Recap for 24 Tamuz 5775 (Parsha Pinchas)

This Shabbos was a special Shabbos, as a Kiddush was held for the yahrzeit of David’s father, HaRav Natan Ben HaRav Shmuel (aka Dr. George N Schlesinger). Last Shabbos David led a discussion of some of his father’s work. Much of what we discuss and learn every Shabbos originates from Dr. Schlesinger.

We also discussed this Shabbos the current time period we are in. It is not yet the month of Av, however we are in the 3 week period prior to the 9th of Av. It is believed that this is not the best time of year for us. It is believed that we are more likely to encounter difficulties this time of year, and that this is built into nature and our world. Having said this, it is important to remember that Hashem is always here to comfort us and perhaps this can be the time of year in which we most appreciate Hashem’s comfort.

We discussed how we refrain from certain activities this time of year. These activities include having weddings, shaving, getting haircuts, and playing live music. However, there are exceptions and it is best to consult one’s rabbi before making any decisions.

We discussed the analogy between this time of year and mourning a loss. We discussed how we mourn the loss of the temple in a way that is analogous to mourning the loss of a loved one. The periods of time with respect to mourning the loss of the temple are: the 3 weeks, the 9 days, the week of the 9th of Av, and the 9th of Av itself. The periods of time with respect to mourning the loss of a loved one are the Shiva period, the 30 day period, and the year.

We discussed how Shabbos interrupts any period of mourning, either with respect to the 3 week period, or with respect to a shiva.   On Shabbos, we desire to be in a joyous, non-mourning state.  However when we are in private there are situations in which we may continue to mourn. In particular, if the 9th of Av falls on a Shabbos, we discussed how we would refrain from marital relations on this date.

When the 9th of Av falls on a Shabbos, we push it off until the next day. We discussed whether pushing Shabbos off for one day would result in a “week of” which includes 8 days or a "week of" which includes just 1. Regardless of whether the “week of” includes the prior week or not, on Shabbos we do not want to show any outward signs of mourning. We discussed how this would apply to a shiva as well, as we do not sit shiva over Shabbos.

This Shabbos we discussed how in the past, there were certain cases in which we could take the law into our own hand and take the life of someone who was committing a sin, such as have inappropriate relations with someone in public. However, we discussed how we no longer do this anymore, as it is no longer necessary to prevent consequences for our behavior such as earthquakes and floods, with the way Hashem remains hidden.

In order to preserve free will, hashem remains hidden and there is no longer a direct and consistent cause and affect between our behavior and consequences. If someone doing something wrong were immediately punished, this would take away our free will.

Also this Shabbos, Seth talked about how the jews have overcome a lot to be where we are today. We did not rely on government handouts, or spend a lot of energy and time blaming others. We focused on our goals and have become a strong and successful people.

Finally, please join us next week as we commemorate the yahrzeit of Ira’s dad.