For the safety and security of the Yidden in Eretz Yisrael
and the success of the soldiers fighting for its protection
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Moshe Rabbeinu was in charge of making sure that the Mishkan was built. As part of this responsibility, he reviewed all of the donations and what they were used for, and made sure that each of the keilim were set up in their proper place. Later on in the Midbar, this achrayus of setting up and taking down the Mishkan would be given over to the Leviim, with Isamar, Aharon’s youngest son, in charge. Moshe reviewed the work that was done to make the parts of the Mishkan. These things were done by Betzalel and Oholiav. They had Ruach Hakodesh to do EXACTLY what Hashem wanted! Moshe Rabbeinu calculated exactly how much of each type of material was given to the Mishkan. The Torah tells us how much gold, silver, and copper were given, and what the silver and copper were used for. Moshe Rabbeinu also reviewed the different wools that were used to make the covers used to protect the Mishkan when it was traveling. |
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Today’s kapitelach are Kuf-Ches through Kuf-Yud-Beis. In Kapitel Kuf-Tes, Dovid Hamelech says “Ki Oni Ve’evyon Anochi, VeLibi Cholal BeKirbi.” “I am like a poor person, and my heart is empty inside of me.” What does Dovid Hamelech mean? The Gemara explains that Dovid Hamelech was saying that HALF of his heart is empty — the part where the Yetzer Hara usually is! In Tanya, the Alter Rebbe teaches that that’s what a Tzadik means — someone who doesn’t have a Yetzer Hara. Most of us DO have a Yetzer Tov AND a Yetzer Hara, and we have to fight all the time for the Yetzer Tov to win. Now we are learning in Tanya that even though a beinoni always has a Yetzer Hara that he needs to deal with, he shouldn’t be upset because his avodah is really doing the same thing as a tzadik’s avodah — making a place for the Shechinah to shine and bringing Moshiach! |
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We learned in the last perek that when Moshiach comes, Elokus will be revealed in the world, just like at the time of Matan Torah. In this perek, the Alter Rebbe will show us that the mitzvos we do in the time of Golus is what makes this happen! If you look around the room, you will see lots of kinds of things. Chairs, or couches, tables, toys, food, papers… These kinds of things get their chayus from Kelipas Noga, like a kind of “peel” that blocks it from kedusha. This is what makes it possible for there to be Golus, where kedusha is hidden. When we do a mitzvah, it makes some of the light of Hashem come into the world — into the things we used to do the mitzvah! Now instead of getting chayus from kelipah, they get chayus from kedusha! Now these Gashmius things in the world become part of kedusha and are able to shine with Hashem’s light! Even though we will be able to SEE this only when Moshiach comes, it is already shining now with the mitzvah that we did! This helps us understand what the Chachomim say, “Sechar Mitzvah Mitzvah” — the reward for a mitzvah is a mitzvah. The Alter Rebbe tells us that the reward is the mitzvah itself! The reward is the Geulah, when the light of Hashem will shine in this world! The mitzvah that we did is making the reward of the Geulah happen — the light of Hashem that shines in the world, in a place that used to be kelipah! In fact, this doesn’t only happen with Gashmius’dike things that we use for a mitzvah. It also happens with our own Nefesh Habehamis! When we use the koach of our body to do a mitzvah, our Nefesh Habehamis is helping us. Since we used it to do a mitzvah, the light of Hashem also shines in it! This way, even our Nefesh Habehamis becomes part of Kedusha! This helps us understand something that it says in the Gemara: The Gemara says that if a person uses all of his energy to say words of Torah, he won’t forget it. If not, he will forget it. Why is this? Forgetting comes from the kelipah of the guf. But when we make the kelipah of the guf weaker by using all of our koach in the words of Torah and Tefillah, then the kelipah isn’t there anymore to make us forget! That kelipah has become part of kedusha too! |
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The Hayom Yom was written for a year where there were TWO Adars (a Shana Me’uberes). This year there is only ONE Adar (a Shanah Peshutah), so we learn BOTH Hayom Yoms every day! Chof-Gimmel Adar Alef This Hayom Yom is from a letter the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote to a Rav who was feeling bad. He lived in America, and felt like he wasn’t accomplishing anything with the American Jews who he felt were not interested in Yiddishkeit. The Frierdiker Rebbe gave him an eitzah of what to do, and also this hora’ah about how he should think about himself: The Rabbonim are the heads of the Yidden. Just like in a body, the head needs to be healthy for the rest of the body to be healthy, when the Rabbonim are strong and healthy b’Ruchnius, this will affect the rest of the Yidden as well. Chof-Gimmel Adar Sheini This Hayom Yom also talks about a Rav’s job: A Rav has a very big responsibility! He can help so many people to do mitzvos… but if he tells them to do the wrong thing, he can make many people do an aveira, Chas Veshalom. Being Mezakeh Es HoRabim, helping many people do a mitzvah, is a TREMENDOUS thing! It is a huge mitzvah! But making many people do the wrong thing is a TERRIBLE aveira. A Rav needs to recognize how every decision is a very big deal, and take his responsibility very seriously! |
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Today’s mitzvah (Mitzvas Asei #5) is the same mitzvah again: That a Yid has to serve Hashem through davening. We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Mishpatim: וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם |
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Perek Hey: In today’s Rambam, we learn more halachos about davening. We learn 8 things a person should try to do (lechatchilah) when they daven Shmoneh Esrei, the main part of davening: 1) We should be standing up Perek Vov: The Rambam teaches us to make sure we don’t miss davening at the right time, by not starting other things at the time of davening (like eating a meal or getting a haircut). Perek Zayin: We learn the brachos we say at other times of the day, like Kriyas Shema She’al Hamita, and morning brachos. The Rambam tells us that we should say 100 brachos every day! (If you daven Shacharis, Mincha, and Maariv, and wear Tallis and Tefillin, you will already have most of the brachos. If you wash for bread and bentch, then you have even more. So it shouldn’t be too hard to say 100 brachos every weekday!) |
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This perek teaches us about when an oven or stove is broken — can it still get Tumah? |
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Once a very rich person came to the Rebbe for Yechidus. He wasn’t a chossid, but was very impressed with the Rebbe and the Rebbe’s shluchim. He told the Rebbe that he wanted to give a lot of money to a “big project.” The Rebbe told him that he should give a big donation to Chabad in Eretz Yisroel, for Mivtza Matzah. The Rebbe explained how Chassidim go around to their neighbors and friends, and make sure they each have Shmurah Matzah for the Seder. This can cost a lot of money! The man wasn’t very happy with what the Rebbe said. He wanted to do something big and important, something that would last. He didn’t want to be paying for matzos that nobody remembers after Pesach is over! But the Rebbe explained to him: “You asked me what I think is a big project — for me, this is what I consider a big project.” |
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The section of davening that comes after Pesukei Dezimra is Kriyas Shema. Shema is not just a very important part of davening. It is a mitzvah on its own! It is a mitzvah from the Torah to say Shema every day. Saying Shema also helps us to keep other mitzvos. We learn in Sefer Hamitzvos that it is a mitzvah to know that Hashem is One, and to be ready to do whatever Hashem wants us to — to be mekabel Ol Malchus Shomayim. We see this in the first line of Shema! Shema Yisroel, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echod — “Listen Yidden, Hashem is our Aibershter, Hashem is One!” The word Echod, One, actually helps us understand how Hashem is One. The word Echod has three letters: Alef (the first letter of the Alef-Beis, so its Gematria is 1): Hashem is Yochid Ba’olamo, there is only 1 Hashem and nothing besides for Him. Ches (the eighth letter of the Alef-Beis, with a Gematria of 8): Hashem is King over the 7 levels of Shomayim and the earth below — 7 + 1 = 8 Daled (the fourth letter of the Alef-Beis, with a Gematria of 4): Hashem rules over all 4 directions of the earth — north, south, east and west! See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Hilchos Kriyas Shema siman 61 se’if vov |
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On Pesach, many people keep extra hiddurim because of how serious the issur of chometz is on Pesach. We are learning some of the hiddurim which are often kept in Chabad. Of course, if someone takes on a new hiddur, they should do it Bli Neder. It is written in Sefer Hatishbi that some people are careful not to even speak about chometz on Pesach! Once, on Pesach, someone told the Rebbe that a certain room had chometz in it. The Rebbe said that it is better not to talk about that on Pesach! Some are careful not to use food that fell on the floor during Pesach, and some will use it only after it is peeled. Many people don’t use keilim that fall on the floor during Pesach. They set them aside until the next year. See Halachos Uminhagei Chabad p. 183–185 |
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לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק בן ר׳ אפרים ע״ה מאסקאוויץ
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The Gemara in Sanhedrin says that Moshiach will come “Behesech Hadaas,” which means when we don’t think about it or when we don’t expect it. But we need to be thinking about Moshiach all the time! In davening, we say “Lishuascha Kivinu Kol Hayom,” “We hope that Hashem will save us all day!” One explanation is that Moshiach will come at a time when we think it really doesn’t make sense. Like when we compare our generation to the tzadikim of many years ago, we might think that Moshiach can’t come now! But ESPECIALLY now, when we might think that our dor really doesn’t deserve for Moshiach to come — this is the BEST time for Moshiach to come, Behesech Hadaas — when we expect it least! See Likutei Sichos vol. 10, p. 172 |
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לע"נ התינוק זאב ארי' ע"ה בן יבלט"א הרה"ח ר' שניאור זלמן שי' גליק
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