Bo Sunday Parshas Bo

Chit! for Sunda#, Parsh! B$ Dale% Sheva&, 5781

CHUMASH :: Parshas Bo - Rishon with Rashi Moshe and Aharon are in the middle of the shlichus Hashem gave them, to take the Yidden out of Mitzrayim. !ey 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 really 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! Whatever wasn’t destroyed by the hail will be eaten by the locusts. !e 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, our sons and our daughters, our sheep and our 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 :: 23 - 28 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. !e last words of these pesukim are “VeYelamed Anavim Darko” — “Hashem teaches humble people His path.” !e 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.

Chit! for Kid" / Sunday, Daled Shevat, 5781 1 !ese two things together make it much easier for us to do JUST what Hashem wants!

TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Yud-Tes In today’s Tanya, we learn that even though the chochmah of the neshama could be in Golus by the Yetzer Hara, it can’t be completely in Golus. !ere’s something that can happen which will wake it up! 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 also learned 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? !e 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? !e 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. !e Chochma of the Neshama is so strong that when it’s awake, the person 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. So the chochmah of the Neshama can be in Golus, which will allow a Yid to do an aveira. But when it comes to a nisayon in emunah, the chochmah of the neshama wakes up and becomes active, ready to act with Mesiras Nefesh for Hashem!

HAYOM YOM :: Daled Shevat In today’s Hayom Yom, we learn the inyan of Golus Mitzrayim and Yetziyas Mitzrayim in Ruchnius! In the last few parshios in Chumash, we learned how hard it was for the Yidden in Mitzrayim. !ey 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 in Parshas Bo, the Yidden come out of Mitzrayim! In each one of us today, we also have “Yidden” su"ering in “Mitzrayim,” and “Yetziyas Mitzrayim.” Our neshamos are like the Yidden. !e 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. !at makes the neshama feel like it’s still 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 and the body how to act — Moach Shalit Al Halev. When a Yid does that, he gets out of Mitzrayim!

Chit! for Kid" / Sunday, Daled Shevat, 5781 2 SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Shiur #192 - Mitzvas Asei #74, #77 We learn two mitzvos today, about korbanos that need to be brought for someone to #nish becoming Tahor: 1) (Mitzvas Asei #74) To become tahor enough to eat korbanos, a Zav (a man who had a certain kind of sickness) needs to bring a korban of two birds. We learn this from the words of the pesukim in Parshas Metzora: 2) (Mitzvas Asei #77) After a person gets better from Tzoraas (a Metzora), he needs to bring 3 korbanos — an Olah, a Chatas, and an Asham — and oil. Until he does, he isn’t tahor enough to eat meat from korbanos. We learn this mitzvah from another posuk in Parshas Metzora:

RAMBAM :: Hilchos Mechusrei Kaparah In today’s Rambam, we learn more about the Mechusrei Kaparah, people who are Tahor, but still need to bring korbanos to become completely tahor. Perek Gimmel: In this perek, we learn about when a Zav can become tahor — he needs to wait a week after his sickness is over. Perek Daled: !e Rambam teaches us about the Metzora, and how he brings these korbanos to become completely tahor. Perek Hey: Now we learn what happens if something isn’t done right with the korbanos of the Metzora.

INYANA D'YOMA :: Yud Shevat One of the minhagim of Yud Shevat is to learn through the maamar of the Frierdiker Rebbe that he gave to Chassidim to learn on the day of Yud Shevat in the year of his histalkus, in Tof-Shin-Yud (1950). We learn part of the maamar after Maariv, after Shacharis, and after Mincha. !is way, we #nish the whole maamar on Yud Shevat. !is maamar starts with the words “Bosi Legani,” which is what Hashem said at the time of Matan Torah, “I came to My garden.” In one of the sichos on Yud Shevat, the Rebbe explained why the posuk compares the world to a garden: Sometimes the world looks like a scary place. But a Yid needs to remember that it’s really a special place, it’s Hashem’s world that Hashem watches every second! It’s just that the Yetzer Hara tries to get us to think it’s scary, so we won’t be brave to act the way Hashem wants us to. But if we remember that all of the hard things we see are from Hashem, we try hard to !nd the good things in the world, and work to make the world a place for Hashem’s Shechinah to feel comfortable — we will for sure bring Moshiach, when everyone will be able to see that the world is Hashem’s garden! !e Rebbe also had a minhag to explain one se’if (section) of this series of maamarim every year. !ere are 20 se’i!m in the Frierdiker Rebbe’s hemshech Bosi Legani, so from Tof-Shin-Yud to Tof-Shin-Lamed, the Rebbe explained the entire series of maamarim. !e Rebbe did the same thing again over the next 20 years, and began the third cycle. Chassidim have continued the cycle the way the Rebbe started it. We learn the maamarim that the Rebbe said or edited for the se’if of each year.

Chit! for Kid" / Sunday, Daled Shevat, 5781 3 TEFILLAH :: Birchas Kohanim and Eilu Devarim After we say the Birchos HaTorah, thanking Hashem for this special gift, we actually SAY words of Torah! First we say a part of Torah Shebichsav, and then a piece of Torah Shebaal Peh. From Torah Shebichsav we say Birchas Kohanim, which comes from Parshas Naso, and for Torah Shebaal Peh we say the Mishnah of Eilu Devarim which comes from Mesechta Pe’ah. One of the reasons why Birchas Kohanim was chosen is because it is a good preparation for davening. In Shemoneh Esrei, the main part of te!llah, we are going to ask Hashem for many brachos. Birchas Kohanim is a general bracha which includes all of these brachos that we are about to ask for. !e Mishnah of Eilu Devarim seems to have been chosen because it mentions many mitzvos that we do on a regular basis. It includes mitzvos that are Bein Adam Lamakom (mitzvos we do directly with Hashem) and mitzvos Bein Adam Lachaveiro (mitzvos that help other people), and we see the brachos from these mitzvos even in Olam Hazeh! !is is the end of Birchos Hashachar. We have thanked Hashem for the wonderful things He gives us every day, and prepared for the connection our neshama will make with Hashem during davening. See also Likutei Sichos 39, p. 376

HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Tashlumin for Kiddush It is a mitzvah to make Kiddush on Friday night. But what happens if someone didn’t or can’t? For example, let’s say someone fell asleep right after Licht Bentchen, and didn’t wake up until the next morning, or someone was in the hospital and wasn’t able to make Kiddush. Did they miss the mitzvah? Actually, there is something they can do to make up for missing the Friday night Kiddush! !e Kiddush on Friday night has three parts: Vayechulu, Borei Pri Hagafen, and the bracha Mekadeish HaShabbos. We only say Vayechulu on Friday night, because it speaks about Friday night. But after we make Hagafen in the Kiddush of Shabbos day, we can make up for the Friday night Kiddush by saying the paragraph ending Mekadeish HaShabbos! See Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch siman Reish-Ayin-Alef, se’if Tes-Zayin

GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Every Yid Should Deserve the Geulah! Many tzadikim chose to live in the holy land of Eretz Yisrael, where it is easiest to learn Torah and work on personal Avodas Hashem. Other tzadikim chose to live in quiet towns and villages, away from the noisy and busy big cities, so it would be easier to learn Torah and Chassidus, and to work on avodah. But the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe acted di"erently. !ey chose to live outside of Eretz Yisroel in big, noisy cities full of people — like New York. Why? !e Rebbe explained that this is because we need to get ready for the Geulah!

Chit! for Kid" / Sunday, Daled Shevat, 5781 4 When the Yidden were getting ready to come out of Mitzrayim, Hashem gave them a mitzvah to do, so they would deserve to come out. Before the Geulah, we want to help every Yid be ready to come out of Golus! We do this by giving them a chance to do a mitzvah. !e best place to do this is by starting in a place where there are lots of Yidden! We can help all of the Yidden in the big city to do a mitzvah through our mivtzoyim. From there, through shlichus we can spread out to all of the cities and towns in the world, so that EVERY Yid will deserve the Geulah Sheleimah! See Likutei Sichos chelek Tes-Zayin, parshas Bo (Gimmel), end of sicha and haaros

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Chit! for Kid" / Sunday, Daled Shevat, 5781 5 Bo Monday Parshas Bo

Chit! for Monda#, Parsh! B$ He# Sheva%, 5781

CHUMASH :: Parshas Bo - Sheini with Rashi In today’s Chumash, 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. !e 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 "re! 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. (!is Geulah will be di#erent — when Moshiach comes, EVERY Yid will come out!) !en, the darkness got very thick — so dark you could FEEL it! !e Mitzriyim couldn’t even move. But for the Yidden, it was light! !e Yidden looked around in the Mitzriyim’s houses to see where they kept all of their gold and jewelry — but they didn’t take any.

TEHILLIM :: 29 - 34 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

Chit! for Kid" / Monday, Hey Shevat, 5781 1 Verodfeihu” — “turn away from bad, and do good, and work hard to make shalom.” !e 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. !e Gashmius on its own (without being used for a holy purpose) is bad. !e good is the chayus of Hashem which gives life to this gashmius’dike thing. !e 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. !en, when his attitude is correct, because he isn’t using the gashmius for sel"sh 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 !e 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! !e 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. !e 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! !at 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! !at is what we are going to be learning now in Tanya. !ere are two main mitzvos that are about never separating ourselves from Hashem. !ese are the "rst two of the Aseres Hadibros, “Anochi Hashem Elokecha” and “Lo Yihiyeh Lecha Elokim Acheirim.” !e Gemara teaches us that all of the Mitzvos Asei come from the "rst dibur, and all of the Mitzvos Lo Saasei come from the second dibur. !at’s why we heard only the "rst 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 "rst teach us at least a little bit about Achdus Hashem, understanding how Hashem is everything and nothing changes Him. !e posuk says, “Bidvar Hashem Shomayim Naasu,” that Hashem created the world with “speech.” Over the next few days, 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. We will see that Hashem makes the world in a way that it won’t recognize Achdus Hashem, and it will feel separate,

Chit! for Kid" / Monday, Hey Shevat, 5781 2 which is the idea of Avodah Zarah. When a Yid doesn’t do what Hashem wants, he is separating from Achdus Hashem and connecting to the Avodah Zarah of the world. When we realize that, we will never ever allow it to happen!

HAYOM YOM :: Hey Shevat In today’s Hayom Yom, we learn how important it is to use our koach of speaking to always say words of Torah! 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. !en, 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 "nishes 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! !is 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 :: Shiur #193 - Mitzvas Lo Saasei #106, Asei #87 Today we start a new set of halachos in Rambam, called Hilchos Temurah. Today we learn two mitzvos about Temurah, which means “switching.” 1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #106) Let’s say that a person chose one of his sheep to be a korban. !en he changes his mind — he wants to keep that sheep at home, and bring a DIFFERENT one for a korban. !is mitzvah tells us NO! We can’t do that. Once you decide that an animal will be a korban, it becomes holy, and you are not allowed to switch it for a di#erent one! We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Bechukosai: !e details of this mitzvah are explained in Mesechta Temurah. 2) (Mitzvas Asei #87) If someone tries to change which animal he is bringing for a korban, BOTH of them become holy and BOTH of them need to be brought as korbanos! We learn this mitzvah from another part of the same posuk:

RAMBAM :: Hilchos Temurah In today’s Rambam, we learn about Temurah, switching. Perek Alef: !e Rambam tells us that we are not allowed to switch one animal for another once it was already set aside as a korban. If somebody does this, he gets punished with malkos. Still the animal he switched it for becomes holy (so now he has TWO holy animals!). !e Rambam tells us what kind of people this applies to, and for which korbanos. Perek Beis: !e Rambam explains what kind of words a person might use to make a Temurah, and when it is counted that the aveira was done. Perek Gimmel: Once someone made a Temurah, what is done with this animal? In this perek, the Rambam teaches what to do with this animal depending on what it was switched for.

Chit! for Kid" / Monday, Hey Shevat, 5781 3 INYANA D'YOMA :: Yud Shevat !ere are two things that happened on Yud Shevat. !e "rst thing that happened was the histalkus of the Frierdiker Rebbe, and then right away the beginning of the Rebbe’s nesius. Even though we feel more connected to the fact that it is the beginning of the Rebbe’s nesius, it is clear that the Rebbe also wanted us to keep the minhagim connected to the Yom Hilula of the Frierdiker Rebbe. !ere is a letter the Rebbe wrote before Yud Shevat, with the minhagim of the yartzeit. One of these minhagim is important to know for the Shabbos before Yud Shevat: It is a minhag to get an aliyah to the Torah in connection with the yartzeit. In many sichos, the Rebbe also speaks about making a farbrengen, if possible, also on the Shabbos before Yud Shevat. Of course, we need to think to ourselves to make hachlatos in connection with Yud Shevat, to add in learning the Rebbe’s Torah, and making sure we are ful"lling the horaos that the Rebbe gives us on how to live our lives in our time, as we prepare for Kabolas Pnei Moshiach Tzidkeinu. See farbrengen Gimmel Nisan Tof-Shin-Mem-Beis, and other sichos and letters quoted in Kovetz Shivim Shana

TEFILLAH :: Birchos Hashachar We have been about the meaning of the morning brachos, Birchos Hashachar. Today we will learn about what Birchos Hashachar accomplishes according to Chassidus: Every night, while we are sleeping, part of our neshama goes up to Shomayim. !en, in the morning, Hashem gives us back our neshama fresh and new! But when our neshama comes back, it is only “b’apo,” in our nostrils. Before we are able to do the Avodah of davening, where our neshama spreads into our body, the "rst step is to remind ourselves that Ruchnius is more important than Gashmius. We know this when we think about ourselves: As we get older, the guf gets weaker, but our neshama gets stronger! !e same is true with everything in Gashmius. Gashmius by itself falls apart, but the chayus of Hashem stays forever! !ere are maamarim in Chassidus that explain how we see this message in the brachos of Birchos Hashachar! Reminding ourselves that Ruchnius is the most important thing gets us started on our avodah of waking up our neshama and spreading it throughout our guf during davening. See Ohr HaTe"llah, Birchos Hashachar

HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Kiddush !e halacha is that children — boys or girls — who understand the inyan of Shabbos have a mitzvah for Chinuch to make Kiddush or be yotzei Kiddush by hearing it from someone else. If a child is making his own Kiddush, it is important to know how much wine or grape juice he needs to drink!

Chit! for Kid" / Monday, Hey Shevat, 5781 4 !e halacha is that a person who makes Kiddush needs to drink at least a Melo Lugmav, enough to "ll up one cheek. But this isn’t the same size for everyone, it goes by the actual size of your cheek! So a small child, who has a small cheek, doesn’t need to drink much at all when he makes Kiddush. But even though he doesn’t need to DRINK very much, we still need to make sure that the Kiddush cup is the right size. !e smallest size for a kosher Kiddush cup is a Revi’is, and even a child should use at least this size, even if he will only drink a small part of it. Baed on the audio halacha shiurim of Rabbi Farkash, and see Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman Reish-Ayin-Alef, se’if Chof-Daled

GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Comparing the Geulah to Yetziyas Mitzrayim

!e Navi says, “Kimei Tzeis’cah Me’Eretz Mitzrayim Arenu Ni!aos.” In the time of the Geulah, Hashem will show us nisim like when we came out of Mitzrayim. From here we learn that the Geulah from Mitzrayim is an example for the Geulah of Moshiach! Here is one 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. Moshiach will also come in the zechus of the Noshim Tzidkonios (righteous women) of our times! !at 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 gave so much of their time and kochos for this! !ere were special letters, 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. 300

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Chit! for Kid" / Monday, Hey Shevat, 5781 5 Bo Tuesday Parshas Bo

Chit! for Tu#da$, Parsh! B% Vov Sheva&, 5781

CHUMASH :: Parshas Bo - 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 !rstborn) Hashem told Moshe and Aharon that He would send one last makah: Every !rstborn would be killed. "en Paraoh will !nally send the Yidden out of Mitzrayim! "e Yidden should ask the Mitzriyim to give them gold and silver, so they will go out rich, like Hashem promised Avraham.

TEHILLIM :: 35 - 38 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 "e Alter Rebbe is telling us in short what Achdus Hashem (the oneness of Hashem) means.

Chit! for Kid" / Tuesday, Vov Shevat, 5781 1 Understanding Achdus Hashem will help us understand how every mitzvah is a connection with Achdus Hashem, and every aveira is chas veshalom a separation from it. "en we will not let the Ruach Shtus from our Nefesh Habehamis convince us that there is anything that doesn’t matter or is 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 Aibershter now that He created the world, as He was before He created it. "at is part of the Emunah Peshutah (simple Emunah) that every Yid has. In this perek, the Alter Rebbe starts to explain this emunah so we can make it part of our Chabad, part of our understanding, also. We will see more about this IY”H over the next few days.

HAYOM YOM :: Vov Shevat Did you ever hear of Ruach Hakodesh? In today’s Hayom Yom, the Rebbe tells us what it means to have Ruach Hakodesh. It means that the person understands deep secrets of the Torah! "e Yidden that were closer to the time of Matan Torah were more Ruchnius’dik, and the seforim that Talmidei Chachomim in those times wrote were written with Ruach Hakodesh. "e Rebbe tells us that this was true until after the time of the Shach and Taz (who wrote a pirush on the big Shulchan Aruch). Nowadays, only certain seforim, written by certain Talmidei Chachomim, are written with Ruach Hakodesh.

SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Shiur #194 - Mitzvas Lo Saasei #107, Asei #107 1) (Mitzvas Lo Saasei #107) If we decided that a certain animal will be for a Korban Asham, we can’t change it afterwards and bring it as a Korban Chatas! It has to be the SAME animal for the SAME Korban. We learn this mitzvah from a posuk in Parshas Bechukosai: "e details of this mitzvah are explained in Perek Hey of Mesechta Temurah. Now we start a new Sefer of Rambam, and a new set of halachos, about Tumah and Tahara! 2) (Mitzvas Asei #107) "e !rst mitzvah of this Sefer is that if someone becomes tomei with Tumas Meis (touching the body of a person who passed away), he needs to follow the halachos about what he is not allowed to do while he is tomei, and how he can become tahor again.

RAMBAM :: Hilchos Temurah - Hilchos Tumas Meis In today’s Rambam, we !nish learning the halachos of Temurah. Perek Daled: In this perek, the Rambam teaches us what happens if an animal that is supposed to be a Korban or a Temurah has a baby! "e Rambam !nishes with a lesson from the halachos of Temurah that will help us in our Avodas Hashem! Now we have !nished Sefer Korbanos! "en we start learning a NEW sefer of Rambam, the 10th sefer, Sefer Tahara! "e !rst set of halachos is Hilchos Tumas Meis, about the kind of tumah that comes from the body of a person who passed away R”L. Perek Alef: "e Rambam explains how a person can get Tumah.

Chit! for Kid" / Tuesday, Vov Shevat, 5781 2 Perek Beis: "is perek teaches us what can give Tumas Meis.

INYANA D'YOMA :: Seforim With Ruach Hakodesh We learned in Hayom Yom that until the Shach and the Taz, seforim were written with Ruach Hakodesh. How do we know which seforim nowadays are written with Ruach Hakodesh? Here’s a story heard from Rabbi Dovid Edelman A”H, which he told in connection with the beginning of the Rebbe’s nesius on Yud Shevat: One time, before the Rebbe’s nesius began, he walked into the Zal in 770 and saw a bochur who was learning the Pnei Yehoshua (a pirush on the Gemara that is learned in all Yeshivos). "e Rebbe said to the bochur, “Do you know that the Pnei Yehoshua (who lived after the time of the Shach and Taz) wrote other seforim as well? So why does everyone learn only this sefer? “Because all Yidden collectively have a certain kind of Ruach Hakodesh. When Yidden see a sefer that’s written with real Ruach Hakodesh, we can ‘feel’ it! When everyone chooses to learn a certain sefer, we can know that it was written with Ruach Hakodesh.” ~ Before the Frierdiker Rebbe’s histalkus, it was not said clearly to all of the Chassidim that the Rebbe should become Rebbe. So how did everyone know? Rabbi Edelman said that he felt that it was similar to this story: All of the Chassidim had a kind of Ruach Hakodesh, and everyone was able to understand that the Rebbe should become Rebbe.

TEFILLAH :: Hiskashrus With Hashem "e time of davening, aside for a time when we ask Hashem for our needs, is a time for us to connect our neshama to Hashem. "at way, even when our neshama is in a body in the world, it is strong and healthy and can do its shlichus. From the time when the Yidden became a nation, Hashem gave them tzadikim and Rebbeim who helped them strengthen their neshamos and connect them to Hashem. We learned about this in the beginning of Tanya: For a neshama in a body to connect to Hashem, it needs to be connected to the tzadikim who always have a connection with Hashem that is easy to see! "is helps us understand something the Rebbe told a chossid not long after the histalkus of the Frierdiker Rebbe: "e Rebbe told him that before or after Birchos Hashachar, he should think about and picture the Rebbe in his mind. We can understand a reason why the Rebbe said this, because Birchos Hashachar is when we take the !rst steps to strengthen our neshama! When we have hiskashrus with the Rebbe, the Nasi Hador, we will have an easier time strengthening our neshama’s connection with Hashem, which begins during davening.

HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Kiddush "e Chachomim teach us ten things we are careful to do for a Kos Shel Bracha. A Kos Shel Bracha, a kos of bracha, is a cup of wine we use for special things, like bentching, Kiddush, or Havdalah. One of these ten things is that we are “Mekablo B’Shtei Yadav” — we take the kos with two hands. Taking

Chit! for Kid" / Tuesday, Vov Shevat, 5781 3 something with two hands shows that we are excited to have it, and we really want it very much. We take it with two hands to show that the Kos Shel Bracha is very special to us! But when we actually make the bracha, we hold the kos with only one hand, because if we held the kos with two hands it would look like it’s annoying to hold. In halacha there is a discussion about how we hold the kos for the actual bracha. Do we hold it with our !ngers, the way we hold a regular cup, or do we hold it in the palm of our hand, the way we would hold a handful of something? According to kabbalah, we hold it in the palm of our hand, and have our !ngers around the kos. According to the Chabad minhag, the way we do it is like this: First we pick up the kos with our right hand, then pass it to our left hand. "is way, we used both hands to take the kos! "en, we get our right hand, which is our more important hand, ready to hold the kos for kiddush. We hold our hand out, with our !ngers a little bit upward, like our hand is a little bowl (klei kibul). We lower the kos down into the palm of our hand to make Kiddush. (A lefty would do this backwards, and lower the cup into his LEFT hand, which is his more important hand, to make Kiddush with.) See Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch siman Reish-Ayin-Alef se’if yud-ches, siman Kuf-Pey-Gimmel se’if zayin

GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Expecting Moshiach We expect Moshiach to come any second, right? Here’s a story about how the Rebbe would talk about Moshiach: R’ Zalmon Ja#e, a chossid from Manchester, England, loved his trips to the Rebbe. One Motzei Shabbos, right before he left back to England, he held the door of 770 open for the Rebbe. “Gut voch!” R’ Zalmon told the Rebbe. “Everything is perfect now — except for one thing.” "e Rebbe smiled, and was happy to hear that. “But what is that one thing that isn’t perfect?” R’ Zalmon answered, “Tomorrow we are going home, and leaving the Rebbe!” "e Rebbe answered, “Tomorrow is still another day, and I will see you again. In any case, Moshiach may come, and everything will be changed!” See “My Encounter With the Rebbe,” by Zalmon Ja#e, book 1, page 158

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Chit! for Kid" / Tuesday, Vov Shevat, 5781 4 Bo Wednesday Parshas Bo

Chit! for Wedn#da$, Parsh! B% Zayi& Sheva', 5781

CHUMASH :: Parshas Bo - Revi'i with Rashi Moshe warns Paraoh about Makas Bechoros. Hashem gives the Yidden the mitzvah of Korban Pesach. Moshe and Aharaon were still standing near Paraoh. Moshe told Paraoh 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, and even the oldest animals, die. (Moshe told Paraoh that it would happen “at about midnight” so that Paraoh couldn’t say that Moshe was lying if his stargazers didn’t tell him the right time!) !ere would be loud crying all over Mitzrayim, so loud that it would scare all of the dogs! But no dogs would bark in a scary way at the Yidden, which will show that the Yidden are di"erent. “Your o#cers 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 “o#cers” out of respect for Paraoh as a king.) !en Moshe left Paraoh’s palace, showing that he was upset that Paraoh had so much chutzpah to say (like we learned in yesterday’s Chumash) that Moshe, the messenger of Hashem, should never come back again! Korban Pesach !e Yidden need to DESERVE Yetziyas Mitzrayim, which will happen very soon! So Hashem gave the Yidden two mitzvos to do: !e Korban Pesach and the Bris Milah. On Rosh Chodesh Nisan, Hashem showed Moshe and Aharon the new moon. Hashem told them that this would be the $rst month of the Jewish year. !ey should tell the Yidden today that on the 10th day of this month, each family from the Yidden needs to choose a young lamb or goat for a Korban. !ey should make sure the animal is big enough so everyone can have a kezayis but small enough that there won’t be any leftovers. Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu the details of this mitzvah, for example if there are any leftovers, they will need to burn them. !ey can make groups to share one korban if a family is too small to eat the whole thing themselves. !e animal shouldn’t have anything wrong with it — no mum, nothing missing or broken. On the 14th day of Nissan, in the afternoon, the Yidden should shecht their animals, and put some of the blood on the top of the doorpost and on the sides around the doors of their houses. !ey should cook the animal over a $re, and eat the meat with matzah and maror. !ey should be wearing their shoes and all ready to go! Hashem will kill all of the $rstborns, but He will skip over the houses with blood, and not kill any of the Yidden in these houses.

Chit! for Kid" / Wednesday, Zayin Shevat, 5781 1 !e day the Yidden will come out of Mitzrayim, the 15th of Nissan, will become Pesach, and the Yidden will keep it as a Yom Tov forever. For seven days they will eat matzah. !ey may not eat chometz or even have any chometz in their houses.

TEHILLIM :: 39 - 43 Today’s Tehillim is kapitelach Lamed-Tes through Mem-Gimmel. According to some meforshim, Kapitel Mem-Alef, in today’s Tehillim, speaks about the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. !e second posuk says, “Ashrei Maskil El Dal,” fortunate is the person who thinks about someone who is sick, and comes to visit him. !e posuk tells us the words he should use to make the person feel better — “Beyom Ra’ah Yemalteihu Hashem,” he should tell the sick person that even if he is having a Yom Raah, a hard day, Hashem will help him and bring him a Refuah Sheleimah! !e kapitel tells us the special reward that Hashem gives the person who does Bikur Cholim like this, and that Hashem will help him when he needs help! See Rashi and Radak on this kapitel

TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Chof-Alef In today’s Tanya, we learn more about Achdus Hashem through a mashal of speaking. Today we understand Achdus Hashem better by showing that the mashal is NOT exactly the same as the nimshal. !e Alter Rebbe is explaining how we need to see that every choice we make is important. It is worth putting in even tremendous kochos in our shlichus to ful"ll the Ratzon of Hashem. !at’s because every mitzvah connects us to Hashem, and through an aveira, we are chas veshalom separated. Knowing this will help us overcome the shtus of the Yetzer Hara that tells us that it’s not worth trying so hard. But "rst we need to learn to learn a bit about what Achdus Hashem means: We explained before that Hashem created the world “Bidvar Hashem” — with His “words.” Of course, Hashem doesn’t have a mouth like a person, but “words” are a good mashal to understand how Hashem made the world: A person can say lots of important and interesting things, but compared to how much he COULD say, and certainly compared to the person himself, those words are like nothing! !e world is like that too — the whole entire world is just “words” for Hashem, and those words are not important at all compared to Hashem Himself! Words are a way for us to share something that’s hidden inside of us with another person. !is is also true in the nimshal: !e Creation of the world is Hashem showing us something that was hidden before! But this mashal of speaking isn’t the same in EVERYTHING. When a person speaks, those words become a separate thing from the person. (!at’s why we need to be so careful with what we say — because you can’t take back your words!) !is part of the mashal is NOT the same, because NOTHING can become separate from Hashem!

Chit! for Kid" / Wednesday, Zayin Shevat, 5781 2 HAYOM YOM :: Zayin Shevat When the Alter Rebbe was 9, he learned certain parts of math and science that help us understand how the sun and moon work. When he was ten, he made a Yiddishe calendar for 15 years! When the Alter Rebbe was just 12, he gave a shiur on the Rambam’s halachos of Kiddush Hachodesh, which explain when we see the new moon for Rosh Chodesh. !ese halachos are very complicated, and it made the Talmidei Chachomim in shul feel very embarrassed next to this young boy! !e Torah teaches us how the world should be according to Torah. Sometimes you "rst need to understand how the world works to understand what the Torah wants! One of the examples is that you need to know some math and science to understand the way the Yiddishe calendar works. !at’s why the Alter Rebbe learned these things. !e Alter Rebbe, who was a posek in Niglah and Nistar (wrote the Shulchan Aruch and Tanya) knew everything that you need to know in order to understand halacha.

SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Shiur #195 - Mitzvas Asei #107 Today (and for the next week!) we will be learning the same mitzvah: (Mitzvas Asei #107) If someone gets Tomei with Tumas Meis (the tumah from a body after the neshama leaves it), he needs to follow the halachos about how he becomes tomei and how the tumah gets passed on. Later we will learn how to become Tahor from this kind of tumah.

RAMBAM :: Hilchos Tumas Meis In today’s Rambam, Perakim Gimmel, Daled and Hey of Hilchos Tumas Meis, we learn many halachos about Tumas Meis, and also important rules about passing on Tumah. A person can get some kinds of Tumah only if he touches or carries it, and he can get other kinds if he is even just in the same house! Becoming Tomei from Tumas Meis makes a person Tomei for 7 days, and only afterwards can he become Tahor.

INYANA D'YOMA :: Lebn Mit Der Tzeit In today’s Hayom Yom, we learned that the Alter Rebbe learned certain parts of math and science to understand the halachos of Kiddush Hachodesh. !is is connected to the "rst mitzvah the Yidden got, which we learn about in Parshas Bo: !e mitzvah of Kiddush Hachodesh, Hachodesh Hazeh Lochem. Here’s a story about the Rebbe that shows how understanding how Hashem’s world works helps us understand the halacha properly: When the Rebbe $rst came to America, there was a whole discussion about if you’re allowed to use a microphone in shul on Shabbos, so that everyone can hear the chazzan and Baal Korei. Nowadays, of course we all know you can’t do that! But in those days, people weren’t sure, and even some frum shuls wanted to do it. In fact, some Rabbonim even said it’s okay. !e Rebbe said then, “!ere are some Rabbonim who know the halacha but don’t know how a microphone works. !ere are some Rabbonim who know how a microphone works and don’t know the halacha... But someone who understands both the halacha and the way the microphone works, will know that it is most de$nitely asur to use it in a shul on Shabbos!”

Chit! for Kid" / Wednesday, Zayin Shevat, 5781 3 TEFILLAH :: Hashem's Servant Some people think that taking a few minutes before davening to think about how great Hashem is, and how small we are next to Him, is a very special bonus avodah we can do. But that’s not true! It IS a special avodah, but it isn’t a bonus — we need to! It is a halacha in Shulchan Aruch that before we daven, we need to think about these things. It’s PART of davening! Here’s why: !e chachomim tell us that during Shmoneh Esrei, we need to stand “like a servant before his master.” !e only way a person can feel like a servant is by thinking about Hashem and realizing that He is our Master, and we are only servants! Our whole life is to serve Hashem by doing the jobs (the mitzvos) He asked us to do. !e Alter Rebbe tells us an easy way to do this (in Likutei Amarim, perek Mem-Alef): !ink about all of the great things in the world Hashem made — hurricanes, thunder, huge waterfalls, tall mountains, oceans and everything inside... and about the amazing ruchnius Hashem made: Tzadikim, the secrets of Torah, Gan Eden... Now think about how ALL of that was made so that YOU could do your job! Hashem is looking at YOU and wants you to do your best to do it! (Of course this is true all the time, not just during davening! But especially when we daven, we need to make sure to think about it, because davening is the start of our day.) Based on a sicha — Lamed Tishrei, 5742

HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Kiddush When we get ready to make Kiddush, we $ll up our becher with wine. One of the ten things the Chachomim say about a Kos Shel Bracha is that it needs to be Malei, full. Our minhag is, not only do we $ll it up to the top, we pour even more, so the wine over%ows! !e Gemara says that over%owing the cup is a siman bracha, a sign of bracha. But, the Alter Rebbe says, we need to be careful not to spill wine on the %oor. !at isn’t kavod for the wine of Kiddush. Because of this, we put a plate under our becher, so that the wine will pour into a keili and not onto the %oor. See Toras Menachem 5742, vol. 3, p. 1692, Shulchan Menachem vol. 2 p. 65

GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Does Eliyahu Hanavi Have to Come First? Usually we say that before Moshiach comes, Eliyahu Hanavi $rst comes to tell us. But the Acharonim say that this is only when Moshiach comes at the right time, “Be’ita.” If Moshiach comes earlier, “Achishena,” then Eliyahu Hanavi doesn’t need to come $rst — Moshiach can come right away! See Sefer Hasichos 5748, vol. 2, p. 611

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Chit! for Kid" / Wednesday, Zayin Shevat, 5781 4 Bo Thursday Parshas Bo

Chit! for #ursda$, Parsh! B% Ch& Sheva', 5781

CHUMASH :: Parshas Bo - Chamishi with Rashi In today’s Chumash, Moshe and Aharon tell the Yidden about the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach. Moshe and Aharon told the Yidden about the mitzvah Hashem had given them: !e 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. !e Yidden shouldn’t go outside that night until the morning. !e 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 tell them about this mitzvah, they bowed to Hashem! !ey just heard many pieces of good news: !ey heard that the Geulah is about to happen, that they will go into Eretz Yisroel, and they will have children! !ey wanted to show their appreciation to Hashem, so they bowed. !e 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 :: 44 - 48 Today’s kapitelach of Tehillim are Mem-Daled through Mem-Ches. In today’s Tehillim, there is a very special posuk: “Kol Kvuda Bas Melech Penima” — “!e kavod of a princess is inside.” !is means that a woman, because of tznius, shows her kavod inside her house, not outside in front of everyone. (Hashem set up the world in a way that a man goes out into the world and gets parnasa, and the woman is the Akeres Habayis — making the home a place where Hashem can feel comfortable.) But in the Navi, it says that when Moshiach comes, the women will be outside too, and even showing their kavod outside! Since now we are so close to Moshiach, we need to start acting in a way of Geulah. So today, women and girls need to go outside too, to go to school and learn Torah, and to do mivtzoyim. But since we are still in Golus, and we still have a Yetzer Hara, we need to be careful that it should be in a way of tznius.

Chit! for Kid" / !ursday, Ches Shevat, 5781 1 Farbrengen Parshas Tazria Tof-Shin-Mem-Alef, see Tehillim with Pirush Tehilos Menachem, Kapitel Mem-Hey p. 23

TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Chof-Alef We learned yesterday that the mashal of a person’s speaking is di!erent than the nimshal of Hashem’s words which were used to create the world. A persons’ words become separated from him after he says them, but NOTHING can become separate from Hashem! So even after Hashem said the words that created the world, the world didn’t become something separate — it is always connected to Hashem. Did you ever see a one-way mirror? Some shuls have a special kind of Mechitzah where from the men’s side, it looks like a mirror, but from the women’s side, you can see straight through like plain glass! "e whole world is a little bit like that! When we look around at the world, it looks like it is something for itself. From Hashem’s point of view, though, the whole world never becomes separate from Hashem. !e whole world is always one with Hashem. It is only that Hashem made many tzimtzumim, like layers of hiding through the di"erent Ruchnius worlds, all the way until this Gashmius’dike world. Hashem wanted that the things that are created should FEEL separate. Hashem WANTS us to feel like we have an existence of our own, so that we will be able to live in the world and serve Hashem. !e truth is, however, that this is only how we feel. All of the levels of hiding are “see-through” to Hashem, they don’t hide anything at all! What is dark to us is light to Hashem. Even the tzimtzumim are part of Hashem! When Moshiach comes, we will also be able to see it!

HAYOM YOM :: Ches Shevat Baruch Hashem, now we’re right before the Geulah! We need to know that any tzaros (Chas Veshalom) that Yidden have are because Moshiach is about to come, and just like it hurts before a baby is born, it “hurts” right before Moshiach comes. But we don’t want this hurting to last a long time. We need to do everything we can to make Moshiach come RIGHT AWAY! We need to especially be careful to keep all of the mitzvos in the most beautiful way, and do EVERY minhag without any compromise! One time, a reporter came to the Rebbe from a big television station, and asked the Rebbe, “What is your message for the whole world about Moshiach?” "e Rebbe answered that Moshiach is ready to come — everyone should do something EXTRA (“something additional”) in goodness and kindness to bring Moshiach. "en the Rebbe gave the reporter and the video people TWO dollars, to show them by example that we need to do something extra.

SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Shiur #196 - Mitzvas Asei #107 Today’s mitzvah is the same one as yesterday: (Mitzvas Asei #107) When a neshama leaves a body, the body becomes Tomei. Someone who touches or is in the same house as the body gets some of this Tumah too, called Tumas Meis. !ere are many halachos about how a person gets this tumah, and how they pass it on. Today’s mitzvah is to follow all of these halachos!

Chit! for Kid" / !ursday, Ches Shevat, 5781 2 RAMBAM :: Hilchos Tumas Meis In today’s Rambam, Perakim Vov, Zayin, and Ches, we learn more about Tumah. !e Rambam writes about which kinds of things can become Tomei. One halacha is that anything from the sea, like a #sh, can’t become Tomei.

INYANA D'YOMA :: Lebn Mit Der Tzeit In yesterday’s Chumash, Revi’i of Parshas Bo, we learned that Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu about the mitzvah of Korban Pesach, and in today’s Chumash, Moshe Rabbeinu tells the Yidden about it. On the tenth day of Nissan, the Yidden should take a sheep and tie it to their bed. !ey should keep the sheep there until Yud- Daled Nissan, when they will shecht it as the Korban Pesach. !at means that the sheep would be there for four days! Why did Hashem make them keep the sheep for four days? Why couldn’t they just get a sheep right before shechting it, or just prepare it the day before? !e Rebbe explains in a sicha (on a Rashi in this week’s Chumash) that this mitzvah was very important for the Yidden, so that they will be ready for the Geulah! While the Yidden were in Mitzrayim, they were bare of mitzvos. Hashem wanted to give them mitzvos, so that they will deserve the Geulah. Hashem gave them two important mitzvos, one in Sur MeiRa, and one in Asei Tov. 1) !e #rst mitzvah Hashem gave the Yidden was Dam Milah, the blood of the Bris Milah. !is mitzvah shows the connection a Yid has to Hashem, even in his body. !at is what they needed for Asei Tov. 2) !e second mitzvah was the mitzvah of Dam Pesach, the blood of the Korban Pesach. !is mitzvah showed that the Yidden were not serving Avodah Zarah, even though the Mitzriyim worshiped sheep. !is is what the Yidden needed for Sur MeiRa, to separate themselves from the Avodah Zarah they were attached to in Mitzrayim. But why did they have to do the mitzvah for FOUR days? We learn from the Akeidah that four days is enough time to think something through, and make sure that we understand what we are doing. When Hashem gave Avraham Avinu the mitzvah of the Akeidah, it took three days after he got the mitzvah for him to get there, so that the mitzvah could only be done on the fourth day. !is way, the Satan would not be able to argue that Avraham was just confused and didn’t have time to properly think about what he was doing. Here too, since the Yidden would take the sheep for FOUR days, it would show that they really understood that they didn’t want to serve Avodah Zarah, and they only wanted to serve Hashem! !is way they would really be ready to leave Mitzrayim. "is is also a lesson which teaches us how important it is to do mivtzoyim! Every Yid needs to come out of Golus, so we need to make sure every Yid deserves it. We see that it only took two mitzvos for the Yidden to deserve to come out of Mitzrayim! When we go on mivtzoyim, we are giving Yidden a chance to do even just one or two mitzvos, so that every Yid will deserve the Geulah! See Likutei Sichos chelek Tes-Zayin, Parshas Bo (p. 114)

Chit! for Kid" / !ursday, Ches Shevat, 5781 3 TEFILLAH :: Vayomer !e Mitzvah of Kriyas Shema has three paragraphs — Shema and Ve’ahavta, Vehaya Im Shamoa, and Vayomer. In the third paragraph, Vayomer, we speak mostly about the mitzvah of Tzitzis. !e Gemara shows that we actually speak about FIVE important inyonim, which is why it was put together with the other paragraphs of Shema. !e Rambam talks about the two most important things in Vayomer, which are the mitzvah of Tzitzis, and speaking about Yetziyas Mitzrayim. In the second paragraph of Shema, Vehaya Im Shamoa, we were mekabel Ol Mitzvos, we accepted to do all of the mitzvos. In Vayomer it says that by wearing tzitzis, we will remember to do all the mitzvos! So the mitzvah of tzitzis will help us to do all of the mitzvos, like we just accepted to do. Vayomer also speaks about Yetziyas Mitzrayim. It is a mitzvah to remember Yetziyas Mitzrayim every morning and night, and now we are able to do this mitzvah right away! !ese seem to be two separate reasons that have nothing to do with each other. But IY”H tomorrow, we will learn how the Alter Rebbe explains this in Tanya, that really they are both the same thing!

HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Kiddush !e Gemara teaches that there are ten things we should have for a Kos Shel Bracha, a kos used for a bracha, such as Kiddush or Havdalah. Today we will learn about the #rst two things on this list: Shetifah and Hadacha. A Kos Shel Bracha should be cleaned inside (shetifah), and outside (hadacha). !is means that if the kos is dirty, we should rinse it and wash it, or at least wipe it clean with a napkin or cloth. According to halacha, if the kos is already clean, we don’t need to worry about these two anymore. But in Sifrei Kabbalah, it seems that there is an inyan in Ruchnius to do this anyway. According to this, we should rinse the kos before Kiddush (or wipe it if we don’t have water), even if it is already clean. We actually saw this by the Rebbe, that before using a Kos Shel Bracha at a farbrengen, the Rebbe would take a cloth and wipe the kos clean. See Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch siman Reish-Ayin-Alef se’if Yud-Ches, siman Kuf-Pey-Gimmel se’if Beis, and Piskei Teshuvos siman Kuf-Pey-Gimmel se’if Beis

GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Ki Besimcha !e Rebbe accepted the nesius at the farbrengen of Yud Shevat 5711. !e last thing the Rebbe said before leaving this farbrengen was that Chassidim need to work together with shalom and Achdus to bring the Geulah. !e Rebbe explained the posuk “Ki Besimcha Seitzeiu” (which was usually sung at the end of the Rebbe’s farbrengens) to show what happens when we have shalom. 1) First, a good eitza to have Shalom and Achdus is to have simcha! When we are besimcha, it is easier to have Shalom. !is is hinted to in the posuk, because #rst we say “Besimcha Seitzeiu” (go out with simcha), and then “Uveshalom Tuvalun” (and you will be brought with shalom).

Chit! for Kid" / !ursday, Ches Shevat, 5781 4 2) Sometimes things are hard for us. When we have shalom, these things not only won’t be in the way, but they will help us to do even more! We say this in the posuk, “Heharim Vehagva’os Yiftzechu Lifneichem Rina,” “the mountains and hills,” which usually block people, “will burst into song in front of you” — they will start to help you! 3) When we have shalom, the nevuos about Moshiach will come true! We hint to this in the posuk, by saying “Vechol Atzei Hasadeh Yimcha’u Chof,” that all the trees of the #eld will clap hands. Rashi explains that this is because the trees will ALL give fruit, which is one of the nevuos which will take place in the times of the Geulah! See Likutei Sichos chelek Beis page 503

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Chit! for Kid" / !ursday, Ches Shevat, 5781 5 Bo Friday Parshas Bo

Chit! for Frida#, Parsh! B$ Erev Shabb% Kod&' T( Sheva), 5781

CHUMASH :: Parshas Bo - Shishi with Rashi At exactly midnight, Hashem does Makas Bechoros, and the Mitzriyim rush the Yidden out of Mitzrayim! At exactly midnight, Hashem killed all of the !rstborns in Mitzrayim — the !rstborn people (including the non-Jewish slaves) and the !rstborn animals. "e only !rstborn who didn’t die was Paraoh, because Hashem wanted him to see the nissim of Kriyas Yam Suf so he will know and tell others that Hashem is in charge. Paraoh woke up, and then went and woke up all of his servants. All of the Mitzriyim woke up too. Everyone saw that the !rstborns had died! In every house, there was at least one person dead. "e whole Mitzrayim was full of crying! Paraoh ran out of the palace in the middle of the night to !nd Moshe and Aharon right away! He told them that all of the Yidden should leave Mitzrayim, with the adults, the children, and all of their animals! Some of the Yidden were afraid to go out into the desert, but the Mitzriyim told them to hurry and go! "e Yidden didn’t have time to bake bread in the morning, so they just took the raw dough and their leftover matzah and maror from the Korban Pesach. "ey carried this on their backs, because they wanted to carry a mitzvah! "ey asked the Mitzriyim for their gold and silver and clothes for the way, and put them on their donkeys. "e women also took tambourines, because they were sure Hashem would make nissim, and they wanted to be ready to sing and dance! Moshe made sure to take Yosef’s aron out of the Nilus, like Yosef was promised, and brought the aronos of the other Shevatim. "e Yidden also brought the trees Yaakov had planted, to use later for the Mishkan. Hashem sent a malach to show the Yidden where to go. "ey all went from Raamses (near Goshen) to a place they would call “Sukos,” near the Yam Suf. Moshe counted the Yidden, and there were about 600,000 men older than 20! (A group of goyim, called the Erev Rav, who wanted to join the Yidden, came too.) In Sukos, the Yidden baked the dough into matzah. "is matzah lasted the Yidden for a month, until the mahn started to fall! If you count, you will see that the Yidden were in Golus in Mitzrayim for 210 years, 430 years since the Bris Bein Habesarim, when Hashem told Avraham that his children would go into Golus. At exactly the end of this time, Hashem took the Yidden out! "ey didn’t stay in Golus for one minute longer than they needed to. Forever, this night of Yetziyas Mitzrayim is called “Leil Shimurim” — a night Hashem protects us.

Chit! for Kid" / Friday, Tes Shevat, 5781 1 At the end of today’s Chumash, there are some more mitzvos about the Korban Pesach: Only Yidden who believe in Hashem can eat the Korban Pesach, or a slave who belongs to a Yid. But, they all need to have a bris. And, it is asur to break any of the bones of the korban. All of the Yidden did what Hashem asked.

TEHILLIM :: 49 - 54 Today’s kapitelach are Mem-Tes through Nun-Daled. In today’s Tehillim, in Kapitel Nun-Gimmel (53), it talks about the churban of the Second Beis Hamikdash. At the end of the kapitel, Dovid Hamelech says how he hopes Hashem will save the Yidden: “Mi Yitein MiTzion Yeshuos Yisroel...” (“Who will give, from Yerushalayim, the saving of the Yidden?”) "is posuk is actually written TWICE in Tehillim — once in Kapitel Yud-Daled (14), and once here. "e Medrash says that these two times where it says “Mi Yitein” is also asking Hashem to bring Yidden the Geulah. "ese two times where it says Mi Yitein in Tehillim also match with two places in the Chumash where it says the words “Mi Yitein!” In one place in the Torah, Hashem says how He hopes the Yidden will all have Yiras Shomayim (“Mi Yitein Vehaya Levavam Zeh Lahem LeYirah Osi...”), and in the other place, Moshe Rabbeinu hopes that all of the Yidden will be neviim (“Umi Yiten Kol Am Hashem Neviim”). "e Medrash says that Dovid Hamelech is asking that Moshiach should come, when both of the “Mi Yitein”s will be ful!lled — all Yidden will be neviim and have Yiras Shomayim!

TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Chof-Beis Even though the truth is that the world is one with Hashem, Hashem lets there be something that denies Achdus Hashem — Avodah Zarah. Hashem hid the chayus He used to create the world so much, that things which are tomei and kelipah and Sitra Achara can also exist. "ese things deny that the world is only Hashem — they deny Achdus Hashem! "ey are called “Elokim Acheirim,” which is related to the word “Achorayim.” Achorayim means “from the back.” "ey are called this because they get their chayus of Hashem “from the back,” and not “from the front.” What does this mean? Let’s say you want to give a present to your friend. You wrap it up beautifully, bring it to a nice place, and give it to him with a smile! "at’s like giving something “from the front.” But what if a person has someone that he doesn’t like, and he needs to pay him money? He won’t wrap it up in fancy paper! He will drop it o#, with an upset face, and leave as quickly as he can! Because he is just throwing it down and turning away, it is like giving something “from the back.” "e same is with Hashem giving chayus to everything in the world. Since Hashem wanted to reward tzadikim who break their Yetzer Hara and act the way Hashem wants, He has to give us a choice. We need to have a choice between kedusha and kelipah — so Hashem “needed” to create kelipah too. But the chayus Hashem gives to kelipah is in a way of Achorayim, like the way someone gives something to a person he doesn’t really want to give it to. Hashem gives it to them that way because they were made in a way that they deny Achdus Hashem,

Chit! for Kid" / Friday, Tes Shevat, 5781 2 to give people free choice in the world. Because Hashem made kelipah to deny Achdus Hashem and feel that it is separate, we can use the mashal we were learning the last few days, of Hashem creating the world with Dibur (speaking) the way WE use the mashal of speaking. When we say something, the words become separate. Even though we said before that our mashal of speaking isn’t REALLY the way it is by Hashem, because the words Hashem made the world with do not become separate, we can STILL use this mashal the way it is by us, where the words do become separate. Hashem made KELIPAH in a way that it can FEEL that it is really separate from Hashem. ~ Knowing what is Achdus Hashem and what is the opposite will help us realize how important every mitzvah we do, and every choice we make, really are. As we will soon see, through every mitzvah we connect to Achdus Hashem, and every aveira separates us. So it is worth it to even have Mesiras Nefesh to ALWAYS stay connected to Hashem!

HAYOM YOM :: Tes Shevat In today’s Hayom Yom, we learn about times when the Rebbe Rashab !nished learning the whole Gemara (Siyum Hashas). When the Rebbe Rashab !nished learning the whole Gemara (Shas) for the third time, he said a maamar about making a siyum, called a Hadran. (Even though we don’t know what the Rebbe Rashab said then, there are beautiful letters written by the Frierdiker Rebbe to people who !nished learning Gemara, where the Frierdiker Rebbe explains four meanings of the word “Hadran,” and how they bring out the beauty of learning Torah, and how the neshama ful!lls its shlichus in the world by spending time learning Torah.) Tomorrow, Yud Shevat, is the yartzeit of Rebbetzin Rivkah, the Frierdiker Rebbe’s grandmother and the mother of the Rebbe Rashab. Today we will also learn something about her yartzeit: At the end of 11 months, when the Rebbe Rashab !nished saying Kaddish for his mother Rebbetzin Rivkah, he made a siyum on the whole Mishnayos. At her !rst yartzeit, the Rebbe Rashab made a siyum on the whole Shas!

SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Shiur #197 - Mitzvas Asei #107 Today’s mitzvah is the same one as yesterday: (Mitzvas Asei #107) When a neshama leaves a body, the body becomes tomei. Someone who touches, carries, or is in the same house as the body gets some of this Tumah too, called Tumas Meis. "ere are many halachos about how a person can get this tumah, and how the tumah is passed on to other people or things. Today’s mitzvah is to follow all of these halachos!

RAMBAM :: Hilchos Tumas Meis In today’s Rambam, Perakim Tes, Yud, and Yud-Alef, we learn more about Tumas Meis. When someone gets Tumas Meis, he is tomei for a week, and he needs to have the ashes of the Parah Adumah sprinkled on him to become tahor again. One halacha is that all of the earth outside of Eretz Yisroel is tomei with Tumas Meis. "e chachomim also said

Chit! for Kid" / Friday, Tes Shevat, 5781 3 that the AIR outside of Eretz Yisroel makes a person tomei! "e reason for this is that outside Eretz Yisrael, people are not careful with Tumas Meis. ("e earth, though, gives a person Tumas Meis, which is a tumah for 7 days, and the tumah from the air outside of Eretz Yisroel only makes someone tomei until that night.)

INYANA D'YOMA :: Erev Yud Shevat On Yud Shevat, the Rebbe’s nesius of the Dor Hashvi’i began. "is happened right after the histalkus of the Frierdiker Rebbe, and especially when the Rebbe o#cially accepted the nesius at the Yud Shevat farbrengen, in Tof-Shin-Yud- Alef. "ere are many stories about that period in time before the Rebbe o#cially became Rebbe. Chassidim begged the Rebbe to accept the nesius, and !nally the Rebbe accepted it publicly on Yud Shevat. ("ere is an entire sefer that has stories from that time, called Yemei Bereishis.) In the farbrengen of Yud Shevat Tof-Shin-Yud-Alef, the Rebbe set up the goals for Dor Hashvi’i. Before starting the maamar, the Rebbe made a clear statement, outlining the job of the Dor Hashvi’i: “When the Frierdiker Rebbe came to America, he quoted (from the Medrash) ‘When you come to a place, you follow the customs of that place.’ In America, people like to hear an announcement, and especially something mind-blowing. It’s called a statement. I don’t know if this is the way it really needs to be, but we will do according to the custom of the place: “"e three loves — love of Hashem, love of the Torah, and love of our fellow Yid — are all one. You can’t separate them, because they are all part of one etzem… If you love Hashem, and you don’t have a love for the Torah and Ahavas Yisroel, that is a sign that there is something missing in the love for Hashem. On the other hand, if you have Ahavas Yisroel, even though it’s a mitzvah that makes sense, at the end it will bring to a love of the Torah and love for Hashem. As it is known the story of the Tzemach Tzedek, who, because he lent someone money, was able to reach a higher level in Ruchnius than he was able to reach through learning and davening itself… “And when we will have these three loves, it will be a triple string that is not easy to break (as the posuk says in Koheles). "is will also bring the Geulah, because just as the Golus came because we did not have Ahavas Yisroel, so too through Ahavas Yisroel, we will have the Geulah, bimheira veyameinu mamosh.” You can read this whole sicha, as well as the Rebbe’s maamar Bosi Legani, in English on www.sie.org/2420930

TEFILLAH :: Vayomer "e third section of Kriyas Shema, the paragraph of Vayomer, speaks mainly about two things: "e mitzvah of tzitzis, which reminds us of all the mitzvos of the Torah, and the mitzvah of Yetziyas Mitzrayim. "ese seem to be two completely separate things that have nothing to do with each other. But the Alter Rebbe tells us in Tanya that they are really both the same thing! How? When we wake up every morning, Hashem gives us back our neshama. But when it !rst comes back to us, it rests only in our nostrils, and isn’t spread out into our whole body yet. "at leaves the body in charge of what we do. Our body is very special, but when it makes its own decisions, it isn’t a good thing. Our guf has things that it likes, even if they are wrong, and things it doesn’t want to do even though it should. "e Alter Rebbe calls this Maaser Haguf, that when the guf is in charge it is like we are stuck in prison!

Chit! for Kid" / Friday, Tes Shevat, 5781 4 How do we get out of this prison? When we daven and are Mekabel Ol Malchus Shomayim, we connect our neshama to Achdus Hashem. By being connected to Hashem, the neshama is much higher than the guf, and isn’t stuck in “prison” anymore! By davening, the NESHAMA becomes in charge of the body. As we learned before, the reason we speak about the mitzvah of tzitzis in Vayomer is to help us keep what we already decided — to be Mekabel Ol Malchus Shomayim, to accept upon ourselves to do whatever Hashem wants, speci!cally to keep all of the mitzvos in the Torah. "is Kabolas Ol brings us to have our own daily Yetziyas Mitzrayim, to leave the “prison” of the guf and make the neshama in charge! So now we see that the mitzvah of tzitzis (which is a continuation of the !rst two parshios of Shema) and the mitzvah of speaking about Yetziyas Mitzrayim are really both exactly the same thing! By remembering all of the mitzvos with our tzitzis, and the Kabolas Ol Mitzvos we just took upon ourselves, we will have a Yetziyas Mitzrayim and have our neshama in charge for our Avodas Hashem all day! See Tanya perek Mem-Zayin

HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Kiddush One of the ten things we need for a Kos Shel Bracha is to be “Magbia Tefach,” to lift it up at least one tefach o# the $oor or table. We learn this from the posuk “Kos Yeshuos Esa” — “I pick up a cup of yeshua.” "e reason we pick up the kos is so that everyone at the table will be able to see it. Even though the Gemara only tells us to pick it up a tefach, the Chabad minhag is that lechatchila and for a hiddur mitzvah we pick it up THREE tefachim higher than the table. See Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch siman Reish-Ayin-Alef se’if Yud-Ches, siman Kuf-Pey-Gimmel se’if Ches, and Sefer Haminhagim Chabad (cited in the haoros on the Shulchan Aruch)

GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Shalom Brings Geulah On Yud-Tes Kislev Tof-Shin-Yud-Alef, the Rebbe suggested to make a chalukah of Mishnayos, to split up the Mishnayos, to !nish on Yud Shevat. Everyone should take !ve perakim. On Yud Shevat that year, the Rebbe made a siyum and explained the connection between the last piece of Mishnayos and the !rst piece of Mishnayos. "e last piece of Mishnayos is that Hashem found that the best keili to bring bracha to Yidden is shalom — “Lo Matza HaKadosh Baruch Hu Keili Machzik Bracha LeYisrael Ela HaShalom.” "e beginning of the Mishnayos is about reading Shema at night and in the morning. “Mei’eimasai Korin Es Shema Be’arvis” and “Mei’eimasai Korin Es Shema Beshacharis.” When we use the end of Mishnayos and make a hachlata to have shalom, then we will also get what it says at the beginning of Mishnayos, to be able to say Shema both at night and in the morning. Saying Shema means to recognize the goodness of Hashem. When we make shalom, we will see the goodness of Hashem “at night” (in the darkness of Golus) and then also “in the morning” (in the time of Geulah, when darkness will be turned to light).

Chit! for Kid" / Friday, Tes Shevat, 5781 5 See Likutei Sichos chelek Beis p. 502

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Chit! for Kid" / Friday, Tes Shevat, 5781 6 Bo Shabbos Parshas BoYom Hagadol Vehakadosh

Chit! for Shabb# Kod$%, Parsh! B& Yo' Hagado( Vehakad)% Yu* Sheva+, 5781

CHUMASH :: Parshas Bo - Shvi'i with Rashi !e Yidden learn that "rstborns are special to Hashem. !ey also learn about Pesach, and about remembering the Geulah by writing about it in our Te!llin. Yesterday, we learned about Yetziyas Mitzrayim! !e Yidden left Mitzrayim and came to a place called Sukos. In Sukos, Hashem said that since the Yiddishe "rstborns were protected from Makas Bechoros, they are special to Hashem. !e "rstborn boys should become kohanim until the Mishkan is built. !e "rstborn animals should be given to the kohanim and brought as korbanos. For the "rstborn donkeys, you should do Peter Chamor, giving the kohen a lamb or goat instead. Now that the Yidden weren’t in such a rush, Moshe told them about the Yom Tov of Pesach. He told them about eating only matzah, and about telling the children about the nissim of Yetziyas Mitzrayim. He also told them to write about the Geulah from Mitzrayim and put it into their Te!llin. !ese pieces of Chumash are written on the parchment in Te!llin, to remind us every day about Yetziyas Mitzrayim.

TEHILLIM :: 55- 59 Today’s shiur Tehillim is kapitelach Nun-Hey through Nun-Tes. In the end of today’s "rst kapitel is the very special niggun Padah Veshalom, which we sing on the Geulah of the Rebbeim. In this kapitel, Dovid Hamelech is talking about his OWN Geulah, because there were people who fought against him. Dovid Hamelech says at the end, the last three words, “Va’ani Evtach Bach” — “and I trust in You.” Dovid Hamelech didn’t think about the people who were trying to hurt him, and only trusted in Hashem, that Hashem will help him. And of course, Hashem did! We should feel this way too with all of the things we need: If we do what we are supposed to and trust in Hashem, Hashem will surely help us!

TANYA :: Likutei Amarim Perek Chof-Beis We’re learning in short about the inyan of Achdus Hashem. Every Yid believes with emunah that there is nothing that exists aside for Hashem. Still, a person’s mind might understand di"erently than what he believes, and keep him from

Chit! for Kid" / Shabbos Kodesh, Yud Shevat, 5781 1 acting the way he should! #at’s why it’s important to make sure we also understand Achdus Hashem with our sechel, so that our sechel will guide us to act the way Hashem wants us to. #e Mitteler Rebbe writes in the introduction to his sefer Imrei Bina, that the purpose of all of the maamorim that the Alter Rebbe said every Shabbos in public and in private were all with this goal — so that Chassidim, each one at his own level, will be able to understand and appreciate the inyan of Achdus Hashem. #is will make a di"erence in everything they do! When a person looks around at the world, it might seem (to his sechel) that there are things that are separate from Hashem. !e Alter Rebbe tells us that, of course nothing is separate from Hashem! Hashem created the world for us to have free choice, so He created something that will be the “opposite” of kedusha so we will have what to choose between. Hashem gives chayus to these things “from behind his back,” because He only wants them to exist for the purpose of kedusha. Even this chayus that they get is in Golus inside of them. !ey don’t have bittul to Hashem, and they deny that Hashem is one! !at’s why kelipah and Sitra Achara are called “Elokim Acheirim,” other G-ds — because they are just like Avodah Zarah. Just like people who serve Avodah Zarah don’t believe in Hashem or deny that Hashem is one, kelipah and Sitra Achara don’t agree that Hashem is the only thing that exists! It isn’t only tomei things and kelipah that deny Achdus Hashem and are like Avodah Zarah. !e Chachomim teach us that any time a person has gaavah, that’s like Avodah Zarah too! People who serve Avodah Zarah think that there is something that exists aside for Hashem. A Yid who has gaavah thinks about how he is very special and important. He doesn’t think about how he is really botul to Hashem. He acts as if he is something separate! When a Yid understands Achdus Hashem in his sechel, he won’t let his sechel be involved in anything else! He won’t be willing to have gaavah or let himself go running after things that are fun or exciting without thinking about what Hashem wants.

HAYOM YOM :: Yud Shevat In today’s Hayom Yom, the Rebbe !rst makes a correction to Torah Ohr, which is also a reminder to chassidim that every chossid needs to learn these seforim of the Alter Rebbe. In fact, at the last Kinus Hashluchim with the Rebbe, the Rebbe said that Chassidim should make a hachlata to learn the whole Torah Ohr and Likutei Torah — from beginning to end! Yud Shevat is also the yartzeit of Rebbetzin Rivkah, the Frierdiker Rebbe’s grandmother, and the Rebbe Rashab’s mother. In today’s Hayom Yom we learn a story about her. Once when Rebbetzin Rivkah was 18, she was sick, and the doctor told her to eat right away in the morning. She didn’t want to eat before davening, so she got up earlier so she could "rst daven and then eat! When the Tzemach Tzedek (her father-in-law) heard about this, he said “A Yid needs to be strong! Mitzvos need to be done with chayus, and you need to be strong and happy to do them!” !e Tzemach Tzedek told her, “Better to eat so you can daven, than to daven so you can eat.” !en the Tzemach Tzedek bentched her to have a long life. When the Rebbe Rashab told this story to someone at yechidus, he added “and you should do this with simcha!” #e Rebbe teaches that really, eating is an example for all of the gashmiyus’dike things that we do, and davening is an example for all of the ruchniyus’dike things we do. #e lesson from this story is that the MAIN thing in our lives needs

Chit! for Kid" / Shabbos Kodesh, Yud Shevat, 5781 2 to be the ruchniyus’dike things — all of our “eating” and the Gashmius needs for ourselves should be for the purpose of “davening” and serving Hashem. Once at a Yud Shevat farbrengen the Rebbe said that the Frierdiker Rebbe saw all of the Hayom Yoms and approved of all of them, which means that this Hayom Yom is the Torah and the hora’ah for Yud Shevat.

SEFER HAMITZVOS :: Shiur #198 - Mitzvas Asei #107 Today’s mitzvah is the same one as yesterday: (Mitzvas Asei #107) When a neshama leaves a body, the body becomes tomei. Someone who touches, carries, or is in the same house as the body gets some of this Tumah too, called Tumas Meis. !ere are many halachos about how a person can get this tumah, and how the tumah is passed on to other people or things. Today’s mitzvah is to follow all of these halachos!

RAMBAM :: Hilchos Tumas Meis In today’s Rambam, Perakim Yud-Beis, Yud-Gimmel, and Yud-Daled, we are learning about Tumas Meis, and how someone can get this kind of Tumah. !ere are a few ways to get Tumas Meis — to touch or carry a Meis, or to be under the same roof as a Meis. !e Rambam teaches us what is called “under the same roof” (Ohel). Something strong is counted as a roof — even sturdy branches of a tree! !ey bring the tumah to whatever is underneath it, but keep the tumah from spreading to whatever is OVER the Ohel (“Meviin Vechotzetzin”). But something that is not strong and will not stay does not become an Ohel. For example, snow is not counted as a roof, because it will melt. So an igloo, which is made of ice and snow, would not be counted as an Ohel and make things inside it tomei.

INYANA D'YOMA :: Yud Shevat Today is the very special day of Yud Shevat. Every day is an opportunity to make good things happen and to bring the Geulah closer. But there are some days that have extra special kochos hidden in them! Yud Shevat is one of those days. !ere are two inyonim in this day. What is closer to us is that today is the beginning of the Rebbe’s nesius, and we need to use today to work on our hiskashrus and keeping the Rebbe’s horaos. Yud Shevat is also the histalkus of the Frierdiker Rebbe, and the Rebbe taught us to keep minhagim connected to the yartzeit. Let’s review some of the minhagim that the Rebbe asked us to keep: • Make a farbrengen • Talk about the life and Mesiras Nefesh of the Frierdiker Rebbe to help every Yid and bring the Geulah (and especially for the chinuch of young children) • To learn through the maamar of Bosi Legani • Give extra tzedakah before Shacharis and Mincha • Write a Pa”N • Say Mishnayos with the letters of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s name • Learn a perek of Tanya before Shacharis and after Mincha

Chit! for Kid" / Shabbos Kodesh, Yud Shevat, 5781 3 In the Maamar Bosi Legani, the Rebbe tells us a story about each of the Rebbeim, about how they showed Ahavas Yisroel. Here is an amazing story of Ahavas Yisroel that happened with the Rebbe the night before saying this maamar: !e night before Yud Shevat, Tof-Shin-Yud-Alef (5711/1951), Rabbi Moshe Groner was the only one in the secretaries’ o#ces in 770. It was already later at night, when he heard the phone ringing. Since he wasn’t really one of the secretaries, he didn’t answer the phone at "rst, but when it kept ringing, he "nally picked it up. He was very surprised to hear the Rebbe on the phone! !e Rebbe asked Rabbi Groner if he could come over to his house! Rabbi Groner of course ran over right away. !e Rebbe wanted him to "nd the name of the doctor who was in charge of a certain patient, and then get him on the phone. Rabbi Groner managed to do it, and told the Rebbe that the doctor was on the phone. He went into the Rebbe’s study so he wouldn’t hear the private conversation. Rabbi Groner was amazed by what he saw in the room! !ere was a copy of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s maamar open on the desk, and seforim of all of the Rebbeim! !en the Rebbe came into the room, and told Rabbi Groner that he was going to the hospital. !e Rebbe wanted the doctor to go see the patient in the middle of the night, but the doctor didn’t agree. But when the Rebbe said he would go too, the doctor said he would go… So the night before, as the Rebbe prepared to accept the job of being the Rebbe of all Yidden, the Rebbe put everything aside and went out in the middle of the night to make sure that a Yid was seen by the right doctor! Read this story with more details, plus much more about Bosi Legani, in the Chassidishe Derher! https://derher.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/shevat5773.pdf

TEFILLAH :: Pirush Hamilos Since today is the yartzeit of the Frierdiker Rebbe, we are going to learn a story about davening from the Frierdiker Rebbe. At a farbrengen on Yud-Beis Tammuz Tof-Shin-Zayin (printed in Likutei Diburim), the Frierdiker Rebbe spoke about how he learned the Pirush Hamilos of te!llah, the meaning of the words of davening: “My father (the Rebbe Rashab) learned Pirush Hamilos with me twice. I learned the meaning of the weekday davening, Shabbos and Yom Tov, the Haggadah Shel Pesach, and some of the te!llos of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. “!e "rst time was when I was a child, and the second time was starting from my Bar Mitzvah, on Yud-Beis Tammuz Tof-Reish-Nun-Gimmel. “When my father started to learn Pirush Hamilos with me the "rst time, he said: ‘To daven and not know what you are davening is Nit Kein Zach — not right.’ He then started to teach me the basic meaning of davening. “!e second time my father learned with me, he taught me the Chassidishe meaning of davening… “Starting from Modeh Ani, my father explained every posuk according to Chassidus, with a lesson that can be taken from it. Together with each inyan, he would tell a story, mostly they were “Torahs” that the Alter Rebbe heard from the Chassidus of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid. Sometimes it would also be an explanation of the Alter Rebbe himself or one of the later Rebbeim.” Later in this farbrengen, the Frierdiker Rebbe explained the Sulam HaTe!llah, the ladder of davening, with all of the

Chit! for Kid" / Shabbos Kodesh, Yud Shevat, 5781 4 levels of davening. He also shared how the Rebbe Rashab explains the paragraph of Lamnatzeiach Binginos, that we say before Boruch She’amar.

HALACHOS HATZRICHOS :: Kiddush Before we make Kiddush we make sure that the Challah that is on the table is covered. Why? !ere are three reasons: 1) On our Shabbos table, we are careful to have Lechem Mishnah, two challos. !is reminds us of the double portion of mohn we got on Erev Shabbos. Before the mohn fell every day, Hashem made dew fall on the ground, and then more dew fell on top of the mohn to cover it. To remember this, we have a challah board under our Lechem Mishnah, and a cover on top, like the dew that was under and over the mohn. 2) After Kiddush, which speaks about the kavod of Shabbos, we show this kavod to Shabbos by having a seudah! Many years ago, they would only bring out the table after making Kiddush, to show that this is a special seudah just in honor of Shabbos. Nowadays, our table is already set, but we keep the challah covered until after Kiddush, so we can later uncover it and show that this is the seudah Lekavod Shabbos that we were talking about! 3) According to the Seder Birchos Hanehenin, the bracha on Challah comes before the bracha on wine. Since really we should be making the bracha "rst on the challah, we cover the challah during Kiddush so it isn’t “embarrassed” that we skip it and make the bracha on wine "rst. See Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch siman Reish-Ayin-Alef se’if Yud and Yud-Zayin, and the Tur siman Reish-Ayin-Alef

GEULAH U'MOSHIACH :: Choose Your Own Adventure! !e Alter Rebbe explains in Torah Ohr that the Yidden had to be slaves before they could have the Geulah of Yetziyas Mitzrayim. Nowadays also, we need to "rst be slaves, with our su$ering in Golus, before we can have the "nal Geulah. !at doesn’t sound so nice! But sometimes, Hashem gives us a choice of which kinds of slaves to be! We can choose to be slaves by having Gashmius’dike worries, or we can choose to be servants of Hashem and work hard to do mitzvos that we aren’t used to. When we choose to do hard things for Hashem, we are able to take away some of the su$ering of Golus, until the Geulah — when nobody will su$er anymore! See Likutei Sichos chelek Alef p. 115–119

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