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CHUMASH
Parshas Vayakhel - Chamishi with Rashi
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Now the Yidden made the walls, the Aron, and the Shulchan for the Mishkan!
The walls of the Mishkan were made of Kerashim, tall thin beams. The Mishkan was 20 Kerashim long, and 8 Kerashim wide. The bottom of each of the Kerashim had two pieces sticking out like a plug! Each of the Kerashim were “plugged in” to two silver Adanim.
The front of the Mishkan was covered by a Masach, a curtain.
The Torah says specifically that Betzalel made the Aron. It has his name because Betzalel was extra-careful to do it properly, since he knew that the Aron was the holiest part of the Mishkan. The Yidden also made the Kapores, the cover of the Aron, with the Keruvim standing on it.
They also made the Shulchan, the golden table for the Lechem Hapanim, together with all of the tools needed for it.
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Today we are saying the 15 Shir Hamaalos! Every kapitel in today’s tehillim (15 kapitelach) starts with the words “Shir Hamaalos” or “Shir Lamaalos.”
Maalos means steps, going up! They bring us higher and closer to Hashem!
These fifteen kapitelach were first said by Yaakov Avinu when he was in Lavan’s house.
They were also said by Dovid Hamelech when he was digging a stream under the place of the Beis Hamikdash, and the underground water was about to make a big flood! Dovid asked a Rov if he can write Hashem’s name on a piece of clay, and when Achitofel said yes, he did it. The water went back down, but too far down! So Dovid Hamelech said the 15 Shir Hamaalos, and the water came up 15,000 amos, so the ground wouldn’t be too dry to grow things.
Do you know what else is 15 in Yiddishkeit? Here are some of them!
- There are 15 steps in the Seder on Pesach
- There are 15 things that are done every day in the Beis Hamikdash (we say them in davening, in a paragraph that starts “Abaye”)
- There are 15 steps into the Beis Hamikdash
- There were 15 years where all of the Avos were alive at the same time!
- There were 15 years where all of the Avos of Chassidus were alive at the same time — the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid, and the Alter Rebbe!
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Lamed-Beis
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Today’s Tanya is all about the shlichus the Rebbe gave us all, to be mekarev Yidden to Yiddishkeit and to have Ahavas Yisroel for every Yid.
In the first half of Perek Lamed-Beis, we learned how to fulfill the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel, by realizing that the main thing is the neshama.
In the second half of the perek, we are learning about specific kinds of people we need to have Ahavas Yisroel for.
In yesterday’s Tanya, the Alter Rebbe started to teach us about how we have Ahavas Yisroel for a Yid who we are very close with, and is frum but isn’t acting the way he should, even after doing the mitzvah of Hocheiach Tochiach. In tomorrow’s Tanya, we will IY”H finish learning exactly how to have Ahavas Yisroel for this kind of person, even though the Torah says we should hate that kind of behavior.
Today, the Alter Rebbe tells us about a different type of Yid — either someone that we aren’t close enough with to do the mitzvah of Hocheiach Tochiach, or Yidden who are not frum yet.
Here there is a special mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel. Even though they may be very far away from Hashem’s Torah and serving Hashem, they have a neshama just like we do. Since the neshama is the main thing, we can love them 100% and try to bring them closer to Yiddishkeit.
Of course, it might be hard for someone who didn’t grow up with Yiddishkeit to become more frum. So the Alter Rebbe reminds us that even if they don’t come closer to Yiddishkeit, even when we try and are friendly to them, we are still doing the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel completely.
That’s what Hillel Hazakein teaches us in the Mishnah: “You should be from the talmidim of Aharon… love the creations of Hashem and bring them close to Torah.” Since these Yidden aren’t living according to Torah, they are missing what makes us special, and are called “Briyos” — “creations.” But still, they have a neshama! We need to love them and bring them closer to the Torah.
Even if we are not successful, we didn’t lose anything, because we are doing the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel! And not only that, we are having hiskashrus to the Rebbeim by fulfilling what they told us to do!
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When a person makes a Cheshbon Hanefesh, thinking about where things are holding and how to improve, he might not be doing it in an emes’dike way.
Sometimes, a person can be extra strict with himself. He tries to find problems, things that maybe were aveiros — even if that’s not true.
Other times, it is the opposite! A person ignores things that really need to be fixed, because he isn’t interested in working on them.
Neither of those are emes! A Yid needs to be truthful in his own Avodas Hashem! He shouldn’t be too machmir on himself, finding things that are not wrong, and he shouldn’t be too meikil, not paying attention to things that really need to be corrected.
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Today we learn three more mitzvos about judges:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #315) We are not allowed to curse a judge.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: אֱלֹקִים לֹא תְקַלֵּל
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #281) A judge shouldn’t believe non-true things. We tell a judge that he is not allowed to start hearing about a court case until BOTH sides are there. Otherwise he might believe something that isn’t true!
This mitzvah also includes something for everybody: not to say Lashon Hara, not to listen to Lashon Hara, and not to say not true eidus.
We also learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: לֹא תִשָּׂא שֵׁמַע שָׁוְא
3) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #316) It is asur to curse a Nasi — a leader of the Yidden. This includes both a king and the leader of the Sanhedrin.
We also learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: וְנָשִׂיא בְעַמְּךָ לֹא תָאֹר
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In Perek Chof-Beis, we learn how things are done in Beis Din. We learn that if someone knows a reason why the psak should be a certain way, he should say so, even if he is worried about what others will think — because the Torah says Midvar Sheker Tirchak! We need to stay away from letting something not true be said.
We learn that the best thing for a Beis Din to do is to try to get both sides to agree to compromise! This is the way of shalom.
In Perek Chof-Gimmel, we learn more about yesterday’s mitzvah not to take a bribe. Bribes aren’t just money — if someone is a friend of a judge, or did him a favor, it will be hard for the judge to listen to the other side, since he already likes one person.
Perek Chof-Daled teaches us what a judge should do if he is sure that someone is lying, but he can’t prove it. He is not allowed to pasken if he doesn’t feel that the psak is correct, so he should keep asking the witnesses questions until he feels sure, or else he should ask another judge to pasken.
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Today we learn when a person is chayav for a false Shevuas Hapikadon, or when it is counted as a Shevuas Bitui.
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On Chof-Zayin Adar Alef, in the year Tof-Shin-Nun-Beis, and then again in Tof-Shin-Nun-Daled on the same day, Hashem took away (R”L) from Yidden the chance to hear the Rebbe speak to us and farbreng with us.
When we think about this, and how long it has been since we were able to hear the Rebbe, it makes us feel terrible — tzubrochen (crushed)!
In the maamar Ve’ata Tetzaveh, which the Rebbe gave out to all of the Chassidim before Chof-Zayin Adar, the Rebbe speaks about this. The Rebbe teaches us that being tzubrochen is very important and brings to very good things!
Yidden are like olives. The best part of the olive is the oil, that can be used for light and for food. When the olive is squeezed or crushed, this oil can come out! The same way, when Yidden are crushed, our “oil” comes out. The oil of a Yid is the Etzem Haneshama, the deepest part of us that wants Moshiach so much!
When we feel tzubrochen, we want Gilui Elokus, when every part of the world will recognize Hashem. The Rebbe teaches that we need to make sure to use this strong feeling! We need to make sure that we use ALL of our kochos to make the Geulah happen faster!
On a day like Chof-Zayin Adar, when we feel tzubrochen that we still can’t hear and see the Rebbe, we have a very strong feeling of wanting Moshiach. That should bring us to ask Hashem to bring Moshiach, and it is also a very good time to make hachlatos to use our kochos to bring the Geulah!
There are many hachlatos we could make, because the Rebbe gave us many horaos of what to do to bring the Geulah! Each of us should think to ourselves what we can add, to make sure that what are doing is bringing Moshiach closer!
See mamar Ve’ata Tetzaveh
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In the bracha before Shema, we speak about Hashem’s great love for the Yidden. We say, “Uvonu Vocharta Mikol Am VeLashon” — Hashem chose the Yidden, from among all the other nations, to be His special nation!
The Alter Rebbe tells us that Hashem wasn’t choosing our neshamos. That’s not a choice, it’s obvious! You don’t “choose” between plastic and gold. The neshama of a Yid is extra-special! So what DID Hashem choose?
Hashem chose even the parts of us that look like everyone else! There are ways that a Yid and a Goy look exactly the same, but Hashem chose davka us!
When we realize how much Hashem loves us, that makes us love Hashem back!
So we say “Ve’ahavta Es Hashem,” we love Hashem and want to do what He wants us to! Hashem’s love for us makes us love Him too, and want to serve Hashem with everything we have.
See Tanya, Likutei Amarim perek Mem-Tes
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There are four mitzvos of Purim, and many other halachos and minhagim. It is very important for us to keep them all. But the Rebbe teaches us that we need to have Ahavas Yisroel and make sure other Yidden can keep these mitzvos too!
Over the years, the Rebbe spoke about Purim mivtzoyim many times! Here is a collection of some of the things the Rebbe told us about:
1) Teach about Purim: We should make sure that people are able to learn more about Purim! We should not only teach about the halachos of Purim, but about the Ruchnius’dike meaning of Purim. Some ways to do this are by teaching classes, and including information about Purim in things we give or send out.
2) Do at least the easy mitzvos: Some of the mitzvos of Purim are very easy for almost ANYONE to do, like giving Shalach Manos and Matanos L’evyonim. We should make sure we are getting as many people as possible to do these mitzvos — including children! Some ways to do this are by bringing coins and a pushka along with us, and having people GIVE (not just get) Shalach Manos.
3) Help people do the harder mitzvos properly: If someone is ready to hear the Megillah, we should make sure they have a Baal Korei who can lein it the way halacha teaches!
4) Spread Simchas Purim: It is a mitzvah to be happy on Purim! So even if a person isn’t able to do the mitzvos, at least they should be happy! Especially in a place where there isn’t much happiness, like in a hospital or nursing home or prison, we should share the joy of Purim so they can celebrate it too!
Based on Sichos of Purim throughout the years — see Otzar Minhagei Chabad, 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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R’ Yoel Kahan A”H tells a story that happened at the farbrengen of Parshas Shemini, 5712:
A certain chossid came over to the Rebbe during the farbrengen to tell a story that happened to him with the Frierdiker Rebbe. The chossid said, “This story happened with the Rebbe, Nishmaso Eden,” (whose neshama is in Gan Eden), meaning the Frierdiker Rebbe.
When the Rebbe heard these words, his face became very serious. The Rebbe stopped the chossid, and said: “Why are you sending the Rebbe to Salavki?!” (Salavki is a city in Siberia. The Rebbe meant that saying that the Frierdiker Rebbe is only in Gan Eden is like saying that he is in Golus in Siberia!)
The Rebbe cried a lot while saying these words, and finished off, “The Rebbe is here with us!”
R’ Yoel explained the hora’ah we can take from this. Even though this farbrengen was two years after the Frierdiker Rebbe’s histalkus, and the Rebbe was there with Chassidim, still the Rebbe said that the Frierdiker Rebbe was still with his chassidim, not just sitting and enjoying Gan Eden! Certainly today, this is true as well, that the Rebbe is with us.
When we learn the Rebbe’s Torah and follow the Rebbe’s horaos, we will very soon be zoche that the Rebbe will take us all out of Golus to the Geulah Sheleimah right away!
See sefer Bedarkei Hachassidim p. 121
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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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