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CHUMASH
Parshas Shelach - Revi'i with Rashi
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In today’s Chumash the Torah tells us the punishment for the Meraglim, and the Yidden who didn’t want to go into Eretz Yisroel. We also learn one mitzvah for the generation that WILL go into Eretz Yisroel.
Hashem told Moshe that the Meraglim would have to die right away for what they did — except for Yehoshua bin Nun and Kalev ben Yefuneh.
The rest of the Yidden will die in the desert, because they didn’t want to go into Eretz Yisroel. Only the women and the kids who are less than 20 years old will get to go into Eretz Yisroel. The Yidden had been worried about their children, and that was one of the reasons they said they didn’t want to go — and now those children will be the ONLY ones to go into Eretz Yisroel!
The Yidden will need to make up for the days that the Meraglim traveled in Eretz Yisroel looking for not nice things to say. For every day the Meraglim traveled, the Yidden will need to go for a year in the Midbar. Since it took the Meraglim 40 days, now all of the Yidden will have to stay in the Midbar for 40 years.
The Yidden were very sad when they heard what would happen.
Some Yidden changed their minds and wanted to go to Eretz Yisroel! They said that they did teshuvah, and were going to go into Eretz Yisroel right away.
Hashem was happy that they did teshuvah, but not happy that they didn’t ask Moshe Rabbeinu (who was in charge of the Yidden) before deciding to go travel into Eretz Yisroel. Hashem told Moshe to warn them that Hashem won’t save them from the Goyim if they go by themselves. Still, those Yidden went, and the people of Amalek and Canaan killed them. So that place was called Chormah, which means “destroyed,” because those that went were destroyed there.
Now Hashem told Moshe to teach the Yidden some of the special mitzvos of Eretz Yisroel, so that they know that the Yidden will still be going there.
Today we learn the first mitzvah: When we bring korbanos in Eretz Yisroel, we also have to bring a Korban Mincha (flour and oil) and a Nesech (wine) along with it.
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Today’s Tehillim is the first half of Kapitel Kuf-Yud-Tes.
Today’s Tehillim is very special! We start the LONGEST kapitel in the whole Tehillim, kapitel Kuf-Yud-Tes! This kapitel is so long that we don’t even say the whole thing in one day — it is split up between Yom Chof-Hey and Yom Chof-Vov!
This kapitel has 8 pesukim for each letter of the Alef Beis, in order. The pesukim talk about the Torah and mitzvos, and each posuk has at least one of these 10 words (that mean Torah or mitzvos) in it:
1) Derech
2) Torah
3) Edus
4) Pekudim
5) Mitzvah
6) Amirah
7) Dibur
8) Mishpat
9) Tzedek
10) Chukim
One of the pesukim that starts with Alef is “Az Lo Eivosh Behabiti El Kol Mitzvosecha.” “When I look at all of your mitzvos, I won’t be embarrassed.” (The Rambam uses this as an introduction to the Mishneh Torah, the whole set of the halachos in Rambam!)
This teaches us that if we look carefully at all of the 613 mitzvos of Hashem (the Rambam teaches them all to us), we will always be proud Yidden!
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TANYA
Shaar Hayichud Veha'emunah Perek Zayin
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There is a chayus of Hashem called Memalei Kol Almin, that gives every part of creation its own special life, and Sovev Kol Almin, which just makes everything exist equally.
One of the things we learn in today’s Tanya is about how the chayus from Memalei Kol Almin gives chayus to everything in the world in a limited way, so that everything has a specific size and amount. Even though the chayus itself has no limits (it is Ein Sof), it makes the world in a way of limits.
Hashem took His Ein Sof chayus and put it into the letters of the Asara Maamaros. The letters keep the chayus from Hashem from shining without an end. There are only these 10 things that Hashem said to make. Things that Hashem says clearly in the Maamaros have a stronger chayus, and things that are hinted (like with a Gematria) have a lesser kind of chayus.
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Today’s Hayom Yom teaches us who we should speak to about things that bother us.
Shlomo HaMelech said in his Sefer “Mishlei” that “Daaga BeLev Ish Yashchena” — “if a person is worried about something, ‘Yashchena.’”
What does “Yash’chena” mean? The Gemara tells us two things it could mean.
1) One meaning is to try to forget about it — just try not to think about it so you don’t worry.
2) The second meaning is to talk about it with other people.
The Tzemach Tzedek says that “other people” just means that in Gashmius it’s a different person. But in their feeling, they are really together and one with you, because they feel your pain.
These are the kind of people we should share our problems with, and this is the way we should be when we listen to someone else’s pain.
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SEFER HAMITZVOS
Shiur #53 - Mitzvas Asei #166, Lo Saasei #327, Asei #167, Lo Saasei #328, Lo Saasei #199
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In today’s Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn 5 mitzvos, about not working on Sukkos or Shmini Atzeres, and one mitzvah about Pesach.
1) (Mitzvas Asei #166) We need to rest on the first day of Sukkos.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Emor: בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #327) We can’t work on the first day of Sukkos.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Emor: כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ
3) (Mitzvas Asei #167) We need to rest on Shmini Atzeres.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Emor: בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם
The details are explained in Mesechta Beitzah (Yom Tov).
4) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #328) We can’t work on Shmini Atzeres.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Emor: כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ
The details are explained in Mesechta Beitzah (Yom Tov).
5) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #199) We can’t eat chometz in the afternoon before Pesach (the time when we can bring the Korban Pesach).
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Re’eh: לֹא תֹאכַל עָלָיו חָמֵץ
The details are explained in the beginning of Mesechta Pesachim.
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RAMBAM
Hilchos Shevisas Yom Tov - Chomeitz U'Matzah
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In today’s Rambam we learn two perakim all about the halachos of Chol Hamoed, and then we begin the halachos of chometz and matzah.
Perek Zayin: We learn that you’re not allowed to do a melacha on Chol Hamoed, because when the Torah uses the words “Mikra Kodesh,” it is also talking about how Chol Hamoed is holy. In the Beis Hamikdash, the Yom Tov korbanos were also brought on Chol Hamoed! Since the Torah uses the word “Shabason” (to rest) only on Yom Tov, there are many ways that melacha can be done. For example, if there will be a big loss if the melacha isn’t done, if it’s something that is very easy to do, if it’s necessary for Yom Tov, or for Tzorchei Rabim (that many people rely on it). But we are not allowed to push off melacha to Chol Hamoed if we could have done it earlier.
One halacha is that we can’t do laundry or cut hair on Chol Hamoed, because people might otherwise wait for Chol Hamoed, and then on Yom Tov they won’t have clean clothes and nice hair!
Perek Ches: We learn about specific melachos that are asur or mutar on Chol Hamoed. We also learn about not doing melacha on Erev Yom Tov in the afternoon (just like on Erev Shabbos). This is even more strict on Erev Pesach, which is a time that korbanos were brought in the Beis Hamikdash.
Now we start learning the halachos of Chometz and Matzah. There are eight perakim in this section — four about chometz, then four about matzah and the night of the Seder. This will be followed by the Rambam’s Nusach HaHaggadah.
Perek Alef: We learn about the isur of chometz. Even the tiniest drop is asur! The time when this isur starts is the middle of the day on Erev Pesach.
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The Rambam reminds us that we always have a choice to do the right thing, what Hashem wants — or chas veshalom NOT the right thing.
It’s also our choice that if we see we didn’t do what Hashem wants, we can right away do teshuvah and start doing the RIGHT thing again.
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The Rebbe helps us make our emunah strong, and to use all of our kochos to bring the Geulah!
In the maamar “Ve’ata Tetzaveh”, the last maamar we were zoche to receive from the Rebbe, the Rebbe teaches us about the avodah of Yidden in our time.
Just like an olive needs to be squeezed for the oil to come out, the etzem of our neshama only comes out when we are “squeezed” by something bothering us.
When Yidden lived in places like Russia, where they weren’t allowed to keep Yiddishkeit, that was very hard for the Yidden! But that hard time made the etzem of their neshamos come out, which gave them the koach to do the mitzvos anyway!
Nowadays, we don’t have those kind of problems, Boruch Hashem. But the emunah which comes from our Etzem Haneshama still needs to shine!
There is a Moshe Rabbeinu in every generation, who makes the emunah of the Yidden in his time strong and helps them act the way Hashem wants with all of their kochos.
How? The Rebbe helps us feel the pain that Moshiach isn’t here yet. The Rebbe shows us how we should be bothered that we can’t see the light of Hashem, that the Beis Hamikdash is not yet built, and that the Geulah isn’t in the world. This “squeezes” us and makes the etzem of our neshama start to shine!
This will help us use ALL of our kochos for Hashem, and do everything we can to bring the Geulah.
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In Pesukei Dezimra, we say the last kapitelach of Tehillim, which all start and end with the word “Hallelukah.”
When we say the last kapitel of the Tehillim, we read the last line twice! “Kol Haneshama Tehalel Kah Hallelukah, Kol Haneshama Tehalel Kah Hallelukah.”
Why do we say it twice?
The Avudraham says that it shows that we don’t want the holy words of Tehillim to end! We say the last line twice to show that we enjoy saying these words. This way, the Satan can’t argue that we just want to rush through davening. We LOVE davening!
(That is also why we repeat a line at the end of Az Yashir — “Hashem Yimloch Le’olam Va’ed, Hashem Yimloch Le’olam Va’ed.”)
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In this week’s parsha, we learn about the Meraglim. The Meraglim were great leaders of their Shevatim. They were special people, with Yiras Shomayim and people who understood Torah. They were chosen by Moshe Rabbeinu himself to go to Eretz Yisroel and spy it out! They had seen the nissim of Mitzrayim, of Kriyas Yam Suf, and the daily miracles in the Midbar.
So how could they say that it was impossible to capture Eretz Yisroel? Didn’t they just see that Hashem could do anything?
Chassidus explains that OF COURSE the Meraglim knew that Hashem could do anything!
They made just one mistake.
They knew that in the Midbar, Hashem was doing things in a way of nissim! Their food came through nissim, their water came through nissim, their clothes were washed and grew through nissim, and the road was made smooth through nissim. In the Midbar, the way things are in teva (nature) didn’t matter!
They also knew that in Eretz Yisroel, these nissim would stop. They would need to start doing things in a way of teva, the natural way Hashem runs the world. They would need to work in the fields for food, dig wells for water, and use regular clothes. They would need to travel on bumpy roads, and daven for rain to fall at the right times.
But they thought that if they had to start using teva, to do things in the natural way, that they could ONLY use teva. If they had to fight the wars to capture Eretz Yisroel with teva, then they didn’t think they could win!
So what was the problem?
Even though they needed to conquer Eretz Yisroel with teva, it didn’t need to ONLY be with teva. Hashem’s nissim wouldn’t stop, but they would need to be hidden in a way of teva!
The Yidden only need to START in a way of teva, and Hashem will make things have hatzlacha, even if it doesn’t make sense! That was the mistake that the Meraglim made.
This is actually the way we need to keep mitzvos every day:
Sometimes it might not seem to make sense to give tzedakah, since we think we might need the money for ourselves. It might not sound like a good idea to have a big family, because we think that they will be too hard to take care of.
But those are all only if things are in a way of teva. A Yid is NOT supposed to only live in a way of teva! We do the best we can in teva, but then we know that Hashem will make things work out with hatzlacha in a way that is HIGHER than teva!
See Likutei Sichos chelek Daled, Parshas Shelach
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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 told us about the Geulah, that “Vehalchu Goyim Le’orech” — the goyim will follow in the light of the Yidden.
The light we are talking about here is the light of Hashem which shines in the Torah!
Even though Hashem’s light is usually hidden in the world, because otherwise the world won’t be able to exist, in the Alter Rebbe tells us that when Moshiach comes, we won’t need tzimtzum anymore! The koach of Torah will help us to be able to handle Hashem’s light in the world!
Through the Yidden, the goyim will also be able to feel some of the Elokus in the world — Vehalchu Goyim Le’orech.
We also had this at the time of Matan Torah, when the whole world was changed because of Hashem being revealed to the Yidden. This is the way it will be in the time of the Geulah, for always, and for the entire world!
See Navi Yeshaya perek Samach, posuk Gimmel; Tanya perek Lamed-Vov
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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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