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CHUMASH
Parshas Behar - Revi'i with Rashi
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We are learning about Shemitah and Yovel, and how in the year of Yovel, all fields go back to their original owners.
In today’s Chumash, we learn details about a person who sold their field. This field is called a Sedei Achuzah, a field that is part of the family’s inheritance in Eretz Yisroel.
Sometimes a person might be very poor and need to sell his field so he has enough money to live. Rashi tells us that is the only reason a person should ever sell their field in Eretz Yisroel!
If someone did sell his part of Eretz Yisrael, it is like it is in Golus! He should try to buy it back, and bring it a “Geulah.”
For the first two years after he sells it, it stays with the buyer. The poor person who sold the field is not allowed to buy it back yet. But after those two years, the person he sold it to HAS to let him buy it back. If he can’t pay enough himself, someone from his family should help him buy it back, so each part of Eretz Yisroel stays with the right family.
How much does it cost to buy it back? It depends how many years there are until Yovel. He pays the buyer the amount that those years are worth.
But even if nobody has money to buy it back, it will still go back in the year of Yovel.
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In today’s Tehillim, in Kapitel Pey-Daled, we have a very special posuk which we learned about in Tanya! “Ki Shemesh UMagen Hashem Elokim!” “Because the name of Hashem and Elokim is like a sun and a cover.”
A mashal for Hashem is the sun, which shines very strong. If the sun shines on us with all of its might, it would make the word too hot! The world can be a place for us to live because there is a cover on the sun, so we can enjoy its light.
The same is with Hashem: The chayus from the name Havaya is so strong that we wouldn’t be able to feel like people — we would all just be part of Hashem. But the name Elokim covers up the name Havaya so the world can keep on being the way we see it.
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Mem-Tes
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The Alter Rebbe is teaching us something we can think about, especially during the brachos of Shema and Shema itself, that will help us love Hashem.
We learned about two kinds of chayus from Hashem, Sovev Kol Almin (which makes everything in the world exist, but is too strong to feel) and Memalei Kol Almin (which Hashem needs to hide through Tzimtzum so each thing can get its proper chayus).
Hashem’s “light” is so strong! Hashem had to make Tzimtzumim, hiding His light more and more until there could be a world where we can live and make a Dira Betachtonim.
Here are the three main tzimtzumim: Each time, Hashem hid His light more and more. From Atzilus (where there is only Elokus and nothing else), there needs to be a tzimtzum to create Beriyah, where some high malochim and neshamos can exist. From there, there needs to be another tzimtzum to create Yetzira, which is still too Ruchnius’dik for a person to live. And there still needs to be another tzimtzum to create the world of Asiyah. Only in Asiyah can we have a Gashmius’dike person.
Hashem made all of these Tzimtzumim for a reason — so there can be a Gashmius person, who can be a part of making a Dira Betachtonim.
When we think about how HASHEM made these Tzimtzumim, to hide His light more and more instead of shining it, because of His love for a YID — that should make us also hide the things that WE want to do more and more, so we can do the shlichus that Hashem lets us be a part of!
Now we understand how knowing about the two kinds of chayus of Hashem helps us love Hashem!
The Alter Rebbe told us before that a very good time to think about this is during the brachos of Shema and Shema. The words of the Chachomim in these brachos can help us think about these things!
If you look at the two brachos before Shema, they don’t seem to have anything to do with Shema! The brachos before all other mitzvos have to do with that mitzvah! So why don’t these brachos talk about Shema too?
The Alter Rebbe tells us that really these brachos ARE connected — they help us get ready to say Shema. How?
Shema is the time when we work on doing the mitzvah of loving Hashem, like we say in Shema, “Ve’ahavta Es Hashem Elokecha, Bechol Levavcha Uvechol Nafshecha Uvechol Me’odecha” — nothing in our life should stop us from loving Hashem.
The brachos before Shema will help us feel that! IY”H we will soon see how.
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Today is thirty-two days of the Omer!
We don’t say Tachanun in Mincha because tonight is Lag B’omer.
There is a time in the morning that is called “Sof Zeman Kriyas Shema.” This means the latest time to say Shema in the morning to do the mitzvah right. Many people say Shema in the morning BEFORE davening, so they can daven at their regular time (which is sometimes after the time of Kriyas Shema) and not miss the mitzvah of Kriyas Shema in the morning.
When you do this, you should say the words “Ani Hashem Elokeichem,” and then again — “Ani Hashem Elokeichem — Emes.” (This way we will have 248 words in the three paragraphs of Shema, for each of the 248 parts of the body!) But when you say Shema with a different set of Tefillin, like Rabbeinu Tam or Shimusha Raba, you don’t say the words “Ani Hashem Elokeichem” again — you just say once, “Ani Hashem Elokeichem, Emes.”
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Once on Lag B’omer (5604), the Tzemach Tzedek taught something from the Baal Shem Tov:
There is a Posuk in Navi (Malachi) that says that Yidden are an “Eretz Chefetz” — a rich land, a land that Hashem wants.
Hashem hid lots of special and important things in the ground — like gold, diamonds, things like oil and coal that help us have electricity and heat, and vitamins that make plants grow. There are so many treasures in the ground, that nobody will ever be able to discover them all!
The Navi compares Yidden to the ground, because we are also full of treasures. Nobody will EVER be able to find all of the special kochos hiding inside every single Yid!
The Baal Shem Tov said, “I want to make sure that Yidden use all of the hidden treasures that are inside of them!”
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SEFER HAMITZVOS
Shiur #339 - Mitzvas Asei #191, #214, Lo Saasei #311, #58, Asei #221, Lo Saasei #263, #264
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Today we are making a Siyum on the ENTIRE Rambam — the last of the 14 sefarim! We are also finishing the last mitzvos in Sefer Hamitzvos that match with these halachos.
In today’s Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn 7 mitzvos:
1) (Mitzvas Asei #191) Before the Yidden fight a war that isn’t a mitzvah (Milchemes Reshus), a kohen needs to remind them about the mitzvos of a war.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Shoftim: וְהָיָה כְּקָרָבְכֶם אֶל הַמִּלְחָמָה וְנִגַּשׁ הַכֹּהֵן
The halachos are explained in Mesechta Sotah perek Ches.
2) (Mitzvas Asei #214) A chosson, who is married for less than a year, has to stay with his kallah and shouldn’t go fight in a war or go on a long trip.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei: נָקִי יִהְיֶה לְבֵיתוֹ שָׁנָה אֶחָת וְשִׂמַּח אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר לָקָח
The halachos are explained in Mesechta Sotah perek Ches.
3) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #311) We can’t make a chosson who is married for less than a year go to the army or anything that will keep him away from his new wife.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei: וְלֹא יַעֲבֹר עָלָיו לְכָל דָּבָר
The halachos are explained in Mesechta Sotah perek Ches.
4) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #58) We are not allowed to be afraid of our enemies when we’re fighting and run away.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in from Parshas Eikev: לֹא תַעֲרֹץ מִפְּנֵיהֶם
The halachos are explained in Mesechta Sotah perek Ches.
5) (Mitzvas Asei #221) The mitzvah of Yefas Toar — if a soldier sees a non-Jewish woman he wants to marry while he is fighting.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei: וְרָאִיתָ בַּשִּׁבְיָה אֵשֶׁת יְפַת תֹּאַר
The halachos are explained in the beginning of Mesechta Kiddushin.
6) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #263) He can’t sell the Yefas Toar as a maidservant to someone else.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei: וְהָיָה אִם לֹא חָפַצְתָּ בָּהּ וְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ לְנַפְשָׁהּ וּמָכֹר לֹא תִמְכְּרֶנָּה בַּכָּסֶף
7) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #264) He can’t use the Yefas Toar as a maid to do work for himself.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Seitzei: לֹא תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עִנִּיתָהּ
The halachos are explained in Mesechta Kiddushin perek Alef.
Mazel Tov! Now we finished learning all 613 mitzvos according to the seder of the halachos of the Rambam!
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In Perek Yud, we learn more halachos about non-Jews. The last halacha is that we should do Bikur Cholim for goyim who are sick, bury them if they pass away, and give them tzedakah if they need it, for the sake of shalom.
In Perek Yud-Alef, we learn about Moshiach! The Rambam shows us that Moshiach isn’t just something nice that the Chachomim told us, it is a part of Torah! If someone doesn’t believe in Moshiach and doesn’t hope that he is coming, it means they don’t believe the Torah is true, chas veshalom.
Perek Yud-Beis: When Moshiach comes, a lot of very special things will happen. But did you know that that’s not the reason why all of the Chachomim and Neviim wanted Moshiach? They only wanted Moshiach because then we can learn Torah and do ALL of the mitzvos without anything stopping us!
Tam Venishlam — Shevach LoKeil Borei Olam!
Mazel Tov! Today we finished learning the Rambam, for the 41st time since the Rebbe began this takana!
The Rebbe encouraged everyone to take part in a siyum, in person if you are able to.
Today is the day to make a strong hachlata to learn Sefer Hamitzvos every day and be an example for those around you!
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What happens if a Tvul Yom was shaking a pot with wet Terumah vegetables, and then he sees his hands are wet, and isn’t sure if the pot splashed on his hand or he touched something inside of it? If he touched the food, he might have made it tomei! We learn the halachos in a case like this, and many other cases.
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Today is Erev Lag B’Omer. At a Lag B’Omer parade, the Rebbe spoke about the great simcha of the hilula of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai!
In Sifrei Kabbalah, there is a story about one of the talmidim of the Arizal, named R’ Avraham Halevi. R’ Avraham Halevi was a gilgul of the Navi Yirmiyah, meaning that he had the same neshama as this Navi, who said the Nevuah about the Churban of the Beis Hamikdash.
Since R’ Avraham Halevi had this neshama, he felt the Churban more than other people did. Every day, he would say the Tefillah of Nacheim in the bracha of Velirushalayim, asking Hashem to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash and comfort (Nacheim) us for the Churban. He would say this tefillah even on happy days, like on Chol Hamoed, because it bothered him so much that the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed.
One Lag B’Omer, R’ Avraham Halevi was with his Rebbe, the Arizal, in Meron, near the kever of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai. As usual, when he davened he added the tefillah of Nacheim.
The Arizal told him that Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai was upset about this! How could someone say Nacheim, a tefillah that brings sadness, on the day of his simcha? In fact, something happened to R’ Avraham Halevi because of this.
For great tzadikim like Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, there was no Churban! These great tzadikim still see the same level of Elokus like there was when the Beis Hamikdash was standing!
So on the day of the histalkus of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, it is not right to be sad about the Churban.
At the parade, the Rebbe pointed out that even though R’ Avraham Halevi said Nacheim on Chol Hamoed, the only time when it was a problem was on Lag B’Omer! This shows us that the simcha of Lag B’Omer is a simcha that is in a way greater than the simcha of other Yomim Tovim! And even when Moshiach comes, and the Yomim Tovim don’t feel as special since there is so much Elokus in the world, Lag B’Omer will always be a very special Yom Tov!
See sicha of Lag B’Omer Tof-Shin-Mem-Gimmel, Hisvaaduyos Mem-Gimmel chelek Gimmel p. 1441; Likutei Sichos vol. 22 p. 30-31
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All of our brachos come through Torah, each through a different part. So to have our brachos COMPLETELY, in every part of our lives, we have to be connected through the WHOLE Torah!
The Rambam is the only sefer that has the ENTIRE Torah, all of the halachos of the Torah, gathered from all of the different Gemaras and brought together in one place.
In Tanya the Alter Rebbe tells us that when we learn something in Torah we become united with that part of Torah, which connects us with Hashem, and when we all learn the same chelek in Torah, that same piece of Torah unites all of the Yidden who are learning it together!
But what if someone didn’t learn the whole Rambam this year?
Even if you didn’t learn through all five books of the Torah, you still celebrate on Simchas Torah! So when it is time to make a siyum on Rambam, it is a simcha even for Yidden who didn’t learn it. So even if you didn’t have a chance to learn through the whole cycle of Rambam or Sefer Hamitzvos, you should still be part of a siyum!
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How can we win over our Yetzer Hara? What if the Yetzer Hara doesn’t want us to do what we are supposed to? Are there any tricks to help us win?
If we know the sixth posuk of the Twelve Pesukim by heart (Vehinei), we have a good chance!
Even though Hashem made the malochim and so many great Ruchnius “worlds” and such a beautiful Gashmius world that we live in, and runs them all in a way of Hashgacha Protis, taking care of each detail, still Hashem puts all of that aside and thinks about each one and wants to see that we are acting like we should.
When we think about this posuk, any time our Yetzer Hara might come up with a trick to get us in trouble, we will remember that what we decide to do is so important to Hashem. That way we will for sure win!
There was a Chossid of the Alter Rebbe, R’ Mottel, whose gaavah made him a Chossid.
Even though gaavah is not a good midah, he was able to use it for kedusha!
R’ Mottel had a Yetzer Hara, which would sometimes give him ideas of what to do. It would say, “Mottel! Do an aveira!”
R’ Mottel would respond with pride and shock. “ME?! I am a chossid of the Alter Rebbe, a gvir and a lamdan! You want ME to do an aveira?!?”
When we think about the fact that Hashem puts everything aside to see what we are going to do, and that the whole world depends on how we behave, we will have the pride to answer our own Yetzer Haras too: “ME?!? Hashem HIMSELF is watching me, and the WHOLE WORLD depends on what I choose! You want ME to do an aveira?!”
See also sicha of Simchas Beis Hashoeiva 5715
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Every thing we do, we do in a Torah way. The Torah teaches us exactly how Hashem wants us to act, in every part of our lives!
In Shulchan Aruch, we even learn about how we should put on our shoes:
First, we put on our right shoe, and then our left shoe.
We do this because we know that the Torah gives kavod to the right side, so we give kavod to our right side too. For example, during the Shivas Yemei Hamiluim, the seven days when they prepared the Mishkan to be used, oil was put on the hands and feet of the kohanim. The oil was placed on the right hand and foot first. We see more examples like this in the halachos of a Metzora and with Chalitzah!
If we have shoes with laces that need to be tied, we DON’T tie the right shoe first. We see from the mitzvah of Tefillin that kavod is given to the LEFT side for things that are tied, like Tefillin. So we tie our left shoe before tying our right shoe.
This halacha is also for other clothing. For clothes where we need to put on two of them (like socks) or two sides (like shirt sleeves), we put on the right side first. If we have ties or bows on other parts of our clothes, we tie the left side before tying the right side.
See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch siman Beis, se’if 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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The Navi Yeshaya said a nevuah that the Geulah will be such an incredible Geulah that we will even be able to understand why the Golus had to be. We will be able to even THANK Hashem for the hard parts of Golus!
וְאָמַרְתָּ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אוֹדְךָ ה׳ כִּי אָנַפְתָּ בִּי יָשֹׁב אַפְּךָ וּתְנַחֲמֵנִי
Ve’amarta Bayom Hahu — You will say on the day of the Geulah:
Odcha Hashem Ki Anafta Bi — I will thank You Hashem, for being angry with me and putting me in Golus
Yashov Apcha Usenachameini — At that time, Your anger will go away, and You will comfort me.
Even though now a Yid can’t feel that way, since we are still in Golus, the Navi tells us that when the Geulah happens, we WILL be able to feel it!
See Yeshaya perek Yud-Beis posuk Alef, and Igros Kodesh chelek Yud-Beis p. 414
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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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