| |
|
|
Yisro came to join the Yidden. When he saw Moshe Rabbeinu busy with the Yidden full time, he suggested that Moshe delegate some of the work to proper judges.
Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem whether Yisro’s suggestion was the right thing, and Hashem agreed that Yisro’s plan was good. So Moshe followed Yisro’s advice.
Moshe chose the best judges he could for the Yidden. The Yidden asked these judges their questions, and if it was a very hard question they brought it to Moshe.
Yisro stayed to watch Moshe setting up the judges, and then he decided to go back to Midyan to help the rest of his family become Yidden too.
|
| |
|
|
In Kapitel Pey-Alef (81), the posuk says “Tiku BaChodesh Shofar, Bakeseh LeYom Chageinu. Ki Chok LeYisroel Hu, Mishpat Leilokei Yaakov.” These pesukim are talking about blowing the shofar, which is the mitzvah of Rosh Hashana.
The Gemara says that it is also talking about the parnasa that every Yid will have for the coming year. There is an argument in the Gemara whether a person is judged on Rosh Hashana, or every day, or even every hour!
Chassidus explains that it’s really not an argument — they’re just talking about different things! In Ruchnius, on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, it is decided what a person will have. But based on how they act every day and every moment, it is decided whether that Ruchnius koach he deserves will come into Gashmius and give him parnasa, or stay in Ruchnius for Gan Eden.
Some people think that since anyway Hashem decided on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, it doesn’t matter if they daven with a minyan or go to a shiur in Torah or do other mitzvos. Either they will get it or they won’t get it!
But that’s not true! Even if in Shomayim it was decided that a person will get a lot, if he doesn’t earn Hashem’s bracha, he won’t get the bracha in Gashmius. And the opposite is also true — even if someone isn’t supposed to get a lot, with Hashem’s bracha that little can help him even more than a lot would!
|
| |
|
TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Chof-Alef
|
|
We learned yesterday that the mashal of a person’s speaking is different than the nimshal of Hashem’s words which were used to create the world. A persons’ words become separated from him after he says them, but NOTHING can become separate from Hashem! So even after Hashem said the words that created the world, the world didn’t become something separate — it is always connected to Hashem.
Did you ever see a one-way mirror? Some shuls have a special kind of Mechitzah where from the men’s side, it looks like a mirror, but from the women’s side, you can see straight through like plain glass! The whole world is a little bit like that! When we look around at the world, it looks like it is something for itself. From Hashem’s point of view, though, the whole world never becomes separate from Hashem.
The whole world is always one with Hashem. It is only that Hashem made many tzimtzumim, like layers of hiding through the different Ruchnius worlds, all the way until this Gashmius’dike world.
Hashem wanted that the things that are created should FEEL separate. Hashem WANTS us to feel like we have an existence of our own, so that we will be able to live in the world and serve Hashem.
The truth is, however, that this is only how we feel. All of the levels of hiding are “see-through” to Hashem, they don’t hide anything at all! What is dark to us is light to Hashem. Even the tzimtzumim are part of Hashem!
When Moshiach comes, we will also be able to see it!
|
| |
|
|
In Chassidus, we use a certain mashal often:
A person who serves Hashem with all of his heart, who is always excited to do what Hashem wants — that’s called “warm.” A person who feels like he always needs to understand everything — that’s called “cold.”
Being “cold” is not an aveira, but the Rebbe Rashab says that it is very close to kefirah — a person who is cold might very easily forget about Hashem Chas Veshalom.
There is a posuk (in Devarim) that says that Hashem is a fire! Learning Torah and davening needs to be in a “warm” way, with a chayus, with all of your heart! This will make sure that we remember Hashem, and we will be “warm” Yidden!
Hashem created the world in a way that Elokus is hidden. Because the Torah and mitzvos were given to us in a Gashmius’dike world, the Elokus in them is also hidden in some way. That’s why it’s important to learn Chassidus in a way that will inspire us to realize how Hashem is in everything.
For example, when we learn Torah, we could look at it in a “cold” way, seeing only stories and complicated discussions about halachos. But we need to learn it in a “warm” way, and remember that the Torah we are learning is the chochma and the ratzon of Hashem!
When we daven, we could just say the words, since that’s what we’re used to doing. But we need to remember “Da Lifnei Mi Ata Omed,” we are standing before Hashem! When we walk in the street, we need to remember that we are all shluchim of the Rebbe to bring Torah and Chassidus everywhere, and to be a Kiddush Hashem! The same is in everything we do. Our whole avodah needs to be with warmth and chayus!
|
| |
|
SEFER HAMITZVOS
Mitzvas Lo Saasei #223, Asei #134, #141, Lo Saasei #230, #231
|
|
Today we learn 5 more mitzvos about Shemitah:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #223) We are not allowed to gather grapes that grow during Shemitah. They can be picked and eaten, but not gathered like usual.
2) (Mitzvas Asei #134) We need to make all of the fruit that grows in Shemitah “hefker,” so anyone can take it. Making something Hefker means saying that it doesn’t belong to anyone, so any person can take it without permission.
3) (Mitzvas Asei #141) In a Shemitah year, we should forgive any money that a Yid owes us.
4) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #230) We are not allowed to ask someone to pay us back money after a Shemitah year passes.
5) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #231) It is asur to not lend money to a Yid before Shemitah, even if we are afraid that we will lose money if they don’t pay us back before Shemitah.
|
| |
|
RAMBAM
Hilchos Shemitah VeYovel
|
|
Perek Gimmel: We are not allowed to prepare the land before Shemitah so that it will grow better by itself. Because of this, we have to stop working in our fields for some time before Shemitah starts. This is called Tosfos Shviis.
Perek Daled: We are not allowed to take sefichin (vegetables and grain that grow without planting them) during Shemitah, even though they grew on their own. This way people won’t try to plant things secretly. We are only allowed to take FRUIT that grows by itself, since everyone knows that a fruit tree had to be planted long before Shemitah for it to grow now!
Perek Hey: We treat fruit that grows during Shemitah with respect, since it is holy (Kedushas Sheviis). One halacha is that we shouldn’t feed Shemitah fruit to animals.
|
| |
|
|
The Rambam teaches us the halachos about a Korban Asham and a Korban Shelamim. At the end of the perek, the Rambam also mentions the Korban Pesach!
|
| |
|
|
A teacher wrote a letter to the Rebbe about the students in her class. She told the Rebbe that there are kids that aren’t being nice to each other, and saying not nice things.
This is what the Rebbe told her to do:
The teacher should explain to her class how special every Yid is to Hashem. The Baal Shem Tov says Hashem loves each Yid even more than parents love their only child, who was born when they were old, when they thought they might never even have a child. Those parents love this child so much — but Hashem loves each and every Yid even more!
Also, children need to know that Hashem sees and hears everything that happens. Hashem pays attention to what people are saying about His precious children, and to His precious children.
We would be very careful not to say anything not nice about a prince while the king is standing there. The same way, we should be very careful how we speak about another Yid, because Hashem is right there watching!
The Rebbe added that of course the teacher can explain it in her own way, but there is something important to do as well: It will be even more helpful to have a sign in the classroom that reminds students to think before they speak, since Hashem is watching and listening.
See Igros Kodesh 19 Shevat 5721
|
| |
|
▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
|
| |
|
|
In order to understand the meaning of the first bracha of Shemoneh Esrei, we need to know what is happening when we say this bracha! We praised Hashem before, in Pesukei Dezimra, and we praise Hashem again now in the first brachos, but this is different.
Before, we were preparing ourselves. We spoke about Hashem’s praises so we would understand Who we are about to speak to. We were Mekabel Ol Malchus Shomayim upon ourselves in Shema. But now, in Shemoneh Esrei, we aren’t talking ABOUT Hashem anymore, we are speaking TO Hashem!
The Chachomim tell us to take three steps forward, to show that we are going towards something important. In order to take these steps forward, we first need to take three steps back.
We clear our thoughts and focus on standing before Hashem and the meaning of the words we are saying to Hashem.
|
| |
|
|
Yesterday, we learned about when fruits are Ho’adamah, in connection with Chamisha-Asar B’Shevat. Today, let’s learn another halacha about fruit — when their bracha is Shehakol!
The general bracha for food is Shehakol. But we say a special bracha on specific kinds of foods. For example, vegetables are special since they grow from the ground. Fruits are different because they grow on trees.
But we only make these special brachos when we eat these foods the way they are usually eaten. If we eat them in a strange way, they can lose their special bracha and become Shehakol.
For example, potatoes are a food that most people cook before eating. Raw potatoes don’t taste as good. So if someone decides to eat potatoes raw, that is not considered a normal way of eating. The potatoes don’t get their special bracha, and we make a Shehakol on them.
Oranges are another example. They are delicious raw, but when they are cooked, their flavor changes. Most people don’t eat them that way. So if we have a cooked orange (like on top of chicken), we don’t make a special bracha on it. We make just the general bracha of Shehakol.
See Seder Birchos Hanehenin Perek Vov
|
|
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
|
| |
|
|
Here’s one way the Rebbe teaches us we can learn Inyonei Geulah, together with a mitzvah that we do all the time:
When we give tzedakah, we can think about the words of Chazal, “Gedolah Tzedakah Shemekareves Es Hageulah,” that tzedakah has the koach to bring Moshiach closer!
This way, every time we give tzedakah, we are also learning and thinking about the Geulah!
|
| |
|
|
|
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
|
| |
|
