This week’s Parsha Preview is co-dedicated to the refuah of Menachem Mendel Ben Faigie Ruchel, Moshe Avraham Ben Chaya Freidel, Gilon Chaim ben Yonit, Ofek Ben Tali, Shimon Ben Miriam, Avraham Moshe Ben Miriam Tova, Baruch Kalman ben Leiben Jacobs, Yocheved Bat Leah, Simcha Bat Mazel, Rav Moshe Refael Ben Chasiba Halevy, Baruch Ben Faigle, David Ben Mazal, Shmuel Baruch ben Golda, Sara Bat Hodda, Kyla Chaya Bat Sarah Polson, Leiba Bat Devorah Esther, Tova Rochel Bat Chaya, Yocheved Yaakovite bat Leah, Ita Tzipa bat Dveyra Basha, and Sorah Rivka bat Yehudis may Hashem grant them all a speedy recovery and a complete healing.
Once again, you can have this Parshah Preview dedicated in honour or memory of a loved one, you can ask for a refuah or simply acknowledge a milestone. It does not cost a thing all you have to do is ask. Please update me on the people who we are davening and learning for.
This Parsha Preview is dedicated to the memory of Shimon Ben Yosef, Z”L, my paternal grandfather may his neshama have an aliyah.
*****For those of you in the Bathurst and Wilson area I will be sponsoring Kiddush for the Yartzheit of my grandfather. You are all welcome to come. The Minyan is located at 3683 Bathurst Street two blocks south of Wilson at Joicey and Bathurst next to Sue’s Fruit market. The Minyan takes place in The Nachal Yisroel Centre. Davening starts at 9:30 A.M. Kiddush will follow services. Furthermore, My dad will be reading the Torah-Its worth it just to come and hear him read the Torah. *********************
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Happy Birthday to my friends who will celebrate Birthday’s this coming week:
Happy Birthday to:
Alex Ciobotaru
Orit Gamliel
Yochi Gold
Jean-Michel Ouzzan
Susan Chernow
Michael Koral
Leah Tzeon
Yosef Cordon
Avigayil Shtaiyner
Meme Dee
“Ad Meyah Vesrim Shannah”
Chukat
Numbers 19:1-22:1
Candle Lighting in Toronto 8:44 P.M.
Candle Lighting in Thornhill 8:45 P.M.
Number Of Mitzvot in Parsha Chukat: 3
3 Mitzvot Aseh (Positive Commandments)
0 Mitzvot Lo Taaseh (Negative Commandments-Prohibitions)
Haftorah:(Additional portion, from Prophets, which is read after the Parsha)
Shoftim / Judges 11:1 – 33
The laws of the Parah Adumah- the Red Heifer, are detailed in this week’s Torah reading. In Nissan of the 40th year, Miriam died. The well dried up and the nation gathered against Moshe and Aharon to complain. The "hitting of the rock" occurred and Moshe and Aharon were refused entry into Eretz Yisrael. Moshe requested from Edom permission to travel through their land on the way to Eretz Yisrael. Edom refused.
Aharon died and Elazar succeeded his father as Kohain Gadol. They encountered the southern Cannanities (13 miles west of the Dead Sea) and defeated them in battle. Following Aharon's death the protective clouds departed and the nation began to complain about the living conditions. Hashem sent poisonous snakes to attack the nation and Moshe was instructed to create the "copper snake on a stick" to miraculously save the bitten.
The nation traveled to Yeshimon - northeast of the Dead Sea. At the conclusion of the Torah reading Chukat, the nation was refused access to the lands of Sichon and Og and Moshe led them into victorious battle against them.
The Color of Red
Eisav said to Ya'akov, "Please, let me devour from this red, this red thing, because I am faint;" therefore his name is called Edom. (Bereisheit 25:30)
However if we look closely we see that just five verses earlier we have this pasuk that reads:
The first one came out completely red (admoni)... (Bereisheit 25:5)
Is this not a sufficient reason to name Eisav 'Edom,' which comes from the Hebrew word 'adom,' which means 'red?'
This is the K'li Yakar's question, and he answers it by saying that many children are born red, so there was nothing yet at the time of his birth to indicate any propensity for red things on Eisav's part. However, once he said, "Please, let me devour from this red, this red thing," it was an indication that Eisav wanted to eat the dish Ya'akov was preparing for Yitzchak, his father, the mourner, not because he desired lentils, but specifically because they were red.
Thus, the episode of the lentils confirmed that Eisav's red appearance was not incidental, but part and parcel of his nature. And, what nature was that? asks Rashi:
The first one came out completely red (admoni)... (Bereisheit 25:5)
RED: a sign that he would always be shedding blood. (Rashi)
Because red is the color of blood, and blood is the symbol of man's physicality and of the transient, of this physical world in which we live. The world of Eisav, in fact, as his true name indicates:
They called him 'Eisav.' (Bereisheit 25:25)
- from the word 'l'asot,' which means 'to do,' or 'to make,' which is why the lowest of all spiritual worlds is called 'Olam HaAsiyah' - the 'World of Doing.'
However, Ya'akov related to the lentils as lentils, for they were a mourner's food more because of their shape than their color:
...They are round like a wheel, and mourning is a wheel that revolves in this world. (Rashi, Bereisheit 25:30) As such, they symbolized the need to rise above the cycle of physicality and the temporary, just like the bechor - the birthright of the firstborn - that Eisav so easily surrendered to quench his hunger for things red, and more importantly, his portion in the World-to-Come:
Eisav cried out, "Why do I need the birthright?" (Bereisheit 25:32); A Heavenly Voice echoed, "Why do you need the blessing?" (Midrash HaGadol 25:32)
Blessings which made the difference between living ONLY in this world and also living in the World-to-Come:
Yitzchak avoided using G-d's Name in Eisav's blessing since the purpose of Eisav's blessing was to grant him his full reward in this world so that he should be excluded from the blessings of the World-to-Come. (Midrash Pliah)
For, that is what Edom is all about - THIS WORLD - even at the cost of eternity. Thus, by extension, Galut Edom, the fourth and final exile the Jewish people have been meant to endure in advance of Moshiach's arrival, is one that eternalizes the temporal. This was precisely what the golden calf represented, for a calf represents the carefree and therefore, by necessity, G-d-free society of Egypt, and the gold represents a desire to make it eternal.
By definition, the red heifer represented just the opposite. It exemplified the need to be willing to give up things in this world when they interfere with the acquisition of the World-to-Come. It represents seeing death not as the end of one's existence, which the Midrash said was Eisav's belief, but the portal to a higher, far more spiritual, eternal reality.
The Brisker Rav says that the red heifer will play a central role in the bringing about of the end to Galut Edom, it must mean that society in general, and many Jews in particular, will be sharing Eisav's point of view just in advance of Moshiach's arrival - even religious ones.
After all, Ya'akov was and is, the twin brother of Eisav. And, if history has proven anything at all, it is that we can be just as Eisavian as Eisav himself, and just as Edomian as Edom himself, and all too often, even more so. The wannabe has the tendency to be more genuine in his pursuit than the real deal. Thus, it is with great precision that the death of Miriam occurs right after this extremely important key to Geulah Shlaimah - Complete Redemption.
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Shabbat Shalom Umevorach-A peaceful and Blessed Shabbat
Yitzchak Alloul
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