|
|
CHUMASH
Parshas Pinchas - Shlishi with Rashi
|
|
In today’s Chumash we learn about how Eretz Yisroel is divided. The Leviim are counted, and the daughters of Tzelofchad ask for a part of Eretz Yisroel.
Eretz Yisroel is divided: First we learn how Hashem tells Moshe how to divide up Eretz Yisroel:
Each of the people that Moshe and Elazar just counted will get a part of the land.
The land will be divided fairly so each family that goes into the land will have the same amount of place to grow things.
Then Eretz Yisroel will be divided into 12 parts, each with the right amount of sections for the number of people that are in the Shevet.
The names of the Shevatim will be written down on pieces of parchment, and the names of these 12 parts of Eretz Yisroel will also be written down on different pieces of parchment. They will all be mixed together in a box.
Elazar will put on the special clothing of a Kohen Gadol, so he can get Ruach Hakodesh. Each of the Nesiim, the leaders of the Shevatim, will come up, one by one. First, Elazar will say with Ruach Hakodesh which part of Eretz Yisroel will go to this Shevet, and then the Nasi will pick out two pieces of parchment. It will be a Neis — the Nasi will pick out the parchment with the name of THEIR Shevet, and ALSO the one with the part of Eretz Yisroel that Elazar just said! And even more, the parchment will TALK, and say that this part of Eretz Yisroel goes to this Shevet!
All of these nisim will help the Yidden to know that Hashem is deciding where each person’s piece of Eretz Yisroel really is.
The Leviim are counted: Moshe and Elazar will count the Leviim. All of the Leviim should be counted, starting from babies just one month old! (With the other Shevatim, only men older than 20 years old were counted, because only men over age 20 would get a part of Eretz Yisroel, and the main reason for this counting was to divide up Eretz Yisroel fairly. But the Leviim weren’t counted for the same reason. Shevet Levi didn’t get a piece of Eretz Yisroel for each person. That’s why Hashem told Moshe and Elazar to count ALL of them!)
If we look at the numbers, we see that the amounts of the other Shevatim were less than the ones who came out of Mitzrayim. But there are more Leviim now than there were before! That’s because almost everyone who came out of Mitzrayim passed away in the Midbar, except for the Leviim, Kalev and Yehoshua, and the women.
The daughters of Tzelofchad: After learning how Eretz Yisroel will be divided, Tzelofchad’s five daughters (Machla, Noa, Choglah, Milkah, and Tirtzah) came to Moshe, very upset. They loved Eretz Yisroel and wanted a part too, but since their father didn’t have any boys, no one from their family would be getting a piece of Eretz Yisroel.
Tzelofchad passed away because of a different aveira, not because he didn’t want to go into Eretz Yisroel. So it’s not fair, they said, that his family shouldn’t get any part of it! His daughters asked that they should get a piece of Eretz Yisroel to share.
Moshe had forgotten the halacha, and had to ask Hashem.
IY”H tomorrow we will learn what Hashem says should be done!
|
|
|
|
Today’s shiur Tehillim is kapitelach Ayin-Zayin to Ayin-Ches.
Kapitel Ayin-Ches talks about all of the Nissim that Hashem did for the Yidden, from the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim until Dovid Hamelech became the king.
In the first posuk that talks about Dovid Hamelech, it says “Vayivchar BeDovid Avdo, Vayikacheihu Mimichle’os Tzon.” “Hashem chose Dovid, and He took him from the sheep pens.” (This is also a Chassidishe Niggun!)
Rashi explains how Dovid Hamelech took such special care of the sheep:
While Dovid Hamelech was taking care of the sheep, he noticed that not all of the sheep were getting food to eat! The big strong sheep would run very fast into the field and eat as much as they wanted. Then the older sheep and the baby sheep would come into the field, but there was no more soft grass left! The hard grass was hard for them to eat, so they were hungry.
So Dovid Hamelech built fences for the sheep. He put the strong sheep behind one fence, the baby sheep behind another fence, and the older sheep behind the last fence.
When it was time for them to go out to the field to eat, Dovid Hamelech first let out the baby sheep. They ran into the field and ate the very soft grass that was easy for their baby teeth to chew. Then Dovid Hamelech let the older sheep come in. There was plenty of softer grass left for them, and they ate until they were full. Finally, Dovid Hamelech let the strong sheep come out into the field. Even though most of the grass that was left was very hard and chewy, their teeth were strong and they were happy to eat it all up.
Hashem saw how Dovid Hamelech was careful to take care of every single sheep with exactly what it needs! Hashem knew that someone who takes good care of even a little sheep will also take good care of every single Yid! That’s why Hashem chose Dovid to be the king of the Yidden.
Moshe Rabbeinu was also a shepherd who took care of every single sheep, and he took care of every single Yid very carefully throughout all of his years of leading the Yidden.
Hashem makes sure that every Nasi who leads the Yidden will take care of each of them! Our Rebbe, our Nasi, also takes care of every single Yid, making sure that each of us have exactly what we need.
(Here’s a video clip that shows this: chabad.org/929769 )
|
|
|
TANYA
Igeres Hateshuva Perek Daled
|
|
We need to learn about how special a Yid’s neshama is, so that we will understand what happens when a Yid does an aveira (Chas Veshalom) and how to do teshuvah.
Like we learned before, a Yid’s neshama is different than a malach. A Yid has a very strong chayus from Hashem which is compared to a person blowing, which takes a lot of chayus from deep inside. A malach’s chayus is compared to the way someone speaks, which uses less chayus. A Yid’s neshama is also special because it has Hashem’s name of Yud-Kay-Vov-Kay inside.
What do these letters mean?
The four letters of Hashem’s name are also the Ten Sefiros with which Hashem creates the Ruchnius and Gashmius worlds. Hashem creates two kinds of worlds: Hidden worlds that are very Ruchnius’dik and can’t be seen (similar to the world inside the ocean — there are fish and plants and even rivers and mountains underneath, but we can’t see them!), and a world we CAN see (similar to dry land, with animals and mountains that we CAN see).
The first two letters of Hashem’s name create the HIDDEN Ruchnius worlds, and the second two letters create the Gashmius world we CAN see.
In tomorrow’s Tanya we will IY”H see that the four letters of Hashem’s Name, which are the Ten Sefiros, are also the ten kochos in the neshama of a Yid, which has the name of Hashem inside of it. We will also see that there is a hidden part of the neshama, and a revealed part of the neshama, like the hidden and revealed worlds!
We will see later that an aveira stops the name of Hashem from being able to shine in a Yid’s body, and through teshuvah it can shine again!
|
|
|
|
The Rebbe Rashab writes in a maamar that Ruchnius can sometimes make our Gashmius body feel full! We can enjoy Ruchnius so much that it’s even better than food!
R’ Nachum of Chernobyl loved answering Amen Yehei Shmei Rabbah (in Kaddish) so much, that it made him fat!
Someone once came to the Rebbetzin in her home after a farbrengen with the Rebbe that ended very late. When the Rebbetzin asked him if he wants to eat something, he answered that he is not hungry. The Rebbetzin replied, “That’s not surprising — a farbrengen zetikt ohn, a farbrengen makes you feel full.”
|
|
|
|
Today we learn two mitzvos about the Mizbeiach:
1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #79) We are not allowed to make the Mizbeiach out of stones that were cut with iron.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Yisro: לֹא תִבְנֶה אֶתְהֶן גָּזִית כִּי חַרְבְּךָ הֵנַפְתָּ עָלֶיהָ וַתְּחַלֲלֶהָ
The details are explained in Mesechta Midos perek Gimmel.
2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #80) We are not allowed to go up to the Mizbeiach with steps, only with a ramp.
We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Yisro: וְלֹא תַעֲלֶה בְמַעֲלֹת עַל מִזְבְּחִי וְגוֹ׳
The details are explained in Mesechta Midos perek Gimmel.
|
|
|
RAMBAM
Hilchos Beis Habechirah
|
|
In today's Rambam, we learn about parts of the Beis Hamikdash!
Perek Beis: This perek teaches us about the Mizbeiach.
Perek Gimmel: We learn about the Menorah, the Shulchan, the Mizbeiach HaZahav, and the Kiyor.
Perek Daled: This perek has the measurements of the Heichal! It also tells us that when Shlomo Hamelech built the first Beis Hamikdash, he knew it would be destroyed. He had tunnels made underground to hide the Aron. Before the Churban, the king Yoshiyahu ordered that the Aron be hidden underground. We will take it out again for the Beis Hamikdash Hashlishi!
|
|
|
|
Today we learn more about fasting on Yom Kippur. If a person eats less than a certain amount it is still asur, but he is not punished by the Beis Din.
One thing the Rambam says is that a kid that isn’t nine years old yet shouldn’t fast on Yom Kippur because it might bring to a sakana. After turning nine, kids can practice by fasting for an hour longer than they are used to waiting before they eat.
|
|
|
|
This Thursday will be the fast of Shiva-Asar B’Tammuz and the start of the Three Weeks, which mark the beginning of the Golus. There were times that the Rebbe spoke in farbrengens about doing what we can to take away the reason for the Golus, even before the Three Weeks start. The Chachomim tell us that the reason for the long Golus is because we didn’t have enough Ahavas Yisroel. So even before the Three Weeks, we should try to take away this reason by adding in Ahavas Yisroel.
Here’s a story with a lesson about Ahavas Yisroel, that the Rebbe told over at a farbrengen.
One time, when the Rebbe Rashab was still a little boy, he was playing a game with his older brother, the Raz”a (R’ Zalman Aharon). They were playing a game of Rebbe and chossid, something they were used to seeing at home!
The Rebbe Rashab pretended that he was a chossid coming into Yechidus. “Rebbe,” he said. “I need a tikun! What should I do?”
“What did you do wrong?” asked the Raz”a, who was pretending to be the Rebbe.
“I cracked nuts on Shabbos,” answered the Rebbe Rashab, “and I only found out afterwards that the Alter Rebbe says we aren’t allowed to do that on Shabbos.”
The Raz”a told him, “your tikun is to be careful to daven and say brachos only from a siddur, and not by heart!”
The Rebbe Rashab didn’t agree to do this as a tikun!
When his mother (Rebbetzin Rivka) asked why, the Rebbe Rashab answered that it wouldn’t help — because his brother is not a Rebbe. When a Rebbe helps a Yid, he sighs before he answers, because it bothers him too! Since the Raz”a didn’t sigh, his advice won’t help either.
The lesson we learn from this story is not just for a Rebbe, but for each of us! Before we give advice to another person who is going through a hard time, we should try to feel their pain, and it should bother us too.
|
|
|
▼ Jump to Coloring Books & Downloads ▼
|
|
|
|
A few days after Yud-Beis Tammuz, in the year Tof-Shin-Yud-Zayin, the Rebbe went to visit Camp Gan Yisroel for the second time. While the Rebbe was there, there was a farbrengen, which was also a continuation from the Yom Tov of Yud-Beis Tammuz. The Rebbe spoke to the campers, telling them stories that the Frierdiker Rebbe had told about the other Rebbeim, with important lessons for kids to know!
One of the things the Rebbe told the campers was that in order to win over the Yetzer Hara and get Hashem’s bracha, we have a mitzvah to daven to Hashem and ask Hashem for the things we need. But when we’re talking to Hashem, it is good to know what we are saying! That is why we need to know the meaning of the words of davening, or at least what the davening is about.
The Tzemach Tzedek was very busy with many important things. But still, the Tzemach Tzedek would make time to test his grandchildren, to make sure they understood what they were saying in davening!
See sicha to Gan Yisroel Tes-Vov Tammuz Tof-Shin-Yud-Zayin
|
|
|
|
Once while in Yechidus, a shliach asked the Rebbe a question that was bothering him. He had a lot of work to do at night, and by the time he was done, he was so exhausted he would sometimes fall asleep without saying Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah at all! What should he do?
The Rebbe answered that before starting the things he thinks he needs to finish at night, he should first say Kriyas Shema She’al Hamitah, but not Hamapil. This way he can say Kriyas Shema properly.
Then, right before he goes to sleep, he should say the first paragraph of Shema again (from Shema until Uvisharecha) and then Hamapil.
See Hosafos to Sichos Kodesh 5727, p. 496
|
|
לעילוי נשמת הרה״ח ר׳ דניאל יצחק בן ר׳ אפרים ע״ה מאסקאוויץ
שליח כ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו למדינת אילינוי
|
|
|
|
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Pinchas, we learn how the Yidden were counted. Hashem says that Eretz Yisroel should be split up for the Yidden that were counted now!
In one of his nevuos, the Navi Yechezkel tells us that when Moshiach comes, Hashem will split up Eretz Yisroel among the Yidden again!
זֹאת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־תַּפִּילוּ מִנַּחֲלָה לְשִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵלֶּה מַחְלְקוֹתָם נְאֻם ה׳ אֶלוֹקִים
Zos Ha’aretz — This is the land
Asher Tapilu — which you should give out
Minachala Leshivtei Yisroel — as the nachalah of the Shevatim
Ve’eieleh Machlekosam — and this is how you should split them up
Ne’um Hashem Elokim — says Hashem.
The Gemara (Bava Basra) explains that this time, when they divide up Eretz Yisroel, they should do it differently than the way it was done in the Midbar. This time, Hashem Himself will give each Shevet their part, and Shevet Levi will also get a part of Eretz Yisroel, not just cities like they had before!
In Tof-Shin-Lamed-Ches the Rebbe said a maamar explaining how Eretz Yisroel will be divided, according to Gemara and Chassidus! In the maamar, the Rebbe also tells us the Avodah we need to do to get ready for this to happen.
See Yechezkel perek Mem-Ches posuk Chof-Tes, Maamar Le’eileh Techaleik
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
