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CHUMASH
Parshas Acharei - Rishon with Rashi
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After Nadav and Avihu passed away, Hashem told Moshe to teach Aharon how to act in the Mishkan.
Even if he feels that he wants to be close to Hashem, Aharon is not allowed to go into the Kodesh HaKodoshim whenever he wants to, so that he shouldn’t make the same mistake as his sons did. Inside the Kodesh Hakodoshim, Hashem’s Shechinah rests, on the Aron, and it is asur to go inside unless it is the proper time.
Aharon Hakohen (and every other Kohen Gadol) is only allowed to come into the Kodesh Hakodoshim when he brings the Ketores on Yom Kippur.
Even then, he needs to follow all of the steps of the Yom Kippur Avodah:
He will not be wearing the regular clothes of the Kohen Gadol, the Bigdei Zahav — instead he wears Bigdei Lavan, four pieces of white linen clothing. The regular clothes of the Kohen Gadol have gold in them, which is a reminder of the Cheit Ha’egel, when some Yidden served a cow made of gold. On Yom Kippur, when the Kohen Gadol is asking Hashem to forgive the Yidden, it is not right to wear clothes that are a reminder of an aveira.
First, wearing the regular clothes, the Bigdei Zahav, the Kohen Gadol does the regular morning Avodah — bringing the Korban Tomid and ketores, cleaning out the menorah, and bringing his daily Korban Mincha. Then he puts on the Yom Kippur clothing to do the special Yom Kippur Avodah.
The Kohen Gadol first says vidui over a korban that he will bring to Hashem to be forgiven for any aveiros connected to the Mishkan or korbanos.
Then he makes a goral: The Kohen Gadol stands between two goats. He picks two lots from a container, one with his right hand, and one with his left. The side with the lot that says “For Hashem” will be brought as a korban, and the side with the lot that says “For Azazel” will later be sent away to be killed in the desert.
Once the goral is decided, the Kohen Gadol shechts his korban, saving the blood for the next part of the Avodah.
Now that he has asked Hashem to forgive him for his own aveiros, the Kohen Gadol brings the ketores inside of the Kodesh Hakodoshim. Nobody is allowed to be even inside of the Kodesh at this time.
The Kohen Gadol leaves the burning ketores on the floor near the Aron, and goes to get the blood of his korban. He comes back and sprinkles the blood of his korban on the side of the Aron’s cover — one time upwards, and seven times downward.
He then shechts the korban for the Yidden’s aveiros, and brings its blood into the Kodesh Hakodoshim to be sprinkled there too. This will help Hashem forgive the Yidden for aveiros they did by eating korbanos or coming into the Mishkan when they weren’t tahor — by mistake or on purpose.
To forgive the Yidden in case they made the Menorah, Shulchan, or Mizbeiach Haketores tomei, the Kohen Gadol then sprinkles blood on the Paroches.
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In today’s Tehillim, in Kapitel Nun-Gimmel (53), it talks about the churban of the Second Beis Hamikdash. At the end of the kapitel, Dovid Hamelech says how he hopes Hashem will save the Yidden: “Mi Yitein MiTzion Yeshuos Yisroel…”
This posuk is actually written TWICE in Tehillim — once in Kapitel Yud-Daled, and once here.
The Medrash says that these two times where it says “Mi Yitein,” hoping that Hashem will bring the Geulah, also matches with two places in Torah where it says the words “Mi Yitein!”
In one place in the Torah, Hashem says how He hopes the Yidden will all have Yiras Shomayim (“Mi Yitein Vehaya Levavam Zeh Lahem LeYirah Osi…”), and in the other place, Moshe Rabbeinu hopes that all of the Yidden will be neviim (“Umi Yiten Kol Am Hashem Neviim”).
The Medrash says that both of these will come true when Moshiach comes — all Yidden will be Neviim, and we will all have the highest level of Yiras Shomayim!
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Mem
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The main part of a mitzvah is DOING the mitzvah itself. Still, Hashem wants our mitzvos to shine and be beautiful. For that we need to have kavana — to think about how we love Hashem and that we are ready to have Mesiras Nefesh to do what Hashem wants from us. This fills up our Gashmius mitzvos with Ruchnius, so they can go up to a Ruchnius world where the accomplishment of the mitzvah is revealed.
But isn’t Ahavas Hashem, loving Hashem, a mitzvah by itself? Why do we say that the mitzvah of Ahavas Hashem is just “wings” for other mitzvos?
The answer is that the whole point of loving Hashem, the mitzvah of Ahavas Hashem, is to give us chayus to do the other mitzvos properly. Ahavas Hashem as a thing for itself is called Ahavas Betaanugim and is a reward for doing the mitzvos. That is connected with Gan Eden, which a person can even have a taste of in this world.
But the main job of a Yid in THIS world is to have the kind of Ahavas Hashem which will give chayus to all of the rest of the mitzvos which a person does.
That’s why Ahavas Hashem is called “wings” for the other mitzvos and make them fly up to a Ruchnius world to be close to Hashem. Even though it is true that the mitzvah of Ahavas Hashem is a mitzvah of its own, the point of this mitzvah is to make us do all of the other mitzvos properly.
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What is “rich” for a Yid? The Rebbe tells us today in Hayom Yom!
For a Yid, being rich is not having a lot of money or a beautiful house.
The best kind of riches, that lasts forever, is being Yidden that keep Torah and mitzvos, and having children and grandchildren who do also!
That makes your parents and Bubbies and Zaidies VERY VERY rich!
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In today’s Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn that not only is it not allowed for someone to lend with Ribbis (interest), it’s not even allowed for someone to BORROW from a Yid with Ribbis! So even if the person we’re borrowing from doesn’t know about the mitzvah, we’re not allowed to borrow from him and pay interest.
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Perek Yud-Tes: One of the things we learn in today’s Rambam is that when the Beis Din needs to take away someone’s field to pay back a loan, they shouldn’t take the best field, and they shouldn’t take the worst field — they should take the middle kind, the “beinonis.” (Really, the Rambam says that from the strict Torah rule, the nicest way to do it is to take the worst field away from the person, the “ziburis.” But the Chachomim were afraid that nobody would want to make any more loans if they did that, if people would know that all they would get back from a loan that was not paid was a bad field. That’s why they made the halacha that we should take from the beinonis, the middle kind of field.)
In Perek Chof, we learn about what the Beis Din should do if someone doesn’t have a lot of money or property, and TWO people come to the Beis Din because their loans weren’t paid back. Who gets paid back first? The halacha is that whoever’s loan was made first gets paid back first. If both loans were made at the same time, whoever went to the Beis Din first gets paid back first!
Perek Chof-Alef: This perek has halachos about taking a field that used to belong to the person who borrowed the money, but was now sold to someone else. Let’s say that Reuven borrowed money from Shimon, but never paid it back. In the meantime, Reuven sold his field to Levi! Levi worked very hard on the field, and fixed it up so it is now worth more money. Now Shimon wants to take the field instead of his loan. We learn about if he can take the fixed-up part of the field to pay back the loan, since it is now worth more.
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In today’s Rambam, we learn more about Tumah coming from a person with certain kinds of “body” Tumah:
Sometimes a woman ISN’T counted as tomei for a day before she finds out she was tomei — we learn about when. If she is tomei, her clothes can become tomei too! We learn how to make them tahor again.
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It is almost Yud-Alef Nisan!
The Yud-Alef Nisan farbrengen in the year Tof-Shin-Lamed-Beis, for the Rebbe’s 70th year, was an extra special farbrengen!
Here is one of the things the Rebbe spoke about at that farbrengen:
Many people have the question, if the whole reason Hashem made us is so that we can learn Torah and do mitzvos, why did Hashem make it so hard to do that?
Imagine that you are studying very hard for the Chidon. You make flashcards, you review with your friend, and you listen to the recordings over and over.
Then your sister asks you why you are working so hard. She offers to copy someone else’s certificate and just put your name on it. She’ll even buy a wooden plaque so you can hang it up in your room!
You know that even if your sister makes a beautiful plaque, it won’t really be special. The Chidon certificate is so important to you because you worked hard and you earned it!
When we get something without working for it, it is called “Nahama Dekisufa,” free bread. We don’t appreciate something as much if we didn’t do anything for it.
That is one of the reasons why Hashem makes it hard to do the mitzvos: If it was easy, we wouldn’t feel like what we do is so special!
But couldn’t Hashem have just made us differently? Hashem could have made people to like getting things that we don’t earn!
The Rebbe explains that Hashem could have given us good things as a gift, and it would be very easy. But then we would just be getting a present.
But Hashem wanted to give us the best thing that could be — that we could be PARTNERS with Hashem!
When two partners start a business, they both need to give a lot of money to get things started, and work hard together. Then the business belongs to both of them!
Hashem wants US to be His partners in running the world! When we work hard to learn Torah and do mitzvos, even when it is not easy, we are investing our part so we can be partners with Hashem in the creation of the world!
See farbrengen Yud-Alef Nisan Tof-Shin-Lamed-Beis
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We are going through the basic way Maggid is set up, the part of the Haggadah where we tell over the story of Yetziyas Mitzrayim. The nusach of our Haggadah was not written down until much later, but the general structure is already there in the Mishnah.
In the previous shiur, we went through the part of the Haggadah that we say on Shabbos Hagadol, from Avadim Hayinu until “Lechaper Al Kol Avonoseinu.” The Mishnah says that the father should teach his child the story of Pesach so he will understand it, in a way of “Maschil Begnus Umesayeim Beshevach,” starting with the shameful part and finishing with praise. Then we explain the paragraph “Arami Oved Avi” according to the Medrashim of Chazal, from the Sifri.
After that, the Mishnah tells us exactly what else needs to be done at this part of the seder:
First of all, Rabban Gamliel teaches that we need to speak about three important things at the seder: Pesach (the Korban Pesach), Matzah, and Maror. We explain why we have them at our seder, and show what they are.
Then we say the famous Mishnah (which is one of the Yud-Beis Pesukim) of “Bechol Dor Vador,” that Yidden of every time should see themselves as if they are coming out of Mitzrayim themselves!
Of course, if we feel like we came out of Mitzrayim, we will feel so happy and thankful to Hashem! Just like the Yidden did when they came out of Mitzrayim, we will want to praise and thank Hashem! So we say part of Hallel.
There are different opinions in the Mishnah of how much of Hallel we should say here. We follow the opinion of Beis Hillel and say the first two paragraphs, ending with the words Chalamish Lemaayno Mayim.
We finish off with the bracha where we thank Hashem for taking us out of Mitzrayim, and that we are able to sit tonight with matzah and maror. We ask Hashem that we should be able to celebrate Yomim Tovim with Moshiach Tzidkeinu and again eat from the korbanos! Then we will thank Hashem with a new song, a Shir Chadash!
We drink the second kos, and then we go on to the next part of the seder.
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Don’t forget to say the Nasi! Today is the ninth Nasi, for Shevet Binyamin.
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On the first night of Pesach, we set the table before Maariv, using our beautiful Pesach dishes. We want to be ready right away, so the kids won’t fall asleep!
This year, because the first night of Pesach is on Shabbos, there are a few different halachos. It is important to remember to make the saltwater before Shabbos! If we forget to, it needs to be made with a shinui, and only the amount we need. (The details are in many of the Halacha newsletters.)
But we don’t actually set up the kaarah early according to Minhag Chabad, we only set it up at the beginning of the seder.
See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman Tof-Ayin-Beis se’if alef and Shevach Hamoadim, Dinei Seder Pesach; Halacha Newsletters from Rabbi Braun of Crown Heights, Rabbi Lesches of Melbourne
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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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Hashem says that at the time of the Geulah, He will show us nisim like in the days of coming out of Mitzrayim — “Kimei Tzeischa Me’Eretz Mitzrayim Arenu Niflaos”!
The posuk says, “KIMEI Tzeischa Me’Eretz Mitzrayim” — “Like the DAYS you came out of Mitzrayim.” But Yetziyas Mitzrayim was only ONE day! Why does the posuk say “DAYS”?
Yetziyas Mitzrayim is not only the first day we came out of Mitzrayim. Yidden remember Yetziyas Mitzrayim every day, and we have a Yetziyas Mitzrayim in Ruchnius every day!
The posuk is telling us that the Yetziyas Mitzrayim of ALL of these days is what will bring the nissim of the Geulah!
See Maamar Kimei Tzeischa 5742
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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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