LOVING FELLOW JEWS

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Wishing refuah shleimah for Yechezkiel ben Ester.

Mazal Tov to Devorah Leah on her upcoming birthday. Wishing you a wonderful year Devorah Leah with much nachas from all of your children, and much success with their chinuch, all with much joy.

There is an interesting verse in this week's Sedra Matos/Maasei which I would like to share.

The verse is 33:38, and I believe that it is the only place in the Torah which mentions the exact date of someone' passing.

And the verse says about the date of Aharon's passing "...in the 40th year after the Children of Yisrael went out of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first of the month."

And the next verse says that Aharon was 123 years old (3 years older than his brother, Mosheh Rabeinu).

This means that Aharon passed away on Rosh Chodesh Av.

Our Sedra this week always falls close to Rosh Chodesh Av. This year it is going to be this coming Shabbos.

And Rosh Chodesh Av, and Tisha BeAv represent the period of mourning for the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the cause of which was BASELESS HATRED FOR FELLOW JEWS.

What then is the connection between Aharon Hakohen and the baseless hatred of Fellow Jews?

It is said of Aharon Hakohen in Pirkei Avos "He was ohev shalom, rodef shalom, ohev es habriyos, umekarevan la Torah." - He loved PEACE, he pursued PEACE, he LOVED PEOPLE, and he BROUGHT THEM CLOSE TO TORAH.

This is the exact antidote which is needed to counter the baseless hatred, which brought about the destruction of the Second Temple.

And that is why Torah highlights, in such an unusual way, the death of Aharon, which is always mentioned at this time of the year, near Rosh Chodesh AV.

Wishing all a Gut Shabbos and Gut Chodesh, and the rebuilding of the 3rd Beit Hamikdash, even before Tisha BeAv this year!