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CHUMASH
Parshas Tetzaveh - Shvi'i with Rashi
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Today we learn about the golden Mizbeiach used for the Ketores.
Hashem tells Moshe that the Yidden should make a Mizbeiach for burning the Ketores. It should be made of wood, and covered with gold. This Mizbeiach was less than 3 feet tall, and less than 1.5 feet wide. It had rings on the side for poles to carry it.
The big copper Mizbeiach was in the Chatzer, by the Mishkan, but this golden Mizbeiach went in the Kodesh, inside the Mishkan.
The Mizbeiach Hazahav was very holy! It was only used for two things: To burn the Ketores in the morning and afternoon, and to put some of the blood of the Yom Kippur korban on it. We aren’t allowed to use it for anything else!
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Kapitel Ayin-Ches reviews all of the Nissim that Hashem did for the Yidden, starting from Yetzias Mitzrayim, until He made Dovid Hamelech the king over the Yidden! (There is a beautiful Chassidishe niggun on the words in the kapitel which say that Hashem chose Dovid Hamelech as the king. The words were added to a Niggun Simcha in the year 5739 in honor of the Rebbe’s birthday. Vayivchar Bedovid)
One of the pesukim in this kapitel is “Vayikatz Keyashen Hashem” — Dovid Hamelech asks Hashem to wake up!
What does this mean? Does Hashem sleep?!
Chassidus explains (in the Bar Mitzvah maamar) that during Golus, the chayus that the world feels is like the chayus a person feels when he is sleeping. When someone is asleep, the neshama goes up to Shomayim and the person can only have dreams, and not think about things that make sense. The world doesn’t feel most of the chayus of Hashem, it only feels the little bit of chayus, like enough to make a person dream.
So we ask Hashem to bring Moshiach, when everyone can see and feel the chayus of Hashem in the world like a person who is awake! We want Hashem’s chayus to be revealed and strong. When we learn Torah and do mitzvos, we make this happen and bring the Geulah closer!
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Chof-Tes
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We say at the end of Shemoneh Erei, “Venafshi K’afar Lakol Tihiyeh, Psach Libi Besorasecha” — “my neshama should be like dust to everyone, open my heart to Your Torah.” In order for a Yid’s heart to be open to serving Hashem, it has to feel humble inside. There are things a person can think to make himself feel humble. We learned earlier that a person should remind himself that he is not a tzadik, and the Yetzer Hara is still there in its full koach.
One thing we can think about is what the Zohar says about dreams: Strange dreams come because a person is busy with narishkeit during the day. The malach in charge of dreams thinks that’s funny, and he sends him even more narishe dreams.
When a person realizes how silly his dreams are, he will see for himself that he thinks about narishkeit during the day, and he shouldn’t be so proud of himself.
There are also other things brought in seforim which a person can think about to make him feel humble. (For example, in today’s Hayom Yom, we learn that if a person isn’t thinking Torah when he walks in the street, he is really no different than an animal.)
In addition to these thoughts, a person should also speak to his Yetzer Hara in his mind with strong words. He should call it all the names that the Chachomim use for the Yetzer Hara, telling it to leave him alone!
He calls it, “Ra, Rasha, Meshukatz, Mesuav, Menuval!”
The Yetzer Hara’s chutzpa is only there because Hashem gave it permission to challenge a person. When we use these eitzos, Hashem takes away the koach of the Yetzer Hara.
The Alter Rebbe explains a story in the Torah that shows us this idea:
When the Meraglim came back from Eretz Yisroel, they cried that it was too hard for them to fight with the nations that were in Eretz Yisroel. All of the Yidden got Timtum — they were thinking so much about how they felt, and how they would be scared, they didn’t think about Hashem and the shlichus they were given!
So Hashem told Moshe to scream at them, and tell them that they’re not going into Eretz Yisroel.
Right away, they said that they were ready to go!
Why did the Yidden change their minds? Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t show them any nissim!
Really, there WAS no problem with going into Eretz Yisroel. Their neshama really knew that this was the right thing to do, and that they would be able to do it. When they heard the strong words of Moshe Rabbeinu, their Timtum went away. Right away they were able to feel how their neshama REALLY felt — that they wanted to go into Eretz Yisroel so much!
Similarly, when the Yetzer Hara comes to a Yid and throws in doubts in Emunah or bothers a Yid from living like a Yid, we will know that it’s not really who we are! It’s just from the Yetzer Hara. By following these directions in Torah, we can take away the koach the Yetzer Hara is given to bother us, and our neshama will be able to shine!
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We don’t say Tachanun, also on Shushan Purim Katan!
Chabad Minhagim: Before we make a Hamotzi, we scratch the bread with the knife, but are careful not to cut the bread. We say “Savri Maranan” before the bracha, even if we’re making Kiddush on Challah.
The Navi Chabakuk says that when Moshiach comes, rocks and wood will talk! Now, they don’t say anything. You can step on them, and they are quiet.
But there will come a time when the wood and stones will have a complaint, if a person stepped on them without saying or thinking words of Torah! The ground is waiting for thousands of years, and being stepped on by animals and people. It is waiting for a Yid or two to pass by and say words of Torah! And if he doesn’t, the ground is very upset! It will say to the person, “You are also like an animal!”
Once, the Alter Rebbe went for a walk with the Tzemach Tzedek, outside of Liozhna. He told the Tzemach Tzedek a story:
The Baal Shem Tov once was with his talmidim in the field. He told them to stand in a circle, and each of them should put their hands on the shoulders of the ones standing next to them. When the circle was complete, they suddenly saw many Yidden davening with their talleisim.
The Baal Shem Tov told his students, “These are from the tefillos that were davened here over 300 years ago.” He added that it’s not the actual tefillos, since the tefillos went up to Hashem. It is just a reshima, a mark that is left over from something in kedusha.
The Frierdiker Rebbe said this story in a sicha, and he added: If we would know what we accomplish, and the reshima we leave, from saying a posuk of Chumash or Tehillim wherever we are, we would be totally different, and we wouldn’t go around without Torah.
(Story from Sefer Hasichos Tof-Reish-Tzadik-Vov p. 151)
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In today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #246), we learn (like the past few days) that if there are ever people who have an argument about money or belongings, then Beis Din has a mitzvah to decide what should be done, according to the rules of the Torah.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos To'ein Venit'an
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Perek Yud-Gimmel: Here’s a case that could come before Beis Din: Reuven was living in a house for a long time, and Shimon came to him and said, “What are you doing in this house?! It’s mine!” What does the Beis Din do?
There’s a big problem here — Reuven doesn’t have a contract to show that the house is his! He didn’t keep the paper!
But Beis Din will still believe Reuven, even without the contract and let him stay in the house. This is because of something called “chazaka” — if a person was living in a house or using a field for 3 years, with other people knowing, that proves it belongs to him — because otherwise Shimon would have told him to move out a long time ago!
But there are some people where this is not a proof — like business partners. These people might not mind if their partner is using their house, but it doesn’t mean that they should be able to keep it forever! There is a different halacha for them — Shimon needs to prove the house used to be his, and needs to make a special kind of shevuah that he didn’t give it away or sell it to his partner.
In Perek Yud-Daled, one of the things we learn is that even if a person CAN’T use chazaka to prove that the property is theirs, they can bring witnesses to show that they bought it.
But a robber can’t do that either! If he once stole a field, the Beis Din will never be able to trust him, because maybe the person only pretended to sell the field to him because he was scared of him, since he is a robber!
Perek Tes-Vov teaches us what to do when witnesses come to Beis Din to say that the person has a chazaka on the property, but they don’t say exactly the same thing. If one person says he grew wheat for three years and the other witness says he grew barley, we accept the witnesses, because that is a small detail that the witnesses could make a mistake in. But if one witness says he worked there during the odd years, and the other witness says he worked there during the even years, then we don’t have any witness to say he has a chazaka, and he has to give the property back!
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In today’s Rambam, we review the 70 things that can make an animal treif. Since birds don’t have all of the same body parts as an animal, they don’t have the same 70 ways to become treif. Still, there are two ways a bird can become treif, that are not possible by an animal.
The Rambam tells us how to know if we can trust a butcher to be selling kosher meat. He needs to be an expert in all of the ways an animal can become tereifah.
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In a year with two Adars, besides for the regular Purim in the second Adar, we also have Purim Katan in the first. Should we celebrate that day or not?
In Shulchan Aruch, the Rama brings two opinions. He paskens that we should have a little nicer seudah on Purim Katan, because of the opinion that we should celebrate. He finishes, “Vetov Lev Mishteh Tamid,” a person with a good heart always looks for a reason to celebrate.
But does that mean only Purim Katan, or to celebrate also on Shushan Purim Katan? There are two opinions about that too!
The Rebbe explains that from the words of the Rama it seems that we should celebrate on Shushan Purim Katan also! The Rama adds the words “Vetov Lev Mishteh TAMID,” that a person with a good heart ALWAYS looks for a reason to celebrate, so we can understand from this that any time there might be a reason to increase in simcha, we should! So, on Shushan Purim Katan, we should also add a little bit in our seudah!
In the sicha, the Rebbe explains what it means to be a “Tov Lev” (a good heart) based on Rashi and the Gemara. We learn that through being a Tov Lev, Hashem rewards us by giving us Mishteh Tamid — that we will always have what we need and have reason to celebrate!
See Likutei Sichos chelek Alef, sicha Purim Katan (p. 175)
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In today’s Chumash, the very end of Parshas Tetzaveh, we learn about the Mizbeiach Haketores, the golden Mizbeiach where the kohen would bring ketores to Hashem.
The meforshim ask, why does the Torah tell us about it here?
In Parshas Terumah, we learn about most of the keilim in the Mishkan, like the Menorah and the Shulchan. In Parshas Tetzaveh, we learn about the Bigdei Kehunah, the special clothes the kohanim wear when they are doing their avodah.
Wouldn’t it make more sense for the Torah to teach about the Mizbeiach Haketores together with all of the other keilim? Why does the Torah only tell us about it now, at the end?
The Rebbe explains the reason:
When the kohen would bring the ketores, it was a very private time. Only the kohen was allowed to be there — nobody else, not even malochim! And when the kohen would bring the ketores, Hashem’s Shechinah would rest in the Mishkan. This type of Avodah is so special, it shows that the whole Avodah of the Mishkan is complete!
This is also an important lesson in our Avodas Hashem!
Just like with the Mizbeiach Haketores, the best way to do our Avodas Hashem is privately, just us and Hashem. Sometimes we do a mitzvah because we want other people to see that we are good, or we want someone to take a picture of us doing it and show it to other people. But the best way to do a mitzvah is when we don’t care if nobody is watching, and we don’t show off our mitzvos to other people — we do them just for Hashem.
See Likutei Sichos chelek Alef, parshas Tetzaveh
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After we finish the last kapitelach of Tehillim, we stand up and say a paragraph starting with the words, “Boruch Hashem Le’olam.”
The first part of Pesukei Dezimra is parts of Tehillim that praise Hashem!
We end this part of Pesukei Dezimra by saying pesukim of Tehillim that are at the end of parts of Tehillim.
1) The first posuk is the last posuk of Kapitel Pey-Tes, which is the last kapitel of Sefer Shlishi of Tehillim.
2) The second posuk is the last posuk of Hallel Hagadol, a kapitel of Tehillim which has special praises for Hashem.
3) The third and fourth pesukim are the last pesukim of Kapitel Ayin-Beis, which is the last kapitel of Sefer Sheini of Tehillim!
This is how we finish off this part of Pesukei Dezimra.
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If I have a pareve food that was cooked in a fleishige pot, do I become fleishig?
According to halacha, as long as there was no meat or grease from meat in the pot, even if the pot wasn’t so clean, the food won’t make you fleishig. It is fine to have milchigs right after eating from that pot.
See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch siman 46, se’if yud
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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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R’ Yitzchok ben Eliezer said: You should know that when Moshe Rabbeinu made the Mishkan and all of the keilim, did all the melacha and brought the korbanos, the Shechinah did not come rest in the Mishkan. The Shechinah did not come down until they brought the Ketores!
Hashem told the Yidden: “My children, be careful with the ketores, even more than with all of the other korbanos. With the ketores, you have a kapara in this world, and also Le’asid Lavo, when Moshiach comes!”
See Chumash Torah Sheleimah parshas Tetzaveh, p. 247
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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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