|
|
CHUMASH
Parshas Shemos - Shvi'i with Rashi
|
|
The suffering of the Yidden in Mitzrayim becomes very intense. Hashem chooses Moshe Rabbeinu as the one who will take the Yidden out of Golus.
In today’s Chumash we will learn how Moshe begins his shlichus. Moshe and Aharon go to Paraoh, but like Hashem said, he doesn’t listen. Instead, he calls the Yidden lazy and makes them work much harder! Moshe complains to Hashem, and Hashem tells Moshe he won’t get to go into Eretz Yisroel.
Now it was time to go to Paraoh and tell him to let the Yidden go. Even though the leaders of the Yidden were supposed to come too, they were scared and so in the end, only Moshe and Aharon went.
They told Paraoh to let the Yidden go and serve Hashem in the desert for a few days.
Paraoh said, “Who is Hashem? I don’t know Him, so I don’t have to listen.”
Moshe and Aharon told Paraoh that if he doesn’t let the Yidden go, he will get punished!
Paraoh said, “You’re just trying to make the Yidden stop working! You must be lazy, and they must be lazy. Go back to whatever you usually do.” Then Paraoh decided to make it hard for the lazy Jews! He said that they now need to get their OWN straw to make bricks! Then they will stop being lazy.
Now the work was MUCH harder for the Yidden! They had to get their own straw, and still make enough bricks! All of the Yidden were punished by the Mitzriyim because it was too hard!
Dasan and Aviram saw Moshe and Aharon by the palace and were very angry at them for making things so hard.
Moshe asked Hashem, “Why are You making it so hard for the Yidden? I went to Paraoh, and now instead of making things better, things are worse for the Yidden!”
Hashem wasn’t happy that Moshe was asking questions like that, and He told Moshe that he wouldn’t get to go into Eretz Yisroel. Still he would see how with a mighty hand, Hashem would take the Yidden out of Mitzrayim. Even if the Yidden would not want to leave, Paraoh himself would send them out to their Geulah!
|
|
|
|
Today’s kapitelach are Kuf-Daled and Kuf-Hey.
In today’s Tehillim we have a very interesting posuk: “Al Tig’u Bimeshichoi” — “Do not touch My anointed ones.”
The Chachomim tell us that one of the things “Meshichoi” (My anointed ones) means is Yiddishe children.
The Rebbe tells us that especially children who are educated by Chassidus in our time are called Meshichoi — when you look at them, the first thing you are reminded of is Moshiach!
In the farbrengen of Simchas Torah, Tof-Shin-Nun-Beis, the Rebbe farbrenged very strongly about how children are called Meshichoi, and the pure and strong Emunah they have in the Geulah.
|
|
|
TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Yud-Daled
|
|
In today’s Tanya we learn how EVERY Yid should try to become a beinoni!
Every person can behave like a beinoni at any time. Because, what is a beinoni? Not someone who doesn’t have a Yetzer Hara. A beinoni is someone who DOES have a Yetzer Hara and not good desires, but will not let the Yetzer Hara be in charge of the body and do the not-good things it wants to do!
Even when the Yetzer Hara comes up with foolish ideas of things it wants to think about or do, we can stop ourselves and think about something else!
How do we stop ourselves?
The Alter Rebbe gives us something we can think about and tell ourselves, which will stop us from doing an aveira. This way we will be able to act like a beinoni at any time!
We should think about how we are ready to even have Mesiras Nefesh to stay connected to Hashem!
This is what we can say in our mind:
“I don’t want to be separated from Hashem for even one second! I want to serve Hashem and be connected to Hashem always.
“Any aveira, no matter how small, separates the neshama from Hashem.
“I know that really everyone would be ready to even have MESIRAS NEFESH not to separate from Hashem! Even a person who usually lets the Yetzer Hara be in charge would also have Mesiras Nefesh not to do something that he KNOWS will separate him from Hashem. The only reason why he usually lets his Yetzer Hara be in charge is because of a Ruach Shtus, a foolish thought that says that only big aveiros separate a Yid from Hashem, and that his connection to Hashem doesn’t change by doing a little aveira.
“But I know the truth! I know that EVERY aveira separates a Yid from Hashem! I don’t want to be a fool like him, and chas veshalom lose my connection to Hashem for a time by doing this aveira. It’s not worth it!”
By remembering the koach of Mesiras Nefesh which every Yid has, it gives us the power to act like a beinoni at any time!
Not everyone can love Hashem strongly enough to become a tzadik, that is a special gift from Hashem... but every one of us can decide to act like a beinoni at any time!
By telling ourselves that we don’t want to and cannot be separated from Hashem, it will help us do the right thing all the time!
|
|
|
|
This story happened when the Rebbe and the Frierdiker Rebbe were walking together. It was Erev Shavuos, and the family was in the city of Landerov for the chasunah of Rebbetzin Shaina on Yud Sivan.
The Frierdiker Rebbe met a water carrier with full buckets of water. He said, “When a person meets up with water, they should say: ‘The Baal Shem Tov says that water is a siman bracha.’”
In a sicha, the Rebbe explains why it’s not enough to just say “Water is a siman bracha,” but we have to say that the Baal Shem Tov says so:
A bracha can be in many different kinds of ways. It can be a bracha in Ruchnius, or in Gashmius, or in Gashmius in a way that we can see the bracha, or many other ways. The Baal Shem Tov was known for brachos from a very high level in Ruchnius, that were able to be seen clearly in Gashmius.
That’s why we say that the Baal Shem Tov said that water is a siman bracha — it is a siman bracha the way the Baal Shem Tov gave brachos, that the bracha will be the highest bracha in a way that’s clear to see!
|
|
|
|
Today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #109) is the same as yesterday’s — to keep the halachos of Mikvah, where people and Keilim can become Tahor from most kinds of Tumah.
This mitzvah comes from a posuk in Parshas Metzora: וְרָחַץ בַּמַּיִם אֶת כָּל בְּשָׂרוֹ
The details are explained in Mesechta Mikvaos and Mesechta Tvul Yom.
|
|
|
|
In today’s Rambam, we learn more about the Mikvah.
Perek Ches tells us when we can join two bodies of water to make them into one Mikvah. For example, if there is another pool of ANY kind of water touching a mikvah, then EITHER of them can be used as a Mikvah! (That’s actually the way our mikvaos are usually made today — there is a Mikvah with rainwater underground, and then the pool of water we actually dip into is connected with a hole to the rainwater underneath.)
Perek Tes teaches us six levels of Mikvah. The highest level is a spring of water. This level of Mikvah needs to be used for things like the water that gets mixed with the ashes of the Parah Adumah (Mei Nidah) which needs water with the highest level of tahara!
In Perek Yud the Rambam teaches us about times when we’re not sure about something. What if we’re not sure that there was enough water in the mikvah? What if we’re not sure that the water that fell in the Mikvah was enough to make it posul?
|
|
|
|
Usually we say that whoever has something, we assume that it is his. If someone else says it isn’t, that other person needs to prove it, or else the Beis Din won’t take it away. (“Hamotzi Meichaveiro, Alav HaRaayah”) But in this perek, we learn that we don’t always say that about an animal, who might wander off, or a servant who can walk around on his own.
|
|
|
|
Today is the birthday of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka’s youngest sister, Rebbetzin Shaina. She married a chossid named R’ Mendel Horenstein. They were killed by the Nazis yemach shemam, Hashem Yinkom Damam. Rebbetzin Shaina’s yartzeit was set for the second day of Rosh Hashana.
The Rebbe told a certain story about her a number of times, including on her birthday and yartzeit:
When Rebbetzin Shaina was little and still lived in Lubavitch, she was nicknamed Shaindel. When she was little, her family would like to tease her, because she always had cute things to say.
One time while she was very young, her Zaidy the Rebbe Rashab told her to make sure that everything she does on Shabbos should be Lekavod Shabbos, including when she’s eating or taking a walk. She said that she’s ready to do everything Lekavod Shabbos, except for one thing — sleeping. Because when you’re sleeping, you’re asleep, so how can it be Lekavod Shabbos?
The Frierdiker Rebbe told this story to the Rebbe. The Rebbe explained what we can learn from this story, in honor of a group of Baalei Teshuvah who came for a Pegisha to 770:
Chassidus teaches us that if you put effort into davening and learning during the day, you can dream about it at night too! The same is true with thinking about Shabbos. By thinking about Shabbos during everything you do, even your sleep will be Lekavod Shabbos! This is especially true if it will bother you not to have it that way — then Hashem will help us make sure that it will be that way!
See Parshas Shemos 5725
|
|
|
▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
|
|
|
TEFILLAH
Second Bracha of Shemoneh Esrei
|
|
The second bracha of Shemoneh Esrei starts with the words Ata Gibor. In the Gemara, this bracha is called “Gevuros.” In it, we speak about the Gevuros, the strength of Hashem, and how Hashem is able to do ANYTHING!
Some people think the world is run by nature, and nature can’t be changed. But we know better!
When we stand before Hashem in davening, we know that Hashem isn’t limited by nature. Hashem can get people out of jail, make sick people better, and even bring people who passed away back to life! Through Jewish history, we have seen ALL of these things happen many times!
After the first bracha, where we praised Hashem who helps us even if we don’t deserve it, in the zechus of the Avos, we praise Hashem who is in charge of everything in the world and can make anything happen!
See Rashba and Kuzari, cited in Mesechta Shel Tefillah, bracha of Ata Gibor
|
|
|
|
Wearing something outside as clothing is not called carrying. This is called “Derech Malbush.”
Still, the Chachomim want to make sure that it is something that we will not take off and carry around! Two of these halachos are just about kids:
For example, if a kid goes outside in Tatty or Mommy’s shoes, the shoes will probably fall off. Then he will end up carrying them. So going outside in Tatty or Mommy’s shoes on Shabbos is not allowed because of hotza’ah!
But a shirt that is too big won’t usually fall off by itself. So even if it looks silly, a kid IS allowed to go out on Shabbos with a shirt that is too big, and it’s not a problem of carrying. We are not worried that it will bring him to carrying outside.
See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, 301:3
|
|
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
|
|
|
|
When Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu to tell the Yidden that it was time for their Geulah, Moshe said he didn’t think the Yidden would believe him. Even though they knew about Hashem’s promise, they were in Golus already for so many years! Moshe Rabbeinu thought that by now, they wouldn’t be so ready to believe that the Golus was actually ending.
But Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu to tell the Yidden anyway, and that the Yidden WILL believe him! Here is why:
Every morning, a Yid’s neshama comes back to him, refreshed and new. So the neshama is always higher than Mitzrayim — it was never in Golus! The Golus is something new for it today. The neshama is not used to being in Golus, it is something new that just started! So of course the neshama is ready to believe that the Geulah is here!
The Rebbeim tell us today that Higiya Zeman Geulaschem — the Geulah is almost here.
The same is true with us today! Our bodies might have been in Golus for many years, but for our neshama, the Golus is a new thing every day. For our neshama we are VERY ready to hear that the time of our Geulah is here, Higiya Zeman Geulaschem!
See Sefer Hasichos 5751, Parshas Shemos
|
|
|
|
|
לע"נ התינוק זאב ארי' ע"ה בן יבלט"א הרה"ח ר' שניאור זלמן שי' גליק
נפטר ב' מנחם אב ה'תשע"ג
|
|
Give children around the world the gift of Kids Chitas!
KidsChitas.org/sponsor
|
|
|
