Modern Masters: Rosh Chodesh Av | Rabbi Sam Shor | July 14 2026

tomorrow will mark and we know that um the mish that we're all familiar with the end of tus that we're all familiar with we're taught and therefore this date of is the beginning of the period that we call the nine days it's referred to as the nine days leading up to tishab these are typically looked at as the saddest days on the Jewish calendar days where We refrain from eating meat, drinking wine, shaving, taking haircuts. Some of us already extend the min of not shaving throughout the three weeks. For me, my personal min is I shave on a shabas during the three weeks. Um actually saw a beautiful a beautiful interview with with Salvichek of Shemish this week, the grandson of Ravaron Salvichek. And he said in in the name of Raaron Salvetric, not only if one normally shaves on aros shabas is a mut to shave on on aros shabas during the three weeks. He says in the name of his grandfather Rabar Salvatri that's how that one probably should shave on a shabas during these three weeks. Um our min has always been that we shave on every shabas during three weeks except for shabas ar shabas kazone and then we take the the beard from there. Everyone has different mhogen. Okay. But at any rate, these days traditionally in the annals of Jewish life are days of of reflection and and and certainly days of of mourning the the the mourning the loss of the bate mikdash and everything else. We've experienced difficult days in Jewish history. And we know that this past Shabas in par m we were introduced to the fact that there's another significance to this date of and that is what that it's the date of the passing of Arono. Okay. And this morning be I really want to focus on that confluence of of these days being of being the beginning of the nine days. being the beginning of the nine days and this period of reflection and mourning and also the confluence of the fact and the maybe you could say the the the precursor the foreshadowing that these days were going to be significant by the Torah telling us that Aron Cohen the great great peacemaker of the Jewish people left this world on the date of of Roshadesh Manakam. So that's what I I want to reflect on that that uh that confluence today and speak about specifically both the legacy of Aaron Cohen as well as what message there might be for us eternally in the fact that the passing of Aron Cohen coincides with this date of roles a which begins this period of the 90 days. Okay, so we're going to just jump right in on our sheets. The famous Mishna in in in Pyavos that we all know of Hill tells us that we should be like the students of Oal the who was O shalom he loved. Now we translate the word shalom is peace but the zor kesh tells us of course that shalom is what one of the names of Hashem. Okay. So you could translate this Mishna say that he loved peace the road of peace and he chased as after peace or you could translate that he loved when he was the p ultimate example of what it means to be an oem shalom and to chase after to to to seek a relationship with the reono shalom oriots. He loved humanity, other people and he strove to bring them closer to Torah. Okay. So, we're going to come back to this idea. What does it mean to be of the students of Aram and to emulate the midos of Aron? Now, when we were told a few weeks ago in paras, we were introduced to the fact of Aram leaving the world. Okay. The first mention of the death of is in the Torah tells us that Moshe removed the big from and he put those begazar the son of Aon and Aron passed away there before that's what we're told in parat but in past week Sedra again a few week fast forward three weeks and his past week Sedra okay para mass the second of our two pariote we're told if you take a look at text number three on our sheets went up to the the the the peak of the mountain and as instructed him let it so ah so the first new wrinkle that we're given is What? That when did Aaron die? In the 40th year after the Jewish people departed from Israel. Meaning that what Aaron dies shortly before the Jewish people are going to enter into Eric is okay. He's it's like he's finished his mission to get help get the Jewish people this far. And that's when Hashem decides that's it. Okay, you're going to leave this world. But then it continues and it tells us the specific date. the fifth month the first day of fifth month which of course is the first day of so first of all there are two questions that are classically asked that we're going to begin to address together this morning number one why did the Torah need to repeat the the passing of iron why not tell us that our passed on the on the fifth day of the on the first day of the fifth month when we're told of his passing the first time in parat why is it repeated here in par and the second question is why is it that is that the Torah itself spells out for us and communicates to us the date of his passing of his yard now we we know the yardite of other great sadikim in the Torah we know probably the most famous yard date is Zion Adar which is Mosherenu's yard site but it's never spelled out for us specifically in the Torah that That's the date that Mosha this world we we we get that from various okay inte the Torah doesn't spell out the exact date of anyone's petira except for whose and the question is why so we're gonna come back to all these questions and of course this is our of course modern masters so we're gonna learn together from a number of modern masters today. So the first modern master we're going to learn from today is Rabbi Abramshaw. Rabbi Ramshaw and his beautiful Leu. He of course is the son of Rabbi Gadaleshaw. Some of you may have heard that name. A very very famous rashiva at the end of the 20th century. He was the Russian vadas. So it's actually Rabb Ramshaw put together the famous safer of his father's teaching or Daly Yahu and Rabb Ramshaw's own teachings are called collected in a series of sur called which I have here one volume here and you can see on text number four on your sheets that Rabbi Ramshaw points out something very interesting about the Mishna that we began with to be of the students of of of Aron text number four Matsazal Oh say that there's a connection to be drawn between the legacies of Abraham Au and Bishn and Katiba Mishna both regarding each of them the Mishna both both in both cases here in Pyavos tell us that we're what meant to be amongst the students of Aon and Abraham. Okay. The students of to be of the students of is communicated here in our Mishna and to be of the students of the Mishna tells us to use that expression later on in the fifth chapter of Perkyos. So the opening chapter we're told we should be of the students of Aaron and in the fifth chapter we're told to be of the students of Ara. Okay. Okay. So now the continues. All right. And it's already been pointed out in the holy work was the rebi of a rabinit who lived into the beginning of the 20th century and he was a great polishic sage. It seems says the rebi redsk that the Mishna says to be of the students of aon. It also says to be of the students of Abraham, it must mean that what the two of them are somehow connected. Their legacies, their messages are similar and connected. Abraham, we know what was the life's work. The great characteristic of what? >> No, that's not what he says here. It says shame to publicize the awareness of God. Araino is the first Kiru professional in the history of humanity who goes around teaching the world that there's one God and that we can have a relationship with that one God to bring humanity close to Hashem. And this was also the great life's work of Aron. And that's why regarding both of them, the Mishna uses the same language that we shall be what amongst their students. We should learn from their ways. And what does that mean? That we should learn from their ways. Okay? And just as they strove to bring every single nama they came in contact with to recognize that there's one true God and to bring them to have a relationship with Hashem. So too, we are charged to be their students. And therefore, the people that we interact with, we are charged with that sacred mission to what? To bring people closer to Hashem. It's not just the great rabbis of the generation. It's not the unique individuals of the generation, but every single Jew, we are told to be of the students of Aon and Abraham. We have to emulate their ways. And if they strove their entire life to bring people closer to Hashem and to develop within amongst people who may not have had that relationship with God initially, an awareness of Hashem and a relationship with Hashem, then we are given that same sacred charge. our and therefore even us in our lowly generation the days leading up to Mashiach that we too have the capacity to indeed be their students to make a difference in this world the world in this in our generation where it seems people have such dissonance with godliness with holiness with kaduca We have an opportunity to be a conduit to restore that awareness to the entire world and that's our sacred mission and therefore we're told to be of the students both of Aron Cohen and Arainu who both personified this unending and unwavering commitment to bringing others to an awareness of the shalom and to bring them close to hash. Yes, you had a question. >> Not just >> we're going to get to that in a minute. Yes. Shak. Okay. So, our next our next modern master we're going to learn from is Rabbi Schlomma Zaman Harowitz. Rabbi Schlomma Zam Haritz was lovingly referred to as the Pakar Rev. He was a dion in a community um in Poland known as Pik and he was actually Muas. He is a direct descendant all the way back to the Benta of Makadesh. And even though he himself was not an Odmore before the war, he was a Dian. He was a hakic authority. He survived the war and end the shaw and end up on the lower east side of Manhattan where he became very much close to remos the both in ter of his knowledge as well as his greatness and holiness and actually encouraged him that he as a descendant of the balento he should really take on the mantle of being an adborah calling himself a reba and but the pakar wanted none of that. He didn't want to see himself in that capacity of, you know, taking fitlak or giving bra. He basically lived the last few decades of his life as a rebel of a small little on the lower east side. And those that knew who he was that he had been a giant before the shawah um came to form a kabura around him. Among those who were part of the on the lower east side that formed around was my my illustrious father-in-law Rabbi Mosha Snow whom some of you have met here and learned with and uh Rabbi Snow was a young a young man growing up in the lower east side he often davened in this in the panbo on the lower east side. After the pakar left this world, his family published both his the story of his life as well as his kadushi two volumes of other two volumes known as the safer base aro not to be confused with the the more famous safer the same name of the the great rebon rabbi aon of ken the carina rebi not to be confused u but this safe uh unfortunately is not as wellknown as it should Again, this Reb was very humble and lived in relative obscurity the last few decades of his life, even though he' been a major guttle in Europe. And there are not too many people that actually own the safeair. As far as I know, I know three people that actually own the safe. I'm sure there are many more, but my father-in-law of course who who was a uh you know a student of this rabbi and my brother-in-law, Rabbi Sharer Yablonsky, who's a principal of the RJ Yeshiva in Staten Island, and myself because Sharer and I each got this safer as a gift from our father-in-law. So, those are the three people I know have this. A matter of fact, when I travel to America, you know, sometimes when you're traveling, you're going on going out to give, you know, scholar residence, gigs, whatever. So, you think about which spar you need to bring with you. When I go to America, I know I don't have to bring the safer. Why? Because I usually spend a day in in Edison with my or or in Lakewood with my either of those family members who both have the safer. Anyways, say let's let's take a look. Tax number five. Tax number five. This is the we have to explain the and try to understand why does the Torah come out and spec give us the specific date and what is the significance of that date that left this world onesh and more than that why this is our initial question right more than that why does the Torah specify and tell us the exact date you know something it doesn't do for any of the aos any of the imos and not even for so now he continues and you can ask even further even more so this is the opening question that we began with right why is this date okay number one why is it repeated that Aro passed away in para mass when we're first told that he passed away in paruk and why is the specific date of his passing only given here in the second account of his passing and not in the initial account of his passing and why specifically here in param which describes the sojour the 40 years of wandering and all all the all the stops we made during that sojourn in the desert. Okay. So now the pedic is going to begin to explain this and begin to answer these questions. And we it appears that hidden within this or encrypted within this story is a practical lesson for us. We know that this month of the days of we recall what the destruction twice of both and what was the reason why the B mikdash was destroyed teach us it was destroyed because of what all right unarranted hatred but what does represent R represents shalom >> okay unity peace unity tranquility is the exact antithesis of means the polar opposite of all right and therefore shalom and his entire life's work was what to fix and prevent hatred from become becoming manifest amongst the Jewish people and that is the connection okay of's passing being tied specifically to this month of that if it's true that the came during this month of a It must be for the reason that what that the the merit and the character traits of Aon that Aon represents departed from the Jewish people. Okay. Aron not only was there unity when he was around but it stayed with us for a while. When a when a leader of that stature leaves this world, okay, it yes, there's a void that's filled, but people in the initial generations after his passing, they still his legacy still echoed very loud, very clear and and very loudly amongst the Jewish people. But eventually what happened a few centuries later, what was lost? Ifan became rampant amongst the Jewish people, it means that what at that point the legacy of Aoncoin had been forgotten amongst the Jewish people and therefore the to as a foreshadowing that all this was going to happen as a foreshadowing. The Torah tells us what that when did leave this world? When did everything he represent depart from this world? From this date of kesh a beginning of the month of A. Okay. Okay. And therefore it reminds the Jewish people that his passing on this time at Kav is a symbol as a foreshadowing that what what's going to happen the is going to happen because what we stopped walking in his path we stopped emulating his ways and now he's going to bring this all together and that's true says now we can understand why the date of his passing is spelled out specifically ly now during paramas in the midst of all those mas all the sojourns the journeying the wandering that we did for those 40 years in the desert. Why? What were the m what does that wandering represent? Seelut it represents the Jewish people going into exile wandering. And what was the reason why we had to wander and go into galut? Not just during those 48 years, but why did we end up going to the galut that we're still experiencing? Because the Jewish people eventually left the ways departed from the ways of peace, the ways of and that's what it in turn caused us to wander through all of our exiles. And therefore the Torah gives us the date of Aon's passing as we enter into these days where we recall the loss of the all the destruction and all the galot all the wandering all the exiles of the Jewish people were told what of the passing of Aram. So we can maybe reflect what's a yard site all about. A yard site's about reflecting on the legacy of that individual. It's not just about lighting a candle and it's not just about dedicating learning that person's memory. It's about reflecting and learning from that person's legacy, okay? And everything that person did in this world. And therefore, as we enter these days where we reflect on the on the destruction, the loss and and these days that most of our heads are days of mourning, okay, and things that that that we're missing. We're reminded what of the legacy of Arai. And perhaps you could say that we're reminded that it's not just enough to look at these days as days of mourning and reflection, but rather we need to look at these days as days of opportunity. If we want to make a difference, if we want to see ourselves not sitting on low chairs, okay, and fasting on this tishov, we have nine days ahead of us where there days of opportunity to change our mitz, to change our reality, to make a difference in this world, to make a difference in our lives. And the Torah gives us the recipe. The Torah gives us a hint says the pakar by telling us that who p who left this world on roesh a okay whose presence departed on this day which ultimately tells us that the reason why all the tragedies that befell us in these days of is because we lost sight of that legacy the legacy of our and therefore we were reminded the Torah spells it out for us that is his yard site and that We're just as we when we recall yard of a loved one and we recall all the happy ties and all the beautiful memories and all that we learn from that person on the yard side of Claus has the opportunity to be reminded what be of the students of you want to see a transformation of these days from sitting on low chairs and mourning the so we have an opportunity unity to fix that situation. How do we do that? By being of the students of our hakawi o shalom the road shalom says the okay let's move on. So building on this a little further, we're going to learn from our next modern master of Rabbi Israel of Kajnit, a great master who made aliyah to Eric is in 1928. He's one of we've learned from his him far many times in this in this series. He's actually the brother-in-law of the PSS, the Rebi, the Rebi, the Hodesesh. And uh we're just going to jump right into it for the sake of time. We're gonna just jump right into his text and he and he quotes our etc. And now he's going to ask the question. We always read in the before. Okay? Because why? Because Shabbakazone is always parim which means para m whether it's mas together or whether it's just m on its own par is always read on the shabas before roes and and he says this is not just random there's no coincidence there's a reason for this so the rebi continues there's an etern an internal connection that exists between these days of Roshesh and ringing and the and and the shabas before it and the cre of always falling out beforehare as our sages have already taught us just we spoke about a few moments ago the second temple was destroyed because of shalom and as we learn the new the shalom is great. Listen to this sh that even if those who are engaged in idolatry and there is shalom there is unity amongst them mean they they get along with each other. It's as if what is the what what happens if there's unity you're protected even if you're over a what wow it's an unbelievable okay many time we see over and over again right so so then he continu so how do we understand this okay that even if the Jewish people transgress the only reason the only reason why they were Even they transgress if they hadn't transgressed sorry if the pe if the Jewish people did not sin once against their fellow if they were not mean to one another or not kind to one another then what we wouldn't have gone into gullis the reason why I went to gullis is because we transgressed okay so and even Even though they may have had transgressions between them and God in terms of their transgressions against God that hap they were that we got punished for here here where we are in Israel we didn't have to go to gullis but what caused us to go to gullis says our >> our lack of our our lack of following through us. Okay. and and therefore we read of the passing of and his yard site during these days where we're focused on remembering the parin that's why we read this para now because his yard site falls during these days in order to what to solidify in our hearts the character traits of who loved peace and pursue peace. And if we're able to do that, then we will contribute to fixing that transgression of and through that merit we will merit to what? come back home to Erit Israel as we began our journey. Okay, beautiful idea from the from the uh kajbi. We're now going to learn a a beautiful idea that Rabbi Barak Simon in his beautiful in his incredible safe I barak shares a powerful teaching in the name of Rosalvich text number seven and Ralvich is going to help bring this all together and he says the following is what's the primary role of the coain as defined by Rabbi Salvich, what's the primary role to be a malame Torah Israel. Now it's very interesting because most of us when we think about the role of the we think about whatos look what says here that the essential role of the coen is what was what to teach because let's face it the work that he did in the mikdash the amishar And according to the Mishmar, every every coin had had a term in which they they they served in the Bikash, right? So what was that term? How long did that Mish last? Every Mishar was approximately two weeks in length. Which means that two weeks of the year, each Cohen had an assignment to actually be engaged in the sacrificial right in the B mikdash. So what were those kohhanim doing? It was a rotation every okay every two weeks there was a new group of kohhan that came in. So what were those kohadin doing the rest of the year? Ask salvich. What was their tkid throughout the rest of the year? If they're only doing offering the carbos for two weeks mdash, what were they doing the rest of the year? Oh, so listen to the run's words. Their sacred mission the rest of the year was what? To speak words of Torah. To teach words of Torah. And that's why the midot of and subsequently his descendants are the midot of what? Seeking peace, loving peace and seeking peace. Listen to this beautiful idea from because how is made manifest through the discussions back and forth of friends sitting and learning and sharing to the beauty of Torah with one another. And that can only happen if what? If we get along with one another and there is peace and tranquility amongst us. We hate our fellow Jew, then we're not going to share Torah with them. We're going to be we're not going to want to sit and learn with them. Now, let's bring this all together. our second and again ties this all together for us. He says, "Therefore, that's why that's why at this point the Torah tells us the date of Aram's passing." Specifically, it's given to us here in this account of our of all the sojourns of the 40 years of wandering which represents the Jewish people in galus that to remind us that only if we are aware and contemplate the reason for why we went into Galut and and and why the B mdash was destroyed during this month. It's because what the value is represented by Auron departed from the Jewish people and that's represented by his physical partying from this world during during this time during these days. Okay? And what were those values? The only way that we're going to be able to be to truly learn is what? when there's unity because how is transmitted? By sharing the beauty of Torah with our friends and people in unity. And that's the only thing that what sustains us has sustained the Jewish people throughout our 2,000 years of galut. And so too, sister Salvich here at Tom B, that through our gathering together to learn Torah, that we will soon usher in the vision, the ultimate vision of of coming together, what we call kibut's galuts, of the bringing together home of the exiles, the galot with the ultimate in gathering of coming together to our land, to our holy land, with the coming of Mashia. speedily in our days. I want to close with three last ideas that are not on your sheets. Okay. The p that immediately follows our p we've been learning all morning that tells us the date of a coin's passing is thisan that thean the our enemies heard about what has transpired for the Jewish people heard about that the Jewish people are about to enter into the land and rashi in a famous comment tells us what is it they heard Okay. What is it that they heard? They heard of Aaron's passing. And why was that an important piece of information that the other nations of the world seemed to be excited about that they heard and they and they and they realized something from this? What did it teach them? Oh, that what happened? The Jewish people were now susceptible throughout the entire 40 years. We're told that the Jewish people were wandering in the desert. What protected them? what was and what escorted them the ananavode the anaode the the clouds of glory and the garuk tells us that the clouds of glory escort the Jewish people through the scoot of irono okay that it's only because merit that the Jewish people warranted to have that levoy that spiritual protection of the anaote And when they heard that had passed away, they intuited what that must mean that what's going to disappear the and therefore they realize what the Jewish people are now susceptible and they realize that now it's the time to come and attack the Jewish people and that's why his passing is reiterated here when we talk about all the the mas the sojours and everything that you that fell upon the Jewish people during those 40 years of wandering. It's at this point that what we realize that they became susceptible to harm. So the pakar who we heard from earlier and a beautiful Torah for sukas that we share every year in our sukah he speaks about that gamarra the gamarra that says the famous gamarra and kazal in terms of why we sit in the suka on sukus. Do we sit in the suka because our ancestors actually in the desert walked you know took the a little booth with them everywhere they went sukos mamish or do we s the suka to remind us of the divine protection of the anan right famous locus and then the gabar tells us that the anan as we just learned were bestowed upon the Jewish people through the merit of our so the pedakarv asked the question what is the name anan really mean? Why do we call them the the clouds of honor? What does that really mean? So listen to his words. Why were they called the great Pharisees of Elenu? He answered as follows. We know that in nature again they lived in Poland. They didn't live in the Middle East, right? The the the Rebi regime lived in Poland. So I don't know if people remember from our times before we lived here days of it's sometimes when you wake up in the morning and it wasn't such a warm day if you if you would go outside and you start to speak to one another what would what would you see you'd see steam the steam of your breath coming out as you express those words right so he says we know that in nature two people who really have an affinity true love true true affinity for one other then the steam that comes out when they speak when they're speaking to one another if we're facing one another and we're smiling and we're and we're engaged in a pleasant conversation says the rebin then the steam that comes out of our mouths join together and become one. Okay. So now listen to this. is we know that we're told that entire life's work was to bridge the gaps amongst the Jewish people and bring utter unity and peace from one Jew to the other. So says the vision, if it's true that two people who get along nicely and they're speaking and the steam that that that comes out with their words when they speak that that that steam joins together becomes one. Well, imagine if all of the Jewish people have that same level of affinity for one another, that same level of love and respect. That means that what all of their words when they speak the steam that comes out is all those words and steam is joining together and instead of just the two people's steam joining together and becoming a nice little a nice little bubble what happens when you have 600,000 is shamas coming together and that steam turns into what great large clouds says they become great clouds and that's why they were called the cloud clouds of of honor and respect and that's why we can understand what our say that it was all in the merit of because was the one who brought that level of unity and caused that level of unity to be manifest amongst the Jewish people and it was a great honor for the Jewish people that they had such level of respect for one another and therefore they also merited to be protected by these clouds that were called the clouds of cavode which represent what the cavode that was due every single Jew because ultimately every single Jew shared cavode one towards the other what a beautiful teaching from the reba from we're going to return to leave of the reb Ramshaw Ramshaw says that our sages teach us that any date date that we are given a specific date a day a specific day in the Torah that means that that date has an eternal relevance on the calendar. It's a young The Torah spells out that this is it means that what that this was something that the Torah want us to remember for all generations and to commemorate for all generations his his yard site. And now he quotes the safer was the safer from Hashem Kandama who perished parish in Maidonic in 1943. I believe he succeeded Rome Shapiro as the rashiva of I think he was the last Roshiva of Yeshiva Lublin and in his reformer says He says something very interesting. We know we know we're told that the greatest sadikim not are both born and leave this world on the same day. We as we said in the beginning birthday is so he says listen this is right he says that oh sorry skip the line he says that if our if this day of is and it's a gave that that Hashem wanted to be recalled amongst the Jewish people for all eternity. It must mean that it's not only his yard site, but it's also what his birthday. People tend to remember birthdays, even more so than yard sites. And therefore, this is a day that the Torah specifies as spec specifies as a unique day to be recalled throughout eternity. It must means his reformer that this is both his birthday and his yard site. And therefore it's on this day that the power the the eternal message of Aron and what he represents is born into this world. This idea of what of being shalom it's on this day that that power is first born into this world. first comes into this world, that capacity is born on this day. On this day was born and therefore we're meant to learn that this entire month needs to follow on the significance of the entire month has the holiness within it. the power and the holiness of but he says if that's true if from the moment that came to this world the great power of capacity to bring aus was born then that means that also then opposing force also is great in these days of which is obvious because in our in our history what has happened we've seen peru we've seen disagreement and what is the result of that disagreement destruction. And so says says fromemer in the in the ar that if ar was born on this day and therefore the capacity to bring good into this world and emulate the ways of iron is so to speak born on this day then what else is born during this time period? What else ex comes into this time period? the polar the opposing power also is strong during these days and therefore therefore he concludes that's why beginning with this day we're reminded of the legacy of because we have to be strengthened even more so to follow in his footsteps in in order to strengthen ourselves to truly be his students and walk in his ways. says the Ram that the significance of these days of the nine days beginning with this evening is not solely to recall the destruction and the Pir but we're reminded that this day beginning with this day Rosh these are the days where the power to bring goodness and change the world are strongest in the entire calendar year. These represent the legacy of the birth and lifetime of Araine. We're told to be of his students to emulate his ways. These days have the capacity what not only be days of reflection and mourning but days of opportunity and transformation. We have the opportunity to make a difference to fix that per to fix that disunityity to fix what is broken and that what's these that's exactly what these days ahead of us these days of the nine days are really meant to be that meant to be what an opportunity for us to make manifest our sacred responsibility to be of the students of Aron to emulate his ways to make the world a better place. My bra for all of us as we prepare to enter into these days of the nine days that we take take to heart all these beautiful ideas that we should be not only not only to take to heart the powerful messages of mourning that which we're missing but perhaps even more so to take to heart the sacred mission and sacred task of transforming the world making the world a better place and then maybe just maybe in the days ahead instead of us experiencing Tishab as a day of mourning and sitting and reflecting on the past. We'll be able to experience Tishbub as a day of moade, of celebration and embracing the change of a brighter tomorrow. Have a great week.