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CHUMASH
Parshas Tzav - Chamishi with Rashi
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In today’s Chumash, Moshe Rabbeinu brings the Korban Chatas and the Korban Olah for the first day of the Yemei Miluim! He puts the blood around the Mizbeiach, and now it is ready to be used for more korbanos!
The Alter Rebbe teaches us something very special in the Likutei Torah of this week, the “Chassidishe Parsha!”
Do you remember learning Bosi Legani? In the maamar Bosi Legani we learn that the Shechinah used to be down here in the world, but because of aveiros it went up in Shomayim. Certain tzadikim were able to bring it down further and further, and when Moshiach comes the Shechinah will be back in the world to stay!
As we learned in the maamar, Moshe Rabbeinu, who was the seventh of these tzadikim, was the one who was able to bring the Shechinah all the way back to the earth. And when did he do this? During the Shivas Yemei Hamiluim, the seven days of preparing the Mishkan, that we are learning about now!
That was a taste of the way it will be when Moshiach comes, when the highest level of the Ikar Shechinah will come down into the world to stay!
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In Kapitel Ayin-Beis (72), there is a posuk “Mi Li Bashamayim Ve’imcha Lo Chofatzti Ba’aretz.” “Do I need Shomayim? And I don’t want what’s with You in the world.” (In the year 5733, Chassidim put these words to the tune of a Niggun Simcha. It starts with the words Yifrach Beyamav Tzadik. In some versions of the niggun, these words are sung in the second half of the song.)
The Tzemach Tzedek said that the Alter Rebbe used to say that this posuk means that he doesn’t want what’s WITH Hashem, like Gan Eden or Olam Haba. He just wanted Hashem Himself!
How does a person connect with Hashem Himself? By doing a mitzvah in this Gashmiyus world! The Chachomim say that one hour of teshuvah and Maasim Tovim in this world is better than the whole Olam Haba! In Olam Haba, neshamos enjoy the light of Hashem, but through a mitzvah in this world, the neshama connects with the ESSENCE of Hashem.
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Lamed-Zayin
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Yesterday, we learned how by using things in the world to do mitzvos, the chayus they were getting before from kelipah becomes kedusha! We make them shine with the light of Hashem!
To light Shabbos candles, you need to use your fingers to hold the match, your hands to cover your eyes, and your mouth to say the bracha. Where do you get the koach to move those parts of your body? From the food you eat! Since it helped you do the mitzvah, the chayus of the food that was from kelipah becomes kedushah!
So since we use food and other Gashmius things to help us do the mitzvah, not only does our OWN body become connected with Hashem, but all of the Gashmius things which help us do the mitzvos also become kedusha!
As we use the koach of the Gashmius world for more and more mitzvos, we will end up making the chayus from kelipah of the WHOLE world into Kedusha! That will be completely finished at the time of the Geulah! We will IY”H learn tomorrow exactly how this works.
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First we learn a few minhagim about Purim. There are some words in the Megillah that we read in two ways: “Laharog Ule’abeid, Velaharog Ule’abeid” and “Ve’ish Lo Amad Bifneihem, Ve’ish Lo Amad Lifneihem.” When we say the words “Ha’igeres Hazos” (this letter) and “Ha’igeres HaPurim Hazos Hasheinis,” we shake the Megillah a bit. Our nusach of Shoshanas Yaakov includes the words “Bruchim Kol Hatzadikim.” On Purim day, we say Shehecheyanu again when we lein the Megillah.
The Rebbe Maharash wrote a Megillah. His Megillah did not have the 10 sons of Haman on their own column, and the first word of each column wasn’t “Hamelech,” which is how some people are careful to write Megillos.
The Rebbe also writes about two different versions of a maamar in Torah Ohr on Megillas Esther.
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Today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #236) is a review of one we learned before! If a person makes someone else get hurt, he needs to pay him to make up for what he did. (In fact, we learn that he has to pay for 5 kinds of damage that he did: For the part of him that got hurt, the pain, the doctor bills, that he is missing work, and that he was embarrassed.)
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In today’s Rambam, we start to learn the halachos of partners and neighbors.
In Perek Alef we learn that partners can decide that they want to split up and stop being partners. If they do, they split what they have if it is big enough.
Perek Beis speaks a lot about houses that two partners decide to split, and about making walls for separation.
And Perek Gimmel talks about what happens if the wall between two properties falls! Who gets the stones, and how should they rebuild it?
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In this perek we learn all of the details of how the water of the Parah Adumah is actually sprinkled, using the Eizov branch.
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The time right before the gezeirah of Haman, Yidden were living very well! They had Mordechai in the government, and they were respected and treated nicely. But even though things looked so good, that was when the worst and scariest decree EVER happened to ALL the Yidden.
And later, when things looked like they were the worst that ever could be, the greatest yeshua that ever happened took place! All of the Yidden were saved because of their Mesiras Nefesh for Torah and listening to their leader Mordechai.
We shouldn’t feel that when things are good nothing can happen to us, and when things are bad we shouldn’t feel like nothing good can happen! Everything is in the hands of Hashem, and when we act the way we should, that is when Hashem bentches us to have everything we need.
May all of our mitzvos and mivtzoyim of Purim bring Moshiach now!
See sicha of Purim, 5717
Learn the story of Purim in the words of the Frierdiker Rebbe — especially relevant for this year! See Likkutei Diburim, vol. 3, chapter 21, sections 6-19.
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TEFILLAH
Davening Like Mordechai Hatzadik
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“Such shall be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!”
All of the Yidden in Shushan saw how Mordechai Hatzadik was led through the streets, wearing the king’s own royal clothing and royal crown! What a simcha! It looked like now things were starting to get better for the Yidden!
But the Gemara says that after the parade was over, Mordechai Hatzadik put right back on his sackcloth and ashes, and went back to his davening and crying out to Hashem.
Why? Why should he still be worried, since things are going good now?
Mordechai understood that Yidden are Hashem’s children, and really nothing has the koach to hurt them, just like nothing has the koach to hurt Hashem Himself. The only reason why something not good could happen is because the Yidden did aveiros. Aveiros separate a Yid from Hashem, and the aveiros need to be “scrubbed away.” That can hurt.
Mordechai knew that Achashveirosh and Haman didn’t have control over the Yidden. It only looked like they did, because there was a gezeira in Shomayim against the Yidden. The Beis Din in Shomayim let the resha’im make their evil plans because of our aveiros.
Mordechai knew that even if Achashveirosh and Haman start being nice to him, that’s not what will save the Yidden! The most important thing is to make sure that the Yidden are forgiven for their aveiros, so that the Beis Din in Shomayim will take away the gezeira. So after the parade in Shushan, Mordechai Hatzadik went back to his davening and teshuvah, until he saw that the gezeira was completely taken away.
This is an important lesson for us too!
During the day, we are busy with different things — parnasa, taking care of the house, school and homework, or shlichus. When things are going well, we’re happy! But things don’t always go so smoothly — we can have all kinds of problems. Then we start looking for different ideas — maybe we need to open the store earlier, or work harder.
But we need to remember what’s REALLY going on! All of the brachos we get in Gashmius come because we are connected to Hashem. The work we do to earn money or take care of our family is part of our Avodas Hashem, because this is how Hashem wants the world to work!
That’s why we need to daven first thing. We make sure our connection to Hashem is strong so that we can get the brachos we need in Gashmius. Right away, we say Modeh Ani — thanking Hashem for giving back our neshamos, and reminding ourselves that only Hashem is in charge of the whole world! Then we daven, and ask Hashem in Shemoneh Esrei that it should be decided in Shomayim that we should get all of the brachos. Then, during the day, we go and do the things that will be a keili for Hashem’s brachos, because that’s the way Hashem wants it to be!
See farbrengen of Purim 5726
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A brief overview of the halachos and minhagim of Purim day (for full halachos see newsletters by Badatz of Crown Heights and Rabbi Lesches of Melbourne):
The first thing we should do on Purim day is to go to shul and daven. Don’t forget to say Ve’al Hanisim!
If we didn’t hear Parshas Zachor from the Torah this year, some say that we can do the mitzvah by listening to the Torah reading on Purim (which also talks about Amalek).
The Megillah is read after we read the Torah, while the men are still wearing their Rashi tefillin. (If someone didn’t give Machtzis Hashekel yet, they should give it before the Megillah reading.)
When the bracha Shehecheyanu is said before the Megillah reading, we should also have in mind the other mitzvos of Purim — Shalach Manos, Matanos L’evyonim, and the Seudah.
The mitzvah of being happy on Purim is a mitzvah all day, like it says, “Yemei Mishteh Vesimcha” — days of feasting and joy! All day we should look for opportunities to bring the simcha and mitzvos of Purim to as many Yidden as possible.
It’s a minhag among Yidden to eat hamentashen.
Children especially should follow the minhag of dressing up.
Make sure to do the mitzvos of Shalach Manos, Matanos L’evyonim, and Seudah, before shkiyah. Kids should make sure to do these mitzvos too!
We should learn some Torah before the seudah, but be careful not to get too involved and miss the seudah!
We daven Mincha early so there’s enough time to at least eat a kezayis before Shkiyah. We eat kreplach by the seudah. We say Ve’al Hanisim in bentching, even if our seudah ends late at night!
Even though we all have our own seudah in our homes, the Rebbe encouraged us to continue the simcha and Ad D’lo Yada by joining together at bigger farbrengens afterwards.
A freilichen Purim!
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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 Chachomim tell us that when Moshiach comes, all of the Seforim of the Neviim and Kesuvim will become botul — except for Megillas Esther.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they won’t still be part of Torah! When something becomes botul it doesn’t mean it disappears, it just means that it doesn’t feel as special and important anymore.
But why won’t the holy seforim of Navi feel as important anymore, and why will Megillas Esther be different?
When Moshiach comes, EVERY Yid, even children, will have a very high level of Nevuah! So the Nevuos from before won’t feel as different and special. That will be regular and normal for us! That’s why they will become botul.
But Megillas Esther isn’t just a Nevuah. It shows us something very important, which will never become botul, even when Moshiach comes!
The Megillah starts off with the words, “Vayehi Bimei Achashveirosh,” “And it happened in the days of Achashverosh.” We don’t start by talking about the Yidden, even though that’s the main point of the Megillah. Instead we talk about the king who ruled over most of the world!
That’s because Hashem made the whole world for the Yidden to be able to do their avodah. Achashverosh and his whole party were created for the sake of the Yidden, even though there are so few Yidden and so many nations!
Even when Moshiach comes, this will still be special to us. We will still be one small nation in a big world, and it will still feel special that this whole gigantic world is all there for the purpose of the Torah and Yidden!
See farbrengen Purim 5725
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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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