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CHUMASH
Parshas Haazinu - Revi'i with Rashi
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Today we are continuing to learn Shiras Haazinu, the song Moshe Rabbeinu told Yidden on the day he passed away. In this song, he tells the Yidden that Hashem loves and takes care of them. He tells them about the Golus that will come from the things they do, but that in the end they will do teshuvah and come back to Eretz Yisroel. Moshe uses the sky and the earth as witnesses, because the very same sky that Moshe stood beneath on that day, and the very same earth he stood on, are here today as well to remind us that what he said was true!
In today’s Chumash, Moshe Rabbeinu is speaking about what will happen when the Yidden come into Eretz Yisroel. Hashem will give them many brachos there!
Unfortunately, they won’t use these brachos in the right way, and it will look like Hashem is hiding from the Yidden. They will end up going into Golus, away from Eretz Yisroel and the brachos there.
The Maharal writes that we should say this song, Shiras Haazinu, all the time! It reminds us how to use the brachos Hashem gives us in the right way, so that Hashem will accept our teshuvah and bring the Geulah.
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Today’s Tehillim is Chof-Tes through Lamed-Daled. Until Yom Kippur, we still add three extra kapitelach. Today these are kapitelach Kuf, Kuf-Alef, and Kuf-Beis.
The Frierdiker Rebbe once told this story:
Once when the Mitteler Rebbe was 7 or 8, he davened for a longer time than usual — he davened “BaArichus.” After he finished davening, someone asked him what took him so long! The Mitteler Rebbe answered that he stopped to think about something that is says in davening, and that made it take a long time.
Which part? It was a posuk from today’s Tehillim — Kapitel Lamed (posuk gimmel)! We say this kapitel every day before Boruch She’amar: “Hashem Elokai, Shivati Eilecha Vatirpa’eini” — “I cried out to You, Hashem and You made me feel better!”
The Mitteler Rebbe was thinking about the word “Vatirpa’eini” (“and You healed me”). He was thinking how that word is like the word “rifyon” — making something weaker. He thought that the posuk could mean “I cried out to You, Hashem, and You made my Yetzer Hara not as strong!” He was thinking about how Hashem helps us win over our Yetzer Hara!
Very soon, when Moshiach comes, Hashem will take away our Yetzer Hara completely! We will have won the fight with the Yetzer Hara!
Until then, Hashem helps us make it weaker so we will act the way Hashem wants us to.
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TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Chof
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In this very special letter that the Alter Rebbe wrote a few days before his histalkus, the Alter Rebbe explains to us about Gashmius in the world and why the mitzvos we do are so special.
There are many deep ideas of Kabbalah that are explained in this letter, so we will learn something that is connected to what the Alter Rebbe writes here.
Look around at the world. Do you see how it’s so big, and so complicated? Hashem made every single thing work just right so we can live here. Still, though, there are people who will say that there is no Hashem chas veshalom!
How can people think that way?
Chassidus explains how:
Of course, HASHEM makes everything and nothing can make itself! Since the world is also really part of Hashem, though, it can feel like it made itself.
Why?
Because really, it’s just feeling the koach of Hashem inside of it! It’s feeling the koach of Hashem Who exists on His own (“Metziuso MeiAtzmuso”), and because of this koach of Hashem that is inside of it, it thinks that it also exists on its own.
That’s how it is possible that even though it should be so obvious from the way the world runs that Hashem created it, still people can think that the world created itself.
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R’ Zushe of Anipoli said that Teshuvah has five parts, one for each letter of the word “Teshuvah!” Yesterday we learned what the Tof stands for. Today, we learn that the Shin teaches us to realize that everything is Hashgacha Protis — part of Hashem’s plan.
The “shin” of Teshuvah stands for “Shivisi Havaya Lenegdi Somid” — “I put Hayava (a name of Hashem) before me always.”
The name of Hashem “Havaya” shows how Hashem created the world and everything inside of it. The creation of the entire world and the chayus it receives from Hashem is Yeish Me’Ayin, something from absolute nothingness.
The teshuvah from the letter Shin comes from a person thinking about how Hashem is constantly creating the entire world and everything inside of it.
What does that mean?
We should always look around at the world and see Hashem! Someone might look around and think that the world just runs itself, using nature. But we know better, especially if we think about this during davening — Hashem is hiding in every part of the world, and making every single thing be there every single second — even right now, today, Hey Tishrei 5784!
We know that everything is Hashgacha Protis, and Hashem makes everything happen exactly the way it does! This is all part of a big plan — making the world a place for Hashem, which we will see very soon with the true and complete Geulah.
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SEFER HAMITZVOS
Shiur #151 - Mitzvas Lo Saasei #85, #82, Asei #34, Lo Saasei #86
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Today we learn 4 mitzvos about the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #85) We are not allowed to make Ketores the way it was made in the Beis Hamikdash for any other reason. We can’t make Ketores-smelling perfume, or Ketores-scented air freshener!
In fact, the family of kohanim that made the Ketores, Avtinas, wouldn’t let ANY of their girls wear perfume, so that nobody would think they used the ingredients of the Ketores.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Ki Sisa: בְּמַתְכֻּנְתָּהּ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם
The details are explained in the beginning of Mesechta Krisus.
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #82) We are not allowed to bring any korbanos on the Mizbeiach HaZahav (Mizbeiach Haketores) — it is only for the Ketores brought by the kohen.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Tetzaveh: לֹא תַעֲלוּ עָלָיו קְטֹרֶת זָרָה וְעֹלָה וּמִנְחָה וְנֵסֶךְ לֹא תִסְּכוּ עָלָיו
3) (Mitzvas Asei #34) When the Aron is moved, it needs to be carried by hand by the kohanim, and not put it on a wagon!
In the Midbar, this was a mitzvah for the WHOLE Shevet Levi, but that is just because there were so few kohanim! Later, though, this became a special mitzvah only for kohanim.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Naso: כִּי עֲבֹדַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ עֲלֵהֶם בַּכָּתֵף יִשָּׂאוּ
4) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #86) We are not allowed to take the poles out of the Aron, even when we aren’t carrying it.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Terumah: בְּטַבְּעֹת הָאָרֹן יִהְיוּ הַבַּדִּים לֹא יָסֻרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ
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In today’s Rambam, we learn about the Avodah of the Leviim, the Kohanim, and the Kohen Gadol.
Perek Gimmel: The Leviim were split into two groups: One group did the opening and closing of the gates of the Beis Hamikdash (Sho’arim), and one did the singing (Meshorerim). Any of the Leviim could help guard the Beis Hamikdash at night.
The Leviim needed to train for five years before they could work in the Beis Hamikdash. In the times of the Mishkan they could only work until they were 50. When they did the Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash, though, they could sing for as long as their voices were still good! And even afterwards, they could still work, by opening and closing the doors of the Beis Hamikdash.
Perek Daled: The kohanim also had important jobs! We learn about how they were chosen for the special Avodah of Korbanos, and how all Yidden need to give them special Kavod. That’s why they get the first aliyah and other special things — even nowadays!
We also learn how the Mishmaros were set up — which groups of Kohanim worked on which days — and how EVERYONE could work during the Yomim Tovim. We learn about choosing a Kohen Gadol, and who will replace him after he passes away. We also learn how there are eight levels of Kohanim, to make sure everything works smoothly. The higher levels of kohanim are in charge of the lower levels.
Perek Hey: We give special kavod to the Kohen Gadol. He needs to act in a kavodike way so that people treat him properly. We learn that when the Kohen Gadol starts his avodah, he brings a special korban.
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Even though we are allowed to do many melachos connected to cooking, the things we used need to be prepared before Yom Tov, or else they are muktza.
For example, we can only shecht an animal that is set aside for shechting, or catch a fish that was already trapped. We are allowed to burn wood that was cut before Yom Tov, but not new wood that fell down on Yom Tov.
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The Rambam tells us that the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, from Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur, are very special days. Hashem is extra close to the Yidden during this time! That’s why it is so much easier to do teshuvah now.
This special closeness that Hashem has to us during these days is called in Kabbalah and Chassidus, “Kiruv HaMaor El Hanitzutz.”
What does this mean?
A mashal for the closeness of Hashem to the Yidden is the way a big flame comes close to small sparks, and the sparks then become part of the big flame. During the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, Hashem comes close to us, like big flames of fire coming closer to small sparks. Just like the sparks join together with the big flames, our neshamos are drawn to come closer to Hashem.
This special closeness Hashem has to Yidden during this time helps us do teshuvah — to help our neshama come closer to Hashem and want to live the way Hashem wants from us!
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Each day during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, we add the special tefillah of Avinu Malkeinu in Shacharis and Mincha. In Avinu Malkeinu, we ask Hashem to bentch us with a good year!
(We say the sections for the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah that have the word “Chadeish”, not the sections for a Taanis, with the word “Bareich.”)
But on Erev Shabbos at Mincha time, when we don’t say Tachanun (or any other time we do not say Tachanun, like at a bris), we do not say Avinu Malkeinu.
See Shevach Hamoadim, Aseres Yemei Teshuvah
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“Zrizin Makdimin Lemitzvos!” We should hurry to do mitzvos!
It is a minhag not to wait, but to buy the Daled Minim (Lulav and Esrog), in the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah! During these days, Hashem is counting up all of our mitzvos to make sure that we deserve a good year. We want Hashem to also count the precious mitzvah of Lulav and Esrog with those mitzvos!
But if you know you will be able to get a better set after Yom Kippur, you should wait until then to buy it.
See Shevach Hamoadim, Aseres Yemei Teshuvah
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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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In the year Tof-Shin-Mem-Tes, the Rebbe spoke about what would happen if Moshiach comes during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah:
If Moshiach comes during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, we will celebrate Yom Kippur differently than usual!
In honor of the Chanukas Beis Hamikdash, which will last at least seven days, we will all be celebrating! We will eat and drink with big seudos like on Yom Tov!
At the times of Bayis Rishon, this is just what happened. Yom Kippur was in the middle of the seven days of celebration when the Beis Hamikdash was finished, and the Yidden did not fast! They were busy celebrating the Chanukas Habayis of the Beis Hamikdash and preparing the Avodah to be done there.
If that’s what happened with the FIRST Beis Hamikdash, imagine how great the simcha will be with the THIRD Beis Hamikdash, that we know will be even greater! What a happy Yom Kippur that will be!
See Sefer Hasichos Mem-Tes, vol. 1, p. 12
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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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