Shabbat Chazon

Shabbat Chazon is in the midst of the Three Weeks, when we lament the Holy Temple's destruction and our subsequent exile.

Yet on this Shabbat, the Shabbat before the ninth of Av, Tisha B'Av, during the most serious time we celebrate Shabbat Chazon, literally "the Shabbat of vision". It is the day on which every Jew is afforded a spiritual glimpse, a vision, of the Third and Eternal Holy Temple, an edifice that will be infinitely superior to the two Holy Temples that preceded it.

This "vision" cannot be seen by our physical eyes, but it is perceived by our Jewish soul. The haftorah that we read on Shabbat Chazon warns of all the dire consequences to befall the Jewish people, but even as we listen, we simultaneously feel hope for and anticipation of the Messianic era.

We experience a combination of despair and joy of mourning and of faith.

The Torah provides us with a complete framework of laws that enables us to feel these two conflicting emotions. On the one hand, we engage in many practices "as a remembrance of the destruction." On the other hand, we are expected to await Moshiach's coming joyfully every day.

G-d wants us to feel the pain of the exile but we must never make peace with it, surrendering to our present condition. But G-d forbid that we should despair! Our joy is genuine in anticipation of the imminent Redemption. The Rebbe has told us that Moshiach is so close that we can sense his very presence. Is that not a reason to rejoice?
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Shabbat Shalom!

Shabbos Chazon - Vision - Coat.

"Here" said the father as he handed his son a package. "I made it just for you." The son opened the parcel to find a beautifully tailored coat. Its size, color and design were perfect. The son was overjoyed with the gift and he wore it proudly. It always reminded him of how much his father cared for him.

Then, one day, the son ruined the coat; it could not be mended. With eyes full of tears, and a sorrowful heart, he turned to his father.

The loving father forgave him. Soon, he presented his son with a new coat which was just as beautiful as the first. The son was very grateful and careful. He did not want to ruin this coat like the first.

But time passed, and the second coat became soiled as well. The son was very troubled when he saw that it could no longer be worn. "How many times will my father forgive me?" he wondered.

"I do have a third coat for you" the father told him after he saw what happened. "But this time, I will wait. I will not give it to you until you are ready for it. In the meantime, although you may not wear the coat, I will show it to you occasionally so that you can see what I have waiting for you."

This story is a parable.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev told this parable about Shabbat Chazon, the Shabbat before Tishah B'Av. Chazon means vision. He said that every Jew is shown a vision of the third and final Temple -- a vision that, to paraphrase the Talmud, "though we do not see ourselves, our souls see." G-d, our Father, allows His son, us, the Jewish people, to catch a glimpse of the third coat, the Third Beit HaMikdash.

Like the father, G-d is waiting to see that we are ready to receive this gift. We are preparing ourselves and the world around us, and we do not want to wait any longer for Mashiach to come and to rebuild the Third Beit HaMikdash. We must try very hard to show G-d that we are ready.

R'Chodesh Av. Passing of Aharon Hakohen

Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the Hebrew month of Av, is the passing of Aaron, brother of Moses and High Priest of the Jewish people for forty years.

When a tzaddik, a righteous person, passes from this world, all his or her spiritual achievements continue to have an effect in the realm of the living. They become a powerful source of blessing for all those "who follow in his way."

This means that if we study what Aaron stood for and emulate him to the best of our ability, we will benefit from Divine blessing in his merit. And a blessing from G‑d is always a good thing...

What was Aaron's teaching?

As is expressed in the first chapter of Ethics of the Fathers: "Be amongst the disciples of Aaron—loving peace, pursuing peace, loving ordinary folk and bringing them near to Torah."

The Sages tell us that Aaron devoted himself to carrying out the command "love your fellow" to the highest degree. The Midrash relates how he attracted people to the teachings of the Torah. He never got angry if people failed to meet the expectations of Jewish law. He would meet a person who was somewhat lacking in his observance of Judaism and greet him with a smile and a warm reception. On leaving, the man would think to himself: "If Aaron the High Priest greets me so warmly he must think I am a very worthy person. I must improve myself!"

In this way, simply through pleasantness and warmth, Aaron encouraged the Jews of his generation to feel close to the ideals of the Torah.Aaron worked to bring peace between people in general, and especially between husband and wife.

The Sages tell us it is through love of one's fellow that the Temple will be restored. By striving to be disciples of the chain of Sages reaching back to Aaron and Moses in the past, we will bring the Redemption.

Feathers in the wind....

The Three Weeks between the Seventeenth of Tamuz and the Ninth of Av are Three Weeks of introspection over the destruction of the Holy Temples and yearning for the third Holy Temple, it is appropriate to increase in acts of kindness, including making sure that what we say and how we say it, is filled with love.

Lashon Hara - literally, evil talk. Gossip, rumor, hearsay. Talking behind someone's back. Revealing secrets. Betraying a confidence. However we describe it, lashon hara can be one of the most destructive, harmful things we can do. Not only if the words are true, but especially if the words are true.

There's a famous story about a villager who loved to gossip. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't help himself. It got to the point where people stopped talking to him. Even innocent remarks were turned into something scandalous.

Finally, he approached the rabbi of the town, "Rabbi," the man said, "I know it's wrong, I know it's harmful, but I just can't stop. Help me," he begged.

"Go home", said the Rabbi "and bring back a pillow stuffed with feathers".

The man did as told. The Rabbi then handed a large knife to the man and instructed him to slit open the pillow.

The man obeyed and before he knew it, feathers were flying everywhere, swirling around him, carried in all directions by the wind.

"Now," the rabbi commanded sternly, "bring back the feathers. Restuff the pillow."

The man looked around, mouth open. When he heard the rabbi's order and saw the severity on the rabbi's face, he started to cry.

"I can't," he sobbed. "There are so many feathers. They have gone so far. Who knows where they are, where they went?"

"Exactly so," said the rabbi gently. "Exactly so. Gossip, slander, rumor - even if true, especially if true, lashon hara scatters to the wind going we know not where, touching we know not who. How much easier to keep our own knife - our tongue - sheathed and not have to restuff the pillow."

Beit Hamikdash - THE GATE OF NIKANOR

When a man, by the name of Nikanor, heard about the magnificent restoration of the second Holy Temple he wanted with all his heart to join in the great work and make his own contribution to G-d's House.

He decided that he would have two huge copper gates constructed to lead from the courtyard to the Holy Temple itself. And so Nikanor traveled to Egypt, the center of copper work, to commission and oversee the job.

The gates were of gigantic dimensions and the work was slow and painstaking. Nikanor could hardly wait to see his beautiful gates become a part of the Holy Temple. At long last the gates were loaded aboard a ship and on their way to the Land of Israel. Suddenly, a terrible storm blew up. Enormous waves crashed against the sides of the ship until it was filled with water and about to sink.

The panicked captain ran to Nikanor, pleading, "You must agree to throw at least one of your gates overboard. We need to lighten the ship's load and they are the heaviest part of our cargo. If we are to have a chance to survive, they must go."

Nikanor wouldn't hear of it. He clung to the doors with all of his strength. Soon, however, even he could see that his protests were futile. Nikanor watched in horror as they cast one of the enormous doors overboard. But the waves continued and the ship began to take water once again.

There was no choice. The sailors were about to throw the second gate overboard when Nikanor cried out in anguish, "If you throw this overboard, you will have to throw me, too! I will not be parted from it!" But the sailors seized the one remaining door and with all their might they cast it into the sea. And the sea quieted.

Nikanor scanned the sea and there, floating out on the smooth waters, was the gate, sparkling like gold in the sunlight. By some miracle it had not sunk into the deep, but was floating its way to the Holy Land. Nikanor couldn't contain his great happiness. The gate arrived the same time the ship docked. A few days later the other door also made its way to the shores of Akko to join its mate.

The two doors were transported with great celebration, to Jerusalem where they were installed in a place of honor, in the eastern wall opposite the Holy of Holies. The gateway which they occupied was given the name "The Gate of Nikanor."