On behalf of those who learn from Chitas for Kids, thank you to our sponsors!

 
 

Those who make this year of learning possible:

 
 

לעילוי נשמת ר׳ יוסף בנימין בן ר׳ מנשה קאלטמאנן
~ by Rabbi Aryeh & Esther Kaltmann ~

a7691251-7218-4c6b-b94e-833d5d6032b4.png

מוקדש לחיזוק ההתקשרות לכ״ק אדמו״ר זי״ע נשיא דורנו ~ ע״י ברוך בן רחל ומשפחתו
ולעילוי נשמת אמו מרת רחל בת ר׳ שניאור זלמן יששכר געצל הלוי

a7691251-7218-4c6b-b94e-833d5d6032b4.png

לחיזוק ההתקשרות לכ״ק אדמו״ר זי״ע נשיא דורנו
~ by Anonymous ~

 
 
 

Those who make Chitas for the month of Shevat possible:

 
 

לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח הרה״ת הר׳ משה פינחס בן הר׳ אברהם מרדכי הכהן כ״ץ
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח הרה״ת הר׳ מרדכי בן הר׳ פינחס מענטליק
ולזכות הרה״ח זאב יחזקאל הכהן בן מינדל שי׳ לבריאות הנכונה

 
 

🎉 Mazel Tov Gershon Rosenberg from Morristown
on winning the Chitas Quiz Raffle!

Click here to sponsor a day of Chitas!

70dad1ac-d962-49b2-ac0e-d0bafaebb537.png

CHUMASH

Parshas Mishpatim - Revi'i with Rashi

Parshas Mishpatim teaches us many mitzvos, especially those that make sure we treat each other fairly. We remember that Hashem gave us ALL of the mitzvos — even the ones that someone might think we could come up with ourselves.

Here are the mitzvos we learn about today:

- We are not allowed to curse Hashem, or any Jewish leader.

- We need to give presents to the Kohanim and Leviim (terumah and maaser), in a certain order.

- We need to do Pidyon Haben, to give the worth of a firstborn son to the kohen.

- A firstborn ox, sheep, or goat needs to be given to the Kohen.

- We are not allowed to eat meat that came off of an animal while it was still alive.

- We can’t eat meat from an animal that was attacked by another animal. (It is best to give it to dogs to eat, as a reward for not bothering the Yidden when they left Mitzrayim.)

- We shouldn’t believe not-nice things from someone who wants to hurt another person.

- We should not join someone to say a lie in court.

- For a Beis Din to pasken that someone should be killed as a punishment, it is not enough if just more than half of the judges agree — it has to be at least TWO more judges that say the person should be killed, than the amount of judges who say he should not (like 36 judges against 34 judges).

- For all other cases, if at least one more judge says they are guilty, we do follow what most judges say (like 11 against 10).

- The most important judge should talk last, so that the others can say what they really think without it being chutzpah, to disagree with a more important judge.

- We should not be extra-nice to a poor person in Beis Din even if we feel bad for him that he doesn’t have what to pay — the court case needs to be judged fairly.

- If someone’s animal gets lost, even if it belongs to someone you don’t like, you need to return it to him.

- Azov Taazov: If you see a donkey that is carrying too much, even if the donkey belongs to someone you don’t like, you need to help him take the things off the donkey and reload it.

5bafef1b-215f-4cfc-8300-88a68421ae5e.png

TEHILLIM

113 - 118

In today’s Tehillim (which are part of Hallel), one of the pesukim is “Ram Al Kol Goyim Hashem” — “Hashem is higher than all of the nations.”

Chassidus explains that this posuk tells us what the Goyim think. They think that Hashem is high up in the sky, much higher than them. They think that Hashem is “too big” to pay attention to the world.

But that’s not true! Hashem isn’t higher than the world, Hashem is IN the world all the time! Hashem makes every detail in the world happen B’Hashgacha Protis!

037aa44b-1c33-419d-a277-d7c77f06ce9a.png

TANYA

Likutei Amarim Perek Chof-Zayin

A Yid might feel sad when he knows that he will always have a Yetzer Hara who will keep trying to make him think of not good things. He might know that he is never going to win the war for good and kick the Yetzer Hara out.

But the Alter Rebbe says that he SHOULDN’T feel bad, because whenever he DOESN’T think about the not-good thing, it gives Hashem a special nachas.

Of course, Hashem also has nachas from the tzadikim, but that’s a different kind of nachas.

There’s two kinds of nachas, which we can understand with a mashal of two kinds of food: One kind of food is sweet to begin with, like candy. The other kind is like sharp or bitter spices. When you add them to a food, it can make it delicious — a little like spicy potato chips or bissli.

The same thing with Hashem’s nachas: The nachas from tzadikim is like candy, but the nachas from a beinoni who does Iskafya is like spicy chips.

So he should be happy, because Hashem has nachas from him, in a way that He can’t even get from a tzadik!

b42fcb5b-5fe3-4e74-ab78-350fad9544ae.png

HAYOM YOM

Chof-Daled Shevat

In the year the Hayom Yom was written, today was Shabbos Parshas Yisro, Shabbos Mevorchim Adar Alef. The Rebbe teaches us a minhag for Parshas Yisro, and reminds us of the minhagim of Shabbos Mevorchim.

The Rebbe teaches us a minhag that we should do in Shul on Parshas Yisro: We stand during Aseres Hadibros and face the Sefer Torah.

~

The posuk says that by Matan Torah “the Yidden saw Hashem and moved back.” Just by SEEING Elokus, the Yidden moved back, which is a sign that they had chayus. This shows us that if we are connected to kedusha, we have chayus!

~

The Tzemach Tzedek said that if we knew the koach of saying Tehillim, we would say it all the time! The words of Tehillim break through everything that is in their way, to go up very high and come in front of Hashem and bring down lots of bracha!

781f9885-f711-422d-b86a-13a300028852.png

SEFER HAMITZVOS

Shiur #273 - Mitzvas Asei #245

Today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #245) is one that we learned not too long ago! We need to follow the halachos about buying and selling things. If we do, then we’re doing a mitzvah every time!

This section of halachos in Rambam is about getting something from hefker or a gift. It doesn’t have any new mitzvos, but keeping these halachos is connected to this mitzvah about buying and selling. So we review this mitzvah that we learned before.

We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Behar: וְכִי תִמְכְּרוּ מִמְכָּר לַעֲמִיתֶךָ

The details of this mitzvah are explained in many places in GemaraPerek Alef of Kiddushin, Perakim Daled and Ches in Bava Metziah, and perakim Gimmel through Zayin of Bava Basra.

c74a2058-ec63-4c5a-9fa6-ed357d262a3f.png

RAMBAM

Hilchos Zechiya U'Matana

In today’s Rambam, we start to learn a new set of halachos, about getting things that are “hefker,” and about giving or getting presents.

Perek Alef teaches us about when something is called hefker, that it has no owner. Fruit that grows in a forest is one example of hefker things. Whoever picks it up first — it belongs to him!

Perek Beis explains how we can show that a hefker field is ours. We need to do something to make the field better, and have in mind that we are doing it to make the field ours!

In Perek Gimmel we learn about presents. When a person gives someone a present, he needs to make sure that the other person understands what belongs to him! If he just says “I’m giving you a field,” the person doesn’t get anything, because we’re not sure which one we’re supposed to give him!

c74a2058-ec63-4c5a-9fa6-ed357d262a3f.png

RAMBAM PEREK ECHOD

Hilchos Sanhedrin - Perek Tes-Vov

In this perek the Rambam lists all of the aveiros that can make a person deserve to be put to death by the Beis Din. There are 36 of these aveiros.

icon of clock

INYANA D'YOMA

Shabbos Shekalim

Every week, we read a parsha from the Torah, in order. The Chachomim also set up special parshios which are read on certain Shabbosim — extra pieces of the Torah that are read after the regular parsha.

There are four weeks around Adar where we read another section of the Torah after the Parshas Hashavua, in a separate Sefer Torah.

This week, the Shabbos before Rosh Chodesh Adar, we lein one of these parshios, which is called Parshas Shekalim. This parsha (which is the beginning of Parshas Ki Sisa) speaks about the Machatzis Hashekel. This is the money that all of the Yidden would donate each year to be used for the regular korbanos brought in the Beis Hamikdash.

On Rosh Chodesh Adar, the Beis Din would make an announcement to remind people to give their Machatzis Hashekel! A month later, on Rosh Chodesh Nisan, they would begin using the new Machatzis Hashekel donations to buy the korbanos.

We lein this parsha around the time that this was done, to remember what happened, and also so that in some way, we can be counted as being part of this special mitzvah. (If Rosh Chodesh Adar is on Shabbos, we lein it on the actual day, if not, we lein it the Shabbos before Rosh Chodesh.)

There is also a special haftorah read on Parshas Shekalim. It is from Melachim Beis, and speaks about the Yidden giving money to the Beis Hamikdash.

▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼

f95ddc3e-2307-48f8-a76f-754d141db332.png

TEFILLAH

Vesechezenah Eineinu

In Biur Tefillah we will learn a part of the maamar Ve’ata Tetzaveh. This piece helps us understand the importance of the bracha Vesechezenah Eineinu, which we say every day — weekdays, Shabbos, and Yom Tov — in Shemoneh Esrei.

In the maamar of Ve’ata Tetzaveh, the Rebbe explains why it is so important to say this bracha in Shemoneh Esrei.

Even though we are in Golus, there are Boruch Hashem many Yidden who are not suffering very much. A Yid might feel that he has most of what he needs in Gashmius — he has a house and a car, enough money for the things he needs, pretty good health, and some nachas too! He might also feel happy with his Ruchnius — he is able to have kavana when he davens many times, and does his best to follow Shulchan Aruch.

But deep down inside of every Yid, there is an Etzem Haneshama, the deepest part of the neshama. The Etzem Haneshama of a Yid is hurting and feels crushed that there is no Gilui Elokus (being able to see Hashem), like there was in the Beis Hamikdash.

This bothers a Yid so much that every time he stands before Hashem in Shemoneh Esrei, he asks Hashem that “Vesechezenah Eineinu,” that our eyes should be able to see Hashem again in the Beis Hamikdash. At least three times a day, he asks that there should be a Gilui Elokus.

Where do we get the koach to want this so badly? It comes from Moshe Rabbeinu, and the Moshe of every generation, the Rebbe. It is the Moshe of each generation that connects the etzem of a Yid’s neshama with Hashem, which makes us feel how much Golus hurts and how much we want Moshiach to come.

When we ask Hashem for the Geulah with our Etzem Haneshama, we can be sure that in this zechus we will deserve to have the Geulah now!

See Maamar Ve’ata Tetzaveh, Purim Katan Tof-Shin-Nun-Beis (Hebrew or English)

548e317f-62f8-4b77-a809-78f2f54a6eae.png

HALACHOS HATZRICHOS

Shabbos Mevorchim Adar

This week is Shabbos Mevorchim Adar! Like every Shabbos Mevorchim, we bentch the new month in davening, say the whole Tehillim, and have a farbrengen.

But Shabbos Mevorchim Adar we need to do something more!

The Chachomim say, “Mishenichnas Adar, Marbim Besimcha” — “when Adar begins, we increase in joy!”

The Rebbe says that right away on Shabbos Mevorchim Adar, the joy of Adar starts! So starting this Shabbos, we should already add in our simcha for Chodesh Adar!

See Shluchan Aruch siman Tof-Reish-Pey-Hey and Halachos U’Minhagei Chabad p. 142

לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי

bb1bf02c-b765-412e-987c-1b80a6b4fabb.png

GEULAH U'MOSHIACH

Can We Really Do It?

In seforim of Mussar, there is a very interesting mashal that will help us understand how it is possible that we can bring the Geulah:

Who can see farther, a tall person or a short person? Of course, a tall person can see much farther. But if the short person stands on top of the tall person, then the short person can see even farther than the tall one!

This mashal helps us understand how our generation, which is not as special as the generations before, is able to bring Moshiach. We are like a midget, a very short person. But we are standing on top of a giant, on top of the work of the giants in the generations before us!

So even though we might not be as strong or as special, we have the koach of the Torah and mitzvos and Mesiras Nefesh of all of the Yidden of past generations. That is how even one little mitzvah of a Yid in our times can bring Moshiach now!

See Toras Menachem Hisvaaduyos 5742, chelek Gimmel p. 1290

Coloring Pages and Text Downloads
Booklet Format
Yiddish | Hebrew (A4) | English | Français (A4)
Individual Page Format
Yiddish | Hebrew (A4) | English | Français (A4)
Printable Chitas Summary Text
English | Hebrew (A4)
Glossary
English

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