|
|
CHUMASH
Parshas Behaalosecha - Sheini with Rashi
|
|
Yesterday we learned what the Leviim became ready to do the Avodah.
The Torah explains why the Leviim are the ones to do the Avodah: At Makas Bechoros, when Hashem killed the bechorim of Mitzrayim and protected the bechorim of the Yidden, Hashem took the firstborns as a temporary “payment” for protecting them. This lasted until the bechorim did the aveira of the Cheit Ha’egel, when Hashem took the Leviim permanently to serve in the Mishkan.
But the Torah tells us that Hashem took the Leviim on behalf of the bechorim and the entire Bnei Yisroel! Rashi tells us that we see in the posuk that Hashem loves ALL of the Yidden very much! Hashem says the words “Bnei Yisrael” (the Yidden) five times in one posuk, to show that He loves the Yidden as much as He loves the five books of the Torah!
The Torah praises the Yidden, that Moshe and Aharon, the Yidden and the Leviim, did exactly what Hashem told them to do, and nobody complained or protested.
Hashem told Moshe some rules about the Leviim:
- A Levi can work in the Mishkan even if he has something wrong with his body (a mum) even though a Kohen isn’t allowed to.
- A Levi starts learning how to do his job when he is 25 years old.
- He starts to work when he is 30 years old.
- A Levi stops carrying parts of the Mishkan after he is 50.
- He can still do the other jobs of the Leviim when he is older than 50.
What are the other jobs of the Leviim?
- Opening and closing the gates of the Beis Hamikdash
- Playing lighter instruments
- Singing
- Putting things that aren’t heavy onto the wagons
- Keeping people out of the Mishkan who aren’t allowed to be there
- Taking down and putting up the Mishkan
|
|
|
|
In Kapitel Pey-Alef (81), the posuk says “Tiku BaChodesh Shofar, Bakeseh LeYom Chageinu. Ki Chok LeYisroel Hu, Mishpat Leilokei Yaakov.” These pesukim are talking about blowing the shofar, which is the mitzvah of Rosh Hashana.
The Gemara says that it is also talking about the parnasa that every Yid will have for the coming year. There is an argument in the Gemara whether a person is judged on Rosh Hashana, or every day, or even every hour!
Chassidus explains that it’s really not an argument — they’re just talking about different things! In Ruchnius, on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, it is decided what a person will have. But based on how they act every day and every moment, it is decided whether that Ruchnius koach he deserves will come into Gashmius and give him parnasa, or stay in Ruchnius for Gan Eden.
Some people think that since anyway Hashem decided on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur what they will get for the whole year, it doesn’t matter if they daven with a minyan or go to a shiur in Torah or do other mitzvos. Either they will get it or they won’t get it!
But that’s not true! Even if in Shomayim it was decided that a person will get a lot, if he doesn’t earn Hashem’s bracha, he won’t get the bracha in Gashmius. And the opposite is also true — even if someone isn’t supposed to get a lot, with Hashem’s bracha that little can help him even more than a lot would!
|
|
|
TANYA
Shaar Hayichud Veha'emunah Perek Vov
|
|
Before, the Alter Rebbe told us that there are two names of Hashem: Havaya and Elokim.
Havaya is the name of Hashem that gives Chayus to the world, and Elokim is the name of Hashem that HIDES the chayus.
Today the Alter Rebbe tells us that the name Elokim is the same gematria as the word “HaTeva” — nature. We see the world in a way of Elokim. It looks like the world takes care of itself, through the “laws” of nature, instead of needing Hashem’s chayus to always make it stay.
Before, we also learned that these two names of Hashem are only two different NAMES, but Hashem is ONE!
Today the Alter Rebbe explains how we can see that they are one:
Havaya is Chesed, giving.
Elokim is Gevurah — taking away.
If Havaya and Elokim were two separate things, then the name Havaya would give chayus to everything, and the name Elokim would take away the chayus from everything!
But since they are the same Hashem, they work together! They work together and they need each other! The name Havaya is Hashem’s chesed that gives us the chayus, and the name Elokim is the Gevurah that HIDES it so that the chayus doesn’t shine too strong for us to be able to live and serve Hashem.
This shows us that they are really one!
|
|
|
|
Today’s Hayom Yom teaches us that our Ruchnius health is similar to our Gashmius health.
A person whose tooth hurts a lot knows that he needs to go to the dentist. He understands that the dentist has the tools that with Hashem’s help will make him healthy.
A Yid’s neshama could also be hurting Chas Veshalom. Like if someone says not true things a lot, that hurts his neshama.
When our tooth is hurting we feel it and want to get better. The same is with our neshama! If the things we do don’t make our neshama healthy, we need to feel it and want to become better.
When it’s our tooth that hurts, we know that going to the dentist will, with Hashem’s help, make us feel better. The same is when our neshama hurts! We need to know that we CAN feel better and with Hashem’s help we will learn how to act the way a Yid should.
The Rebbe also tells us different reasons why a person’s neshama can feel sick. Until the “doctor” (like a mashpia) figures out exactly what is making him sick and helps him feel better, he needs to live in a healthy way. How does a Yid act in a healthy way? By learning Torah, doing mitzvos, and having good midos, and by staying away from aveiros and ideas that are against Torah!
|
|
|
|
Today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #321) is the same as yesterday’s — not to go out of the Techum Shabbos. The Techum Shabbos is an area of 2,000 amos (about 1 kilometer, or over a half mile) surrounding the city. We aren’t allowed to travel past that point on Shabbos.
We learn this from a posuk in Parshas Beshalach: אַל יֵצֵא אִישׁ מִמְּקֹמוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
It means, “No person should 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) also teaches that this posuk is talking about not going out of the Techum Shabbos.
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.
We will IY”H learn the halachos and details of this mitzvah in Rambam in two days!
|
|
|
|
In today’s Rambam, we learn about not doing a sh’vus. A sh’vus is something which the Chachomim said is asur either because it is LIKE the way we do a melacha, or because it is something that might make someone forget and actually DO the melacha. Many of the things we don’t do on Shabbos are because of sh’vus.
All three perakim today (Chof-Alef, Chof-Beis, and Chof-Gimmel) teach us about different kinds of sh’vus. The Rambam organizes them according to which melacha they are based on.
|
|
|
|
In Perek Ches, we learn about when things change to become Avodah Zarah. If someone davened to a mountain, the mountain isn’t counted as Avodah Zarah, but if he took a rock from that mountain it could be.
|
|
|
|
We are a little more than two weeks from Gimmel Tammuz, which is a very important day for all Yidden, and especially for Chassidim! Just like with a Yom Tov, if we really want to appreciate it and get the brachos from it, we need to prepare before. So too, Gimmel Tammuz needs preparation.
Today, in preparation for Gimmel Tammuz, we will learn about hiskashrus to a Rebbe after he physically passes away, called histalkus.
There is a famous section in Igeres Hakodesh of Tanya, siman chof-zayin, which is the first place in Chassidus Chabad that explains the connection of a tzadik and a Rebbe with their Chassidim after histalkus.
First, the Alter Rebbe tells us (based on the words of the Zohar) that the brachos and tefillos of the tzadik for the Gashmius of the chassidim, and also what the tzadik gives in Ruchnius, still continue even after his histalkus, and even stronger than before.
After that, the Alter Rebbe starts to explain how Chassidim are able to receive MORE from the tzadik after the histalkus than they were able to receive before.
How?
During the tzadik’s lifetime, we are able to SEE the Tzadik, and hear what he tells us. The talmidim are able to learn from the Rebbe’s thoughts and words that are shared with them.
After the histalkus, we might think that since we can’t see and hear the tzadik, we receive less. But that’s not true! After the histalkus, we are not only able to receive from the WORDS of the tzadik, but we are able to receive from a deeper part of the tzadik’s neshama! And since the tzadik is no longer limited by a Gashmius guf, EVERYONE who is in ANY PLACE is able to receive from this deeper part of the tzadik’s neshama.
Even though it takes more effort, and we need to really work hard to follow the instructions that the tzadik gave us, still we are able to receive more from the tzadik after the histalkus.
It is possible then to understand on a much deeper level what the Rebbe teaches, and we have extra kochos to fulfill what he teaches in the best possible way. And then we are also able to receive the brachos in Gashmius that come from living as the tzadik taught us, even more than before!
The Rebbe often quoted this Igeres Hakodesh, when speaking about the previous Rebbeim after their histalkus. From this we understand that today too, even though it is after Gimmel Tammuz and we cannot see the Rebbe, Chassidim have a tremendous koach, more than ever before, to learn the Rebbe’s Torah and fulfill the Rebbe’s shlichus. This way we will also be keilim to receive all of the Rebbe’s brachos, especially the most important bracha, the Geulah Sheleimah, when we will again be together with the Rebbe begashmius and learn the Torah of Moshiach Tzidkeinu!
|
|
|
▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
|
|
|
|
In the main part of davening, Shemoneh Esrei, we ask Hashem for our needs. The Chachomim taught us that before asking Hashem for the things we need and want, 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!)
|
|
|
|
Did you ever wonder why we shokel (sway) when we daven and learn?
It’s actually a halacha! When the Torah was given, it made the Yidden tremble, their bodies actually shook. (“Vayar Ha’am Vayanu’u.”)Those who are careful with mitzvos are careful to shokel when they learn Torah too.
There are also reasons to shokel specifically during davening: The posuk says, “Kol Atzmosai Tomarna Hashem Mi Chamocha!” “All of my bones take part in saying, ‘Who is like You, Hashem!’”
We make sure our bones can take part in the praise of Hashem, by shokeling when we daven.
There is an opinion that we should only shokel during Pesukei Dezimra, which is an actual praise to Hashem. According to this opinion, a person should stand still during Shemoneh Esrei, and only move a bit at the end of each bracha, trembling a bit from saying Hashem’s name. The Alter Rebbe says that it is not so important whether you follow this opinion or not — the main thing is to have kavana!
See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman mem-ches se’if gimmel
|
|
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
|
|
|
|
Nowadays, learning Torah isn’t easy for everyone. Some of us would like to learn more Torah, but we don’t have enough time.
But when Moshiach comes, it won’t be that way anymore! The Navi Yeshaya promises us that ALL of the Yidden will be Talmidei Chachomim!
וְכָל בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי ה׳ וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנָיִךְ
Vechol Banayich Limudei Hashem — And all of your children will be Talmidei Chachomim, studying Hashem’s Torah
VeRav Shelom Banoyich — And your children will have lots of shalom!
This posuk is explained in a maamar that the Frierdiker Rebbe said in connection with the Rebbe’s chasuna. The maamar explains the connection between the first half of the posuk and the second half of the posuk. When Yidden are Talmidei Chachomim, they can bring shalom into the world, and make it a world where Hashem wants to be!
But for this to work, we need to be a real Talmid of Hashem. We need to make sure to daven properly so that we always remember that it’s HASHEM’s Torah. This way our Torah learning will bring shalom to the world!
See Yeshaya perek Nun-Daled posuk Yud-Gimmel, Maamar Vechol Banayich Tof-Reish-Pey-Tes
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
