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CHUMASH
Parshas Vezos Habracha - Shlishi with Rashi
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Moshe is asking Hashem for certain brachos for the Shevatim on the day he will pass away. Now he gives the bracha to Yosef:
Yosef: Moshe gives Shevet Yosef TEN brachos! The first eight brachos are for their part of Eretz Yisroel, that it should grow the best food. In fact, Yosef’s portion of Eretz Yisroel was the best for growing things of the entire land!
The last two brachos are for the great tzadikim who will come from Shevet Yosef, who will win over the goyim who live in Eretz Yisroel and conquer the land. This will happen first through Yehoshua (who comes from Efrayim) and for Gideon (who comes from Menashe) who will have tremendous hatzlacha in fighting the enemies of the Yidden in Eretz Yisroel in later times.
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In Kapitel Ayin-Ches, which is in today’s Tehillim, there is a posuk that says “Vayakem Eidus BeYaakov” — “Hashem set up the Torah in Yaakov.”
Chassidus explains that there is a special koach for learning Torah that comes from Yaakov Avinu. (He learned the Torah even before Matan Torah!) Yaakov had this koach even more than all of the other Avos!
We get OUR chayus in Torah from Yaakov Avinu!
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TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof-Beis
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In this next letter — Siman Chof-Beis — the Alter Rebbe is telling Chassidim that it isn’t right for them to come and ask for brachos and eitzos for Gashmiyus things from the Rebbe. They should come to the Rebbe only to learn Torah and get eitzos how to serve Hashem better, and act the way a Yid and Chossid should.
In the Torah, we find that only Neviim gave eitzos for Gashmiyus things — like once Shaul came to Shmuel Hanavi to ask for help to find donkeys that his father lost. But that was only because he was a Navi! For chachomim, like a Rebbe, that isn’t appropriate. We don’t find in any Gemara that people came to the Chachomim for any Gashmius things — only to learn Torah and get eitzos how to serve Hashem.
Still, at a Farbrengen, the Frierdiker Rebbe once said that Chassidim should ask for Gashmius in Yechidus. The Frierdiker Rebbe said that what it says in this Igeres has a deeper meaning, and can’t just be understood the way it looks. (From the book “From my Father’s Shabbos Table, by Rabbi Yehudah Chitrik)
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Remember: If you let someone else use your Lulav and Esrog on Sukkos, especially on the first day, you should tell them that it’s a “Matana Al Menas Lehachazir” — that it’s a present that they will have to give back afterwards. This is important because you need to make a bracha on YOUR Lulav and Esrog.
The Rebbe Rashab said that we should say the bracha Shehecheyanu when we’re holding the Lulav and Esrog separately, and hold them together at the end of the bracha.
In Hoshanos, there are certain pesukim we don’t say — only on Hoshana Rabah.
During the day, we say the bracha Leishev Basukkah during Kiddush, and we don’t wait until saying Hamotzi. (We say a Leishev Basukah over wine, not just over Hamotzi and Mezonos.)
How do we know how we act during Birchas Kohanim? Because the Tzemach Tzedek used to go under the Alter Rebbe’s Tallis and saw how he did it. (We learned exactly how on the second day of Shavuos!)
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Today we are finishing the mitzvos about non-kosher food! We are also going to start learning the mitzvos of Shechitah. First we learn a few last mitzvos about food we aren’t allowed to eat:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #193) We are not allowed to eat vegetables or grain that grew in a vineyard (where you grow grapes). This is called Kilai Hakerem.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei: פֶּן תִּקְדַּשׁ הַמְלֵאָה הַזֶּרַע
The details are explained in Mesechta Kilayim.
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #153) We are not allowed to eat food before the Terumos and Maasros (presents to the Kohanim, Leviim, and poor people) are given. This is called Tevel.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Emor: וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ אֶת קָדְשֵׁי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָרִימוּ לַה׳
The details are explained in many places in Mesechta Demai, Mesechta Terumos, and Mesechta Maasros.
3) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #194) We are not allowed to drink wine that was used for Avodah Zarah, called Yayin Nesech.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Haazinu: אֲשֶׁר חֵלֶב זְבָחֵימוֹ יֹאכֵלוּ יִשְׁתּוּ יֵין נְסִיכָם
The details are explained in the last perakim of Mesechta Avodah Zarah.
We also learn a mitzvah from our new set of halachos:
4) (Mitzvas Asei #146) We need to shecht an animal before we can eat it.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Re’eh: וְזָבַחְתָּ מִבְּקָרְךָ וּמִצֹּאנְךָ וְגוֹ׳ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִךָ
The details are explained in Mesechta Chulin.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Maachalos Asuros - Shechitah
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Today we learn the last perek of Hilchos Maachalos Asuros, perek Yud-Zayin, and the first two perakim of Hilchos Shechitah. In today’s first perek, the Rambam tells us about MANY important inyanim we need to know about kashrus! Here are some of them:
- Ben Yomo — if a pot was used on that same day to cook non-kosher food - Toiveling dishes - We don’t need to kasher a dish only used for cold non-kosher food - Kashering pots and dishes that were used for non-kosher hot food (hagalah) - The special halachos of kashering knives - Bishul Akum (food cooked by a non-Jew) - Pas Akum (bread baked by a non-Jew) - Aino Oleh Al Shulchan Melachim — food that a king wouldn’t serve at his table doesn’t need to be Bishul Yisroel
We also learn about the issur of “Bal Teshaktzu,” not doing things that are disgusting, like eating from dirty dishes. This issur also includes that if a person needs to go to the bathroom, he HAS to take care of it right away!
The Rambam finishes this set of halachos by reminding us that these things are what make us holy, to be like Hashem!
Now we start learning the halachos about shechting animals.
One halacha is that the knife used for shechting has to be sharp and smooth! The shochet checks his knife before he shechts, to make sure that it didn’t get a nick in it since the last time he shechted.
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The Rambam teaches us about the halachos of houses in cities with walls around them.
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It is written in the Zohar that there are holy tzadikim that come as guests to be with us on the Yom Tov of Sukkos, like the Avos and Moshe Rabbeinu. The Frierdiker Rebbe revealed to us that there are also “Chassidishe Ushpizin,” that the Rebbeim also come as guests to be with us on Sukkos.
There is a minhag to speak about our special guests, the Ushpizin.
All of the holy Tzadikim who are our guests are with us for the entire Sukkos. But each day, there is a guest of honor, who brings with him a special koach. The Rebbe explains to us what this special koach is for the guests of honor each day.
Today’s Ushpizin are Avraham Avinu and the Baal Shem Tov. From their special avodah, we get the koach to bring the Geulah:
Avraham Avinu was the first person to recognize that Hashem is in charge of the world. During his time, nobody else knew! It was hidden, but Avraham Avinu figured it out.
We have the same problem in Golus! It is hard to recognize that Hashem is in charge of the world. But with the koach of Avraham, we can bring the Geulah, where EVERYONE will know and understand that Hashem is in charge!
To take a world like we have it today, and make everyone realize that the Aibershter is in charge of the world, will take a neis. We get the koach to make that neis from the Baal Shem Tov! We know from many stories about the Baal Shem Tov that things were done with a “Baal Shemsker Hanhaga,” in a way of nissim, not in a way of teva. So with the koach of the Baal Shem Tov, we will make the nissim we need to bring the Geulah!
See sicha of first day of Sukkos, 5752
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TEFILLAH
Amidah for Shalosh Regalim, Part 2
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The Shemoneh Esrei for the Shalosh Regalim is different than the rest of the year. The middle bracha has special paragraphs just for these Yomim Tovim.
In the beginning of the bracha, we say Ata Vechartanu, that Hashem chose us specifically, and then we speak about how Hashem gave us the special present of the Yomim Tovim. We thank Hashem for the Yom Tov we are in — now, the Yom Tov of Sukkos! We add what is special about that Yom Tov. For Sukkos, it is Zman Simchaseinu, the time that we rejoice with Hashem, and like all Yomim Tovim, it reminds us of Yetziyas Mitzrayim.
Just like Hashem remembered us in the time of Yetziyas Mitzrayim, we ask Hashem to remember us again, in the paragraph of Yaaleh Veyavo. We ask Hashem to remember all of the Yidden, to remember Yerushalayim, and bring us the Geulah!
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In order to do the mitzvah of taking the Daled Minim together, they have to be YOURS. The Chachomim tell us that this is hinted to in the posuk about this mitzvah, which says “Ulekachtem LACHEM” — “and you should take FOR YOURSELF.” This is especially important on the first day of Sukkos.
Of course, not everybody has their own set of Daled Minim! So how can everyone do the mitzvah with their own set?
The halacha is that when we give our Lulav and Esrog to someone else to use, we give it as a “Matana Al Menas Lehach’zir,” a present that needs to be returned. That means that it belongs to the other person completely while he is using it, but then he needs to give it back to you.
With a child, though, we have a problem! According to halacha, a child is able to TAKE something, so that it belongs to him, but is not able to GIVE something fully. So if you give your Lulav and Esrog to a child, it might not belong to you completely afterwards!
So either the adults can all bentch Lulav and Esrog first, or that the person who owns the Lulav and Esrog should hold it together with the child while they are doing the mitzvah, so that you aren’t giving it TO the child.
This way, all of the adults are able to do the mitzvah with a set of Daled Minim that belong to them!
(This is the reason why many people try to make sure that children have their own set of Lulav and Esrog, so we don’t have this halachic problem to begin with.)
See also Shevach Hamoadim, Hilchos Daled Minim
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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 special guest of the Chassidishe Ushpizin for the first day of Sukkos is the Baal Shem Tov.
It is written in Seforim that in the 5500 from the Creation of the world, 500 years before the year 6000, the lights of Geulah will start to shine in the world.
Very close to that year, on Chai Elul 5494 (about 5 years from 5500) is when the Baal Shem Tov was first revealed, and his teachings started to shine throughout the world. The teachings of the Baal Shem Tov are a spark of the light of Moshiach!
Migdal Oz p. 492; Otzar Pisgomei Chabad vol. 2, p. 422
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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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