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CHUMASH
Parshas Haazinu - Shvi'i with Rashi
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Moshe Rabbeinu told all of the Yidden this song of Haazinu. After he finished, Yehoshua repeated it to the Yidden as well. Today was his first day as the leader of the Yidden, together with Moshe Rabbeinu, and he also needed to tell them these words.
Moshe finished: “Remember what I told you! By following these words you can make sure your children keep the Torah too. Learning Torah and doing mitzvos is what your whole life is about! And in that zechus, Hashem will let you live in Eretz Yisroel.”
Now Hashem told Moshe that he was about to pass away. He would need to climb up Har Nevo, and Hashem would take his neshama, just like he took Aharon’s neshama, with a “kiss” of Hashem.
Moshe would be able to LOOK at Eretz Yisroel, but even though he wanted very much to go in, Hashem wouldn’t let.
When the Yidden heard this, they said that they wouldn’t let Moshe go up on Har Nevo — they didn’t want Hashem to take Moshe Rabbeinu away from them! Moshe Rabbeinu thought he should sneak up the mountain when nobody was looking, so that they wouldn’t stop him, but Hashem told him to go up even when they were all watching. Nobody would be able to stop him from doing what Hashem asked.
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In one of today’s kapitelach (Ayin-Alef) there are FOUR niggunim! It was the Rebbe’s 70th birthday kapitel and chassidim were so happy that they made many niggunim!
One of them is on the words “Kemofes Hayisi LoRabim, VeAta Machsi Oz.” Dovid Hamelech says, “I was an example to many people, and You give me strength!” When a Yid acts in a way that will be a Dugma Chaya for other people, Hashem gives him the koach to have hatzlacha!
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TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof-Beis
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In this next letter — Siman Chof-Beis — the Alter Rebbe is telling Chassidim that it isn’t right for them to come and ask for brachos and eitzos for Gashmiyus things from the Rebbe. They should come to the Rebbe only to learn Torah and get eitzos how to serve Hashem better, and act the way a Yid and Chossid should.
In the Torah, we find that only Neviim gave eitzos for Gashmiyus things — like once Shaul came to Shmuel Hanavi to ask for help to find donkeys that his father lost. But that was only because he was a Navi! For chachomim, like a Rebbe, that isn’t appropriate. We don’t find in any Gemara that people came to the Chachomim for any Gashmius things — only to learn Torah and get eitzos how to serve Hashem.
Still, at a Farbrengen, the Friediker Rebbe once said that Chassidim should also ask for Gashmius in Yechidus. The Friediker Rebbe said that what it says in this Igeres has a deeper meaning, and can’t just be understood the way it looks. (From the book “From my Father’s Shabbos Table, by Rabbi Yehudah Chitrik)
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Today is the Yartzeit-Hilula of the Rebbe Maharash. His Ohel is in Lubavitch.
The letter we are learning now in Igeres Hakodesh is Siman Chof-Beis. It is important to know that not the whole letter is printed in Tanya! The beginning and end of the letter are not printed there.
This whole letter was first printed in Hatamim.
At the beginning of this letter is the Takanos Liozna, the detailed rules the Alter Rebbe made about when people could come to the Alter Rebbe in Liozna. Part of the rules is that everyone had to have a set time when they were allowed to come, and it wasn’t easy to change that time. The part of this letter that we learn in Tanya is part of the Takanos — that when they come, they shouldn’t ask about Gashmius, but only Ruchnius. (This letter was also later printed in the Alter Rebbe’s Igros Kodesh, which includes — in the introduction to the newer version — a detailed history of these Takanos.)
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SEFER HAMITZVOS
Shiur #68 - Mitzvas Asei #59, Hilchos Megillah V'Chanukah Perek Alef - Beis
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In today’s Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn the same mitzvah again (Mitzvas Asei #59): That we blow trumpets at certain times. We blow them when we bring the special korbanos of Yom Tov, a happy time. We also blow them in a sad time — when we are davening to Hashem because hard things are happening. They can remind us that it’s from Hashem, and we have to do teshuvah.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Behaalosecha: וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם וּבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם וּבְרָאשֵׁי חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת
The details are explained in Sifri, Mesechta Rosh Hashana, and Mesechta Taanis.
Since there is no mitzvah for the next set of halachos (Megillah V’Chanukah), we learn these perakim of Rambam inside.
Today we learn the first two perakim of Hilchos Megillah V’Chanukah inside, as part of Sefer Hamitzvos, along with those who learn three perakim of Rambam every day.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Taaniyos - Megillah V'Chanukah
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In today’s Rambam, we are finishing the halachos about fasts.
There are five fasts each year because of sad things that happened to the Yidden:
1) Tzom Gedaliah (Gimmel Tishrei) — when Gedaliah was killed. He was the governor of the Yidden, and they hoped he would help them live in Eretz Yisroel. When he was killed, the Yidden realized they were REALLY in Golus.
2) Asara B’Teves — When Nevuchadnetzar blocked anyone from going out or coming into Yerushalayim.
3) Shiva-Asar B’Tammuz — 5 sad things happened: The luchos were broken, the Yidden couldn’t bring korbanos anymore (in the first Beis Hamikdash), the walls of Yerushalayim were broken (in the time of the Second Beis Hamikdash), Apostomos the rasha burned a Torah, and he also put an idol in the (second) Beis Hamikdash.
4) Tisha B’Av — 5 sad things happened: The Yidden in the Midbar were told they wouldn’t get to go into Eretz Yisroel, the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed (both), a city called Beitar was captured and everyone was killed (including Bar Kochva, who many Chachomim said could be Moshiach), and the rasha Turnus Rufus plowed the ground of the Beis Hamikdash (this is something the Navi said would happen).
The Yidden also took the minhag of fasting one more fast:
5) Taanis Esther (Yud-Gimmel Adar) — we fast Erev Purim to remember how all of the Yidden fasted in the time of the gezeira of Haman.
We don’t blow the trumpets on any of these fasts.
What happens if these fast days are on Shabbos? We fast after Shabbos instead — except for Taanis Esther, because if we fasted after Shabbos, we would be fasting on Purim! Instead, we fast on the Thursday before (because it’s not kavodik for Shabbos for us to fast on Friday). If the other fasts are on Friday, though, we fast on Friday. (This hardly ever happens because of how our calendar is set up.)
The Rambam tells us the halachos of Av and Tisha B’Av, which is the only one of these fasts that we fast also at night. We also learn about “Zecher LeChurban,” things we do to remember that the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed.
But don’t worry, at the end of Rambam we learn something very happy! The same Navi that hints to all of these fasts also reminds us that they will all be very happy days when Moshiach comes!
~
We also start learning the halachos about Purim today, in a new set of halachos!
Even though there are mitzvos for Purim and Chanukah, they are mitzvos from the Chachomim, and not mitzvos that are said in the Torah.
The mitzvah of Purim is to hear the Megillah. The Rambam tells us how to make sure to do the mitzvah right. One thing the Rambam says is that we should make sure kids get used to hearing the Megillah too!
We also learn the other mitzvos of Purim: the Seudah, Shalach Manos, and Matanos L’Evyonim.
The Rambam says that when Moshiach comes we won’t need to learn the Neviim and Kesuvim anymore. (In another place, it explains that this is because we’ll be able to see it all from the Chumash.) Still, we will always need to learn Megillas Esther!
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Perek Ches explains the halachos of how a scale should be made, and how often it should be cleaned.
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Today is the yahrzeit of the Rebbe Maharash.
Before the Rebbe Maharash was nistalek, he asked for a clock. He put a feather in a certain place so that the clock wouldn’t go further when it got there. That was the minute that he passed away!
The Rebbe tells us again and again that chassidim need to learn from the Rebbe Maharash how to act in a way of Lechat’chila Ariber. The Rebbe Maharash said that everyone thinks that if something gets in the way of doing what you should, try to find other ways to do it. But the Rebbe Maharash says that you should just DO what you need to, and not even THINK about that thing that is getting in the way!
There are a lot of stories of the Rebbe Maharash that are called “Baal Shem’ske Hanhaga” — that he did things in a way of miracles, to make sure that everything was done exactly in the right way and that nothing got in the way.
We also need to decide to do mitzvos and Mivtzoyim and not to be worried about problems that can come up along the way. When we do what Hashem wants, we will be able to jump right over all of the problems!
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▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
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In davening, we ask Hashem for all of the things we need.
Chassidus shows us that this is not the only reason for davening. When we reach out to Hashem, we are connecting to Hashem! During the time of davening, we are able to stop all of our busy work for a few minutes, and think about our connection to Hashem. We remind ourselves why we are here in this world at all — in order to serve Hashem!
The two oldest sons of the Rebbe Maharash were the Raza and the Rashab. One day, when they were playing outside, they had an argument about the difference between Yidden and Goyim.
The Raza said that Yidden are more special because of all of the Torah that they learn, and the kavana they have when they daven.
But the Rebbe Rashab said that couldn’t be. Because many Yidden COULDN’T learn Torah or have kavana, but they still had to be different than goyim!
When the Rebbe Maharash heard about their argument, he called them over. He told them to bring Ben-Tzion, a simple Yid who helped in their house. The Rebbe Maharash asked Ben-Tzion a few questions:
“Ben-Tzion, did you eat?”
“Yes,” Ben-Tzion answered.
“Did you eat well?”
Ben-Tzion shrugged. “Well? I ate enough, Boruch Hashem.”
The Rebbe Maharash asked further: “Why do you eat?”
“So I can live,” Ben-Tzion said.
“And why do you need to live?”
“To be a Jew and do what Hashem wants,” Ben-Tzion answered with a sigh.
Then the Rebbe Maharash asked that the coachman, Ivan, come. The Maharash asked Ivan the same questions:
“Ivan, did you eat?”
“Yes!” Ivan answered.
“Did you eat well?”
Ivan smiled. “Yes, I did!”
“And why do you eat?”
“I need to eat so I can live,” Ivan said.
“And why do you need to live?”
“To enjoy a good drink of mashke and something good to eat!” Ivan answered.
The Rebbe Maharash thanked Ivan.
Now his sons were able to see for themselves what is special about even a simple Yid.
The time of davening is a very good time for us to remind ourselves why we need to live, and to make sure we’re living that way!
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Putting up a sukkah can be hard work! Many times, it makes more sense to have someone else do the building. Your older brother, a neighbor, or a hired carpenter might do a better job putting up a strong sukkah, in much less time than it would take you!
Still, we want to give kavod to the mitzvah of sukkah, by not letting someone else do the WHOLE job. Even if someone else is building most of the sukkah, we should still make sure to be part of it! We at least help put up some of the s’chach, so that we will participate in this special mitzvah too.
See Shevach Hamoadim, Sukkos
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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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The days before Shabbos are a preparation for Shabbos, and the Zohar says that Shabbos gives a bracha to all of the days of the week.
When we prepare so we can celebrate Shabbos properly, then the kedusha of Shabbos helps us in our avodah the rest of the week: We’ll remember what the gashmius is really there for — to help us act the way Hashem wants! We’ll be able to find Hashem in all of the gashmius things!
Golus is like the days of the week, and Geulah is like Shabbos. The times of the Geulah will be like one long Shabbos, and every Shabbos is a taste of the Geulah! When we celebrate Shabbos properly, we can also take the chayus of the Geulah and bring it with us into the rest of the week!
See Sefer Hasichos 5749 and 5751
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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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