Two Paths of Redemption - A shooting star of Jacob and a Scepter Rise from Israel

Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz

Parshat Chukat: The Mysterious Friday Fast

The Magen Avraham cites a 'practice of individuals' to fast on the Friday prior to the reading of Parshas Chukas (OC 580). In general, it is an anomaly to have a fast day scheduled for a Friday. Of even greater significance is the fact that most fast days are established on a specific calendar date, while this one is not. The Magen Avraham writes that no matter what day of the month the Friday prior to Parshas Chukas falls, that is the day when 'individuals' fast.

What is the significance of this fast day? It commemorates the burning of 20 - 24 wagonloads of the Talmud and other Sefarim in France. When the event happened, it occurred on the 9th day of Tammuz. However, various Rabbinic authorities of that day learned through dreams that the 'cause' of the incident was not related to the day on the calendar, but to the fact that it was the day before the Torah reading of Parshas Chukas.

The Magen Avraham explains that the Aramaic Targum of the opening words of the parsha [Bamidbar 19:2] "Zos Chukas HaTorah" [This is the law of the Torah] is "da Gezeiras Oraiysa" [this is the Torah's decree]. This was understood to be a Torah decree that such a tragic event would occur on the Friday before this Torah reading.

The Imrei Shammai supplies additional historical background to this incident. He says that in the exact place where the Talmud and other Sefarim were burnt, the Jews of that town had in previous years publicly burnt the Rambam's Sefer - Moreh Nevuchim.

The Moreh Nevuchim was a controversial work. In those days, the Rambam did not yet have the unquestioning allegiance that he gained in later generations. As surprising as it may seem to us, he had his detractors and there were authorities that were highly critical of the Moreh Nevuchim. In fact, there were even some places where his Sefer HaMadah - the first volume of his Major Work "The Yad HaChazakah" was not accepted.

As a Heavenly punishment for this earlier burning of the Rambam's works, 20 cartloads of Torah books were now publicly burnt. When the Jewish community saw this, they recognized their earlier misdeed and repented by establishing a fast day. They prayed for forgiveness and subsequently there was no more controversy about the Moreh Nevuchim.

In this way they were very fortunate. They had a clear Sign from Shomayim in terms of what they had done wrong. It did not take a genius to put two and two together and draw the appropriate conclusion. The connection was obvious. This is the historical background of the custom of 'individuals' to fast on the Erev Shabbos preceding Parshas Chukas.

Source: Revach.net

Appreciating the Bad

''Everything will be okay in the end.... if it's not okay, it's not the end..''  [that quote has been attributed to several different people, but it was actually written by John Lennon and more recently made famous in a movie called The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which I happened to watch on TV the other night.  

When you are taken down in any way, or are inflicted with some kind of terrible event, and you begin to lose faith and wonder why this is happening to you..... that's a very good quote to remember.  It's not the end.  We haven't got there yet.  Terrible things are happening everywhere and most of them are there to bring us back to Hashem.... the lower the descent, the higher the potential ascent.  In Hebrew this is ''Yerida l'tzorich Aliyah'' - descent for the purpose of ascent.

You can't rise to the highest highs unless you have experienced the lowest lows.  

And so it is with the world... the lower it sinks, the higher it will rise when Moshiach's time has come.  It is necessary that the world sinks to the lowest point possible, because the coming of Moshiach will cause it to rise to the highest point possible.

So appreciate your suffering for what it is.... a stepping stone to a higher level of existence.

Twice every Seven Years

And you shall inscribe them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. [Va'etchanan 6:9]

Now that my shoulder is healing, I am able to do things that I should have done sooner, such as check my mezuzot !  They are supposed to be checked TWICE every Seven Years.

Most people are under the false impression that you are supposed to have them checked once every seven years. The fact is that the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) states that they need to be checked by a scribe twice in every seven year period. That means about every 3.5 years.

The benefits of having a kosher mezuzah on every door post in your home cannot be underestimated.  That means every doorpost, not just the front door [of course with the exception of any room that contains a toilet as such a room is tamei - impure].  And if you have a gate with a lintel over it, that needs a mezuzah as well.  A gate without a lintel doesn't require one.

Make sure the mezuzah is the right way up and the Shin/Daled/Yud is visible on the front.  An upside down mezuzah in its case is not going to work properly.

To learn more about the mitzvah of the mezuzah see here and here.

As it happens, all my mezuzot were kosher, but I decided to buy a bigger newer one for the front door anyway.  The bigger the better.  And it was the Lubavitcher Rebbe who campaigned for bigger mezuzot, as opposed to those tiny little scrolls that everyone used to have when they were trying to hide them from their anti-semitic neighbours.  If, however, you do happen to live in a place where you are worried about anti-semitism, place the mezuzah just inside the front door.  You might want to check with a Rabbi first about this though.

This is one mitzvah you should do, not only because it is commanded of us, but because it gives you incredible protection spiritually and physically.

The Greatness of Torah Part 3

Rabbi Mendel Kessin - to see Parts 1 and 2 click on the KESSIN label below

The Sound of the Earthquake: The Voice of the Earth

Everyone has heard about the massive earthquakes that hit Los Angeles on July 4 and subsequent even bigger aftershocks more recently.

The quakes came during the Parsha of Korach, where the ground opens up and swallows the evil ones.  Thankfully no-one died as a result of the quakes [or so I read, whether that is actually true or not I do not know], but the ground did open up in several places.

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The Israeli city of Tzfat has suffered several devastating earthquakes. After one of them in the year 1839, the Chassidic Rabbi, Rebbe Avraham Dov of Avritch, said the following: "This catastrophe is a sign of the redemption. The Talmud in Sanhedrin alludes to the time when the Mashiach will redeem us. He will come when 'This gate shall collapse, be rebuilt, collapse, be rebuilt again and again, until there will not be enough time to rebuild it before the Mashiach comes.' The word gate in Hebrew is _sha'ar_. These same three (Hebrew) letters when reshuffled, spell the word _ra'ash_ (meaning earthquake)...May this be the last 'collapsing of the gate' mentioned in the Talmud, and may we soon see the final redemption in our time - Amen."  Source:  God and Earthquakes

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"V'Chol Yisroel Asher Sevivoteihem Nasu L'Kolam" - all of Bnei Yisroel that were around them ran from the voice [Korach 16:34]. Which voices were they running from? The Mizrachi says it could not have been from the screaming of the people falling into the open earth or else all the people would run towards the voices to see this strange event, and not away from it. Instead he says it was from the booming noise of the earth opening up. 

The Tosfos Yom Tov says that the voice was that of the earth speaking and announcing that the sinners were swallowed alive and still living inside the bowels of the earth. He brings proof from the pasuk that says [Korach 16:30], "U'Phatzta HaAdama Et Piha" the earth opened its mouth. The word Phatzta implies that it opened its mouth to speak because the word that is used in this parsha to describe the opening of the ground is "VaTiftach HaAretz Et Piha". 

Maybe this would explain the mishna in Pirkei Avos [5:8] that says that one of the ten things created Erev Shabbos Bein HaShmashos was "Pi HaAretz" - the mouth of the earth that swallowed Korach. if it meant the crack in the earth then why would this be a special creation? The earth splitting was not a one time event and happens from time to time. Moreover, a crack is not a creation. Maybe it means the mouth of the earth that spoke, similar to another creation in this mishna, the mouth of the donkey of Bilam who spoke.

The Greatness of Torah Part 2

Rabbi Mendel Kesssin




To see Part 1 click on the KESSIN label below

Created at Twilight

"But if Hashem will create a phenomenon, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them" [Korach 16:30]

Rashi cites the Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin [110a]: "If the mouth of the earth is a creation from the six days of Creation," said Moshe Rabbeinu, "then fine. But if not, may Hashem create one!"

Why, asked the Chasam Sofer [R' Moshe Sofer], did Moshe Rabbeinu have any doubt as to whether or not the mouth of the earth had been created during the six days of Creation?  For Chazal state [Avot 5:9] explicitly:

Ten things were created at twilight on the eve of the first Sabbath:

the mouth of the earth

the mouth of the well

the mouth of the ass

the rainbow;

the manna;

Aaron's staff;

the Shamir, writing;

the inscription on the tablets of the Ten Commandments;

and the tablets themselves. 

How then could Moshe have overlooked this Mishnah?

One of the ten things enumerated by Chazal, answered the Chasam Sofer, was "Moshe's grave".  This grave, whose location is unknown, was also created at twilight of that erev Shabbos.

Hashem therefore concealed all ten things from Moshe so that he would not hear of his own passing.  Thus, Moshe had to request "If the mouth of the earth is a creation from the six days of Creation, then fine. But if not, may Hashem create one!"

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein