Tuesday, Menachem Av 7, 5786 / July 21, 2026
B"H
Tuesday, Menachem Av 7, 5786 / July 21, 2026
This Wednesday night begins the fast of Tisha B’Av – the fast of the 9th day of Av. The fast is in remembrance of the destruction of the two Holy Temples. The fast begins Wednesday night and continues until Thursday night. It is the second strictest fast after Yom Kippur.
While Yom Kippur is a fast day, which is decreed in the Torah, the fast of Tisha B’Av was decreed by The Prophets and The Rabbis. It is in commemoration and in mourning for the destruction of both Holy Temples which were destroyed on Tisha B’Av. The Second Temple was destroyed close to five hundred years after the destruction of the First Temple.
The First Temple, which was built by King Solomon, stood for 410 years, and was destroyed on the 9th of Av by King Nebuchadnetzar of Babylon. The second Temple was built 70 years later and stood for 420 years. It was also destroyed on the 9th of Av, by the Romans.
It’s already close to 2000 years since the destruction of the second Temple, yet Jews in every generation never lost faith in the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the third Holy Temple in their days. We lived with the “Ani Maamin” – “I firmly believe in the coming of Moshiach.”
Three times a day, day after day, we pray in the Amidah, for the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Beth Hamikdash – the Holy Temple. In the Torah, Moshe calls the Jewish people a stiff-necked people. It also works for the positive. During the worst of times, throughout our history, in good times and in difficult times, we never gave up on our deep belief in Moshiach’s coming.
A Chassid of the Third Chabad Rebbe had an inn, which he rented from the local landowner in a village in Russia. He would pay the owner ten rubles at the beginning of the year for the entire year.
One year the Chassid fell ill and couldn’t go to the owner in the beginning of the year. He sent his son instead to renew the contract and pay the rent for the entire year. The son decided to get a better deal. He offered the landowner thirty rubles for a five-year contract, thus saving his father twenty rubles. The owner was happy to get the extra rent in advance and agreed to the deal. He paid him thirty rubles and signed a five-year contract.
The son returned to his father all excited and told him about the deal he made and that he saved him twenty rubles over the next five years. “Why did you do a foolish thing like this?” his father said. “Instead of saving me twenty rubles, you overpaid forty rubles for nothing. Don’t you believe that Moshiach is coming any day and we will all go to the Holy Land. The money you paid for the next four years was a waste!”
One of the principles of our faith is that we believe with complete faith each day that Moshiach is coming NOW. The fact that he didn’t come until now doesn’t diminish our faith. In fact, it makes it stronger, for we were guaranteed by our prophets that he IS coming, and every day brings him closer.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY
Friday, Menachem Av 3, 5786 / July 17, 2026
B"H
Friday, Menachem Av 3, 5786 / July 17, 2026
This Shabbat we begin the fifth Book of the Torah, the Book of Deuteronomy, with the reading of Parshat Devarim. This Parsha is always read before the fast of the ninth of Av. This year the fast begins Wednesday night through Thursday.
The Book of Devarim are Moshe’s final words to the Jewish people before his passing. He reminds them of all their mistakes over the forty years he led them through the desert. He reminds them about their sin with the Golden Calf; their rebellion when they wanted to return to Egypt; their complaining about the manna from heaven and their sin of sending the spies to scout the Promised Land, which resulted in their staying in the desert for forty years.
Moshe warns them, as they are about to enter into the Promised Land, that if they want to stay in the land forever, they must adhere to G-d’s words and not repeat their mistakes of the past.
Q. To which particular sin are the destructions of the Two Holy Temple attributed?
A. Our sages tell us that the sin that destroyed the first Temple was the sin of idol worshipping. The sin which caused the destruction of the Second Temple was unjust hatred and strife among Jews.
The Talmud relates the following episode as an example of the hatred which took place amongst Jews at that time and as a result the Second Temple was destroyed.
One of the wealthy people of Jerusalem threw a party. He had a friend called Kamtza and a foe named Bar-Kamtza. He sent his servant to invite his friend, Kamtza to the party, but the servant mistakenly invited his enemy, Bar-Kamtza.
When the host noticed Bar Kamtza at the party he ordered him, in front of everyone, to leave. To avoid being embarrassed in public, Bar Kamtza offered to pay for his share of the meal. When this didn’t work, he offered to pay for half of the party. When this didn’t work either, Bar Kamtza offered to pay for the entire party. This didn’t work either and he was made, in view of everyone there with great embarrassment, to leave the party. Bar Kamtza then went to the emperor and told him that the Jews were rebelling against him, which in the end resulted in the destruction of the Second Temple.
The purpose of recalling and mourning the destruction of the Temples is to bring about positive results. During this time, we go to great lengths in showing our care and love for others. For this reason, it is customary to give extra charity during this time of the year.
May we merit Moshiach speedily in our days.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 8:20 / Shabbat ends: 9:32
Thursday, Adar 16, 5786 / March 5, 2026
B"H
Thursday, Adar 16, 5786 / March 5, 2026
This week’s Parsha,Ki Tisa, is about the story of the Golden Calf.
This was one of the gravest sins which the Jewish people committed. It took place very close after the Giving of the Torah, while they were still at Mount Sinai. It took place only 40 days after the greatest G-dly revelation in history, when G-d came down Mount Sinai and spoke the Ten Commandments to the entire Jewish people.
The Parsha begins with G-d’s commandment that every Jew over the age of twenty should contribute a Half Shekel, as atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf. Only later in the Parsha does the Torah tell us how the people came about making the Golden Calf and worshipping it.
The Torah tells us that when the people saw that Moshe was not back yet from the mountain, they approached Aaron and asked him to make them a replacement for Moshe. Aaron told them to bring him their wives jewelry. Aaron then threw it into the fire and a Golden Calf emerged.
Q. Why was Moshe still on the Mountain when the people made the Golden Calf?
A. After G-d’s revelation at Mount Sinai and speaking the Ten Commandments, G-d told Moshe to come up the mountain, where G-d would give him the Tablets and teach him the entire Torah to later teach it to the Jewish people. Moshe was still up on Mount Sinai and was to return the next morning, when they made the Golden Calf.
Q. Did all the twelve tribes have a share in this sin?
A. The tribe of Levi had no share in the sin of the Golden Calf. According to our sages, not even one person of the tribe of Levi participated in the Golden Calf. As a result, the tribe of Levi was chosen to perform G-d’s service in the Mishkan and later in the Holy Temple. The Kohanim and the Leviyim were all from the tribe of Levi.
Q.Why did the Torah change the order of events to tell us in the beginning of the Parsha, about the half- shekel, which was to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf, beforetelling us about the actual sin of the Golden Calf? If the half Shekel was atonement for the Golden Calf, shouldn’t it tell us about the sin of the Golden calf first?
A.Our sages tell us that G-d prepares the remedy before the plague and the cure before the sickness. This is why the Torah tells us about the building of the Mishkan and about the giving of the half Shekel, which was to atone for the Golden Calf, before telling us about the sin of the Golden Calf to teach us this important lesson: G-d always prepares the cure before the ailment.
It is a lesson in life that G-d has the cure and remedy ready before the challenge.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL & POSITIVE DAY
Friday, Adar 17, 5786 / March 5, 2026
B"H
Friday, Adar 17, 5786 / March 5, 2026
This Shabbat we read from two Torahs, as it is the third Shabbat of the fourspecial Torah readings at this time of the year. Two are read before Purim and two between Purim and Pesach.
In the first Torah we read the weekly Torah portion, Ki Tisa. In the second Torah we read Parshat Parah – the laws of the Red Heifer. It is about the spiritual purificationprocess for someone who became impure as a result of coming in contact with a dead body and as a result they were prohibited from entering the Beth Hamikdash (Holy Temple) and bringing a sacrifice.
Q.Parshat Parah is read in preparation for Pesach (Passover). What is the connection between the purification process read in Parshat Parah and the holiday of Pesach?
A.In the days of the Holy Temple, every Jew was required to be part and share in the mitzvah of the Passover sacrifice. The process of the Para Adumah was to purify a Jew who was spiritually unclean, so that he too will be able to bring sacrifices. Being that every Jew had to have a share in the Pesach sacrifice and eat of its meat and although we do not have sacrifices today and don’t have the actual Red Heffer, we still read from the Torah about the spiritual purification process now before Pesach.
In the weekly Torah portion, Ki Tisa, we read about the sin of the Golden Calf which the Jewish people made in the desert. This resulted in Moshe’s breaking The Tablets when he came down Mount Sinai and actually witnessed them worshipping the idol. Moshe went back up the mountain to pray for their forgiveness which G-d granted. He told Moshe to bring up another set of Tablets and once again engraved The Ten Commandments. The broken Tablets were eventually placed in the Holy Ark together with The Second Tablets.
Q. How long after The Giving of the Torah did they make the Golden Calf? And why?
A. Forty days later. Because they thought that Moshe was not coming back down.
Q. In total, how many times did Moshe go up Mount Sinai and for how long did he stay there?
A. Moshe went up and down three times! The first time was when G-d gave The Torah. He stayed on the mountain for forty days and broke The Tablets on his way down when he saw the Golden Calf. He went up again and stayed for forty days praying for forgiveness, which G-d granted. Then G-d told him to bring up two new Tablets, which he did. He went up with the Second Tablets for another forty days. G-d engraved The Ten Commandments a second time. He was up for a total of 120 days.
Q. What were the differences between the first and second Tablets?
A. The First Tablets were completely the work of G-d. The Tablets and the engraving were Divine. The Second Tablets were a mix; Moshe brought up the Tablets and G-d fixed His writing on them.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 5:30 / Shabbat ends: 6:33
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