Tuesday, Nissan 10, 5785 / April 8, 2025

B"H

Tuesday, Nissan 10, 5785 / April 8, 2025

A Passover story

Rabbi Yechezkel Landau (1713-1794) was the chief Rabbi of Prague. At the time, a Melamed (Hebrew teacher) lived in Prague who had a daughter to marry off. Unfortunately, the Melamed didn't earn enough to afford the wedding expenses and dowry for his daughter. So, with his wife's blessings, he went to seek his fortune in another city. There, a wealthy man hired the Melamed to teach his children. Three years he saved every penny, until finally he had enough money for the wedding.  

To save the travel expenses back to Prague, the Melamed found a wine merchant who was transporting a large shipment of wine to Prague for Passover. In exchange for a ride back to Prague the Melamed offered to act as Mashgiach (Kashrut supervisor) for the wine so that the merchant will obtain, from the Rabbi of Prague, the “Kosher for Passover” certificate. The wine merchant agreed. The merchant along with the Melamed, acting as Mashgiach for the wine, left for Prague.

When Friday came, they stopped off at an inn to spend Shabbat. Now the Melamed had a problem, "I don’t know anyone here. Where will I hide my money over Shabbat?" he thought. He decided to hide the money between the barrels of wine.    

As soon as Shabbat was over he went out to the wagon to retrieve his money. “Oy Vay!” the Melamed screamed, when he realized that the money was gone!   The Melamed was devastated.

Rethinking his terrible situation, the Melamed realized that the only one who might have seen him hide the money was the wine merchant.  He approached the merchant and said, "I left my wallet containing all my savings between the wine barrels before Shabbat.  When I went to retrieve it all the money was gone!  Did you perhaps take it?"

"How dare you accuse me of stealing.  It was silly of you to hide your money there in the first place!" the wine merchant roared. Realizing that arguing with the merchant will accomplish nothing, the Melamed let the matter rest till he arrived in Prague.  As soon as he came to Prague, the Melamed ran to Rabbi Yecheskel Landau and cried to him how all his savings of three years were gone, and as a result his daughter's wedding will not occur!”

Shortly afterwards, the wine merchant came to Rabbi Yecheskel Landau. He said, "Rabbi, this year’s wine is especially Kosher. It has been supervised by one of your former students. I would like to get your Kosher for Passover certificate.”

"This year I cannot give you the certificate," replied Rabbi Landau to the wine merchant.  "The Melamed was here before and told me that the money which he hid between the wine barrels before Shabbat, was stolen!" "Rabbi, are you suspecting me of being a thief?" the merchant protested.  

"Of course not!” answered Rabbi Landau. "But that is the problem!  If you didn't take the money, then obviously there must have been someone else snooping around the wine barrels without any supervision. In that case, I cannot be sure that the wine is still Kosher!" The merchant turned pale.  He had invested everything in this wine business and without the Rabbi's certification he would be ruined. "Rabbi," the merchant said embarrassingly, "I confess, I took the money! I will return the money at once."

"The matter is not so simple," answered Rabbi Landau. "How can I be sure that no one else had access to the wine?  Maybe you are saying this so that you shouldn't lose the business!" The merchant begged the rabbi to believe him.  "I will do anything you say to repent!" 

"In that case," Rabbi Landau told him, "I will give you the certificate only on the condition that, in addition to paying back the Melamed what you stole from him, you will also make him a partner and share the profits of this year’s wine with him. This way, you will compensate him for all the aggravation you caused him!"

The merchant had no choice and agreed. Rabbi Landau then called the Melamed from the next room and gave him the good news. The Melamed not only received his lost money but also did very well as a partner with the wine merchant.

As the saying goes, “Where there is Torah there is wisdom.”

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, Nissan 9, 5785 / April 7, 2025

Monday, Nissan 9, 5785 / April 7, 2025

The holiday of Pesach (Passover) begins this Saturday night, April 12.

The holiday of Pesach has a few names. The two common names for this holiday are: Chag HaPesach (the holiday of Pesach) and Chag HaMatzot (the holiday of Matzot). 

Reason: “Pesach” means to “Pass over.” This name came about because when G-d brought the plague of the First-born on the Egyptians and the eldest of every Egyptian household was killed, He skipped over the Jewish homes, and they were spared. Therefore, we call the holiday Pesach.

Pesach is also a combination of two words, “Peh”(mouth)“Sach”(to speak). On Pesach there is a mitzvah to SPEAK and TELL the story of Pesach (Passover). Although we have to remember the Exodus each day, on Pesach there is a special mitzvah to TELL our children the story of Pesach.

The name “Chag HaMatzot” - “Holiday of Matzot” is because of the fact that when G-d told the Jewish people that He will take them out of Egypt into the wilderness, they had such great faith in G-d that they didn’t even prepare enough food for the way. They took the dough they had, placed it on their shoulders and left Egypt. The sun baked the dough into matzah. Thus, Chag HaMatzot is an expression of their faith in G-d that He will provide all their needs.

We find something very interesting. In the Torah the holiday is called, “Chag HaMatzot.  However, we commonlycall this holiday, “Pesach.”

Q.   Why does the Torah call it, The Holiday of Matzot and we call it, The Holiday of Pesach?

A.   As mentioned before, the name “Pesach” tells of G-d’s compassion for the Jewish people that HE skipped over the Jewish homes and spared them from the plague of the First-born. However, the name “Matzot” is about the virtue of the Jewish people that they had such great trust in G-d.

G-d calls the holiday “Chag HaMatzot” to stress the wonderful quality of the Jewish people that they had great faith in G-d.  But, we call the holiday “Pesach” to glorify G-d for His passing over our homes and sparing the Jewish people from the plague.

Q.    One of the items on the Seder Plate is “charoses.”  Before eating the bitter herbs (maror), we dip it in the charoses.  The bitter herbs symbolize the hard labor and bitterness Jews suffered in Egypt.  What is the symbolic meaning of the charoses? Also, what is the meaning of the name charoses?

A.    Charoses is a combination of fruits, nuts and wine mixed together and looks like mortar or clay.  This symbolizes the hard labor, which Jews endured in Egypt when they were forced to make the bricks to build the cities of Pisom and Ramses.  “Charoses” comes from the word, “cheres” which means “clay.”  The maror dipped in the charoses reminds us of the bitterness in Egypt which was a result of their being forced to produce the bricks, mortar, and clay.

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, Nissan 6, 5785 / April 4, 2025

B"H

Friday, Nissan 6, 5785 / April 4, 2025

This Shabbat we read from the Torah, Parshat Vayikra.

With this Parsha we begin the third book of the Torah, which is also called, Vayikra – Leviticus. Each of the five books of the Torah (Breishis, Shmot, Vayikra, Bamidbar, Devarim) carries the name of the first Parsha in that book.

Parshat Vayikra speaks about the various sacrifices and offerings which were to be brought upon the altar in the Tabernacle and later in the Holy Temple.

There were basically two kinds of offerings. One which the congregation or an individual were duty-bound to offer, like the daily morning and evening offerings. Also, the sin offering, when someone committed certain transgressions, they had to bring a sacrifice as an atonement. 

Another category were the offerings which a person brings as a contribution - as a goodwill gesture to G-d. It is about this category, which the Torah speaks in the beginning of this week’s Parsha.

Within this category of offerings, there are various kinds of offerings which one can choose from. They vary from cattle offerings, a fowl offering or even an offering made from flour. It all depended on how much the person can afford. A wealthy person brought an offering from cattle, while a poor person would bring a fowl or a flour offering.

The Torah tells us that each of these offerings, no matter whether expensive or cheap, will bring great satisfaction to G-d.The Torah uses the same expression of satisfaction to G-d for the fowl or flour offering, as for the much more expensive, cattle offering.

The fowl offering was burnt on the altar with its feathers. Our sages explain that G-d says, “Even the smell of burnt feathers, which people cannot tolerate, being that its an offering of a poor person, it gives a great aroma and brings great satisfaction to Me.”

“From here we learn,” say our sages, “that G-d’s measurement is not in quantity, but in quality. Whether one gives more or gives less, if the person does the best of their ability, and they do it for G-d’s sake, not for ulterior motives, they are both equal in G-d’s eyes.”

The Talmud tells that once there was a wealthy person who was leading a big ox to the Holy Temple to be offered on the altar. At some point the ox stubbornly wouldn’t continue. Nothing they did would make him go forward. A poor man carrying a bundle of grass happened to pass by. He fed the ox the grass and thus was able to lead him to the Temple. The sages said that the poor man’s bundle of grass was as good an offering as the rich man’s ox. G-d wants from us the best WE can do with OUR means.

SHABBAT  SHALOM

Montreal candle lighting time: 7:09 / Shabbat ends: 8:13

UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW