Friday, Shevat 19, 5780 / February 14, 2020

B"H

Friday, Shevat 19, 5780 / February 14, 2020

 

In this week's Parsha, Yitro, we read about the giving of the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel.

 

The Midrash tells us that the number three was significant in the Giving of the Torah.  The Torah was given in the 3rd month (Sivan); after three days of preparation. It was given through Moshe who is the 3rd sibling of his family; Miriam, Aaron, Moshe.  The Torah was given to the people of Israel who arecomprised of three; Kohen, Levi, Israel; They are descendants of three patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.  

 

The number three represents unity. In order to merit receiving the Torah, all Jews had to be united as one.

 

The Ten Commandments are:

 

1. "I am the L-rd your G-d..."    

2. "You shall not have any other Gods... for I the L-rd your G-d am a strict G-d..." 

3. "You shall not mention the name of the L-rd your G-d in vain..."     

4. "Remember the day of Shabbat to keep it holy.. The seventh day is a Shabbat [rest] unto the L-rd your G-d."     

5. "Honor your father and mother in order that your days may be long upon the land which G-d gives you."    

6. "You shall not murder."     

7. "You shall not commit adultery."     

8. "You shall not steal (kidnap)."      

9. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."     

10. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his servants,  nor anything that is your neighbors".

 

Q. G-d’s name is mentioned in the first five commandments, but omitted in the last five.

 

A. The Roman Caesar, Hadrian, once asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, "Why isn't G-d’s name mentioned in the last five commandment?"

 

Rabbi Yehoshua replied, "Before I answer you, let's walk through the streets of Rome."  Hadrian agreed. Together, they passed through the city's neighborhoods. In front of many homes and public buildings, they saw statues of the Caesar.  Hadrian pointed to the stone sculptures and said to Rabbi Yehoshua, "See how much the people honor me!  They have statues of me in front of every home."

 

Rabbi Yehoshua then said to Hadrian, "Now let's go see the back of the homes."  After walking in back for a while, Rabbi Yehoshua turned to Hadrian and said, "If people love you so much, why don't they put your statue in the back of their homes? It seems that they consider you the emperor only in front and not in the back!"

 

What honor would it be for a king to be in a place where people put out their garbage and dirt?"

 

"You have just answered your own question!" Rabbi Yehoshua responded to Hadrian. "G-d, King of the universe, didn't want His name mentioned in the last five commandments, when speaking of murderers, adulterers and thieves!"

SHABBAT  SHALOM

Montreal candle lighting time: 5:01 / Shabbat ends: 6:06

Thursday, Shevat 18, 5780 / February 13, 2020

B"H

Thursday, Shevat 18, 5780 / February 13, 2020

 

This Shabbat we read Parshat Yitro, the Parsha details the story of the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. 

 

Our sages note that this great event should not be viewed as something which happened in the past. Instead, we should constantly feel that we are receiving it today and study it as something new. Through the study of Torah a Jew connects to G-d anew each time.

 

We recite special blessings each morning, thanking G-d for giving us the Torah.  Blessings are also recited when one is called up ("Aliyah") to the Torah in synagogue. 

 

Q.  When one is called to the Torah we refer to it as an "Aliyah."  Why is it called Aliyah?

 

A.   "Aliyah" means "elevation."  In a physical sense, since the Torah is read on a Bimah, which is an elevated platform, one would go up when being called to the Torah, thus it is called Aliyah. In a deeper sense, being called to the Torah is a spiritual elevation.

 

Although in the Parsha we read about the Ten Commandments, yet, according to our sages, all 613 mitzvot of the Torah are contained and hinted in these Ten Commandments. 

 

The following parable illustrates this point: A young man in the shtetel (village) wanted to go into the textile business to provide for his family.  Not being familiar with business dealings, he decided to attend the fair in the big city to see how the ways of commerce are conducted.

 

He went to one of the wholesalers and watched as store retailers entered one after the other to buy material and cloth.  He saw the sellers showing the buyers strips of different kinds of materials, in all kinds of quality and colors.  After inspecting the material, the buyers and sellers would agree on a price. Then the buyers would hand over quite a large sum to the seller to close the deal.

 

The young man was amazed.  Business looked so easy!  He decided to do exactly as he had seen the store keepers do.  He went out and bought various materials and cut them into many strips.  Then he took a table at the fair and spread out his material.  He was convinced that it wouldn't take him long to become rich.

 

Merchants approached him, inspected his material and asked for prices.  He quoted them prices like the other wholesalers. When the potential buyers asked when they can pick up the merchandise, he looked at them wonderingly, "What merchandise? These strips are the only merchandise I have."  They laughed at him.

 

"But the other wholesalers also showed you only strips of material?" he asked. 

 

They replied, "The strips are only samples of what each wholesaler sells.  He has hundreds and hundreds of yards of each material in his warehouse.  Only a fool would think that all he has are the strips he showed us."

 

The same is with the Ten Commandments and the Torah.  After the Ten Commandments were given, Moshe stayed on The Mountain 40 days, receiving the rest of the Torah, which he would then teach the people.  

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL & FRUITFUL DAY

Monday, Shevat 8, 5780 / February 3, 2020

B"H

Monday, Shevat 8, 5780 / February 3, 2020

 

This week’s Parsha, B’Shalach, is about some of the great miracles which G-d performed for the Jewish people after leaving Egypt. One of them was the story of the splitting of The Sea.  

 

The water stood like a wall, while the People of Israel crossed through it.  When Pharaoh and his army chased after them into The Sea, the water rushed back to its original form and they drowned.

 

After witnessing this great miracle, Moshe and the People of Israel, sang a song of praise to G-d, called The Shira, praising G-d for this great miracle. Moshe’s sister, Miriam, took a tambourine and led all the women in song and dance praising G-d for the miracle.  

 

Q.   How many days after the Exodus, did the splitting of The Sea take place?

 

A.    On the seventh day after the Exodus.

 

Q.   Passover we celebrate the miracle of the Exodus. Is there a special celebration for the crossing of The Sea?

 

A.  The first day of Passover is a day when work is prohibited (in the Diaspora the first two days), to celebrate the miracle of the Exodus. The seventh day of Passover is again a day when work is prohibited (in the Diaspora the seventh and eighth day). This is to celebrate the miracle of the splitting of The Sea, which took place on the seventh day after leaving Egypt.

 

Q.  Did everyone come out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus?

 

A.  Our sages say that only one fifth came out of Egypt. The other four fifths didn’t want to leave Egypt.  G-d punished them and they died during the plague of darkness and were buried then. The reason G-d punished them during the plague of darkness was so that the Egyptians should not witness it.

 

Q.   Why did Pharaoh chase after them after he himself chased them out of Egypt?

 

A.  Originally, Moshe and Aaron asked Pharaoh to let the people go for three days, in order to pray and serve G-d in the desert.  Pharaoh was sure that after three days they would return. However, when he realized that they were not coming back, he chased after them.

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

 

In memory of Jeno Zoldan,  Yitzchak Issac Yehuda Ben Aharon, who is now gone from us  22 years. Yartzeit was Shevat 5. In our thoughts and hearts everyday. May the Neshamah have an aliya.
Andre, Esther, Zachary, Benjamin, Jonah