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CHUMASH
Parshas Korach - Shvi'i with Rashi
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Today we learn about the presents that we give to the Leviim.
The Leviim get the Maaser from the food the Yidden grow.
Just like the Kohanim, the Leviim don’t get a part of Eretz Yisroel.
We also learn that when the Leviim get their Maaser, they need to give a Maaser of that, to the Kohanim! They can’t eat the Maaser until they give the “Maaser ShebeMaaser” to the Kohanim.
The Leviim need to make sure that all of the other presents of the Kohanim were given before they eat their Maaser.
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Today’s kapitelach are kapitel Yud to Yud-Zayin.
Kapitel Yud-Gimmel in Tehillim is a tefillah for the long Golus. In the paragraph before this kapitel, it says that a person in a time of tzaar should say this kapitel.
The last posuk is full of bitachon that Hashem will help us and save us from this Golus!
Va’ani Bechasdecha Votachti — I trust in Your kindness, Hashem
Yagel Libi Biyeshuasecha — My heart will be happy because of You saving me
Ashira LaHashem Ki Gomal Alai — I will sing to Hashem because Hashem has given me kindness!
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TANYA
Shaar Hayichud Veha'emunah Perek Yud
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In today’s Tanya we learn an example of how Hashem made the world using all of the different sefiros.
Today in Tanya, we learn about how Hashem made the world using ALL of His holy Sefiros! Since Hashem is one, everything Hashem does uses all of the Sefiros together.
The Alter Rebbe gives us some examples of how parts of the world were made with ALL of the Sefiros. For example, on the first day of Briyas HaOlam, Hashem’s Chesed was very strong! Hashem said “Yehi Ohr” and made light, mainly using His Chesed! But Hashem’s Chesed also has Gevurah, which made the light a Gashmius’dike light that can be used in this world. (Chesed has no limits, but Gevurah gives it limits.)
On the second day, Hashem’s Gevurah was shining strong! Hashem said “Yehi Rakia” and made the sky to split the world into Gashmius water and Ruchnius water. Separating something shows Hashem’s Gevurah. But this also shows Hashem’s Chesed, since Hashem needed to split the water so we could have a place to live!
PEOPLE can have Midos separately, but Hashem’s Midos are ALL together. So Hashem’s Chesed isn’t just Chesed, and Hashem’s Gevurah isn’t just Gevurah! We call it “Chesed” when Chesed is the strongest, but with Hashem they are all one.
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Today we learn in Hayom Yom that Ahavas Yisroel gives us the zechus we need to have our tefillos answered!
In our Siddur, at the beginning of davening (after morning Brachos), it says “Nachon Lomar Kodem HaTefillah: Hareini Mekabel Alai Mitzvas Asei Shel VeAhavta LeReiacha Kamocha.” That means — It is the right thing to say this before davening: “I am ready to do the Mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel!”
Why did the Alter Rebbe put this in his siddur?
Because having Ahavas Yisroel is like opening up a “door” for our davening to be able to go inside. When we have Ahavas Yisroel, our davening will be able to go straight up to Hashem — and Hashem will listen to our Tefillos.
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SEFER HAMITZVOS
Shiur #338 - Mitzvas Lo Saasei #46, Asei #190, Lo Saasei #56, #57, Asei #192, #193
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We are so close to the end of the whole Rambam! In today’s Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn 6 mitzvos:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #46) Yidden should not go back to Mitzrayim to live there, so we don’t learn from the Mitzriyim. We are allowed to go there for business or to pass through.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Shoftim: לֹא תֹסִפוּן לָשׁוּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה עוֹד
2) (Mitzvas Asei #190) This is the mitzvah of what to do when fighting with a country in a war that is not a mitzvah (Milchemes Hareshus). We should first try to make shalom with them (that they should agree that the Yiddishe kings will rule over them, and that they will pay taxes). We should then follow the rules the Torah gives us of what to do if they do make shalom, and what to do if they do not.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Shoftim: יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס וַעֲבָדוּךָ
The halachos are explained in Mesechta Sanhedrin perek Beis, and Mesechta Sotah perek Ches.
3) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #56) With the nations of Amon and Moav, we don’t ask them first if they want to make shalom.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei: לֹא תִדְרשׁ שְׁלֹמָם וְטֹבָתָם
4) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #57) We can’t cut down fruit trees for no good reason when we’re having a war. This aveira includes any kind of Bal Tashchis, like destroying clothes or keilim for no reason.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Shoftim: לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ ... וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת
The halachos are explained in Mesechta Bava Basra perek Beis.
5) (Mitzvas Asei #192) There should be a place outside of the army camp for soldiers to use as the bathroom, so the place where they are camping stays tahor. This is not like the goyim, who just use the first place they see as a bathroom.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei: וְיָד תִּהְיֶה לְךָ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה וְגוֹ׳
6) (Mitzvas Asei #193) Every soldier should have a shovel together with his weapons, in case he needs to go to the bathroom when there isn’t a bathroom around. This way he can dig a hole to use, and then cover it up.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei: וְיָתֵד תִּהְיֶה לְךָ עַל אֲזֵנֶךָ
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Perek Zayin: Before the Yidden go out to war, a kohen is given the job as “Meshuach Milchama.” He needs to speak to the Yidden before they go out to fight. One of the things he tells them is that anyone who should not be fighting (like if he just got married), or anyone who is afraid and doesn’t trust in Hashem, should go home.
In Perek Ches, we learn about what to do when we capture a city from the goyim. One of the things is to make sure that the goyim keep the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach — the seven mitzvos that goyim need to keep.
Perek Tes teaches us many details about the Sheva Mitzvos, and the punishment for a goy who does not keep them.
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Now we start the next set of halachos, about a SPECIFIC kind of promise — if someone promises to become a Nazir!
There are things that are asur if someone becomes a Nazir, like cutting his hair or eating things made with grapes. A person doesn’t have to say “I will become a nazir” to become one, he can say things like “I will grow my hair” while thinking that he wants to be a Nazir.
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The yartzeit of a tzadik, especially of a Rebbe, is called a “hilula”. Why is it called that?
In Aramaic, the word “hilula” means a chasunah. We use a chasunah as a mashal to understand what happens on the yartzeit of a tzadik.
When a chosson and kallah get married, it isn’t just a simcha down here. When the chosson and kallah are joined together by the chasunah, they bring down a koach of Hashem which is Ein Sof, with no limits! Now that they are married, even though they are Gashmius’dike people with limits, they can use this koach of Ein Sof to bring children into the world, which will have children and grandchildren of their own — with no limits!
This is also like what happens on the yartzeit of a tzadik. On the day of the tzadik’s yartzeit, all of the things that the tzadik did all of his life go up, together with the neshama of the tzadik, to a much higher level than before! When it goes up so high, it makes a koach of Ein Sof of Hashem to shine!
There is a rule in Torah: Whatever is higher is able to come down to a lower level. So on the yartzeit of a tzadik, this new koach of Ein Sof of Hashem comes down into the Gashmius’dike world. It brings bracha without limits, in Ruchnius and in Gashmius, to everyone who is connected to the tzadik!
That is why the yartzeit of a tzadik is called a hilula. Because just like with a chasunah, it is able to bring down such a special koach of Hashem, a koach of Ein Sof!
Even after Moshiach comes, and the neshama of the tzadik comes back into a Gashmius’dike guf, the day of the hilula will always be this special day which brings bracha to everyone connected to the tzadik!
See (for example) farbrengen Yud Shevat 5718 and 5711
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After saying the paragraphs of Ribono Shel Olam and Hashkiveinu, we say the most important part of Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah: Shema!
The Gemara brings a posuk from Tehillim to show why we need to say Shema again before bed: “Romemos Keil Bigronam, VeCherev Pifiyos Beyadam.” “They praise Hashem with their throats, a double-edged sword is in their hands.” The Gemara explains that because they praise the oneness of Hashem with the words of Shema, they have extra protection, like a person with a sharp double-edged sword.
We know that this is talking about the Shema before bed because of the posuk before: “Yaalzu Chasidim Bechavod, Yeranenu Al Mishkevosam.” “Pious Jews celebrate with kavod, they sing while on their beds.” “Singing on their beds” means the Shema that we say when going to sleep.
We see from these pesukim that saying Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah helps protect us!
After we say Shema, we say these pesukim from Tehillim of “Yaalzu” and “Romemos” to remember the power of the Shema.
The Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya that the “sword” of Kriyas Shema is very powerful! There are certain aveiros that can give chayus to kelipah. The holy words of Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah, when they are said while thinking about what the words mean, are able to destroy that chayus!
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Today we are going to learn some of the minhagim that the Rebbe instructed should be done on Yud Shevat, the Yom Hilula of the Frierdiker Rebbe. Based on this, many Chassidim also follow these minhagim on Gimmel Tammuz.
These minhagim help us connect to the special ruchnius chayus of the day.
The Rebbe teaches us that the day of a hilula of a tzadik (especially a Nasi) is a time for tremendous brachos for all the chassidim that are connected to the Rebbe. These minhagim also help us make keilim to accept and benefit from these brachos. We hope that Gimmel Tammuz this year will be a day of big celebration in Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh together with the Rebbe.
We will IY”H learn the minhagim tomorrow, when we are supposed to keep them, but there is one minhag that we need to keep on the Shabbos before, that men and boys should receive an aliyah to the Torah. (In many shuls, the Torah is read by smaller groups, so that everyone will have the chance to get an aliyah.)
The Rebbe would also encourage to make farbrengens on the Shabbos before the hilula of the Frierdiker Rebbe on Yud Shevat.
As based on the Rebbe’s letter for Yud Shevat (Hebrew or English)
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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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Needing Moshiach isn’t a new thing. In all of the generations, Yidden have always davened for Moshiach to come, the time when we will be able to learn Torah and do mitzvos properly, the way Hashem wants us to!
Even Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem for Moshiach, when he was taking the Yidden out of Mitzrayim! He said, “Shlach Na Beyad Tishlach,” “Please, Hashem, send the person you will send later — Moshiach — to take the Yidden out of this Golus too!”
In Tehillim, we see many times how Dovid Hamelech hoped and davened for the Geulah.
So think about it: They needed Moshiach in order to keep Torah and mitzvos properly even in the times of Moshe Rabbeinu, in the Midbar, where Hashem took care of everyone’s needs, and they were able to learn Torah all of the time! If they needed Moshiach even then, we most certainly need Moshiach now, when the Golus is so dark!
We are in a long Golus, where we are not able to learn Torah and do mitzvos properly, and there is a lot of darkness and pain. Now we REALLY feel how much we need Moshiach in order to be the way Hashem really wants us to be.
Together, Yidden should call out “Ad Mosai!” We should tell Hashem that this Golus is too long! Hashem doesn’t turn away the tefillos of many Yidden together, and He will bring Moshiach right away!
The Rebbe spoke about this at a farbrengen in Tof-Shin-Mem-Ches. After saying this, the Rebbe cried out “Ad Mosai!” All of the Chassidim answered, “Ad Mosai!”
Then the Rebbe said, “To keep us from being too sad, we should call out Ad Mosai with a niggun.”
The Chassidim started singing Ad Mosai to the tune of a niggun.
See Toras Menachem 5748, vol. 1 p. 460
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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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