|
|
CHUMASH
Parshas Balak - Sheini with Rashi
|
|
In today’s Chumash, Bilaam asks Hashem again if he can go to Balak. Hashem tells him he can go — but he will have to do what Hashem wants.
When Bilaam got up in the morning, he told Balak’s messengers that he wouldn’t come, because Hashem won’t let. But he didn’t tell the truth — he said that Hashem wouldn’t let because the messengers weren’t important enough. He wanted them to think that he is very special to Hashem!
Balak sent more messengers, very important people. He promised to pay a lot of money. Bilaam told the messengers that really Balak should give him ALL his money, because he would have had to use that money to pay his army. This way he doesn’t have to fight!
Still, now he had to tell the truth — he couldn’t curse the Yidden unless Hashem let. He told the messengers to stay over, and he would try to ask Hashem again.
Hashem told Bilaam that he could go if he wanted to, but he would have to do whatever Hashem tells him!
|
|
|
|
Today’s kapitelach are Samach-Vov to Samach-Ches, and all of these kapitelach talk about Moshiach!
The first kapitel of today’s Tehillim, Kapitel Samach-Vov, is the way we will thank Hashem when He brings all the Yidden to Eretz Yisroel.
The first posuk starts with the words, “Lamenatzeiach, Shir Mizmor” — meaning that this kapitel is a song, “Horiu L’Elokim Kol Ha’aretz” — the whole world will blow (trumpets) for Hashem! When Moshiach will come, all of the nations of the world will believe in Hashem!
To make this happen very soon, we need to prepare! We need to make sure that the Goyim know about the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach, so they will be ready to believe in Hashem.
|
|
|
TANYA
Igeres Hateshuvah Perek Alef
|
|
Yesterday, we learned about the three kinds of aveiros a person needs to do teshuvah for. Today, the Alter Rebbe teaches us HOW to do teshuvah:
The mitzvah of teshuvah is not very complicated. A person just needs to make a strong HACHLATA that he won’t act that way again.
This hachlata is not only about the specific aveira he did. Since when a person does an aveira, he becomes separated from Hashem, it’s not enough to just say that he won’t do THIS aveira again, his hachlata needs to be that he will do EVERYTHING that Hashem wants — all of the mitzvos! This way he will become reconnected to Hashem and his teshuva will be complete.
There are also extra things like giving tzedakah or fasting which can help, but they are not part of the MITZVAH of doing teshuvah — as we will IY”H see later.
|
|
|
|
We don’t say Tachanun today, because it is the Chag Hageulah of the Frierdiker Rebbe.
Two special things happened on Yud-Beis Tammuz:
Today is the birthday of the Frierdiker Rebbe. It is also the day the Frierdiker Rebbe was told that he is free from jail! He was sent to jail, and then to a faraway place called Kostrama, for spreading Yiddishkeit. But on Yud-Beis Tammuz, the Russian government told him he could go!
The Frierdiker Rebbe sent a letter telling Chassidim to farbreng in honor of this special day. At this farbrengen, they should work together to make sure that they are learning the shiurim in Torah they should be learning. The Frierdiker Rebbe gives all of the Chassidim a bracha that Hashem should bentch them in Gashmius and Ruchnius!
|
|
|
|
In today’s Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn 3 mitzvos about Pesach!
1) (Mitzvas Asei #156) We need to get rid of chometz from our house on Yud-Daled Nissan. The Chachomim called this Biur Chometz.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Bo: בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ שְּׂאֹר מִבָּתֵּיכֶם
The details are explained in the beginning of Mesechta Pesachim.
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #197) We aren’t allowed to eat chometz on Pesach.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Bo: וְלֹא יֵאָכֵל חָמֵץ
The details are explained in Mesechta Pesachim.
3) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #198) On Pesach we can’t even eat food that has any chometz mixed into it, like beer.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Bo: כָּל מַחְמֶצֶת לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ
|
|
|
RAMBAM
Hilchos Chomeitz U'Matzah
|
|
Perek Beis: In today’s first perek we learn halachos about Bedikas Chometz.
One interesting halacha is that if a person sees a mouse go into his house with a piece of chometz, and then he sees crumbs on the floor, he needs to look through the whole house until he finds the chometz. This is because we say that the mouse probably put the piece of chometz down somewhere, and didn’t eat it, since when mice are eating they eat every crumb! So if we see crumbs, the piece of chometz must be somewhere too!
But if you see a baby go into the house with chometz, and you find crumbs, you can say that the baby probably already ate the chometz, and these are the crumbs from it — because babies do leave crumbs when they eat! So then, you wouldn’t need to check the whole house again.
Perek Gimmel: In this perek, we finish learning about Bedikas Chometz. We also learn about Bittul Chometz, making our chometz counted as not worth anything, and about Biur Chometz — getting rid of the chometz.
Perek Daled: In the last perek of today’s Rambam, we learn about the mitzvah of not owning any chometz on Pesach, and how we can sell Chometz to a goy so it doesn’t belong to us on Pesach.
|
|
|
|
This perek tells us when the halachos are different — like for example an animal that is from hefker which means that it doesn’t belong to anyone, or hekdesh which belongs to the Beis Hamikdash. We also learn the halachos of when a Beis Din forces someone to pay.
|
|
|
|
As we learned in Hayom Yom, today is the day that the Frierdiker Rebbe was freed from jail, where he was put for his work in spreading Yiddishkeit. Every year, the Rebbe would have a farbrengen in honor of this special Chassidishe Yom Tov. He would encourage Chassidim to take on hachlatos to strengthen Yiddishkeit too, in a way of Mesiras Nefesh like the Frierdiker Rebbe showed us!
In the year Tof-Shin-Lamed-Ches, the Rebbe said in a sicha that Yud-Beis Tammuz is a special Yom Tov for children! Why? The main gezeira from the Russian government was against learning Torah and teaching Yiddishkeit to small children. The Frierdiker Rebbe put everything in danger to make sure that Yiddishkeit for children was the way it should be!
Since the Frierdiker Rebbe had Mesiras Nefesh for children, it gives a special koach to kids to make sure their Yiddishkeit is strong! This is especially true with the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel, which can sometimes be harder for children.
On Yud-Beis Tammuz 5748 (Tof-Shin-Mem-Ches), the Rebbe said that he has a new idea! Everyone, even kids, should write down three special things in Yiddishkeit or Chassidus that they did over the past year!
It’s good for everyone to do this, because even if someone can’t find three things, they’ll make sure to have them for next year!
Can YOU think of three things you did over the past year that would make the Rebbe proud?
1) _______________________
2) _______________________
3) _______________________
|
|
|
▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
|
|
|
|
At the end of Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah, we say many pesukim that are connected to the reasons for saying Shema at night. Some pesukim are about asking Hashem for protection; that we should sleep well and get up well. Other pesukim speak about how we give our neshama to Hashem at night, and ask Hashem to take care of it and return it to us in the morning. We repeat some of these pesukim three times, like other important pesukim in davening.
Towards the end of these pesukim, we ask Hashem to bring us the Geulah, and then all of the kelipos will be taken away from the world.
|
|
|
|
Every night, we say Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah before we go to sleep.
According to halacha, we are allowed to say it once we are already in bed, lying down with pajamas.
Still, it is better to be sitting up or standing when we say Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah.
It is our minhag to say Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah when we are still wearing our clothes! Men should wear a hat and jacket, and a married man should even wear his gartel.
By being dressed and standing up, we show that the avodah of Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah is very important.
See Piskei Teshuvos vol. 2, p. 991 and Shemiras Mitzvas Hayom p 304
|
|
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
|
|
|
|
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Balak, we have the famous nevuos of Bilaam about Moshiach!
The Rambam uses pesukim from these nevuos to show that the Torah speaks about Melech Hamoshiach. The Rambam explains that Bilaam would first say something about the first king of the Yidden, Dovid Hamelech, and then speak about our final king, Moshiach!
Here is the part of Bilaam’s nevuah that the Rambam explains:
אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב וְקָם שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וּמָחַץ פַּאֲתֵי מוֹאָב וְקַרְקַר כָּל בְּנֵי שֵׁת: וְהָיָה אֱדוֹם יְרֵשָׁה וְהָיָה יְרֵשָׁה שֵׂעִיר אֹיְבָיו
Arenu Velo Ata — (I see it, but not now) — this is talking about Dovid Hamelech
Ashurenu Velo Karov — (I see it, but not very soon) — this is talking about Melech Hamoshiach.
Darach Kochav MiYaakov — (A star will go out from Yaakov) — this is talking about Dovid Hamelech
Vekam Shevet MiYisrael — (And a stick will get up in Yisrael) — this is talking about Melech Hamoshiach.
Umachatz Paasei Moav — (He will crush all of the princes of Moav) — this is talking about Dovid Hamelech, who fought against Moav and won
Vekarkar Kol Benei Sheis — (He will get rid of the family of Sheis) — this is talking about Melech Hamoshiach, who will rule the entire world.
Vehaya Edom Yereisha — (Edom will be destroyed) — this is talking about Dovid Hamelech, who made Edom into his servants
Vehaya Yereisha Se’ir Oivav — (and Seir will be destroyed) — this is talking about Melech Hamoshiach, who will judge Eisav (who is also called Seir).
May we see the fulfillment of this nevuah, and all of the other nevuos of the Geulah, bekarov mamosh, Amen!
See Parshas Balak, perek Chof-Daled, pesukim Yud-Zayin and Yud-Ches, and Rambam Hilchos Melachim perek Yud-Alef
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
