Wednesday, Menachem Av 15, 5786 / July 29, 2026
B"H
Wednesday, Menachem Av 15, 5786 / July 29, 2026
Today is the 15th day in the month of Menachem Av. In contrast to the first nine days of the month, today is a very happy day. During the time of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, it was one of the happiest days of the year.
The 15th of Av was “matchmaking” day in Israel. The Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, said: “There were no greater festive days for Israel than the 15th of Av.” On that day the daughters of Jerusalem would go out and dance in the vineyards and they would say, "Young man, raise your eyes and see what you select for yourself.” It was a day of matchmaking which led to many weddings.
The Talmud lists several joyous events which occurred on the 15th day of Av:
1) The dying of the generation of the Exodus ceased. Because they refused to go into the Promised Land, G-d decreed that all men between 20 and 60, who came out of Egypt, would die in the desert, only their children would enter the land. After 40 years in the desert, on the 15th of Av, the dying ended. Thus, the 15th of Av became a happy day.
2) In order to ensure the orderly division of the Holy Land between the twelve tribes of Israel, restrictions had been placed on marriages between members of two different tribes. This restriction was binding only on the generation that conquered and settled the Holy Land. The restriction was lifted on the 15th of Av. The event was considered a cause for celebration and festivity, and the 15th of Av became a day of celebration.
3) The 15th of Av was the day in which the tribe of Benjamin, which had been excommunicated for a particular behavior (as related in Judges 19-21), was readmitted into the community of Israel.
4) Hosea ben Eilah opened the roads to Jerusalem. Upon the division of the Holy Land into two kingdoms following the death of King Solomon, Jeroboam ben Nebat, ruler of the breakaway Northern Kingdom of Israel, set up roadblocks to prevent his citizens from making the three yearly pilgrimages to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. They were finally removed more than 200 years later by Hosea ben Eilah, the last king of the Northern Kingdom, on the 15th of Av.
5) The dead of Betar were allowed to be buried. The fortress of Betar was the last holdout of the Bar Kochba rebellion. When Betar fell on the 9th of Av, Bar Kochba and many thousands of Jews were killed. The Romans massacred the survivors of the battle with great cruelty and would not allow the Jews to bury their dead. The dead of Betar were finally brought to burial on the 15th of Av.
6) "The day of the breaking of the ax." The annual cutting of firewood for the altar in the Holy Temple was concluded on the 15th of Av. The event was celebrated with feasting and rejoicing.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
Tuesday, Menachem Av 14, 5786 / July 28, 2026
B"H
Tuesday, Menachem Av 14, 5786 / July 28, 2026
This week’s Parsha, Eikev, begins, “Vehaya Eikev Tishmeun… “And it will be, because you will heed these ordinances and keep and perform them, that the L-rd, your G-d, will keep for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers. And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your soil, your grain, your wine, and your oil, the offspring of your cattle and the choice of your flocks, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you. “
“You shall be blessed above all peoples: There will be no sterile male or barren female among you or among your livestock. And the L-rd will remove from you all illness, and all of the evil diseases of Egypt which you knew, He will not set upon you, but He will lay them upon all your enemies.”
The word Eikev which in this context means because, also means “heel.”
Our sages wonder why the Torah uses the word, Eikev, instead of a more common Hebrew word for because. They explain that the Torah teaches us here a very important lesson. Of the many mitzvot in the Torah there are mitzvot which seem very important in our eyes. Then there are mitzvot which don’t seem so important in the human mind. A person may consider them in the category of Eikev – heel. As our sages express this point, “Mitzvot which a person steps over them with their heel.”
The Torah tells us that a person should be very careful with these mitzvot and the reward for these mitzvot are great. All the mitzvot are from G-d and thus, we should be careful with every mitzvah.
Our sages in Pirkei Avot say, “Be as careful with a seemingly insignificant mitzvah, as with a seemingly important mitzvah, for we do not know the reward for the individual mitzvah.
The Talmud tells the following story: Yosef, the son of Rabbi Yehoshua, had a near-death experience. When he came to himself, his father, Rabbi Yehoshua asked him: “What did you see on the other side?”
He answered: “I saw a world turned upside down, where the poor were rich, and the rich were poor.”
His father answered: “You actually saw a world turned right way up.”
What we see here may not be what is seen from above. The mitzvot which may seem insignificant down here, may be very significant above. The Torah reminds us that we should regard every mitzvah as important. Why did G-d make it seem insignificant? It’s all part of the test. Sometimes, the struggle to perform these mitzvot are greater than the one’s which seem very important. Thus, the reward for these mitzvot may be even greater.
Said the Rebbe of Kotzk: “The heel which is the end of the human body is also a reference to the end of time. Thus, the Torah tells us that, “In the end we will all listen and observe G-d’s mitzvot, for we will realize that there are no other values in life as important as the word of G-d.”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
Friday, Menachem Av 10, 5786 / July 24, 2026
B"H
Friday, Menachem Av 10, 5786 / July 24, 2026
This Shabbat, which is the first Shabbat after the fast of the 9th of Av (Tisha B'Av), we read the second Parsha of the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), Parshat Va'etchanan.
This Shabbat is called, "Shabbat Nachmu" ("Shabbat of comfort"). It is because the Haftorah of this week begins with the words "Nachmu Nachmu Ami" ("Find comfort, find comfort, my people"). It is a prophecy of double comfort for the Jewish people which is recited on the Shabbat after Tisha B’Av.
There are seven weeks from Tisha B'Av until Rosh Hashana. This period is called, "Shiva D'nechemta" - "Seven weeks of comfort." These seven Haftorahs are prophesies of comfort and hope for the Jewish people.
In this week's Parsha we find the "Sh'ema" - "Hear O' Israel the L-rd is Our G-d the L-rd is one. And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might ("B'chol M'odecha")." The Sh'ema prayer is recited three times daily. In it we affirm our strong belief in G-d and our great love for Him.
According to our sages, the words "B'chol M'odecha" ("with all your might") also means that even if G-d acts with us in a measure that may not seem good, we must love Him just the same. Our sages explain that although we may not see the good in certain situations, it is only because we have limited vision. From G-d's perspective there is a reason for everything. In the end, whatever G-d does is for the good.
Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Nachmanides) was a great sage, scholar, Kabbalist and physician. Once he visited one of his students who was very sick. Rabbi Moshe realized that his student's days were numbered.
He said to his student, "I have many questions as to the sufferings of our people. I want you to go before the heavenly court and ask them where is justice? Why are these terrible things happening to our people? Then you must come and reveal to me the answers to these questions."
Rabbi Moshe wrote down the questions and instructed that the paper be placed in the coffin, which they did when the student passed away. A while later, as Rabbi Moshe was studying, his student appeared before him. "Did you ask the questions from the heavenly court? Did you bring me the answer to the questions?" Rabbi Moshe inquired from his student.
"My dear teacher, when my soul went up to heaven, I went to ask the questions so that I can bring you the answers. However, when I entered the heavenly court, I suddenly realized that in the heavenly spheres there were no questions... Up there everything looked just perfect…!"
SHABBAT SHALOM & MAY WE MERIT THE COMING OF MOSHIACH NOW
Montreal candle lighting time: 8:13 / Shabbat ends: 9:24
Wednesday, Menachem Av 8, 5786 / July 22, 2026
B"H
Wednesday, Menachem Av 8, 5786 / July 22, 2026
Tonight begins the fast of Tisha B’Av - the 9th day in the month of Av, when the first Temple and 500 years later the second Temple were destroyed. Every year we fast on Tisha B’Av to remember our great loss. After the morning prayer, we recite special prayers, called Kinot, to remember the tragic events we endured and pray for Moshiach & the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.
Q. How is it that both Temples were destroyed on the same day?
A. Our sages say that G-d directs good events to happen on good days and bad events on bad days. The 9th of Av was historically a bad day. The Torah tells us that on that day, close to 1000 years earlier, before the destruction of the Temple, the Jewish people refused to go into the Land of Israel. The Torah tells us that, “They cried that night...” refusing to go to Israel. G-d decreed that as a result, they will die in the desert. Only their children will go into Israel forty years later.
Thus, the ninth day of Av was prone for punishment for the Jewish people, by their own choice, for refusing to go to the Promised Land. When they sinned many years later, it was on that day that the Temples were destroyed, and they were driven out from their land.
We remember the destruction of the Temples through fasting, reciting special prayers which remind us of our great loss. We read a passage from the Torah in which G-d warns the Jewish people about adhering to the Torah and mitzvot, especially in the Holy Land. We recite the book of Lamentation.
Since Torah study brings us joy, we refrain from studying Torah during part of Tisha B’Av, except for the book of Lamentation and laws concerning mourning, for they speak about tragic events. We study the stories related to the destruction of the Temple, found in the Talmud and Midrash.
On Tisha B’Av (Thursday morning) we recite the Morning Prayer without the Talit and Tefillin. We will use them only for the Mincha service (afternoon prayer).
Yet, with the mourning and fasting, we also have to keep in mind that all this is only temporary. G-d promised through His prophets that in the end, when the right time comes, He will rebuild the Temple and there will be days of peace and tranquility to the people of Israel, to the Land of Israel and the entire world. For two thousand years we lived with the combination of mourning and hope, with sorrow and reassurance at the same time.
For two thousand years we believed that deep within the embers and ruins of destruction, G-d planted the seeds of our salvation. Jews never lost hope and faith, even against all odds. Two thousand years of Jewish history is proof of how true this is. No matter how many times various nations tried to destroy us, even in our generation, in the end we not only survived, but came out stronger than before. On this day we proclaim, “Am Yisrael Chai!” Israellives and will live on!
In Montreal the fast begins Wednesday at: 8:33 pm / Fast ends Thursday night at: 9:16 pm
HAVE AN EASY FAST – MAY WE MERIT THE COMING OF MOSHIACH - NOW!
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