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The Mahn came down from Shomayim every day — and double on Erev Shabbos! Some Yidden didn’t trust Hashem — and Hashem was not happy. The Yidden saved some mahn to always remind us to trust in Hashem!
All of the Yidden were waiting to hear what Hashem would say to them, since they had complained about having no food.
With all of the Yidden standing there, Hashem spoke to Moshe from the cloud.
Hashem said: “I heard what the Yidden complained about! Tell them that they will have meat and bread, and they will know that I am Hashem!”
The next morning, the mahn fell for the first time! Hashem sent a layer of dew underneath it, so it would be clean, and another layer to fall on top, to protect it. When the sun came up, the top layer of dew disappeared, and the Yidden could see the mahn! They didn’t know what it was exactly, and that’s why it got the name “mahn” — meaning just plain food.
Moshe told the Yidden that this was the bread Hashem sent for them! They should take as much as they need for everyone in their family. The Yidden listened, but some people ended up taking more mahn than they needed, and some people took less. But when they measured it, they found that Hashem made a neis — everyone had EXACTLY as much as they needed!
Moshe warned the Yidden not to save the mahn, Hashem would send more when they needed! But some Yidden didn’t trust that they would get more tomorrow, and they put some away for the next day. The mahn got all rotten and full of worms, and Moshe got very upset at them for not listening and believing in Hashem!
Every morning, after the Yidden took their mahn, the mahn that was left on the ground would melt, and go into the rivers and streams. The meat from animals who drank it was delicious — and all of the goyim could see how Hashem loves the Yidden to send them such special food!
On Friday, the Yidden took as much mahn as they needed — but they found out that they had DOUBLE! They asked Moshe why. (The Yidden knew about Shabbos, but didn’t know Hashem wanted them to keep Shabbos even before Matan Torah.)
Moshe said, “I didn’t tell you this yet, but some of the halachos of Shabbos will be kept starting this week! We won’t be able to cook on Shabbos.” So the Yidden put the extra mahn aside — and this time, it didn’t get rotten overnight!
Still, the Yidden asked if they should go to get mahn on Shabbos, but Moshe told them no. When they asked again, he realized that they were scared that the mahn might not fall again! Moshe told them not to worry — the mahn would fall again on Sunday.
Still, some Yidden went out on Shabbos to look for mahn. Hashem was not happy with the Yidden! Even though only some people went, all Yidden are responsible for each other.
The Yidden could have given the mahn a different name, but they decided to keep the name mahn. The mahn was round, like a little seed, and it was white. It tasted like dough fried in honey — unless they wanted it to taste like something else!
Hashem told Moshe to put an omer of mahn in a little jar, to keep forever in the Mishkan — so the Yidden will remember that Hashem always gives us what we need. (When the Mishkan was put up, Aharon did this.)
The Yidden would continue to eat the mahn for 40 years!
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Today’s kapitelach Tehillim are Samach-Vov, Samach-Zayin, and Samach-Ches.
In Kapitel Samech-Vov (66), it says “Hofach Yam LaYabasha” — Hashem made the water into dry land, during Kriyas Yam Suf.
Chassidus explains that this is like what happens when Moshiach comes!
Usually, there is water that covers over the sea. But when Hashem makes it into dry land, like by Kriyas Yam Suf, we can see what’s inside, what’s usually hiding!
When Moshiach comes, we’ll be able to see things that are hidden. Now we can’t see how Hashem makes everything be, but when Moshiach comes we will see it!
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Chof
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The Alter Rebbe is telling us in short what Achdus Hashem (the oneness of Hashem) means.
Understanding Achdus Hashem will help us understand how every mitzvah is a connection with Achdus Hashem, and every aveira is chas veshalom a separation from it. Then we will not let the Ruach Shtus from our Nefesh Habehamis convince us that there is anything that doesn’t matter or is not worth it when it comes to doing what Hashem wants.
We say in davening, “Ata Hu Ad Shelo Nivra Ha’olam, Ata Hu Mishenivra Ha’olam” — Hashem is the same Aibershter now that He created the world, as He was before He created it. That is part of the Emunah Peshutah (simple Emunah) that every Yid has.
In this perek, the Alter Rebbe starts to explain this emunah so we can make it part of our Chabad, part of our understanding, also. We will see more about this IY”H over the next few days.
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A person’s MIND makes him feel very calm, and sometimes “cold” (not excited).
But a person’s HEART can make him feel very warm and excited!
One way isn’t better than the other — Hashem wants us to use both: To use our mind to calmly teach ourselves how to serve Hashem, but with the chayus (warmth) of our heart!
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Today we learn 2 mitzvos:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #148) It is asur for a kohen to eat the Bikurim that were brought to the Beis Hamikdash out of Yerushalayim.
2) (Mitzvas Asei #132) When a person brings his Bikurim to the Beis Hamikdash, he needs to do “Mikra Bikurim” — thank Hashem for all He has done for us. (The things that he says are part of what we say in Maggid of our Haggadah! These pesukim are the ones that talk about how Hashem saved us since the time of Yaakov Avinu until he brought us the goodness of Eretz Yisroel.)
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In today’s Rambam, we learn more about Bikurim, and then start learning about Hafroshas Challah.
Perek Gimmel: There are seven things we need to do the mitzvah of Bikurim properly:
1) Bring the bikurim to Yerushalayim
2) in a container,
3) say a special paragraph telling Hashem we brought them
4) and bring a Korban Shelamim
5) with singing,
6) then wave the bikurim around (like a Lulav — called Hanofas HaBikurim)
7) and stay overnight in Yerushalayim.
Perek Daled: But there are times when someone DOESN’T need to do all seven of these things — for example, a woman doesn’t say the special paragraph (there are some words in it that only make sense for a man to say!).
Perek Hey: Now we start to learn about Hafroshas Challah. Even though really this mitzvah only needs to be kept in Eretz Yisroel, we do it nowadays all over the world, so we won’t forget about the mitzvah!
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This perek teaches us WHERE we bring Korbanos, and how we give the different parts of the Korban to Hashem.
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Many years ago, in Eretz Yisroel, there was a very big and scary war called the Yom Kippur War (because it started on Yom Kippur).
That year, at the end of one of the Rebbe’s letters to all Yidden, in Cheshvan, the Rebbe asked that all Yidden should add in Torah and tzedakah — specifically Chitas (Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya).
We find the word “Chitas” once in Torah, when Yaakov travelled with his family in a dangerous time. The Torah says that the goyim felt the fear (“Chitas”) of Hashem, and didn’t hurt him!
We see from here that learning Chitas helps make the goyim who want to hurt the Yidden (chas veshalom) afraid to hurt us!
Also, many times when people asked for brachos from the Rebbe, the Rebbe would say, “you surely know about the takanah of learning Chitas which we heard from my father-in-law the Rebbe (the Friediker Rebbe), about how important it is, and that it’s a segulah for many different things.”
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▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
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The Anshei Kneses Hagedolah, together with Ezra and his Beis Din, set up a way of tefillah that would be the same for everyone. They gave us words to say so that we could ask Hashem for our needs and give Him proper praise, even if we don’t know Lashon Hakodesh.
The tefillah they set up was 18 (shemoneh-esrei) brachos.
The first three brachos are praise to Hashem. The middle brachos ask for the needs of a person, and of Klal Yisrael. The last three brachos are giving thanks to Hashem.
Having the words of these brachos written down made it possible for every person to daven to Hashem properly, and speak to Hashem with beautiful, kavodik words.
IY”H over the next few days we will learn about the first three brachos of Shemoneh Esrei.
See Rambam, Hilchos Tefillah, perek alef
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This week is called Shabbos Shirah, because Parshas Beshalach has in it the shirah, the song that the Yidden sang to Hashem after Kriyas Yam Suf, Az Yashir!
It is a minhag to eat Shvartze Kasha (buckwheat) on Shabbos Shira.
Where does this minhag come from?
The Frierdiker Rebbe told the story of how the Maharal began this minhag:
In the week of Parshas Beshalach, the Maharal would tell parents and teachers to gather all the young children on Shabbos in the courtyard of the shul. There, they should tell them the story of Kriyas Yam Suf, and how the birds chirped along when the Yidden sang Az Yashir! The children had rachmanus on the birds, and picked fruit from the Yam Suf and fed it to the birds.
The Maharal then asked that the children should be given kasha, so that they can also feed the birds.
Then the Maharal would bless the children and the parents that they should be zoche to teach the children properly and raise them to Torah, Chuppah, and Maasim Tovim.
In those days, most families and communities owned animals. It is only allowed to feed animals on Shabbos if they belong to you, so the minhag of feeding the birds can’t be done on Shabbos nowadays. But it is still important to teach children to have Rachmanus, so we tell them this story. Some put out kasha for the birds before Shabbos as well as keeping the minhag of eating kasha on Shabbos.
See farbrengen Parshas Beshalach Tof-Shin-Mem-Tes
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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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In the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, it brings the halacha that we don’t count people with numbers. Instead, to see if we have enough men for a minyan, we count by saying a posuk with 10 words, the posuk of “Hoshia Es Amecha.”
Why does the Kitzur choose this posuk? In a sefer about Halacha and Minhag from Rashi, called Sefer Hapardes, it says to count with the posuk “Va’ani Berov Chasdecha” which also has 10 words.
In fact, it would make more sense to count with the posuk “Va’ani Berov Chasdecha,” since that posuk speaks about coming to daven to Hashem!
The Rebbe explains that it is because as we get closer to Moshiach, the Golus gets darker. Whenever we have a chance, we remind ourselves that Hashem will save us and bring the Geulah — “Hoshia Es Amecha!”
Vayakhel-Pekudei Mem-Gimmel, Migolah L’Geulah p. 87
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לע"נ התינוק זאב ארי' ע"ה בן יבלט"א הרה"ח ר' שניאור זלמן שי' גליק
נפטר ב' מנחם אב ה'תשע"ג
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KidsChitas.org/sponsor
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