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CHUMASH
Parshas Behaalosecha - Rishon with Rashi
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At the end of last week’s parsha, we learned about the presents that the Nesiim gave for the Chanukas Hamizbeiach. But one shevet did not bring a present — Shevet Levi. Aharon felt bad about this, but Hashem told him that he would do something greater — he would light the Menorah! That’s why we learn about how the Menorah is lit now:
Hashem tells Moshe to tell Aharon how to light the Menorah.
When Aharon sets up the wicks in the Menorah, he should make sure that the wicks face the middle branch of the Menorah. Also, when he lights the wicks, he should make sure that the flame catches onto the wick until it is burning on its own.
Even though Aharon was so overjoyed to be able to do this mitzvah, he still made sure to do it exactly the way he was told.
In order to show how special it was for Aharon to light the menorah, the Torah tells us again how special the menorah was. It was made out of one piece of gold, and made in a way of a neis! This shows us that what Aharon did to prepare the Menorah was greater than what the Nesiim did to prepare the Mizbeiach!
Now we learn how the Leviim started working in the Mishkan:
Hashem told Moshe to make the Leviim tahor, by sprinkling them with water from the Parah Adumah, in case any of the Leviim had Tumas Meis. They also had to cut off all their hair like a Metzora (a person with tzoraas), and put their clothes in the Mikvah.
Why did they have to have their hair cut off like a Metzora? Rashi explains that this was because the Leviim were going to do the Avodah in the Mishkan instead of the Bechorim, the firstborns, who served Avodah Zarah with the Eigel Hazahav.
An offering to Avodah Zara and a Metzora are both also called “Meis.” The Leviim had to cut off their hair to take away the tumah of Avodah Zara (Meis), the way a Metzora has to cut off his hair to take away his tumah of tzoraas (Meis).
The Leviim should also bring a Korban Olah similar to the korban which a group of people who do Avodah Zarah have to bring, and a Korban Chatas.
All of the Leviim should stand in front of the Mishkan, and the Yidden should watch them bringing their korbanos. Aharon lifted up the Leviim and waved them like the korban of a Metzora is waved, and the Yidden did semicha (leaning on them, like we lean on a korban) on the Leviim, since the Avodah of the Leviim is a korban which is a kapara for the Yidden.
When the Leviim bring these Korbanos, they will become special for Hashem, ready to work in the Mishkan.
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In Kapitel Ayin-Ches, which is in today’s Tehillim, there is a posuk that says “Vayakem Eidus BeYaakov, VeSora Sam BeYisroel” — “Hashem set up the Torah and Mitzvos for Yaakov and Yisroel.” This kapitel tells us why — so that the Torah will be passed on forever.
Chassidus teaches us that each of the Avos has something different and special about them, and they pass that on to all of the Yidden.
Even though it was before Matan Torah, ALL of the Avos learned Torah. But we see that learning Torah was even stronger by Yaakov Avinu! Yaakov was called an “Ish Tam, Yosheiv Ohalim.” He spent a lot of time learning Torah, especially in the tents of Shem and Ever. Yaakov Avinu passed this on to his children and to all children who would come from them — all of the Yidden! We all get this koach of learning a lot of Torah from Yaakov Avinu.
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TANYA
Shaar Hayichud Veha'emunah Perek Hey
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In the Tanya, the Alter Rebbe is explaining to us how to serve Hashem with feelings of Ahava and Yirah (love and fear of Hashem). Just like when you love someone, you need to know something about them first, we also have to know something about Hashem so we can have these feelings. First, we need to understand about Hashem as much as we are able to know, and strengthen our Emunah (belief) for what we can’t understand. These are the first things we need to have to bring out the feelings of Ahava and Yirah which are in our neshama. This is what we are learning about now in Shaar Hayichud Veha’emunah.
The Alter Rebbe explained how Hashem is constantly creating the world in a way of Chesed, with Sheim Havaya (Yud-Kay-Vov-Kay), but through Sheim Elokim, Hashem is hiding in the world in a way of Gevurah.
In the beginning of today’s Tanya we see that even though Hashem hides in the world, Hashem included the midah of Rachamim in creating the world, that we should be able to SEE Hashem at least a little bit!
That’s why Hashem gave us Tzadikim! Through their Avodas Hashem, including the miracles that they do, we are able to see Hashem! When we look at a neis like Kriyas Yam Suf, or the Geulah of the Rebbeim, there is a Gilui Elokus in the world, we are able too see that Hashem is in the world.
The Alter Rebbe also tells us that even though these two names of Hashem are really one, it’s not possible to see it this way in this Gashmius world. Even big tzadikim will only be able to SEE how these two names of Hashem are one, when they are getting their reward in Gan Eden!
But here, the way Hashem hides with Sheim Elokim is supposed to be the way we see it. This way, we are able to do Gashmius mitzvos and actually choose to serve Hashem.
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In today’s Hayom Yom, we learn how the Alter Rebbe’s Chassidus grew over time.
At first, the Alter Rebbe used to say VERY SHORT Chassidus. Later on, his maamarim got longer and longer! The different kinds of maamarim had different names:
1) Derachim — these were VERY short but VERY powerful words! They would bring great excitement and chayus to those who heard them.
2) Igros — These were a little bit longer.
3) Toros — These were even longer maamarim! The maamarim that were later printed in Torah Ohr and Likutei Torah were based on these Toros.
4) Kesovim — These were even LONGER, and the Alter Rebbe explained the inyonim more.
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Today in Sefer Hamitzvos we learn another mitzvah about Shabbos (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #321): On Shabbos we can’t go more than 2,000 amos (about 1 kilometer, or over a half mile) outside of the city — that’s called Techum Shabbos.
We learn this from a posuk in Parshas Beshalach: אַל יֵצֵא אִישׁ מִמְּקֹמוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
The posuk means, “A person should not leave his place on the seventh day.” The Gemara says that this means not to go more than 2,000 amos outside of the city. The Mechilta (a midrash on the Chumash) says the same thing.
The Gemara in Mesechta Eiruvin teaches us the halachos about this mitzvah, and tells us that if someone does go outside of the Techum Shabbos, they get Malkos.
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In today’s Rambam, we finish learning about the halachos of carrying, hotza’ah.
Perek Yud-Ches: We learn how much a person has to carry to be punished for the melacha of carrying on Shabbos. There are different amounts, depending on the type of thing. (Of course, it is still asur to carry any amount!)
At the end of this perek, there is a halacha that the Rebbe would quote many times: If a person carries a small amount of food — less than the shiur — even inside of a very big keili, he is not punished for the melacha, because he wants to carry the food inside, and not the container. One time the Rebbe quoted this halacha to show that even if a person has a big and beautiful house, since the main thing he wants is the sefarim inside, it is as if the house is full of seforim — a Bayis Molei Seforim! The rest of the house is just there for the main thing, the sefarim!
Perek Yud-Tes: We are allowed to wear things outside on Shabbos, and it isn’t a problem of hotza’ah. In this perek, we learn what is considered wearing and what is considered carrying. One halacha is that if you wear a box over your head to keep your clothes dry, it’s called carrying, because a box is not a regular kind of clothes! Only normal clothing is not called hotza’ah.
The Rambam tells us to make sure to check our pockets before Shabbos so we don’t carry by mistake!
Perek Chof: Since a person is not allowed to even let his animals do melacha on Shabbos, the Rambam teaches us the halachos of what an animal is not allowed to go out with on Shabbos. He also teaches us the rest of the halachos about not letting our animals or our servants do work on Shabbos.
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We need to destroy Avodah Zarah things. The Rambam teaches us what kinds of things are counted as Avodah Zarah. For example, if a cow was used for a korban to Avodah Zarah, we can’t even use its skin for anything else.
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Sometimes Hashem makes things happen to us that we don’t like. They might be uncomfortable, sad, or just plain hard! It feels “dark” and frustrating.
Chassidus tells us that Hashem does this in order for us to take this “darkness” and turn it into “light”: We should use this hard thing to help us grow and bring more good into the world.
This is what we learn from Tes-Vov Sivan. Tes-Vov Sivan was when the Frierdiker Rebbe was put into jail. At that time it was very scary and dark. But after the Geulah of Yud-Beis Tammuz, the Frierdiker Rebbe began to spread Yiddishkeit on a new level — much more than before!
Then we were able to see that Tes-Vov Sivan was a good thing — it started off all the good that came later. It was dark, but from that darkness came a much greater light.
The same is true for us: When there is a dark time in the world, the purpose is for us to grow from it — to bring a much greater light to the world.
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In Shemoneh Esrei, we ask Hashem for our needs. The Chachomim taught us that before asking Hashem for the things we need, we should first praise Hashem.
We praise Hashem in the first brachos of Shemoneh Esrei, but those brachos are very short. If we spend more time praising Hashem, it will make much more of a difference for us. For this reason, the Chachomim added Pesukei Dezimra to our davening, before Shema.
The main paragraph of Pesukei Dezimra is “Ashrei.” The pesukim in this paragraph starting from the words “Tehillah Ledovid” come from Kapitel Kuf-Mem-Hey in Tehillim. Dovid Hamelech said this kapitel as a “Tehillah,” “a praise for Hashem,” praising Him with every letter of the Alef-Beis! We start with “Aromimcha,” which starts with an alef, and say a posuk for every letter. (There is no posuk which starts with nun, and the Gemara explains why! We will IY”H learn about it another day.)
The Chachomim added the line “Ashrei Yoshvei Veisecha” before “Tehillah Ledovid” to show us how important it is to praise Hashem in Pesukei Dezimra. Someone who spends time in Hashem’s house, speaking about how special He is before davening, is doing something very good!
There is a halacha that we need to have kavana especially when we say a certain posuk, the one that starts with a pey: “Poseiach Es Yodecha, Umasbia Lechol Chai Ratzon.” “Hashem, You open Your hand and satisfy all living things.”
This posuk tells us that Hashem gives parnasa, and helps everyone with whatever they need. We think about how Hashem takes care of every creation and gives it whatever it needs to have. We realize that all that we have comes directly from Hashem, and that Hashem gives us all we need!
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During davening, we are not allowed to hold anything that will distract us from davening properly. For example, we can’t hold money or food, since we’ll be thinking about those things and not the words we are saying!
Based on this, we need to make sure our cellphones don’t bother us during davening! Of course we should make sure the ringer is off (which could bother other people), but we shouldn’t put it on vibrate, since that will disturb us from davening. We should make sure the phone is completely quiet, so that we will be able to focus completely on our davening!
By following the way Hashem wants us to act, we can be sure that we won’t miss out on anything!
See Piskei Teshuvos vol. 1, p. 750
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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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Right now, the Golus feels REALLY long. But when Moshiach comes, we will see how short it really was!
The Navi Yeshaya tells us about this in one of his nevuos about Moshiach:
בְּרֶגַע קָטֹן עֲזַבְתִּיךְ וּבְרַחֲמִים גְּדֹלִים אֲקַבְּצֵךְ
BeRega Katon Azavtich — Hashem says, “I have left you for a small moment
Uv’Rachamim Gedolim Akabtzeich — And I will gather you back with much Rachamim!”
Once we feel Hashem’s great Rachmonus when we are gathered together in Eretz Yisroel in the time of the Geulah, we will realize that the time Hashem left us in Golus was only a Rega Katon, a short moment.
See Navi Yeshaya perek Nun-Daled posuk Yud-Gimmel, Otzar Pisgomei Chabad p. 412
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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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