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CHUMASH

Parshas Terumah - Sheini with Rashi

Yesterday we learned about the Aron. Today we learn about the cover of the Aron (the Kapores) and the Shulchan.

Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to make the cover for the Aron, called the Kapores. The Kapores should be made out of a thick piece of gold.

On the Kapores, there should be Keruvim, that look like malochim with the face of little children. They will be facing each other and have their wings spread over the Kapores. But Moshe shouldn’t make the two keruvim and then attach them to the Kapores — instead he should use one piece of gold and make the whole Kapores with the Keruvim from that piece.

Hashem will speak to Moshe from between the two Keruvim, telling him everything that needs to be told to the Yidden!

Hashem also tells Moshe to make the Shulchan, a special table for the Mishkan. It should be made of wood and covered with gold! It will have shelves to hold 12 loaves of Lechem Hapanim.

The Lechem Hapanim is a kind of bread with a shape that looks a little bit like both sides are looking at each other! Even though the Lechem Hapanim is called bread, it will be made the way we make matzah, so it isn’t chometz.

Hashem tells Moshe never to leave the Shulchan empty — every week a fresh batch of Lechem Hapanim should be put on the Shulchan.

 
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TEHILLIM

140 - 144

In today’s Tehillim, there is a posuk, “Tikon Tefilasi Ketores Lefanecha” — “I bring my davening before Hashem like Ketores!”

(The Rambam chooses this posuk to put at the beginning of his sefer about korbanos.)

The Rebbe teaches us that when the kohen brings the ketores, nobody else is allowed to be there — it’s just the kohen bringing the ketores to Hashem. The same thing is when we daven — it’s private, between us and Hashem!

Also, the word ketores is like the word “Kesher” (in Aramaic, “Ketar”) — a connection. Davening is one of the ways we make a special connection with Hashem.

 
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TANYA

Likutei Amarim Perek Chof-Tes

The Alter Rebbe is giving us an eitzah for Timtum Halev.

Sometimes the Yetzer Hara is feeling very comfortable and full of gaavah. This blocks us from opening our heart to serve Hashem in davening, or to fight with the Yetzer Hara to use gashmius things only for kedusha.

The Alter Rebbe gave us the eitzah from the Zohar, that just like a big piece of wood that isn’t burning needs to be cut into pieces, we need to cut our Yetzer Hara into pieces by thinking humble thoughts so that kedusha will also be able to light up our neshama.

Some of the humble thoughts that the Alter Rebbe tells us to use are actually thoughts we used before to encourage us! But since now we need to bring ourselves to feel humble, we think about them in a way to make the Yetzer Hara feel less proud of itself.

Since we aren’t like a tzadik who made his Yetzer Hara to become kedusha, our Yetzer Hara is still there and is a very big part of who we are.

Since the Yetzer Hara is able to want to do things which are against what Hashem wants, and especially if we already listened to the Yetzer before, thinking about this will make us feel humble.

Once we cut the Yetzer Hara into pieces by thinking humble thoughts, our neshama is able to shine! This way the Chassidus we think about during davening can shine in our hearts, and we will be full of energy to fight the Yetzer Hara and to use the Gashmius we have only for kedusha.

 
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HAYOM YOM

Chof-Tes Shevat

The Alter Rebbe teaches something very special about Rashi:

What Rashi teaches in Chumash is like the Yeina Shel Torah (wine of Torah)! When we learn Rashi on Chumash, it opens our heart! Just like wine can make a person say secrets, when we learn Rashi, the wine of Torah, it makes the “secrets” in ourselves come out too — the Ahavas Hashem (love for Hashem) and Yiras Hashem (fear of Hashem) that are hidden inside of us!

When we learn Rashi on Gemara, it opens our mind! What Rashi teaches in Gemara makes the sechel atzmi (wisdom) in ourselves become revealed!

In the Rebbe’s Rashi sichos, the Rebbe would first explain in detail how to understand the peshat, the plain meaning of Rashi. Then, based on this Hayom Yom, the Rebbe would add lessons in Avodas Hashem that bring us to Ahavas Hashem and Yiras Hashem — the “Yeina Shel Torah.”

 
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SEFER HAMITZVOS

Shiur #203 - Mitzvas Asei #113

Today’s mitzvah is the same as yesterday’s:

2) (Mitzvas Asei #113) It is a mitzvah to prepare the Parah Adumah so its ashes can be used to make Yidden Tahor from Tumas Meis.

We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Chukas: וְהָיְתָה לַעֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת

There is a whole mesechta of Mishnayos that deals with the dinim of Parah Adumah, called Mesechta Parah.

 
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RAMBAM

Hilchos Parah Adumah

In today's Rambam, we learn about how we get the Parah Adumah ready!

Perek Beis: The Rambam explains how careful we are to make sure that everything used for the Parah Adumah has no chance of becoming Tomei.

Perek Gimmel: We learn how the Parah Adumah was burned.

Perek Daled: In this perek, the Rambam tells us what happens if one of the halachos wasn’t followed exactly — is it still kosher?

 
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RAMBAM PEREK ECHOD

Hilchos She'eilah Upikadon - Perek Zayin

Here’s an example of one interesting halacha in Perek Zayin: Let’s say that Reuven asked Shimon to watch his kiddush cup while he goes to summer camp. Shimon wasn’t planning on going to camp, so he agreed.

But then in the middle of the summer, Shimon’s Bubby invited him to come to Eretz Yisroel with her! What should Shimon do? He can’t bring the kiddush cup with — it might get lost or stolen on such a big trip! And he can’t ask someone else to watch the kiddush cup — Reuven asked HIM to watch it! Does he have to stay home now to watch the kiddush cup?

Shimon can bring the kiddush cup to the Beis Din, and they will find someone who can watch it until Reuven gets back.

 
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INYANA D'YOMA

Ahavas Yisroel

On Shabbos, we just read Parshas Shekalim. One of the things the Machatzis Hashekel teaches us is that one Yid without a second Yid is just a half! Alef Adar is when the Beis Din actually started to collect the Machatzis Hashekel. So today, Erev Rosh Chodesh, we will learn a vort from the Baal Shem Tov which shows us more about how one Yid needs another:

It says in the posuk that when Hashem created Adam Harishon, Hashem said, “It is not good for a person to be alone. I will make for him an Eizer Kenegdo, a helper.”

The Baal Shem Tov explains that this is also talking about each of us. Every Yid needs another Yid! If we were alone, we could make a mistake and think that we are perfect. So Hashem helps us by giving us another person. By seeing the chisaron (something not good that needs to be fixed) in the other person, we will know that we also have a similar chisaron in ourselves. Then we will know to correct it!

The Rebbe explains in a sicha why Hashem needs to show it to us in another person. Why can’t we figure out what we are missing ourselves? Hashem made us in away that we love ourselves very much, which makes it hard for us to see what is wrong in ourselves. (Like the posuk says, “Al Kol Pesha’im Techaseh Ahava,” self-love covers up all of a person’s faults.) But with another person, we are able to see clearly what they are missing. If we notice something another person has that is not good, that knowledge came to us through Hashgacha Protis — it is Hashem showing us that we need to fix something similar in ourselves!

So if we see something not good in another person, one of the reasons why we noticed it is so that we will be able to fix up our own behavior.

See Keser Shem Tov siman 302, Likutei Sichos chelek Yud parshas Noach (English translation)

 

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TEFILLAH

Seder HaTefillah Part 3

When we start davening, our neshama just came back to us, and we are only really able to connect to our emunah in Hashem. So in the first section of davening (Modeh Ani and Hodu), we admit (hoda’ah) that there is nothing that exists beside for Hashem. We have to admit that it is true, even though we don’t feel it or understand it yet!

The second section of davening is Pesukei Dezimra. We say words of praise to Hashem, about how Hashem creates and takes care of everything all the time with Hashgacha Protis! By saying these words, and just knowing what the words mean, our hidden love for Hashem can get woken up! Our neshama is now able to spread into our midos too, so we are able to serve Hashem also with our feelings, our midos.

The third part of davening is Shema and the brachos before and afterwards.

Really, this is a separate mitzvah, to say Kriyas Shema two times a day, in the morning and at night. The Chachomim added two brachos before and one bracha afterwards in Shacharis, and two brachos before and two brachos afterwards in Maariv. This adds up to seven brachos, like what Dovid Hamelech says in Tehillim, “Sheva Bayom Hilalticha” — “I praise You seven times during the day.”

According to Chassidus, this section of davening helps us spread our neshama into our sechel, our mind, also. IY”H later we will learn how.

 
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HALACHOS HATZRICHOS

Mivtza Purim

There are four mitzvos of Purim, and many other halachos and minhagim. It is very important for us to keep them all. But the Rebbe teaches us that we need to have Ahavas Yisroel and make sure other Yidden can keep these mitzvos too!

Over the years, the Rebbe spoke about Purim mivtzoyim many times! Here is a collection of some of the things the Rebbe told us about:

1) Teach about Purim: We should make sure that people are able to learn more about Purim! We should not only teach about the halachos of Purim, but about the Ruchnius’dike meaning of Purim. Some ways to do this are by teaching classes, and including information about Purim in things we give or send out.

2) Do at least the easy mitzvos: Some of the mitzvos of Purim are very easy for almost ANYONE to do, like giving Shalach Manos and Matanos L’evyonim. We should make sure we are getting as many people as possible to do these mitzvos — including children! Some ways to do this are by bringing coins and a pushka along with us, and having people GIVE (not just get) Shalach Manos.

3) Help people do the harder mitzvos properly: If someone is ready to hear the Megillah, we should make sure they have a Baal Korei who can lein it the way halacha teaches!

4) Spread Simchas Purim: It is a mitzvah to be happy on Purim! So even if a person isn’t able to do the mitzvos, at least they should be happy! Especially in a place where there isn’t much happiness, like in a hospital or nursing home or prison, we should share the joy of Purim so they can celebrate it too!

Based on Sichos of Purim throughout the years — see Otzar Minhagei Chabad, Purim

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

Learning About the Mishkan

The Rebbe teaches us to learn the parts of Chumash that talk about the Mishkan with more explanations from the Gemara and other parts of Torah. By learning and understanding what the Torah says about the Mishkan, which is the foundation for the Beis Hamikdash, it will bring Hashem to build the Beis Hamikdash Hashlishi much faster!

One of the pesukim in today’s Chumash says, “Lechem Hapanim Lefonai Tomid” — the Lechem Hapanim should always be on the Shulchan, in front of Hashem.

The Medrash says that the Lechem Hapanim was a kapara that brought the Yidden forgiveness from Hashem.

So what would be their kapara when there is no Mishkan or Beis Hamikdash? What will bring Hashem to forgive the Yidden?

The Medrash answers that Torah is compared to lechem, bread. When Yidden are busy with learning Torah, it will be like putting Lechem Hapanim on the Shulchan in the Mishkan, and bring the Yidden a kapara even in the time of Golus!

See Torah Shleimah parshas Terumah

 
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