|
|
CHUMASH
Parshas Naso - Chamishi with Rashi
|
|
The parsha in Chumash which we are learning now goes back to tell us what happened on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the day the Mishkan was put up.
For seven days, Moshe Rabbeinu put up the Mishkan and took it down every day. On this day, Moshe puts up the Mishkan one last time. (Now it will stay built until the Yidden have to travel. Then the kohanim will take it down, and they will carry it to the next place Hashem wants them to be. They put it up again to use in the place where they stop.)
Last time, when Moshe asked for people to bring gold and other things to MAKE the Mishkan, the Nesiim (the leaders of the Shevatim) waited. Now that they saw that this was a mistake, and they brought their presents for USING the Mishkan FIRST.
The Nesiim joined together and brought 6 covered wagons and 12 oxen to be used to carry the Mishkan from place to place. At first Moshe wasn’t sure he should take them, but Hashem told him to give these wagons to the Leviim to use.
Moshe gave 2 wagons to the family of Gershon to carry the curtains, and the other 4 wagons to the family of Merari, since the boards of the Mishkan, carried by Merari, were much heavier. He didn’t give any to the family of Kehos, because they were in charge of the parts of the Mishkan that had to be carried by hand, like the Aron and the Menorah.
The Nesiim also wanted to bring korbanos for their whole Shevet. Hashem told Moshe that they should bring them one day at a time, in the order they camp in the Midbar.
The first one to bring his korban was Nachshon ben Aminadav, from Shevet Yehudah. He paid for the whole thing himself, even though it was a korban from his whole Shevet.
There were five parts of his korban. They were:
1) A silver bowl (that weighs 130 shekel) and one silver sprinkling bowl (that weighs 70 shekel), both of them were full of flour mixed with oil (for a Korban Mincha)
The Gematrias of these bowls hint to Adam and Noach.
2) A gold spoon (that weighs 10 shekel) full of Ketores
This hints to the Torah and Mitzvos.
3) His nicest bull, ram, and lamb (for a Korban Olah)
These hint to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.
4) One young goat for a Korban Chatas (in case someone became tomei by mistake and then came into the Mishkan)
This hints to Yosef.
5) 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 goats, and 5 lambs for a Korban Shelamim.
These hint to the Kohanim, Leviim, and Yisraelim; and also to Torah, Neviim and Kesuvim.
All of the Nesiim brought the same Korbanos, because they all wanted to show how special it is that we got the Torah and can bring korbanos to Hashem!
But they also each were thinking about different kavanos when they brought their Korbanos. That’s why the Torah says EACH Nasi’s present again, even though they are all the same!
Here is the order they brought their korbanos:
Alef Nisan — Nasi of Shevet Yehudah: Nachshon ben Aminadav
Beis Nisan — Nasi of Shevet Yissachar: Nesanel ben Tzuar
Gimmel Nisan — Nasi of Shevet Zevulun: Eliav ben Chelon
Daled Nisan — Nasi of Shevet Reuven: Elitzur ben Shedeiur
Hey Nisan — Nasi of Shevet Shimon: Shlumiel ben Tzurishadai
We learn the rest of the Nesiim’s presents tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
In today’s Tehillim, we have a posuk that says “Hashem Oz Le’amo Yitein” — “Hashem will give strength to the Yidden.”
The Alter Rebbe explains in Torah Ohr that the posuk is telling us that when Hashem gave us the Torah, He was giving us a very big present!
During the day, we see things which make us have taavos and want things that aren’t good for our neshama. When Hashem gave us the Torah, He gave us “Oz,” strength for our neshama! With this strength, our neshamos can control the taavos and act the way Hashem wants us to.
|
|
|
TANYA
Shaar Hayichud Veha'emunah Hakdama
|
|
The Alter Rebbe is telling us why he made this section of Tanya.
In the first section of Tanya, we learn that in order to serve Hashem properly, we need to have Ahavas Hashem and Yiras Hashem. Here the Alter Rebbe tells us that the foundation for Ahavas Hashem is to have a pure Emunah in Hashem and to understand Achdus Hashem as best as we can — that Hashem and everything in Hashem’s creation is all one with Hashem.
First the Alter Rebbe tells us which kind of Ahavas Hashem is a mitzvah to have, and which kind is a “present” from Hashem, but not a mitzvah.
Loving Hashem which comes through hisbonenus is the Ahavas Hashem that we have a mitzvah to do. We think in general how Hashem is our chayus, and we love Hashem for giving us life! We also think specifically about how Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim, brought us close to Him, and gave us the precious Torah! This happens every day when we daven and learn Torah. This makes us love Hashem and want to serve Hashem properly.
This is exactly what Moshe Rabbeinu told the Yidden to do when he gave them the mitzvah to love Hashem! The Alter Rebbe shows us from the pesukim that Moshe told the Yidden things they can think about so they will love Hashem and do what Hashem wants.
However, the strong kind of love which comes as a gift from Hashem is not the mitzvah of Ahavas Hashem. It is like the reward the neshama gets in Olam Haba!
|
|
|
|
Today is forty-nine days of the Omer!
On Erev Shavuos in 5557, the Alter Rebbe said a “Torah”:
Before the Yidden got the Torah, Hashem told Moshe how the Yidden should get ready: “Make them holy today and tomorrow, and they should wash their clothes.” Becoming holy today and tomorrow is something we get from Hashem, but cleaning our clothes we need to do ourselves.
That’s all the Alter Rebbe said.
The Tzemach Tzedek explained this Torah:
Hashem told MOSHE to make the Yidden holy. In every generation, we have a Rebbe, our Moshe Rabbeinu, who helps make us holy. They teach us Torah and SHOW us how to be good Yidden and do our shlichus.
That is given to us. But to really BE the way we should be, WE need to “wash our clothes.” What are clothes? Like we learned in Tanya, the Levushim are what we think, say, and do. We need to make these clean ourselves, to act the way Hashem wants.
The Rebbeim teach us what we need to do, but it’s up to us to actually follow the horaos and do it!
|
|
|
|
Today in Sefer Hamitzvos we learn the same mitzvah again (Mitzvas Asei #19) — that after we eat, we need to bentch.
We learn this from a very famous posuk in Parshas Eikev: וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ
The details are explained in Mesechta Brachos.
|
|
|
|
Perek Zayin: The Rambam teaches us the halachos of Derech Eretz B’Seudah — the mentchlich way to act at a meal. For example, you shouldn’t look at someone else eating, or at someone else’s plate, so that you won’t embarrass him. Another halacha is that you shouldn’t throw food or ruin it.
Perek Ches: We learn about the brachos on food, aside for Mezonos and Hamotzi, which we already learned earlier.
Many of the Geonim before the Rambam said that sugar cane is either Ha’eitz or Ho’adamah. The Rambam says that it is not a fruit, and we need to make a Shehakol.
If you put food into your mouth without making a bracha, what do you do? Do you know?
Perek Tes: Just like we’re not allowed to enjoy eating food without a bracha, we aren’t allowed to enjoy a good smell without a bracha. We do this at Havdalah every week — Borei Minei Besamim!
There are specific brachos for smells, depending on where the smell comes from, like from a plant or from a flower. Just like Shehakol is a general bracha for food, Borei Minei Besamim is a general bracha for smells.
There are certain smells we don’t make a bracha on at all, like smells from Avodah Zarah.
|
|
|
|
In Perek Daled, we learn a very important halacha for talmidim — if we don’t understand something, we need to keep asking until we do understand!
We also learn when someone can take a break from learning Torah: One time is when there is a mitzvah that needs to be done, and nobody else can do it. BUT, kinderlach don’t stop learning Torah, even to help build the Beis Hamikdash — that’s how important their Torah learning is!
|
|
|
|
During the time of Sefiras Haomer, Chassidim have a minhag to learn Mesechta Sotah. Today, on Erev Shavuos, we make a siyum on the whole Mesechta!
In the year Tof-Shin-Yud-Tes, on Erev Shavuos, the Rebbe made a siyum and hadran explaining how the end of Sotah and the beginning of Sotah are connected, and how they both help us to be prepared for Matan Torah!
The beginning of the Mesechta speaks about a Sotah — a wife who didn’t behave properly and now her husband doesn’t trust her because he thinks she might have done a serious aveira.
The end of the Mesechta speaks about how even after R’ Yehuda Hanasi passed away, it is still possible to have the midah of Yiras Cheit, being afraid to do an aveira.
The Tanna who says that it is still possible to have Yiras Cheit is R’ Nachman. When R’ Nachman was a baby, his mother was told by astrologers that he was going to grow up to be a thief. His mother decided to be careful to put a yarmulka on him all the time to help him have Yiras Shomayim. And indeed, instead of becoming a thief, he became one of the Tannaim of the Gemara!
The Rebbe points out that when a person is born, they are born without a yarmulka. But through the avodah we do, like to wear a yarmulka, can make such a difference! The same way, our avodah of counting Sefirah, working on our midos, and learning Mesechta Sotah during Sefiras Ha’omer also makes a big difference! They keep us from getting tricked by our Yetzer Hara like the Sotah, and keep us from doing aveiros.
That is the connection between the end of the Mesechta and the beginning of the Mesechta: By fulfilling what R’ Nachman says at the end of the Mesechta, to have Yiras Cheit, that will stop us from doing aveiros like the Sotah, which we learn at the beginning of the Mesechta.
This way we will also be ready for Matan Torah, to receive the Torah from Hashem — Kabolas HaTorah B’Simcha Ub’Pnimius!
The sicha explains at length the difference between the way that Rashi and the Rambam learn what Mesechta Sotah is about, and a deep explanation in Avodas Hashem about the idea of a Sotah in Ruchnius. The sicha was prepared to be published in Tof-Shin-Mem in a likut, and was published in Likutei Sichos chelek Yud-Ches, second sicha for Parshas Naso.
|
|
|
▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
|
|
|
|
Before we start Boruch She’amar, at the beginning of Pesukei Dezimra, we say the line “Lesheim Yichud.”
These words say that we are davening in order to bring Yichud, a close connection, to “Kudsha Brich Hu” and the Shechinah.
Kudsha Brich Hu is the level of Hashem that is the source of all of the Torah and mitzvos. The Shechinah is the source of the neshamos of all of the Yidden. By bringing a Yichud to Kudsha Brich Hu and the Shechinah, we are connecting not just ourselves with Hashem through our mitzvos, but all of the Yidden everywhere, through all of the mitzvos we are doing!
Some people say Lesheim Yichud before doing ANY mitzvah, but we say it just once here in davening, and have in mind that it is also for the Avodah of the entire day.
|
|
|
|
Don’t forget to make an Eruv Tavshilin!
The night of Shavuos, we stay up all night as a preparation for Matan Torah. Every year, we receive the Torah from Hashem anew when we hear the Aseres Hadibros in shul. By staying up, we correct the mistake of the Yidden, who were sleeping the night before Shavuos, when Hashem came to give them the Torah.
The Yidden had a good reason to sleep. They wanted to reach a higher connection to Hashem, which can only be done when sleeping. Still, it wasn’t the right thing. Hashem wanted the preparation to be in this world, while they were awake, even if it wouldn’t be as high of a level.
There are different minhagim about what to do on this night while we stay up. Many people sit and learn Torah all night.
The Rebbe pointed out that the Frierdiker Rebbe explained in many sichos that we should say the words of the Tikun Leil Shavuos. (The Tikun is a sefer which includes the first and last section of every part of Torah.)
Saying Tikun Leil Shavuos is a way to show achdus! Everyone is able to read the words of Torah, even if we can’t all understand them. At Matan Torah, all of the Yidden were together equally, and Shavuos is a special time to have more achdus. By saying Tikun Leil Shavuos, which EVERYONE can be a part of, we unite with all of the Yidden together. That is why it is the Chabad minhag to say Tikun Leil Shavuos when we stay up.
There are many incredible brachos promised to people who stay up during this night to say words of Torah!
See Otzar Minhagei Chabad, Chodesh Sivan
~
Here are links to two Halacha Newsletters, to review the halachos for Shavuos: Badatz of Crown Heights and Rabbi Shmuel Lesches of Melbourne
|
|
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
|
|
|
|
In the Haggadah Shel Pesach, we speak about how to answer four kinds of sons. When we answer the Rasha, we tell him that if he was in Mitzrayim, he wouldn’t have come out! He would have passed away with the rest of the Resha’im during Makas Choshech.
But that’s not the way it will work with the Geulah! The Navi Yeshaya tells us that “Yitaka BeShofar Gadol,” a great shofar will be blown, and EVERY Yid will come back, no matter how far away he is!
Why will this Geulah be different? Why will Hashem bring even the Resha’im back to Yerushalayim?
Yetziyas Mitzrayim happened before Matan Torah. In the Aseres Hadibros, Hashem said, “Anochi Hashem Elokecha!” Hashem is the Aibershter of every single Jew! That new connection to Hashem makes it impossible for any Yid to be lost in Golus. EVERY Yid will come back to serve Hashem in Yerushalayim, no matter how far away he is from Yiddishkeit!
See MiGolah L’Geulah p. 196, from Likutei Sichos chelek Yud-Alef p. 2
|
|
|
|
|
לע"נ התינוק זאב ארי' ע"ה בן יבלט"א הרה"ח ר' שניאור זלמן שי' גליק
נפטר ב' מנחם אב ה'תשע"ג
|
|
Give children around the world the gift of Kids Chitas!
KidsChitas.org/sponsor
|
|
|
