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CHUMASH
Parshas Bereishis - Shvi'i with Rashi
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The Torah is telling us the generations from Adam to Noach, and today we will finish them:
9) Lemech (a different Lemech)
10) Noach: Lemech had a Nevuah and gave him this name, since he would comfort the world (Yenachameinu) from the curse of Adam on the ground. He invented a plow, so now it wasn’t as hard to grow food.
Noach didn’t have children until he was 500 years old! This was so that his children could be saved from the Mabul — there wouldn’t be so many of them (to need an extra Teiva) and they wouldn’t be old enough to be punished.
Noach’s 3 sons were Sheim, Cham, and Yafes.
Now the Torah tells us about how the world turned into such Resha’im:
The princes were the ones who started — they decided to get married to whoever they wanted, even if they were already married! They didn’t treat marriage as something of Kedusha, and soon EVERYONE was just acting however they felt like.
Hashem was thinking of destroying all the people, and two Malachim told Hashem to do it — they hadn’t wanted Hashem to make people in the first place! Hashem told these two malachim, Shamchazai and Azael, to go see if they would be any better. They became giants in the world, and acted just as bad as the princes.
Soon they also stopped treating other people in a mentchlich way, and stole things and lied all the time. Hashem gave them 120 years to do Teshuvah, but they didn’t change.
The job of all of the people in the world was “Losheves Yetzara” — to make a world that runs in a nice way (civilization). Since they weren’t doing their job, there was no reason for there to be a world!
Hashem was glad that at least Malochim that were in Shomayim wouldn’t act in a way against Hashem!
Hashem decided to start acting in a way of Gevurah — being strict with the people. But instead of destroying EVERYONE, Hashem decided to only punish the ones who were Resha’im — almost everyone! He also decided to kill the animals, since they also acted in a not nice way, and because animals are only there to help people — if there are no people, we don’t need animals either!
Hashem decided to “start over” — but this time, to make the world in a way that it is much easier to do Teshuvah. Hashem would bring a Mabul to purify the world, and later Noach’s family — the only ones left — would have children and fill the world with people.
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In today’s Tehillim, there is a posuk, “Tikon Tefilasi Ketores Lefanecha” — “I bring my davening before Hashem like Ketores!” (The Rambam chooses this posuk to put at the beginning of his sefer about Korbanos.)
The Rebbe teaches us that when the kohen brings the Ketores, nobody else is allowed to be there — it’s just the kohen bringing the Ketores to Hashem. The same thing is when we daven — it’s private, between us and Hashem!
Also, the word Ketores is like the word “Kesher” (in Aramaic — Ketar) — a connection. Davening is one of the ways we make a special connection with Hashem.
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TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof-Hey
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The Alter Rebbe is continuing to explain a certain vort from the Baal Shem Tov:
The vort from the Baal Shem Tov is that if a Goy comes to you in the middle of davening, and tries to bother you, you should realize that it’s Hashgacha Protis, and try to daven harder and with more kavanah. You should think about how Hashem is giving chayus to that Goy right now and letting him do it, and understand that Hashem is giving you a message to have MORE kavanah.
People said that it can’t be that Hashem is giving chayus to a Goy who is trying to make you mixed up in the middle of davening! How can you say that Hashem’s chayus is in a Goy like that? The Alter Rebbe explains that the chayus of Hashem IS there, but it’s in Golus.
Wherever the chayus of Hashem goes, it stays the same. But in different Olamos, Hashem is more hidden or more seen in that Olam. In some worlds the chayus of Hashem is hidden as if it was put behind a thin curtain, but in lower levels, the light of Hashem is hidden as if it was put behind a very thick curtain that blocks the light of Hashem from shining through!
Of course, the chayus of Hashem stays the same, no matter what curtains it is hiding behind!
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One time in the Baal Shem Tov’s shul in Mezibuzh, a very scary story happened:
Two people, who weren’t such good friends, were arguing with each other. One of them got so mad, he yelled at the other one, “I will rip you up like a fish!”
When the Baal Shem Tov heard this, he called his Talmidim to come. He told them to hold hands with each other, and the Baal Shem Tov himself finished their circle. Then he asked them all to close their eyes.
All of a sudden, they saw something that made them all terrified! They saw this man tearing up the other one like a fish, just like he had said!
From here we see how careful we need to be with what we say, because whatever we say will do something. Sometimes it is in Ruchniyus only, and most people can’t see it, but it ALWAYS makes something happen.
We need to be so careful to only say nice things about other people!
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(Mitzvas Asei #49) Today's mitzvah is that we have to do ALL of the Avodah of Yom Kippur! Even though there are lots of details that are done as part of the Avodah, they are all really part of this one mitzvah.
The whole mitzvah is explained in its own Mesechta — Mesechta Yoma.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Avodas Yom HaKipurim
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In today's Rambam, we start a new section — we start to learn about the Avodah of Yom Kippur!
Perek Alef teaches us how the Kohen Gadol gets ready for Yom Kippur.
Perek Beis explains how he made himself tahor and about the Vidui — using Hashem’s special name!
Perek Gimmel explains how the goat for Azazel worked.
These perakim are all very interesting to read through. Reading it with all of the details can make us feel like we are watching it happen in the Beis Hamikdash!
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In today’s Rambam, we start to learn about the Machatzis Hashekel.
Every man needs to give a half shekel every year to the Beis Hamikdash. It doesn’t matter if they are rich or poor!
One halacha is that children don’t need to give a half shekel, but they can, and it is used for the Beis Hamikdash.
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There is a vort from the Rebbeim that “Vi M’shtelt Zich Avek Shabbos Bereishis, Azoi Geit A Gantz Yohr.” The way we use the kochos from Shabbos Bereishis helps set things up for the whole year in a good way.
EVERY parsha and Yom Tov have certain things we need to learn from them, and live with those lessons the whole year. So why are the kochos we get from Shabbos Bereishis SO important, that we say that it sets things up for the whole year, more than any other parsha and Yom Tov?
The answer is that Shabbos Bereishis teaches us Emunah! We learn about how Hashem created the world, and so we understand that everything that happens in the world is all from Hashem. (As we are learning now in Tanya, the chayus of Hashem is constantly creating the world!) Emunah in Hashem is the most important thing that we need to have, and it makes a difference in EVERYTHING in our lives all year.
When we know that Hashem is making everything in the world happen, we will know that there can’t be anything in the world that can stop us from doing what Hashem wants. Since Hashem created everything in the world, and Hashem tells us to do the mitzvos, it isn’t possible that there can be anything in Hashem’s world that can keep us from doing what Hashem wants!
Our Emunah is also important for our Gashmius! When we know that everything comes from Hashem, we won’t worry so much about all of the gashmiyus things that we need, like parnasa and health and things we need for our family. We will know that everything that happens to us is from Hashem and know that it must be good. Even more, when we remember this, Hashem will give us good things in a way that we can tell is good too!
See Likutei Sichos chelek Alef, Parshas Bereishis
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The Sefer Chovos Halevavos has many chapters, called “She’arim” (gates). In Shaar Habitachon, it explains what a person needs to know in order to truly trust Hashem.
The second condition to have total trust in Hashem is to know that Hashem is GOOD. Hashem’s kindness is very strong, and Hashem is good to us even if we don’t deserve it. All we need to do is be a keili to accept Hashem’s brachos, and He will help us because of His rachmanus for us. We become a keili by trying to connect to Hashem and do what He wants. But the bracha that Hashem gives us is in a way of chesed, much more than we deserve!
There are many pesukim in davening that help us feel Hashem’s goodness. For example, the posuk in Ashrei that starts with a Tes: “Tov Hashem Lakol, Verachamav Al Kol Maasav.” “Hashem is good to everyone, and His rachmonus (kindness even if we don’t deserve it) is on all of His creations.”
By thinking about this, our bitachon will be stronger!
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Many seforim speak about how special it is to learn Mishnayos Baal Peh. Chassidim especially have a minhag to do this!
When the Frierdiker Rebbe came to America, he started a group called “Machaneh Yisrael,” which he wanted every Yid to join. As part of this group, each member was supposed to learn a part of Mishnayos Baal Peh. This would help make the air in the world more pure!
In Tof-Shin-Gimmel, there was a big siyum on Mishnayos, from all of the Mishnayos learned baal peh by members of Machaneh Yisrael. At the siyum, the Frierdiker Rebbe said:
Once, the Rebbe Maharash was near a group of Chassidim. The Rebbe Maharash called out, “Shabbos, come here!”
The Chassidim standing around were confused. Nobody had the name “Shabbos!” Levik, Yitzchok, Yosef, Yaakov — all of those names they could understand, but who was Shabbos?
The Rebbe Maharash finally pointed at a specific chossid, and said, “You are called Shabbos!”
In Shomayim, someone who learns a Mesechta of Mishnayos by heart is called by the name of that mesechta!
The Rebbe Maharash explained that this chossid had learned Mesechta Shabbos baal peh, so in Shomayim he got the name “Shabbos!”
The Frierdiker Rebbe finished by saying, “I am learning Mesechta Menachos baal peh, so in Shomayim I am called ‘Menachos…’”
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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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When we are davening, we need to think about the basic meaning of what we are saying. In Shemoneh Esrei, we say, “Vesechezenah Eineinu Beshuvcha Letzion,” “Our eyes should see the return to Yerushalayim.” We also say, “Es Tzemach Dovid Avdecha Meheira Satzmiach,” “The plant of Dovid Hamelech (Moshiach, who comes from Dovid) should quickly grow.”
Then, we will ask ourselves a question: “What did I do TODAY to make this happen?”
See Likutei Sichos chelek Chof, p. 384, Chassidim Ein Mishpacha, gilyon Chof-Zayin
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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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