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CHUMASH
Parshas Tzav - Sheini with Rashi
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In today’s Chumash Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu about a special korban which is brought by the Kohen Gadol two times every day (called Chavitei Kohen Gadol). We also learn how each kohen brings this korban when he starts to work in the Beis Hamikdash for the first time. This korban is made of flour and oil.
We also learn more about the Korban Chatas and the Korban Asham, which we started to learn about last week. One thing we learn is that the Korban Olah (which is a present for Hashem) and the Chatas (which is part of teshuvah for an aveira) are brought in the same place in the Mishkan, so nobody will know who did an aveira.
Certain parts of the korbanos need to be eaten on the day the korban is brought. It is asur to leave any leftovers.
Just like with kashrus, the pot that a korban is cooked in “holds on to” the taste of the meat! (So there could be a Fleishig, a Milchig, or a Korban’dik pot!) That flavor is also counted as “leftovers” from the korban and cannot be eaten. We need to kasher the pot so we can use it again.
At the end of today’s Chumash we see the parts of the korbanos that the kohen gets to keep, and which parts are burned on the Mizbeiach.
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In the end of Kapitel Lamed (30), there is a posuk that says “Lemaan Yezamercha Kavod VeLo Yidom.” “In order that my neshama should sing praise to you and not be quiet.” The Rebbe Rashab (whose yartzeit-hilula was this week) explains this posuk in a maamar.
(In today’s Hayom Yom, we will see that the word “kavod” means more than one thing. Here is another meaning of “kavod!”)
The Rebbe Rashab explains that this posuk is talking about the “kavod” of the neshama, the Pintele Yid. Golus is very hard for a neshama. Sometimes a Yid can get overwhelmed and might even chas veshalom give up and let the Yetzer Hara decide how the person should act. But the Pintele Yid is always there, and it always wants to act the way Hashem wants — even in the darkest part of Golus.
The posuk tells us how the Pintele Yid is always ready to sing to Hashem! Lemaan Yezamercha Kavod — …so that the kavod of our neshama, the Pintele Yid will sing to You Hashem, Velo Yidom — and it will never be quiet! The Pintele Yid will ALWAYS sing to Hashem because it always wants to be close to Hashem, even in Golus.
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Lamed-Ches
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Let’s take a few minutes to review why we’re learning what we’re learning:
The Alter Rebbe is giving us a mashal of how we should look at ourselves, from the Zohar. Imagine that a Yid is like an oil candle. The body of a Yid is like the wick, and we are inside a glass cup full of oil, with fire shining from our head! We are all lit up and warm, we feel alive inside, and everyone sees it and is attracted to it.
Of course, we don’t really look like that — at least not the way our eyes can see — but the truth is that when a Yid is living with his “oil” and with his “fire,” he really does feel alive and warm inside, and it makes other people who see him want to come close to Yiddishkeit too!
So what makes us shine?
Mitzvos, are the oil. When we have mitzvos, then the Shechinah, which is like the fire, can shine on us! That’s why maaseh is so important — to DO the mitzvos properly! Only then do we have the oil that lets the Shechinah shine on our body, which is like the wick.
But still, the Alter Rebbe says, we shouldn’t say that it’s enough to do the mitzvos without any kavana! The life and warmth we have when we do mitzvos with kavana is much more than a mitzvah that is done without kavana, just like a sheep has much more chayus than a stone.
Now let’s learn today’s Tanya:
Even though a mitzvah with kavana has much more chayus, we shouldn’t think that a neshama is closer to Hashem when it does a mitzvah with kavana, than when it does a mitzvah without kavana! A mitzvah is the Ratzon of Hashem, it’s what Hashem wants, which is one with Hashem. When we do mitzvos, we are united with Hashem — whether or not we had kavana.
What changes when a person has kavana is how much we FEEL Hashem, and how much of Hashem’s light will shine on us.
And it is also part of Hashem’s Ratzon that we should have the higher level of feeling closer to Hashem, that comes from having kavana!
The Alter Rebbe tells us that we have four kinds of chayus in mitzvos, and we will use a mashal from the four kinds of things in the world:
1) Domem: Think of the chayus in a diamond. It is beautiful, and it is part of Hashem’s creation! That’s like doing Hashem’s mitzvah, without any kavana.
2) Tzomeiach: Think of the chayus in an apple tree in bloom. You can see that it’s growing! You can see that Hashem’s chayus is inside! That’s like when we daven or say words of Torah, and we know what the words mean, but we don’t have any kavana yet.
3) Chai: Now think about the chayus in a majestic deer, swiftly running through a field, like we run to do a mitzvah! There is lots of chayus there.
4) Medaber: Now look in the mirror. See how you can smile, and even understand and think!
A person can learn about things that an animal can never think. You can have Emunah! You can learn about the greatness of Hashem! You have MUCH more chayus than an animal.
Animals and people are mashalim for two kinds of kavana, one greater than the other. We will IY”H start learning about these in tomorrow’s Tanya!
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One of the Amoraim was called R’ Nachman bar Yitzchak. He lived in a town of simple people. Once he was discussing a halacha with another Amora, and R’ Nachman bar Yitzchok helped him understand something which wasn’t clear. The other Amora was so impressed with R’ Nachman’s explanation, that he asked him to come live in his town which was full of Talmidei Chachomim. Since R’ Nachman was obviously a very big Talmid Chochom, this would be a good place for him to live!
R’ Nachman bar Yitzchak answered that he would stay where he was, he does not want to move. He explained that it’s not the place a person lives that gives a person kavod (respect), it’s the person that brings kavod to the place where he lives! He gave an example from Har Sinai, where the mountain was only special because Hashem’s Shechinah was resting on it. When the Shechinah left, Har Sinai wasn’t special anymore. (In fact, we don’t even know where it is today!) That shows us that it wasn’t Har Sinai that was special, it was the Shechinah that made it special. The same thing is true with a person and his surroundings: “Lo Mekomo Shel Adam Mechabdo, Ela Adam Mechabed Es Mekomo.”
The Rebbe Maharash explained this saying of R’ Nachman according to Chassidus:
Kavod doesn’t just mean respect and honor, it also has other meanings. The word kavod is like the word “kavda,” a liver. The Chachomim say on the posuk “Kavod Leiv Paraoh” (Paraoh’s heart was hardened) that his heart became like a liver, that is cold and doesn’t have feelings.
Another meaning is brought in Kabbalah, that it means a very bright light of Hashem — a Gilui Ohr Makif Naalah.
The two times R’ Nachman said kavod are talking about these two meanings in the word kavod:
The Gemara is saying that the place of a person doesn’t bring him kavod (according to the first explanation), but he brings kavod (according to the second explanation) to his place.
The place where a person lives shouldn’t make him have the first meaning of kavod, to have a cold heart and not care about Yiddishkeit. Instead, he brings the second meaning of kavod to his place: He brings the Kavod of Hashem, the light of Hashem, to the place where he is!
A person can choose not to be affected by the place where he lives, and instead CHANGE the place where he lives by bringing it chayus and life!
Just like the neshama gets special koach from Hashem before it comes into the world, so it will be able to do its shlichus, the same way, before a Yid goes to any place, Hashem gives him koach to be able to bring the warmth of Yiddishkeit and Chassidus to that place!
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We have started to learn the last Sefer in Rambam! There are 3 mitzvos today, related to the halachos of courts:
1) (Mitzvas Asei #176) This mitzvah is that we need to set up a system that makes sure that Yidden follow the Torah. We need to have Shoftim (judges) and Shotrim (officers to make sure people listen).
In a big city, there should be a “small Sanhedrin,” with 23 judges by the gates of the city. In Yerushalayim, there should be the full Sanhedrin of 70 judges, with a Nasi over them, altogether 71. In a city that is too small for a small Sanhedrin, there should at least be a Beis Din of 3 judges to pasken on smaller questions, and send people to a bigger court if needed.
There should also be Shotrim to go around to the marketplace and make sure people are doing business according to Torah.
A judge can only get semicha in Eretz Yisroel, and then he can pasken outside of Eretz Yisroel too. A question about if someone is chayav misa can only be paskened when the Beis Hamikdash is standing.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Shoftim, שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן לְךָ בְּכָל שְׁעָרֶיךָ
The details are explained in Mesechta Sanhedrin.
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #284) This is an aveira for the person in charge of making someone a judge:
A person is fit to be a judge if he is an expert in Torah and its halachos, and acts according to them. It is asur to choose a person to be a judge for any other reasons.
For example, we can’t choose someone as a judge because he is good looking, or because he is strong. We can’t choose someone as a judge because he knows many languages, because he is related to us, or because he did us a favor. Only a judge who is an expert in the chochmah of Torah and follows the mitzvos properly will be able to judge right!
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Devarim: לֹא תַכִּירוּ פָנִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט
3) (Mitzvas Asei #175) This is a mitzvah about judges, but also a mitzvah about deciding halacha in general:
When Chachomim don’t agree about a halacha, we decide what to do based on what most of the Chachomim say.
When judges disagree, we pasken based on what MOST of the judges think.
This is clear from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְהַטֹּת
We can find the details of this mitzvah in many places in Mesechta Sanhedrin.
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In today’s Rambam, we learn the first three perakim of Hilchos Sanhedrin.
In Perek Alef, the Rambam teaches about the BIG Sanhedrin with 71 judges, the SMALL Sanhedrin (which should be in most cities) with 23 judges, and in a small city there should be 3 judges. There are halachos about how the Sanhedrin should sit, and about who writes down what happens. When Moshiach comes, we will have a big Sanhedrin again, in the Beis Hamikdash!
In Perek Beis, we learn about who is allowed to be a judge. For a regular judge, there are seven qualifications which are written in the Torah. They are: Chochmah to know the halachos of the Torah well, Yiras Shomayim, to be humble, to hate money, love truth, people should like him, and he should have a good name. The Rambam explains what all of these are, and how we see them in the pesukim when Moshe Rabbeinu chose judges for the Yidden.
The judges in the big Sanhedrin need to have all of these things and many more!
Perek Gimmel talks about when the Sanhedrin should get together to judge. A small Sanhedrin or a Beis Din should start after Shacharis, and stop at chatzos. A big Sanhedrin starts in the morning and ends at Mincha time. A Sanhedrin is not supposed to start judging a case at night.
One halacha is that the big Sanhedrin with 71 judges didn’t always need all of the judges there at the same time, but there have to be at least 23 there always. So if a judge from the big Sanhedrin has to leave, he needs to make sure there will be at least 23 left — otherwise he has to stay!
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We learn about the Ben Sorer Umoreh, a boy who acts in a certain way like a rasha. The Beis Din needs to have him killed so he won’t do more aveiros.
But if you look at the halachos, there are many, many details. If not all of the details are exactly right, he isn’t counted as a Ben Sorer Umoreh! For example, if he ate a meal like a rasha, but it was part of a mitzvah, or part of a different aveira, he is not punished.
There is an opinion in the Gemara that there never WAS a Ben Sorer Umoreh! This is one part of Torah that we learn even if we can never actually do it — and it makes us so close to Hashem —“Drosh Vekabel Schar.”
Mazel Tov! We have now finished learning this set of halachos.
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When Moshe Rabbeinu was born, the posuk says that his mother saw “Ki Tov Hu,” that he was good. The Gemara explains that the whole house filled up with light when Moshe was born!
Moshe Rabbeinu’s shlichus in the world was to bring light, by teaching Torah which is called light. Moshe Rabbeinu taught Torah to Yidden and the whole world, for all times. On the day he was born, this lichtigkeit was realized in the Gashmius of the world, and the whole shlichus that Moshe was to accomplish was potentially all there at that moment.
That’s what is so special about Moshe Rabbeinu’s birthday on Zayin Adar.
The same is true with the Moshe Rabbeinu of every generation, the Nasi Hador. We celebrate the day when the Rebbe was born, because on that day, the Rebbe’s lichtigkeit and shlichus to bring the Geulah was all there in potential! This day has a very special koach that every chossid (and every Yid) can use to come closer to living the way the Rebbe teaches us!
See Likutei Sichos vol. 2, p. 606
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As part of Biur Tefillah, we are also learning some of the parts of the Haggadah, as a preparation for Pesach.
The Medrash explains the posuk “Magid Devarav LeYaakov, Chukav Umishpatav LeYisroel.” (“Hashem tells HIS words to Yaakov, HIS chukim and mishpatim to Yisroel.”) That means that whatever mitzvos Hashem tells us to do, He does too!
So when we are all sitting down at our Pesach seder, Hashem is saying the Haggadah with us!
Hashem also says, “Hey Lachma Anya” — “this is the bread of tzaros.” It is Hashem’s tzaros too, because as long as we are in Golus, Hashem’s Shechinah is in Golus too, and Hashem feels our pain.
But, Hashem says, “Kol Dichfin Yeisei VeYeichol!” “Everyone who is hungry, come and eat!” If we really want to be connected to Hashem, even in Golus, Hashem promises we will be able to.
By next year, though, as we finish the Haggadah, “Leshana Haba BiYerushalayim!” We will be in Yerushalayim, when the tzaar of Golus will be over, Hashem will bring us Moshiach and build the third Beis Hamikdash!
See Likutei Sichos chelek Ches, Pesach
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Don’t forget to say the Nasi! Today’s Nasi is Shevet Shimon.
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If you “sell your chometz” now, you aren’t actually selling it yet. You are just authorizing the Rav that he can sell it for you on Erev Pesach. Because of this, you can sell your chometz NOW! There is no mitzvah to wait until the last minute.
If your family does not have a Rav that you usually use, you can sell your chometz online at chabad.org/sellchometz.
(Since Rabbonim don’t usually get paid for all of the time they give to answer our shaalos all year, there is a minhag to give them money to thank them for being there to help us. The minhag is to give some money at the time when we sell our chometz.)
This is also an important part of Mivtza Pesach: To help Yidden sell their chometz!
Even if we are worried that these Yidden might chas veshalom use something chometz’dik on Pesach, it is still worth it for them to sell their chometz. (The Rebbe explained the reason for this in halacha.) So we should make sure that EVERYONE is able to sell their chometz!
How do we do this? We make sure to have Mechiras Chometz forms or let people know where they can sell their chometz online, and encourage as many people as possible to sell their chometz for Pesach!
See Notes on Pesach and Shevach Hamoadim — Mechiras Chometz, Halachos Uminhagei Chabad p. 181
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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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In the famous sicha of Chof-Ches Nissan, the Rebbe said that every Yid needs to do everything in his power to bring the Geulah. The Rebbe said that when Yidden are stubborn to do what they can and ask Hashem for the Geulah, it will work, and Hashem will give it to us!
We see a similar thing with the Navi Micha. The Navi Micha saw in his nevuos the time before Moshiach comes. Seeing all of the troubles the Yidden would go through made Micha cry out to Hashem. He asked Hashem to take care of the Yidden the way Hashem took care of the Yidden in the time of Moshe Rabbeinu!
Hashem gave the Navi a beautiful promise, “Kimei Tzeischa Me’Eretz Mitzrayim Arenu Niflaos.” Hashem promised that He would make wonders and miracles for the Yidden at the time of the Geulah, like the nisim of Yetziyas Mitzrayim!
But Hashem only told this to Micha after Micha asked Hashem to take care of the Yidden like at the time of Yetziyas Mitzrayim! We see from here that we need to ask Hashem for the Geulah, and that when we do, Hashem will answer us and make it happen!
See Sefer Hasichos 5751 chelek Beis p. 474 and ha’ara 54 (Hebrew)
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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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