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CHUMASH
Parshas Ki Savo - Chamishi with Rashi
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Moshe Rabbeinu is getting the Yidden ready for when they come into Eretz Yisroel. Today we learn what the Yidden will do on Har Grizim and Har Eival when they cross the Yarden. (We learned about this in general in Parshas Re’eh, and now we will see exactly how it works!)
When the Yidden cross over the Yarden, they will have to go straight to Har Grizim and Har Eival, two mountains in Eretz Yisroel.
Half of the Shevatim will stand on Har Grizim, and the other half on Har Eival. The Leviim, with the Aron, will be in the middle. Then the Leviim will say certain things to tell the Yidden to do what Hashem wants.
The Leviim will first look at Har Grizim and tell the Yidden that they will have brachos if they do things the way Hashem wants, and then look at Har Eival and tell the Yidden that not good things will happen if they DON’T listen to what Hashem wants.
Even though they are only looking at some of the Shevatim at a time, really they are talking to every Yid. Every time they say something, all the Yidden should answer “Amen!”
Most of the things that the Leviim will remind the Yidden about are aveiros that other people won’t always see, so nobody will tell the person to stop doing them.
The first thing the Leviim will say is:
Looking at Har Grizim: “Brachos will go to the person who doesn’t make an idol and doesn’t secretly set it up!” — and all of the Yidden will answer “Amen!”
Looking at Har Eival: “Curses will go to the person who makes an idol and sets it up secretly.” — and all of the Yidden will answer “Amen.”
Here are all the rest of the things the Leviim will warn the Yidden about:
- Not to treat parents with the opposite of kavod
- Not moving a fence to steal land in a tricky way
- Not hurting someone by giving them bad advice (Lifnei Iver)
- Not to judge a Ger, a Yasom, or an Almanah (convert, orphan, or widow) unfairly
- Not getting married to people in your close family (these were each said separately)
- Not getting married to an animal
- Not to speak Lashon Hara
- A judge not taking a bribe to have someone killed by Beis Din
Then the Leviim will say, “Brachos will go to someone who keeps the Torah!” and “Curses will go to a person who doesn’t keep the Torah.” Again all the Yidden will answer Amen.
Now Moshe Rabbeinu gives the Yidden his own brachos and curses. Today we see some of the brachos:
If you listen to what Hashem wants, you will have lots of brachos! You will have brachos in Gashmius things, and also Ruchnius things — you will pass away without any aveiros, just like you were born without any aveiros.
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TEHILLIM
Yom Yud-Daled (72-76), Mem-Mem-Beis
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Today’s kapitelach are Ayin-Beis to Ayin-Vov. We also say kapitelach Mem, Mem-Alef, and Mem-Beis for Elul.
In Kapitel Ayin-Gimmel, there is a posuk “Mi Li Bashamayim Ve’imcha Lo Chofatzti Ba’aretz.”
The Tzemach Tzedek tells us that the Alter Rebbe used to say that this posuk means, “Do I need Shomayim? And I don’t want what’s with You in the world.” The Alter Rebbe was saying that he doesn’t want what’s WITH Hashem, like Gan Eden or Olam Haba. He just wanted Hashem Himself.
What does that mean for us? When we do a mitzvah, we shouldn’t think about how we will get a reward from Hashem — even a special Ruchnius’dike reward! The only thing that should be important to us is that we become connected to Hashem and fulfilling the shlichus He gave us to make Hashem’s kedusha felt in the world.
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TANYA
Igeres Hakodesh Siman Yud-Gimmel
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In this letter, so far, we learned about two kinds of Yidden. One is very strict and makes sure to do everything EXACTLY right, so he always gives just the amount of Tzedakah just like the Halacha tells him to.
There is also another kind of Yid that is not always thinking about being strict — he’s thinking about how to give and do MORE, and that’s how he acts.
Because both of these midos come from Kedusha, everyone needs to have both! It just depends which one is the MAIN one, and which one is usually hiding.
Hashem shows a special Chesed to Yidden when WE act with a special Chesed! When we give tzedakah without making a cheshbon how much we should give, then Hashem will give us Chesed without making a cheshbon if we deserve it or not!
Since ALL Yidden have this koach at least hiding inside, we all need to use it when it comes to Tzedakah. Then we can ask Hashem to protect us, and give us what we need with this Chesed that has no limits!
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In today’s Hayom Yom, we learn to be careful with what we use our energy for: Helping make Yiddishkeit stronger, not wasting time proving we are right!
The Rebbe Rashab told Chassidim something very important:
There are people that laugh at Yiddishkeit sometimes. We might want to fight or argue with them, to prove that they are wrong and we are right!
This is not the right thing to do. Not because we can’t win or because we are scared to fight!
We can’t waste our time with arguing, because we have too much to do! We need to use ALL of our koach for what is important, to make sure that Yiddishkeit is strong, holy, and pure.
For this, we need to REALLY have Mesiras Nefesh! It’s not enough to just be READY to have Mesiras Nefesh. We shouldn’t think about what WE want — we just do whatever we can to help Yiddishkeit! There’s no time for anything else.
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Today's mitzvah is the same as yesterday’s: (Mitzvas Asei #108) This mitzvah is about Mei Nidah — the water that is mixed with the ashes of the Parah Adumah. There are some kinds of things that it makes tamei, and other things that it makes tahor! The mitzvah is to follow all of these halachos.
At the end of this mitzvah, the Rambam tells us the source of all of the mitzvos of Tumah and Tahara in the Torah (Parshas Shemini, Tazria, Metzora, and Chukas), where they are explained in Mishnayos (Seder Taharos), and which mesechtos explain which mitzvos.
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In today’s Rambam, we learn more halachos about using the Mei Nidah for making someone (or something) Tahor from Tumas Meis.
Perek Yud-Alef: In this perek we learn all of the details of how the water is actually sprinkled, using the Eizov branch.
Perek Yud-Beis: We learn what happens when more than one person or thing are sprinkled at one time. What if the water drips from one onto the other one? What if the water went onto one part of something, like only the lid of a pot? All of the answers are in today’s Rambam!
One of the things the Rambam teaches us about is called a Klubkerin — what we would call a winter coat! Even though there is an inside soft lining and an outside made of something else, it’s called just one thing, and if the water was sprinkled on any part, the whole thing is tahor.
Perek Yud-Gimmel: This perek teaches us about the extra rules of tumah and tahara we have with things used for the Mei Nidah.
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We learn many halachos about lighting the Menorah. Here is one very important halacha: If someone only has enough money to do one mitzvah — lighting the Menorah or lighting Shabbos candles, he should get the Shabbos candles!
Why? Because the most important thing is to have Shalom Bayis, which is what Shabbos candle lighting is about!
Mazel Tov! We have now finished learning this set of halachos and the whole Sefer Zmanim!
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Moshe Rabbeinu tells the Yidden in this week’s Chumash (the Chumash of Shabbos) that they saw all the Nissim that Hashem made for them, from going out of Mitzrayim until now — right before they will go into Eretz Yisroel.
Still, Moshe Rabbeinu says that Hashem didn’t give you a “Leiv Lodaas” — a heart to understand — until today. Until now, they felt things by themselves, but now, HASHEM will give them a special chayus in their neshama that they never felt before! They will need this special chayus so they can go into Eretz Yisroel!
The Alter Rebbe says that the same thing happens every year during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva. Hashem gives a special chayus into the Neshama of every Yid, so we have extra koach to do Teshuvah, come close to Hashem, and get a Kesiva Vachasima Tova — and a year of Geulah for all of the Yidden!
See Likutei Torah parshas Ki Savo, maamar Vayikra Moshe
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A long time ago, one of the scariest things that could happen was a hunger. If, for a long time, there was no rain, nothing would grow. The fields would all dry up, animals would become sick and weak, and there wouldn’t be enough food for everyone. There were no refrigerators to store food, no big trucks to bring food from other countries, and no big pipes to bring water from faraway places to water the fields.
If there was a hunger, the Yidden would all fast and do teshuvah. They would gather in the shuls and daven to Hashem, saying special tefillos and asking Him to have rachmonus and give rain.
In the times of Rabbi Akiva, the Yidden once noticed something incredible: Rabbi Akiva came to the shul during a hunger. He came to the Amud and said a new tefillah. Rabbi Akiva said, “Avinu Malkeinu, Chatanu Lefanecha!” “Our Father, Our King — we admit that we did aveiros!” When he said these words, it started to rain.
The Yidden realized that these words had a special koach to ask Hashem for rachmonus. They added more lines starting with the words Avinu Malkeinu, and made them part of the tefillos on fast days and during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.
On Yom Tov, we actually don’t say the first line of Avinu Malkeinu, “Chatanu Lefanecha,” because we don’t say Vidui on Yom Tov. Instead, we start with the next line, saying “Avinu Malkeinu, Ain Lanu Melech Ela Ata!” “Our Father, our King, we don’t have a King aside for You!”
On Rosh Hashana, we ask for Hashem’s rachmonus by saying Avinu Malkeinu. But there is another way that we get Hashem’s rachmonus! In the Zohar, it writes that the neshamos in Shomayim look for ways to ask Hashem to have rachmonus on the Yidden in this world, that Hashem should bentch us all with a good year.
See Shaar Hakolel end of perek Mem-Beis
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It is brought in halacha that 30 days before a Yom Tov, we start to learn about the Yom Tov so there is enough time to prepare.
So today, on Yud-Daled Elul, 30 days before Sukkos, we should start thinking about Sukkos!
There is a minhag that before Pesach, money is given out in each city to help people buy matzah and wine and food for Pesach. That’s because on Pesach we can’t work, but the things we need are very expensive! This is called Maos Chitim (“flour money”).
The truth is that other Yomim Tovim are also days off of work where we need to pay for extra things. The Yomim Tovim of Tishrei have things we need to buy, and it is extra days off work.
The Rebbe asked that we should keep this minhag of helping other people buy the things they need for Yom Tov for these Yomim Tovim too. We should do it now, 30 days before Yom Tov, so there will be plenty of time for everyone to buy what they need, and be able to have the right kind of simcha for Yom Tov!
We also need to make sure that people have enough for Rosh Hashana, which we are about two weeks before — especially since the Navi Nechemya says about Rosh Hashana, “Veshilchu Manos Le’ein Nachon Lo,” that we should send food to those who don’t have their own.
If your city has its own Maos Chitim fund, that is a very important place to give to.
Here are some other places you can give online:
- Colel Chabad (Eretz Yisroel) - colelchabad.org
- Chevra Simchas Shabbos V’Yom Tov (Crown Heights) - cssy.org
- The Shluchim Fund (Shluchim worldwide) - theshluchimfund.com
- Adopt a Family (Anash and Shluchim in Eretz Yisroel) - charityforisrael.com
See Halachos Uminhagei Chabad, Yud-Daled Elul
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לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק בן ר׳ אפרים ע״ה מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
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In the nevuos of the Navi Zechariah, we see how Hashem showed things to him, like a mashal.
In one of these nevuos, Zechariah saw a malach with a measuring stick. He asked the malach what he was doing, and the malach said he was measuring Yerushalayim.
Another malach came over to the first malach, and told him to stop measuring! Now, Yerushalayim is a city with a wall around it, so it can be measured. But when Moshiach comes, Yerushalayim will be like the cities without walls. This way it will be able to grow as more and more Yidden come to live there!
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו רֻץ דַּבֵּר אֶל הַנַּעַר הַלָּז לֵאמֹר פְּרָזוֹת תֵּשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם מֵרֹב אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה בְּתוֹכָהּ
Vayomer Eilav — The second malach said to the first malach:
Rutz Dabeir El Hanaar Halaz — “Run and speak to this young man (Zechariah)
Leimor — Saying:
Prazos Teisheiv Yerushalayim — ‘Yerushalayim will be lived in like a city without walls
Meirov Adam Uveheima Besocha — From the many people and animals that live there!’”
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In Tof-Shin-Chof-Zayin, during the Six Day War, the Yidden captured Yerushalayim from the Arabs that were living there with great nissim. Finally we could come back and live in our holy city!
At the farbrengen of Yud-Tes Kislev in Tof-Shin-Chof-Tes (about a year and a half later) the Rebbe said a maamar which included an explanation of the words of this posuk, “Prozos Teisheiv Yerushalayim,” that we will be able to live in Yerushalayim as if it was a city without any walls!
After the maamar, the Chassidim sang a happy niggun!
After they had been singing for a while, the Rebbe told one of the Chassidim from Yerushalayim to sing the words “Prozos Teisheiv Yerushalayim” to this tune.
Then the Rebbe said a sicha explaining this posuk and what we can learn from it! The Rebbe also said that Hashem made many nissim to let us have Yerushalayim back, and that now that we have it back, we need to make sure to hold on to it! Then the Rebbe asked that the ones who are good at niggunim should sing the happy niggun again with the words Prozos Teisheiv Yerushalayim.
After the sicha, the Chassidim learned the new words to the niggun, and practiced singing it joyously for about 15 minutes.
The Rebbe liked this niggun a lot and would ask the Chassidim to sing it at many farbrengens.
Now this happy niggun reminds us that we will soon ALL be able to live in Yerushalayim in a way of Prozos Teisheiv Yerushalayim, with the coming of Moshiach!
See Zechariah perek Beis posuk Ches; farbrengen Yud-Tes Kislev 5729
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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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