Chitas for Sunday, Parshas Bo Beis Shevat, 5777

Transcription

1 Chitas for Sunday, Parshas Bo Beis Shevat, 5777 CHUMASH :: Rishon with Rashi Moshe and Aharon are in the middle of the shlichus Hashem gave them, to take the Yidden out of Mitzrayim. They had to bring makos onto the Mitzriyim to punish them for the way they mistreated the Yidden, to show them Hashem s nisim, and to make them let the Yidden go. Moshe warns Paraoh about the next makah, the locusts, and the Mitzriyim are scared. Paraoh considers letting the Yidden go, but when he hears that they ALL will be going, he says NO! 8: Makas Arbeh (locusts) Hashem told Moshe and Aharon to warn Paraoh to let the Yidden go. Even though it is hard for him to do teshuvah without Hashem helping him, Paraoh still can do teshuvah if he wants! So Moshe and Aharon told Paraoh that if he doesn t let the Yidden go, Hashem will send a makah of locusts, a kind of grasshopper that will eat up all of the things that grow, all over Mitzrayim! The Mitzriyim were afraid of the makah, and told Paraoh to just let the Yidden go already! So Paraoh called Moshe and Aharon back, and asked them, Who will be going? Moshe answered, Everyone will go serve Hashem! Young people and old people, sons and daughters, sheep and cattle. Everyone! Paraoh said, Kids don t bring korbanos! Why do you want to bring them? You don t want to go serve Hashem for a few days, you want to run away! I m not going to let ANY of you go! TEHILLIM :: Today s kapitelach of Tehillim are Yud through Yud-Zayin. In Kapitel Yud-Alef in Tehillim, the last posuk says, Tzadik Hashem Tzedakos Ahev Hashem is a tzadik and He loves giving tzedakah. Chassidus explains that when Hashem gave us the Torah, He was giving tzedakah! Before Matan Torah, it wasn t easy for a person in the Gashmius world to have a connection to Hashem. But once Hashem gave us the Torah, every one of us is able to easily connect to Hashem and bring kedusha into the world! In fact, in some places in Torah, EVERY mitzvah is called tzedakah. That s because every mitzvah is able to do this special tzedakah of bringing Elokus into the world! This helps us understand the meaning of the posuk, Ve ameich Kulam Tzadikim ( Your nation are all Chitas for Kids / Sunday, Beis Shevat,

2 tzadikim ): How can we say that all Yidden are called tzadikim? Most Yidden have a Yetzer Hara, so they can t be a tzadik the way we learned in Tanya. Many Yidden aren t even the kind of tzadik called a Tzadik Bedino (tzadik in judgment) who has more mitzvos than aveiros. Chassidus tells us that we can translate tzadikim here as people who do tzedakah. Even a Yid who is a rasha does many, many mitzvos and every mitzvah is an act of tzedakah that brings Hashem into the world, a place where Hashem is so poorly felt. TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Yud-Tes In today s Tanya, we are learning more about the Ahava Mesuteres, the hidden love for Hashem that every single Yid has, which is passed down from the Avos. The Ahava Mesuteres is part of our neshama. The posuk says about the neshama of at Yid that Ner Hashem Nishmas Adam the neshama is like a candle of Hashem. A Yid is like the fire on a candle. If you look, you will see that the flame ALWAYS wants to go up. It looks like it wants to jump off the candle and fly up to Shomayim! Of course, if the flame could let go, it wouldn t be able to burn anymore down here, and in Shomayim there s so much light that you wouldn t be able to even notice it. But still, that s what the fire wants! A Yid s neshama is like that, too. Our neshama always wants to go up to Hashem, even though next to Hashem, you wouldn t even be able to notice the neshama! It doesn t make sense, but this is what the Ahava Mesuteres wants. As we learned yesterday, the Ahava Mesuteres comes from Chochma of the Neshama. In the Chochma of the neshama, Hashem is the most revealed. That s why it gives us this natural desire to connect to Hashem, even if it will mean that the neshama will not be noticed as anything special on its own. HAYOM YOM :: Beis Shevat The Alter Rebbe used to say a certain maamar every 3 years, on Parshas Va eira. The Chassidim would call it the Frume Va eira because it made them want to do teshuvah and become more frum. The Tzemach Tzedek said that even though the Alter Rebbe said it many times, every time it was like it was said for the first time! The Rebbe spoke about the Frume Va eira in a sicha for Parshas Va eira in Tof-Shin-Yud-Beis. The Rebbe said that since the maamar was only printed once, and it had some mistakes, he would chazer it for the chassidim. One of the main points of the Frume Va eira is that our neshama needs to use EVERY SINGLE opportunity to do a mitzvah. When we realize how important this is, it will lead us to dedicate ourselves to every opportunity Hashem gives us. It will also help us do a proper teshuvah so that Hashem will fill in any chance we may have missed. A month later the Rebbe spoke more about this inyan in a very famous maamar, called Lo Sihiyeh Meshakeilah. In the middle of saying this maamar, the Rebbe put his head down on the table and cried for a long time. The Rebbe spoke about how busy we need to be with our shlichus, and treasure every moment. (Here is the maamar in Hebrew: livingwiththerebbe.com/pdf/4/ pdf The Chassidic Heritage series translated it: com/full-devotion-lo-tiye-meshakela-5712/productinfo/ere%2dfull/) Chitas for Kids / Sunday, Beis Shevat,

3 SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Mitzvas Lo Saasei #187, #186, #189, #190, #191, #192 Today we learn more mitzvos about what we are allowed to eat: 1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #187) We are not allowed to eat milk and meat together (basar b chalav). 2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #186) We are not allowed to cook milk and meat together (even if we aren t going to eat it). 3) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #189) We are not allowed to eat bread (Lechem) from new grain of that year, until the day that the Korban Omer is brought on 16 Nissan. The new grain is called Chodosh. 4) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #190) There is a separate mitzvah not to eat roasted grain (Koli) from chodosh. 5) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #191) There is a separate mitzvah not to eat fresh grain (Karmel) from chodosh. 6) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #192) We are not allowed to eat fruit from a tree for the first three years it grows (Orlah). RAMBAM :: Hilchos Maachalos Asuros In today s Rambam, we learn how much of a food that is asur it takes for a person to be chayav and punished by the Beis Din. Just like at the Seder we eat a certain amount of matzah in a certain amount of time, a person needs to eat a certain amount of food in a certain amount of time. We also learn about when a food is botul and is considered as if it s not there. Let s say you have a pot of chicken soup on the stove, and your baby brother opens his bottle of milk and throws it on the floor, and the milk splashes all over the kitchen! Is it still okay to eat the chicken soup, since some milk splashed inside? The answer is yes, because it is botul. There is SO MUCH chicken soup, and SO LITTLE milk that it doesn t make the food non-kosher. There are many halachos about bittul. Some kinds of things can NEVER become botul, and sometimes you need to have 200 times or more of the kosher food than the non-kosher food! We also learn that we are not allowed to try to make something botul on purpose. This is called Ain Mevatlin Issur Lechatchilah. So a person is NOT allowed to put a spoonful of milk into a huge pot of chicken soup on purpose, even though it would be okay if it fell in by mistake. RAMBAM PEREK ECHAD :: Hilchos Rotzeiach U'Shmiras HaNefesh - Perek Daled We are learning the halachos of when the Beis Din punishes someone who killed another person. In this perek we learn that only if a person MEANT to kill THAT person in THAT way, does the Beis Din punish him. We also learn how to treat a murderer that the Beis Din is not allowed to kill, and who it is a mitzvah to kill (a true apikores). DARKEI HACHASSIDUS :: Getting Out of Mitzrayim Are you in Mitzrayim? Were you ever there? You might never have been in the LAND Mitzrayim, but we are supposed to see ourselves as coming out of Mitzrayim! We have a mitzvah to remember Yetziyas Mitzrayim every day and night. This is also talking about a Chitas for Kids / Sunday, Beis Shevat,

4 Ruchnius Mitzrayim that each of us have. Mitzrayim means things that stop us from using the opportunities Hashem gives us to their fullest. So any time that you were stuck and couldn t do a mitzvah or act the way Hashem wants us to, that was Mitzrayim. Sometimes it can be very hard to get out of Mitzrayim. But we don t need to worry, because Hashem will help us come out! In a sicha, the Rebbe teaches us a lesson from the fact that the Torah tells us EXACTLY the moment of Yetziyas Mitzrayim. Makas Bechoros when Paraoh ran to tell Moshe and Aharon to leave Mitzrayim, which was the beginning of Yetziyas Mitzrayim was exactly in the MIDDLE of the night (Vayehi Bachatzi Halailah). The Yidden actually left exactly in the MIDDLE of the day (Vayehi Be etzem Hayom Hazeh). This teaches us how we need to treasure the moment in whatever situation Hashem puts us in, whether it is a night kind of Mitzrayim or a day kind of Mitzrayim, and use it to its fullest! There is a night kind of Mitzrayim, when things are hard. Let s say your sister colored on your homework, or you can t find your kvort, or you aren t in the mood to daven. Even in the middle of that, we shouldn t feel sad and stuck! We should use whatever opportunities Hashem gives us, and He will help us get out of Mitzrayim! You can write over the questions that got too scribbled, use the kvort you don t like, or daven even though you don t want to. Using your kochos Hashem gives you, not to give up and to do what is right, is going out of Mitzrayim! There is also a day kind of Mitzrayim, when things look great. Let s say you finished davening, and now you think you re done! But that s also Mitzrayim. We are never done there is always more we can do for Hashem. You can play with your brothers and sisters, call your Bubby to say hi, or say a kapitel Tehillim for someone to have a Refuah Sheleimah. Using the kochos Hashem gives us to do MORE than what we re comfortable doing is also going out of Mitzrayim! See sicha of the Rebbe, Yud-Alef Nissan 5744 TEFILLAH :: Velamalshinim (part one) When the Anshei Kneses Hagedolah put together the davening, they set up 18 brachos to say as Shemoneh Esrei, the main part of davening where we ask Hashem for our needs. Later, in the times of Rabban Gamliel, there were many Yidden who stopped following Yiddishkeit the way it had been kept since the times of Matan Torah. They stopped following the Torah Shebaal Peh, and only did whatever they wanted to of the Torah Shebichsav. Unfortunately, this confused many Yidden, who thought that this was a real way to follow the Torah. Since this was causing many Yidden to stop keeping the Torah and mitzvos, Rabban Gamliel s Beis Din put together another bracha and added it to the Shemoneh Esrei. In this bracha, Velamalshinim, they asked Hashem that all of these new ideas and philosophies shouldn t stop Yidden from acting like Yidden. They asked Hashem that these people should do teshuvah and shouldn t be able to affect anyone else to copy their strange ways. Even today, many groups of Yidden come up with new ideas of how to act and many of them are not the way the Torah teaches us to behave. When we say the bracha of Velamalshinim, we are asking Hashem to make sure that Yiddishkeit stays the way it always has. Chitas for Kids / Sunday, Beis Shevat,

5 HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Tiltul Muktza Even though we can t move muktza, it is not asur to touch it if it is something that usually doesn t move. For example, a car is definitely muktza. But it won t move just by touching it, because it is so heavy. So it isn t a problem to touch it on Shabbos. GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Midah Keneged Midah Hashem acts in a way of Midah Keneged Midah based on what we do, that s how Hashem responds. By us working with zerizus to go out of our Mitzrayim and constantly do more, Hashem will also with zerizus take us out of Golus! Like the Rambam says, the Yidden will do teshuvah in the end of their Golus, and then MIYAD (right away) the Geulah will come! See sicha of the Rebbe, Yud-Alef Nissan Credits, sponsorships, and contact info at KidsChitas.org - Chitas for Kids / Sunday, Beis Shevat,

6 Chitas for Monday, Parshas Bo Gimmel Shevat, 5777 CHUMASH :: Sheini with Rashi Hashem sends the Arbeh, the locusts, who eat up everything in Mitzrayim. Paraoh says he will let the Yidden go but then changes his mind when the locusts are gone. Hashem has to send the next makah, Choshech. The whole Mitzrayim is darker than night but the Yidden can see. 8: Makas Arbeh (locusts), continued Moshe had warned Paraoh, but Paraoh didn t want to let all the Yidden go. So Hashem told Moshe to pick up his arm, and the locusts would come. Hashem made a wind blow all day and night, and the next morning, millions of locusts came and ate all of the grass, the trees, and all of the plants. Paraoh quickly called Moshe and Aharon and said I m sorry! I did the wrong thing! Please forgive me and get rid of these locusts! Moshe davened to Hashem and a wind blew the locusts all into the water. But again Paraoh got stubborn and wouldn t let the Yidden go. 9: Makas Choshech (darkness) Moshe warned Paraoh about the next makah, darkness, but Paraoh didn t listen. When Moshe picked up his arm like Hashem said, Mitzrayim got very dark. It was a kind of dark that it didn t help to light a candle or a fire! During this time, Hashem made that all of the Yidden who didn t want the Geulah would pass away. Hashem didn t want the Mitzriyim to see that there were Yidden dying, so He did it during the makah of Choshech. (This Geulah will be different when Moshiach comes, EVERY Yid will come out!) Then, the darkness got very thick so dark you could FEEL it! The Mitzriyim couldn t even move. But for the Yidden, it was light! They looked around in the Mitzriyim s houses to see where they kept all of their gold and jewelry but they didn t take any. The same is true even in the end of Golus, when there is a lot of darkness in the world. When a Yid learns Torah and Chassidus and acts like a Chossid, he can have light he brings the light of Geulah into his house and to everyone around him. TEHILLIM :: For today s Shiur Tehillim, we say kapitelach Yud-Ches through Chof-Beis. Chitas for Kids / Monday, Gimmel Shevat,

7 In Kapitel Yud-Tes, there is a posuk that talks about Torah: Toras Hashem Temimah, Meshivas Nafesh. The Torah of Hashem is complete, it makes the neshama feel good. The Alter Rebbe uses this posuk to show why he was so happy to hear that the Chassidim learned the whole Shas (Mishnayos and Gemara) in many places during the year. When the Torah is temimah, complete (when the whole Torah is completely learned) it makes the neshama happy! TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Yud-Tes We learned yesterday in Tanya that a neshama is like a candle, whose flame is always trying to go up. The neshama also wants to always go up higher and go connect to Hashem. It doesn t make sense for the neshama to want to do this, because the closer it becomes to Hashem, the less important it becomes! Still, the neshama wants it anyway. This comes from the Chochma part of the neshama. In the Chochma of the neshama, Hashem isn t hiding as much. Since Hashem can be felt more, it makes the neshama have bittul. Bittul is when you don t have your own agenda, your own reasons. Instead, you are ready to follow Hashem s kavana, whatever that is! This is a general difference between Yiddishkeit and not Yiddishkeit, and between kedusha and the opposite: Kedusha has bittul to Hashem, and kelipah has its own personal motives. If a Yid lets his Nefesh Habehamis take control of his body and convince him to do aveiros, he is not acting with bittul! The Chochma of his neshama is sent into Golus. Even though it is still there, it isn t active. It will only wake up and use its tremendous koach when the Yid realizes that his connection to Hashem is being threatened! That s why the kind of love that comes from the Chochma is called Ahava Mesuteres, a hidden love. This kind of love can be hidden, and the Yetzer Hara can convince the person with a Ruach Shtus (a foolish thought) to do an aveira something against what Hashem wants, which is the biggest shtus! HAYOM YOM :: Gimmel Shevat Nine years after the Histalkus of the Mitteler Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek printed the maamorim of the Alter Rebbe for the first time. In a letter from today (Gimmel Shevat 5597) the Tzemach Tzedek talks about this Sefer, called Torah Ohr. The Sefer has the Alter Rebbe s maamorim on Chumash Bereishis and Shemos (and a few Yomim Tovim). In the letter, the Tzemach Tzedek also talks about the second chelek of the Sefer, which IY H will be printed later, with maamorim on the other Chumashim, Shir Hashirim, and the other Yomim Tovim. Unfortunately, it took 11 years (!) until the second chelek was printed! Why did it take so long?! The Russian government was very mean to Yidden, and there were many big Resha im who didn t want Yidden to be learning Torah. One of the things they did was to close down many Jewish printhouses, including the one in Kopust, where the sefer Torah Ohr was printed, so they couldn t make any new books of Torah. The second chelek was finally printed in 5708, in a different city Zhitomir. Instead of calling it Torah Ohr Chelek Beis it got its own name, Likutei Torah. In the Tzemach Tzedek s letter, he also connects the name of the Alter Rebbe to the Chassidus he teaches: The Alter Rebbe s name is Shneur, which is the words Shnei Ohr, two times light. The Gematria of the word ohr (light) two times, is 414, which is also the Gematria of the word Ve ahavta. In the Alter Rebbe s Chassidus, he Chitas for Kids / Monday, Gimmel Shevat,

8 teaches us how to love Hashem, Ve ahavta! SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Mitzvas Lo Saasei #193, #153, #194, Asei #146 Today we are finishing the set of halachos about non-kosher food! We are going to start learning about the halachos of Shechitah. So there are a few last halachos about food we aren t allowed to eat: 1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #193) We are not allowed to eat food that grew in a vineyard (where you grow grapes). This is called Kilai Hakerem. 2) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #153) We are not allowed to eat food before the Terumos and Maasros (presents to the Kohanim, Leviim, and poor people) are given. This is called Tevel. 3) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #194) We are not allowed to drink wine that was used for Avodah Zarah, called Yayin Nesech. We also learn a mitzvah from our new set of halachos: 4) (Mitzvas Asei #146) We need to shecht an animal before we can eat it. RAMBAM :: Hilchos Maachalos Asuros - Shechitah Today s Rambam tells us about MANY important inyanim we need to know about kashrus! In Shulchan Aruch, we learn about these things for many perakim, but the Rambam teaches us about each of these things in only one or two halachos! Here are some of them: - Ben Yomo if a pot was used on that same day to cook non-kosher food - Toiveling dishes - We don t need to kasher a dish only used for cold non-kosher food - Kashering pots and dishes that were used for non-kosher hot food (hagalah) - Kashering knives by making them very hot (libun) - Bishul Akum (food cooked by a non-jew) - Pas Akum (bread baked by a non-jew) - Aino Oleh Al Shulchan Melachim food that a king wouldn t serve at his table doesn t need to be Bishul Yisroel We also learn that if a person needs to go to the bathroom, he HAS to take care of it right away! This is called Bal Teshaktzu. The Rambam finishes this set of halachos by reminding us that these things are what make us holy, to be like Hashem! Now we start learning the halachos about shechting animals. One halacha is that the knife used for shechting has to be sharp and smooth! The shochet checks his knife before he shechts, to make sure that it didn t get a nick in it since the last time he shechted. RAMBAM PEREK ECHAD :: Hilchos Rotzeiach U'Shmiras HaNefesh - Perek Hey Now we start learning about someone who killed by accident. This perek teaches the halachos about when a Chitas for Kids / Monday, Gimmel Shevat,

9 person would need to go to an Ir Miklat. For a kohen, the top of the Mizbeiach is also a safe place, just like an Ir Miklat! DARKEI HACHASSIDUS :: Hachana L'Yud Shevat Today, Gimmel Shevat, is exactly one week before Yud Shevat! On this day, in the year 5752 (1992), the last year we heard sichos from the Rebbe, the Rebbe said something which was very startling to Chassidim: The Rebbe said, How can we understand the ways of Hashem, that the Friediker Rebbe, whose whole life was to teach and spread Chassidus, was given an illness that made it hard for him to speak? The Rebbe said that even though it s not something we can understand, one thing we need to learn from that is that just like Moshe Rabbeinu had Aharon speak for him since he couldn t, the Chassidim need to be the Aharon for the Rebbe, the Rebbe s mouth, learning and teaching the words of Chassidus to other people. Just a few months later, the Chassidim understood that the Rebbe was telling us that our Shlichus is to be the Rebbe s mouth, to teach Chassidus to the whole world until Moshiach comes and the Rebbe will again teach everyone. TEFILLAH :: Velamalshinim (part two) In the Hayom Yom of Chof-Vov Teves, we learned a deeper meaning of the bracha of Velamalshinim, that we are asking Hashem to protect us from the source of all not-good things, which is kelipah. Hashem created the world with kedushah and with kelipah. Whatever brings a Yid closer to Hashem is kedushah, and the koach of kelipah is whatever tries to do the opposite. We ask Hashem not to let that kelipah make it hard for us. We ask Hashem to destroy the kelipah in three different ways, one way for each of the Shalosh Kelipos Hatemeios, the kinds of kelipah that need to be completely wiped out: U se aker, U se shaber, U se mager. But there is another kind of kelipah that CAN try to pull us away from Hashem, but can also easily be used to bring us closer to Hashem. Most Gashmius things in this world are this kind of kelipah, like food or toys. If we don t use them for any good reason, they can chas veshalom pull us further from Hashem. But if we use them for a mitzvah, or to help us serve Hashem better, they can become kedusha and bring us closer to Hashem. In Velamalshinim, we ask Hashem to force that kind of kelipah to help us do the right thing. We say, Vesachnia, and You should subjugate it, meaning that Hashem should help us use this kelipah and make it into kedusha! Because this is talking about a different kind of kelipah, we pause between the words U se mager and Vesachnia. HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Muktza On Shabbos, we are not allowed to move things that are muktza. The Chachomim explain that this is talking about moving things in a normal way, with our hands. But moving something in an unusual way is called Tiltul Kil achar Yad, which IS mutar. For example, we are allowed to push away muktza with the back of our hand, move it by kicking it out of the way, pushing with our elbow, head, or stomach, or pulling with our mouth. Chitas for Kids / Monday, Gimmel Shevat,

10 See the Alter Rebbe s Shulchan Aruch, siman Shin-Ches GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Hoping for Moshiach The Chida brings what it says in the Medrash, Yalkut Shimoni, about hoping for Moshiach: It says that in the zechus of our hoping, we will deserve for Moshiach to come! This helps us understand the bracha of Es Tzemach in Shemoneh Esrei: We ask Hashem to bring Moshiach, Ki Lishuascha Kivinu Kol Hayom, because we hope for Moshiach all day. We aren t just telling Hashem that we want Moshiach so much, we are telling Hashem that even if we don t deserve Moshiach for any other reason, we deserve to have Moshiach because we hoped the whole time that he will come! See Hisvaaduyos Mem-Vov, Vol 1, p Credits, sponsorships, and contact info at KidsChitas.org - Chitas for Kids / Monday, Gimmel Shevat,

11 Chitas for Tuesday, Parshas Bo Daled Shevat, 5777 CHUMASH :: Shlishi with Rashi As part of their shlichus to take the Yidden out of Mitzrayim, Moshe and Aharon have already brought many of the makos. Paraoh called for Moshe Rabbeinu and said, Okay, you can go serve Hashem, and even bring your children. Just leave your animals here to prove you re coming back. Moshe said, We need all of our animals for korbanos. We ll even need some of YOUR animals! Since we won t know what Hashem will want us to bring for korbanos, maybe our own won t be enough. Hashem made it hard for Paraoh to do teshuvah again, and Paraoh said, No way! Go away from here! I don t want to see you ever again! Moshe answered, Yes indeed I will not again come to see your face. 10: Makas Bechoros (death of the firstborn) Hashem told Moshe and Aharon that He would send one last makah: Every firstborn would be killed. Then Paraoh will finally send the Yidden out of Mitzrayim! The Yidden should ask the Mitzriyim to give them gold and silver, so they will go out rich, like Hashem promised Avraham. TEHILLIM :: Today s Shiur Tehillim is kapitelach Chof-Gimmel through Chof-Ches. In today s Tehillim, there are two pesukim (Kapitel Chof-Hey, pesukim ches and tes) that talk about how Hashem shows us the right way to live. The last words of these pesukim are VeYelamed Anavim Darko Hashem teaches humble people His path. The Rambam says that this is talking about two things that Hashem gives to Yidden to help them do teshuvah and do the right things! Here they are: 1) He sends them Neviim (and Rebbeim) who teach them the ways of Hashem and how to do teshuvah. 2) Hashem makes a person to WANT to do the right thing when they learn about it. These two things together make it much easier for us to do JUST what Hashem wants! Chitas for Kids / Tuesday, Daled Shevat,

12 TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Yud-Tes As we learned yesterday in Tanya, the chochma of the neshama which only wants to be connected to Hashem can sometimes be sleeping in a Yid which can Chas Veshalom let him do an Aveira! We said before that even poshute Yidden will overcome a test in their Yiddishkeit that is about if they believe in Hashem. How can they do that if the chochma is sometimes asleep? The reason why a person can ever do an aveira is because the chochma is asleep, and not reminding the person that aveiros are narishkeit! But when it comes to a nisayon in Emunah, it s like poking the Emunah! And where does the Emunah come from? The Chochma of the Neshama! What happens when you poke something? It wakes up! So a nisayon in emunah wakes up the chochma of the neshama. With that koach, a person is only ready to do what Hashem wants. The Chochma of the Neshama is so strong that when it s awake, he can t even say or do something that doesn t show Emunah like to bow to an idol even if he doesn t believe in it, or say something that sounds like he doesn t believe in Hashem, even if he doesn t mean it. HAYOM YOM :: Daled Shevat In the last few parshios in Chumash, we learned how hard it was for the Yidden in Mitzrayim. They were slaves who had to work very hard, and couldn t behave the way they wanted to. Finally, Hashem made big nissim with the Makos, and the Yidden came out of Mitzrayim! In each one of us today, we also have Yidden suffering in Mitzrayim, and Yetziyas Mitzrayim. Our neshamos are like the Yidden. The neshama wants to act in a certain way, to always be connected to Hashem and do what He wants (like we are learning in Tanya). But the Nefesh Habehamis doesn t want the neshama to be that way it wants to live like Mitzrayim, to do things that are fun and make it happy, even if it s not what Hashem wants. That makes the neshama feel like it s in Mitzrayim! So how does it get out? Like we learned in Tanya, a beinoni has a special koach to use his mind, the place of the neshama, to tell the heart how to feel. When a Yid does that, he gets out of Mitzrayim! SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Mitzvas Lo Saasei #101 In Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #101) that we are not allowed to shecht an animal and its child on the same day. We are not even allowed to bring a mother and baby animal as korbanos on the same day! RAMBAM :: Hilchos Shechitah In today s Rambam, we learn about the 5 things that a shochet has to be careful NOT to do otherwise the animal he shechted isn t kosher. 1) Shehiyah stopping in the middle of shechting 2) Chaladah shechting without being able to see the knife 3) Drasah pushing down with the knife instead of going back and forth 4) Hagrama shechting on the wrong part of the animal s neck Chitas for Kids / Tuesday, Daled Shevat,

13 5) Ikur if the part that he is supposed to shecht moves before he finishes Any animal that the shochet does one of these 5 things on is called a Neveilah, and we are not allowed to eat it. RAMBAM PEREK ECHAD :: Hilchos Rotzeiach U'Shmiras HaNefesh - Perek Vov We are learning the halachos of a person who killed another person by accident. This perek teaches us about three kinds of accidental killing: 1. Someone who didn t know that what he was doing would kill someone a real mistake. He needs to stay in the Ir Miklat. 2. When it was a kind of thing that we don t expect might happen like throwing something heavy into a place where people don t usually go. That person doesn t need to stay in an Ir Miklat, and the Goel Hadam is not allowed to kill him. 3. Where the person was being careless, we don t consider that an accident. It won t help for him to be in an Ir Miklat, and he won t be safe there. DARKEI HACHASSIDUS :: Hachana L'Yud Shevat When the Yidden were in the Midbar, Hashem gave them everything they needed! The Chachomim tell us that it was in the zechus of their Nasi, Moshe Rabbeinu. At first, the mahn was in Moshe s zechus, the Ananei Hakavod (clouds) were in Aharon s zechus, and the water was in Miriam s zechus. When Aharon and Miriam passed away, they came back in Moshe s zechus. That shows us that not just the Ruchnius things that the Yidden needed came through Moshe, but EVERYTHING comes through the Nasi! The same thing is true by a Rebbe! He doesn t only teach us Torah and how to serve Hashem, but all of the Gashmius things that Yidden need come to us also through the zechus and brachos of the Rebbe. TEFILLAH :: Velamalshinim (part three) The bracha of Velamalshinim is part of the second half of Shemoneh Esrei, where we ask for the needs of Klal Yisroel and for the Geulah. This bracha is also asking Hashem for the Geulah! When Moshiach comes, Hashem will remove all tumah from the world, and kelipah will not be able to hide Hashem anymore. So when we ask Hashem to protect us from the tumah that stops us from serving Hashem properly, we are also asking for Hashem to bring Moshiach, when the tumah will go away completely! HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Picking Up Muktza by Mistake What happens if you pick something up on Shabbos, and then realize that it is muktza? What should you do? Should you drop it right away, or can you put it back down where it belongs? The halacha depends on what kind of muktza it is! If it is the kind of muktza called Muktza Kal, the less strict kind of muktza, you can put it down where it Chitas for Kids / Tuesday, Daled Shevat,

14 belongs. So for example, if you picked up a pen by mistake, you can put it away in it s proper place. But if it is the strict kind of muktza, Muktza Chamur, you need to drop it right away! So for example, if you reach into your pocket and pull out a piece of paper, and realize it is a dollar bill, you have to drop it right away! If you need it to go into a safe place, you need to kick it or blow it away. (Of course, we should check our pockets before Shabbos so this doesn t happen!) See the Alter Rebbe s Shulchan Aruch, siman Shin-Ches se if yud-gimmel GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Being Strong in Our Yiddishkeit The Navi Micha says: Kimei Tzeischa Me Eretz Mitzrayim, Arenu Niflaos! At the time of the Geulah, Hashem promises to show us nisim like He did in the times of Yetziyas Mitzrayim! This teaches us that Yetziyas Mitzrayim is very connected to the Geulah it is like a mashal that helps us understand how the Geulah will be! For example, one of the things the Yidden did that helped them deserve the Geulah was the Korban Pesach. The Yidden took the Avodah Zarah of Mitzrayim, and went to do what Hashem asked them to. They ignored whatever the Mitzriyim said, and did the mitzvah proudly. This is also how we can deserve the Geulah: By being strong and proud with our Yiddishkeit, not worrying what other people say, Hashem will see that we are ready to do whatever He asks us to! Then we will be ready to have Moshiach now! See Likutei Sichos chelel Alef parshas Bo - Credits, sponsorships, and contact info at KidsChitas.org - Chitas for Kids / Tuesday, Daled Shevat,

15 Chitas for Wednesday, Parshas Bo Hey Shevat, 5777 CHUMASH :: Revi'i with Rashi Moshe and Aharon warn Paraoh about Makas Bechoros. They tell him that after this Makah, Paraoh will send them out of Mitzrayim! Hashem gives the Yidden a mitzvah so they will deserve to go out of Mitzrayim. They should take an animal for a Korbon Pesach, and smear some of the blood around their door. Hashem will then skip over these houses when he kills the firstborns. Later this day will become Pesach! Moshe and Aharon were still standing near Paraoh. They told him that Hashem was going to do the next makah Himself not through a malach! At about midnight, Hashem would make all of the oldest boys die. (Moshe told Paraoh that it would happen at about midnight so that Paraoh couldn t say Hashem was lying if his stargazers didn t tell him the right time!) There would be loud crying all over Mitzrayim, so loud that it would scare all of the dogs! But no dogs would hurt any Yidden Ulechol Bnei Yisroel lo yecheratz kelev leshono. Your officers will come and tell me that all of the Yidden should leave Mitzrayim and we will go. (Moshe meant also Paraoh himself, but he said officers out of kavod.) Then Moshe left Paraoh s palace, upset that Paraoh had so much chutzpah to say that he should never come back again! Korban Pesach On Rosh Chodesh Nisan, Hashem showed Moshe and Aharon the new moon. Hashem told Moshe that this would be the first month of the Jewish year. The Yidden need to DESERVE Yetziyas Mitzrayim, which will happen very soon! So Hashem gave the Yidden two mitzvos to do: The Korban Pesach and the Bris Milah. On the 10th day of Nissan, each family from the Yidden needs to choose a young lamb or goat for a Korban. By bringing a sheep as a korban, they will show that they don t believe in the Mitzriyim s Avodah Zarah (since the Mitzriyim worshiped sheep). They should make sure the sheep is big enough so everyone can have a kezayis but small enough that there won t be any leftovers. Moshe Rabbeinu tells the Yidden the details of this mitzvah, for example if there are any leftovers, they will need to burn them They can make groups to share one sheep if a family is too small to eat the whole thing themselves. The animal shouldn t have anything wrong with it no mum, nothing missing or broken. On Yud-Daled Nissan, in the afternoon, the Yidden should shecht their animals, and put some of the blood on the top and sides around the doors of their houses. They should cook the animal over a fire, and eat the meat Chitas for Kids / Wednesday, Hey Shevat,

16 with matzah and maror. They should be wearing their shoes and all ready to go! Hashem will kill all of the firstborns, but He will skip over the houses with blood, and not kill anyone in these houses. This day, Tes-Vov Nissan, will become Pesach, and the Yidden will keep it as a Yom Tov forever. For seven days they will eat matzah. They may not eat chometz or even have any chometz in their houses. TEHILLIM :: Today s Tehillim is kapitelach Chof-Tes through Lamed-Daled. In the last perek of today s Tehillim, Dovid Hamelech tells us Sur Me Ra, Va asei Tov, Bakeish Shalom Verodfeihu turn away from bad, and do good, and work hard to make shalom. The Baal Shem Tov explains that in every gashmius dike thing in this world, there s a part that s good and a part which is bad. The Gashmius on its own (without being used for a holy purpose) is bad. The good is the chayus of Hashem which gives life to this gashmius dike thing. The posuk is telling us about the attitude a person should have to Gashmius. A person who is using Gashmius needs to be a Sur Me Ra someone who turns away from bad. He shouldn t want the pleasure that he gets from the gashmius. Instead he should be Asei Tov choose to want to be helped by the chayus of Hashem that is inside. Then, when his attitude is correct, because he isn t using the gashmius for selfish reasons, he should try to make shalom with the chayus of Hashem and the gashmius thing. How does he do that? By using the gashmius for the reasons Hashem wants it to be used for doing mitzvos and for having koach to be able to serve Hashem! Hayom Yom Hey Menachem Av, Sefer Hamaamarim of the Friediker Rebbe, Yiddish, page 75 TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Chof The Alter Rebbe teaches us that we can use a special koach that is built into every Yid s neshama to win over our Nefesh Habehamis all the time! The Nefesh Habehamis can only get us to do an aveira by giving us a Ruach Shtus a foolish thought. It tricks us by convincing us that our aveira is not a big deal. The Nefesh Habehamis is only able to convince us with this foolish thought most of the time. One thing it can NEVER convince us is that separating from Hashem is not a big deal. Every single Yid realizes that losing his connection to Yiddishkeit and Hashem is a very big deal, and would be ready to even give up his life not to be separated from Hashem chas veshalom and to remain a Yid! That is the koach of the Ahava Mesuteres, a very powerful love for Hashem that is part of every Yid s neshama. So if we can realize that EVERY aveira separates us from Hashem, then no Ruach Shtus will ever be able to convince us that it isn t a big deal! That is what we are going to be learning now in Tanya. There are two main mitzvos that are about never separating ourselves from Hashem. These are the first two of the Aseres Hadibros, Anochi Hashem Elokecha and Lo Yihiyeh Lecha Elokim Acheirim. The meforshim teach us that all of the Mitzvos Asei come from the first dibra, and all of the Mitzvos Lo Saasei Chitas for Kids / Wednesday, Hey Shevat,

17 come from the second dibra. That s why we heard only the first two of the Aseres Hadibros directly from Hashem because they include ALL of the mitzvos! So really, every mitzvah is about not separating from Hashem! To understand WHY, the Alter Rebbe needs to first teach us at least a little bit about Achdus Hashem, understanding how Hashem is everything and nothing changes Him. The posuk says, Bidvar Hashem Shomayim Naasu, that Hashem created the world with speech. Over the next week, the Alter Rebbe is going to show us how Hashem doesn t change after the world was created, by explaining the mashal of dibur and what dibur means lemaalah. HAYOM YOM :: Hey Shevat In a maamar that starts with the words Bidvar Hashem Shomayim Naasu, the Friediker Rebbe explains what it means that Hashem created the world with dibur. Then, the Friediker Rebbe says that the reason why Hashem created the world with dibur is so a Yid should use his dibur to strengthen the world that Hashem created with dibur! In the second half of that maamar, the Friediker Rebbe mentions what happens to the neshama after it finishes its job in this world. If a person wasted his time and talked a lot of narishkeit, the neshama needs a special cleaning called Chibut Hakever and Kaf Hakela. Today s Hayom Yom is the last few lines of that maamar: A person needs to say many words of Torah, (like to say Tehillim or review Mishnayos) whenever and wherever he can! This way it will strengthen the world (because this is why Hashem created it), it will save him from needing Chibut Hakever and Kaf Hakela, and his neshama will be able to appreciate Elokus. SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Mitzvas Asei #147 In Sefer Hamitzvos, we learn (Mitzvas Asei #147) that after an animal is shechted, we need to cover the blood with dirt. RAMBAM :: Hilchos Shechitah In today s Rambam (Perek Vov, Zayin, and Ches), we learn about different things that make an animal treif. If the shochet finds that the animal was hurt or sick after he shechted it, we can t eat the animal. There are certain parts of the animal that the shochet needs to check, like the lungs (that help the animal breathe). If the animal is missing part of its body, like if one foot is missing, it is treif. RAMBAM PEREK ECHAD :: Hilchos Rotzeiach U'Shmiras HaNefesh - Perek Zayin We are learning more halachos of a person who killed another person by accident. The Rambam now teaches us about the Ir Miklat. The Ir Miklat is a city where a person will be safe from the Goel Hadam. Two Talmidei Chachomim come run with the person to the Ir Miklat where he will be safe. The Talmidei Chachomim are there to try to convince the Goel Hadam not to kill him. Chitas for Kids / Wednesday, Hey Shevat,

18 DARKEI HACHASSIDUS :: Hachana L'Yud Shevat Every Yom Tov we get a special koach and chayus from Hashem. We get this chayus from doing the special mitzvos and minhagim of the day. For example, how do we get the chayus of Rosh Hashana? We hear the shofar, daven the special davening, dip the apple in the honey, eat pomegranate, go to Tashlich But to keep those minhagim, we need to be ready before! We need to make sure to buy honey, take out the Machzor, and find a good place for Tashlich. There is also a special chayus that we get on the Chassidishe Yomim Tovim. By keeping the minhagim of those days, we make sure we will feel it and grow from it! The Rebbe taught us the minhagim of Yud Shevat. Here are some of the minhagim we need to get ready for now: - We light a Yartzeit licht (Do you have one? It is best to have one made of beeswax, because the word for beeswax in Hebrew is shaava, which is also the first letters of the posuk Veheikitzu Viranenu Shochnei Afar, meaning that neshamos who passed away should come back into their bodies with Techiyas Hameisim.) - Make a farbrengen on Yud Shevat (Decide where you will have it, invite your friends, and get nosh!) Do you know which farbrengen you are going to? Are you making your own farbrengen? Where are you having it? Who is going to say a Dvar Torah and a Chassidishe maaseh? Who is going to lead the niggunim? What food and drinks are you having at your farbrengen? Who is coming? IY H we will learn about the other minhagim later! See the Rebbe s letter of Rosh Chodesh Shevat Tof-Shin-Yud-Alef TEFILLAH :: Al Hatzadikim One of the brachos we say to ask Hashem for the needs of Klal Yisroel is the bracha of Al Hatzadikim. In this bracha, we ask Hashem to help the tzadikim, and all of those who are supporting Yiddishkeit. We ask Hashem that we should be a part of them! HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Exceptions to Muktza Muktza means something that is not meant to be used on Shabbos. We wouldn t want to use something smelly and yucky on Shabbos, so smelly and yucky things are muktza. But since having those kinds of things around can bother us on Shabbos, the Chachomim made Heter Graf Shel Re i, that we can move something yucky on Shabbos so that it won t bother people. For example, if you have a smelly garbage can, or find a dirty diaper or a dead bug on Shabbos, you can take them out, even in the regular way. See the Alter Rebbe s Shulchan Aruch, siman Shin-Ches se if Ayin-Beis GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Comparing the Geulah to Yetziyas Mitzrayim The Navi says, Kimei Tzeis cah Me Eretz Mitzrayim Arenu Niflaos. In the time of the Geulah, Hashem will show Chitas for Kids / Wednesday, Hey Shevat,

19 us nisim like when we came out of Mitzrayim. From here we learn that the Geulah from Mitzrayim is like a mashal for the Geulah of Moshiach! Here is another way that they are the same: It says about Yetziyas Mitzrayim that it came in the zechus of the women Bizchus Noshim Tzidkonios Nigalu Avoseinu. We learn that Moshiach will also come in the zechus of the Noshim Tzidkonios (righteous women) of our times! That is why the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe were very careful to make sure that women have a very good Chinuch. Especially compared to the Rebbeim in other generations, they spent so much time on women! There were special letters and sichos and horaos just for the women, to help make sure that the Noshim of our times will be Noshim Tzidkonios, who will bring Moshiach in their zechus. See Sefer Hasichos Nun-Beis p Credits, sponsorships, and contact info at KidsChitas.org - Chitas for Kids / Wednesday, Hey Shevat,

20 Chitas for Thursday, Parshas Bo Vov Shevat, 5777 CHUMASH :: Chamishi with Rashi Moshe and Aharon told the Yidden about the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach: The Yidden should take one of their lambs or baby goats, or buy one just for the Korban Pesach. After Shechting it before the night of Pesach, they should smear some of the blood on the top and sides of the door frame. The Yidden shouldn t go outside that night until the morning. The Yidden will start to keep the Yom Tov of Pesach when they come to Eretz Yisroel! When they will have children who will ask them why they are bringing the Korban Pesach, they should tell them that it is because of the miracle of Hashem skipping over (Pasach) the Jewish homes to save the Yidden during Makas Bechoros. When the Yidden heard Moshe Rabbeinu give this mitzvah, they bowed to Hashem! They just heard many pieces of good news: They heard that the Geulah is about to happen, that they will go into Eretz Yisroel, and they will have children! They wanted to show their appreciation to Hashem, so they bowed. The posuk tells us that the Yidden did what Hashem said. Even though they didn t actually do it yet, since they decided to do it, the Torah considers it as if it was already done. From this we see the power of a hachlata! Once we decide to do something good, even before we do it, Hashem already considers it like we did it, and rewards us for it! TEHILLIM :: Today s Tehillim is kapitelach Lamed-Hey through Lamed-Ches. In Kapitel Lamed-Zayin (37), Dovid Hamelech says, MeiHashem Mitzadei Gever Konanu Hashem decides where each person goes, Vedarko Yechpatz and He wants His way. Chassidus teaches that these two things are connected: BECAUSE Hashem wants His way, THAT S why He decides where each person goes. Hashem puts us into each place to do His special shlichus there. So when we end up somewhere with Hashgacha Protis, we need to remember that we re there because Hashem has a job for us to do there and we d better make sure to do it right! TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Chof The Alter Rebbe is telling us in short what Achdus Hashem (the oneness of Hashem) means. This will help us understand how every mitzvah is a connection with Achdus Hashem, and every aveira is chas veshalom a separation from it. Then we will not let the Ruach Shtus from our Nefesh Habehamis convince us that there is anything too Chitas for Kids / Thursday, Vov Shevat,

21 insignificant or not worth it when it comes to doing what Hashem wants. We say in davening, Ata Hu Ad Shelo Nivra Ha olam, Ata Hu Mishenivra Ha olam Hashem is the same Aibishter now that He created the world, as He was before He created it. That is part of the Emunah Peshutah (simple Emunah) that every Yid has. We can explain this emunah and make it part of our Chabad, part of our understanding. A person could ask, how is it possible that Hashem is the same as He was before He created the world? The world is so big, so important, so vast and detailed how can you say that Hashem didn t change at all from this tremendous universe? However, a Yid knows that Bidvar Hashem Shomayim Naasu (the Shomayim came into being through the word of Hashem). With this mashal, we can understand the emunah we express during davening. Because just like one word that a person says makes absolutely no difference to who he is, the word of Hashem, the world, doesn t make any change to the Aibishter! The world isn t so tremendous it s like nothing next to Hashem. Now let s take a closer look at this mashal to understand it better, how one word of a person makes no change to who the person is. Hashem made a person with an unlimited koach to speak. If a person wanted to, he could talk all day without stopping, from morning to night! So a single word that a person says is like nothing compared to what he is able to say. But don t think that the koach of speaking is so powerful and important either! Remember that a person can only say something he thought of first, and a person thinks a lot more than he speaks! Even if someone is talking all day long, he is still thinking way more than that, because thought is much faster and more powerful. And don t think that the koach of thinking is so special and powerful either! Before a person is even able to think about something, he first has a desire (midos) for it, and before he can even want it, he needs to know about it (sechel)! That knowing and wanting doesn t even have words, and the amount of things you can know about and want are unlimited! For example, imagine going into the biggest library in the world, and pulling out just one book. Open that book and look at one word. Does that word have any significance compared to all of the knowledge you can have? Or imagine asking for a Slurpee. Does that word have any significance compared to all of the delicious kinds of foods that there are in the world that you can find out about and want? So to go back to our one word: It s like nothing compared to the koach of speaking. And our koach of speaking is like nothing compared to our koach of thinking. And our koach of thinking is also like nothing compared to our koach of midos or sechel! We understand that one word of a person is like nothing compared to what the person is capable of knowing and wanting, and who he is. Similarly, we can understand that since the world is like a single word of Hashem, it is like nothing compared to Who Hashem is! This gives us words to understand our emunah that Hashem is the same as He was before the world was created. We will see starting tomorrow that even though we use the mashal of speech to understand the insignificance of the world compared to Hashem, it s not a perfect mashal. When we say something, those words become Chitas for Kids / Thursday, Vov Shevat,