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Today we start to learn the song Haazinu, that Moshe Rabbeinu taught the Yidden before he passed away.
The sky and the earth should hear what I say
Because they’ll be there forever, like they’re here today!
So no Yid will ever be able to say
“I didn’t hear about the mitzvos, no way!”
The sky and the earth are able to give
Rain to fall and plants to grow, so the Yidden can live.
So they can reward the Yidden if they do
The things Hashem is asking them to!
The Torah is like rain, that everything needs
(People and animals, and even seeds!)
Torah makes everyone happy, and also
Learning Torah makes us grow!
When in the Beis Hamikdash you hear Hashem’s name
Say good things about Hashem — say Baruch Sheim!
Everything Hashem does is fair, you bet!
He will give everyone what they deserve to get.
If not good things keep happening, life feels like no fun
You should know that it’s because of things YOU have done!
Hashem loves you and chose you, but what did you do?
You weren’t smart, and didn’t do what Hashem told you to!
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Today’s shiur Tehillim is Lamed-Tes to Mem-Gimmel. We also say kapitelach Kuf-Vov, Kuf-Zayin, and Kuf-Ches as the three kapitelach we add until Yom Kippur.
In one of today’s Kapitelach Tehillim, there is a posuk that says “Ach Betzelem Yis’halech Ish.” It means that people don’t understand what to do in the world, it’s like a person walking in the dark, who can’t see where he is going.
The word “tzelem” (darkness) also means image (picture)! So we can translate the posuk as “Only with the picture can a person go.” What picture? A picture of the Rebbe! When we see a picture of the Rebbe, it reminds us how we’re supposed to be, and gives us the koach to do our shlichus with simcha!
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TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof
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If you learn the maamarim of the Alter Rebbe, you will see one question over and over: “Why did Hashem take a neshama that is so close to Hashem, and send it into a world where Hashem is so hidden?”
In every maamar, there is another answer, but you see the same question again in the next maamar! Why? Because this is something that should always bother us, and we always need to think about the reason why our neshamos are in the world.
In this Igeres Hakodesh, which was written just a few days before the Alter Rebbe finished his shlichus in this world and his neshama went back to Hashem, the Alter Rebbe answers this question. This time, it is explained in a NEW way!
The Alter Rebbe teaches us how Hashem created the world — about all the Ruchniyus’dike “worlds” with malachim. Still, there is nothing greater than how Hashem made Gashmius, and for a Yid to do a mitzvah with it!
When we learn this, we will feel how special it is for us to have a chance to do a mitzvah and help other Yidden do mitzvos. By doing this, we will all be able SEE Hashem in the world very soon, with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu!
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We are learning about the five steps to do teshuvah, which are hinted to in the five letters of the word Teshuvah!
So far, we learned about:
- Tof: Using our Koach of Tmimus — being serious about living the way Hashem wants us to
- Shin: Shivisi Hashem Lenegdi Somid — thinking about how Hashem is right here with us
- Vov: Ve’ahavta LeReiacha Kamocha — using the goodness inside of us to love another Yid, which makes us closer to Hashem
Today we will learn another tool, that is the Beis in the world teshuvah. There is a posuk, “Bechol Derachecha Do’eihu” — “in everything we do, we should know Hashem.”
All day, when we are doing things — like going to the store with our Mommy, or going to a friend’s house, or working outside — we see how things happen with Hashgacha Protis. On our way to the store, we might meet someone we were looking for, or at our friend’s house, we might be able to help with something that only we could do.
We see how Hashem made everything happen exactly the way He did for a reason. When we see Hashem in everything we do, we think about Hashem and it helps us decide to live the way He wants. Thinking about this is a part of teshuva.
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SEFER HAMITZVOS
Mitzvas Lo Saasei #35, #38, #36, #37, #34, #43, #44, #40, #39, #41, #45, #171
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Today we learn 12 MORE mitzvos about how to stay away from Avodah Zarah!
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #35) It is asur to say “magical words” to make someone feel better or stay safe, like the goyim do.
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #38) It is asur to try to do things to speak to a person who passed away, like the goyim do.
3) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #36) It is asur to ask questions from a person who does the Avodah Zarah of “Ov.”
4) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #37) It is asur to ask questions from a person who does the Avodah Zarah of “Yid’oni.”
5) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #34) We are not allowed to do any kind of magic or witchcraft.
6) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #43) A man is not allowed to cut off his peyos.
7) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #44) A man is not allowed to shave his beard with a razor.
8) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #40) A man is not allowed to wear women’s clothes.
9) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #39) A woman is not allowed to wear men’s clothes.
10) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #41) It is asur to make a tattoo.
11) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #45) A Yid is not allowed to hurt himself because he is sad that someone passed away, or as any kind of Avodah Zarah.
12) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #171) A Yid is not allowed to pull out his hair because he is sad that someone passed away.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Avodas Kochavim
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Perek Yud: One thing that we learn is that we should give tzedakah to poor goyim, and not just poor Yidden, because we want to have shalom. We should be nice to them and say hello when we see them!
In Perek Yud-Alef, the Rambam tells us that it’s a goyishe thing to try to figure out what will happen in the future. Yidden need to believe in Hashem, and trust that He will take care of us. (These are the halachos of the first part of today’s Sefer Hamitzvos.)
In Perek Yud-Beis, we learn about how a Jewish man or boy can’t cut off his beard or peyos! (These are the halachos of the second part of today’s Sefer Hamitzvos.)
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Today we learn the rest of the halachos about Cherem:
On Tes-Vov Adar (Shushan Purim), the Beis Din checks on the donations they got all year for the Beis Hamikdash and puts the money together with the Machtzis Hashekel they just collected, so it will be ready to use for all of the things the Beis Hamikdash needs. All of the things need to be sold, because the Beis Hamikdash only uses the money!
If someone wants to give this kind of present nowadays, what do we do with it?
The person isn’t allowed to use it — it is Cherem. He needs to put it away until he can give it to the Beis Hamikdash, or until it is ruined.
The Rambam tells us not to give away ALL of our money for tzedakah, only what we can afford. (In Tanya, in Igeres HaTeshuvah, the Alter Rebbe says that this is only for a person with no aveiros. For teshuvah, a person can give more, the same way a sick person would pay anything to become healthy.)
Mazel Tov! We have now finished this set of halachos.
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The Navi Yeshaya told the Yidden in one of his nevuos, “Dirshu Hashem Behimatzo,” you should look for Hashem when He can be found. “Kra’uhu Bihiyoso Karov,” you should call Him when He is close.
The Gemara asks, “When is the time that Hashem is found and is close? These are the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur” — the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.
In a sicha, the Rebbe explains that the time of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah is like finding a treasure. When you find something, you are getting more than what you worked for!
During the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, Hashem is “found” (behimatzo), like finding a treasure. Hashem gives us more than what we deserve, by filling up anything that we were missing, and in a way of “karov,” closeness.
Even though the time is special by itself, if we USE the time by demanding from Hashem (dirshu) and calling out to Hashem (kra’uhu), we can get even more!
The Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Groner, once came into the Rebbe’s yechidus room to help with something. The Rebbe told him, “Now is an Eis Ratzon Milmaalah, a special time in Shomayim. Hashem is giving without limits! You just have to put out a bowl so the hashpa’ah doesn’t get wasted.” (Sipurim MeCheder HaRebbe p. 77)
The Aseres Yemei Teshuvah is also one of these times! We need to use the time to call out to Hashem and use this special time in the best possible way.
See Hisvaaduyos Tof-Shin-Mem-Zayin vol. 1, p. 59
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In the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, we add many pieces in Shemoneh Esrei. We also add a kapitel of Tehillim after Pesukei DeZimra, before starting the Birchos Kriyas Shema. This kapitel starts with the words “Shir Hamaalos, Mimaamakim Kerasicha Hashem.” “A song of going higher, from the deep places I called out to You, Hashem.”
Why do we say this kapitel?
In Likutei Torah, the Alter Rebbe explains that before a neshama comes into a body, it feels very close to Hashem. But when it comes into a body, that feeling gets hidden. For most of the year, we aren’t thinking about that strong love for Hashem.
In the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, Hashem comes very close to Yidden. This kapitel gives us the words to tell Hashem how we feel. A Yid calls out from the deepest part of the neshama, “Hashem, listen to my voice! Hear the strong love for You that is hiding inside of me, and bring me close to You.”
With this feeling, a Yid commits himself to bring Hashem into the world by doing the Ratzon Hashem, the things that Hashem wants Yidden to do.
See Likutei Torah, dibur hamas’chil Shir Hamaalos
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We need to work harder to do teshuvah for “maybe” aveiros, things we weren’t sure were wrong.
During the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, Hashem is very close to us, and He WANTS to forgive us for everything we did wrong during the year. Hashem WANTS us to do teshuvah so He can seal the judgment for a good year!
So during these days, we think about the things we did wrong during the year. We tell Hashem we are sorry, and we decide that we will act differently from now on.
Some things we KNOW we did wrong. We know that playing video games instead of davening is wrong! We know that getting into a fight with our brother is wrong! When we think about those things, we will really feel bad, and make a hachlata to change.
But then there are things that we aren’t sure were wrong. If we ate the candy without checking for a hechsher first, it MIGHT have been kosher, right? And speaking that way to our parents — was it REALLY chutzpadik, or maybe it wasn’t so bad? And it might not be so terrible that we took her crayons without asking — she wouldn’t mind, right?
For those kind of things, we need to work HARDER to do teshuvah! Since we aren’t sure they were wrong at all, we don’t feel so bad about them. But until we realize that they were wrong, we can’t do a proper teshuvah!
We need to think about how it is wrong to be careless about these mitzvos, since an aveira is such a serious thing. We decide that we will be much more careful in the future!
In the times of the Beis Hamikdash, we brought korbanos as part of doing teshuvah. Because it is harder to do teshuvah for a “maybe” aveira, the korban for this kind of aveira (an Asham Talui) was more expensive than the korban for an aveira that we were sure about (a Korban Chatas)!
See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman Tof-Reish-Gimmel
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לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
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Nowadays, we have a very special avodah: To get ready for Moshiach!
How do we get ready for Moshiach?
The Rebbe tells us that the best way to prepare for Moshiach is to start practicing now! We should do things now like we will do them when Moshiach comes.
When Moshiach comes, the whole world will recognize Hashem! Everyone and everything will realize that Hashem is the true King of the entire world, and that everything is part of Him.
So to prepare for Moshiach, we should start now — helping everyone recognize Hashem!
How do we do that?
We work hard to spread Yiddishkeit! We do more and more mitzvos, and help others to do them too. We teach people Torah and make a Kiddush Hashem!
This way, the world will be getting ready for the time when EVERY Yid is doing mitzvos all the time and the whole world will recognize Hashem!
See Likutei Sichos chelek Chof-Gimmel, p. 487
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לע"נ התינוק זאב ארי' ע"ה בן יבלט"א הרה"ח ר' שניאור זלמן שי' גליק
נפטר ב' מנחם אב ה'תשע"ג
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