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CHUMASH

Parshas Vayechi - Revi'i with Rashi

Yaakov wanted to tell his sons when Moshiach will come, but Hashem didn’t let. Instead, Yaakov told his sons what they did wrong, and the brachos their shevatim will have later. In today’s Chumash, we have the brachos of Reuven through Dan.

Yaakov called his sons together to tell them when the final Geulah will come. Even though he had a good reason to do this, Hashem didn’t want the Yidden to know, so Hashem didn’t let him tell the Shevatim. Instead, Yaakov decided to say something else to each one of the Shevatim:

Reuven, even though you are the firstborn, you won’t get to keep the zechus of being the oldest, because you once got angry and did something you shouldn’t have done. The zechus of having TWO shevatim will go to Yosef, the zechus of being kohanim will go to Levi, and the zechus of having kings will go to Yehuda.

Shimon and Levi, you worked together for not good things — like killing the people of Shechem, and selling Yosef. Fighting is for Esav, not for children of Yaakov! So you will be separated: Levi won’t be counted as one of the Shevatim, and he won’t get a piece of Eretz Yisroel. The Kohanim and Leviim will have to live in different places around the country, and get money for their job only in the Beis Hamikdosh. Shevet Shimon will be spread out in different places, being sofrim and teachers.”

Yehuda was afraid Yaakov would also say what he did wrong with Tamar, but Yaakov said, “Yehuda, your brothers will all talk about how special you are! The Yiddishe kings (like Dovid and Shlomo Hamelech) will come from your family, and later the people who lead the Yidden in Golus, like the Sanhedrin, and even Moshiach!

“This is because you had a lot of Ahavas Yisroel, saving Yosef from being killed and Tamar from being killed — even though it was embarrassing! A king needs to take good care of everyone they rule over.

Zevulun will live near the water, and their ships will buy and sell things. Part of the money they get will pay for the Talmidei Chachomim of Shevet Yissachar to be able to learn Torah!

Yissachar will be strong and able to learn a lot of Torah! They will work hard in their learning and it will help all of the Yidden.

Dan will take revenge on the enemies of the Yidden, especially when Shimshon will knock down a building and kill many Pelishtim who were making trouble for the Yidden.” Yaakov knew that Shimshon would need Hashem’s help, so he asked for it now! “Lishuas’cha Kivisi Hashem” — “Hashem, I am waiting for you to save!”

 
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TEHILLIM

77 - 78

Today’s shiur Tehillim is kapitelach Ayin-Zayin and Ayin-Ches.

In Kapitel Ayin-Ches, which is in today’s Tehillim, there is a posuk that says “Vayakem Eidus BeYaakov, VeSora Sam BeYisroel” — “Hashem set up the Torah and mitzvos for Yaakov and Yisroel.” The kapitel continues that this was in order to pass it on to the next generations.

Chassidus teaches that each one of the Avos has something different and special about them, which they passed on to every single Yid. (For example, Avraham Avinu passed on his koach of chesed and Hachnosas Orchim, being kind to others and teaching them about Hashem.) In this posuk, which speaks about Torah, we mention the name of Yaakov and Yisroel, the third of the Avos.

Yaakov Avinu’s special koach was in learning Torah day and night. Yaakov is called a “Yoshev Ohalim,” someone who sits in the tent of Torah! The Torah tells us how Yaakov Avinu spent many years working very hard for his parnasa and to raise a family. Still, he made sure to use his time whenever he could to say Shir Hamaalos and to learn Torah! When things were easier too, like his last seventeen years in Mitzrayim, Yaakov Avinu also used that time in the best way, learning Torah with his children and grandchildren. He passed on this koach of being dedicated to learning Torah to each and every one of us.

 
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TANYA

Likutei Amarim Perek Yud-Beis

In today’s Tanya, we learn the secret power that the beinoni has which gives him the koach to ALWAYS win in the war against the Yetzer Hara!

A beinoni is someone who is like a rasha in the way he feels, but like a tzadik in the way he acts. Only during special times, like davening, he is able to feel like a tzadik! Through proper davening, his neshama becomes stronger and puts the Nefesh Habehamis to sleep, so it can’t bother him with rasha-like feelings. After davening, though, the Nefesh Habehamis wakes up again and makes the beinoni have feelings like a rasha again.

In the beinoni, both nefashos are equally as strong, and they are both fighting all the time. So how does the beinoni ALWAYS make the Nefesh Elokis win?

The answer is that Hashem made people with a special koach built in. The Zohar calls this koachMoach Shalit Al Halev,” that Hashem gives the koach for the mind to be in control. Even when a person has a taava, he is able to choose not to think about it. The mind is stronger, so the person can decide to do something else and not pay attention to the taava. (If a person gets too used to doing the taava, they can lose this koach until they do a proper teshuvah, like we’ll learn later.)

This koach works even if the reason a person decides not to listen to a taava is because it isn’t healthy or good for him.

The koach of Moach Shalit Al Halev is even stronger if a person chooses not to listen to a taava because they don’t want to do an aveira. Why is it stronger if a person chooses to be in control for kedusha reasons, because he wants his neshama to be in charge?

We can understand this from what Shlomo Hamelech says in Koheles, “Vera’isi Sheyesh Yisron Lachochmah Min Hasichlus, Keyisron Ha’or Min Hachoshech.” “I’ve seen that chochmah (the Nefesh Elokis, which is called a chochom) has a maalah over foolishness (the Nefesh Habehamis, which is called a foolish king), like the maalah that light has over darkness.”

What is the maalah of light over darkness? It is so much stronger that it doesn’t even need to fight! You only need a little bit of light to push away A LOT of darkness, and it happens automatically! If you put even a tiny candle in a big dark room, the whole room isn’t dark anymore!

The same is true with the Nefesh Elokis and the Nefesh Habehamis: If a person wants to be in control of the taava of the Nefesh Habehamis because that’s what Hashem wants, then this koach of Moach Shalit Al Halev has a much stronger impact than it would if he was doing it for other reasons.

So how does the beinoni do it? He uses his Moach Shalit Al Halev for kedusha reasons, and that has such a tremendous koach, that his every Machshava, Dibur, and Maaseh are the way Hashem wants!

 
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HAYOM YOM

Tes-Vov Teves

The Rebbe points out a correction in a maamar from Torah Ohr for Parshas Vayechi.

The Frierdiker Rebbe said: “Yidden, listen carefully! Now is the time for Moshiach to come! All of the sad things happening in the world are because Moshiach is so close. Remember that only Hashem will save us — and it is only because we will do teshuva! Let us do teshuva and prepare ourselves and our families to be Mekabel Pnei Moshiach Tzidkeinu, who will come bekarov mamosh!”

 
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SEFER HAMITZVOS

Shiur #174 - Mitzvas Asei #90

(Mitzvas Asei #90) Today's mitzvah is that if a korban became tomei, we need to burn it.

We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Tzav: וְהַבָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר יִגַּע בְּכָל טָמֵא לֹא יֵאָכֵל בָּאֵשׁ יִשָּׂרֵף

The details of this mitzvah are explained in Mesechta Pesachim, and at the end of Mesechta Temurah.

 
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RAMBAM

Hilchos Pesulei HaMukdashin

In today's Rambam, we learn more about the kavanah we have when bringing a korban. The wrong kavana can make the korban no good.

Perek Yud-Zayin: This perek teaches us what happens if someone had the wrong kavanah for PART of bringing the korban — like when sprinkling the blood, or when bringing one of a pair of two sheep as a korban. Sometimes the WHOLE korban becomes pigul and we can’t use it!

Perek Yud-Ches: It is a Mitzvas Lo Saasei that we are not allowed to make korbanos tamei, and a person is punished for it. But a person is not punished for making a korban pigul (for planning on doing something wrong with a korban), because a Beis Din can only punish someone for DOING something, not for thinking something.

Other problems for a korban are Nosar, meat left past the time we are supposed to eat it, and if a tomei person touches a korban. We learned these mitzvos in Sefer Hamitzvos during the last few days.

Perek Yud-Tes: Now the Rambam explains the halachos of what to do with tomei, nosar, Pigul, or posul Korbanos.

 
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RAMBAM PEREK ECHOD

Hilchos Shofar V'Sukah V'Lulav - Perek Ches

We learn about what makes the Daled Minim posul, and the special simcha we have on Sukkos — including the Simchas Beis Hashoeivah!

The Rambam ends these halachos with a halacha the Rebbe would quote often: We need to learn from Dovid Hamelech, who didn’t think about his own kavod and danced in front of Hashem when the Aron came back to where it belonged. We should also never feel embarrassed to show our simcha in Avodas Hashem!

 
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INYANA D'YOMA

Hachana L'Yud Shevat

After a week of celebration following Hey Teves in 5747, the Rebbe told us that we need to start getting ready for Yud Shevat, with the help of a mashpiaAsei Lecha Rav! But what’s a mashpia?

A mashpia is someone who has more Yiras Shomayim and more experience in life than we do. We can report to our mashpia how we are doing in Avodas Hashem so that we will know that someone knows what we are doing, which will help us feel a push to do more.

A mashpia can also help us if we’re not sure about something. Should I take on a hachlata to learn extra Tanya, or to give extra tzedakah? Is it okay to read a book about non-kosher animals? Should I be Maavir Sedra after I clean my room, or offer to help my mother set the table?

The Rebbe said that children should also have a mashpia — mashpios for girls, and mashpiim for boys.

See Likutei Sichos vol. 29 p. 247

 

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TEFILLAH

Yud-Beis Pesukim - Torah Shebichsav

The Yud-Beis Pesukim come from three general parts of Torah: Torah Shebichsav, Torah Shebaal Peh, and Chassidus.

What is the difference between these three parts of Torah?

Torah Shebichsav is the written Torah, the Chumash and the rest of the seforim of Nach. Until the time of Rabbeinu Hakadosh, it was the only part of Torah that was allowed to be written down. It has all of the 613 mitzvos in it, and the stories of the Avos and Bnei Yisroel until the end of the times of the Neviim. But everything in it is written in a short way.

Torah Shebaal Peh explains the Torah Shebichsav. First in the Mishna, then in the Gemara and Medrashim, the mitzvos of the Torah are explained. The Aggadah tells us the stories of the Torah with more detail. Then the Rambam teaches us the halachos of the mitzvah, and the Shulchan Aruch which teaches us how to keep the mitzvos nowadays. Of course there are many seforim from the Rishonim and Acharonim from all generations which explain these even more!

Then there is Chassidus. Chassidus does not add anything new, but it is like the neshama of the Torah. It shows us how every halacha and story in the Torah has a source in Ruchnius, and how every halacha and lesson from the Torah is important for our Avodas Hashem and connectus us to Hashem in a stronger way.

For example, let’s see these parts of Torah in what we’re learning now in Sefer Hamitzvos, about korbanos:

In Torah Shebichsav, we have a short posuk that tells us to bring a certain animal as a korban to Hashem.

In Torah Shebaal Peh, like the Mishnayos and Gemara, it explains how and when to do this mitzvah. The Rambam organizes these in one place in clear halachos so we understand all of the details. We learn when an animal is kosher for a korban, and how to make sure not to make it Pigul or Nosar.

In Chassidus, we learn what a korban is in Ruchnius! We also learn that our Nefesh Habehamis is like an animal, and that by having Iskafya we are bringing it as a korban to Hashem. This helps us have a bigger chayus in the mitzvah, and also shows us how to keep this mitzvah in some way even in Golus.

The Yud-Beis Pesukim have two sets of six pesukim each. The first two of each set are from Torah Shebichsav, the second two are from Torah Shebaal Peh, and the third two are from Chassidus.

IY”H we will learn more about this in the next shiurim.

 
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HALACHOS HATZRICHOS

Netilas Yodayim

We are learning some of the halachos of washing our hands for bread. Today we will learn about shifshuf.

After carefully washing our hands with plenty of water, making sure it reached every part of our hands, we hold a little bit of water in the palm of the hand we just washed (our left hand) and go on to the next part of Netilas Yodayim. We hold our hands up to our heart, and make the bracha. Then we rub our hands together with the little bit of water that is left. This is called “shifshuf.”

Shifshuf is part of the mitzvah of Netilas Yodayim, to make our hands extra tahor.

Usually, we say a bracha BEFORE doing a mitzvah, but the Chachomim didn’t want us to make a bracha right before our hands are tahor. Instead, we say the bracha afterwards. But the best way to say the bracha is before doing shifshuf, so that the bracha is still at least before doing PART of the mitzvah. (If we forget, we can say the bracha even after drying our hands.)

Seder Netilas Yodayim L’seudah, se’if daled

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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GEULAH U'MOSHIACH

Learning About the Geulah

The Baal Shem Tov says, “Bemakom Shemachshavto Shel Adam, Sham Hu Nimtza.” “Where a person’s thoughts are, that’s where he is.

This helps us understand why it’s so important to learn about the Geulah! When we are thinking about the Geulah, then in a certain way, we are already there!

By having our thoughts and our Ratzon in the time of the Geulah, we will also be excited to do whatever we can to make it happen sooner! So learning about the Geulah also gives us the koach to speed up bringing the Geulah for all the Yidden.

See Parshas Balak 5743

 
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