Rosh Chodesh Tov!
When the month of Menachem Av begins we decrease in our joy. For nine days till the 9th of Av “Tisha B’Av,” we stop doing many things that usually bring us joy. We don’t eat meat or drink wine (except on Shabbat), we don’t take hot showers, we don’t buy new clothes, listen to music, cut hair and nails, etc( for more info go to chabad.org)
We are mourning the loss of our two Temples and what life should be.
But what we should for sure do is increase in our Torah study and our Mitzvahs.
One of the prohibitions on Shabbat is that we should not measure or weigh anything with a specialized instrument, such as a ruler, scale, measuring cups, etc… also it’s forbidden to make calculations or measure a room by counting tiles.
The prohibition pertains to measuring for business purposes or personal ones as well.
The only time it’s allowed to measure something is for the benefit of an ill person as to measure the exact dose of his medicine, take his temperature, blood pressure, etc…This is not only allowed, but it’s also considered a Mitzvah.
The Sages didn’t prohibit to measure for the sake of a mitzvah. For example, one is allowed to measure a cup to determine wether it can hold a sufficient amount of wine for Kiddush , or weigh and measure matzah to determine the proper amount to eat at the Seder ( not using any electronic device). Let’s measure in a balance your Mitzvahs and in this nine days, let’s make an effort to increase them and hope the balance will tip its scales for the good and hopefully H”S will finally take us out of this long and painful exile.
#roshchodesh #shabbatshalom
Excerpts taken from “The Shabbos Home” by Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen
www.livealittlehigher.com
