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Matot Newsletter any times he told his talmidim we may be able the Arizal to avert the decree. He immediately BS”D would take sent his student Rav Chaim Kohen his students out to with some money to the poor schol- the elds where ar’s home with instructions that he THE they would sit pray to annul the decree. Indeed around him while when Rav Chaim arrived at R’ Yaakov’s he taught them the hidden secrets of home he found him weeping bitterly the Torah. Once in the middle of his about his dicult lot. Rav Chaim then shiur he suddenly stopped and told him that the Arizal had sent him NEWSLETTER exclaimed “I just heard it decreed in to help and to ask R’ Yaakov to pray to PARASHAT MATOT-MASEI ב‘ אב תשע”ה the Heavens that a terrible plague of annul the decree. When Rav Chaim Locusts will descend upon the city of returned, the Arizal said to him July 17-18 2015 Candle lighting 8:06 Tzefat that will destroy all the grain in “Baruch Hashem the decree was the elds”. When his students asked annulled”. Later on while they were n our Parasha we read The same thing with the why this decree was made, he still learning the sky suddenly about the tribes of Reuven, Divrei Torah tribe of Gad. Leah gave her explained that there is a very poor darkened and a huge cloud of locust Gad and half the tribe of on maid servant Zilpah to Torah scholar in the city named R’ began descending down upon the Menashe who approached Parashat Hashavua Yaakov without his knowl- Yaakov who is presently crying bitter- city. But the Arizal calmed everyone Moshe Rabbenu with an edge and thus the child ly that he has no food to feed his saying “don’t worry nothing will unusual request. They were willing to conceived, Gad, was also from the wrong family with. R’ Yaakov’s tears pierced happen you will see”. Indeed a short relinquish their tribal share in Eretz intention. Half the tribe of Menashe had the very Heavens and caused this while later a huge wind began to Yisrael if they would be given the fertile a different problem. Their grandfather lush countries of Sichon and Og (Syria Yosef Hatzadik married a woman named decree upon the townspeople who blow and blew the cloud of locusts and Jordan in today’s geographical map) Osnat. This woman was the daughter of are not taking care of him. If we hurry away into the sea. bordering Eretz Yisrael that the Dina (the daughter of Yaakov Avinu) Jewish People had just conquered. who conceived from the evil he makam for this week Parashat Matot-Masei is Initially Moshe refused but then Shechem who forcibly abducted Dina makam “Nahawand”. The tune follows a trend of after demanding certain conditions and caused her to become pregnant soft lilting music touched with a slight tinge of he agreed and indeed these from him. When Osnat was born sadness to it (perhaps as a reection of the terrible three tribes ended up settling Yaakov sent her away to Mitzray- suering of our people during these three weeks). outside of Eretz Yisrael. This im where she eventually incident needs extensive expla- married Yosef. Therefore, even The name of this makam originates from the city called “Nahavand” in Northern nation. First of all why did they though Yosef was of completely Iran. As with most of the main Makams the names originate from the various wish to settle outside of Eretz pure descent since Osnat was dierent Middle Eastern countries that composed that specic tone of singing. Yisrael, didn’t they realize the not due to her evil father The makam for next week Parashat Devarim (Shabbat Chazon) will be makam great qualities of living in the Shechem, when they had their “Chigaz”. The name for this makam originates from a district in Arabia called holy land? And also, why these two children Menashe and three tribes specifically and Ephraim, the first son Menashe Chigaz. In fact the saddest of all the makamim is Chigaz. The reason this particu- why only half of Menashe? was of mixed powers. Half of lar makam is used for this week is because it will set the tone of great sadness The holy Arizal gives an him was pure and holy but the for the upcoming day of Tisha B’Av. Its beautiful haunting-like tone can inspire astounding insight to under- other half was impure stemming a wave of sadness and emotional weeping for the entire congre- stand the true explanation for from the evil Shechem. His gation. It is read on all sad occasions, most notably on fast this story. He explains that in brother Ephraim though was days and Tisha B’Av. Interestingly enough some of fact it was because the land was s o completely pure. the tunes that are used by Sephardic holy, these three tribes felt unworthy to Says the holy Arizal, to receive a portion weddings are also makam Chigaz. settle there. The tribe of Reuven had a and to live in Eretz Yisrael one needed to spiritual failing because when Yaakov first be completely holy and pure. Ephraim This is in accordance with the married Leah he thought he was marry- was able to get a complete portion in Halacha which requires remem- ing Rachel and his holy concentrations Eretz Yisrael like the rest of the Shevatim bering the Churban Bet Hamik- were to have a child from Rachel. Thus but Menashe was only able to receive dash at every happy occasion. the child who Leah conceived that night half. The impure half inside of him had to (Reuven) had a certain spiritual defect get their portion outside of Eretz Yisrael. W� ��� ����� �� ������ ��� ������ ���� �� ���� ������� ��� being born from “the wrong intention”. Amazing! S�������� ���� ���� S������ ���� ����� ������� B����� H�����. I� ��� ����� ���� �� ������� ��� ���� ���� �������� ��� �������� A project of Sephardic Torah Center of Marine Park 1950 Kimball Street �����, ������ ����� �� �� ������������������������.���. For comments or to receive the newsletter please call 718-490-0043 or email [email protected] osh one should not he 5th day and begin Chodesh eat meat or of the Yom Azkarah (Yahrtzeit) teaching kab- Av: This wine until after Friday marked The Nine Days the tenth of Av. month of of Sephardic Sages bala to the the beginning of the “Nine Days”. This is because the Bet Hamikdash Av marks the worthy schol- The Nine Days begin with Rosh continued burning all through the Yahrtzeit of one of greatest ars that were there. In Tzefat Chodesh Av and continue until after tenth of Av as well. However the Kabbalists of all time “the he met his prime student Tisha B’Av. One of the prohibitions Ashkenazim follow the lenient of the Nine Days is to abstain from opinion of the Rama who says that holy Arizal” - Rabbenu Rabbi Cham Vital zt”l and eating meat and drinking wine. one only needs to abstain until Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi zt”l. began teaching him. His stay There is considerable discussion in Chatzot (midday) of the tenth of Av. He was born in 1540 to his in Tzefat however did not halacha if the actual day of Rosh But this year, because we are fasting father Harav Shelomo in the last long. After only a year Chodesh Av is included in this or on the tenth of Av itself, all agree holy city of Yerusha- and ten months the not. On one hand Rosh Cho- that we can eat meat desh is usually the next day. layim. Eventually Arizal was niftar in considered a Kiddush and Havdala: though upon his the year 1578 at the Yom Tov but On Shabbat during father’s early death age of 38. The on the other the nine days howev- he moved to Alex- Arizal did not hand maybe er, it is permitted to andria, Egypt record his teach- the month of eat meat and wine in Av is an excep- honor of Shabbat. where he soon ings but his tion as it is the Rabbi Yosef Karo Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (Chida) However with Havda- became known as a student Rav Chaim yahrtzeit of lah on wine after Shabbat there brilliant scholar and Vital spent the next Aharon Hakohen and it is is a big controversy. The a holy tzaddik. He fty years record- the month that such terri- Sephardim follow the ruling of got married at age fteen ing and editing his Rebbi’s ble tragedies happened to the Shulchan Aruch who rules our People . The Ashke- leniently that it is permitted but and began a period of unin- teachings into writing. Rav nazim follow the ruling of the Ashkenazim follow the terrupted learning for Chaim’s son Rav Shemuel Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer the Mishna Berura who Rama who is more stringent almost twenty years. During Vital nally published the writes that Rosh Chodesh is includ- and says to give it to a young boy these years he merited to sefer entitled Etz Chaim. This ed in the Nine Days. But the (seven or eight years old) to drink. Sephardim follow the more lenient study almost daily with Eliya- sefer has become the most ruling of the Chida and the Ben Ish Shaving, Haircuts, Showers and hu Hanavi who basic and authentic The Rama quotes the Chai that Rosh Chodesh Av is not Laundry: custom of the the Ashkenazim to revealed to him the work on Kabbalah included in this prohibition (see abstain from doing all of these greatest secrets of and is used world- Yalkut Yosef and Ohr Letzion).
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