Friday, Nissan 11, 5784 / April 19, 2024
This Shabbat, The Shabbat before Pesach, is called Shabbat Hagadol – The Great Shabbat.
One of the reasons is that on the Shabbat before the Exodus, a great miracle took place. The first-born Egyptians, knowing that G-d was going to bring the Plague of the First-Born on them, insisted that Pharaoh let the Jewish people go. However, Pharaoh didn’t listen to them, they put up a fight and many Egyptians were killed. It was a war between Egyptians and Egyptians.
We saw the same miracle last Shabbat when Arab armies shot down missiles coming from Iran against Israel. It was truly a Shabbat Hagadol – A GREAT Shabbat of our time. May G-d protect and keep Jews in Israel and all over the world safe.
Q. At the Seder we speak about “Four Sons.” The wise son (Chacham); The wicked son (Rasha); The simple son (Tam); The one who doesn’t know what to ask (Sh’aino yodaya lishol). This order is a bit strange. The wicked son should be last. Why is he next to the wise one?
A. The simple answer is that they are placed in the order of their intelligence. The wicked son can also be very intelligent; thus, he comes after the wise son.
Today (Friday), the 11th day of the month Nissan, is the 122nd birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed memory. His great influence on world Jewry continues to this day through his teachings and through his thousands of emissaries who are spreading Torah and Judaism throughout the world.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, in his unique way, which is also a lesson to us, explains the reason as follows: We bring together the above-mentioned children to the Seder to include them in the beauty of our traditions. Even the one who is wicked and will barrage us with disturbing questions, he too, must be included in the Seder ceremony. We cannot give up on any Jew. We include everyone and try to answer their question, so they too, will share in the beauty of our sacred traditions.
For this reason, we place the wicked son next to the wise one, so that the wise one will answer his questions and influence the wicked one. None of the other children at the Seder, the simpleton and the one who doesn’t know what to ask, can answer his questions.
“There is an important lesson here, especially in our generation,” says the Rebbe. “It is the responsibility of each and every one to influence others, to care about their spiritual welfare, because we are responsible for the welfare of every Jew.”
SHABBAT SHALOM & HAPPY HOLIDAY – CHAG SAMEACH
Montreal candle lighting time: 7:28 / Shabbat ends: 8:35
UNITED WE STAND IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL
& FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAPTIVES. MAY THEY BE RELEASED NOW. AMEN
This will be the last Torah Fax until after the Pesach Holiday
This will be the last Torah Fax until after the Pesach Holiday
B"H
Tuesday, Nissan 8, 5784 / April 16, 2024
The holiday of Pesach (Passover) begins next Monday night, April 22. The family gets together at the Seder, reciting from the Haggadah the story of the miracle of our Exodus. Our sages say that the more time one spends discussing the miracles of Pesach the more praiseworthy one is.
Q. Moshe (Moses) led the Jewish people out of Egypt. Why is it that in the Haggadah, which we recite at the Seder, in which the story of the Exodus is told, Moshe’s name is hardly mentioned?
A. The Torah tells us that Moshe was the most humble person upon the face of the earth. Moshe’s humility was so great that he didn’t take any credit for his role in the Exodus. This great virtue of Moshe is expressed in the fact that his name is not mentioned in the Haggadah. Moshe’s humility is his greatness.
Not mentioning Moshe’s name also emphasizes the point which we read in the Hagadah, “G-d brought us out from Egypt, not through an angel, not through a messenger, only the Holy One Blessed is He, Himself.” Thus, Moshe’s name is not stressed in the Haggadah to show that the liberation came from the highest level, from G-d Himself.
Q. The story of the Exodus took place 3336 years ago. Yet, today we are again in Exile. What’s the point of celebrating our Freedom from Egypt when we are still in Exile?
A. The following parable explains it. A poor man, who never had an education, won a great deal of money in the lottery. The first thing he did was to hire teachers to give him the education he missed out on in his youth. Over the years he became a very learned man. Each year he celebrated the anniversary of the day when he won the lottery.
Unfortunately, as time went by, he lost all his money and was again the poor man he was before his winnings. However, he still continued his custom of celebrating the day when he became rich.
He was asked why he continued to celebrate the day when he won the lottery, now that there was nothing left of his wealth?
He replied, “The money is gone, but the education and knowledge I acquired as a result of that winning is still with me. That’s why I celebrate!”
The same is with our celebrating the Exodus from Egypt. True, we are again in Exile, however, as a result of the Exodus, G-d brought us to Mount Sinai where He gave us the Torah. In fact, the purpose of the Exodus was so that we will receive the Torah, and the Torah we have to this very day. No one can take from us the Torah.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY
UNITED WE STAND IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL
& FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAPTIVES. MAY THEY BE RELEASED NOW.
B"H
Monday, Nissan 7, 5784 / April 15, 2024
Q. We drink the second cup of wine later in the Seder, after reciting part of the Hagadah. So why do we pour the wine into the cup before the children ask the four question and before reciting the Haggadah?
A. This is done in order to make the children curious and ask this question and as a result they will ask other questions, including the four questions. It is important on this night of the Seder to do things which are a bit strange, so that the children will ask questions. This way they will be interested in sitting at the Seder and hearing the answers and the story of the Exodus.
Q. During the reading of the Haggadah, when we enumerate the Ten Plagues with which G-d punished the Egyptians, we spill out some wine from the cup as we mention each of the plagues. What is the reason for this?
A. This indicates that, although at the Seder we celebrate our freedom from Egyptian bondage, yet our cup of joy cannot be complete, when remembering the pain which the Egyptians suffered as a result of enslaving the Jewish people.
Q. During the year, after reciting the blessing over bread (“Hamotzi”), we dip the bread in salt before eating it. Also, during the other Passover meals, we dip the matzah in salt, after the blessing. Why, at the Seder, when we make the blessings over the matzah, many do not dip the matzah in salt?
A. Because eating the matzah at the Seder is a very special mitzvah we are commanded in the Torah. Because of the importance of this mitzvah, we do not want to diminish the taste of the matzah. We want to get the pure taste of the matzah, without any additives.
The marror (bitter herbs) we eat at the Seder today, when there is no Temple, is a rabbinical mitzvah, but the matzah we eat at the Seder is a biblical mitzvah, thus many do not put salt on the matzah.
Q. Why do many refrain from eating roasted meat at the Seder?
A. The Passover sacrifice, which every Jew had to bring, in the days of the Holy Temple, had to be eaten roasted. Today, when we do not have the Temple, we refrain from eating roast at the Seder, in order not to create the impression that the meat we eat at the Seder in any way resembles the Passover sacrifice, for we are forbidden to bring sacrifices outside the Temple.
On the lighter side:Q. What’s the difference between the Biblical Moshe and Israeli General Moshe Dayan?
A. The Biblical Moshe took Jews out of Egypt. Moshe Dayan brought them into Egypt. (in the Six Day War).
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY
UNITED WE STAND IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL
& FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAPTIVES. MAY THEY BE RELEASED NOW
B"H
Friday, Nissan 4, 5784 / April 12, 2024
This Shabbat we read from the Book of Leviticus, Parshat Tazria.
This Parsha speaks about the laws of Tzara’at (a form of leprosy), which rendered a person spiritually impure. This law applied in the time of the Temple. Our sages tell us that it was a punishment for speaking Lashon Hara – derogatory talk about others.
In Deuteronomy, the Torah states, "When you go out in battle against your enemies, you shall keep away from every evil thing (Deut. 23:10)." In the Torah, there are no vowels. Words can be read in various ways. In this case, the two Hebrew words, "Davar Ra" (evil thing) can also be read as "Dibur Ra," which means, you shall keep away from "speaking evil."
One of the six remembrances we are commanded to remember each day is, "Remember what G-d did to Miriam on the way when you came forth from Egypt." Miriam spoke to Aaron against their brother, Moshe. Although Miriam didn't mean any harm, yet, because she spoke about him in a derogatory way, she was punished. This reminds us that gossiping and speaking evil about others is a grave sin.
The Talmud tells that Rabbi Alexandrai, would go around, and announce, "Who wants life? Who wants life?" Everyone would gather and reply, "We want life. Give us life!"
Rabbi Alexandrai would then recite the verse in Psalms 34: "Who is the man who desires life and who loves seeing good? Guard your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceitfully."
In Proverbs, King Solomon gives the following advice, "Whoever watches his mouth and tongue, protects himself from troubles."
A Seder question: The Seder plate consists of three matzot. At the beginning of the Seder, before reciting the Hagadah, we break the middle matzah. The bigger piece is hidden for the Afikoman and the smaller piece, which reminds us of the “bread of affliction,” is put back between the two whole matzot. Why do we break the middle matzah and not the top matzah?
A. There is a Halachic rule that when a mitzvah comes to your hand do not skip over it. Later, in the Seder when we will wash our hands and make the blessings over the matzah, we have to make the blessings over a whole matzah, not a broken one. If the top matzah would be the broken one, we would have to “skip” over that one and go for the next one to perform the mitzvah of eating matzah. This would constitute “skipping” over the mitzvah. Thus, we leave the top matzah whole and break the middle one.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 7:19 / Shabbat ends: 8:25
UNITED WE STAND IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL
& FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAPTIVES. MAY THEY BE RELEASED NOW.
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