MODESTY

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well

Mazal Tov to Sid Davidoff on his birthday next week. It has been so long since we have seen each other Sid! Wishing you a happy and healthy year and love to Elaine and the rest of your Family.

Mazal Tov to Nechama Dina Davidoff (Nini) on her birthday next week. Wishing you a great year with your growing Family Nechama Dina, and with much happiness and nachas!

Mazal Tov to Moshe Kehaty on his birthday at the end of next week. Continue to give your parents and all of us much nachas Moshe, and have a wonderful year with much growth BEH.

In last week’s Sedra we see how Bilam tried on 4 occasions to curse and destroy the Jewish People, but on each occasion Hashem turned his words into blessings, and he returned home unsuccessful BH.

But he did not give up!

In Talmud Sanhedrin 106a, we learn how Bilam cunningly contrives an intricate plot to trap and destroy the Jewish men, and in the process the whole Jewish People.

He advises Balak *“That the G-d of these people hates promiscuity*” and he advises Balak with a strategy on how to get the Midianite and Moabite women to entice the Jewish men with harlotry into immorality and serving idols.

And this plot was almost successful, and caused a plague, which caused the death of 24000 Jews, until Pinchas intervened with his zealotry. As it says in this week’s Sedra V 25:10,11, “Pinchas the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon HaKohen, caused my anger to be withdrawn from against the Children of Israel……..” and the plague was halted.

This narrative between Bilam and the Midianite and Moabite women, illustrates how immodesty and promiscuity was weaponised explicitly to strip the Jewish People of their spiritual protection, and serves as the starkest contrast to the Jewish concept of TZNIUT (MODESTY) – ie how one dresses and behaves

I saw 2 other sources about modesty as follows:

· The Midrash teaches that there is nothing Hashem loves more dearly than modesty. Psikta Ravti 46:1

· The Zohar uses remarkable terms to describe the importance of modesty , and promises generous brachos to a woman who does so, and to her family as well. Based on this the Rebbe promised many brachos for tznius, including health, income, having children, having nachas from children and grandchildren, and finding suitable husbands. The Rebbe contrasts any temporary discomfort involved, to the everlasting brachos a woman will receive for generations to come, and questions how anyone could act otherwise. (Chapters entitled Bas Melech Penima)

Gut Shabbos and Gut Chodesh to all!