|
|
CHUMASH
Parshas Chayei Sarah - Revi'i with Rashi
|
|
Eliezer was sent as a shliach from Avraham, to find a shidduch for Yitzchak. He found Rivkah by the well, and is confident that the shlichus is successful. Today we learn about how Rivkah’s family agrees to the shidduch!
Eliezer said, “Baruch (blessed is) Hashem, who did chesed to Avraham! Hashem brought me to the right place, to Avraham’s brother’s house!”
Rivkah ran to her mother and told her what happened.
Rivkah had a brother named Lavan, who was in his mother’s house and heard what Rivkah said. He ran to Eliezer who was at the well.
Why did he run? Lavan saw his sister wearing the expensive jewelry that Elizer had given her. He was excited that Eliezer was rich, and he wanted to get some of that money.
Lavan acted very nice to Eliezer. He asked him why he was still standing at the well. He invited him to his house where he could rest and eat. He told him that he had even cleared out the house from Avodah Zarah, knowing that a servant of Avraham would be careful about that. Lavan even had made space for the camels!
Lavan and Eliezer came to the house, untied the muzzles, and fed the camels. Lavan gave Eliezer and the men who were with him water to wash their feet.
Food was served, but Eliezer didn’t want to eat until he explained why he was there. He told them about Avraham, how Avraham had made him promise to find a wife for Yitzchak, and everything that had happened. (He changed the order a little bit, so they wouldn’t wonder how he had given her presents before knowing for sure that she was from the right family.)
The Torah writes all of the details of what Eliezer said, even though we already know it from the pesukim before. Usually the Torah is very careful not to use an extra word — there are many mitzvos that are only hinted to us from one word or letter in the Torah! But here, the Torah repeats the whole story! Rashi tells us what it says in the Gemara, that this shows how precious the Avos are to Hashem. Even the plain words of their servants are more precious to Hashem than the Torah learning of their children, the Yidden in the future, after Matan Torah — “Yafeh Sichasan Shel Avdei Avos MiTorasan Shel Banim.”
Now, Eliezer asked, “Will you let me take Rivkah back to marry Yitzchak?”
Lavan was chutzpadik and answered before Besuel his father. They said that they see it came from Hashem and couldn’t say no. “Take Rivkah and go, like Hashem said.”
Eliezer bowed to Hashem to show thanks.
Rashi says that we learn from this that we need to thank Hashem when we hear good news!
|
|
|
|
Today’s shiur Tehillim is kapitelach Kuf-Daled and Kuf-Hey.
In today’s first kapitel, Dovid Hamelech tells us about how amazing the world is, and how Hashem made everything just perfect!
The second posuk says, “Oteh Or KaSalma” — “Hashem puts on light, like clothes.”
In the Tzemach Tzedek’s pirush on Tehillim, Yahal Ohr, there is another explanation of this posuk, based on the Tanya we are learning now!
The Tzemach Tzedek says that this posuk is also talking about the neshama:
“Oteh Or Kasalma” — “Hashem puts the light of Torah and Mitzvos onto the neshama, like clothes.”
By wearing “clothes” of Torah and mitzvos, the neshama will be able to appreciate the light of Hashem in Gan Eden. So when we do mitzvos, Hashem puts their light on us so we will get to appreciate the pnimius of that light, the pleasure that Hashem has from the mitzvos!
This is what we are learning now in Tanya, Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof-Tes.
|
|
|
TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof-Tes
|
|
In today’s Tanya, the Alter Rebbe gives a mashal to help us understand why mitzvos are clothes for the neshama, that make it be possible for it to see the “Noam Hashem” in Gan Eden.
A mitzvah connects a Yid with Hashem. For something to connect two sides together, it needs to reach both sides. For example, to connect the floor to the ceiling you need a tall, tall pillar which is touching both sides!
A mitzvah connects Gashmius people who have a “gevul,” a limit, together with Hashem, Who is Bli Gevul, without a limit! That’s why a mitzvah has both things: Mitzvos are done with our Gashmius body or with our Gashmius heart which have a limit, but inside every mitzvah is Ratzon Hashem — the Will of Hashem which has no limit, a very high level of Ruchnius!
So when a person does a Gashmius mitzvah, he is also getting Ratzon Hashem! That’s how the mitzvah becomes the kind of clothes that let a person enjoy the light of Hashem (the Pnimius of the Ratzon) in Gan Eden!
What we are learning now, about the mitzvos being the clothes for the neshama to be able to have pleasure from the light of Hashem in Gan Eden, is explained with more detail in many places in Chassidus. B’Hashgacha Protis, one of those places is in the Chassidishe Parsha — the Torah Ohr — of this week, and in a famous maamer of the Rebbe from the farbrengen of Motzei Shabbos Parshas Chayei Sarah Tof-Shin-Lamed-Ches.
|
|
|
|
The Frierdiker Rebbe wrote a kuntres called Kuntres Toras Hachassidus which explains the inyan of Chassidus and of davening according to Chassidus. Many pieces of this kuntres are quoted in Hayom Yom.
In today’s Hayom Yom, the Rebbe quotes a section from Kuntres Toras Hachassidus that explains what Tefillah accomplishes according to Chassidus.
First we learn something in Chassidus. Then we daven while thinking about the Chassidus that we learned. Our davening helps us brings an excitement what we know! That excitement makes us want to do mitzvos with Yiras Shomayim (Bein Adam Lamakom), and to work on having good midos (Bein Adam Lachaveiro)!
|
|
|
|
Today we learn two more mitzvos about Maaser Sheini:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #150) It is asur for a person to eat Maaser Sheini when he is Tamei, or when the food is Tamei. If he was tamei, he needs to become Tahor. If the food was tamei, he needs to sell the food and buy different food with that money.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Savo: וְלֹא בִעַרְתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ בְּטָמֵא
The details are explained in the end of Mesechta Makos.
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #151) An Onen, someone who has a close relative who passed away and wasn’t buried yet, is not allowed to eat from Maaser Sheini. (An onen is also not allowed to eat from any Korbanos.)
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Savo: לֹא אָכַלְתִּי בְאֹנִי מִמֶּנּוּ
The details are explained in Mesechta Pesachim perek Ches, and Mesechta Zevachim perek Beis.
|
|
|
RAMBAM
Hilchos Maaser Sheini VeNeta Reva'i
|
|
In today’s Rambam, we learn more about Maaser Sheini.
Perek Beis: Maaser Sheini is specifically eaten in Yerushalayim. Once it is brought into Yerushalayim, we are not allowed to take it out, or trade it for money or other food (unless it became tamei).
Perek Gimmel: We need to treat Maaser Sheini with respect — for example, we are not allowed to make it tamei.
Perek Daled: If we live far away from Yerushalayim, the food might not be good by the time we get there! We learn how to trade the food for money, and then use the money to buy food in Yerushalayim later.
|
|
|
|
Today we learn some general rules about Korbanos. We learn which kinds of animals we are allowed to bring as korbanos. We also learn which Korbanos are brought by individual people and which are brought by all of the Yidden together, as a tzibur.
|
|
|
|
When Eliezer told Rivkah’s family about how he had come, he told them that he traveled and came to the well on that same day. Rashi explains that Eliezer had Kefitzas Haderech, and his whole trip was finished that day!
Why did Hashem need to make a neis and have Eliezer come earlier? Why couldn’t the trip just take as long it usually did?
The answer is that Rivkah had just turned three, old enough to get married. She was living among resha’im, and as soon as she was old enough to leave, it was an emergency to get her out of there! That’s why Hashem made a neis and gave Eliezer Kefitzas Haderech.
The things that happen to our Avos are also a sign for us — “Maaseh Avos Siman Labanim.”
We learn a lesson from this story, because all Yidden are like Rivkah in a way! We are also trapped among Resha’im, in this long and hard Golus. We need to know that as soon as we are able to get out, Hashem will give us Kefitzas Haderech! We won’t have to stay in Golus for even one extra second! There are just a few small things left, and then Hashem will bring the Geulah right away.
See Likutei Sichos vol 1 p 34, Dvar Malchus Parshas Chayei Sarah
|
|
|
▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
|
|
|
|
In the times of the Alter Rebbe, many Chassidim earned money by making and selling mashke. One year, the government decided to stop allowing this. They made a new law that only the government is allowed to produce and sell mashke.
This was a very big problem for many chassidim! Suddenly, their parnasa was taken away from them! Now how would they have enough money to live?
A group of the closest Chassidim came to the Alter Rebbe to ask him to beg Hashem for Rachmonus. (In this group were the Mitteler Rebbe, R’ Aharon MiStrashele, and R’ Pinchas Reizes.)
The Alter Rebbe told them that when Hashem gives brachos from Shomayim, you need to have kelim down here to catch the brachos. The kelim for Hashem’s brachos are Ahava and Achva (love and friendship), and staying away from jealousy and rechilus (gossip).
The Alter Rebbe told them that this explains the bracha that the kohanim say before Birchas Kohanim: “Asher Kidishanu … Levarech Es Amcha Yisroel B’Ahava.” This means that the bracha of the kohanim is given with Ahava, and it also means that they bentch the Yidden to have Ahava between themselves! This way they will have the kelim to get all of the brachos in Birchas Kohanim!
After telling this to the group of Chassidim, the Alter Rebbe went out to the big Beis Medrash. The Alter Rebbe had a powerful, sweet voice, but he still went up onto the Bima to make sure everyone was able to see and hear.
The Alter Rebbe said, “Mechalkel Chaim Bechesed — Hashem gives life with chesed! (These words are from the second bracha of Shemoneh Esrei).
“Hashem gives life with Chesed, not with mashke factories!
“Hashem’s Chesed is not like a person’s chesed. The chesed of a person is not the real reason for why the other person got something. The chesed of Hashem IS the hashpa’ah, the chesed of Hashem is what gives a person life!
“But to receive this Chesed, you need the keilim of Ahava and Achva.”
Then the Alter Rebbe stepped down from the Bima.
That year, Chassidim were bentched with tremendous parnasa!
See how the Frierdiker Rebbe tells the story in Sefer Hasichos 5698 p. 283; and the Rebbe’s retelling and beautiful conclusion in the sicha of Acharon Shel Pesach 5718
|
|
|
|
A school that had planned an end-of-the-year trip out of town wrote to the Rebbe. The Rebbe gave two horaos for the trip:
1) Remember to say Tefillas Haderech!
2) The students should spread Yiddishkeit in a way that makes sense for kids their age.
See the letter printed in Shaarei Halacha Uminhag, chelek alef p. 224
|
|
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
|
|
|
|
What is Geulah? In Lashon Hakodesh, the name of something is what gives it chayus and tells us what it is. Geulah is the same letters of “Golah,” which means Golus, together with an alef. Really, it’s not a new world with different things than we had in Golus, it’s all of the same things we live with in Golah — only it has an alef!
So what is the alef?
We learned that the alef is “Aluf” — Hashem, that everything and everyone will recognize Hashem — so nothing bad can happen, and nothing can hide Hashem!
Another explanation for the Alef is from a posuk, “A’alefcha Chochma, A’alefcha Bina.” It means to teach Torah. That shows us that when Moshiach comes, the Alef of Torah will be in everything. All of the things in the world will live according to the Torah! The goyim will all keep the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach, the Yidden will all be acting the way the Torah teaches us, and even the Gashmiyus things in the world will help remind us to keep the mitzvos.
This is why the Rambam says that Moshiach will come from the family of “Dovid AND Shlomo.” We know that Moshiach has to come from the family of Dovid Hamelech, but why is it important that Moshiach come specifically from Shlomo Hamelech?
Shlomo Hamelech was given a special gift from Hashem — a gift of Chochmah. The posuk says that Shlomo Hamelech was the wisest person that ever lived — Vayechkam Mikol HaAdam! So Moshiach, who will bring the Geulah by bringing the Alef of the Chochmah of Torah into the world, must come from Shlomo Hamelech, who had so much Chochmah!
See Sichas Parshas Emor 5751
|
|
|
|
|
לע"נ התינוק זאב ארי' ע"ה בן יבלט"א הרה"ח ר' שניאור זלמן שי' גליק
נפטר ב' מנחם אב ה'תשע"ג
|
|
Give children around the world the gift of Kids Chitas!
KidsChitas.org/sponsor
|
|
|
