| |
|
CHUMASH
Parshas Shemini - Chamishi with Rashi
|
|
Even though Aharon and his sons were mourning because Nadav and Avihu passed away, Moshe told them that they need to eat the parts of the korbanos that are for the kohanim.
Elazar and Isamar and Aharon ate those parts of the special korban brought in honor of starting off the avodah in the Mishkan, even though they were in aveilus. But they didn’t think they should eat the meat from the Rosh Chodesh korban. The Rosh Chodesh korban is eaten EVERY Rosh Chodesh, so they didn’t think it should have the same rule as the korbanos of the Yemei Miluim, which were only brought as a one-time thing.
Instead, they followed the usual halacha that tells us what to do if we can’t finish a korban during the right time, and they burned the whole korban on the Mizbeiach.
When Moshe found out about this, he was very upset! The Rosh Chodesh korban asks Hashem to forgive the Yidden, and they shouldn’t do anything that might chas veshalom stop Hashem from forgiving all of the Yidden by not eating it!
Aharon explained the reason why they treated this korban differently. Even though Moshe had given instructions to eat the korbanos even after what happened, they understood that this was a special halacha for the Yemei Miluim, and it only had to do with the korbanos of the Yemei Miluim. Hashem only wanted them to eat from the special korbanos for that day, but not from the korban that is brought for every Rosh Chodesh! When Moshe heard this explanation, he agreed that Aharon was right, and he wasn’t embarrassed to say that he hadn’t realized that difference.
|
| |
|
|
Kapitel Kuf-Zayin starts with the words “Hodu LaHashem Ki Tov, Ki LeOlam Chasdo!” “Thank Hashem because He is good, His kindness is forever!”
The first word is “Hodu,” which means to thank. But it also means something else! Hodu also means to “admit.”
What are we admitting to?
The Tzemach Tzedek explains this. We know that Hashem is creating the world EVERY SECOND and is here EVERY MOMENT. But we don’t see it! So we need to admit that it’s true anyway.
When Moshiach comes, we won’t have to admit it anymore — we will all be able to see it!
|
| |
|
TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Mem-Alef
|
|
In today’s Tanya, the Alter Rebbe tells us more about the kavana of Ahavas Hashem, to remember that we are ready to have Mesiras Nefesh to be connected to Hashem, and how we are actually having Mesiras Nefesh when we daven and learn!
The Alter Rebbe told us yesterday that big tzadikim really care that all Yidden are close to Hashem! Most other people want it because they know that’s what Hashem wants. So they care, but not the same way that big tzadikim do.
But for the neshama to want to be close to Hashem, is something that every Yid truly wants, not just big tzadikim. Because every Yid has hidden in his neshama the koach to have Mesiras Nefesh in order to be connected to Hashem!
In fact, we are actually HAVING that Mesiras Nefesh every day, when we daven and learn! When we’re davening and learning, we’re not thinking about eating and drinking and other things that a person usually thinks about. We’re only thinking about being close to Hashem, just like a neshama in Gan Eden only thinks about Hashem’s Torah and not about gashmius things!
The Chachomim wanted us to think about this, first thing every morning. In morning brachos, we say: Elokai, Neshama Shenasata Bi ... Ata Nafachta Bi — Hashem gave us our neshama. Ve’Ata Asid Litla Mimeni — later that neshama will go up to Gan Eden. Now we will also act like a neshama in Gan Eden, where the neshama will go! All that matters is being close to Hashem, not thinking about the guf. This is Mesiras Nefesh!
|
| |
|
|
Today is the seventh day of the Omer!
The Baal Shem Tov used to eat THREE seudos on Acharon Shel Pesach.
The third Seudah is called the Moshiach Seudah! This is because on Acharon Shel Pesach, it shines with the light of Moshiach!
In Pesach 5666, in the Yeshiva in Lubavitch, the talmidim all ate together in the Zal. There were 310 talmidim, sitting at 18 tables! The Rebbe Rashab ate with the Talmidim on Acharon Shel Pesach. He told everyone to drink four cups of wine, and said “This is Moshiach’s Seudah!”
|
| |
|
|
Today we learn TWO mitzvos about Hashovas Aveidah, the matching Mitzvas Asei and Lo Saasei:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #269) is that we can’t ignore something that we find, and just pretend we didn’t see it. If we see something lost, and we do ignore it, we are doing this aveira — the Lo Saasei.
We learn this from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei, when Moshe Rabbeinu reviews the mitzvos with the Yidden before they go into Eretz Yisroel: לֹא תוּכַל לְהִתְעַלֵּם
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the second perek of Mesechta Bava Metziah, Perek Eilu Metzios (one of the first pieces of Gemara learned in many Chadorim).
2) (Mitzvas Asei #204) is that we need to bring back something we find to the person who lost it. That’s the Mitzvas Asei of Hashovas Aveidah!
The Torah tells us about this twice. Once is in Parshas Mishpatim, right after Matan Torah: הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ
Then we learn about it again, in Parshas Ki Seitzei, in Moshe’s review of the mitzvos: הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֵם לְאָחִיךָ
The details of this mitzvah are also explained in the second perek of Mesechta Bava Metziah, Perek Eilu Metzios.
|
| |
|
RAMBAM
Hilchos Gezeilah VaAveidah
|
|
In today’s Rambam, we learn more halachos about returning things that we find — Hashovas Aveidah.
Perek Tes-Zayin explains when you need to return money or a treasure that you find. Usually, you are allowed to keep money that you find in the street, unless it has a siman (a sign), like it is arranged in a pile. Money that you find on the counter in a store needs to be returned, but money found on the floor in a store does not need to be.
Perek Yud-Zayin: Sometimes there is a lost object that the Torah says we do not need to return. There are halachos about what we need to do to make it ours. For example, just looking at it and saying, “I found it! I’m keeping it!” is not enough. We need to actually do something, like picking it up, for it to belong to us.
Perek Yud-Ches teaches the halachos of what we do if we find a shtar (contract). One of the halachos is that we do NOT give back a contract where somebody owes money, because maybe it was already paid, and if we give it back they will have to pay again!
Now we have finished learning the section of halachos about Gezeilah V’Aveidah.
|
| |
|
|
Perek Ches is a very short perek! The Rambam teaches us that we don’t let a different relative take care of a field for a child under Bar Mitzvah, or a person who was captured. That’s because that relative might then say that it was HIS field that he got as a yerusha, and people could believe him, since after all, he is a relative.
|
| |
|
|
If all year we’re thinking about Moshiach, talking about Moshiach, and learning about Moshiach, what is so special about Seudas Moshiach?
The Rebbe teaches us that we EAT by Seudas Moshiach. When we eat, the food becomes a part of our body! During Seudas Moshiach, all of the inyonim of Moshiach become a part of us, along with the food we eat! (Just like when we eat matzah, our Emunah becomes strong.)
It’s very important that as many people as possible come to this Seudah, so that they will ALL have Moshiach a part of them!
|
| |
|
▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
|
| |
|
|
The Chachomim made Kriyas HaTorah part of davening. In later years, because of a decree, they added the reading of the haftora.
The Haftora for Acharon Shel Pesach is a section from the Navi Yeshaya that starts with the words “Od Hayom”. It is a nevuah about the fall of king Sancheriv’s rulership, and about Moshiach (the personality of Moshiach, and the times of Moshiach).
This makes a lot of sense, because as we learned in Hayom Yom, on Acharon Shel Pesach, the light of Moshiach is shining!
One of the pesukim in this haftora starts with the words “Venacha Alav Ruach Hashem.” When Yom Tov is on a weekday, we actually say this posuk before Kriyas HaTorah! This posuk speaks about Moshiach, but it also hints to the spark of Moshiach inside every Yid. When the spark of Moshiach in each of us has its Geulah, it will help make the BIG Geulah possible!
In Igeres Hakodesh, the Alter Rebbe teaches us that the time of this personal Geulah is during tefillah! When we daven, the spark of Moshiach inside of us comes out of Golus.
|
| |
|
|
During the whole Pesach, we are very careful about Matzah Sheruyah, which is also called “gebrokts.” We are very careful not to eat wet matzah! We cover the matzah on the table so no water will splash on it by mistake, and we check our cups before we drink to make sure there are no matzah crumbs inside.
We do this because we are afraid that MAYBE a drop of flour didn’t get properly mixed into the matzah dough, and it MIGHT become chometz if it touches water.
Gebrokts is not ASUR, but the Alter Rebbe tells us that those who are careful get special brachos from Hashem. But that is not talking about the last day of Pesach, Acharon Shel Pesach. On this day, we don’t miss out on the bracha from Hashem by eating wet matzah because of Simchas Yom Tov.
On Acharon Shel Pesach, the Rebbeim were not careful about gebrokts at all. In fact, they DAVKA made their matzah wet, with EVERY kind of food at the meal!
One of the deeper reasons for this is that Acharon Shel Pesach is at the end of one week of Sefiras Haomer.
The Ruchnius’dike inyan of matzah is bittul. It is flat, not puffed up with gaavah and yeshus like chometz! During the first seven days of Pesach, we are very careful that our bittul shouldn’t even have the possibility of yeshus. But on Acharon Shel Pesach, we are on a higher Ruchnius level already. After one week of working on our midos during Sefiras Haomer, we are able to handle the possibility of a tiny drop of yeshus.
We know that eventually, we will need to use much greater levels of yeshus in our Avodas Hashem. On Shavuos, we even bring a korban with chometz, called the “Shtei Halechem!” Acharon Shel Pesach, when we use the POSSIBILITY of a drop of yeshus, is the first step to being able to serve Hashem this way.
|
|
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
|
| |
|
|
The haftora for Acharon Shel Pesach is from the Navi Yeshaya, which speaks about the Geulah.
One of the nevuos that it says in that time is about how all the animals will leave peacefully with each other. The Rambam says this means that the other nations won’t want to hurt the Yidden anymore.
Then the posuk tells us why there will be so much shalom in the world:
לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא יַשְׁחִיתוּ בְּכָל הַר קָדְשִׁי כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה אֶת ה׳ כַּמַּיִם לַיָּם מְכַסִּים
Lo Yareiu Velo Yashchisu — They will not hurt or destroy
Bechol Har Kodshi — On my whole holy mountain
Why?
Ki Malah Ha’aretz Deiah Es Hashem — Because the world will be full of knowledge of Hashem
Kamayim Layam Mechasim — As much as the water which covers the ocean!
The Rambam uses the second half of this posuk to end off his sefer, and to show that at that time, the whole world will only be busy with knowing Hashem!
|
| |
|
|
|
לע"נ התינוק זאב ארי' ע"ה בן יבלט"א הרה"ח ר' שניאור זלמן שי' גליק
נפטר ב' מנחם אב ה'תשע"ג
|
| |
Give children around the world the gift of Kids Chitas!
KidsChitas.org/sponsor
|
| |
|
