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CHUMASH

Parshas Shemini - Shlishi with Rashi

At the beginning of today’s Chumash, we learn something very happy! Hashem was happy with the korbanos that Aharon brought, and Hashem made a fire come down onto the Mizbeiach to burn the korbanos, and show the Yidden that Hashem WAS “resting” in the Mishkan!

The Yidden were so happy! They sang praises and bowed to Hashem.

Then, we learn a very sad story.

Two of Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, wanted to be very close to Hashem. They knew that one of the most special parts of the avodah in the Mishkan is to burn the ketores. So they took pans of ketores, and went into the Mishkan. They knew that they weren’t supposed to do this without asking, but they wanted so much to be close to Hashem that they did it anyway. Their neshamos got so close to Hashem that they couldn’t stay inside of their bodies anymore, and Nadav and Avihu passed away.

In Chassidus this is called “Ratzo without Shuv.” When a person wants to come very close to Hashem (Ratzo), he needs to remember that Hashem wants Yidden to do mitzvos here in this world (Shuv). Even when we want to be very close to Hashem, we need to remember that Hashem wants us to learn Torah and do mitzvos in the world and make it a Dira BeTachtonim.

Moshe told Aharon that Nadav and Avihu were tzadikim. Aharon was quiet and did not complain to Hashem about the very sad thing that had happened.

Kohanim are not allowed to become tomei, so Moshe sent other relatives, Mishael and Eltzafan, to bury Nadav and Avihu. Moshe also told the kohanim (Aharon’s other sons, Elazar and Isamar) that they couldn’t sit shivah for Nadav and Avihu, because their job of being a kohen couldn’t be stopped.

After this happened, Hashem told Aharon that the kohanim need to remember not to drink wine before they work in the Mishkan.

Rashi tells us that we see from here that Nadav and Avihu went into the Mishkan without permission because they drank wine. That’s why afterwards Hashem told Aharon the mitzvah not to drink wine before going into the Mishkan.

Even though usually Hashem spoke to Moshe, or Moshe and Aharon together, Hashem now spoke ONLY to Aharon! This was a reward for accepting what happened to his children without complaining.

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TEHILLIM

113 - 118

In Kapitel Kuf-Tes-Zayin, Dovid Hamelech thanks Hashem for the many nisim that happened to him, saving him from all of his troubles. Dovid Hamelech promises that he will bring korbanos to thank Hashem!

In one of the pesukim, Dovid Hamelech says, “Kos Yeshuos Esa U’vesheim Hashem Ekra,” “I will lift up the cup of saving, and I will call in the name of Hashem.”

The meforshim explain what kos Dovid Hamelech is talking about: When a korban is brought, there is also wine (nesech) which is poured on the Mizbeiach along with the korban. Dovid Hamelech says that he will lift up the wine of the nesachim when he brings his korbanos to thank Hashem!

The Gemara also learns from here (and it is brought in halacha) that when we have a cup of bracha, like the cup of wine from Kiddush and Havdalah, we should lift up our kos and hold it so that everyone can see it!

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TANYA

Likutei Amarim Perek Mem-Beis

The Yidden are compared to sheep which have shepherds. We also have Ro’im, shepherds, who help us in our Avodas Hashem. (These shepherds are also our special Ushpizin guests on Sukkos!)

They are (according to one opinion in the Zohar):

Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, and Dovid

For example, Avraham gives chayus to the midah of Chesed in a Yid’s neshama, and Yitzchak gives chayus to the midah of Gevurah.

Moshe Rabbeinu is the main Ro’eh, the main shepherd who gives the neshama of a Yid the koach to be able to REALLY FEEL Hashem! This koach is called Daas. (Moshe showed us Hashem by Kriyas Yam Suf and on Har Sinai, and his Neshama gives Yidden the koach that we can feel Hashem too!)

But that’s not it! Not only does every Yid get this koach from Moshe Rabbeinu, they get the koach in an even stronger way from the Moshe Rabbeinu of their generation — the Rebbe of that time. A spark of Moshe Rabbeinu comes into the body and the neshama of the Rebbe. With this, the Rebbe helps Yidden feel Hashem in a real way!

One way to do this is by looking at a picture of the Rebbe, which helps us get this koach!

This way, we can really feel that “Vehinei Hashem Nitzav Alav” — that Hashem is watching us, and we’ll be able to have the Yiras Shomayim that the Alter Rebbe is teaching us about here in Tanya.

It is interesting that Behashgacha Protis, the place where the Alter Rebbe tells us about “Vehinei Hashem” is the Tanya for Yud-Alef Nissan in a leap year! Based on what we learn in today’s Tanya, we can understand the connection — because the Rebbe is the one who gives us the koach to feel that posuk!

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HAYOM YOM

Chof-Daled Nisan

Today is the ninth day of the Omer!

We don’t say Shehecheyanu during the days of Sefiras Haomer.

Every person has part of us that isn’t good.

Should that make us feel bad? It shouldn’t!

Even in the Beis Hamikdash, there was an Avodah that had to do with “not good” things that have to be sent away. The Se’ir La’Azazel was pushed off a cliff on Yom Kippur to be a kapara for aveiros of the Yidden.

We need to do the same thing with whatever we have that isn’t good — we need to fix ourselves by getting rid of the “bad” that’s inside of us.

This is one of the things we are working on now, during Sefiras Ha’omer!

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SEFER HAMITZVOS

Shur #271 - Mitzvas Lo Saasei #252

Today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #252) is not to talk in a way that will hurt a Ger’s feelings.

We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: וְגֵר לֹא תוֹנֶה

Just like we learned in yesterday’s Sefer Hamitzvos that we have a special mitzvah not to cheat a Ger, even though of course we aren’t allowed to cheat ANYONE, we also have a special mitzvah not to say not-nice things to a Ger, even though we also have a mitzvah not to say not-nice things to anyone!

We shouldn’t say things like, “Yesterday, you served Avodah Zarah, and today you are learning Torah and doing mitzvos.”

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RAMBAM

Hilchos Mechirah

In today’s Rambam, we learn even MORE halachos about how a Yid buys and sells things. The halachos of Mechirah are very long. It is one of the longest sets of halachos in the whole Rambam!

In the next few perakim we learn what extras are included when you sell something!

In Perek Chof-Hey, the Rambam teaches us about selling a house or a courtyard. If there is something that isn’t really a part of the house, like a well, it isn’t included. You need to make it clear that you are buying it, or else it still belongs to the person who sold the house.

Perek Chof-Vov teaches us about selling a city or a field. If you sell a field, you ARE including the fence around the field, and everything that is growing in it. But you aren’t including a wooden hut for a watchman or bundles of wheat. That is only sold if you make it clear that you are selling the field and everything inside!

In Perek Chof-Zayin, we learn about what is included when selling other things, like boats, carriages, or animals. The Rambam tells us at the end that in general we go by the minhag of the place where we live, to know what people usually mean when they sell something. But if there is no minhag, we follow what the Chachomim teach us in these perakim.

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RAMBAM PEREK ECHOD

Hilchos Isurei Biah - Perek Yud-Beis

Today we start learning the halachos of only marrying a Jewish person. We learn that a Ger Tzedek is a Yid like any other Yidden, and we marry them like any other Yid.

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INYANA D'YOMA

We Want Moshiach Now!

When Tzivos Hashem began, a special song was sung before the Rebbe, which we all know very well: “We want Moshiach now!” It became the theme song of Tzivos Hashem.

The Rebbe explained the Hashgacha Protis in the words that are used in this song:

If someone wants to have something, there are a few different ways to say it: “I wish I could have candy,” “I really would like to have cookies,” or “I could really use some donuts.”

But when we say “I WANT,” it means something more! In English, we sometimes say that something is “wanting.” That means that it is missing something that it needs.

That’s what we mean when we say that we WANT Moshiach now. We don’t mean that we wish we could have something that would be nice to have, like an extra present. Without Moshiach, we feel that we are “wanting!” We are missing something that is very important to us! We NEED Moshiach!

When it is something we need, we will do whatever it takes to make sure we get it! Since “We want Moshiach now,” we are ready to do many more mitzvos so we will actually HAVE Moshiach now!

See sicha Zos Chanukah Tof-Shin-Mem-Alef

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TEFILLAH

The Yud-Beis Pesukim

The Rebbe didn’t teach all of the Twelve Pesukim at once. The Rebbe taught the first six pesukim on Rosh Chodesh Iyar, Tof-Shin-Lamed-Vov, and then the Rebbe taught the next six pesukim on Lag B’Omer, a few weeks later.

Each set of six pesukim is set up in the same way: There are two pesukim from Torah Shebichsav (the Chumash), then there are two pesukim from Torah Shebaal Peh (Mishna, Gemara, or Medrash), and then there are two pesukim from Chassidus (Tanya).

Even though we call them all pesukim, only the first two of each set of six are actually pesukim from the Torah. The rest are Maamarei Razal, sayings of the Chachomim.

Let’s go through the first six!

The first two pesukim are from Torah Shebichsav:

Torah Tziva — This posuk comes from Parshas Vezos Habracha.

Shema Yisroel — This posuk comes from Parshas Va’eschanan, and it is the first posuk of Shema which we say many times in davening.

Then we have two Maamorei Razal from Torah Shebaal Peh:

Bechol Dor Vador — This is a Mishna in Mesechta Pesachim, which we also say in the Haggadah.

Kol Yisrael — This is a Mishna in Mesechta Sanhedrin. We say this Mishna before beginning each perek when we say Pirkei Avos!

The last two are from Tanya:

Ki Karov — This is in the Shaar Blatt of Tanya. Even though it is also a posuk, the Alter Rebbe bases the whole Tanya on this posuk!

Vehinei Hashem — This is from the beginning of Perek Mem-Alef of Tanya.

The reason why the Rebbe chose these pesukim is because they have messages that are important even for small children! So besides for knowing them by heart, we need to make sure that we know what they mean and the lessons they have for us!

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HALACHOS HATZRICHOS

Shehecheyanu in Sefira

There are many different minhagim about saying the bracha of Shehecheyanu on new fruit during Sefiras Ha’omer.

We learned in today’s Hayom Yom that it is our minhag NOT to say Shehecheyanu during Sefira.

But this is only during the week. On Shabbos and Lag B’omer, we DO say a Shehecheyanu on new fruit!

So for example, if someone has a birthday during Sefiras Ha’omer, usually they can’t keep the minhag of making a Shehecheyanu on a new fruit on their birthday. But if their birthday falls out on Shabbos, they are able to keep this minhag even during Sefira!

See Shulchan Menachem vol. 3 p. 26

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

Thanking Hashem and Bringing Moshiach

In the haftora of Acharon Shel Pesach, we learn about the promises the Navi told King Chizkiyahu about how Sancheriv would not capture Yerushalayim! In fact, just like the Navi said, Sancheriv left without even shooting a single arrow!

The Chachomim tell us that Hashem wanted to make Chizkiyahu Moshiach! Hashem didn’t in the end, because Chizkiyahu did not thank Hashem properly for the nisim Hashem made with the fall of the wicked Sancheriv. So, many of the nevuos did not come true then — they will only happen in the times of Moshiach!

From this we learn how important it is to thank Hashem for His nissim, and how this is connected with bringing Moshiach closer!

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