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CHUMASH

Parshas Vaeira - Shishi with Rashi

Paraoh ignored the warning, and Hashem made the makah of Arov. Paraoh still didn’t do teshuvah, and Hashem had to send two more makosDever and Shechin. Paraoh’s magicians realized it was a neis from Hashem, but Paraoh was still stubborn.

Makas Arov (wild animals) continued:

Paraoh didn’t listen to Moshe’s warning and do teshuvah! So Hashem had to send the wild animals, the makah of Arov. They went all over Mitzrayim and hurt people and broke things — but they didn’t go into Goshen, where the Yidden lived.

Paraoh was very scared and he was almost ready to let the Yidden go bring korbanos to Hashem in the Midbar… but once Moshe davened for the wild animals to disappear, he changed his mind again and wouldn’t let the Yidden go.

5: Makas Dever (animal epidemic)

Hashem told Moshe to warn Paraoh that if he didn’t let the Yidden go, there would be another makah — that all the animals outside would get sick and die.

Paraoh ignored Moshe and Aharon, but some Mitzriyim knew by now that they should listen! So these Mitzriyim brought their animals inside, and they were safe from this makah. All of the other animals died — except any animals belonging to Yidden.

Paraoh asked if any of the Yidden’s animals died, and his servants told him that they didn’t. But Paraoh STILL decided not to listen to Hashem and let the Yidden go!

6: Makas Shechin (boils)

Moshe and Aharon warned Paraoh that if he didn’t listen to Hashem, he would get another makah, but again Paraoh didn’t want to hear. So Hashem told Moshe and Aharon to each take two handfuls of ashes from an oven, and then have Moshe hold all of the ashes in one fist. It was a neis that Moshe was able to hold all of it in just one fist!

Moshe threw it up to the sky with Paraoh watching, and it was enough to turn into dust and spread over the whole Mitzrayim. As it landed on whoever was outside (people or animals), it made a rash that hurt a lot.

Even though it looked like it might be a magic trick to throw up ashes, what happened was too big of a neis for it to be magic! Paraoh’s magicians had to admit that it was only Hashem who could do it.

Since Paraoh didn’t do teshuvah so many times already, Hashem didn’t make it easy for Paraoh to do teshuvah now, and Paraoh DIDN’T do teshuvah.

7: Makas Barad (hail)

Moshe and Aharon didn’t WARN Paraoh this time to give him a chance to do teshuvah, they just TOLD him that the next makah was coming. They told Paraoh that Hashem could have killed him in one of the other makos, but he is staying alive so he will have to admit in the end that Hashem is in charge.

 
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TEHILLIM

120 - 134

Today’s Tehillim is kapitelach Kuf-Chof to Kuf-Lamed-Daled, the 15 Shir Hamaalos!

In the Tehillim Ohel Yosef Yitzchok, before each kapitel there is a short paragraph telling us the message of that kapitel.

In the paragraph before Kapitel Kuf-Chof, the first kapitel of Tehillim for today, it says that in this kapitel, Dovid Hamelech tells people who speak Lashon Hara how terrible this aveira is, that it is even more dangerous than weapons.

In Parshas Shemos, we learned that Moshe Rabbeinu was also very upset about Lashon Hara. When he heard that Yidden were speaking Lashon Hara, he was afraid that it could Chas Veshalom keep them from getting the Geulah!

Why was Moshe so scared about Lashon Hara? The Yidden might have been doing much bigger aveiros than that!

The Rebbe explains that the Geulah from Mitzrayim was meant to bring the Yidden together to become one nation — Hashem’s nation. Instead of being just a big group of separate people, now they would become Am Yisroel!

But Lashon Hara, saying not-nice things about others, makes people feel unhappy with each other. They don’t want to be together anymore. Instead of being together as one, they feel like separate people who aren’t connected to each other.

That’s why Moshe was so worried about the Yidden speaking Lashon Hara — how could they have the Geulah and become one nation if they didn’t want to be together?

In this kapitel also, Dovid Hamelech warns people who speak Lashon Hara how dangerous it is. We can learn from this kapitel to be careful to only say nice things about each other!

See Likutei Sichos chelek Lamed-Alef p. 8

 
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TANYA

Likutei Amarim Perek Tes-Zayin

On the Shaar Blatt of Tanya, the Alter Rebbe told us that the Tanya is based on the posuk (which is one of the Yud-Beis Pesukim!) “Ki Karov Eilecha Hadavar Meod, Beficha Uvilvavcha Laasoso — It is very close to you (possible), in your mouth and your heart to do it.”

How can we say that it’s very close IN OUR HEARTS? We can understand that it is very possible to DO what Hashem wants. We can speak words of Torah, we can even be careful what we think about in our minds. But how can we control what goes on in our hearts, to control how we FEEL?

Do you know how you love your mother and father, your brothers and sisters, or your best friend? You might love them because they’re your family, but to feel it more, you can think about how special they are, how much they do for you, and how much you like being around them. And even if they’re not there, you can really feel how you love them.

Tzadikim can love Hashem as much as we love our parents, but not every beinoni can. A Beinoni knows he SHOULD love Hashem, but he can’t feel it the same way a Tzadik can. (Every Yid has a natural love for Hashem — just because he’s a Yid. But it’s hidden.) So how can a beinoni serve Hashem “bilvavcha,” with his heart? It doesn’t seem practical for every Yid!

The Alter Rebbe explains that for a beinoni, you don’t have to FEEL that kind of love. You just need to be mature enough in your Yiddishkeit to appreciate your connection with Hashem and be motivated to do what Hashem wants you to do. In Tanya that’s called the Ahava of Laasoso — it’s just enough motivation to get you to act like the Yid you’re supposed to be.

The Alter Rebbe gives a mashal to explain this inyan from Tanya in a different maamar:

Some adults LOVE their jobs. They are so excited to go work every morning! But most people don’t love what they do. They don’t hate it, but it doesn’t get them excited. So why do they do it? They know that it’s important, they know that they need to get paid for their job, and they also know that people are depending on them. In their mind they appreciate it, so even if they are feeling lazy or not in the mood, they show maturity. They may not be excited, but what they know motivates them to do the right thing.

The same thing is with Yiddishkeit for a beinoni! Even if the beinoni is feeling lazy or not in the mood, he can still serve Hashem “bilvavecha.” If he learned in Chassidus that it’s important for his neshama to be connected to Hashem through davening, learning, or doing mitzvos, that will motivate him later, even when he’s not in the mood. For a beinoni, acting the way Hashem wants because of this Ruchnius maturity which he gets from learning Chassidus or going to a farbrengen or davening, is counted as serving Hashem with his heart.

 
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HAYOM YOM

Chof-Zayin Teves

In today’s Hayom Yom we learn a vort from the Alter Rebbe:

Hashem has an ongoing deal with Yidden: We need our gashmius’dike things that only Hashem can give us (like health, money, and nachas). Hashem needs us to bring Yiddishkeit, Torah and mitzvos, into the world — ruchnius!

The problem is that we can’t do our ruchnius unless Hashem gives us the gashmius.

So this is the deal: Hashem gives us the gashmius, and then, we use it to do the things Hashem wants, and the gashmius becomes ruchnius. Then a Yid’s Gashmius IS Ruchnius!

Sometimes, though, Hashem gives a person only a little bit of gashmius. Then, it’s HARDER to make Ruchnius, and we might not be able to give Hashem as much! Still, if we are able to at least give Hashem something small (like the Minchas Ani, the korban a poor person would bring to Hashem in the Beis Hamikdash), that will make Hashem very happy.

Then Hashem will give us A LOT of gashmius and we will be able to make from it A LOT of ruchnius.

 
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SEFER HAMITZVOS

Shiur #172 - Mitzvas Lo Saasei #130, #129

Today we learn two mitzvos that show us how holy a korban is! We need to make sure it doesn’t get Tomei.

1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #130) We are not allowed to eat meat from a korban if it became tomei.

We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Tzav: וְהַבָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר יִגַּע בְּכָל טָמֵא לֹא יֵאָכֵל

2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #129) A tomei person isn’t allowed to eat the meat of a korban.

We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Tazria: בְּכָל קֹדֶשׁ לֹא תִגָּע

The details of both of these mitzvos are explained in Perek Yud-Gimmel of Mesechta Zevachim.

 
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RAMBAM

Hilchos Pesulei HaMukdashin

In today’s Rambam, we are learning about things that can make a korban (or part of a korban) posul.

Perek Yud-Alef: In this perek, we learn what can make a Korban Mincha posul.

Perek Yud-Beis: This perek talks about what can make the korban for Shavuos (Shtei Halechem), Lechem Hapanim, or Korban Todah posul.

Perek Yud-Gimmel: What the kohen is thinking about when he shechts the korban is very important! There are certain thoughts that can make the Korban not good (like we learned earlier in Sefer Hamitzvos).

 
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RAMBAM PEREK ECHOD

Hilchos Shluchim VeShutfin - Perek Ches

Perek Ches teaches us about partners who share an animal or a field, and only one of them does all of the work. How should they split up the money?

 
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INYANA D'YOMA

Story the Rebbe Told Us

One night, when the Rebbe was in Vienna, he went into a shul to daven. While he was there, he put some money into a tzedakah pushka.

A knowledgable young man came over to him, and said, “How can you do such a thing? It says in Kisvei HoArizal not to give tzedakah at night!”

Later the Rebbe told the Frierdiker Rebbe what had happened. The Frierdiker Rebbe said, “That person probably doesn’t give tzedakah during the day either...”

The lesson the Rebbe learns from this is that sometimes when we want to do something good, people can say that we shouldn’t do it since we’re not doing it 100% right. But probably that’s because they aren’t doing enough themselves, not because of the excuses they are giving! So we should never let that stop us, and keep doing more good things, even if people tell us it’s not perfect!

 

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TEFILLAH

Birchos Hashachar

Once, in the times of Dovid Hamelech, a terrible thing was happening. One hundred people were passing away every day, and nobody knew why!

Through Ruach Hakodesh, Dovid Hamelech figured out that the Yidden needed to start saying one hundred brachos every day.

To say 100 brachos every day, we need to be making brachos in the morning, afternoon and night. This way we will remember Hashem all the time! It will help us have more Yiras Shomayim and ahava for Hashem.

To help us say one hundred brachos, the Chachomim set up that we should thank Hashem every day for the way Hashem made the world. We enjoy many things about the way the world runs, and we should thank Hashem for them.

We say these brachos in Birchos Hashachar, and IY”H we will learn about them over the next few days.

See Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch siman Mem-Vov, se’if Alef

 
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HALACHOS HATZRICHOS

Looking at the Neiros During Kiddush

The next thing we will be learning in halacha are some of the dinim of Kiddush and Havdalah.

When a person is making Kiddush, he first looks at the Shabbos candles, the neiros.

Why?

The Chachomim teach us that there is a certain thing that a person might do which takes away Tof-Kuf (1/500th) of their eyesight. So a person should look at the two Shabbos candles, since the Gematria of “ner” (candle) is 250, and two together is 500. Looking at the 500 of the neiros is a segulah for fixing the 1/500th of a person’s koach of seeing!

But we don’t look at the neiros WHILE we make Kiddush. During the bracha of Kiddush itself, we need to look at the kos of Kiddush. We only look at it right before we make Kiddush.

See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Siman Reish-Ayin-Alef, se’if Yud-Tes

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

Recognizing Hashem

When the Yidden came out of Mitzrayim, another wonderful thing happened: The Mitzriyim also recognized Hashem and realized that only Hashem runs the world!

But in that Geulah, it only happened through painful Makos.

When Moshiach comes, the Geulah will be in a complete way! The whole world will recognize Hashem — but this time, without Makos, only in a pleasant way!

Likutei Sichos chelek Chof-Hey p. 189

 
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