Tuesday, Tammuz 15, 5786 / June 30, 2026
B"H
Tuesday, Tammuz 15, 5786 / June 30, 2026
One of the lessons in the sixth chapter of Pirkei Avot, which we will recite this Shabbat, is: “Do not seek greatness for yourself, and do not desire honor. Let your [good] deeds exceed your learning. Do not yearn for the table of kings, for your table is greater than theirs and your crown is greater than theirs. Your employer [G-d] is trustworthy to pay you for all your deeds.”
“Do not seek greatness for yourself, and do not desire honor.” In last week’s Parsha we read that Bila’am, whom Balak hired to curse the Jewish people, desired honor and greatness. Because of this he went to curse the Jewish people, however, in the end it brought about his downfall. Not only did Balak chase him away in shame, but in the end it brought about his death.
Our sages tell us in the Talmud, “Whoever chases after honor, honor runs away from them; but one who runs away from honor, honor chases after them.”
One who seeks honor will not find it and if they do, it is only superficial and temporary. True and everlasting honor belongs to the one who does not care for honor. It belongs to those who perform good deeds only for the sake of doing good, because it’s the right thing to do.
A Chassid once came to Rabbi Bunim of Peshischa and complained, “Rebbe, our sages say that one who runs away from honor will merit honor. I am a person who runs away from honor, yet I’m not getting the honor which I deserve?”
Rabbi Bunim replied, “Our sages are speaking about a person who runs from honor and completely forgets about it. But you keep looking back to see if the honor is already catching up to you… in your case it will never come!”
“Let your [good] deeds exceed your learning.” In the third chapter of Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariya explains this concept as follows: “Anyone whose wisdom exceeds his good deeds, to whom is he likened? To a tree whose branches are numerous, but whose roots are few; then the wind comes and uproots it and turns it upside down. However, one whose good deeds exceed his wisdom, to what is he likened? To a tree whose branches are few, but whose roots are numerous; even if all the winds of the world were to come and blow against it, they could not budge it from its place.”
Our sages also say that the purpose of studying Torah is that we should perform mitzvot and good deeds. The Talmud speaks harshly about those who study Torah, but do not live up to their studies.
Q. Why do we put on the Tefillin first on the arm and then on the head?
A. The Tefillin on the arm represents action, the performance of good deeds. The Tefillin on the head represents study and intellect. We put them on the hand first to convey the above lesson, that action is more important than intellect.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, BLESSED & SUCCESSFUL DAY
Friday, Tammuz 11, 5786 / June 26, 2026
B"H
Friday, Tammuz 11, 5786 / June 26, 2026
In this week’s Parsha, Balak, which is one of the Parshiot read this Shabbat, the Torah tells how Balak, King of Moab, after seeing that the Jewish people were victorious against the two mighty kings, Sichon & Og, feared the Jewish people. He hired Bila’am to come and curse the Jewish nation. He thought that this way he may win in battle against them and get rid of them.
Bila’am, who, as told in the Parsha, was blind on one eye, had special spiritual powers. He was happy to go and curse the Jews. However, he knew that he needed G-d’s permission to do it. When G-d appeared to him in a dream, he told G-d his plan. In the beginning, G-d wouldn’t allow him to go. Later, G-d gave him permission but warned him to say only what He will tell him to say.
On the way, an angel blocked the road three times and the donkey he was riding on, who saw the angel, stopped each time. Bila’am who didn’t see the angel, hit the donkey each time. After hitting the donkey the third time, G-d opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Bila’am: “What have I done to you that you hit me these three times?” The angel told Bila’am, “Go with these men, but you may only speak the words which I will tell you to say.” No matter how much Bilaam tried to curse them, only blessings came out of his mouth. Many of his passages are about the coming of Moshiach.
Q.Why does the Torah tell us that Bila’am was blind on one eye?
A.Tommorow, the twelfth of Tammuz, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, of blessed memory, was liberated from Russian prison. He was imprisoned for spreading the teachings of Torah. As a result, he was sentenced to death. Then, his death sentence was miraculously exchanged to his being expelled from Russia instead.
As a child, he asked his father, “Why did G-d create us with two eyes? I see even with one eye."
His father replied, “A person needs two eyes so that with the left eye, which represents judgment, he should look at himself in order to find his own faults and correct them. At another person, however, one should always look with the right eye - with compassion and kindness." The Torah tells us that Bila’am had no vision in one eye - he lacked seeing the good in the Jewish people.
In one of the concentration camps, there was a German Nazi commander. He was extremely cruel to the Jews in his camp. He had only one eye seeing, his left eye was made of glass. It was made so perfect that one couldn’t distinguish it. One evening he called one of the Jews and said to him, “If you can recognize which is my false eye, I will give you a decent meal. But if not, I will shoot you. The Jew looked at him and said, “It’s your left eye.”
“You’re correct,” said the Nazi. “I will give you the meal I promised. But how did you know?”
The Jew answered, “I saw that only your left eye looked at me with sympathy and compassion…”
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SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal Shabbat candle lighting time: 8:29 / Shabbat ends: 9:45
Wednesday, Tammuz 9, 5786 / June 24, 2026
B"H
Wednesday, Tammuz 9, 5786 / June 24, 2026
As mentioned yesterday, this Shabbat in the Diaspora we will read the two Parshiot of Chukat & Balak. In Parshat Chukat, we read about the passing of two of the greatest Jewish leaders: Moshe’s sister Miriam, and her brother Aaron, the High Priest.
Miriam, Aaron and Moshe passed away in the same year - the 40thyear after the Exodus. Miriam passed away on the 10th of Nissan; Aaron passed away close to five months later, on Rosh Chodesh Av. Moshe passed away less than a year after Miriam, on the 7th of Adar. Moshe’s passing is recorded at the very end of the Torah.
As leaders of the people of Israel, Miriam, Aaron and Moshe contributed not only to the spiritual welfare of the Jewish people, but also to their physical welfare.
Throughout the 40 years in which the Jewish people were in the desert, a wellwas embedded in a rock, which traveled with them and supplied the Jewish camp withall the water they needed. When Miriam died, the well became dry. In Aaron’s merit, Jews were surrounded with “clouds of glory,” which protected them from the elements and from enemy danger. With Aaron’s death the clouds were gone. In Moshe’s merit they had their daily manna from heaven for forty years.
Q. From where did they get their water supply after Miriam passed away?
A. After Miriam’s passing the Jewish people complained that they had no water. G-d told Moshe to take his staff and together with Aaron speak to the rock and it will give water. However, instead of speaking to the stone, Moshe hit the rock twice. The rock began flowing water again, but not obeying G-d’s commandment precisely by hitting the rock, it was considered a sin and as a result, Moshe and Aaron were punished and barred entry into the Promised Land.
Q. Why was the water supply for the Jewish people given in the merit of Miriam?
A. G-d rewards measure for measure.When Moshe’s mother placed him in a basket at the river’s edge, 120 years earlier, due to Pharaoh’s decree to drown all Jewish males, Miriam stood by the river to watch over her brother. Miriam made sure that Moshe was protected. Because of her dedication to Moshe at the river, she was rewarded that the water came in her merit.
Also,Miriam had a special feeling and sensitivity for the young. While still in Egypt, under the threat of grave punishment, she devoted herself to taking care of and saving Jewish babies who were born under Pharaoh's death decree. Although Miriam was a prophetess and attained a very high spiritual level yet she "lowered" herself and was devoted to bringing happiness and life to the "small" children. Thus, in her merit, G-d gave "water", which, just like Miriam, has the nature and quality of descending from high to the lowest levels.
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HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, BLESSED & SUCCESSFUL DAY
Tuesday, Tammuz 8, 5786 / June 23, 2026
B"H
Tuesday, Tammuz 8, 5786 / June 23, 2026
This Shabbat in the Diaspora we will read the two Parshiot of Chukat & Balak. In Israel, which is one Parsha ahead of the Diaspora, they will read only Parshat Balak. Thus, from this Shabbat on, Israel and the Diaspora will be reading the same Torah Portions.
The 613 mitzvot of the Torah fall into one of three categories: Eidut, Mishpatim,Chukim. Those in the Eidut and Mishpatim category are logicalmitzvot. One can comprehend the reasons behind these mitzvot.
The mitzvot in the category of Chukim(statutes) are those which have no logical reason. G-d commanded us to observe them, without giving us any logical reason for them. When we perform these mitzvot, we put aside our own logic, and we observe them purelybecause it is G-d’s will.
This week's Torah portion begins with the mitzvah of Para Adumah- "Red Heifer." It is one of the mitzvot in the category of Chukim, as the name of the Parsha, Chukat, indicates.
The Torah tells us that when someone comes in contact with a dead body, they become "Tamei" - "spiritually impure". To become spiritually clean again, the Torah commands to sprinkle on the person water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer. The Torah describes in detail the entire process of preparing the red heifer and how the purification process is performed.
What is special about this mitzvah is that when performing the sprinkling process, the person who was unclean becomes purified, while the Kohen, who purified him becomes impure! According to our sages, this is one reason why the mitzvah of "Para Adumah" is called "Chukah" - a mitzvah with no rational explanation to it.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed memory, whose 32nd yartzeit was Thursday, explains that although we can't comprehend the logic of this mitzvah, as the Torah didn’t give us the reason for it, we can learn a very important lesson from it.
The fact that the Torah commands the Kohen (priest) to personally help this individual, even at the cost of temporarily becoming impure himself and being unable to enter the Holy Temple, teaches us that we have to be ready to make personal sacrifices to help another Jew come closer to G-d. We cannot pass on the responsibility onto others.
This lesson applies to everyone. Each of us usually comes in contact with people on a daily basis. If we can assist them in coming closer to G-d, in their spiritual purification, through Torah and mitzvot, it is ourduty to do so, even when it means sacrificingsome of our time, effort and even our spirituality.
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HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, BLESSED & SUCCESSFUL DAY
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