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CHUMASH
Parshas Shemini - Shlishi with Rashi
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At the beginning of today’s Chumash, we learn something very happy! Hashem was happy with the korbanos that Aharon brought, and Hashem made a fire come down onto the Mizbeiach to burn the korbanos, and show the Yidden that Hashem WAS “resting” in the Mishkan!
The Yidden were so happy! They sang praises and bowed to Hashem.
Then, we learn a very sad story.
Two of Aharon’s sons wanted to be very close to Hashem. They knew that one of the most special parts of the avodah in the Mishkan is to burn the ketores. So they took pans of ketores, and went into the Mishkan. They knew that they weren’t supposed to do this without asking, but they wanted so much to be close to Hashem that they did it anyway. Their neshamos got so close to Hashem that they couldn’t stay inside of their bodies anymore, and both of them — Nadav and Avihu — passed away.
In Chassidus this is called “Ratzo without Shuv.” When a person wants to come very close to Hashem (Ratzo), he needs to remember that Hashem wants Yidden to do mitzvos here in this world (Shuv). Even when we want to be very close to Hashem, we need to remember that Hashem wants us to learn Torah and do mitzvos in the world and make it a Dira BeTachtonim.
Moshe told Aharon that Nadav and Avihu were tzadikim. Aharon was quiet and did not complain to Hashem about the very sad thing that had happened.
Aharon and the kohanim weren’t allowed to become tomei, so Moshe sent other relatives, Mishael and Eltzafan, to bury Nadav and Avihu. Moshe also told the kohanim that they couldn’t sit shivah for Nadav and Avihu, because their job of being a kohen couldn’t be stopped.
After this, Hashem told Aharon that the kohanim need to remember not to drink wine before they work in the Mishkan.
Even though usually Hashem spoke to Moshe, or Moshe and Aharon together, Hashem now spoke ONLY to Aharon! This was a reward for accepting what happened to his children without complaining.
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In today’s Tehillim, we have one of the niggunim made for the Rebbe’s Yom Huledes, for Kapitel Tzadik — the niggun “Shuva Hashem Ad Mosai.”
We also have Kapitel Tzadik-Beis, the kapitel that the Leviim would sing in the Beis Hamikdash on Shabbos — the Shir Shel Yom for Shabbos.
One of the pesukim in this kapitel speaks about how everybody thanks Hashem on Shabbos. Chassidus explains on the words “Tov Lehodos LaHashem” (it is good to praise Hashem) that it’s the goodness of Hashem that makes people praise him. Of course Hashem is always good, but on Shabbos we can FEEL it, so that’s why especially on Shabbos His goodness makes us want to thank and praise Hashem!
The bracha of the previous Shabbos lasts until Yom Shlishi, and from Yom Revi’i we start preparing for the next Shabbos!
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Lamed-Zayin
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All of the neshamos of Yidden work together to make the word into a Dira Betachtonim, a place for Hashem. They do this by being careful not to do any aveiros, so that the kelipah won’t get any chayus, and by doing mitzvos which brings Hashem’s light into the world!
This is the only reason why a neshama is born in a body in the world, so it can make the world a comfortable place for Hashem.
A neshama doesn’t need anything to make ITSELF better — for the neshama it’s better to be in Shomayim, closer to Hashem! The reason why the neshama comes into the world is to work with the guf and Nefesh Habehamis, and use them to make the world into a Dira Betachtonim!
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One of the Alter Rebbe’s Chassidim was called R’ Moshe Meisels.
R’ Moshe Meisels told us something that the Alter Rebbe taught:
The “Alef of Chassidus” (the first thing we need to know, just like we need to know the letter “alef” first!) is to use the special kochos Hashem gave us to do our Avodas Hashem. One of the kochos Hashem gave all of us is “Moach Shalit Al Halev.” This means that our mind can control our feelings.
This koach needs to be used for serving Hashem! In Tanya, we learned two ways how we can use this:
1) We can do what we KNOW is the right thing, even if we FEEL like doing something else. Sometimes a person feels like doing something that he knows is not what Hashem wants. But his mind is able to decide not to do the aveira, no matter what he feels like!
2) We can use our mind to think about the greatness of Hashem and how special Torah and mitzvos are. This will get our heart excited too, so we will start WANTING to serve Hashem!
There is a famous story of how the chossid R’ Moshe Meisels used his koach of Moach Shalit Al Halev when he was doing the Alter Rebbe’s shlichus, and it saved his life! See today’s Darkei Hachassidus.
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Today we learn the same mitzvah one last time: (Mitzvas Asei #108) This mitzvah is about Mei Nidah — the water that is mixed with the ashes of the Parah Adumah. There are some kinds of things that it makes tamei, and other things that it makes tahor! (For example, it makes someone who gets sprinkled with it, tahor; but the person who sprinkles it becomes tomei!) The mitzvah is to follow all of these halachos.
At the end of this mitzvah, the Rambam tells us the source of all of the mitzvos of Tumah and Tahara in the Torah (Parshas Shemini, Tazria, Metzora, and Chukas), where they are explained in Mishnayos (Seder Taharos), and which mesechtos explain which mitzvos.
We also learn a new mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #101) about Tumas Tzoraas — the kind of Tumah that comes from someone who got Tzoraas. This mitzvah includes all of the dinim of Tzoraas when it is on a person, including when it is tomei, when it is tahor, when a person needs to go away for seven days, if he needs to shave the hair around the tzoraas, and all of the other details.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Parah Adumah - Tumas Tzoraas
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In today's Rambam, we finish learning about the Mei Nidah, the water mixed with ashes from the Parah Adumah:
Perek Yud-Daled: The Rambam explains how the container with the Mei Nidah can become tomei, and what happens if something falls into the Mei Nidah.
Perek Tes-Vov: This perek teaches us about what happens when the Mei Nidah is touched or used for a different reason, not for making someone tahor. Usually anyone who touches or uses the Mei Nidah to make someone tahor becomes tamei. If it was used for a different reason, does it still make a person tomei?
Now we start learning about Tumas Tzoraas:
Perek Alef: First the Rambam explains the colors of the different kinds of Tzoraas.
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Now we start learning about the Korban Chagigah:
The Rambam starts to tell us about the mitzvah of going to the Beis Hamikdash for the three Yomim Tovim of Pesach, Shavuos, and Sukkos. There were two korbanos that Yidden needed to bring, called Olas Re’iya and Shalmei Simcha.
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R’ Moshe Meisels was a chossid of the Alter Rebbe. He was very smart, and knew how to speak many languages.
At that time, a French general, Napoleon, wanted to capture Russia. He promised to make Russia a better place for all of the people there.
The Alter Rebbe knew that Napoleon might make things better in Gashmius, but he would make things worse in Ruchnius! So the Alter Rebbe sent his chossid, R’ Moshe Meisels, to be a spy for Russia and help them win the war.
R’ Moshe Meisels did what the Alter Rebbe told him to. He spent time with the French officers, and they hired him to translate things from one language to another. This way, he learned all about their army’s plans. R’ Moshe later secretly told all of these things to the Russian officers.
Once, many of the highest officers in the French army were having a very important meeting. They were looking at maps and trying to figure out the best way to attack Vilna, since they would need to do it very soon.
Suddenly, Napoleon burst into the room. He looked very angry. “Have you finished planning the battle yet? Did you tell the soldiers what to do?”
Before the officers could answer, Napoleon saw R’ Moshe, who was standing by the side waiting to help translate anything the officers would need.
“And who is this stranger?” Napoleon roared in a loud voice. Coming up to R’ Moshe, he screamed at him, “You are a spy for Russia!” Napoleon put his hand over R’ Moshe’s heart. He knew that when a person is scared, his heart will pound very quickly! If he felt that R’ Moshe’s heartbeat was very fast, he would know that R’ Moshe was really a spy.
But R’ Moshe Meisels remembered the “alef of Chassidus” — that Moach Shalit Al Halev, the mind rules over the heart! His mind told his heart not to beat fast. In a calm voice, he answered Napoleon: “The generals and officers have hired me to translate for them, since I know all of the languages they need.”
Napoleon nodded and left the room.
R’ Moshe Meisels continued to spy for the Russian army, and they won the war in the end.
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The last tefillah in our davening is Aleinu.
How do we end it off?
With two pesukim speaking about Moshiach!
1) Hashem Yimloch Le’olam Va’ed — Hashem will rule forever!
2) Vehaya Hashem Lemelech Al Kol Ha’aretz, Bayom Hahu Yihiyeh Hashem Echad U’shemo Echad — Hashem will be the King over the entire world, on that day Hashem will be One and His Name will be One!
When we daven, we are making a connection with Hashem. We try to remember that nothing exists beside Hashem. This is the truth, but it is hidden. When Moshiach comes, we will all be able to see that there is nothing besides for Hashem — Hashem will be One, and His Name will be One!
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If you look in Shulchan Aruch, you will see that really, cleaning for Pesach could be very easy and quick. All we need to do is clean up the big pieces of chometz that a person might eat by mistake, and the small pieces that could fall into our food. But because Yidden love Hashem so much, they are extra careful to clean much more than they NEED to. This is one way they show their love for Hashem’s special Yom Tov of Pesach.
This hard work is very much appreciated by Hashem, and it has an amazing koach to help all Yidden!
The Rebbe Maharash once told this story, about R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev:
Every sound of the shofar — TeKiyah, SHevarim, TeRuah, TeKiah; “KaShRaK” for short — creates a malach that will beg Hashem to help the Yidden. On Rosh Hashana, after we blow the shofar, we say a “Yehi Ratzon,” asking Hashem that the malochim that come from each sound of the shofar should ask Hashem to give Yidden a good year.
One year, after saying this Yehi Ratzon, R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev added: “Zeese Tatte! Av Rachum! Hashem, I speak to You with Your love for the Yidden as a father to his son. If the malochim that came out of the shofar that Levi Yitzchak ben Sarah blew were too weak, listen to a different set of “KaShRaK” malochim! Listen to the malochim created by the Kratzen (scraping), SHoiben (sanding), Reiben (scrubbing), and Kasheren (kashering the keilim) that were done by the Yidden in honor of Pesach! Let these strong and healthy malochim be the ones to come ask You for a good and sweet year for all of the Yidden!”
See Shevach Hamoadim, introduction to Hilchos Pesach
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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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The Alter Rebbe explains in this week’s Likutei Torah that there are two types of neshamos of tzadikim:
There are neshamos called “Nunei Yama,” neshamos that are like fish. They are compared to the Leviyasan. Fish don’t live on the ground, they live in a hidden world underground! These tzadikim also seem to live in a different world — they can do mitzvos in Ruchnius ways. One example is R’ Shimon Bar Yochai, who spent many years in a cave where he couldn’t do mitzvos because he only had carob and water — so he couldn’t eat matzah, or shake the lulav, or build a sukkah! Still, he was able to bring down the light of Hashem just as if he had actually done these mitzvos. The Arizal was also like this, and was able to do mitzvos in a Ruchnius way.
There are other tzadikim whose main avodah is doing the mitzvos in a Gashmius’dike way. They are compared to the Shor Habor.
The Nunei Yama are a very high madreiga! Just like fish can swim very far with just one swish of their fins, these neshamos that can bring down the light of a mitzvah through Ruchnius can do a lot with their avodah!
When Moshiach comes, the Nunei Yama are going to help all of the other neshamos to also be able to do such a powerful avodah.
See Likutei Torah Parshas Shemini, with the explanation of “The Chassidishe Parsha”
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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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