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CHUMASH
Parshas Mikeitz - Shishi with Rashi
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In today’s Chumash, we start to learn what happens after the Shevatim bring Benyamin to Mitzrayim.
When Yosef first saw Benyamin with the rest of the Shevatim, he told his head servant to go shecht some animals and invite the brothers to come eat the first meal of the day with him.
Yosef’s head servant brought the brothers into Yosef’s house. Since usually Yosef did not invite people who came to get food to his house, they were afraid they were going to be punished. They thought that now they would be blamed that they stole the money that was found in their bags, and they would all be taken as slaves.
They went out and spoke to the head servant and said, “We came to buy food and we found that our money was in our bags when we left! We don’t know who put it there! We brought back the money, and we brought other money to buy the food.”
The head servant said, “Don’t worry, Hashem gave you that money as a present. Maybe it was a reward for something good that you did, or something your father did. The money you paid for food last time we already got.”
The head servant then brought Shimon out of jail, and let him join his brothers. Shimon told them how he had been treated well.
The brothers weren’t so afraid anymore. The servant brought them back in, and gave them water to wash their feet and food for their donkeys. Since they knew Yosef would soon be coming to eat with them, they set up their present in fancy bowls.
When Yosef came home, they showed him the present and bowed down in front of him.
Yosef asked them, “How is your father? Is he alive?”
They answered, “Yes, our father is alive,” and bowed down again.
Yosef looked up and saw his brother Benyamin, and asked “is this the youngest brother you told me about?” Then he told Benyamin, “Hashem should be kind to you!”
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Today’s kapitelach are Kuf-Mem to Kuf-Mem-Daled.
One of the most important jobs for a soldier in Tzivos Hashem is to win over our Yetzer Hara.
But that can be so hard! Our Yetzer Hara is sneaky and tricky and convinces us to do the wrong thing!
In today’s Tehillim, we see one of the best ways of dealing with our Yetzer Hara!
Dovid Hamelech says, in Kapitel Kuf-Mem: “Chaltzeini Hashem Me’Adam Ra!” “Hashem, save me from a not-good person!”
What not-good person are we talking about? One meaning is the Yetzer Hara himself!
When we are having trouble with our Yetzer Hara, we shouldn’t forget to ask Hashem to help us! Of course Hashem will help us, and we will be able to do our job well!
See rally for children, 5th night of Chanukah 5747
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Daled
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We learned that Hashem gave the neshama the Levushim, which it can use for learning Torah and doing mitzvos, which connect a Yid, together with all of his kochos, with Hashem!
This helps us understand the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos, which tells us how important it is to grab every chance to do a mitzvah: The Mishnah says that one chance to do a mitzvah in this world is better than EVERYTHING a neshama can get in Olam Haba!
We now understand this Mishnah, because we know how a mitzvah makes us one with Hashem, and a mitzvah can only be done here, in Olam Hazeh!
But aren’t the mitzvos all in Gashmius? How can we say it’s so close to Hashem?
It’s true that the mitzvos are wearing “clothes” of Gashmius, but that doesn’t make a difference! We can understand why with a mashal:
Let’s say someone wants to hug another person. It doesn’t matter if that person is wearing a shirt, or a coat, or a sweater! The main thing is the hug, it doesn’t matter how many layers that person is wearing. You won’t say, “I just hugged my friend’s sweater!” You know that you hugged your friend!
When we do a mitzvah, it’s like a hug with Hashem! The gashmius things we use to do the mitzvah are like Hashem’s “clothes.” So even though Hashem is “wearing” all of these “clothes,” when we do mitzvos, we are still hugging Hashem!
And not only that, Hashem is hugging us too! (We know this from a posuk, “Viyemincha Techabkeini” — Hashem’s right hand, which Chassidus teaches means Torah, hugs us!)
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We learned yesterday about the “Latkes Ovent” which the Rebbeim made. The Rebbe learns from there that it is important to make gatherings for children, and to speak there about the nissim of Chanukah! In today’s Hayom Yom, we learn (in very short) about the neis of Chanukah.
The Yidden in the time of the Greeks did many aveiros. They spent a lot of time with the Greeks, learning all about how they did things, not keeping Shabbos or Yom Tov, not eating kosher, and not keeping Taharas Hamishpacha.
The punishment for this was that Hashem made the Beis Hamikdash become full of tumah and idols, and many Yidden died or became slaves.
But because the Yidden did teshuvah and had Mesiras Nefesh, Hashem made the neis of Chanukah!
Today’s Hayom Yom was a summary of the story of Chanukah, which the Frierdiker Rebbe said during a Purim Farbrengen in Tof-Shin-Alef, where he spoke at length about the stories of Purim and Chanukah, and horaos we learn from them. You can see the longer version of the story, in the words of the Frierdiker Rebbe, here (translated into English; see sections 2–5)
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Today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #97) is that the 8 sheratzim (creepy-crawly animals) that are written in the Torah make things tomei when they die. The mitzvah is to follow all of the dinim that are explained in the Torah about this tumah.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Shaar Avos HaTumos
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In today’s Rambam, we learn about more things which bring tumah.
Perek Vov: This perek teaches us about how Avodah Zarah is an Av Hatumah and can make other things tomei.
Perek Zayin: Now we learn about how tomei food and drinks make things that they touch tomei too.
Perek Ches: The Rambam explains about how hands are tomei, and that we need to make them tahor before eating from a korban. If a person didn’t make their hands tahor first (by washing them or dipping them in a Mikvah), they make the food they touched tomei, and someone who eats the food can also become tomei.
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This perek has halachos about when someone borrowed money with a condition — like saying “you have to pay me back in front of witnesses.”
The Rambam says that one halacha was not clear in the Gemara, but he found an old Gemara, written on parchment, that was a little bit different. Based on what it said there, everything is clear!
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Today is a Hillel day of Chanukah!
Did you know that Hillel and Shamai had a machlokes about how to light the Menorah? Shamai said that we should start with 8 candles on the first night, and light one less each night, until we light one the last night. Hillel said we should do it the way we do it nowadays — start with one and light one more each night.
So let’s see:
The first night that Hillel says to light MORE candles than Shamai is the FIFTH night! That’s today!
Shamai teaches us about being strict in Torah things. We should look at things that aren’t right and try to stop them. Hillel teaches us about looking for GOOD things, and trying to do them more.
That’s the lesson from today, to make sure we do more of good things, and get the world ready for Moshiach!
See rally 5th night of Chanukah 5746
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In Torah Ohr, it says that the word Hallel means to praise Hashem, and to reveal Hashem.
We can easily understand that Hallel praises Hashem, because that’s what the words of Hallel are all about! But what does it mean that Hallel reveals Hashem?
The Rebbe explains (in the Rebbe’s Haggadah) that this is because of the day when we say Hallel! On days when we say Hallel (like Chanukah), the Emes of Hashem shines in the world.
Usually, when we look around at the world, that’s all we see — a world! We see all kinds of Gashmius, which seems to run by its own system. But the emes of Hashem is that the chayus of every part of the world is only Hashem, Who creates it all for Yidden to learn Torah and do mitzvos!
On days we say Hallel, that emes is more felt and revealed.
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If we won’t be davening with a minyan later, it is best to daven Mincha BEFORE lighting the Menorah. So unless it is getting late or your minyan starts later, first we daven Mincha.
Then, we light the menorah, before the time of Shabbos candle lighting. Since we are lighting so early, we need to make sure that there is enough oil (or long enough candles) so the Menorah will stay burning for at least 50 minutes after the time of Shekiyah.
Then, we light our Shabbos candles.
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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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We learned that to deserve that Eretz Yisroel will become bigger when Moshiach comes, we need to add something MORE in our Avodah nowadays.
What do we do? We need to make our Ruchnius Eretz Yisroel bigger! Our Ruchnius Eretz Yisroel is doing mitzvos during Golus. We make it bigger by doing even MORE than the strict halacha! Doing more than what we need to is called going “Lifnim Mishuras Hadin,” further than the halacha says we have to.
This is something that has a special connection to Chanukah!
According to halacha, did you know how many candles we need to light each night of Chanukah? Only ONE, and only one person in the family needs to light it.
But the Rama writes that it is a “minhag poshut,” an accepted minhag, for ALL Yidden to do this mitzvah in the best way possible! Even Yidden who usually aren’t so careful to do everything in the best way or to do things Lifnim Mishras Hadin, light the menorah in a way of Mehadrin Min Hamehadrin, the very best way! We all light one more candle each night of Chanukah, and have many menorahs in every home!
This shows us that even if we aren’t doing everything right, we can still do Lifnim Mishuras Hadin, and add more than what we need to do. This will be a good preparation for when Hashem will add more land to Eretz Yisroel in the time of the Geulah!
See Likutei Sichos chelek Chof, sicha of Motzei Shabbos Parshas Chayei Sarah 5738, p. 345
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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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