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CHUMASH
Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei - Shlishi with Rashi
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In today’s Chumash, we learn how Betzalel and Oholiav made the Menorah, the Mizbeiach Haketores, the Shemen Hamish’cha, and the Ketores.
We learned how all of these things are made in Parshas Terumah, Tetzaveh, and Ki Sisa, when Hashem gave the instructions to Moshe Rabbeinu. In this week’s parsha we learn how Moshe Rabbeinu gives these instructions to the Yidden, and how the Yidden actually make them. The pesukim tell us exactly how each part of the Mishkan was made.
There are two other places where the Torah repeats something twice in a detailed way.
At the time of Chanukas Hamishkan, the Torah says the korbanos of each of the Nesiim separately, even though they all gave the exact same thing!
And when Eliezer, Avraham’s servant, told over the story of how he came to find a shidduch for Yitzchak, the Torah repeats everything he said with all the details!
The same thing is here — the Torah tells us again exactly how each part of the Mishkan was made.
Not a single word in the Torah is extra. Every word teaches us something. So why does the Torah repeat these things again with all of the details?
With the story of Eliezer, Rashi explains that it is to show how much Hashem loves the Avos. Even the words that their servants say are precious!
With the Chanukas Hamishkan, the Chachomim explain that even though each Nasi brought the same thing, they had a different reason to bring it, and it accomplished something else for each one.
Here, with building the Mishkan, BOTH of these reasons are true!
The Mishkan we build for Hashem is so precious that Hashem wants it to be said again, with all of the details!
And, like we learned before, really the two times it talks about the Mishkan are talking about different things. Before, we learned about how they SHOULD be made. That was about the Ruchnius Mishkan. Now we learn how they ACTUALLY are made — the Gashmius Mishkan right here in the world! (See Likutei Sichos chelek Alef and Tes-Zayin, Parshas Pekudei)
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Today’s Tehillim is Kapitel Kuf-Yud-Tes, the LONGEST kapitel in the whole Tehillim! It is so long that we don’t even say the whole Kapitel today, just the first half.
We just started a new sefer in Rambam, Sefer Nezikin.
At the beginning of each sefer, the Rambam brings a posuk from Nach that is connected to the halachos we will learn in the sefer.
The posuk the Rambam brings for Sefer Nezikin is from today’s Tehillim, “Hat Libi El Eidvosecha, Ve’al El Batza.” “Turn my heart to Your mitzvos, and not to money.”
What does this have to do with Nezikin, damages?
When we care about mitzvos more than other things, we won’t get into arguments about money and get upset with people. When we are calm and happy with other people, we will be careful with their things, and won’t cause them any damage!
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Lamed-Zayin
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In the beginning of Tanya, we learned about the Milchemes Hanefashos, the war that is gong on inside of a person between the Yetzer Tov and the Yetzer Hara. We learned how to win against the Yetzer Hara, through reminding ourselves of the hidden power of Mesiras Nefesh which is inside the neshama, and through having simcha.
Now we are learning about the GOAL of all of our Avodah, and why doing mitzvos with Maaseh (when we do something with Gashmius) is so important.
The Alter Rebbe tells us that the Shechinah is brought down specifically when we do mitzvos with Maaseh! Now we are learning how this all accomplishes the purpose and brings the Geulah!
In today’s Tanya we learn that the goal of bringing Geulah is one that all of the Yidden do TOGETHER!
To bring the Geulah, we need the avodah of all of the Yidden together.
The Chachomim say that the world was created for Yidden to keep the Torah and mitzvos.
The Yidden have 600,000 general neshamos, that the rest of the neshamos come from. So the world is also split up into 600,000 sections, which are divided into smaller parts. Each neshama has “Chelko Ba’olam,” a part of the world that it needs to make into kedusha.
We all have things that we need to use for our Avodas Hashem. The Gashmius things we use to spread Yiddishkeit, what we use for parnasa, or the things that give us simcha or chayus, are all part of our “Chelek Ba’olam,” the part of the world that we need to make into kedusha. Some Yidden might send Divrei Torah on WhatsApp, some might build Mikvaos, and others might work in hospitals. When all Yidden take care of their part of the world, the whole world will be used for kedusha, and will be ready for the Geulah!
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The Hayom Yom was written for the year Tof-Shin-Gimmel and Tof-Shin-Daled. That year was a Shana Me’uberes (a leap year) and there were two Adars. This year there is only one Adar, so we learn the Hayom Yoms from BOTH Adars!
Chof-Hey Adar Alef
After we say the Shir Shel Yom (“Hayom Yom ___ BaShabbos, Shebo Hayu HaLeviim Omrim...”) we say a short paragraph that starts “Hoshienu.” We say this paragraph EVERY day — even on Shabbos, Yom Tov, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur!
In this paragraph we ask Hashem to save us and take us out of Golus, and bring us to Geulah. This is another place where we see that asking Hashem for Moshiach is something we need to do every day, including Shabbos and Yom Tov, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur!
Chof-Hey Adar Sheini
The Chossid R’ Mordechai Horodoker told us what was the first thing the Chassidim learned when they came to the Alter Rebbe in Liozna:
“Vos men tor nit, tor men nit — un vos men meg, darf men nit!” What we aren’t allowed to do — we aren’t allowed to do! And what we ARE allowed to do — we don’t necessarily need it.
There are things that are asur — like non-kosher food, or hitting our friends. We can’t do them!
There are also things that we ARE allowed to do — like eat nosh, or play computer games. But we need to think before each time: Do we need to do them for our Avodas Hashem? Will they help us learn or daven better, or be happier on Shabbos? Or do we not need them? If we don’t need them, we shouldn’t do them!
The Chassidim spent 3 to 4 years making sure that they were careful to keep this hora’ah — to only use Gashmius if it would help serve Hashem. Only then did they allow themselves to go into Yechidus with the Alter Rebbe to hear what was their special way of Avodas Hashem!
One of the things we can learn from this Hayom Yom is that even though each one of us has a special shlichus in the world, one thing that is a part of ALL of our Shlichus is this hora’ah! Of course we need to stay away from things that are asur, but we also need to make sure to use the things we ARE allowed to use only if they help us in our Avodas Hashem.
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Today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #240) is the mitzvah that if our animal eats from someone else’s field, it is our responsibility. We need to pay for the damage!
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: כִּי יַבְעֶר אִישׁ שָׂדֶה אוֹ כֶרֶם וְגוֹ׳
The halachos are explained in Perek Beis and Perek Vov of Mesechta Bava Kama, and Perek Hey of Mesechta Gitin.
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In today’s Rambam, we learn more about the responsibility a person has for when his animal causes damage.
Perek Gimmel teaches us the halachos about when something is hurt or broken because of an animal eating — today’s mitzvah.
Perek Daled explains the halachos of a person’s responsibility for making sure his animal doesn’t do any damage. Sometimes we say that the person should have been more careful, so it is his responsibility to pay for any damage that the animal did.
For example, if a person didn’t make sure his fence was strong enough, he needs to pay for anything his animal broke if it escaped. But even if his fence was VERY strong, he would still need to pay if he left his animal outside in the hot sun. Since his animal was uncomfortable, he should have known that it would try extra hard to escape!
Perek Hey tells us about 10 conditions Yehoshua made when the Yidden came into Eretz Yisroel. Many of them are about when we are allowed to use other people’s fields without asking.
Another rule that the Chachomim made is that Yidden are only allowed to raise dogs if they keep them tied up with a strong chain. That’s because Eretz Yisroel is special land for GROWING things, and a dog likes to break and ruin things!
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This perek teaches us more halachos about a get.
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Today is a very special day! It’s Chof-Hey Adar, the birthday of the Rebbetzin! This year is 120 years since the Rebbetzin was born.
In the farbrengen of Yud-Gimmel Nissan, Tof-Shin-Mem-Vov, it was 120 years since the yartzeit of the Tzemach Tzedek. The Rebbe spoke then about what happens at 120 years. Even though in Tehillim it says that a person’s life is 70 or 80 years, in the Chumash it says that a person’s life is 120 years. This shows us that there is a special aliyah that comes at 120 years.
The first birthday of the Rebbetzin after her histalkus, the Rebbe said that he will make something special in her honor — to start a campaign that everyone should start celebrating their birthdays!
What does it mean to celebrate a birthday?
It means that we should all keep certain minhagim that will make our birthday a special day for us. These minhagim will remind us that we were born to accomplish a special Shlichus which Hashem needs us to do. When we use our special day in the right way it will help us do our Shlichus even better, and do our part in bringing the Geulah!
After the Rebbe started the campaign for Yom Huledes, a list was put together with all of the horaos that the Rebbe gave over the years to people for their birthdays. This list was printed in Sefer Hasichos.
Many of these minhagim are also important for children!
When the Rebbe gave out dollars for tzedakah, many people would tell the Rebbe that it was their birthday. At the time when Mivtza Yom Huledes started, the Rebbe would remind them about certain birthday minhagim! Here are two of them that the Rebbe would tell people to do on their birthday — even kids!
- Make a farbrengen on your birthday
- Give tzedakah on the day of your birthday
See the full list of minhagim as translated` in Sichos in English
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As we are getting closer to Pesach, we will learn a little bit about the Haggadah Shel Pesach.
What is the Haggadah?
Even in the times of the Beis Hamikdash, the Yidden had many things to do on the first night of Pesach. As we see in Chumash, aside for eating the Korban Pesach, they needed to eat matzah and maror, and tell the story of Yetziyas Mitzrayim.
The Chachomim lader made a takana that we should drink four cups of wine, as brought in the Mishna. The Mishna and Gemara bring a seder, an organized way of making sure we do all of these special mitzvos and speak about the things we are supposed to during the night of Pesach.
A set nusach for the seder started in the times of the geonim, with exactly 15 steps and a specific lashon of what to say and when to say it. This became the Haggadah Shel Pesach. Among different groups of Yidden the nusach is a little bit different, and we follow the nusach that is printed in the Alter Rebbe’s siddur.
Even though it might seem like the seder is just a way to make sure we do all of the mitzvos properly on the night of Pesach, it is more than that! According to Niglah, and especially according to Chassidus, each detail of the seder has a meaning and a reason for it. That’s why we are so careful to do all of the steps of the seder, exactly as we see them in our Haggadah.
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After Bedikas Chometz, we say a paragraph called Kol Chamira. It is written in Aramaic, and says that any chometz we didn’t find in our search is like nothing to us. If you don’t understand Aramaic, you should say it in English so that you understand it.
This is called Bittul Chometz, deciding that our chometz is not important to us and doesn’t even belong to us.
The main part of Bittul Chometz isn’t SAYING this paragraph, it’s MEANING it!
We need to think that even if we forgot about some really yummy chometz, like a bag of bissli or pretzels, a brownie bar, or a chocolate covered wafer, we don’t want it anymore! It’s not ours anymore! We don’t care about it! It means nothing to us.
(For many tefillos, it is best to say it in the original language. For this one, it is more important to know what we are saying, so that we are actually making the chometz botul!)
See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Siman Tof-Lamed-Daled
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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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Even though Parshas Vayakhel speaks about the Mishkan, the first few pesukim are about Shabbos.
Moshe Rabbeinu tells the Yidden, “Sheishes Yamim Tei’aseh Melacha,” for six days your work should be done, “U’vayom HaShvi’i Yihiyeh Lachem Kodesh, Shabbos Shabbasol LaHashem,” and on the seventh day it should be holy for you, a Shabbos Shabbason for Hashem.
Why does Moshe tell the Yidden about Shabbos as if it is something new to them? The Yidden already know about Shabbos and it is one of the Aseres Hadibros!
The Rebbe explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was teaching the Yidden about HOW to keep Shabbos.
The posuk doesn’t say, “for six days you should do your work.” It says, “for six days your work SHOULD BE DONE.”
There are two ways to look at the work we do:
1) When we work, we are earning money for ourselves and our families. We use this money in order to live. So the work is where our parnasa comes from.
2) Hashem gives us parnasa. But Hashem wants us to do something to get that parnasa, and that is to work. So the work is just a keili, but the parnasa is from Hashem.
We might think that it makes no difference what we think! Either way, we are doing work, and we are getting parnasa.
But it DOES make a difference! If we think that our money comes from the work we do, when we want or need more money we will need to work harder. We will need to spend a lot of time thinking about how to do our work better.
Moshe Rabbeinu told the Yidden NOT to think this way! Not that “you should work” for six days, but that for six days “your work should be done!” You don’t need to spend all of our kochos and time on working, you just need to make sure your work gets done. Hashem will make sure that it brings us all the parnasa we need!
Then, all of the rest of the time can be used for kedusha, for Torah and Tefillah and helping others.
When we work in this way, our whole week will be full of kedusha! Then on Shabbos, when we can feel kedusha even more, it will be VERY Shabbos’dik — Shabbos Shabbason!
The Torah tells us this right before teaching us about the Mishkan, to teach us something important: When we make our lives Shabbos’dik, it will bring us to have the Mishkan! Not just the Mishkan in the Midbar, but the continuation of the Mishkan, the Beis Hamikdash and the Beis Hamikdash Hashlishi, may it be built very soon!
See Likutei Sichos chelek Alef, Parshas Vayakhel
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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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