בס”ד Issue 30 CHAYUS A Shabbos Stimulus  THE EDA AND DAVID SCHOTTENSTEIN EDITION  In honor of our parents, Tuvia and Lea Schottenstein and Rabbi Yisroel and Chana Sirota

ערב שבת פרשת בהר-בחקתי, כ“ה אייר, ה‘תשפ״א Erev Shabbos Parshas Behar-Bechukosai, 5781 – May 7, 2021

H Keter Shem Tovכתר שם טוב PORTIONS OF LIGHT Available at Kehot.com

Two Virtues in One he Sages debate which is superior: Torah study or meaning of “study leads to action” is not that after one Taction-Mitzvos? Their conclusion, “Study is greater, has studied he will then put it into practice. Rather, because it leads to action.” “study leads to action” at the very moment of study. For This statement is confusing. It insists that study whatever subject he studies, it is considered as having is superior but argues that the superiority of study been accomplished at that same moment. depends on something far more important: practical In conclusion: Torah study includes action, where- deeds. as action—although the ultimate goal—does not in- The explanation: The superiority of study over ac- clude Torah study. tion is that it includes both virtues. For our Sages taught that “whoever occupies himself with the study Focus: Your Torah study has powerful and [of the laws of the burnt-offering], is considered as hav- instant results. ing offered an actualburnt-offering .” Consequently, the

H From Chovot Halevavotשער הבטחון GATE OF TRUST GateofTrust.org

Strengthen Your Trust A person should know and it should be clear to him that the Creator is watching over him and that nothing is concealed from Him, neither those actions that the person performs in public and are revealed for others to see, nor those actions that the person performs in private and are hidden from others. Even his thoughts are not concealed from G-d, neither those that are hidden from other people, nor those that are apparent through his speech and actions. G-d also knows if the person’s reliance on Him is wholehearted or not. Commentary: According to the Pat Lechem, this pref- heavens and earth and all they contain—all constitute ace mandates that a person should know that G-d is the outer garments of the King, the Holy One, blessed observing him to see if his trust is truly complete. be He. In this way he will (also) constantly remember Strengthening Trust: G-d could have given the Jews their inwardness and vitality, which is G-d. in the desert the manna for a month or two at one time. This is also implicit in the word emunah ( faith), Why then did He give it daily? It was in order to train which is a term that also indicates training—the per- them in bitachon. They had to develop their trust in G-d son accustoms himself, like a craftsman who trains his -emunah is etymo אֱ מ ּו ָנ הdaily—that He would provide them with their needs for hands, and so forth. [The word uman (artisan). In order א ּו מָּ ן that day (Rabbeinu Bechaya, Exodus 13:17). logically rooted in the word The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, to be successful, an artisan with a talent for painting, explains emunah as follows: The main thing is for the pottery, and the like must habituate and train his hands. person to accustom himself—to habituate his thoughts The same is true of faith in G-d: Every Jew possesses faith. continuously—so that they are imprinted in his heart However, for this faith to be actualized, and a person’s and mind, that everything he sees with his eyes—the actions be in consonance with it, he must habituate and train himself to recognize the G-dliness in everything.] I do not mean that you should study it all in one time, (Tanya, Likkutei Amarim ch. 42; Lessons in Tanya ibid.). but in the course of a few weeks” (Igrot Kodesh of the The following is a letter from the Lubavitcher Reb- Lubavitcher Rebbe, vol. 21, p. 131). be to a recipient who he felt was lacking in trust: In another letter the Lubavitcher Rebbe writes: “Just now I dispatched a telegram to you (in which “You must be strong in your trust that G-d will lead is written): ‘I am extremely surprised at your low spir- you in a proper path and bring you success in your holy its. You should follow the directives of two medical spe- work. And if doubts regarding this enter your mind, cialists and strengthen your trust in G-d, Who will cer- this does not indicate a doubt regarding your ability; tainly restore you to your former health. I wait to hear rather, this indicates a weakness in your trust. And the good tidings. With blessings for a speedy recovery.’” remedy for this is to study Shaar Habitachon in Chovot (The Rebbe continues:) “A person studies and studies Halevavot, and, more generally, to be bound to the Tree (regarding Divine Providence, etc.), but when it comes of Life—the study of Chasidut, and to participate in a to practical application, where is the trust? You should Chasidic farbrengen with genuine Chasidic joy, on a study Shaar Habitachon (the Gate of Trust) in Chovot frequent basis, to be happy and to make others happy” Halevavot three or four times. It is self-understood that (Igrot Kodesh of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, vol. 4, p. 318).

H By: ProjectLikkuteiSichos.orgלקוטי שיחות A SICHA Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

“If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them.” (Vayikra 26:3) The Rashi:If you follow My statutes — I might think that “follow My statutes” must refer to a qualitatively dif- this refers to the fulfillment of the commandments. ferent form of study that goes beyond the letter of the However, when Scripture says, “and observe My com- law — “toil in Torah.” mandments,” the fulfillment of the commandments is This, however, creates a problem of sequence in the already mentioned. So what is the meaning of “if you verse. The general exhortation, “observe My command- follow My statutes”? It means that you must toil in the ments,” should precede the higher, more intense prac- study of Torah. tice of “toiling in Torah.” And observe My commandments — You shall toil To address this, Rashi explains that the second in the study of Torah in order to observe and fulfill the clause does not actually refer to mitzvah observance commandments. per se, but rather to the intention that should accom- The Questions: 1) How does Rashi know that “follow pany in-depth study — “so that you can observe the My statutes” refers to toiling in Torah, and not to stan- commandments.” In this way, the verse’s sequence is dard Torah study? intelligible. 2) Rashi seems to contradict himself in his com- The Deeper Lesson: The termchukim , “statutes,” gen- mentary on this verse. In the first segment he posited erally refers to those mitzvos that are beyond human that “when Scripture says, and observe My command- comprehension; it is also related to the word for “en- ments,” it refers to “the fulfillment of the command- grave,” — “chakikah.” The shared root alludes to the ments.” fact that fulfilling the supra-rationalmitzvos is difficult Yet in his remarks on the words, “observe My com- work, like engraving in a stone, as opposed to writing mandments” he says, “You shall toil in the study of To- on a paper. rah in order to observe and fulfill the commandments.” Here, the Torah intentionally refers to Torah study Meaning, this phrase does not refer to the fulfillment of with a term connoting supra-rational mitzvos to teach the commandments, but rather, it is a clause that clari- the following lessons: Even though Torah study is a ra- fies the beginning of the verse:You shall toil in Torah so tional practice, a person must apply himself to it with that you can observe the commandments. irrational devotion. Secondly, a person must recall that The Explanation: “Follow My statutes” cannot mean because Torah is Divine wisdom, it is essentially un- standard Torah study because studying Torah is itself a knowable. Through toiling in Torah, a person will come mitzvah, and thus it is included in the phrase, “My com- to this recognition. mandments,” which refers to all the mitzvos. Rather, Based on Likkutei Sichos vol. 17, p. 313 זצ“ל Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson H By Rabbis Dovid Dubov & Yaakov K. Chaitonילקוט לוי יצחק על התורה FROM THE REBBE’S FATHER In honor of Yaakov Ben Zina & Leah Bas Shlima

The Aromatic Hide וְאַ ף ּגַם זֹאת בִּהְ יוֹתָ ם בְּאֶרֶ ץ אֹיְבֵיהֶ ם לֹא מְאַסְ ִּ תים וְ לֹא גְעַלְ ִּ תים לְכַ ּלֹתָ ם... Yet, even then, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them to annihilate them... (Vayikra, 26:44)1 Chiya was once walking with R’ Yosi and he said: The Midrash 3 relates that in the Torah 4 of R’ Meir the with the first letter being an אוֹ ר skin) is spelled) עוֹ ר R’ I heard a novel interpretation in the name of R’ word“ .א – Elazar: The verse states I“ will not despise them nor will Alef By changing this one letter, one also changes the לְ כַ ּל ֹ תָ ם The word .” לְ כַ ּל ֹ תָ ם – I reject them to annihilate them is missing a ‘ Va v .’ (The standard spelling of this word is meaning of the word from ‘skin’ to ‘light’, hinting at a .What’s the reason for this (change of spelling)? deeper transformation that occurs (. לְ כַ ּל ֹ ו תָ ם The word without the ‘Vav’ can be seen as an indication Skin refers to a cover and concealment over the es- for a bride. Meaning I will not “reject sence and only a minuscule amount of light can radiate – לְ ַכּ לָ ה to the word them” because they are the love of my soul and I am be- through it. 5 loved amongst them. 1 In the realm of the divine, skin refers to a concealment The parable for this is as follows: A person whose in- of G-dly light, and through the process of refinement, one the concealment ;א – into an Alef ע – tended bride lived in a foul smelling tannery market. If she transforms the Ayin .אוֹ ר to עוֹ ר – had not lived there, the groom, searching for her, would into revelation never have entered such a place. Now, however, that she is Thus, at the onset of creation Adam and Chava were there, it appears to him like a perfume market, where all body and soul, but the soul was not concealed by the body, the good aromas in the world are. it radiated the Divine light. After their sin, their body Here, too, “and even so while they are in the land of their turned into ‘skin’ — a natural impediment to the revela- enemies,” which is like a tannery market, “neither are they tion of G-dliness. From that moment onward, it has been despised nor rejected,” because the Jewish People are be- the purpose of every individual to break through the con- loved to me and it is pleasant like all the good aromas in cealment of the body and transform it into light, which is the world. the intended natural state of all of creation. R’ Yosi said: If I had not come here but to hear this This is also the story of exile in general. Taking the thing — it would have been enough.”” darkness, challenges and strife and transforming it so it 6 (Zohar, Bechukosai, 115b.) can radiate divine revelation. This is precisely the purpose of a tannery. The tanning process involves taking a thick, dirty and unusable hide Driving Questions: and converting it into shoes and other items of need and 1. Why is the parable specifically about a tannery usefulness. market? These two stages, the apparent concealment and the 2. What can be learned from the names R’ Elazar need to refine it, are hinted at in the names of R’ Yosi and and R’ Yosi? R’ Elazar. 7 3. Why was R’ Yosi so excited from this teaching? 3. Bereishis Rabah, 20:12; Yalkut Shimoni, Remez 34. R’ Levi Yitzchak explains that this can be understood 4. This does not necessarily mean a change in the actual writing and accuracy of the Torah scroll as per Mesorah, but may be a metaphor for through analyzing a verse regarding Adam and Chava. the light radiant in his teachings. See Or Torah (R’ Dovber of Mezritch), Following their sin of eating from the tree of knowl- Bereishis, Siman 14. 2 .See Ma’amarei Admur Hazaken Parshiyos, vol. 1 page 50 .5 וַ ַ ּיעַ שׂ ה ‘ אֱלֹקִים לְאָדָם ּו ּלְאִשְׁתוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר :edge, the Torah states And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife 6. R’ Levi Yitzchak references a Ma’amar of the Alter Rebbe. There it“ ַ ו ַ ּי ְ ל ִ ּ ב שׁ ֵ ם shirts of skin, and He dressed them.” explains that the Ayin refers to the Ayin Sarim (heavenly ministers) with the first letter which are known as the 70 nations (Ayin having the numerical value of ,עוֹ ר The Hebrew word for skin is under which the Jewish People are exiled. The Alef refers to the True (70 .ע – being an Ayin Being that is one - G-d. (Torah Ohr, Maamar, E’eseh Lo Ezer K’negdo). the rebuke 7. The teachings of R’ Levi Yitzchok are replete with this underlying , ּת וֹ כָ חָ הThis verse in our Parsha, comes at the end of the .1 where Hashem cautions His people lest they stray, and the consequences theme of how the names of the sages indicate and lend insight into which will befall them. Nonetheless, Hashem promises to never wipe us their perspective on Torah and life. As such, the more we understand out. the hint in their name the better we can truly understand the secret of 2. Bereishis, 3:21 their teachings. ,Yosi) shares the same numerical value Since the name of a person represents their essence 8) י וֹ סִ יThe name Elokim), both totalling 86. This name of this indicates that at his core, R’ Yosi viewed the world) אֱ לֹ קִ י ם as the word G-d refers to the way the Divine light is limited and con- through a prism of concealment 9. Therefore, when he tracted to create nature, which also has the same numeri- heard the teaching of R’ Elazar he was overcome with an the nature) = 86 . excitement as it spoke to his situation and provided hope) הַ ּ ֶ טבַ ע cal value as for illuminating that concealment. 10 א-ל :H The name Elazar can be broken into two wordsמורה שיעור לחת“ת ורמב“ם לשבת G-d’s salvation, representing G-d’s commitment and — עזר SHABBOS CHITAS / RAMBAM GUIDE affection to His bride, the Jewish People, providing salva- tion even in the darkest of times. This represents the mission of each individual to BOOK SECTION bring that G-dliness into the world, thereby transforming Chumash – Rashi* Behar-Bechukosai, 7th Aliyah the concealment into revealed light, the foul-smelling tan- nery which is the darkness of exile, is, into an aromatic Tehillim* Chapter 119 second half home for G-d and His bride. Likkutei Levi Yitzchok עמ‘ Likutei Amarim, Ch. 52 - 142 11 .Ha’aros L’Zohar, Bechukosai, p. 341 פרק נב. וכמו שבנשמת... עד עמ‘ עג- *Tanya .מהשמש 8. See Tanya, Shaar HaYichud veHaEmunah, end of ch. 1. Rambam – Sefer Hamitzvos* Positive Mitzvah #198. 9. Kabbalistically speaking, R' Yosi corresponds to Malchus, the feminine Sefira which is synonymous with the Kallah. And R' Elazar Sefer Kedusha – Hilchos Shechitah, * corresponds to Chochma which illuminates it. Rambam – One Chapter Chapter 5 10. In the words of R’ Levi Yitzchok: לָכֵ ן נִתְ ּפָעֵ ל ר' יוֹסֵ י מְ אֹד מְ אֹד, כִּ י הֲרֵ י ּהוא ר' יוֹסֵ י ּהוא ּהוא ּג ּופָ א בְּחִ ינַת הַ כַּ ָ ּלה דְּ מַ לְ ּכות... לָכֵ ן כְּשׁ ֶ ׁ ּשָמַ ע Sefer Mishpatim – Hilchos Malveh Rambam – Three Chapters** מִ ּגֹדֶ ל וְ ּתוֹקֶ ף אַהֲבַ ת הקב"ה לְהַכַּלָ ה דְמַ לְ ּכות, שׁ ֶהִ יא בְּחִ ינָתוֹ דְ ר' יוֹסֵ י ... הָ יָ' דָּ בָ ר זֶה יָקָ ר מְ אֹד מְ אֹד v’Loveh, Chapter 25 – 27 לִפְ נֵי ר' יוֹסֵ י... *Available in the Chayenu Print & App 11. See Toras Menachem — Tiferes Levi Yitzchok, Vol. 3 (Vayikra) ch. **Available in the Chayenu App 169 for more on this teaching.

H Yalkut Moshiach uGeulah al HaTorahגאולה GEULAH Translated by Yaakov Paley

Experiencing Geulah Now! ur Sages state that the day of Shabbos influences afterwards. The same is true of the Great Shabbos, the Onot only its subsequent weekdays, but also the Great Yovel, which is the Era of Redemption! Not only preceding weekdays, the days leading up to Shabbos. will the redemption influence its subsequent days, but Similarly, the Torah commands, “You shall sanctify the it also influences the preceding eras. Now is the time fiftieth year,” meaning that we must prepare for each to actively prepare for the redemption, and at the same Yovel during the preceding years. And our Sages state time, we pray that G-d grants us a radiance from that that the sanctity of Yovel influences beforehand and blessed era even now. Tiferes Shlomo

A PROJECT OF לעילוי נשמת ר' חיים שניאור זלמן יהודה ע"ה בן יבלחט"א ר' אהרן לייב RABBI YUDI DUKES A”H

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