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CHUMASH
Parshas Bamidbar - Revi'i with Rashi
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Today we learn about Aharon’s family. Really, the Torah says it’s about the families of Moshe and Aharon, but then it only tells us about Aharon’s family! Rashi shows us from the Gemara that it’s because Moshe taught them Torah, so it’s like they are Moshe’s kids too!
Aharon had four sons:
1) Nadav
2) Avihu
3) Elazar
4) Isamar
Nadav and Avihu had no children. They passed away when they brought Ketores in the Mishkan without permission. Elazar and Isamar were Kohanim along with Aharon.
Hashem now tells Moshe that Shevet Levi has a special job, to help the kohanim guard the Mishkan. Aharon and his children are the kohanim.
Hashem says, “Even though I made the bechorim holy, since they were involved in the Cheit Ha’Egel, the Kedusha to work in the Mishkan will go to Shevet Levi, who didn’t do the Egel.”
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Today we are saying the second half of the LONGEST kapitel in the whole Tehillim, Kapitel Kuf-Yud-Tes!
There is a posuk in today’s Tehillim, “Mikol Melamdai Hiskalti Ki Eidvosecha Sicha Li” — “I have learned from all of my teachers, because Your mitzvos are what I talk about.”
We learned in Pirkei Avos in Perek Daled, “Eizehu Chochom Halomeid Mikol Adam.” “Who is called a chochom? Someone who learns from every person.” The Mishna learns this from this posuk in Tehillim, “Mikol Melamdai Hiskalti.”
When the Rebbe visited Camp Gan Yisroel in Tof-Shin-Chof, it was 200 years since the histalkus of the Baal Shem Tov. The Rebbe taught the campers many things we learn from the Baal Shem Tov, including an explanation on this posuk:
Does it make sense to learn from everyone? Not everyone is a teacher, and not everyone has something good to teach! Some people are NOT such good people and we probably SHOULDN’T learn from them!
The Baal Shem Tov explains that we SHOULD learn from everyone: From some people we should learn how to act and what to do, and from other people we should learn what NOT to do. By learning from everyone, each one of us will be a chochom and bring our teachers and parents a lot of nachas!
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TANYA
Likutei Amarim Perek Nun-Beis
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A few days ago, the Alter Rebbe started to explain what it means that the Shechinah can be felt in a Yid or in the Beis Hamikdash. Isn’t Hashem everywhere?
The Alter Rebbe started by giving a mashal of the chayus that the neshama gives to a person: There is a part of the neshama that makes a person alive. This chayus is the same ALL over the body, but we can’t feel it. Then there is a second kind of chayus, that gives the right kinds of kochos to each part of us: Like the eyes get chayus to see, and the feet get chayus to walk. The main part of this chayus is in the mind, and the mind gives the right chayus to each part of the body.
These two kinds of chayus are also the way Hashem gives chayus to the world. The first kind is the chayus that makes the world exist (Sovev Kol Almin) — this chayus is the same everywhere, but we can’t feel it. Then there is a second kind of chayus which gives every specific thing in the world the chayus it needs (Memalei Kol Almin) and is possible to feel in the world. We are talking about this second kind of chayus when we say that Hashem’s Shechinah can be felt in the Beis Hamikdash and in a Yid nowadays when he learns Torah and does mitzvos.
In today’s Tanya, the Alter Rebbe tells us that the second kind of chayus of Hashem in the world works the same way as the chayus of the neshama in the body. First the chayus goes into the head, and from there it goes to the rest of the body. The same thing is with the chayus of Hashem in the world: First the chayus of Hashem goes in to ChaBaD, the “head” of the world. Only then does every part of the world get the right kinds of chayus: The trees get a chayus to grow, the cows get chayus to give milk, and the rivers get a chayus to flow!
How does the chayus get from ChaBaD to all the parts of the world? The Shechinah has a job to bring Hashem’s chayus to everything.
Later we will see that the Shechinah has a “cover” which makes it possible to shine to the rest of the world. In the times of the Beis Hamikdash, the cover was the Beis Hamikdash, and nowadays it is Torah and mitzvos! That’s why even though Hashem is everywhere, we need Torah and mitzvos for there to be Hashro’as HaShechinah (that the Shechinah can rest) in a way that we can feel.
In today’s Tanya, the Alter Rebbe also tells us that Kabbalah calls the Shechinah many names. Here are some of them:
- Alma De’isgalya (the world we can see — since we can see this chayus better)
- Matronisa (the queen)
- Ima Tata’ah (the Mommy)
- Eim Habanim (the mother of children)
- Kneses Yisroel (where all of the Neshamos are gathered — since the Neshamos come from here too)
In the first maamar when the Rebbe became Rebbe (Bosi L’Gani), the Rebbe explained about the Shechinah and said that there are many different levels. The main point of Shechinah is to connect and show Hashem in the world, and the Shechinah has a bunch of steps in making this happen.
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Today is forty-one days of the Omer!
There is a mitzvah called Hochacha, telling someone they did something wrong. (This mitzvah has a lot of details to make sure that we don’t hurt someone while this mitzvah is being done. The halachos are written in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman Kuf-Nun-Vov.)
Before the Torah tells us this mitzvah, the Torah first tells us “Lo Sisna Es Achicha Bilvavecha,” that we are not allowed to hate another Yid in our heart.
This is a condition to make sure we are doing this mitzvah properly. We don’t do Hochacha because we hate someone, but only because we love them and we want them to do what is right so they will be able to get the brachos of Hashem.
After telling us to do the mitzvah of Hochacha, the posuk then says, “Velo Sisa Alav Cheit,” “and you should not blame him.” Instead of blaming him, you should blame yourself!
This is because if a person truly means what he says from his whole heart, the other person will feel it too, and it will make him want to change — “Devarim Hayotzim Min Halev Nichnasim El Halev.” If he didn’t want to change, it is a sign that you did not have Devarim Hayotzim Min Halev, that you did not mean it with your whole heart.
We see from there that the proper way to do hochacha is to first make sure that it is being done with a feeling of love, and after the hochacha to check and to make sure that it was Devarim Hayotzim Min Halev.
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In Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn the same mitzvah again, since we’re busy learning SO MANY halachos about it in Rambam! The mitzvah is Mitzvas Asei #5, that we serve Hashem by davening to Him.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם
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Perek Yud-Alef: In this perek, we learn about a shul! In a place where there are 10 Yidden, we need to make sure there is a shul. A shul has to be treated with kavod, and we have to keep it clean — sweeping and mopping the floors!
Perek Yud-Beis: Now we learn halachos about Kriyas HaTorah! Moshe Rabbeinu taught us to lein from the Torah on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbos, so that there are never 3 days in a row without hearing the holy words of the Torah.
Perek Yud-Gimmel: In this perek, the Rambam teaches us the halachos about leining the parshios each week, so we finish the whole Torah every year. Did you know that some people had a minhag to read shorter parts of the Torah, and only finish it every three years?
The Rambam writes that finishing the Chumash in three years isn’t the minhag haposhut. Based on this Rambam, the Rebbe taught two ways to learn the daily Shiur of Rambam: To finish it in one year, or to finish it in three years. The Rebbe said that just like we finish Torah Shebichsav (the Chumash) in one year, the minhag haposhut should be also to finish Torah Shebaal Peh (the halachos of Rambam) in one year.
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In this perek, we learn that a person should make sure that the things they do are so they can do what Hashem wants. Instead of playing outside just because it’s fun, or eating healthy food because we don’t like going to the doctor, or sleeping because we like to — we should do these things because when we take care of ourselves, our neshama has a strong body to use to do lots of mitzvos!
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In today’s Hayom Yom we learned that in order to be successful in getting another Yid to change, there needs to be Devarim Hayotzim Min Halev. We will review a few points the Rebbe teaches about how important it is to have Devarim Hayotzim Min Halev:
In one sicha the Rebbe reminded us that even when we are saying words that are from seforim, we STILL need to make sure that we mean what we say and that the words come from our heart.
In another sicha, the Rebbe told us that if we see that what we say is not making a difference to another person, we need to think about who we are and why what we’re saying is not making a difference. We need to keep trying until the Shlichus is successful.
The Torah gives us a promise that “Devarim Hayotzim Min Halev Nichnasim El Halev, Upoalim Peulasam.” Words that come from the heart enter the other person’s heart, and accomplish what they need to.
See Mafteiach L’Sichos Kodesh
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TEFILLAH
It's All One Thing - Pesukei Dezimra
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One of the reasons we say Pesukei Dezimra is (as we learned before) because the Chachomim teach us that “Yesader Adam Shivcho Shel Makom Ve’achar Kach Yispalel,” a person should first organize the praises of Hashem and then daven.
Because of this, we shouldn’t have any interruptions between Pesukei Dezimra and Shemoneh Esrei. The Chachomim taught us to say Shema and its brachos also as a preparation for Shemoneh Esrei, but we still do not talk between praising Hashem and asking for our needs.
This is actually an important mitzvah!
Before the Yidden would go to war, a kohen (the Mashuach Milchamah) would speak to the Yidden. He would announce that anyone who is afraid of the war because he might have aveiros should go home. A person who has done aveiros might not have the zechus that Hashem will protect him in the war, and he may be afraid to fight!
The Gemara gives an example of an aveira that this includes — someone who speaks between Pesukei Dezimra and the brachos of Shema.
This shows us how important it is not to talk, and that this mitzvah gives us protection from Hashem!
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As we said before, we are not allowed to speak between Pesukei Dezimra and the brachos of Shema.
The Alter Rebbe brings in Shulchan Aruch that we are actually not allowed to speak starting from Boruch She’amar until after Shemoneh Esrei.
Here is why:
Pesukei Dezimra is like a sandwich, between the two brachos of Boruch She’amar (the bracha before) and Yishtabach (the bracha afterwards). To keep the brachos together with the words of praise to Hashem, we are not supposed to make any interruptions.
The Chachomim also wanted us to say Kriyas Shema before Shemoneh Esrei, together with brachos before and after. Just like with Pesukei Dezimra, we keep the brachos together with Shema and don’t make any interuptions.
Both Pesukei Dezimra and Shema are connected to Shemoneh Esrei: We are supposed to praise Hashem before Shemoneh Esrei, which is Pesukei Dezimra. The brachos after Shema mention the Geulah, and it is a mitzvah to daven right after speaking about Geulah, “Somech Geulah l’Tefillah.”
Because these parts of davening are a preparation for Shemoneh Esrei, we are not allowed to interrupt, and should daven Shemoneh Esrei right after saying them!
There are many halachos about when we CAN say something — like answering Amen to a bracha, saying parts of davening with a minyan, or speaking for a mitzvah, depending on what we are up to. But otherwise, it is a clear halacha that we are not allowed to talk from Boruch She’amar until after Shemoneh Esrei!
See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman nun-alef se’if daled
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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 Navi Yeshaya tells us that when Moshiach comes, we will see that we were right to trust in Hashem that He will take us out of Golus! Then we will celebrate and thank Hashem for bringing us the Geulah.
This posuk is in Veyitein Lecha, which we say on Motzei Shabbos. It is also one of the pesukim we say in Ato Horeisa before Hakafos on Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah!
וְאָמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא הִנֵּה אֱלֹקֵינוּ זֶה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ זֶה ה׳ קִוִּינוּ לוֹ נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ
Ve’amar Bayom Hahu — And Yidden will say on that day,
Hinei Elokeinu Zeh — “This is our Aibershter!
Kivinu Lo Veyoshieinu — We trusted in Him that He would save us.
Zeh Hashem Kivinu Lo — This is Hashem, Who we trusted in,
Nagila Venismecha Biyeshuaso — Let us celebrate and be happy with His Geulah!”
See Yeshaya perek Chof-Hey, posuk Tes
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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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