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CHUMASH
Parshas Vezos Habracha - Rishon with Rashi
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We are now starting to learn the last parsha of the Torah. It is the last day of Moshe Rabbeinu’s life — Zayin Adar. Now that he finished farbrenging with the Yidden about how they should act in Eretz Yisroel, he is going to ask Hashem for brachos for each of the Shevatim.
Moshe Rabbeinu first says how much the Yidden deserve brachos! Even though Hashem asked ALL of the people in the world if they wanted the Torah, only the Yidden wanted it. Hashem gave them the Torah on Har Sinai, like a Chasunah!
By Matan Torah, Hashem held Har Sinai over the Yidden like a chuppah! The Yidden all came closer under the mountain, because they wanted to have to keep the Torah.
The Yidden were ready to go wherever Hashem wanted in the Midbar.
They will also keep the Torah even when things are hard in Golus and it looks like Hashem is nicer to the Goyim! They will say, “Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe...” — “the Torah is like a present that belongs forever to the ‘family’ of Yidden, and we will keep it forever!”
Reuven: Moshe asked Hashem to forgive Reuven for moving Yaakov’s bed. He should be able to go into Olam Haba, and his Shevet should stay a Shevet.
Yehudah: Moshe asked the same bracha for Yehudah: Yehudah promised Yaakov that if he didn’t bring Benyamin back with him, he will lose his part of Olam Haba. Even though he DID bring Benyamin back, a promise of a Tzadik is still a promise!
But when Yehudah told the truth about doing something wrong with Tamar, it made Reuven realize that he should do Teshuvah too. Since Hashem will forgive Reuven, He should of course forgive Yehudah, who made Reuven do Teshuvah! (And right when Moshe Rabbeinu said this, Yehudah WAS let into Olam Haba!)
Shimon: Moshe didn’t give Shevet Shimon its own bracha, because Zimri was from Shimon, and many Yidden passed away in Shittim because of Shevet Shimon. Still, he hinted to Shimon in his bracha to Yehudah, by using the word “Shema” — like “Shimon.”
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In Kapitel Ayin-Gimmel, Dovid Hamelech says “Beheimos Hayisi Imach” — “I am like an animal with You,” and in the next posuk “Va’ani Tomid Imach” — “I am always with You.”
The Alter Rebbe explains that when we believe in Hashem without thinking so much or needing to understand everything, like an animal who doesn’t think, we can be close to Hashem all the time. This is Emunah — believing in Hashem even without understanding it.
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TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof-Beis
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Yesterday the Alter Rebbe told Chassidim not to come to him for eitzos in Gashmiyus. Today he explains why.
The Goyim get chayus from Hashem only because Hashem needs to give chayus to EVERYTHING in the world. But Yidden get chayus because Hashem loves Yidden and WANTS to give them chayus!
Hashem loves Yidden so much that if a Yid gets “dirty” from aveiros, Hashem will “clean” him. Sometimes this can hurt (like it can hurt if you need to scrub off dirt)!
Also, sometimes we might need to learn a lesson, and we learn it from something that happens that we don’t like. But it is only from Hashem, and it’s because Hashem loves us so much!
When something in Gashmius happens to us that we don’t like, we shouldn’t run to the Rebbe to save us! We should remember that it is from Hashem, and it is only happening because Hashem loves us.
So what should you do then? We will see the answer to this IY”H tomorrow!
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Our Minhagim: We only use 2 Aravos, but we can use many extra Hadassim! (The Rebbe used to use 36!)
Here’s how we tie the Lulav and Esrog: We use five rings — two just on the Lulav, hiding a little bit from the Hadassim and Aravos, and 3 close together (within one tefach — about 3 inches) around the 3 minim.
It is a hiddur mitzvah to put the Lulav together on Erev Yom Tov, and in the sukkah!
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SEFER HAMITZVOS
Shiur #69 - Hilchos Megillah V'Chanukah Perek Gimmel - Daled, Mitzvas Asei #213
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Because there are no mitzvos for this set of halachos, we learn the perakim of Hilchos Megillah V’Chanukah in Rambam, even if we usually just say Sefer Hamitzvos!
We also learn the mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #213) of getting married according to Torah! This is called Kiddushin. One of the ways we do Kiddushin is for the Chosson to give the Kallah something worth at least a perutah, and says that she is his wife. That’s called “Kiddushei Kesef.” Another way is that he writes down on a paper that she is his wife, and she accepts it from him in order to get married. That’s called “Kiddushei Shtar.”
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Ki Seitzei: כִּי יִקַּח אִישׁ אִשָּׁה וּבְעָלָהּ
The details are explained in Mesechta Kiddushin.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Megillah V'Chanukah - Hilchos Ishus
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In today’s Rambam, we learn about Chanukah! Even though lighting the menorah and hearing the Megillah are mitzvos, since they are mitzvos from the Chachomim, they don’t count as part of the 613 mitzvos.
One of the things we learn is about saying Hallel on Chanukah. Did you know that there are 18 days a year when we say the whole Hallel? (8 days of Sukkos, 8 days of Chanukah, first day of Pesach, and Shavuos.) Outside of Eretz Yisroel, we say the whole Hallel 21 days — can you figure out why? (Saying Hallel on Rosh Chodesh is a minhag, and that’s why we don’t say the whole Hallel.)
We learn many halachos about lighting the Menorah. Here is one very important halacha: If someone only has enough money to do one mitzvah — lighting the Menorah or lighting Shabbos candles, he should get the Shabbos candles!
Why? Because the most important thing is to have Shalom Bayis, which is what Shabbos candle lighting is about!
Now we finished a whole Sefer of the Rambam, Zemanim! We are starting the next sefer, called Noshim (women). It talks about getting married.
Some of the halachos are about which people aren’t allowed to get married to each other. One halacha is that a Kohen Gadol can’t get married to anyone who was married before.
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This is the last perek of Hilchos Geneivah! The Rambam teaches us when someone who kidnaps is punished by the Beis Din.
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Once in the city of Rostov, they couldn’t get very many Esrogim for Sukkos. They only had one or two Esrogim for the whole town!
One person who was lucky enough to have an Esrog, shared it with everyone so that everyone could do the mitzvah. Of course, when a lot of people touch an Esrog, especially if they have wet hands (like if they went to the Mikvah before!) it makes the Esrog turn brown!
Someone came over to that Yid, and asked him why he was letting everyone use his Esrog. “Don’t you know that the mitzvah is to have a beautiful Esrog? Why are you letting everyone use it and turn it brown?”
The Yid answered, “The most beautiful Esrog is one that is used by so many Yidden!”
Many people spend a lot of money on Esrogim, to buy one that is very beautiful. That is very nice, but the REAL beauty of an Esrog is when we bring it on mivtzoyim and help so many Yidden who don’t even know they need a Lulav and Esrog, so that they could do the mitzvah! THAT is when we have a beautiful Esrog!
Are you ready for your mivtzoyim this Sukkos? How many Yidden are you planning on helping this year to do this special mitzvah?
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On the Shalosh Regalim, including Sukkos, we don’t say the regular Shemoneh Esrei. There is a special Amidah for the Shalosh Regalim.
The way it is set up is similar to Shabbos. There are three brachos at the beginning mentioning the praises of Hashem in the zechus of the Avos, three brachos at the end thanking and praising Hashem, and one bracha in the middle about the inyan of the Yom Tov.
We start the middle section with Ata Vechartanu. Before speaking about the special Yom Tov, we first speak about how Hashem chose US to give it to! We say that Hashem picked us to be His nation. Hashem loves us and wanted us specifically. Hashem raised us up above the other nations, made us holy with His mitzvos, and gave us the zechus to carry Hashem’s name — to be HASHEM’s nation.
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On Erev Sukkos, there is an inyan to give a lot of tzedakah.
The Mitteler Rebbe writes in a maamar, “Tzorich Lefazer Maos L’aniyim B’Erev Sukkos” — “You should generously give money to the poor on Erev Sukkos.”
We also invite plenty of guests so that everybody will have a place to eat on Sukkos.
See Shevach Hamoadim, Kitzur Hilchos 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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When Moshe Rabbeinu was born, Yidden were very happy. Among each other, they spoke about the fact that Amram, the Jewish leader of the time, had a baby boy Moshe!
When Moshe was taken to Paraoh’s palace, the Yidden were very worried. Their holy leader Amram’s son was taken away!
When Moshe ran away from Mitzrayim, Yidden didn’t forget about him. They always remembered him and spoke about him, until Hashem had Rachmonus and listened to what the Yidden were davening for. Then the Geulah came through Moshe Rabbeinu.
The same is true with this last Golus. We need to constantly talk about and think about Moshiach, and he will come!
See Sefer Hasichos Tof-Reish-Tzadik-Tes p. 330
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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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