Posts in Category: From the President

Min. Dr. Donald H. Garrett

Obadiah origins and Prophet

On October 10, 2026 0 Comments - Chabad

A righteous man, a prophet himself, who happened to be an Edomite convert to Judaism. His name was Obadiah.

Obadiah was a very wealthy man and he used his monetary blessings to hide many of the prophets, saving their lives.

Ultimately, the economy turned, and Obadiah, his wealth depleted, resorted to borrowing funds to continue protecting the prophets. Deep in debt, he even borrowed from the loan sharks – the sons of the wicked King Ahab. Unable to repay the loans, and with no bankruptcy laws to protect him, they persecuted him until he died from anguish.

The sons of Ahab then focused their harassment on the administrator’s wife, Mrs. Obadiah. Finally, they threatened to come and take her two sons as slaves unless she repaid the money. It is a terrible, sad story.

A Small Flask of Oil

This is where the storyline of our haftarah picks up:

“Ishah achat” – “one woman” (the wife of Obadiah) cried out to Elisha, the great prophet of the time, and said, “Your servant, my husband, died. You knew him; he was a G‑d-fearing man. Now the loan shark is coming to take my two sons. Please help! You’re a miracle man! I need a miracle!”

So Elisha tells her, “Let’s see what I can do; what do you have in your house? Do you have anything of value? Gold, silver, precious stones? Stocks, bonds, securities? Anything at all?”

“I have nothing,” she responds. “All I have left is a small flask of olive oil. That’s it.”

“This is good!” Elisha tells her. “Here’s what you’ll do: go to all your neighbors and borrow as many jugs and jars and Tupperware as you can. Gather all of these vessels into your house. Make sure your children are there, and close the door. Then, take your flask of oil and begin to pour. Pour oil into every jar and into every container and keep pouring. As long as there are containers to fill, the oil will continue to pour.”

And it worked! Suddenly, she had a massive volume of oil! When the last of the containers was filled, the oil stopped.

She ran to Elisha and asked, “What’s next?”

“You’ve got plenty of olive oil,” the prophet told her. “Sell the oil. You’ll be able to pay all your debts and have enough money left to live comfortably for the rest of your life.”

the Prophet Obadiah

The prophet Obadiah was a contemporary of Elijah the prophet. He lived in the days of King Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel. In fact, he was the manager of their entire estate. We encounter him in the story of Elijah and his confrontations with King Ahab. When Jezebel began hunting down and killing all prophets of G‑d, Obadiah took it upon himself to hide one hundred prophets in two caves and to provide all their needs from his own pocket. The verse there calls him “a very G‑d-fearing man.”1 Albeit nameless, we also encounter him posthumously in the haftarah of Vayeira, with the miracle of Elisha and the oil (see there).

The book of Obadiah contains only one chapter, and it is entirely preoccupied with the fate of Edom—the descendants of Esau. Obadiah was specifically chosen to be the carrier of this message because he was in fact an Edomite who had converted to Judaism. Furthermore, “Obadiah, who dwelt amidst two wicked people (Ahab and Jezebel) and did not learn from their ways—let him come and prophesy the downfall of Esau, who dwelt amidst two righteous people (Isaac and Rebecca) and did not learn from their ways.”2

As we read in our Parshah extensively, Esau and his descendants lived in and ruled the region of Mount Seir known as Edom.3 The people of Edom were a continuous adversary of the Jews in the Land of Israel.4 What is interesting, though, is that Obadiah speaks of the doom that will befall Edom in the days of Moshiach. This is not unique to Obadiah—a number of other biblical prophets speak of this as well.5

The Mishnah6 states it as fact that the descendants of the biblical nations no longer inhabit their original places of origin. As far this prophecy is concerned, however, a fascinating observation is made by a number of commentaries. Rome was founded by the people and culture of Edom, the descendants of Esau. Thus the Romans, who destroyed the Second Temple, and those European nations who continued in their path with centuries of Jewish persecution and torture, are all included in the term “Edom.” It is for this reason that throughout rabbinic literature, the exile we are in now is referred to “the exile of Edom.” The book of Obadiah, then, refers to “Edom” in this broader sense.7 Although the details of how this prophecy might be fulfilled are mostly obscure, the obvious idea is that in time to come G‑d will take retribution upon Edom, who oppressed the Jewish people.8

counting/reel/749946477617076

On August 8, 2025 0 Comments - From the President

https://www.facebook.com/reel/749946477617076

Abiyb/Nissan

On November 2, 2024 0 Comments - From the President

Abiyb/Nissan

Abiyb (Abib) is the name of the 1st month established by YaHVaH in Exodus 13:3-4, “Moses [Mosheh] said to the people, “”Remember this day on which you departed from Egypt [Mitzrayim], from the house of bondage, for with a strong hand God [Elohiym] removed you from here, and therefore chametz may not be eaten. Today you are leaving in the month of Abib [Abiyb].” by referencing Exodus 12:1-2, “Hashem [YaHVaH] said to Moses [Mosheh] and Aaron [Aharon] in the land of Egypt [Mitzrayim], saying, “”This month shall be for you the beginning of the months, it shall be for you the first of the months of the year,” (Tanach, Stone edition), words in [ ] are the actual Hebrew words in the text.

Lubavitch Rabbi Menachem Posner describes in Why Babylonian Names for Jewish Months? that in pre-Babylonian era there were only four months listed in Scripture: Abiyb, Ziv, Eythanim, and Bul. And even these names have been changed to Nissan, Iyyar, Tishrei, and Cheshvan respectively. He further states the Jerusalem Talmud says the names came up from Babylon around 350 BCE.

He concludes with “The original system was to count months in numeric order, starting from Nissan. Thus, any time a person mentioned a month, he was in effect recalling the exodus from Egypt: we are in, say, the sixth month—six months since the month of the Exodus. Thus, the numeric naming served as a constant reminder of our deliverance from Egypt.

After we were delivered from Babylonian captivity, however, we started using the names that we became used to using in Babylon. And now, these names served to remind us that G‑d has redeemed us from this second exile.” (© Copyright Chabad.org and Menachem Posner, all rights reserved.)

It is not until the books of Esther and Nehemiah that we see the name of Nissan used for the first month. Esther are during the rule of the Persian King Ahasuerus. Esther 3:7 says, “In the first month, which is the month of Nissan, in the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahauerus, …” (Tanach, Stone edition). Nehemiah is during the rule of King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah 2:1 says, “It happened in the month of Nissan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was brought before him. I (Nehemiah) carried the wine and gave it to the king. I had never before appeared downcast in his presence” (Tanach, Stone edition).

Today, the Hebrew calendar uses the name Nissan instead of Abiyb.

Adar

On February 3, 2024 0 Comments - From the President

Adar

Adar is the last month in the Jewish calendar, but it is also a leap year month. Seven times out of a 19-year cycle, Adar becomes Adar 1 and Adar 2, the first one being the insertion month and the last equivalent to the normal Adar month. These leap years are called שנה מאוברת (pregnant year).

From Chabad, “Adar is the official “happy month,” as is written: “As soon as Adar begins, increase in joy!” In a leap year, we have two months of extra happiness!” Adar is usually translated as glorious or honorable.

However, Adar can also mean FIRE though the Hebrew word ‘Esh אֵשׁ is generally used for fire.

On Adar we have Esther and Purim, a happy celebration of deliverance from the evil Haman of the Persian Empire in the past because of Queen Esther. We recite the following blessing, “Blessed are You, YaHVaH, Eloheynu, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season.”

Simcha in the Shtetl – By Chaim Leib Zernitsky

Adar 1, the insertion month, is nothing special. All functions and celebrations of Adar will be done in Adar 2

Hanukkah Readings Day 1

On December 16, 2023 0 Comments - From the President

Day 1: Numbers 7:1-17

Chapter 7, “¹ It was on the day that Mosheh finished erecting the Tabernacle that he anointed it, sanctified it and all its utensils, and the Altar and all its utensils, and he had anointed and sanctified them. ² The leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers household, brought offerings: they were the leaders of the tribes, they were those who stand at the countings. ³ They brought their offering before YaHVaH; six covered wagons and twelve oxen – a wagon for each two leaders and an ox for each – and they brought them before the Tabernacle. ⁴YaHVaH said to Mosheh, ⁵“Take from them, and they shall be to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting; you shall give them to the Levites, each man according to his work.” ⁶ So Mosheh took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. ⁷ Two of the wagons and four of the oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, in accordance with their work. ⁸ And four of the wagons and eight of the oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, in accordance with their work, under the authority of Ithamar, son of Aharon the Kohen. ⁹ And to the sons of Kohath he did not give; since the sacred service was upon them, they carried on the shoulder. ¹⁰ Then the leaders brought forward offerings for the dedication of the Altar on the day it was anointed, and the leaders brought their offering before the Altar. ¹¹ YaHVaH said to Mosheh, “One leader each day, one leader each day shall they bring their offering to the dedication of the Altar.” ¹² The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nachshon son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Yehudah. ¹³ His offering was: one silver bowl, its weight a hundred and thirty [shekels]; and one silver basin of seventy shekels in the sacred shekel; both of them filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a meal-offering; ¹⁴ one gold ladle of ten [shekels] filled with incense; ¹⁵ one young bull, one ram, one sheep in its first year for a burnt-offering; ¹⁶ one he-goat for a sin-offering; ¹⁷ and for a feast peace-offering: two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, five sheep in their first year – this is the offering of Nachshon son of Amminadab.” (Tanach, Stone Edition). Note: Names in bold blue text have been changed from actual English text to proper spelling according to the Hebrew text.

1 Maccabees 2:19-22, 27-28; 4:52-59

Chapter 2, “¹⁹ Then Mattathias answered and spake with a loud voice, Though all the nations that are under the king’s dominion obey him, and fall away every one from the religion of their fathers, and give consent to his commandments: ²⁰ Yet will I and my sons and my brethren walk in the covenant of our fathers. ²¹ God forbid that we should forsake the law and the ordinances. ²² We will not hearken to the king’s words, to go from our religion, either on the right hand, or the left. … ²⁷ And Mattathias cried throughout the city with a loud voice, saying, Whosoever is zealous for the law, and maintaineth the covenant, let him follow me. ²⁸ So he and his sons fled into the mountains, and left all that ever they had in the city.” (Apocrypha, Authorized (King James) Version).

Chapter 4, “⁵²Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu כִּסְלֵו [Kislev], in the hundred forty and eighth hear, they rose up betimes in the morning, ⁵³ And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made. ⁵⁴ Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals. ⁵⁵ Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success. ⁵⁶ And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise. ⁵⁷ They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them. ⁵⁸ Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away. ⁵⁹ Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu כִּסְלֵו [Kislev], with mirth and gladness.” (Apocrypha, Authorized (King James) Version).

and 2 Maccabees 1: 9,18

Chapter 1, “⁹ And now see that you keep the feast of tabernacles in the month Casleu כִּסְלֵו [Kislev].” “¹⁸ Therefore whereas we are now purposed to keep the purification of the temple upon the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu כִּסְלֵו [Kislev], we thought it necessary to certify you thereof, that ye also might keep it, as the feast of tabernacles, and of the fire, which was given us when Neemias offered sacrifice, after that he had builded the temple and altar.” (Apocrypha, Authorized (King James) Version).

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