Adar II

1 Adar II, Rosh Chodesh

In Yaaleh V’Yavo, (say) zachreinu.. bo (a beis with a dagesh).  Ufakdeinu vo. (letter Vais, without a dagesh).

2 Adar II

Chaim was watching a video of the Rebbe.  “Tatty,” he asked his father, “why is the Rebbe giving a dollar to each person who comes for a brachah?”

“The Rebbe is giving out the dollars to give to tzedakah,” his father explained.  “Through being the Rebbe’s messenger to do this mitzvah, you become worthy of receiving the Rebbe’s blessing.”

A brachah must have something to hold it, just as rain benefits only a plowed and sown field, and early and later heavy rains benefit the crops of field or vine.  But a waste field, not plowed and not sown, will benefit from neither soft rain, nor the early or later heavy rains.

3 Adar II

Some people might be very knowledgeable in Torah, and have a deep understanding of Chassidus.  But when it comes to simple faith in Hashem, a very plain person might be on an even higher level than them.  The most important thing is to serve Hashem simply and sincerely.  The greatest Torah scholar must work to reach the level of simple kabbalas ol of a plain person.

The Tzemach Tzedek told a Chassid who had mastered the entire Sha’s and related works and had a very deep grasp of Chassidus:  “Kabbalas ol transforms one’s being.  When a simple servant serves out of kabbalas ol, you can see that he bears the yoke of service even when he sleeps.  When a learned man or Torah genius has this sort of kabbalas ol, even he can reach the height and value of the simple, sincere person who has mesirus nefesh – total devotion, self-sacrifice.

4 Adar II

When the Mittler Rebbe would say Chassidus, it would be perfectly quiet.  Yet during the Chassidus he would say, “Sha, sha!”

The Rebbe Rashab explained that this was because the Mittler Rebbe’s ideas would flow so quickly in his mind that he needed to still the gushing flow of his ideas.  With this he explained the expression in Zohar: “The aged scholar whose mind is hidden, for it is still and peaceful.”

5 Adar II

Which is more important:  Learning Gemara and halachah, learning Chassidus, or performing actual avodah?  The truth is that all three of these are absolutely necessary, and no one can say that one of these is more important or higher than the other.  Each of these needs the other in order to be fulfilled properly and completely. The chachomim say:  “An ignorant person cannot be a chassid,” so there must be study of nigleh.  They also say: “Who is a chassid?  He who conducts himself with piety towards his Creator,” so there must be study of Chassidus, and the ultimate purpose of all study is, after all, actual avodah.

6 Adar II

According to the tradition among the elders of anash, the Tanya was a collection of advice given by the Alter Rebbe to anash in yechidus in the years of 5540-5550 (1780-1790).  In the summer of 5552 (1792), the Alter Rebbe began to arrange the Tanya in the form it has now.  A year later, in 5553 (1793) there were already many copies, and over time, there were errors of the text and even deliberate corruptions.  For that reason, the Rebbe then moved quickly to have it printed.

Another version is that the Alter Rebbe wrote the Tanya for twenty years, carefully checking each word.  By the year 5555 (1795) the text was pure and clear, and then he gave permission to copy it.  When there were many copies being passed around and many were corrupted, he had it printed.

The Tzemach Tzedek said that on the first Rosh Hashana of his life (in 5550, 1789) the Alter Rebbe spoke on the statement in the Gemara “He is made to promise, ‘Be a Tzaddik’…” This discourse is in fact the first three chapters of the Tanya.

7 Adar II

Did you ever think that the sidewalk you walk on has feelings, too?  Every time you walk on the street without thinking words of Torah, the street feels very offended that you are trampling all over it!

While walking in the street a person must think words of Torah.  Whether to pronounce the words, or only think them, depends on whether it is a place where it is permitted – according to Torah law – to speak words of Torah there.  But when someone goes and is not thinking about Torah, then the stone that he steps on exclaims:  “Bulach!  [‘clod’, in Russian] How dare you trample me!  How are you any higher than I am?”

8 Adar II

Libby saw her classmates acting unkindly to Shevy, the new girl.  She was deeply upset, and when she came home, she moaned to her mother:  “I feel so bad for Shevy.  No one in the class treats her nicely.  It is really a rachmonus, a pity on her.”

 Libby’s mother said to her:  “It’s nice to see that you are so concerned about your classmate.  Have you thought about something nice you could do for her, to show that you care?”

The Rebbe Rashab writes in one of his letters:  A single act is better than a thousand groans.  Our G-d lives, and Torah and mitzvos are forever.  Quit the groaning and work hard in actual avodah, and Hashem will be gracious to you.

9 Adar II

In the b’racha Borei nefashos, say al kol ma shebarasa, “kol” with a cholam, not a kamatz.

“Tatty, what are these?” asked Shmuli, pointing to a row of brightly colored booklets lined up on the shelf.

“Those are maamarim that the Rebbe gave out for us to study, a few years before you were born.” his father answered.

“Why didn’t I ever have a chance to see the Rebbe?” asked Shmuli.  His face reflected his intense disappointment.

“I know how badly you long to see the Rebbe,” his father replied. “We must remember that the Rebbe is always with us, even when we cannot see him.  The Rebbe personally gave us these maamarim to study.  Through learning the Rebbe’s Torah, we become connected to him, even more than by seeing his face.”

The intense longing to be bound closely to a Rebbe can be satisfied only by learning maamarim of Chassidus that the Rebbe delivers orally and writes down; simply seeing him is not enough.

10 Adar II

“Teiere Brieder, Teiere Brieder.. mir vellen zich veiter zehn… we will see each other again…”  The melody echoed throughout the airport terminal.  The dancing circle went round and round, as the group of chassidim took their leave of each other, strengthening one another on their journey back to their place of shlichus.

Before embarking on a journey from home, arrange a chassidic farbrengen and receive a parting blessing from your good friends, and as the familiar expression goes:  Chassidim never say goodbye, for they never depart from each other.  Wherever they are, they are one family.

11 Adar II

HHHalachos are rules given to us by Hashem, that regulate the life of a Jew and direct us in our service of Hashem.  Chassidus teaches that in addition to this basic level, halachos are also meant to be understood on two other, deeper levels.

(a)    Each halachah has a source in one of the upper worlds, as is explained in Chassidus.  We need to learn the meaning for each halachah as it exists in a higher, spiritual level.

(b)    Each halachah also has a lesson for us in avodah.  Even though the halachah is Hashem’s wisdom and is a law in Torah, it also teaches us a lesson in avodah, guiding us in the way to conduct ourselves in daily life in this world.

12 Adar II

The parshah that deals with karbanos begins:  “A man who offers (yakriv) of you an offering to Hashem.”  It seems that it would make more sense to say, “A man from [among] you who offers an offering.”

The Alter Rebbe explains:  The word “yakriv” in the possuk means “to bring a korban,” but it also means “to become close.”  If a man wants to become close to Hashem, he must bring an offering “of you” – of himself. He must sacrifice his personal “animal,” the desire for evil that is called the animal soul.

13 Adar II, Taanis Esther

In every generation, we each receive an individual command from the Moshe of our generation:  Go forth and fight Amalek.  What is the “Amalek” in each generation, and how do we fight him?

“Amalek came forth and fought with Yisroel at Refidim.”  The word “Refidim” means weakness, which comes about through neglect of Torah study.  

When Jews become weak in Torah – and Torah study is meant to bring to fulfillment of its words – then Amalek comes and cools off the Jew’s excitement.  “Amalek fought with Yisroel.”  The word “Yisroel” is an acronym in Hebrew for “there are 600,000 letters in the Torah.” (Every Jew has a letter in the Torah, and this is the reason for the Jewish custom of each person writing a letter in a Torah scroll.)  Amalek cools off the holiness of Torah.

The solution for this is Moshe’s command to Yehoshua, “Choose men for us” – Moshe’s men, and “In every generation there is an extension of Moshe,” for in every generation there are “heads of thousands of Yisroel.”

“And go forth and fight Amalek.”  The verbs in this possuk are in singular form addressing each individual, for Torah is forever, equally relevant in every generation in every time and place.

14 Adar II, Purim

In reading the Megilla, we read (8:11) laharog ul’abeid, v’laharog ul’abeid.

In 9:2, v’ish lo amad bifneihem, v’ish lo amad lifneihem.  When saying ha’igeres hazos and igeres ha’Purim hazos hasheinis, we rustle the Megillah.

In Shoshanas Yaakov: bruchim kol hatzaddikim.  Shehecheyanu is said before the daytime Megillah-reading too.

In the Megillah my grandfather [the Rebbe Maharash] wrote, he did not place the ten sons of Haman in a separate column-page, nor did he begin each column-page with the word hamelech.

15 Adar II, Shushan Purim

My grandfather [the Rebbe Maharash] said that the Mittler Rebbe wrote specific maamarim and a special book for every different kind of maskil [a Chassid whose main emphasis was on understanding the philosophy of Chassidus] and oveid [one whose main emphasis was on working with his character] in the chassidic community.  Shaar Hayichud and Shaaraei Ora, however, are general, written for all chassidim.  Shaar Hayichud is the key to the teachings of Chassidus; Shaarei Ora is the alef-beis of Chassidus.

16 Adar II

Dovid and Mendel are business partners.  Recently, their business has met with some difficult times and they have fallen into deep debt.  It is not easy for them to maintain their spirits under these conditions, but they encourage each other:  “Hasn’t Hashem provided for us all along?  Surely He will continue to come through for us once again!”

Avodah for the businessman includes arousing within himself the faith and perfect trust in Hashem, the One Who feeds and sustains all flesh, that He will provide him with an ample livelihood.  He must be truly happy and cheerful, as though all his livelihood were already in hand.

17 Adar II

In the Tehillim of this day (87:7) say kol maayanei boch (kol with a kamatz).  In Birkas Hamazon, say kol (in the same verse) with a cholam.

18 Adar II

The Rebbe Maharash wrote in one of his maamarim:  It is necessary to study some of the written Torah daily with Rashi, for his commentaries are the t’rumos – select – of the interpretations of our chachomim. 

….and at the very least everyone must study a mesechta, a tractate of Gemara each year.

19 Adar II

Rivky loves to read.  She uses this desire of hers to read books of Midrashim and chassidic stories, and shares this knowledge with her friends.

Avremi loves to entertain other people, to make them laugh and smile.  He uses this trait to lead Chanukah and Purim parties, bringing joy to our holidays.

Hashem placed within each of us natural traits, which we are to use in serving Hashem. The Chassid R. Moshe Meisels once said in the name of the Alter Rebbe, that the alef, the first step, of Chassidus is to use our natural traits and instincts in avodah.  One example of a natural trait, which we all have, is “Moach shalit al halev” – the mind rules over the heart.  This means that we can use our mind to channel the heart’s desires in a positive direction.

20 Adar II

The Alter Rebbe told:  Among the teachings my Rebbe [the Maggid] told me at yechidus was one on this possuk: “A constant fire shall be kept burning on the mizbei’ach; it shall not be extinguished.”

Each day, a Kohen would light a fire on the mizbei’ach.  Then a fire would come down from Shomayim and continue to burn on the mizbei’ach.  This fire would come down from heaven through a miracle.  Still, the regular person, the Kohen, had to light his own fire.  This is because through the person’s action below, it brings forth an even higher fire from above.

It is a positive mitzvah to light a fire on the mizbei’ach. The person offering the korban is himself like the mizbei’ach.  The act of bringing a korban is not enough.  The person must also light a fire of his own on the korban.  The posuk says of this fire, “lo tichbeh,” “it should not be extinguished.”  The Maggid explained these words to mean that this fire will put out (tichbeh) the lo, the negative.

The Maggid told this teaching to the Alter Rebbe ten times, to engrave it in the ten powers of his neshamah. “You, my pupil,” he said to the Alter Rebbe, “are in need of this constant fire, for you have the duty of putting out the great lo, the negativity [of the opponents of Chassidus]. You shall put out the lo, and Hashem will transform the lo, the negative, into hein [“yes”, the positive].

21 Adar II

“Baily, what does this possuk mean?”

“Baily, can you show me how to do this math problem?”

“Baily, can you explain to me this Rashi?”

Baily Finkel is known as the “class brain.”  Nearly every question or difficulty that a fellow classmate has is directed to her.  But nicest of all, Baily always makes herself available to help her classmates understand their lessons.

The Tzemach Tzedek said at the conclusion of the previous story (20 Adar II):  My grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, is the Moshe Rabeinu of Chassidus Chabad.  Our sages say that the Torah was given to Moshe, but he acted generously [sharing it with the Yidden].  The teachings of Chassidus are like a G-dly “constant fire.”  This fire was given by the Maggid to the Alter Rebbe.  The Alter Rebbe was generous and gave it to anyone who learns Chassidus. I am absolutely certain that whoever teaches someone else and awakens in him that G-dly “constant fire” is assured of his reward, that this merit of his will never be extinguished.

22 Adar II

Hashem created the world with ten Sefiros, or traits.  These ten Sefiros correspond to different parts of the body.  For example, the brain corresponds to the trait of Chochmah, Insight.  The heart represents the Sefira of Bina, Understanding.  The right arm is Chesed, Kindness, and the left arm is Gevura, Strictness.  All the Sefiros together make up the entire shape of the body.  Each time we use one of our body parts to do a mitzvah, we connect to one of Hashem’s Sefiros.  The following HaYom Yom explains how the mitzvah of Birchas Kohanim (the blessing that the Kohanim give to the Jewish people) corresponds to all the Sefiros together.

Birchas Kohanim brings forth Intellect.  The “raising of the hands” (by the Kohanim) is the elevation of the emotional traits (middos).  They bless the Jewish people who are “children of kings,” which represents malchus.  Thus we have the full “body” of the Ten Sefiros.

23 Adar II

Leibel’s Zeidy is a Rav.  People in the community approach him at all hours to ask him to decide questions in halachah.  Some of these questions deal with very sensitive issues – even life and death!  Leibel understands that his Zeidy’s job is a very difficult one, because he must be so careful with the way he answers these questions.

The Rebbe Rashab once said to a Rav, who labored in avodah and was an especially diligent scholar:  A Rav must always remember, that he constantly stands at the threshold between being one of those who bring merit to the public, and, G-d forbid, one of those who causes the public to sin.  He stands at the threshold between the greatest heights and lowest depths. All issues must touch him at the very core of his neshamah, literally, because his very soul is at stake.

24 Adar II

When saying Ana b’choach, look at – or picture in though – the sheimos (Names of Hashem) formed by the roshei teivos (acronyms) of the words, but do not pronounce them.

25 Adar II

“Mommy, can you buy me a Nintendo game?” asked Shalom. 

“Frankly, Shalom, I don’t think that it’s necessary for you to have one,” his mother replied.

“But all my friends have one!” Shalom pouted.  “Anyway, what’s wrong with Nintendo?  It doesn’t say anywhere that playing Nintendo is forbidden!”

“True, Shalom, it is not forbidden.  Still, I would like you to read this HaYom Yom, and think about whether a Nintendo game is what you need.”

The Chassid, R. Mordechai Horodoker, told:  The first saying we heard from the Alter Rebbe when we arrived in Lyozna was: What is forbidden is forbidden, and what is permitted is unnecessary.  For some three or four years we labored with this until we integrated this manner [of serving Hashem] into the various aspects of our lives.  Only then did we enter into yechidus, to ask for a path in avodah.

26 Adar II

Karen Greenbaum was visiting her religious cousins for the first time.  Many of their customs felt strange and unfamiliar to her.  When they prayed in the synagogue, it seemed odd that the women had to sit behind a divider, and were not given the opportunity to lead any of the prayers or blessings.  On the way home, she asked her cousin Pearl:  “Don’t you feel uncomfortable with the fact that women are left out of the services?”

Pearl smiled at her cousin.  “I don’t think that women are left out at all.  You see, in Judaism, the woman’s role is considered most sacred and essential of all!”

Hashem entrusted the holiest and most important jobs in preserving the Jewish nation to the women of Israel:  Bringing up and educating upright generations; preparing and serving kosher food; and keeping the holiness of Shabbos.

The woman who fulfills her responsibility in the life of the family, running the home and educating the children in the spirit of Torah, is the subject of this possuk:  “The wisdom of women built her home.”

27 Adar II

Bless Rosh Chodesh Nissan; say the entire Tehillim in the early morning.  Day of farbrengen.

“See you tomorrow morning in school, bright and early!” the girls called to each other.  It was Sunday evening, following a glorious Shabbaton weekend.  The girls had worked hard to prepare a marvelous program with exciting activities, songs, stories and farbrengens lasting far into the night.  The weekend left them on a real high of inspiration and enthusiasm.  But as their principal explained:  “This inspiration needs to be put into effect immediately, through applying yourselves to your learning with renewed vigor.  Otherwise, the excitement will soon fade away and leave you with an empty feeling.”

Each time that a person is inspired to become close to Hashem, this inspiration must lead to actual good deeds.  We learn this from the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu.  They entered the Holy of Holies, the Kodesh Kadashim, and died in there.  The kedushah that they felt there was so great that their neshomos left their bodies and flew up to Hashem.

The sin of Aharon’s sons was that they only wanted to come close to Hashem, but did not want to go back into the world to serve Hashem there.  In Chassidus, the drive to come close to Hashem is called “ratzo,” and the return to serve Hashem in the world is called “shov.”  The sons of Aharon had ratzo without shov.  The truth is that when a person comes close to Hashem, he must become clean and pure, and the closeness needs to be seen in actual deeds. 

Chassidus gives a mashal of a high wall that is built from bricks.  If this wall should come crashing down, the bricks that are higher up will fall further than the bricks that are lower down.  This mashal is used to explain that the higher a person’s level is, the further he needs to come down into the world to purify it.  If someone only wants to be on a high spiritual level, but isn’t interested in going into the world to bring the kedushah there, this shows that he is not really serving Hashem.  He isn’t doing what Hashem wants from us. 

Hashem created the world in order that we should live in it and work with it, to make it holy.   When we focus on what Hashem wants from us, rather than what we want and think is good, then we can rise up to the highest places. 

28 Adar II

We do recite the Harachaman of bris mila.

(From a sichah at a seudah of bris milah):  At a bris milah we say, “Just as he has entered into the bris, so may he enter into Torah, into marriage and into good deeds.”  It is our custom to make an advance payment on tuition fees for the boy’s studies.  (Here the Rebbe gave a sum of money and said):  “This is for the Yeshiva.”

29 Adar II

Can you make something out of nothing?  In order to bake a cake, for example, you first need to have the flour, sugar, eggs, etc., which you then mix together to bake the cake.  Only Hashem can literally make something out of nothing.  He created the world out of nothing, and brought all physical objects into being.  Our job is to turn the “something” – the physical objects – back into “nothing,” through using each physical thing for mitzvos and kedushah. Doing this avodah, turning the physical into spiritual and making the physical into an instrument for the spiritual, is a personal obligation.  Every single person, individually, is required to do this.