Bonjour / Hello [nickname_else_first_name],
Table of contents
1) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Eli Mansour
2) Halakhat Hashavoua (Halakhot related to day to day life) - Hazzan David Azerad
- The Torah Scroll -(peninei halacha)
3) Holy Jokes!
4) FOR KIDS!
Tu BiShvat (ט״ו בִּשְׁבָט) is a Jewish holiday occurring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat (in 2024, Tu BiShvat begins at sunset on January 24 and ends in the evening of January 25). It is also called Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot (ראש השנה לאילנות), literally "New Year of the Trees". In contemporary Israel, the day is celebrated as an ecological awareness day, and trees are planted in celebration
-Wikipedia
This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour
Parashat Bo- G-d’s Firstborn
The tenth and final plague which G-d brought upon the Egyptians was "Makat Bechorot" – the miraculous plague that killed all the firstborns in Egypt. While all ten plagues brought great harm and devastation to Egypt, this plague was clearly unique, in several ways. Firstly, and most obviously, this was the plague that finally led Pharaoh to not only permit Beneh Yisrael to leave Egypt, but to frantically drive them out of the country. Secondly, in our daily prayers, after the recitation of Shema in Shaharit and Arbit, we praise Hashem for performing miracles, specifying the plague of the firstborn, indicating that there is something special about this particular plague. Moreover, already when G--d spoke to Moshe in Midyan, He told him to confront Pharaoh and proclaim, "Thus says G-d: Israel is My firstborn. I am telling you: Let My child go that he may serve Me. If you refuse to let him go, then I am hereby killing your firstborn" (Shemot 4:22-23). Even before the process started, G-d informed Moshe of the plague of the firstborn, indicating that this was the primary plague that He would bring upon Egypt.
To understand the special significance of this plague, it is worth noting a fascinating comment by the Maharal of Prague (1520-1609) regarding the ten plagues. The Mishna in Pirkeh Abot teaches that G-d created the world with ten pronouncements. In the account of the world’s creation, we find that nine times G-d pronounced that something should be created ("Va’yomer Elokim") and it then came into being. The tenth "pronouncement" is the word "Bereshit" – "In the beginning," which marked the very first, initial step of creation. The Maharal asserts that the ten plagues correspond to the ten pronouncements through which the world was created, in reverse order. This means that the tenth plague, the plague of the firstborn, is associated with the pronouncement of "Bereshit." The ninth plague, the plague of darkness, corresponds to the second pronouncement in the process of creation – "Yehi Or – Let there be light."
Why is the plague of the firstborn connected to the pronouncement of "Bereshit"?
For one thing, the word "Reshit" means "the first," and is thus relevant to the plague which killed the firstborn. But additionally, as Rashi cites in his commentary to the first verse of the Torah, the Sages explained the word "Bereshit" to mean "Bishbil Yisrael She’nikra Reshit" – the world was created for Am Yisrael, who are called "the first." And this was precisely what Pharaoh and Egypt militated against. Egypt saw itself as the "Reshit," the first, the most important nation on earth. They worshipped the sheep, the first sign of the zodiac, expressing their arrogant belief in their superiority, that they were the "Reshit," the "first" and most important of all nations. The Egyptians also worshipped the Nile River, which, as Rashi writes in Parashat Bereshit, is the "Pishon" river, the first of the four major rivers. The Egyptians felt that they were the "first," the most important, and thus above everyone else.
The plague of the firstborn was intended to show the Egyptians that "Beni Bechori Yisrael" – the real "firstborn" are Beneh Yisrael, who follow the beliefs and traditions of Abraham, Yishak and Yaakob. It is for us, for those who follow Hashem’s will, that the world was created. This plague thus affirmed "Bereshit" – that the world was created for Am Yisrael, for G-d’s beloved nation who faithfully adhere to His laws and values. This is why this plague is associated with the pronouncement of "Bereshit," and why this plague is the most important of the ten plagues – because it served to counter the Egyptians’ fundamental mistake, their feeling of inherent superiority which led them to feel entitled to oppress other people.
We are, and always have been, a small nation relative to the world’s population, and not very popular. We have often been, and, to some extent, continue to be, derided and ridiculed for our beliefs and customs. The miracle of Makat Bechorot affirms our belief that "Beni Bechori Yisrael," we are G-d’s beloved firstborn child, and that "Bereshit" – the world was created for the purpose of our devoting ourselves to the study of Torah and fulfillment of Misvot.
The Torah Scroll (peninei halacha)
The Torah must be read from a kosher scroll. This means that it must be a Torah scroll written for the sake of Heaven, with ink on parchment, just as the first Torah scroll was written by Moshe Rabbeinu, according to the direct word of Hashem. Even a congregation which sets aside time for Torah study must assemble at least every three days to read from the original Torah scroll, just like the Torah which Hashem gave to Moshe on Mount Sinai. If there is no minyan present, the mitzvah of reading the Torah cannot be fulfilled, since it is a matter of sanctity requiring ten Jews.
If the Torah scroll is missing even one letter, the entire scroll is invalid, and it cannot be used to perform the mitzvah of Torah reading. This halachah emphasizes the extraordinary quality of the Torah. Its entirety is one complete Divine idea which is expressed by all of its narratives, mitzvot, teachings, and letters together. If even one letter is lacking, a flaw exists in the absolute completeness of the Divine Torah.
According to a number of Rishonim, it is permissible, b’dieved, to read from an invalid Torah scroll (Rambam’s responsa to the sages of Narvona; Mordechai). Still, in practice, the opinion of the majority of poskim is that the mitzvah of Torah reading can only be fulfilled with a kosher Torah scroll, and that is the halachah (Rashba, Rosh, and Rambam in his halachot; Shulchan Aruch 143:3).
If, in the middle of the reading, a faulty letter is discovered which renders the Torah scroll invalid, a different Torah scroll is taken out and the reader proceeds from where he stopped in the first. We do not continue reading from the first Torah since, according to the majority of poskim, it is forbidden to read from an invalid scroll. On the other hand, we do not require the congregation to repeat the beginning of the Torah portion, since b’dieved we rely on the poskim who maintain that the obligation of Torah reading can even be fulfilled with an invalid Torah scroll.
If a defect is found in one of the letters, and there is doubt as to whether or not it invalidates the Torah scroll, the reading is still continued from that Torah. There are two reasons to act leniently in such a case. First, it is possible that the Torah scroll is actually kosher. Second, even if the Torah does possess something which renders it invalid, we have already learned that there are opinions which maintain that b’dieved it is permitted to read from an invalid Torah scroll. Still, the Torah must be repaired promptly after the reading.
Bevirkat Shabbat Shalom Umevorach
David Azerad
3) HOLY JoKeS!!
Selection of funny snippets, loosely related to this weeks parashah or current events, to brighten your day
4) FOR KIDS
Click on the image to open the youtube video
