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CHUMASH
Parshas Vezos Habracha - Rishon with Rashi
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We are now starting to learn the last parsha of the Torah. It is the last day of Moshe Rabbeinu’s life — Zayin Adar. Now that he finished farbrenging with the Yidden about how they should act in Eretz Yisroel, he is going to ask Hashem for brachos for each of the Shevatim.
Moshe Rabbeinu first says how much the Yidden deserve brachos! Even though Hashem asked ALL of the people in the world if they wanted the Torah, only the Yidden wanted it. Hashem gave them the Torah on Har Sinai, like a Chasunah!
By Matan Torah, Hashem held Har Sinai over the Yidden like a chuppah! The Yidden all came closer under the mountain, because they wanted to have to keep the Torah.
The Yidden were ready to go wherever Hashem wanted in the Midbar.
They will also keep the Torah even when things are hard in Golus and it looks like Hashem is nicer to the Goyim! They will say, “Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe...” — “the Torah is like a present that belongs forever to the ‘family’ of Yidden, and we will keep it forever!”
Reuven: Moshe asked Hashem to forgive Reuven for moving Yaakov’s bed. He should be able to go into Olam Haba, and his Shevet should stay a Shevet.
Yehudah: Moshe asked the same bracha for Yehudah: Yehudah promised Yaakov that if he didn’t bring Benyamin back with him, he will lose his part of Olam Haba. Even though he DID bring Benyamin back, a promise of a Tzadik is still a promise!
But when Yehudah told the truth about doing something wrong with Tamar, it made Reuven realize that he should do Teshuvah too. Since Hashem will forgive Reuven, He should of course forgive Yehudah, who made Reuven do Teshuvah! (And right when Moshe Rabbeinu said this, Yehudah WAS let into Olam Haba!)
Shimon: Moshe didn’t give Shevet Shimon its own bracha, because Zimri was from Shimon, and many Yidden passed away in Shittim because of Shevet Shimon. Still, he hinted to Shimon in his bracha to Yehudah, by using the word “Shema” — like “Shimon.”
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In one of today’s kapitelach (Ayin-Alef) there are FOUR niggunim! It was the Rebbe’s 70th birthday kapitel and chassidim were so happy that they made many niggunim!
One of them is on the words “Kemofes Hayisi LoRabim, VeAta Machsi Oz.” Dovid Hamelech says, “I was an example to many people, and You give me strength!” When a Yid acts in a way that will be a Dugma Chaya for other people, Hashem gives him the koach to have hatzlacha!
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TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof-Alef
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Today we start a new letter in Igeres Hakodesh. Can you guess what it’s about? That’s right, about giving Tzedakah!
This letter has something NEW about tzedakah. We need to do it with zerizus, very quickly — not to push it off until later!
Zerizus is very special. The chachomim tell us that the Akeidah — when Avraham Avinu went to bring Yitzchak as a korban — is not the whole reason why we always ask Hashem to help us in its zechus. Lots of Yidden had Mesiras Nefesh later, and Hashem didn’t even give them a clear command like He talked to Avraham Avinu! The main reason we ask for brachos in the zechus of the Akeidah is because Avraham Avinu did it with ZERIZUS.
This teaches us how important it is to have zerizus in all of our mitzvos!
We especially need to have zerizus in giving tzedakah. Tzedakah has a very strong koach: it protects us from many not good things.
Even though it was already decided on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur what will happen during the year, Hashem judges us again each day, to see if we will bring those brachos down. That’s why every day again we need to earn these tremendous brachos by giving tzedakah with zerizus!
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Today is the Yartzeit-Hilula of the Rebbe Maharash. His Ohel is in Lubavitch.
The letter we will soon be learning in Igeres Hakodesh is Siman Chof-Beis. It is important to know that not the whole letter is printed in Tanya! The beginning and end of the letter are not printed there.
This whole letter was first printed in Hatamim.
At the beginning of this letter is the Takanos Liozna, the detailed rules the Alter Rebbe made about when people could come to the Alter Rebbe in Liozna. Part of the rules is that everyone had to have a set time when they were allowed to come, and it wasn’t easy to change that time. The part of this letter that we learn in Tanya is part of the Takanos — that when they come, they shouldn’t ask about Gashmius, but only Ruchnius. (This letter was also later printed in the Alter Rebbe’s Igros Kodesh, which includes — in the introduction to the newer version — a detailed history of these Takanos.)
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Today we learn more mitzvos about eating Kosher:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #181) We are not allowed to eat meat from an animal that was hurt badly by another animal before it was shechted (treifa). (The Rambam tells us that this mitzvah also includes some other times when meat becomes asur to eat.)
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: וּבָשָׂר בַּשָּׂדֶה טְרֵפָה לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #182) We are not allowed to eat “Eiver Min Hachai” — a body part (limb) of an animal that was taken off when the animal was alive.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Re’eh: וְלֹא תֹאכַל הַנֶּפֶשׁ עִם הַבָּשָׂר
3) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #184) We are not allowed to eat blood (dam) of an animal or a bird.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Tzav: וְכָל דָּם לֹא תֹאכְלוּ
The details are explained in Mesechta Kerisus perek Hey.
4) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #185) We are not allowed to eat Cheilev — certain fat from animals (Cheilev is the fat of the korbanos that would usually be burned on the Mizbeiach)
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Tzav: כָּל חֵלֶב שׁוֹר וְכֶשֶׂב וָעֵז לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ
The details are explained in Mesechta Chulin perek Zayin.
5) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #183) We are not allowed to eat the Gid Hanasheh, a vein in the back thigh of the animal.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Vayishlach: עַל כֵּן לֹא יֹאכְלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה
The details are explained in Mesechta Chulin perek Zayin.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Maachalos Asuros
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In today’s Rambam (perakim Yud-Alef, Yud-Beis, and Yud-Gimmel), we learn all about Yayin Nesech, wine that a goy touched. We are not allowed to drink it, in case the goy used it for Avodah Zarah. If there was Yayin Nesech in a bottle, the bottle of wine can become not kosher.
Wine that is boiled is not used for Avodah Zarah. That’s why we use mevushal wine — boiled wine — so that we don’t have to be worried that it might be used for Avodah Zarah, and we can drink it even if a goy does touch it.
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We learn about Yovel — when it is, and what are the mitzvos that we do during that year! The Rambam gives an exact calculation of when the years of Yovel were, and when the Yidden stopped counting them.
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Today is the yahrzeit of the Rebbe Maharash.
Before the Rebbe Maharash was nistalek, he asked for a clock. He put a feather in a certain place so that the clock wouldn’t go further when it got there. That was the minute that he passed away!
The Rebbe tells us again and again that chassidim need to learn from the Rebbe Maharash how to act in a way of Lechat’chila Ariber. The Rebbe Maharash said that everyone thinks that if something gets in the way of doing what you should, try to find other ways to do it. But the Rebbe Maharash says that you should just DO what you need to, and not even THINK about that thing that is getting in the way!
There are a lot of stories of the Rebbe Maharash that are called “Baal Shem’ske Hanhaga” — that he did things in a way of miracles, to make sure that everything was done exactly in the right way and that nothing got in the way.
We also need to decide to do mitzvos and Mivtzoyim and not to be worried about problems that can come up along the way. When we do what Hashem wants, we will be able to jump right over all of the problems!
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In davening, we ask Hashem for all of the things we need.
Chassidus shows us that this is not the only reason for davening. When we reach out to Hashem, we are connecting to Hashem! During the time of davening, we are able to stop all of our busy work for a few minutes, and think about our connection to Hashem. We remind ourselves why we are here in this world at all — in order to serve Hashem!
In honor of Yud-Gimmel Tishrei, we will learn a story about this from the Rebbe Maharash:
The two oldest sons of the Rebbe Maharash were the Raza and the Rashab. One day, when they were playing outside, they had an argument about the difference between Yidden and Goyim.
The Raza said that Yidden are more special because of all of the Torah that they learn, and the kavana they have when they daven.
But the Rebbe Rashab said that couldn’t be. Because many Yidden COULDN’T learn Torah or have kavana, but they still had to be different than goyim!
When the Rebbe Maharash heard about their argument, he called them over. He told them to bring Ben-Tzion, a simple Yid who helped in their house. The Rebbe Maharash asked Ben-Tzion a few questions:
“Ben-Tzion, did you eat?”
“Yes,” Ben-Tzion answered.
“Did you eat well?”
Ben-Tzion shrugged. “Well? I ate enough, Boruch Hashem.”
The Rebbe Maharash asked further: “Why do you eat?”
“So I can live,” Ben-Tzion said.
“And why do you need to live?”
“To be a Jew and do what Hashem wants,” Ben-Tzion answered with a sigh.
Then the Rebbe Maharash asked that the coachman, Ivan, come. The Maharash asked Ivan the same questions:
“Ivan, did you eat?”
“Yes!” Ivan answered.
“Did you eat well?”
Ivan smiled. “Yes, I did!”
“And why do you eat?”
“I need to eat so I can live,” Ivan said.
“And why do you need to live?”
“To enjoy a good drink of mashke and something good to eat!” Ivan answered.
The Rebbe Maharash thanked Ivan.
Now his sons were able to see for themselves what is special about even a simple Yid. Even a simple Yid realizes that his purpose in the world is to serve Hashem, not just to enjoy life.
The time of davening is a very good time for us to remind ourselves why we need to live, and to make sure we’re living that way!
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Putting up a sukkah can be hard work! Many times, it makes more sense to have someone else do the building. Your older brother, a neighbor, or a hired carpenter might do a better job putting up a strong sukkah, in much less time than it would take you!
Still, we want to give kavod to the mitzvah of sukkah, by not letting someone else do the WHOLE job. Even if someone else is building most of the sukkah, we should still make sure to be part of it! We at least help put up some of the s’chach, so that we will participate in this special mitzvah too.
See Shevach Hamoadim, Sukkos
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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 days before Shabbos are a preparation for Shabbos, and the Zohar says that Shabbos gives a bracha to all of the days of the week.
When we prepare so we can celebrate Shabbos properly, then the kedusha of Shabbos helps us in our avodah the rest of the week: We’ll remember what the gashmius is really there for — to help us act the way Hashem wants! We’ll be able to find Hashem in all of the gashmius things!
Golus is like the days of the week, and Geulah is like Shabbos. The times of the Geulah will be like one long Shabbos, and every Shabbos is a taste of the Geulah! When we celebrate Shabbos properly, we can also take the chayus of the Geulah and bring it with us into the rest of the week!
See Sefer Hasichos 5749 and 5751
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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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