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CHUMASH
Parshas Ki Sisa - Shlishi with Rashi
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After Hashem told Moshe that He would send a malach with the Yidden instead of Hashem Himself, Moshe said that he doesn’t agree! He asked Hashem to please take care of the Yidden Himself.
Hashem said okay, that He would go with the Yidden Himself.
Moshe said, “Yes, that’s what we want — without Hashem coming, we don’t want to go to Eretz Yisroel at all!”
Moshe also asked for another thing: That the Yidden be different (Veniflinu) than any other nations — Hashem should only dwell among the Yidden.
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In Kapitel Ayin-Gimmel (73), there is a posuk “Mi Li Bashamayim Ve’imcha Lo Chofatzti Ba’aretz.”
The Tzemach Tzedek said that the Alter Rebbe used to say that this posuk means, “Do I need Shomayim? And I don’t want what’s with You in the world.” The Alter Rebbe was saying that he doesn’t want what’s WITH Hashem, like Gan Eden or Olam Haba. He just wanted Hashem Himself!
How does a person connect with Hashem Himself? By doing a mitzvah in this Gashmiyus world! The Chachomim say that one hour of teshuvah and Maasim Tovim in this world is better than the whole Olam Haba! In Olam Haba, neshamos enjoy the light of Hashem, but through a mitzvah in this world, the neshama connects with the ESSENCE of Hashem.
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Lamed-Daled
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What are you dressed up as this Purim? Did you see anyone dressed up like a world?
Guess what? Hashem is dressed up like a world and everything inside of it! But not just on Purim — EVERY day.
When we look at the world, it looks like there are many different things. There are different kinds of people, animals, plants, and rocks. There are so many kinds of things that happen all the time, and many of them might even seem strange!
But really there is ONE Aibershter who is inside of everything and is everywhere, and there is nothing besides for him — we just can’t see it.
There are some big tzadikim who were able to see it and feel it their whole lives (even when they were sleeping!), like the Avos and the Neviim, and Moshe Rabbeinu! In fact, ALL of the Yidden felt it during Matan Torah!
After Matan Torah, we were able to feel it in the Mishkan. That’s why Hashem wanted us to build the Mishkan, so we would feel the oneness of Hashem there. Finally when Moshiach comes, the whole world will see it, and the “mask” Hashem put in the world to hide Himself will be taken away!
The Alter Rebbe told us before that a Yid can think about how the world looks to Hashem, the way we will see it when Moshiach comes, when we will be able to see that there is nothing besides for Hashem. We know that even though we can’t see it, really it’s true now too — Hashem is with us everywhere and has nachas from the things we do! Thinking about this makes a Yid very happy!
A good time to think about this is during davening. But then, after finishing davening, we look around and see the world around us. We realize that Hashem is still hiding in the world, and that we aren’t able to see the truth of what we thought about in davening during the whole day, the way the Avos and Moshe Rabbeinu were able to.
So now, the Alter Rebbe will give us some eitzos of what we can do to make a place for Hashem to be with us all the time the way we thought about during davening: By learning Torah, and by using our work during the day to serve Hashem, and to give tzedakah, so we can be a Mishkan for Hashem during the entire day.
The Chachomim tell us that after the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, the place where we can find Hashem the most similar to the way Hashem was then is in the halachos of Torah, where we can see exactly how Hashem wants the world to be. So after davening, we should make a hachlata to make a time to learn Torah (everyone has a certain amount they need to learn, like the Alter Rebbe explains in Hilchos Talmud Torah). When we take that time to learn, we should feel like we are inviting Hashem into our house, just like the way it was in the Mishkan, and the way the WHOLE world will be when Moshiach comes!
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The Hayom Yom was written for a year where there were TWO Adars (a Shana Me’uberes). This year there is only ONE Adar (a Shanah Peshutah), so we learn BOTH Hayom Yoms every day!
Yud-Daled Adar Alef
The Rebbe Maharash told the Rebbe Rashab that his father, the Tzemach Tzedek picked the maamarim in Likutei Torah (about 250 of them), from 2,000 maamarim that the Alter Rebbe had said!
Yud-Daled Adar Sheini
First we learn a few minhagim about Purim. There are some words in the Megillah that we read in two ways: “Laharog Ule’abeid, Velaharog Ule’abeid” and “Ve’ish Lo Amad Bifneihem, Ve’ish Lo Amad Lifneihem.” When we say the words “Ha’igeres Hazos” (this letter) and “Ha’igeres HaPurim Hazos Hasheinis,” we shake the Megillah a bit. Our nusach of Shoshanas Yaakov includes the words “Bruchim Kol Hatzadikim.” On Purim day, we say Shehecheyanu again when we lein the Megillah.
The Rebbe Maharash wrote a Megillah. His Megillah did not have the 10 sons of Haman on their own column, and the first word of each column wasn’t “Hamelech,” which is how some people are careful to write Megillos.
The Rebbe also writes about two different versions of a maamar in Torah Ohr on Megillas Esther.
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Today’s mitzvah in Sefer Hamitzvos (Mitzvas Asei #244) is the same as yesterday — that someone who borrows something needs to follow the halachos about borrowing.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: וְכִי יִשְׁאַל אִישׁ מֵעִם רֵעֵהוּ
The halachos are explained in Perek Ches of Mesechta Bava Metziah, and Perek Ches of Mesechta Shevuos.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos She'eilah Upikadon
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In today’s Rambam, we learn more halachos about borrowing (“shoel”), and we also learn about a person who watches something without being paid for watching it (“shomer chinam”).
Perek Gimmel teaches us what happens if an animal we borrowed dies. If the animal died during the time it was borrowed, the person has to pay! The Rambam teaches exactly when the borrowing is considered to have started.
Perek Daled is about a Shomer Chinam, who watches something for another person without getting paid for his work.
If you watch something for someone else, you need to be very careful with it — even more careful than if it was yours! The halacha is that if you put something that belongs to someone else in a not safe place, and it got lost or stolen — even if it wasn’t your fault! — you need to pay for it.
So for example if someone asked you to watch their pencil for a few minutes, and you just left it outside in the playground, it is your fault if it gets lost or stolen.
Perek Hey teaches us what happens if something gets robbed from us while we are watching it for another person.
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Now we learn about who is not allowed to be an eid. There are ten kinds of people that can’t be an eid! Some of them are: kids, women, servants, and people related to the one who had to come to Beis Din. A rasha is also not allowed to be an eid.
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The time right before the gezeirah of Haman, Yidden were living very well! They had Mordechai in the government, and they were respected and treated nicely. But even though things looked so good, that was when the worst and scariest decree EVER happened to ALL the Yidden.
And later, when things looked like they were the worst that ever could be, the greatest yeshuah that ever happened took place! All of the Yidden were saved because of their Mesiras Nefesh for Torah and listening to their leader Mordechai.
We shouldn’t feel that when things are good nothing can happen to us, and when things are bad we shouldn’t feel like nothing good can happen! Everything is in the hands of Hashem, and when we act the way we should, that is when Hashem bentches us to have everything we need.
From a sicha of Purim, 5717, Likutei Sichos chelek Alef, Purim
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TEFILLAH
Davening Like Mordechai Hatzadik
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“Such shall be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!”
All of the Yidden in Shushan saw how Mordechai Hatzadik was led through the streets, wearing the king’s own royal clothing and royal crown! What a simcha! It looked like now things were starting to get better for the Yidden!
But the Gemara says that after the parade was over, Mordechai Hatzadik put right back on his sackcloth and ashes, and went back to his davening and crying out to Hashem.
Why? Why should he still be worried, since things are going good now?
Mordechai understood that Yidden are Hashem’s children, and really nothing has the koach to hurt them, just like nothing has the koach to hurt Hashem Himself. The only reason why something not good could happen is because Yidden do aveiros that separate them from Hashem, and the aveiros need to be “scrubbed away.” That can hurt.
Mordechai knew that Achashveirosh and Haman didn’t have control over the Yidden. It only looked like they did, because there was a gezeira in Shomayim against the Yidden. The Beis Din in Shomayim let the resha’im make their evil plans because of our aveiros.
Mordechai knew that even if Achashveirosh and Haman start being nice to him, that’s not what will save the Yidden! The most important thing is to make sure that the Yidden are forgiven for their aveiros, so that the Beis Din in Shomayim will take away the gezeira. So after the parade in Shushan, Mordechai Hatzadik went back to his davening and teshuvah, until he saw that the gezeira was completely taken away.
This is an important lesson for us too!
During the day, we are busy with different things — parnasa, taking care of the house, school and homework, or shlichus. When things are going well, we’re happy! But things don’t always go so smoothly — we can have all kinds of problems. Then we start looking for different ideas — maybe we need to open the store earlier, or work harder.
But we need to remember what’s REALLY going on! All of the brachos we get in Gashmius come because we are connected to Hashem. The work we do to earn money or take care of our family is part of our Avodas Hashem, because this is how Hashem wants the world to work!
That’s why we need to daven first thing. We make sure our connection to Hashem is strong so that we can get the brachos we need in Gashmius. Right away, we say Modeh Ani — thanking Hashem for giving back our neshamos, and reminding ourselves that only Hashem is in charge of the whole world! Then we daven, and ask Hashem in Shmoneh Esrei that it should be decided in Shomayim that we should get all of the brachos. That way all of the work we do will be a good keili to bring down all of Hashem’s brachos!
See farbrengen of Purim 5726
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Here is a brief overview of the halachos and minhagim of Purim day. For a more detailed halacha newsletter see the one published by Badatz of Crown Heights or Rabbi Lesches of Melbourne, Australia.
The first thing we should do on Purim day is to go to shul and daven. Don’t forget to say Ve’al Hanisim!
If you didn’t hear Parshas Zachor, some say that you can do the mitzvah by listening to the Torah reading on Purim (which also talks about Amalek).
The Megillah is read after we read the Torah, while the men are still wearing their Rashi tefillin. (If someone didn’t give Machtzis Hashekel, he should give it before the Megillah reading.)
When the bracha Shehecheyanu is said before the Megillah reading, also have in mind the other mitzvos of Purim — Shalach Manos, Matanos L’evyonim, and the Seudah.
The mitzvah of being happy on Purim is a mitzvah all day, like it says, “Yemei Mishteh Vesimcha” — days of feasting and joy! All day we should look for opportunities to bring the simcha and mitzvos of Purim to as many Yidden as possible.
It’s a minhag among Yidden to eat hamentashen.
Children especially should follow the minhag of dressing up.
Make sure to do the mitzvos of Shalach Manos, Matanos L’evyonim, and Seudah, before shkiyah. Kids should make sure to do these mitzvos too!
We should learn some Torah before the seudah, but be careful not to get too involved and miss the seudah!
We daven Mincha early so there’s enough time to at least eat a kezayis before Shkiyah. We eat kreplach by the seudah. We say Ve’al Hanisim in bentching, even if our seudah ends late at night!
Even though we all have our own seudah in our homes, the Rebbe encouraged us to continue the simcha and Ad D’lo Yada by joining together at bigger farbrengens afterwards.
A freilichen Purim!
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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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The Chachomim tell us that when Moshiach comes, all of the Seforim of the Neviim and Kesuvim will become botul — except for Megillas Esther.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they won’t still be part of Torah! When something becomes botul it doesn’t mean it disappears, it just means that it doesn’t feel as special and important anymore.
But why won’t the holy seforim of Navi feel as important anymore, and why will Megillas Esther be different?
When Moshiach comes, EVERY Yid, even children, will have a very high level of Nevuah! So the Nevuos from before won’t feel as different and special. That will be regular and normal for us! That’s why they will become botul.
But Megillas Esther isn’t just a Nevuah. It shows us something very important, which will never become botul, even when Moshiach comes!
The Megillah starts off with the words, “Vayehi Bimei Achashveirosh,” “And it happened in the days of Achashverosh.” We don’t start by talking about the Yidden, even though that’s the main point of the Megillah. Instead we talk about the king who ruled over most of the world!
That’s because Hashem made the whole world for the Yidden to be able to do their avodah. Achashverosh and his whole party were created for the sake of the Yidden, even though there are so few Yidden and so many nations!
Even when Moshiach comes, this will still be special to us. We will still be one small nation in a big world, and it will still feel special that this whole gigantic world is all there for the purpose of the Torah and Yidden!
See farbrengen Purim 5725
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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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