Friday, Tammuz 1, 5785 / June 27, 2025
B"H
Friday, Tammuz 1, 5785 / June 27, 2025
Today is the second day of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz. The Torah portion which we will read this Shabbat is Korach. It begins with the rebellion which Korach, Moshe’s cousin, from the tribe of Levi, led against the leaders of the Jewish people, Moshe and Aaron.
Realizing that the Jewish people of that generation will not go into Israel and that they will stay another 38 years in the desert as a result of their refusal to go forward into the Promised Land, Korach felt that now was the right time to start a rebellion against the leadership of Moshe and Aaron.
Korach was jealous of Aaron being the High Priest. Korach gathered 250 people, mostly from the tribe of Reuben, together they rebelled against Moshe and Aaron. Korach, who wanted to be the High Priest, argued against Moshe and Aaron by claiming equality for everyone.
Korach said to Moshe and Aaron, "The entire congregation is holy... Why do you exalt yourselves above the congregation?" He used a noble cause to further his argument, equality, but in reality he cared only for himself. Korach caused a tremendous division within the Jewish people and as a result close to 15,000 people died in a plague.
The lesson from this story: One can be the champion for a good cause, such as equality for all, as Korach did, but at the same time causing tremendous harm. While G-d created us all equal with a goal of making this world a better place. He gave different duties to certain people. By fulfilling our obligations in what we excel in, to the best of our ability, we all fulfill our life mission exactly as G-d intended.
For example: If a scholar, whose financial means are limited, will make his life goal to give charity and the wealthy person will excel in teaching Torah, rather than giving charity, the world would be lacking. Each one has to excel in what G-d blessed them with. Then we have a win-win situation.
Q.As mentioned, Korach’s revolt was supported by people from the tribe of Reuben. Why did the people of the tribe of Reuben join Korach’s rebellion more than the other tribes?
A. The family of Kehot, from which Korach was a descendent, was encamped on the south side of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The tribe of Reuben was also encamped on the south side of the Mishkan, right next to Korach and his family. Being neighbors, Korach was able to influence them to join his revolt.
Our sages teach us: “Keep a far distance from a bad neighbor; Do not associate with a wicked person.. Envy and the search of glory and honor remove a person from this world.”
Sunday is the 3rd day in the Hebrew month, Tammuz, commemorating thirty-one years since the leader of our generation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, zt"l, passed away. The Rebbe's impact on Jewish life, through his Shluchim (emissaries) and followers all over the world is felt to this day. It is an auspicious time to reflect and strengthen our own commitment to Judaism & to bring more spiritual holiness into our home. It is a time for resolutions to strengthen our support for Jewish education and to our community.
CHODESH TOV – A HEALTHY, SUCCESFUL MONTH & SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 8:29 / Shabbat ends: 9:45
Thursday, Sivan 30, 5785 / June 26, 2025
B"H
Thursday, Sivan 30, 5785 / June 26, 2025
Today (Thursday) is the first day Rosh Chodesh of the new Hebrew month Tammuz. Friday will be the second day Rosh Chodesh. In the Torah, where the months are identified by numbers, the month of Tammuz is the fourth month of the year when counting from the month of Nissan.
The story of the spies, which Moshe sent to scout the Land of Israel, which we read about last week, took place mostly during the month of Tammuz. They began their journey on the last day of the month of Sivan and throughout the entire month of Tammuz and returned on the ninth of Av.
Also, the Golden Calf and the breaking of the Tablets with the Ten Commandments engraved on them, happened on the seventeenth day of Tammuz.
In this week’s Parsha, Korach, we read about Korach and his group who rebelled against Moshe and Aaron’s leadership. At one point, G-d wanted to destroy the people because of their rebellion, but Moshe wouldn’t hear of it. Moshe prayed for his people. In the end, Korach and some of his people, together with their families and all their wealth were swallowed alive into the ground.
There is a Yiddish saying, when describing how rich someone is, “He is rich like Korach.” Why is Korach being singled out as the richest person? The answer is that a person is rich only while they are alive. No one takes their wealth with them to the grave. But Korach’s wealth went together with him in the ground…
Moshe pleaded with G-d and tells G-d that it won’t be fair if he lets out his anger on everyone. Moshe pleads, “If one person sins why would you be angry against all?” The Torah describes how time and again Moshe stood up for his people and how his love for his nation knew no bounds.
During their forty years in the desert, Jews rebelled against Moshe time and again, which angered G-d. Yet, Moshe’s love for his people never weakened. Moshe exhibited a phenomenal amount of love toward his people in spite of all the difficulties he had with them. His loyalty to them never wavered.
At a marriage, under the Chupah (canopy) when the groom puts the ring on the bride’s finger he proclaims, “You are betrothed to me with this ring as per the laws of Moshe and Israel.”
Q.What is the meaning of the words, “You are betrothed to me as per the laws of Moshe and Israel”?
A. In these few words lies the secret of a successful marriage. Moshe was leader of the Jewish people for 40 years. The people didn’t make life easy for Moshe, yet he never abandoned them. Time and again he prayed and pleaded for them. His love for his people knew no bounds, no matter how difficult the situation. The groom is saying to his bride, “You are betrothed to me as per the laws of Moshe and Israel.” No matter what difficulties we may encounter in the future, our love for each other will not waver, just as Moshe and Israel made it work even during the most difficult times.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL DAY & WONDERFUL CHODESH-MONTH
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Tuesday, Sivan 28, 5785 / June 24, 2025
Tuesday, Sivan 28, 5785 / June 24, 2025
One of the lessons our sages teach us in the fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot (Chapters of our Fathers) is the secret to wisdom, wealth, contentment and happiness. The great Talmudic sage Ben Zoma says, “Who is wise? Who learns from everyone. Who is strong? Who subdues his evil inclination. Who is rich? Who is happy with his lot. Who is honorable? Who honors others.”
“Who is rich? He, who is happy with his lot.”A poor man found a wallet with one thousand rubles. The following day when he came to synagogue, he heard that Yossel the banker lost his wallet with 1000 rubles and promised a hefty reward of fifty rubles to the one who returns it.
After service he quickly went to Yossel’s house, knocked on the door and when Yossel opened the door he handed him his wallet with the 1000 rubles.
Yossel took the wallet, counted the money and then said, “I see you already took your reward! There was one thousand and fifty rubles in the wallet and there is only 1000 there now.
“But that’s not true,” protested the poor man. There was only 1000 rubles there. You owe me the reward. The two men argued and in the end decided to go to the rabbi to settle the case.
They both presented their case to the rabbi. The poor man claimed that there was 1000 rubles in the wallet, and he was owed the 50 rubles reward for returning the wallet. But Yossel, the banker, said that there were 1050 rubles in the wallet and that he didn’t owe him anything. “Rabbi, I trust you believe me,” the rich man added.
“Sure, I believe you,” replied the rabbi. Now the rich man was full of smiles, and the poor man was devastated. Then the rabbi took the wallet and gave it to the poor man. “It’s yours. You keep it!”
“What are you doing,” protested the rich man angrily. “You don’t believe me, rabbi?”
“Sure, I believe you. You said that you were an honest man, and I believe you. I believe you that you had 1050 rubles in your wallet. However, I have to believe that the poor man here, who returned the wallet, is also an honest person. If he was a thief he would have taken all the money for himself. Now that you are both honest people, I have to believe that the wallet in question is not the one you lost, and it must belong to someone else. Thus, until the rightful owner is found, the wallet stays with him.”
“But what about my money,” the rich man asked. The Rabbi replied, “You will have to wait until someone who finds a wallet with 1050 rubles comes forward…”
The Talmud says that when one is not happy with what G-d gives them, G–d may take that away too. How true are the words of our sages, “Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot.” When we become too greedy we sometimes outsmart ourselves and lose even what rightfully belongs to us.
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
Monday, Sivan 27, 5785 / June 23, 2025
Monday, Sivan 27, 5785 / June 23, 2025
It is with great gratitude to G-d for giving President Trump the wisdom and courage to come to Israel’s assistance and destroy Iranian’s nuclear facilities. Israel and the world owe President Trump a BIG thank you. May Hashem protect and bless the U.S., President Trump, Premier Netanyahu and the IDF.
This week’s Parsha is Korach. In the past few Parshiot, the Torah describes many of the episodes in which the Jewish people complained and rebelled against Moshe, which in essence means they rebelled against G-d. We read how they complained about the manna – their heavenly food that came each day. They also complained about G-d wanting to bring them to the Promised Land, after hearing the negative report from the ten spies. In this week’s Parsha, Korach, we read about another rebellion against Moshe and Aaron, this time by Korach and his 250 men.
Even though the events in the Torah took place over three thousand years ago, the name, Torah comes from the word teaching and lesson. The stories of the Torah contain a lesson for all times.
The Jewish people of that generation had seen great miracles; the ten plagues, the Exodus, the splitting of the sea, the pillar of cloud and fire which accompanied them in the desert, the manna, which came from heaven each day and the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai etc., one miracle greater than the other. So how can we understand the fact that they lacked trust in G-d?
The answer is that because they saw miracles continuously, they mistakenly viewed them as nature. They thought, “How can it be otherwise”? As a result, they took these miracles for granted and stopped appreciating the wonderful miraculous blessings that G-d provided for them daily. They stopped seeing G-d’s hand in everything and complained about trivial things.
The lesson for us is that we, too, must realize and appreciate our daily miracles! However, it is essential that we realize them as such and not take them for granted. If we only took the time to think about how many breaths we inhale and exhale each day, how many steps we take every day and how many words we speak each day, etc. etc., we would appreciate the magnitude of our daily blessings.
What’s more, our appreciation of all these wonderful blessings would automatically alleviate our feelings of anxiety and distress in our day-to-day life.
A mother was once walking along the seashore with her son, when a huge wave carried him out to sea. The mother began praying, “Please G-d, give me back my child!” Shortly afterwards a huge wave deposited her child unharmed at her feet. The mother embraced the child, “Thank you G-d!. Thank you! I will be forever grateful to you!” Then she looked at her child again, looked up to heaven and said sternly, “And what about his hat?”
Every morning, we recite a number of blessings thanking G-d for giving us so many wonderful things in life which we take for granted when everything is normal. Concentrating on the good which we receive each day, reminds us not to take things for granted, thus our day will be a happier day!
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
|
Torah Fax is published daily (except Shabbat & Sunday) so you can learn something new every day |