enter. Instead, he called the owner outside and started discussing communal matters with him.
The rich man, who wasn’t dressed properly for the freezing weather, soon became very cold and began shivering. Yet the Rabbi kept on talking, ignoring his repeated requests to continue their conversation inside. Finally, the Rabbi came to the point and told him the purpose of his visit, "I need money for firewood so that the poor people can stay warm in their homes in this freezing weather."
"I will give you as much as you need!" answered the rich man, "but please come into the house. I'm freezing!" The Rabbi agreed and followed the rich man into the house.
After the rich man made his generous contribution, he asked the rabbi, "Why didn't you come in the house when I first invited you in? You could have told me the purpose of your visit in my warm home?”
The Rabbi smiled and said, "I wanted you to feel the suffering of the poor and the urgency of this request. The longer we stood outside the more you felt the need for your contribution!"
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Friday, Iyar 18, 5785 (33rd day of the Omer) / May 16, 2025
B"H
Friday, Iyar 18, 5785 (33rd day of the Omer) / May 16, 2025
Today is Lag B’Omer. It is the day of passing of the great Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
Also, on this day a plague which took the lives of 24,000 students of the great sage Rabbi Akiva stopped. Thus, it is a very happy and joyous day in the Hebrew calendar.
In Israel, especially in Miron, where Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was laid to rest, there are hundreds of thousands of people celebrating on this day his illustrious life and his great accomplishments.
Rabbi Shimon lived in Israel at the time when the Romans occupied it. The decrees against Jews were harsh. Rabbi Shimon spoke out against the Roman government and as a result he was sentenced to death. He and his son, Rabbi Eliezer, hid in a cave for 13 years. No one knew where they were.
G-d performed a miracle, and a carob tree grew at the entrance of the cave and a spring of water sprung up there, which supplied them with sustenance for all those years.
When they came out of the cave and Rabbi Shimon’s father-in-law saw him and realized how much he suffered, he said, “Wow is to me that I see you so physically run down.” Rabbi Shimon replied, “Fortunate that you see me like this.” Rabbi Shimon and his son, during these thirteen years of physical suffering, attained great highs in their Torah and holiness which no one else was able to achieve.
Q.Why is the day called Lag B’Omer?
A. “Lag” is a combination of two Hebrew letters, Lamed & Gimmel which spell Lag. Each Hebrew letter has a numerical value; “Lamed” = 30 & “Gimel” = 3. Together they add up to 33. Lag B’Omer is on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer. It is a day of joy and festivities, where children are taken out on parades and outings.
Rabbi Shimon was a student of Rabbi Akiva. It was Rabbi Akiva who said that “Love your fellow like yourself,” is one of the greatest mitzvot in the Torah.
Rabbi Shimon said: “There are three crowns: the crown of the Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty; But the crown of a good name excels above them all.”
Q. Why are bonfires lit at Rabbi Shimon’s gravesite and throughout Israel in his honor on this day?
A. The Zohar says that on the day of Rabbi Shimon’s passing, 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 passed away. A fire miraculously 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. May their memories be a blessing.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 8:02 / Shabbat ends: 9:15
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Thursday, Iyar 17, 5785 (32nd day of the Omer) / May 15, 2025
B"H
Thursday, Iyar 17, 5785 (32nd day of the Omer) / May 15, 2025
Each Shabbat, from after Pesach through the summer, we study the Pirkei Avot - Chapters of our Fathers. The fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot, which we will read this Shabbat, addresses the age-old question, "Why do bad things happen to good people while good things happen to bad people?"
Rabbi Yanei says, “It is not within our ability to understand or explain the tranquility of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous.”
Simply stated, Rabbi Yanei says that we do not have, nor can we comprehend the answer to this question. They are within the realm of secrets that only G-d knows and has not revealed to mankind. As a result, we cannot let this affect our belief in G-d's justice. G-d takes into account the whole picture - the past; present and future. Only G-d can know the reason and outcome of His actions.
The Midrash tells us that after witnessing a particular seemingly unfair incident, Moshe, the greatest of all prophets, asked G-d to explain to him why at times G-d's ways seem to be unjust.
G-d took him back in time and showed him what transpired before. Moshe then admitted that G-d's ways were indeed fair and righteous.
According to the Kaballah (mystical teaching), most souls have been here in a previous life. When a soul does not accomplish G-d's mission the first time around, it returns again and again until it achieves it. Thus, when things do not seem to be as they should, perhaps it is because we do not see what happened in one’s previous lifetime.
And the good things that happen to bad people may result from the good deeds of their ancestors.
Rabbi Chaim of Tzanz (1793-1876) one of the Torah giants of his time, had a child who passed away at the young age of seven. The funeral took place in the morning. Afterwards, everyone went to the synagogue for the morning prayers. Rabbi Chaim sat in synagogue very distressed and pained. He was immersed in thought and was having difficulty preparing for the service.
After a while he turned to the congregation and said, "Imagine a person walking in the street and suddenly someone slaps him on his back. He quickly spins around in anger ready to strike back. But when he sees that it is his best friend, he is no longer angry for he realizes that this was not an act of hate but a friendly gesture.”
“I too,” concluded Rabbi Chaim, “have gotten today a painful blow. But after giving this matter some thought I realized that it was our loving G-d Who did this to me. How can I be angry at Him? I accept His judgment with love and I'm ready to serve Him with all my heart and soul. Now let us begin the service!”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Tuesday, Iyar 15, 5785 (30th day of the Omer) / May 13, 2025
B"H
Tuesday, Iyar 15, 5785 (30th day of the Omer) / May 13, 2025
In this week’s Parsha, Emor, the Torah speaks about all the holidays which we celebrate during the year. “And G-d spoke to Moshe, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: The appointed holidays of G-d, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My appointed holidays. Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a Shabbat of rest, a holy convocation. You should not do any manner of work. It is a Shabbat unto G-d in all your dwellings.”
After mentioning the observance of Shabbat, the Parsha goes on to mention all the holidays; Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and the mitzvot (commandments) associated with each holiday.
Q.Why does the Torah begin with the Pesach holiday and not with Rosh Hashana (New Year)?
A. Due to the Exodus, which took place on Pesach, the month of Nissan has been given the honor to be called, “The first month.” Remembering the Exodus is also a daily mitzvah. The Torah sets Pesach as the first holiday and all other holidays are dependent on Pesach.
Shavuot is identified as fifty days after Pesach; Rosh Hashana the first day of the seventh month(the seventh to Pesach); Yom Kippur, the tenth day of the seventh monthand Sukkot, the fifteenth day of the seventh month. We count all the holidays from Pesach, remembering the Exodus.
If one wants to know which day of the week the holidays will come out, one just has to know the days of the week in which Pesach fell out. It works as follows:
Tisha B’Av(destruction of the Temples) is the same day of the week as the firstday of Pesach.
Shavuot(when we received the Torah) will be on the same day as the secondday of Pesach.
Rosh Hashana, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret, are the same day of the week as the thirdday of Pesach.
Simchat Torahwill be on the same day as the fourthday of Pesach.
Yom Kippurwill be on the same day as the fifthday of Pesach.
Lag B’Omeris always on the same day as the sixthday of Pesach.
This year, the first day of Pesach was Sunday (beginning Saturday night). Now one can figure out which day of the week the upcoming holidays will be. Example: Tisha B’Av will be Sunday; Shavuot on Monday; Rosh Hashana, Sukkot, Smini Atzeret will be Tuesday; Simchat Torah on Wednesday; Yom Kippur on Thursday; Lag B’Omer will be this Friday; Thus, we see how all holidays are connected and rooted in the holiday of Pesach – the holiday of our Freedom.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
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