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CHUMASH
Parshas Vayeira - Chamishi with Rashi
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Today we learn about the party Avraham and Sarah made when Yitzchak turned two. We also learn how Yishmael was sent away.
Avraham was one hundred when Yitzchak was born. Sarah felt that Yitzchak, which means laughter, made her laugh with happiness — and also made everyone who heard the news very happy too.
When Yitzchak was two years old, he stopped nursing, and started eating only regular food. Avraham made a party, and lots of people came — including Shem, Ever, and Avimelech.
Sarah nursed all of the babies who came to the party, to show them the neis Hashem made — that even though she was so old, she was able to have a baby, and even able to nurse him herself! This way nobody could think that Yitzchak wasn’t really their son.
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Avraham tried to teach Yishmael to be good, but Yishmael was wild. Once, after an argument with Yitzchak, he shot arrows at him in the field. Sarah saw this, and also saw that he davened to idols, did not-tznius things, and even killed people!
Sarah told Avraham to send away Hagar and Yishmael. Avraham felt very bad to send away his son, but Hashem told him to listen to her. He reminded Avraham not to worry, Yishmael would also have many children.
Avraham woke up in the morning, and gave Hagar bread and water. Yishmael had become sick because Sarah gave him an Ayin Hara, so Avraham had Hagar carry the food and also carry Yishmael.
Hagar left and wandered in the desert. She was so upset at being sent away that she decided to worship Avodah Zarah again.
Since Yishmael was sick, he drank a lot of water. When the water ran out, Hagar put him under a bush, and walked away. She was sure Yishmael would die. She saw he was getting sicker, and she cried out loud. Yishmael also davened.
Hashem heard Yishmael’s cries, and told Hagar not to worry. (The Chachomim learn from here that the davening of the sick person himself is more powerful than the davening of other people.) Hashem showed her a well of water, and she gave water to Yishmael. He grew up in the desert and became a shooter and a robber. He lived in the Paran desert, and Hagar found him a girl to marry from Mitzrayim.
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Today’s kapitelach of Tehillim are Ayin-Tes through Pey-Beis.
When these kapitelach were the Rebbe’s kapitelach for his Yom Huledes, there was a niggun made up for each one! Do you know them all?
In Kapitel Pey, Dovid Hamelech starts asking Hashem that “Roei Yisroel Haazina, Noheg Katzon Yosef.” “The Shepherd of Yidden, listen, the One who takes care of Yosef like sheep.”
In this posuk, Yidden are called with TWO names: Yisroel and Yosef.
We know Yidden are called Bnei Yisroel, because we are all children of Yaakov Avinu, who is also called Yisroel. But why are all Yidden called with the name Yosef, if he was only one of the Shevatim?
The reason is because in the time when there was no food in Eretz Yisroel, Yosef was the one who fed all the Yidden. Since he gave all the Yidden chayus, we are all called by his name!
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TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof-Ches
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This new letter was written to comfort R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, after his son, R’ Meir passed away. The Alter Rebbe writes “Mechutoni,” because they were mechutonim — R’ Levi Yitzchak’s grandson married the Alter Rebbe’s granddaughter.
When the Torah tells us about how Miriam passed away, it says it in the Torah right near the part where we learn about the Parah Adumah. The Chachomim explain that just like a Parah Adumah can make someone tahor from even the greatest tumah, so too when a tzadik passes away, it brings a kapara for even the greatest aveiros Yidden have done.
First, the Alter Rebbe tells us what happens in Ruchnius when the Parah Adumah is brought:
The mitzvah of Parah Adumah has many many details! When we do the mitzvah with all of the details like it says in the Torah, it brings a very great chayus of Hashem into the world. That chayus of Hashem is able to bring tahara even to the strongest tumah! This is much greater than what happens with regular korbanos.
Tomorrow IY”H we will learn what happens when a Tzadik passes away, and why these two things are similar.
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A person has a koach in their neshama called machshava, which means thinking. This koach is ALWAYS working — a person is ALWAYS thinking! But where does this koach find things to think about? From the koach of the neshama called sechel, things a person knows or learns.
So if a person knows or learns good things, things about Torah and Yiddishkeit and Ahavas Yisroel, that’s what they will be thinking about! But if what a person knows is just about Gashmius, or just what they see and hear about in the street, then THAT’S what they will think about.
That is why a person sometimes has Machshavos Zaros, meaningless or not good thoughts, because the sechel is not full of Torah.
So we need to make sure to learn Torah every day. This will fill up our sechel with good things, and keep our machshava busy thinking about them!
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Today we learn the same mitzvah as yesterday again: (Mitzvas Asei #49) This is a mitzvah with a lot of details — we need to do the WHOLE Avodah of Yom Kippur, exactly like it says in the Torah!
We also learn a new mitzvah (from the new section in Rambam, Hilchos Me’ilah):
(Mitzvas Asei #118) If someone ate from a korban or Terumah, he needs to return the amount that he ate, plus an extra fifth.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Vayikra: וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר חָטָא מִן הַקֹּדֶשׁ יְשַׁלֵּם וְאֶת חֲמִישִׁתוֹ יוֹסֵף עָלָיו
The details of this mitzvah are explained in Mesechta Me’ilah and Mesechta Terumos.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Avodas Yom HaKipurim - Me'ilah
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In today's Rambam, we learn more about the special Avodah of Yom Kippur. Then we start a NEW section in Rambam, about Me’ilah — what to do if we use something that was set aside for Hashem, which is not allowed.
Perek Daled: Now the Rambam tells us the seder of the day of Yom Kippur.
Perek Hey: We learn what happens if the Avodah was done in the wrong order, or if something wasn’t done exactly like it says in the Torah.
Perek Alef: In the first perek of Hilchos Me’ilah, the Rambam explains what me’ilah is: using something that was set aside for Hashem, which we are not allowed to do. One of the things the Rambam talks about is using the wool of an animal that is hekdesh, and when this is considered Me’ilah.
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We learn about how a Jewish slave is sold, and when they go free. When the Beis Din sells a person, they sell them for 6 years, and they go free in the seventh year. But if a Yovel year comes, they go free right away, even if they are supposed to be slaves for longer.
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There are kinds of good in how we serve Hashem — Tov LaShomayim and Tov LaBriyos.
Something that is Tov LaShomayim, good for Shomayim, is something we do for Hashem, like our learning and davening. Tov LaBriyos, good for creations, is something that helps other people, like giving tzedakah or doing Hachnosas Orchim.
We need to make sure our avodah has BOTH kinds, and we can even have them both together!
How do we have them both together?
Even when we are davening (Tov LaShomayim), we should think about other Yidden (Tov LaBriyos)! We do this right away at the beginning of davening, saying “Hareini Mekabel Alai Mitzvas Asei Shel Ve’ahavta Le’reiacha Kamocha!” And we should daven not just for ourselves, but for other people too!
And when we help another person (Tov LaBriyos), we should do it for Hashem (Tov LaShomayim)! When we are doing it for Hashem, we will help even if it doesn’t feel good. Even if the person is complaining instead of thanking us, we will help them because it is a mitzvah!
This way, we can make sure that our avodah ALL the time is done in a way of Tov LaShomayim AND Tov LaBriyos together.
See Sicha to Nshei Ubnos Chabad, Chof-Ches Iyar Tof-Shin-Lamed-Ches
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The sixth posuk of the Yud-Beis Pesukim starts with the words “Vehinei Hashem.” This posuk comes from the Tanya, in Perek Mem-Alef. The Alter Rebbe uses these words to strengthen our Yiras Shomayim, by remembering that Hashem is always watching us to see if we will behave in the right way!
Vehinei Hashem Nitzav Alav — Hashem is standing right next to us!
U’melo Chol Ha’aretz Kevodo — And even though Hashem’s glory fills the world,
U’mabit Alav — Hashem is looking specifically at US!
Uvochein Klayos Valeiv — Hashem checks to see what we are thinking and feeling
Im Ovdo Kara’ui — To see if we are serving Hashem the way we should.
When we think about this, we will be careful to always do what Hashem wants!
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Sometimes a person wants to make conditions about their mitzvos. A person might think, “I will daven with kavana if Hashem makes me find my lost bicycle.”
We are not allowed to do this. It is called testing Hashem. Instead, we need to act in a way of “Tomim Tihiyeh Im Hashem Elokecha,” we do our mitzvos in a tmimus’dike way, without calculating what will happen afterwards. Not all of Hashem’s rewards happen right away or in a clear way, and we can’t make conditions for the mitzvos we do.
But there is one mitzvah that is different: Tzedakah!
For this mitzvah, Hashem says that we SHOULD test Him. We learn this from a posuk in Malachi, where Hashem says “Bechanuni Na Bezos,” “test me with this!” Hashem promises that when we give tzedakah, we WILL see clear brachos!
The Rebbe once wrote about this to a Yid who had given a big donation to tzedakah.
The Rebbe told him that he was happy to see that Hashem’s bracha did come quickly! Soon after giving this big donation, the Yid was zoche to the biggest bracha that parents can have — their oldest son got married and began to build a beautiful Yiddishe home.
Likutei Sichos vol 39 p. 294; See Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deiah end of siman 247
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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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In today’s Chumash, Chamishi of Parshas Vayeira, we learn about when Hagar and Yishmael were sent away, and Yishmael got very sick. Hagar put him under some bushes and walked away, because it was hard for her to see him and not be able to help him. The words of the posuk are, “Vatashleich Es Hayeled Tachas Achad Hasichim.”
Meforshim show us that this posuk has a hint about Moshiach inside of it: “Sichim” (bushes) is the same letters as “Moshiach!”
So this posuk is telling us that Yishmael will be under Moshiach, meaning that Moshiach will rule over him.
Now in Golus, Yishmael (the nation that the Arabs come from) give Yidden a hard time. But very soon, when Moshiach comes, Yishmael will be under the rule of Moshiach, and Yidden will be able to serve Hashem without any worries or distractions!
See Yalkut Moshiach U’Geulah, Parshas Vayeira; Pri Dovid
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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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