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CHUMASH

Parshas Vayishlach - Chamishi with Rashi

Dina, Leah’s daughter, was like her mother. She knew it is sometimes important to go help people learn about how to serve Hashem in the right way. She went to try to help the girls of Shechem learn the right things to do.

But Shechem, the son of Chamor, was a big Rasha. When he saw Dina, he thought she was very pretty and treated her not nicely and acted like he was married to her even though he wasn’t!

Yaakov heard what happened, but he didn’t do anything right away. He waited for the Shevatim to come back from watching the animals in the field. In the meantime, Chamor came to talk to Yaakov about Dina marrying Shechem.

When the Shevatim heard what Shechem did, they realized that the city was a city full of resha’im. Everyone in the city knew about what he did, but nobody did anything about it! Such a city needs to be destroyed!

They told Chamor that everyone in the city should have a bris milah if they want to marry people from Yaakov’s family.

Then, when everyone in the city was resting from the bris milah, Shimon and Levi took swords and went into the city.

They didn’t ask their father, but went with the koach of their father because they felt this was the right thing to do. Because of the zechus of being Yaakov’s sons, they were able to destroy the city of resha’im.

Then they brought Dina home, and Shimon promised to marry her because she was afraid nobody would marry her after what Shechem did.

Yaakov was not happy with what they did. “Now everyone will think we are going to kill them, and they will want to fight with us!”

But Shimon and Levi said, “We had no choice! We cannot let such a thing be done to our sister.”

Hashem told Yaakov, “What happened to Dina was because you didn’t let her marry Esav, and also because you didn’t bring the korbanos you promised yet. So go to Beis Keil, and make a Mizbeiach.”

Yaakov told his family and all of the people with them to get rid of all of the idols that they took when killing the people in Shechem, and to take off any clothes that have pictures of idols on them. “Then we will go to Beis Keil and make a mizbeiach for Hashem Who always takes care of me.”

They gave Yaakov all of the idols, and he buried them near the city.

Instead of wanting to fight Yaakov, the other people were afraid of him, and nobody tried to fight them when they went. When they got to Luz, which is Beis Keil, Yaakov made a mizbeiach, and called that place Keil Beis Keil, since that’s where Yaakov saw Hashem when he was running away from Esav.

Devorah, Rivkah’s nurse, passed away and was buried in Beis Keil. She had come to tell Yaakov to come home, and then came with them back to Eretz Yisroel. While he was burying Devorah, someone came and told him that his mother Rivkah passed away. Yaakov called that place Alon Bachus, meaning a plain of crying, since he cried there that his mother passed away. (It doesn’t say Rivkah’s name here in the Torah so nobody should say not nice things about her because she was Esav’s mother.)

Hashem appeared to Yaakov again here, and gave him a bracha to comfort him after Rivkah passed away. Hashem gave Yaakov another name, Yisrael, just like the malach had said. Hashem promised Yaakov that his family would grow to be many people, and that they would have Eretz Yisrael. Hashem also gave him a special bracha that through Yosef would come two Shevatim (Menasheh and Efrayim), and through Benyamin, who would be born soon, would come kings (Shaul and Ish-Boshes).

 
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TEHILLIM

72 - 76

Today’s kapitelach are Ayin-Beis to Ayin-Vov.

In today’s Tehillim, Dovid Hamelech says to Hashem, “Beheimos Hayisi Imach!” “I act like a beheimah (an animal) with you.”

That sounds very strange. What is Dovid Hamelech saying?

Sometimes people get worried. Will I have enough to eat? Enough money to buy all the things I need? Maybe someone will try to take away my parnasa or other things that belong to me?

That’s what Dovid Hamelech was saying: “I’m not afraid of any of that. I just do whatever you ask from me, Hashem! I’m not worried about anything!”

That’s just like an animal. It doesn’t ever get afraid that someone will take things away from it. It relies on its owner to take care of it! That’s the same way Dovid Hamelech feels with Hashem.

The Rebbe once said in a farbrengen that a Chossid needs to feel like a goat does. The only thing a goat needs to worry about is to give milk. That’s its job. All of the things IT needs, like food and water and a place to sleep, are the owner’s responsibility, and the goat doesn’t need to think about them!

The same is with a chossid: We just need to do our shlichus, and Hashem will make sure that we have all the things we need to make our shlichus the best it can be!

 
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TANYA

Kuntres Acharon Siman Vov

Every mitzvah that we do brings the chayus of Hashem into the world. So let’s say we bring a korban in the times of the Beis Hamikdash — a special chayus of Hashem comes into the world. Or if nowadays we do a mitzvah like lulav and esrog, putting on Tefillin, or lighting Shabbos candles. Those things all bring the chayus of Hashem into the world, so that the world can exist!

But what if we don’t do the mitzvah right? If you put tefillin on the wrong hand, or Chas Veshalom light candles in the wrong time, is that a mitzvah?

No! And since they aren’t a mitzvah, they don’t bring any chayus into the world!

That means that the chayus that Hashem gives to the world depends on a detail of the Torah being done the right way!

When Dovid Hamelech was going through hard times, he would think about this — how special Torah is — and that would bring him joy!

 
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HAYOM YOM

Yud-Daled Kislev

It is our minhag to bentch holding a cup of wine when there is a Mezuman, even if there is no Minyan! We also learn how we do that.

The Rebbe Rashab once said in a sicha that there are different names we can call a Yid, based on his Avodas Hashem:

One name is Tzadik. That’s someone who is extra special with the mitzvos that we need to do. Then there is Yashar — that’s someone who is very careful with the mitzvos Lo Saasei, things we are not allowed to do. There is also the name Tomim — that’s for someone who is really serious about mitzvos and is very dedicated.

And then there is a Chossid. There are many ways a person could act that would make him deserve to be called a chossid:

One is that he doesn’t let the Gashmiyus of the world get in the way to stop him from the way Hashem wants him to live. That is something EVERY Yid can do!

The second way is that he feels in everything he does how Hashem is there. Not everyone can feel that, but it isn’t impossible!

Then there is the third way a person can act to deserve to be called a Chossid:

A Yid might act the way Hashem wants, because he feels like he wants to be close to Hashem. But a chossid acts in a very special way: Instead of thinking about what HE wants, he thinks about what HASHEM wants! He knows that Hashem wants Moshiach to come, and he thinks about what he can do to bring the Geulah closer!

That’s what the Rebbe teaches us ­— that we need to want Moshiach now and do everything we can to make it happen right away!

 
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SEFER HAMITZVOS

Shiur #129 - Mitzvas Lo Saasei #135, #136

Today we learn two more mitzvos — that two more kinds of people are not allowed to eat from the holy Terumah:

1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #135) A man who didn’t have a bris is not allowed to eat Terumah. (Even though it doesn’t say this mitzvah clearly in the Torah, we understand it because the Torah uses the same kinds of words when it talks about the Korban Pesach, where it DOES say clearly that a person without a bris can’t eat it.)

2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #136) A kohen who is tamei (like if he has Tzoraas) is not allowed to eat Terumah.

 
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RAMBAM

Hilchos Terumos

Perek Yud: What happens if a person ate Terumah by mistake when he wasn’t allowed to? Usually the halacha is that he has to pay back for what he ate, PLUS an extra fifth. We also learn about the halachos of what happens if someone stole Terumah.

Perek Yud-Alef: Terumah is holy, so we can’t just do whatever we want with it. We need to eat it or use it in a kavodike way. For example, we shouldn’t make a food into a drink.

Perek Yud-Beis: We are careful not to make the Terumah tamei. If it did become tomei, it has to be burned. If we’re not sure if it’s tomei or not, we have a problem! We can’t eat it in case it is tomei, but we can’t burn it because it wouldn’t be kavodik, in case it really isn’t tomei. So what do we do? We leave it alone until it becomes FOR SURE tomei, and then we burn it.

We also learn how the kohanim get their presents. They should go to the place where the produce is stored to get the terumah, but they don’t help pick it or gather it. Terumah should be given with kavod.

 
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RAMBAM PEREK ECHOD

Hilchos Mechirah - Perek Chof-Alef

In Perek Chof-Alef the Rambam teaches us that we are not allowed to sell something that is a surprise. The person we are selling to needs to know exactly what he is getting! If we don’t know what we are getting, it is like gambling, because we might be getting a very good deal or wasting all of our money!

Since sometimes people mean different things with the same words, the Rambam gives rules to know exactly what a person is selling. For example, if a person sells something like “a piece of land to build a house on,” what does that mean? Does it mean a piece of land big enough to build a mansion, or a piece of land just big enough for a little sukkah? The Rambam tells us that the words “land to build a house” mean a piece of land that is a certain size. If the seller doesn’t say anything different, the person who buys it is able to use that amount of space.

 
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INYANA D'YOMA

Chassidishe Yom Tov

Today is a very special day for Chassidim! It’s the day of the chasuna of the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin, in the year Tof-Reish-Pey-Tes.

The Rebbe told chassidim that Yud-Daled Kislev is a very special day for us!

Since the Rebbe got married to the Frierdiker Rebbe’s daughter, the Rebbetzin, the Rebbe started to help the Frierdiker Rebbe, and because of that, later became Rebbe. “That means,” the Rebbe told chassidim, “that this day is really the beginning of the connection between the Rebbe and chassidim. And the connection between the chassidim and the Rebbe is that together we will do everything we possibly can to bring the Geulah!”

See farbrengen Yud-Daled Kislev Tof-Shin-Yud-Daled

 

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TEFILLAH

Shema and Vehaya Im Shamoa

The Mishna explains why we say Shema before we say Vehaya Im Shamoa:

“Kedei Sheyekabel Alav Ol Malchus Shomayim Techilah, Ve’achar Kach Yekabel Alav Ol Mitzvos.”

In Shema, we speak about our connection to Hashem. We say that we are ready to be Mekabel Ol Malchus Shomayim!

Then in Vehaya Im Shamoa, we speak about how to DO what Hashem wants. We say that we are ready to keep all of Hashem’s mitzvos!

Mishnayos Brachos, Perek Beis, mishna beis

 
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HALACHOS HATZRICHOS

Holding Things During Davening

When we daven, we shouldn’t be holding any other things. If we hold something important, like Tefillin, a sefer, or lehavdil a camera or money, we will need to think about it and make sure it doesn’t fall down. That will distract us from thinking just about our davening.

Even though it is fine to hold something that won’t get ruined if it falls, it is better (Mitzvah Min Hamuvchar) not to hold anything except for a siddur which is there to HELP us concentrate in davening!

See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman 96

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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GEULAH U'MOSHIACH

Why We Need Chassidus Nowadays (Part 2)

Why do we have Chassidus nowadays when it wasn’t revealed to the Yidden a long time ago?

We learned one reason yesterday. Another reason we need Chassidus now is to help us get ready for the Geulah!

When Moshiach comes, everyone will be busy learning about Hashem. By learning Chassidus nowadays, which helps us understand Hashem, we are getting ready for the Geulah!

The Frierdiker Rebbe gave a mashal for this, from pearls. A person doesn’t NEED pearls to live, but they make her look much nicer! But during a chasunah, having pearls or other fancy jewelry IS important! At certain times, we need to be fancy.

When we are preparing for the Geulah which is like the chasuna of Hashem and the Yidden we also need to be “fancy.” We need to have plenty of pearls of Chassidus to show how we are prepared!

How do we get these “pearls?” It’s not just enough to make times to learn Chassidus, but we should try to learn whenever we have any free time! This is how we prepare for the Geulah.

See Likutei Sichos chelek chof, sichas Yud-Tes Kislev

 
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