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CHUMASH

Parshas Vayeishev - Revi'i with Rashi

Yehuda left his brothers and moved to another town. He had a family there, but two of his sons and his wife died. Later, he married Tamar, and had twin boys. One of them is Peretz, the ancestor of Moshiach!

The Shevatim had listened to Yehuda and sold Yosef, since they looked up to Yehuda as their leader. Now, after seeing how upset it made their father, they decided to stop listening to Yehuda. So Yehuda decided to move to a different city, where he worked together with a man named Chirah.

Yehuda married the daughter of Shua, a famous merchant there. They had three boys, Eir, Onan, and Shailah. After Yehuda’s wife stopped having children, they called the place where they lived then Keziv, because it means “stopping.”

When his son Eir got older, Yehuda found him a wife — Tamar, the daughter of Shem. Eir was afraid that Tamar wouldn’t stay beautiful if she had children, so he didn’t want to have any babies. This was a big aveira, and Hashem made Eir pass away.

There is a mitzvah called yibum, that if a husband passes away without having children, his wife needs to marry his brother. That way it is counted as if the first brother also had a child, since the mitzvah is done because of him. Yehuda kept the mitzvos even before Matan Torah, so he had his second son Onan marry Tamar.

But Onan didn’t want Tamar to have children either, because he knew that they would be considered like Eir’s children according to Torah. So he did the same aveirah as his brother. Hashem was upset at him too, and Onan also passed away.

Yehuda was afraid to let Shailah marry Tamar, because he was afraid that it was Tamar’s fault that Eir and Onan died. He told Tamar to wait until Shailah gets older, but he wasn’t really planning on letting her marry Shailah at all.

Tamar went to live in her parents’ house while she waited.

About a year later, Yehuda’s wife passed away. Yehuda was very sad. Later, after he felt better, he went with Chirah, his partner, to Timna to watch them cutting the hair of the sheep (shearing).

Tamar heard that Yehuda was going to Timna, and she knew which way he was going. She wanted to have children from Yehuda’s family, and she saw that Shailah was older but still Yehuda wasn’t letting her marry him. So she decided to do something to get Yehuda to marry her.

Before Matan Torah, a person didn’t need to have a chuppah or Kiddushin in order to get married. If a man met a woman, they could decide to get married right then and would be husband and wife.

Tamar took off her veil and sat by the side of the road, like a woman who is looking to get married. When Yehuda saw her there, he didn’t recognize her, since Tamar was so tznius’dik and Yehuda hardly ever saw her when she was married to his sons. Yehuda wanted to just keep on going, but a malach made him go and ask if she wanted to get married to him. Tamar agreed, and Yehuda said he would give her a fine goat as a gift.

Tamar made Yehuda give her his ring, his special coat, and his stick until she gets the goat, and they decided to get married. Then Tamar went back home and put on her regular clothes. Yehuda still had no idea that it was Tamar!

Yehuda sent Chirah with the goat to keep the promise he had made, but he couldn’t find Tamar! He asked everyone where the woman was, but nobody knew. So Yehuda said, “I tried to give her the goat I promised! At least now she will keep the things I gave her before.”

Three months later, people could see that Tamar was going to have a baby. Since she wasn’t married, that could mean she had become a zonah, getting married to many men! In those days, someone from a special family (like Tamar, who was the daughter of Shem) who did that kind of aveirah could get a big punishment. So Yehuda said, “Bring her and we will have to punish her, because that is the law.”

Tamar didn’t want to embarrass Yehuda in public, even if she might get put to death. So while they were bringing her to punish her, she had someone show Yehuda his ring and coat and stick, saying “I am having a baby because of the person who owns these things! Please tell the truth so nobody has to die.”

Yehuda knew the things were his, and understood that it was because of him — Tamar had wanted to make sure she has children from Yehuda’s family, and he hadn’t wanted her to marry Shailah. She wasn’t a zonah, marrying many men, she had only gotten married to Yehuda.

Hashem said, “I was the One Who wanted this to happen! Because Tamar was always so tznius’dik, I decided that the kings of Bnei Yisrael should come from her. Really they were supposed to come from Eir and Onan, but because of the aveiros they did, I arranged that Tamar have children with Yehuda instead!”

Yehuda now understood that it wasn’t Tamar’s fault that Eir and Onan passed away, Yehuda knew it wasn’t dangerous to have her as a wife, so he stayed married to her.

When Tamar was having her babies, the midwife saw that it was going to be twins! One of the babies started to be born, and a hand came out. The midwife tied a red string so she would remember which baby was born first and would be the bechor, but the hand went back in and the other baby was born first! Since he pushed ahead, Yehuda called him “Peretz” which means breaking through. (Moshiach comes from Peretz!)

Then his brother was born, and they called him Zarach, because of the shining red string.

Because Tamar only had these children for the right reason, the twins were strong and tzadikim like their father Yehuda.

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TEHILLIM

97 - 103

Today’s kapitelach are Tzadik-Zayin to Kuf-Gimmel.

Once when the Frierdiker Rebbe was a young boy, his father the Rebbe Rashab took him to a Chassidishe farbrengen. It was Sukkos, and the farbrengen was in the freezing cold Sukkah. The farbrengen went until very late, and the Frierdiker Rebbe fell asleep.

Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah (the Frierdiker Rebbe’s mother) came to take him into his warm bed, but the Rebbe Rashab said to let him stay! The Rebbetzin said, “It is cold for him! Doesn’t it say in Tehillim, ‘Kerachem Av Al Banim’ — ‘Hashem has rachmanus on us like a FATHER has rachmanus on his child’? Where is your rachmanus for your son? He might get sick from the cold chas veshalom!” (This posuk is in today’s Tehillim!)

The Rebbe Rashab answered, “Let him sleep close to Chassidim that are farbrenging, and that will keep him warm! This varemkeit (warmth) will stay with him for many generations.”

Many years later, the Frierdiker Rebbe told this story at a farbrengen with Chassidim. After the story, he said, “This is Mesiras Nefesh for Chinuch!”

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TANYA

Likutei Amarim Hakdamas Hamelaket

Today we learn the first part of the letter that the Alter Rebbe writes to Chassidim before they learn Tanya, called Hakdomas Hamelaket

One of the reasons why the Tanya was written was so the Chassidim wouldn’t have to ask the Alter Rebbe everything about their Avodas Hashem. Instead, they would find their answers in the Tanya!

The Alter Rebbe shows Chassidim that he understands that this might make them worried.

First of all, they would rather have Yechidus to answer their questions, instead of having their questions answered in a sefer.

Also different kinds of people like different kinds of seforim! The Chassidim might be worried that not everyone’s questions can be answered.

In tomorrow’s Tanya, the Alter Rebbe will start to explain why he is doing it this way, and how it is possible for Chassidim to find answers to their questions in this one sefer.

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HAYOM YOM

Chof Kislev

Today we learn about the stages in the printing of Tanya, starting from the first time it was printed, to the way we have it today!

The first place the Tanya was printed was in Slavita, today — Chof Kislev, 5557. It had the first two parts of Tanya, Sefer Shel Beinonim and Shaar Hayichud Veha’emunah.

Igeres HaTeshuva, the third part of Tanya, was first printed two years later (5559), in Zolkvi, and then the final version was printed in Shklov seven years later (5566).

The fourth part of Tanya, Igeres Hakodesh (which includes Kuntres Acharon), was printed for the first time in Shklov, in 5574. (This was the year after the histalkus of the Alter Rebbe.)

These four parts of Tanya were corrected to the way we have them now, and printed in Vilna in 5660... and that version has been printed many, many times since then!

The Rebbe instructed that Tanyas should be printed in every place. Is there a Tanya that was printed where you live?

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SEFER HAMITZVOS

Shiur #210 - Mitzvas Asei #110

Today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #110) is how we make a person or a house with Tzoraas tahor again! It needs to be done the way the Torah tells us, using two birds, water, and certain plants. For a person, this is all the first step to becoming Tahor.

Here are the things we need:

- a piece of wood from a cedar tree
- a kind of plant called an Eizov
- a piece of red wool
- two birds
- a bowl of water (the kind of water that we can use for a Mikvah)

Together with the mitzvos we learned before, we now see that there are three ways a person can take away tumah from himself:

1) Going in a mikvah (this is for all kinds of Tumah)
2) The ashes of the Parah Adumah (for Tumas Meis)
3) Wood, wool, Eizov, birds, and water (for Tumas Tzoraas)

We learn this mitzvah from many pesukim at the beginning of Parshas Metzora, and it is explained in Mishnayos Mesechta Nega’im.

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RAMBAM

Hilchos Tumas Tzoraas

In today’s Rambam, we learn more about Tzoraas:

Perek Ches: There is a kind of Tzoraas that comes on a part of the head or the chin where the hair fell off, called a Nesek. If there are gold-colored hairs there, or if the spot of Tzoraas grew, the person is Tomei.

Perek Tes: There are many halachos about the Kohen checking to see if the Tzoraas is Tomei. We learn WHO can check (only a Kohen, and only if he knows the halachos or is listening to someone else who DOES know the halachos), WHEN he checks (only certain times during the day, and not during Yom Tov, for example), and HOW he checks (how the person stands).

Perek Yud: This perek tells us the details of the mitzvah we learned about not taking off signs of tzoraas.We also learn about how a Metzora can make other people Tomei, and the halachos of the mitzvah that show how a Metzora needs to act to make sure nobody becomes Tomei by mistake.

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RAMBAM PEREK ECHOD

Hilchos Malveh VeLoveh - Perek Vov

Sometimes when a person borrows money, he gives a Mashkon to show that he will pay it back. If the Mashkon is something that a person could benefit from, like a field that grows fruit, or a house that a person can live in, it can be interest if the person eats the fruit or lives there. This perek teaches how to be careful about this kind of interest!

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INYANA D'YOMA

Yud-Tes Kislev

On Yud-Tes Kislev, the Alter Rebbe was released from prison. But he didn’t come back home until Chof Kislev, so both days are a Yom Tov!

There is an important lesson we can learn from what happened on Chof Kislev. But first, let’s review what happened on Yud-Tes Kislev in Ruchnius:

Why did the Alter Rebbe sit in jail?

The Alter Rebbe had Mesiras Nefesh to spread Yiddishkeit and to teach Chassidus. Since teaching Chassidus was something new, in Shomayim it wasn’t clear that it was the right thing for it to be revealed now in the world. Therefore also in Gashmius, which is a reflection of what happens in Ruchnius, there were Yidden who disagreed with spreading Chassidus.

Only after the Geulah of Yud-Tes Kislev was it decided in Shomayim, and later accepted in Gashmius too, that Chassidus MUST be learned to prepare the world for the coming of Moshiach!

After the Alter Rebbe left jail, he wrote a letter to the Chassidim, printed in Igeres Hakodesh, telling them how to act with those who were against Chassidus. He told the Chassidim to be humble and not say “Ha, we were right!” or to treat them not nicely in any way.

The Alter Rebbe himself showed an example of this to his Chassidim, which is what happened on Chof Kislev:

Right after the Alter Rebbe left jail, he asked to be brought to the house of one of his Chassidim nearby. In the same house also lived one of the Misnagdim. Mistakenly, the Alter Rebbe was brought to the apartment of the Misnaged instead of to the Chossid!

The Alter Rebbe sat there for three hours, while the Misnaged said many things about Chassidus to hurt the Alter Rebbe. When finally the Chassidim realized what had happened, they came to the Misnaged’s apartment to get the Alter Rebbe. The Chassidim were very upset at the Misnaged and wanted to punish him for bothering the Alter Rebbe! But the Alter Rebbe said that out of respect for his host, since he prepared tea for him, he first wanted to drink the glass of tea.

Obviously, if the kitrug was removed already, the Alter Rebbe didn’t need to go through any more imprisonment and pain. The only reason why it happened was to show an example to Chassidim of how to act after the Geulah. Even though they were very hurt and upset by those who caused the Alter Rebbe to be brought to jail, they should still treat them in a mentchliche, respectful way.

See Farbrengen Yud-Tes Kislev 5738, first sicha

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TEFILLAH

Yud-Beis Pesukim - Review

We are reviewing the meaning of the last four pesukim, the last two of each set that the Rebbe taught us, which come from Chassidus. Chassidus shows us the neshama, the deeper meaning of Torah, and helps us to use our mind and heart and all of our inner kochos in serving Hashem!

Ki Karov Eilecha — Torah and mitzvos are very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it.

This posuk, which is the foundation of Tanya, tells us that we are able to serve Hashem with our mind and heart and all of our kochos.

In the earlier pesukim, we learned about the Avodah of a Yid, about how precious Torah and mitzvos are, and how we should learn it in a way of Yogaati! In the posuk of Ki Karov, we learn not just to learn Torah and do mitzvos, but to do it BILVAVCHA, with a feeling in our heart!

We use our mind to understand the greatness of Hashem and how important Torah and mitzvos are, making us feel that we want to be close to Hashem and do what we are supposed to with a feeling of Ahava and Yirah.

The posuk that matches this, which the Rebbe taught a few weeks later, is the posuk of Vezeh.

Vezeh Kol Ha’adam — The purpose of a person and the entire Creation, the higher Ruchnius worlds and this Gashmius world, is all that we should make it into a Dira Betachtonim, a place for Hashem!

From this posuk we see that serving Hashem with our own neshama and all of our kochos is also the “neshama” and the purpose of the whole Creation!

When we know this, it will make us feel fulfilled and happy with what we are doing! We realize this is IT! We don’t need to look anywhere else, we are fulfilling the Tachlis of Hashem’s Creation!

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HALACHOS HATZRICHOS

Where to Light

Many Yidden have the minhag to put their menorah in the window of their home. This way, people passing by can see the menorah, which is the idea of Pirsumei Nisa! But the Rebbeim had a different minhag — to light the menorah in one of the doorways inside the house. This way we are surrounded by mitzvos — with the mezuzah on one side, and the menorah on the other.

Even though we do Pirsumei Nisa in many other ways, like public Menorah lightings and menorahs on our cars, why don’t we do the Pirsumei Nisa with the Menorah that we light at home?

Of course, the main reason is, as the Gemara teaches, because it is important to follow the minhag of our Rebbeim!

But the Rebbe also gives other reasons why lighting in our window is not necessarily the best way for Pirsumei Nisa:

Many windows are higher than 20 amos from the ground, especially people in apartment buildings. A menorah higher up than this is not considered Pirsumei Nisa in halacha, because people don’t usually look up so far.

Also, many menorahs are made with a back plate (like mivtzoyim menorahs). With those menorahs, if you put them facing the window, then nobody inside can see the flames, and if you put them facing inside, then there is no point in putting them by the window!

Therefore, the minhag Chabad is to light our menorahs at home in one of the doorways, and use many other ways to fulfill the inyan of Pirsumei Nisa, to spread the miracle of Chanukah!

See Likutei Sichos chelek Hey p. 456

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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GEULAH U'MOSHIACH

Learning About the Geulah

The Baal Shem Tov says, “Bemakom Shemachshavto Shel Adam, Sham Hu Nimtza.” “Where a person’s thoughts are, that’s where he is.

This helps us understand why it’s so important to learn about the Geulah! When we are thinking about the Geulah, then in a certain way, we are already there! This also gives us the koach to speed up bringing the Geulah for all the Yidden.

See Farbrengen Parshas Balak 5743

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