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CHUMASH
Parshas Vaeira - Shvi'i with Rashi
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Hashem sends hail to destroy almost everything outside. Paraoh says the Yidden can go — but changes his mind when the hail stops.
Makas Barad (hail) continued
Moshe told Paraoh: “At this time tomorrow, Hashem will make it hail VERY HARD — not like anything you’ve ever seen before. Bring everything you own inside, because whatever is outside will be destroyed!”
Some Mitzriyim brought their things inside, but not everyone.
Moshe picked up his stick and Hashem made it thunder and start to hail — big balls of ice, and fire too! Hashem made a neis that even though the fire was inside of the balls of ice, the fire didn’t go out and it didn’t melt the ice. The hail broke everything outside — most of the plants, all of the trees, and every animal or person outside. But the hail didn’t fall in Goshen, where the Yidden lived.
Paraoh called Moshe and Aharon and this time admitted that he was doing the wrong thing — “Hashem is the Tzadik, and I am the Rasha!” He asked them to daven that the hail should go away, and said that he will let the Yidden go!
Moshe went out of the city (which was full of Avodah Zarah) and davened that the hail should stop, even though he knew that Paraoh still wasn’t really afraid of Hashem.
Hashem stopped the hail from falling, even if it was still in the air! But as soon as Paraoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder stopped, he got stubborn again and didn’t let the Yidden go.
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For today’s Shiur Tehillim, we say kapitelach Yud-Ches through Chof-Beis.
In Kapitel Yud-Tes, there is a posuk that talks about Torah: “Toras Hashem Temimah, Meshivas Nafesh.” “The Torah of Hashem is complete, it makes the neshama feel good.”
The Alter Rebbe uses this posuk to show why he was so happy to hear that the Chassidim learned the whole Shas (Mishnayos and Gemara) in many places during the year. When the Torah is temimah, complete (when the whole Torah is completely learned) it makes the neshama happy!
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Yud-Tes
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In today’s Tanya, we learn that the level of Chochma in the neshama of a Yid won’t let a Yid do an aveira. The only way a person can do an aveira is if he has a Ruach Shtus which puts the Chochma to sleep and in a Golus inside of him.
We learned yesterday in Tanya that a neshama is like a candle, whose flame is always trying to go up. The neshama also always wants to be together with Hashem. It doesn’t make sense for the neshama to want this, because the closer it becomes to Hashem, the less important it becomes! Still, the neshama wants it anyway. This comes from the “Chochma” part of the neshama.
In the Chochma of the neshama, Hashem isn’t hiding at all. Since Hashem can be felt there, it makes the neshama have bittul. Bittul is when we don’t want anything for ourselves. Instead, we are ready to follow whatever Hashem wants from us!
This is a general difference between kedusha, holiness, and the opposite, kelipah: Kedusha has bittul to Hashem, and kelipah is always interested in getting something for itself.
When the Chochma of the neshama is working, it makes a difference in the whole body, so the person can use it to do what Hashem wants.
But if a Yid lets the Yetzer Hara take control of his body, then the Chochma of his neshama falls asleep and is in Golus inside of him. Even though it is still there, it isn’t doing what it is able to.
That’s why this kind of love that comes from the Chochma is called Ahava Mesuteres, a hidden love. Even though it’s always there, it can be hidden in a Yid. The Yetzer Hara has permission from Hashem to try and trick the person into thinking that an aveira won’t make a difference. This is called a Ruach Shtus, and it is what causes the Chochma of the neshama to be in Golus which allows the person to do an aveira.
(We will learn tomorrow how the Ahava Mesuteres can be woken up so that the person will be able to do what Hashem wants.)
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In today’s Hayom Yom, we learn about how the Torah Ohr and Likutei Torah were printed.
In a letter written by the Tzemach Tzedek on Gimmel Shevat (5597), the Tzemach Tzedek writes about the printing of Torah Ohr. This was the first time the maamorim of the Alter Rebbe were printed in a sefer!
The Tzemach Tzedek writes that Torah Ohr has the maamorim on Chumash Bereishis and Shemos and some of the Yomim Tovim. The second chelek of the Sefer, which he says will IY”H will be printed later, will have the maamorim on the other Chumashim, Shir Hashirim, and the other Yomim Tovim.
Unfortunately, it took 11 years (!) until the second chelek was printed!
Why did it take so long?!
The maskilim, Jews who were fighting Yiddishkeit, convinced the Russian government to make rules against Torah and mitzvos, and especially Chassidus. One of the things they got the government to do was to close down many Jewish print houses where seforim were printed, including the one in Kopust, where the sefer Torah Ohr was printed, so they couldn’t print any new books of Torah.
The second chelek was finally printed in 5608, in a different city — Zhitomir. Instead of calling it “Torah Ohr Chelek Beis” it got its own name, Likutei Torah.
In the Tzemach Tzedek’s letter, he also connects the name of the Alter Rebbe to the Chassidus he teaches: The Alter Rebbe’s name is Shneur, which is the words “Shnei Ohr,” two times light. The Gematria of the word “ohr” (light) two times, is 414, which is also the Gematria of the word Ve’ahavta. In the Alter Rebbe’s Chassidus, he teaches us how to love Hashem, “Ve’ahavta!”
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Today we learn three mitzvos:
1) (Mitzvas Asei #68) If the Sanhedrin makes a mistake and tells Yidden they are allowed to do something that is really an aveira, they need to bring a korban.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Vayikra: וְאִם כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁגּוּ וְנֶעְלַם דָּבָר מֵעֵינֵי הַקָּהָל
The mitzvah is explained in Mesechta Horayos, and a few places in Mesechta Zevachim.
2) (Mitzvas Asei #75) If a woman becomes Tomei with a kind of Tumah called “Zavah” she can’t become Tahor enough to eat from korbanos until she brings a korban of two birds.
We learn this mitzvah from Parshas Metzora: וְאִם טָהֲרָה מִזּוֹבָהּ וְגוֹ׳ וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי תִּקַּח לָהּ שְׁתֵּי תֹרִים
3) (Mitzvas Asei #76) When a Mommy has a baby, she becomes Tomei. In the times of the Beis Hamikdash, she would bring a special korban to become fully Tahor again (a sheep and a bird, or two birds if she is poor). Until then, she can become Tahor enough for most things, but not enough to eat from Korbanos.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Tazria: וּבִמְלֹאת יְמֵי טָהֳרָהּ לְבֵן אוֹ לְבַת תָּבִיא כֶּבֶשׂ וְגוֹ׳
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Shegagos - Mechusrei Kaparah
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In today’s Rambam, we finish learning Hilchos Shegagos:
Perek Tes-Vov: This perek explains what happens if a Kohen Gadol or a king does an aveira — they need to bring a different kind of korban.
Now we start learning Hilchos Mechusrei Kapara:
Perek Alef: we learn what “Mechusrei Kapara” means — it means someone who is not 100% Tahor, because they did not bring their korban yet. There are 4 kinds of people who can be Mechusrei Kapara: A Zav (a man with a kind of sickness that makes him Tomei), A Zavah (a woman with a kind of sickness that makes her Tomei), a woman who had a baby, and a person with Tzoraas.
Perek Beis: Now we learn about the kind of sickness that can make a man a Zav. If it happens once, he is Tomei. If it happens twice, he is a Zav. If it happens three times, he for sure needs to bring a korban.
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Today we learn the math we need too know to figure out where the sun will be at a certain time.
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There are two things that happened on Yud Shevat. The first thing that happened was the histalkus of the Frierdiker Rebbe, and then right away the beginning of the Rebbe’s nesius.
Even though we feel more connected to the fact that it is the beginning of the Rebbe’s nesius, especially this year which is 70 years since the Rebbe’s first maamar, it is clear that the Rebbe also wanted us to keep the minhagim connected to the Yom Hilula of the Frierdiker Rebbe. There is a letter the Rebbe wrote before Yud Shevat, with the minhagim of the yartzeit.
One of these minhagim is important to know for the Shabbos before Yud Shevat: It is a minhag to get an aliyah to the Torah in connection with the yartzeit.
In many sichos, the Rebbe also speaks about making a farbrengen, if possible, also on the Shabbos before Yud Shevat.
Of course, we need to think to ourselves to make hachlatos in connection with Yud Shevat, to add in learning the Rebbe’s Torah, and making sure we are fulfilling the horaos that the Rebbe gives us on how to live our lives in our time, as we prepare for Kabolas Pnei Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
See farbrengen Gimmel Nisan Tof-Shin-Mem-Beis, and other sichos and letters quoted in Kovetz Shivim Shana
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When we daven, we wake up the love for Hashem that is hiding inside. This helps take away our worries!
Even though Hashem wants us to take care of things, like parnasa, we don’t need to WORRY about them. When we daven, we are reminding ourselves that Hashem is in charge, so there is nothing for us to worry about.
In the Beis Hamikdash there was a fire that came down from Shomayim and burned up the animal. The same thing happens when we daven! Our davening is like a korban. Our love of Hashem, which is like the fire from Hashem, burns up all of our worries, which come from the animal inside of us, our Nefesh Habehamis!
See Maamar Ushe’avtem, Likutei Torah
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From the time we are allowed to make Kiddush, we are not supposed to eat or drink anything (even water!) until after we make Kiddush.
When is the time of Kiddush? The time of Kiddush is from when Shabbos starts, or if we take in Shabbos early, from the time we accepted Shabbos. For a girl, this is from when she bentches licht. From that time, we are not supposed to eat or drink anything until we make or hear Kiddush.
What about kids?
The halacha is that we are not allowed to make kids uncomfortable or unhappy by making them wait to eat. If they are hungry, we should give them food!
But wait, isn’t there a mitzvah of Chinuch? And isn’t it asur to give children food that they aren’t supposed to eat?
That is only for food that is asur to eat ALL the time, like treif food. But if it is kosher food, and it is just not the right TIME to eat, we are allowed to give it to children.
So if kids are hungry before Kiddush, we do give them something to eat, and we are not allowed to tell them that they have to wait until Kiddush!
See Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch siman Reish-Ayin-Alef, se’if Tes, and siman Reish-Samach-Tes, se’if Gimmel
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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 Rambam brings proofs from the Torah about Moshiach, but not from Navi.
The Rambam explains that we don’t need to bring proofs from the Neviim, because the whole Navi is FULL of pesukim about Moshiach.
But there are also a lot of parts of Navi that talk about other things, and even talk about Golus! How can the Rambam say that the Navi is full of pesukim about the Geulah?
The Rebbe explains that if we think about what the Geulah really is, and we think deeper into the meaning of the stories in Nach, we will see that EVERYTHING in the Neviim really is about the Geulah!
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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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