|
|
CHUMASH
Parshas Korach - Sheini with Rashi
|
|
We learned yesterday that Moshe told Korach and his group to bring Ketores to show that Hashem didn’t want everyone to be a Kohen Gadol. Moshe Rabbeinu tried to make Dasan and Aviram feel better so they would do Teshuvah, but they didn’t want to listen.
At first, Moshe thought that this group was just jealous of the special job of the Kohen Gadol, who got to do the holiest jobs in the Mishkan. He thought that by trying to bring Ketores, they would realize that Hashem had not chosen them.
But Dasan and Aviram kept complaining: “You didn’t bring us to Eretz Yisroel like you promised us!”
Moshe realized that they didn’t just want the honor of being the Kohen Gadol, they didn’t want ANYONE to be in charge of them! He asked Hashem to punish only those who brought their ketores for the wrong reasons — those that didn’t like that anyone was in charge.
All night, Korach tried to get the Yidden to join him. He went to all of the Shevatim, convincing them that he was trying to help them. He managed to get them all to come with him the next morning.
The next morning, the original 250 people who joined Korach took their ketores and stood by the Mishkan with Moshe and Aharon. Everyone else was there too.
Then, everyone could see Hashem’s cloud in front of them, with a special message!
|
|
|
|
Today is the first day of Rosh Chodesh, so today we finish the whole sefer Tehillim for this month!
The first kapitel of today’s Tehillim is very special! It starts with the words “Tehillah LeDovid,” which is the third posuk of Ashrei. We say Ashrei three times every day in davening! (Twice in Shacharis and once in Mincha.) Ashrei goes in the order of the Alef-Beis — one posuk for each letter (except for Nun).
The posuk that starts with Zayin is “Zecher Rav Tuvcha Yabiu,” “They will tell over to the next generation what they remember about Hashem’s great goodness.”
There is a long maamar of the Alter Rebbe in his “Siddur Im Dach” (Siddur with maamorim of Chassidus) that explains this posuk. (This is one of the early maamarim that the Mitteler Rebbe chazered at the beginning of his Nesius, as mentioned in the Hayom Yom of Lamed Av.)
When the Rebbe said the posuk “Zecher Rav Tuvcha” in davening, he would say the word Zecher twice (like we do when we lein the part of the Torah that talks about remembering Amalek) — “Zeicher Zecher” — once with a tzeirei and once with a segol.
|
|
|
TANYA
Shaar Hayichud Veha'emunah Perek Tes
|
|
There is a mitzvah for us to “know” Hashem. Obviously, this can’t mean that we need to understand Hashem! Of course we can’t understand Hashem, because Hashem CREATED our sechel (our mind), and our sechel is certainly not strong enough to understand our Creator!
The mitzvah of knowing Hashem is to be able to see the world the way Hashem wants us to see it. The world looks like it exists on its own, but really the world’s existence is only the chayus of Hashem in it!
Even this is really too hard for us to understand. But by realizing the differences between the way we are able to know something and the way things really are as Hashem knows them, it helps us come closer to picturing it the way it really is.
In this part of Tanya, we are learning the differences between the way we might think things are, based on OUR sechel, and the way Hashem sees them — the way they really are.
One of the things the Alter Rebbe told us before is that Chochmah is the highest level by a person. But by Hashem, it isn’t that way at all! Chochmah to Hashem is the way Maaseh (the lowest level) is to a person!
The only reason why we call Hashem a “Chochom” is because Chochmah COMES FROM Hashem.
In today’s Tanya, the Alter Rebbe teaches us HOW Chochmah comes from Hashem, the way it is explained in Kabbalah.
Hashem’s Chochmah and also Hashem’s midos (the ten Sefiros), once they are created, are what makes the world exist, and are the way the world really is, the way Hashem creates it!
The Zohar says, “Ihu Vegarmohi Chad,” that once they are created, Hashem and His sefiros are one.
The way Hashem and the sefiros are one, just like Hashem Himself, is above our understanding. The Zohar calls it Raza D’Mheimenusa, which means the secret of Emunah. It is higher than our sechel, and we need to use our Emunah.
Still, it takes our sechel to understand that we need Emunah to know that the world is one with Hashem!
|
|
|
|
Today we learn about our minhag for Haavaras Hasedra, about the difference between Gashmius and Ruchnius and why they are opposites, and about the midah of being Sameiach Bechelko, happy with what we have.
There is a halacha that every week we need to do something called “Haavaras Hasedra,” or “Shnayim Mikra Ve’Echad Targum.” We need to lein every posuk of that week’s parsha two times, and once in Targum (translation). The Chachomim chose Targum Onkelos, which translates the Chumash into Aramaic.
Some have a minhag to lein the whole parsha two times, and then to read through the whole Targum Onkelos. But that’s not Minhag Chabad. Our minhag is to lein each posuk twice, and then Targum Onkelos, before going on to the next posuk. We also lein the Haftorah of the Parsha, and also the haftorah we read in shul if they’re different (like if it’s Rosh Chodesh and we need to lein a special Rosh Chodesh Haftorah).
Today the Rebbe teaches us that Ruchnius and Gashmius are opposites. Something that is GOOD in Gashmius, might NOT be good in Ruchnius.
One example for this is the midah of “Sameach BeChelko” — being happy with what we have. If we are happy with our Gashmius, that’s great! We won’t be spending our time looking for Gashmius, and instead we will be able to use all of our energy for the real important things.
But to be “Sameach BeChelko” in Ruchnius can be terrible! A person should never feel like he has enough Torah, Yiras Shomayim, Hiskashrus, or Ahavas Yisroel. Even someone who did many special things needs to always feel like he has to do even better.
|
|
|
|
In today’s Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn the mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #169) of taking a Lulav and Esrog to shake on Sukkos!
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Emor: וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים וַעֲנַף עֵץ עָבֹת וְעַרְבֵי נָחַל וּשְׂמַחְתֶּם לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם שִׁבְעַת יָמִים
The mitzvah from the Torah is that everywhere in the world we should shake the Lulav and Esrog on the first day of Sukkos, and only in the Beis Hamikdash (“Lifnei Hashem”) for all seven days of Sukkos (“Shivas Yamim”).
Only after the Churban of the Beis Hamikdash, because of the takana of R’ Yochanan ben Zakai, do we shake the Lulav and Esrog on all seven days of Sukkos, “Zecher L’Mikdash.” When Moshiach comes it will go back to the way it was before this takana.
The details of this mitzvah are explained in Gemara, Mesechta Sukkah.
|
|
|
RAMBAM
Hilchos Shofar V'Sukah V'Lulav
|
|
In today’s Rambam, we are finishing Hilchos Shofar V’Sukah V’Lulav.
Perek Vov: After learning about the walls of the sukkah and the sechach, in this perek, we learn the halachos of actually sitting in the sukkah. For example, we learn that you are allowed to eat certain snacks outside of the sukkah, but someone who is careful not to even drink water outside of the sukkah — Harei Zeh Meshubach, he is doing something very good and should be praised.
Perek Zayin: We learn about the Daled Minim, the Lulav, Esrog, Hadassim, and Aravos. We learn how to tie them together, how to hold them, and how to shake them. The Rambam says that a child who knows how to shake the lulav has a Mitzvah DeRabbanan to shake the Lulav, because of Chinuch.
Perek Ches: We learn about what makes the Daled Minim posul, and the special simcha we have on Sukkos — including the Simchas Beis Hashoeivah!
The Rambam finishes this set of halachos with a halacha the Rebbe would quote often, about how important it is to have simcha in Avodas Hashem! We can learn from Dovid Hamelech, who didn’t think about his own kavod and danced in front of Hashem at the time that the Aron was coming back to where it belonged. We should also never feel embarrassed to show our simcha in Avodas Hashem!
|
|
|
|
In this perek, the Rambam tells us that the best way to serve Hashem is lishma, since a person knows it’s the right thing to do. But that doesn’t happen on its own, it takes time and work! In the meantime, a person first serves Hashem for rewards and prizes, until he learns how to serve Hashem lishma.
The Rambam also says “Al Pi HaDeiah Tihiyeh HoAhava” — the more we learn about Yiddishkeit and Hashem, the more we will appreciate it, and our love for Hashem and Avodas Hashem will be greater!
Mazel Tov! Now we have finished this set of halachos and the entire Sefer Mada!
|
|
|
|
A few days ago, we learned about the maalah of davening in 770. Now we will also see where the Rebbe explains something very special about davening at the Ohel!
There is a halacha that when we daven, we should face Eretz Yisroel, because Hashem’s Shechinah is there. In Eretz Yisroel, we face Yerushalayim, and in Yerushalayim, we face the Beis Hamikdash, the place where Hashem rests.
This helps that our davening should be accepted by Hashem!
Even though the halacha is always this way, in Eretz Yisroel itself there is still a very big difference between the way it was when the Beis Hamikdash stood and the way it is after the Churban. Even though there is still kedusha there, it is much more hidden.
In the time of the Beis Hamikdash, there were less things that blocked our tefillos from going up to Hashem right away. It was easier to see how our tefillos are answered!
But there still is a place where we can reach the level of kedusha of Eretz Yisroel the way it was before the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed!
Chassidus teaches that the neshamos of great tzadikim, like Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, were not affected by the Churban of the Beis Hamikdash. So being close to the neshama of a great tzadik is able to connect us to the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel the way it was before the Churban!
Like Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, the Rebbe is a great tzadik who teaches us Pnimius HaTorah, and is able to connect us to this special level of kedusha. Even more, since the Rebbe is the Nasi Hador, and has a special connection with each Yid of our generation, we can connect to the kedusha by the Rebbe in an even greater way.
That is what is special about davening at the Ohel of the Rebbe! We are connected to the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel the way it was when the Beis Hamikdash stood, and we can see how our tefillah goes right up to Hashem, and how Hashem answers us!
See Sicha Yud Shevat 5714
|
|
|
▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
|
|
|
|
After Vayevarech Dovid, we say the praise of Hashem from the Torah. This praise is the Shirah, the song that the Yidden sang at Kriyas Yam Suf.
We start with the pesukim of Vayosha, the pesukim that come before Az Yashir in the Torah. These pesukim tell us a little bit about the nissim that happened before the Yidden sang to Hashem.
One of the reasons we say Az Yashir here is to praise Hashem from all parts of Torah. First we praise Hashem from Nach (the parts of Pesukei Dezimra that come from Tehillim, and Vayevarech Dovid, from Divrei HaYamim and Sefer Nechemyah). Then, we praise Hashem in the words of the Torah itself! Even though Chumash should really come before Nach, the Zohar explains that we say Az Yashir later so it is closer to Shema, which is a higher level of davening.
There are also many other reasons for why we say Az Yashir here. One of them is that it has some of the words of praise we will say to Hashem in Yishtabach.
See Mesechta Shel Tefillah
|
|
|
|
There are many halachos that teach us how to act when we are dealing with other people.
Here is one halacha:
Let’s say your friend Avi tells you about a neat trip he went on. You think it’s really interesting, and you want to ask Levi what he thinks. No problem, right?
Actually, there is a problem!
Whenever someone tells us something, the halacha is that we need to treat it as private, unless the other person TELLS us that we are allowed to talk about it. We can’t share what another person told us unless he specifically tells us that it is okay!
See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Hilchos Masa Umatan, siman Kuf-Nun-Vov, se’if yud-daled
|
|
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק ע״ה בן ר׳ אפרים שי׳ מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
|
|
|
|
The Navi Yeshaya tells us something special that will happen at the time of the Geulah! Nowadays there are many people who don’t think they are important, and many families that feel very small. Look what the Navi says will happen when it’s time for the Geulah to come!
הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף וְהַצָּעִיר לְגוֹי עָצוּם אֲנִי ה׳ בְּעִתָּהּ אֲחִישֶׁנָּה
Hakaton Yihiyeh La’elef — The smallest family will become a thousand
Vehatza’ir Legoy Atzum — And the smallest person will become a great nation!
Ani Hashem — I am Hashem, Who can do this!
Be’ita Achishena — In the right time, I will speed it up to make it happen!
See Yeshaya perek Samach posuk Chof-Beis
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
