CHABBAT PARACHAT MATTOT ET
PARACHAT MASS’É
Nous lisons les 2 dernières parachiot du livre de Bamidbar; Chabbat prochain nous commençons le livre de Dévarim
Le mercredi 22 juillet, c’est Roch Hodech Av .
Nous arrêtons de consommer de la viande et boire du vin le mercredi après diner jusqu’au 31 juillet .
Le jeûne de Tish’a Béav tombe le jeudi 30 juillet Les détails suivront la semaine prochaine
Hazkara : Léah bat Leibe ,(ZL) mére de Léon Mosseri
Olga Maslaton (ZL), mère de Solly Maslaton
Spanish & Portuguese :
Comme le chabbat de la semaine passée la Spanish peut recevoir 45 à 50 personnes mais il faut absolument s’enregistrer et être approuvé .
A security official will only allow entry to the synagogue to those on a list provided by the administration, without exception. To do this, we ask you to send us a registration request at: support@thespanish.org.
Matot-Mass’e - en bref
Nombres 30, 2 - 36, 13
Moïse communique les lois régissant l’annulation des vœux aux chefs des Tribus d’Israël.
La guerre est engagée contre Midian pour leur participation au complot pour la destruction morale d’Israël.
La Torah fait un récit détaillé du butin recueilli et de sa distribution entre le peuple, les combattants, les Lévites et le Grand-Prêtre.
Les tribus de Réouven et de Gad (rejointes ensuite par la moitié de la tribu de Ménaché) demandent que leur part de la Terre Promise leur soit attribuée à l’est du Jourdain, s’agissant d’un pâturage de choix pour leurs troupeaux. Moïse, d’abord irrité par cette demande, l’accepte sous la condition que ces tribus participent – et mènent – d’abord à la conquête des terres à l’ouest du Jourdain.
Les quarante-deux étapes des enfants d’Israël depuis la sortie d’Égypte sont énumérées, depuis l’exode d’Égypte jusqu’aux plaines de Moab, sur le versant du fleuve faisant face à la terre de Canaan.
Les frontières de la Terre Promise sont indiquées et les villes de refuge sont désignées, qui serviront de lieu de protection et d’exil aux meurtriers involontaires. Les cinq filles de Tselof’had épousent des hommes de leur propre tribu (celle de Ménaché) afin d’y maintenir le territoire reçu en héritage de leur père.
Avec cette Paracha s’achève le livre de Bamidbar (le livre des Nombres), le quatrième livre de la Torah.
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Le destin de Moché
Au début de la Paracha, on nous raconte que Dieu a annoncé à Moïse qu'il devait déclarer la guerre aux Midianites, et que juste après il était destiné à mourir.
C'était un grand dilemme pour Moïse. La guerre contre les Midianites permettrait aux juifs de rentrer plus vite en Israël, mais la conséquence de cette guerre était sa propre mort!
Cependant, comme on aurait pu imaginer, Moïse se prépare à la guerre sans perdre une seconde. Moïse est arrivé au summum de l'abnégation. Afin d'accomplir la volonté de Dieu et de promouvoir les intérêts du peuple, il précipite littéralement sa mort.
Et la réaction du peuple juif n’est pas moins étonnante. Vous vous rappelez comment le peuple s'est plaint amèrement à Moïse pendant quarante ans? À un moment ils étaient même prêts à le lapider! Et maintenant la Torah nous dit que ce même peuple refuse de partir en guerre afin de ne pas provoquer la mort de leur chef bien aimé. Pourquoi cette volte-face?
Les commentateurs nous expliquent qu'en réalité, ils critiquaient Moïse parce qu’ils le respectaient tellement, qu'ils nourrissaient à son égard les plus grandes espérances.
C'est comme un parent qui fait des reproches à son enfant. Il l'aime tellement, qu'il ne désire que ce qu'il y a de mieux pour lui. La méthode utilisée est peut-être inappropriée, mais elle est sincère.
Et c'est la raison pour laquelle le peuple juif était prêt à boycotter cette guerre, et même à repousser leur entrée en Terre Sainte si cela pouvait prolonger la vie de Moïse. En fin de compte toutes ces réclamations, étaient bien des preuves d'amour! Essayez de vous en souvenir la prochaine fois… que quelqu'un vous critique!+
Mitzva of Shofar in the year 2020
Rosh Hodesh Av is this coming Wednesday, which means Rosh Hashana is two months away. It may seem like we have plenty of time and don’t yet need to prepare, but this year is different, and with the right, early, preparation we can make the best of a difficult situation.
Almost every area of the world has been struggling with managing Covid19 and has radically changed synagogue services over these last few months. Rosh Hashana brings new unique challenges; specifically, the mitzva of the Shofar. This mitzva is Biblical, d’oraita, and takes technical skill to perform correctly. Pesah and Shavuot did not have such an issue. The biblical commands of eating Matza and enjoying the holiday are mitzvot that anyone can do on their own. Shofar, however, will require more planning.
Men and women are both biblically required to pray every day, including on Rosh Hashana. There are some debates on what particularly a woman has to pray every day and how many times, but she is obligated to pray. Shofar on the other hand is required for men and optional for women. Like talet, tefillin, lulav, sukka, women may perform the mitzva but are not required to. Let’s take sukka for example. If a man wants to eat a sandwich, he must go into the sukka to do so. If a woman wants to eat a sandwich, she can eat it out of the sukka if going to a sukka is inconvenient. If she wants to fulfill the mitzva of sukka, she may go into the sukka and eat it there. Shofar is the same. If a woman wants to fulfill the mitzva of hearing the Shofar she can, but if it is not convenient, she has no obligation to. This year, going to synagogue or even to an outdoor gathering to hear the Shofar does carry some risk for contracting and spreading Covid19. Since that is the case, even a healthy woman does not need to (and perhaps should not, depending on the situation) go out of her way and take that risk to hear the shofar since she is not obligated to. Men that are at risk (According to the WHO, older adults and persons with pre-existing medical conditions or compromised immune systems are at a higher risk for severe illness from the virus. This includes people who have heart disease, lung disease, cancer, high blood pressure, or diabetes.) should also avoid exposing themselves to a group going to hear the shofar. This is because even though it is a biblical requirement to hear the shofar, since there is a real risk of significant illness, then they are exempt from hearing it and should avoid it. אנוס רחמנא פטריה is a well-known principle with regards to Torah and Halacha and is translated as “the Merciful One (God or the Torah) absolves the one who is in a situation of duress”. Whenever you simply can’t do something and have no choice, then it’s ok, God understands. You are not neglecting the Torah law out of rebellion or out of apathy or neglect, you simply have no choice. It is taught midrashically, regarding the severe transgression of idol worship of sacrificing one’s son to Molech, God says: and I will look upon (with punishment) that man. The rabbis understand that God punishes that man, but not the man that performed this terrible transgression under duress. We are taught that if even for such a transgression we do not fault the person who is “anoos”, unable to perform the mitzva, then all the more so for much less severe commandments. Similarly, one can still completely fulfil Rosh Hashanah without shofar if going to hear shofar is too unsafe. Some people may feel uncomfortable, regardless of the halachic absolution in this case, to not be able to hear the shofar as usual on Rosh Hashana. However, there is more meaning to following Jewish law the way it was meant to be than in assigning our own value, serving our own needs and wants rather than understanding and following the law and keeping ourselves and others safe.
Healthy men should go and hear the Shofar in an outdoor gathering with proper social distancing and masks, maybe in shifts so that there are not too many men in one place, and everyone can hear. Indoors may be more problematic as it has been shown that risk of contracting Covid19 is much higher indoors, and especially where people are singing or talking/ praying loudly. This includes the Shofar. Using wind instruments (including the brass section) has been discouraged during this pandemic as blowing air forcefully out of your mouth into an instrument that projects it out toward others is simply not a great idea, especially indoors. Making sure the person blowing is not an asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic carrier is VERY important, but not always possible. As noted above, it is relatively easy to not pray with a minyan due to risk of infection since that is “only” derabanan, but shofar is d’oraita (Biblical) and it is not as easy to simply say one is exempt from fulfilling a biblical command unless there is a significant risk. This will partly depend on where everyone lives and what the local level of risk is. If on Rosh Hashana your area looks like NY did in March, or Miami in July, that is a different story than if you are in an area with very few cases.
So, what to do? My suggestion is that we start training as many people as possible on how to blow the Shofar properly, and we start now. This way we are able to complete the mitzvah and are not put in a situation where we have no choice. As a matter of fact, we should always all learn how to perform the mitzvot we are obligated in on our own, and this is a great opportunity to start. We will need many shofarot (no I did not buy Shofar stock, or Tesla stock for that matter) and many people who know how to blow it properly. It will take 1-2 months of practice (which is why I am brining this up now) to really learn how to do it well but is totally doable. We can create online videos with step by step instructions on the proper way to blow the sounds. This way many families can have their own personal Shofar hearing without having to take a greater risk than necessary. It’s not that difficult to learn to blow the Shofar properly but it does take planning. It is also important to remember that in order for men to fulfill their obligation they must hear the shofar blown by another man (above 13). This is because since women and children are not obligated to hear the Shofar, they also can’t blow the Shofar for one who is obligated. It is also important that the one blowing has the intention that anyone who hears it should fulfill their obligation through it.
For those who are going to hear shofar, what is the minimum amount that you need to hear? We are obligated to hear the tekia terua tekia 3 times. That would be 9 blasts. However, we have lost the tradition on what the Terua sounds like. Either it sounds like the 3 short blasts or the rapid-fire quick blasts, or both together. Therefore, after making the beracha, we blow Tekia Shevarim Tekia 3 times, Tekia Terua Tekia 3 times, and Tekia Shevarim-Terua Tekia 3 times for a total of 30 blasts that we are obligated to hear. Then we also listen to the 30 blasts a second time during the Musaf service and the current custom is to do it in the silent Amida and the repetition. It became the custom to do one last set of all the permutations for 10 more blasts, and kabalistically it is a custom to blow a 101st blast before we end the prayers. In summary, one should try to hear the 30 blasts at minimum to fulfil the mitzvah.
Again, I know it is early, and you are wondering why I am in Rosh Hashana mode on the Shabbat before Rosh Hodesh Av, but hopefully this reminder will help give each of you the time to prepare and be able to fulfill the mitzva in the safest way depending on your own personal situations. Tichle Shana…Tahel shana – May the year and its curses end, and the new year with all its blessings start. We pray for life on Rosh Hashana and hopefully with the proper precautions we can merit a healthy year
From Dr Rabbi Henry Hasson
Deuil accru, et se réjouir dans les mitsvot
Les premiers neuf jours du mois de Av, et aussi la matinée du dixième sont des jours de deuil profond pour la destruction du premier et du second Saints Temples.
Pendant ces jours, nous nous abstenons :
De manger de la viande et de boire du vin, car en cette période les sacrifices et les libations de vin cessèrent dans le Temple.
Les exceptions à cette règle sont la viande et le vin consommés le Chabbat, ou dans le cadre d’un repas célébrant une mitsva, comme lors d’une circoncision, une Bar Mitsva, ou la conclusion de l’étude d’un traité du Talmud.
De nager ou nous baigner pour le plaisir.
De modifier ou d’agrandir une habitation.
De planter des arbres destinés à procurer de l’ombre ou un parfum (contrairement à des arbres fruitiers).
D’acheter, de coudre, de tricoter de nouveaux vêtements, même s’ils sont destinés à être portés après les Neuf Jours.
Exceptions à cette règle :
a) Si vous allez manquer une solde exceptionnelle ou si l’habit ne sera plus disponible plus tard.
b) Pour le besoin d’une mitsvah , par exemple acheter des vêtements neufs pour des futurs mariés.
De nous couper les ongles pendant la semaine dans laquelle tombe Tichea beAv, c’est-à-dire à partir du samedi soir précédant le jeûne, jusqu’à la fin des Neuf Jours.
La coutume séfarade est d’observer les restrictions concernant la consommation de viande et de vin et les baignades seulement pendant la semaine de Tichea beAv.
Autres observances :
La sanctification de la lune est repoussée jusqu’après Tichea beAv.
Il n’y a pas de loi qui interdise de voyager durant les Neuf Jours ; cependant il est de coutume de s’abstenir de voyager (ou de s’adonner à toute autre activité périlleuse) pendant ces jours, à moins que ce ne soit absolument nécessaire.
Il est permis de se fiancer (c’est-à-dire de s’engager à se marier) pendant cette période, mais toute célébration doit être repoussée jusqu’après Tichea beAv.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS- MATTOT AND MASS’E
- Who may annul a vow?
30:2 - Preferably, an expert in the laws of nedarim. Otherwise, three ordinary people.
- When may a father annul his widowed daughter's vows?
30:10 - If she is under 12 1/2 years old and widowed before she was fully married.
- Why were the Jewish People not commanded to attack Moav, as they were to attack Midian?
31:2 - Because Moav only acted out of fear against the Jewish People. Also, Ruth was destined to come from Moav.
- Those selected to fight Midian went unwillingly. Why?
31:5 - They knew that Moshe's death would follow.
- What holy vessels accompanied the Jewish People into battle?
31:6 - The aron and the tzitz.
- Why does the Torah list the places where the Jewish People camped?
33:1 - To show G-d's love of the Jewish People. Although it was decreed that they wander in the desert, they did not travel continuously. During 38 years, they moved only 20 times.
- Why did the King of Arad feel at liberty to attack the Jewish People?
33:40 - When Aharon died, the clouds of glory protecting the Jewish People departed.
- What length was the camp in the midbar?
33:49 - Twelve mil (one mil is 2,000 amot).
- Why does the Torah need to specify the boundaries that are to be inherited by the Jewish People?
34:2 - Because certain mitzvot apply only in the Land.
- What was the nesi'im's role in dividing the Land?
34:17 - Each nasi represented his tribe. He also allocated the inheritance to each family in his tribe
PROVERBES JUIFS
Si un problème peut être résolu avec de l’argent, ce n’est pas un problème, c’est une dépense
Dieu a donné à l’être humain deux oreilles et une bouche pour qu’il écoute deux fois plus qu’il ne parle
. Ne sois pas trop doux, on te mangera. Ne sois pas trop amer, on te recrachera
L’être humain se doit de vivre, ne serait-ce que par curiosité
Quand une vieille fille se marie, elle devient une jeune épouse.
C’est quand il n’y a plus rien à faire que naissent les projets les plus grandioses.
Une amitié qui a pu vieillir ne doit pas mourir.
Parle peu, et fait beaucoup.
Ne regarde pas la cruche, mais ce qu'elle contient.
Trois choses font connaître l'homme:
La bouteille, la bourse et la colère.
JEWISH QUOTES:
A child’s tears move the heavens themselves." ~~ Talmud, Nedarim
One does not keep children from school even to build the Temple." ~~ Talmud, Shabbat
"
Our sages recommended that a father should spend less than his means on food, up to his means on dress, and beyond his means for his wife and children." ~~ Maimonides
Have you ever heard of a son rejecting his mother beause he found a nicer one?" ~~ Achad Ha’am
Idleness causes boredom." ~~ Ketubot 5:5
"Men worry over the loss of their possessions, not over the loss of their years—which never return." ~~ Traditional Proverb
If you do not aspire to great things, you will not achieve even little ones." ~~ Imre Binah
"When a man is able to take abuse with a smile, he is worthy to become a leader. " ~~ Nachman
Let not your hand be open wide to take, and clenched at a time of giving back! " ~~ Ben Sira
A man is praised upon his entry according to his attire, upon his departure according to his wit.
THE SHABBAT SMILE
|
An elderly Jewish man is sitting on a park bench reading Rev. Farrakhan's anti-white and anti-Jewish newspaper. His best friend walks by, sees the paper, and stops in shock.
"What are you doing reading that paper? You should be reading the Jewish Journal!"
The elderly man replies, "the Jewish Journal has stories about intermarriage, anti-Semitism, problems in Israel... all kinds of troubles for the Jewish people.
I like to read about good news."
"Farrakhan's paper says...
The Jews have all the money... the Jews control the press... the Jews control the banks... the Jews control Hollywood. At my age it's better to read nothing but good news!
"
|
In a large Florida city, the local rabbi developed quite a reputation for his sermons; so much so that everyone in the community came every Shabbos.
Unfortunately, one weekend a member had to visit Long Island for his nephew's Bar Mitzvah. But he didn't want to miss The Rabbi's sermon. So, he decided to hire a "Shabbos goy" to sit in the congregation and tape the sermon so he could listen to it when he returned. Other congregants saw what was going on, and they also decided to hire "Shabbos goys" to tape the sermon so they could play golf instead of going to shul.
Within a few weeks time there were 500 gentiles sitting in shul taping the Rabbi. The Rabbi got wise to this. The following Shabbos he, too, hired a Shabbos goy who brought a tape recorder to play his prerecorded sermon machines.
Witnesses said this marked the first incidence in history of "artificial insermonation."
An elderly Jewish lady approaches a man at a bus stop in Brooklyn.
She tugs on the sleeve of his coat and asks, "Farshtayn Yiddish?"
The man answers, "Yes, Ich Farshtay."
Elderly Lady: "Vot time is it?"
Walking through San Francisco's Chinatown, a tourist from the Midwest was fascinated with all the Chinese restaurants, shops, signs and banners. He turned a corner and saw a building with the sign "Moishe Plotnik's Chinese Laundry."
"Moishe Plotnik?" he wondered. "How does that fit in Chinatown? So he walked into the shop and saw a fairly standard looking Chinese laundry.
He could see that the proprietors were clearly aware of the uniqueness of the name as there were baseball hats, T-Shirts and coffee mugs emblazoned with the logo "Moishe Plotnik's Chinese Laundry." There was also a fair selection of Chinatown souvenirs, indicating that the name alone had brought many tourists into the shop. The tourist selected a coffee cup as a conversation piece to take back to his office. Behind the counter was a smiling old Chinese gentleman who thanked him for his purchase in English, thickly accented with Chinese. The tourist asked, "Can you tell me how this place got a name like "Moishe Plotnik's Chinese Laundry?" The old man answered, "Ahh... Everybody ask that. Is name of owner." Looking around, the tourist asked, "Is he here now?" "He is right here," replied the old man. "He is me." "Really? How did you ever get a name like Moishe Plotnik?" "Is simple," said the old man. "Many, many year ago when come to this country, was stand in line at Documentation Center. Man in front is Jewish gentleman from Poland. "Lady look at him and say, 'What your name?' " He say, 'Moishe Plotnik.' "Then she look at me and say, 'What your name?'
"I say, 'Sam Ting.'"
Un fils demande à son père :
– Papa ! C’est quoi un alcoolique ?
– Ben un alcoolique c’est quelqu’un qui va voir les choses en double. Tu vois par exemple ces 4 arbres là bas ? L’alcoolique lui en verra 8.
– Mais papa il n’y a que 2 arbres !
Un homme entre dans une bibliothèque et demande à la préposée :
- Madame, pouvez-vous m'aider à chercher un livre ?
- Certainement Monsieur, lequel ?
- Le titre est "L'homme, le maitre suprême sur terre “
La préposée répond :
- Les livres de science-fiction sont au sous-sol, Monsieur !
CHABBAT CHALOM
MAGHEN ABRAHAM
David Hasson
