Baruch Hashem! Luach for Week of Vayishlach www.chabadnp.com Chabad NP - ​ 18-25 Kislev 5781 / December 4-11 Friday, 18 Kislev ● Chabad custom: Omit Tachnun in afternoon prayers In Chabad practice, starting in the afternoon, Tachnun (confession of sins) and similar prayers are omitted. ● Candle Lighting Light Candles at 4:33 PM. ● Kabbalat Shabbat - (P. 154) ● Kiddush on p. 179 19 Kislev - Shabbat Vayishlach Torah Reading Vayishlach: Genesis 32:4-36:43 ​ ​ Haftorah: Obadiah 1-1:21 ​ ​ ● Kiddush for Shabbat day on p. 249. ● "Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism"; begin Tanya study cycle Chassidim joyfully celebrate today and tomorrow as the Rosh Hashanah ("new year") of Chassidism (see "Today in Jewish History"), with farbrengens (Chassidic gatherings) and an increased commitment to the ​ ways and teachings of Chassidism. Tachnun (supplication) and similar prayers are omitted. We begin anew the yearly cycle of the daily study of ​ ​ the Tanya, Rabbi Schneur Zalman's major Chassidic work (as part of the ​ "Chitas" daily study program.) ​ ● In Chabad practice, the mournful paragraphs of Av Harachamim (p. 232) and Tzidkatecha Tzedek (266)are omitted from the morning and afternoon prayers respectively. ● Prayer for Rain Tonight, starting with the Maariv evening prayers, we begin inserting a request for rain -- "v'ten tal u'matar" -- in the 9th blessing of the Amidah (p. 126. In the Holy Land, the request for rain is inserted beginning on Cheshvan 7) ​ ● Shabbat Ends at 5:33 PM ​ ● Havdalah on p. 297 ​ ● Today in Jewish History ● Passing of Maggid (1772) Rabbi DovBer, known as "The Maggid of Mezeritch", was the disciple of, ​ and successor to, the founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov. ​ ​ Rabbi DovBer led the Chassidic movement from 1761 until his passing on Kislev 19, 1772. ● Liberation of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1798) On the 19th of Kislev of the year 5559 from creation (1798), Rabbi Schneur ​ ​ ​ Zalman of Liadi -- a leading disciple of Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch (see ​ previous entry) and the founder of Chabad Chassidism -- was released from his imprisonment in the Peter-Paul fortress in Petersburg, where he was held for 53 days on charges that his teachings threatened the imperial authority of the Czar. More than a personal liberation, this was a watershed event in the history of Chassidism heralding a new era in the revelation of the "inner soul" of Torah, and is celebrated to this day as "The Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism." ● Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel born (1798) On the very day that Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was liberated from prison (see above), a granddaughter was born to him -- the daugher of his son Rabbi Dovber and his wife Rebbetzin Sheina. The girl was named ​ ​ Menuchah Rachel -- "Menuchah", meaning "tranquility" (Rachel was the name of a daughter of Rabbi Schneur Zalman who died in her youth). In 1845, Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel realized her lifelong desire to live in the Holy Land when she and her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Culi Slonim (d. 1857), led a contingent of Chassidim who settled in Hebron. Famed for her ​ ​ wisdom, piety and erudition, she served as the matriarch of the Chassidic community in Hebron until her passing in her 90th year in 1888. Sunday, 20 Kislev ● "Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism" The Rosh Hashanah ("new year") of Chassidism, marking the liberation of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi and the subsequent blossoming of Chabad ​ Chassidism, is celebrated for two days, Kislev 19-20. (The Rebbe was released from prison on the 19th, but his full freedom was only obtained late in the evening -- Kislev 20 on the Jewish Calendar.) The two days are celebrated with farbrengens (Chassidic gatherings) and an increased ​ ​ commitment to the ways and teachings of Chassidism. Tachnun (supplication) and similar prayers are omitted. For more information and links, see entries for yesterday Kislev 19. ​ ​ ● Chabad custom: Omit Tachanun In Chabad practice, Tachanun (confession of sins) and similar prayers are ​ ​ omitted today. ● Today in Jewish History ● Tanya Published (1796) The first printing of the "bible of Chassidism", the Tanya, the magnum opus of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad. Monday, 21 Kislev ● Today in Jewish History Alexander in Jerusalem (313 BCE) On Kislev 21 of the year 3448 from creation (313 BCE), there occurred the historic meeting between Shimon HaTzaddik and Alexander ('the Great") of ​ Macedonia. The Samarians, bitter enemies of the Jews, had convinced Alexander that the Jews' refusal to place his image in their Temple was a sign of rebellion against his sovereignty, and that the Holy Temple should be destroyed. The Kohen Gadol ("High Priest") at the time was Shimon HaTzaddik, the last of the "Men of the Great Assembly" who rebuilt the Holy Temple and revitalized Judaism under Ezra. On the 21st of Kislev Alexander marched on ​ ​ Jerusalem at the head of his army; Shimon, garbed in the vestments of the High Priest and accompanied with a delegation of Jewish dignitaries, went forth to greet him. The two groups walked towards each other all night; at the crack of dawn they met. As Alexander beheld the visage of the High Priest, he dismounted his horse and bowed respectfully; to his men he explained that he often had visions of a similar-looking man leading him into battle. Shimon HaTzaddik brought the emperor to the Holy Temple and explained that Judaism prohibits the display of any graven image; he offered to name all the male children born to priests that year "Alexander" as a demonstration of loyalty to the emperor (which is how "Alexander" became a common Jewish name). The Samarians plot was rebuffed, and Kislev 21 was declared a holiday. (Talmud Yoma 69a) According to an alternative version, this episode occurred on the 25th of Tevet. ● Satmar Rebbe Rescued (1944) The Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum (1887-1979), was rescued from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, along with 1,368 other Jews, through the efforts of Rudulf Kastner, head of the Zionist rescue operation in Hungary (an earlier transport of 1,686 Jews had been rescued on Av 29). The Satmar community celebrates the 21st of Kislev as a day of thanksgiving. Thursday, 24 Kislev - 1st night of Chanukah ● Kindle One Chanukah Light tonight after 4:51 PM ​ The eight-day festival of Chanukah begins tonight. In commemoration of ​ ​ the miracle of the oil (see "Today in Jewish History" for tomorrow) we kindle the Chanukah lights -- oil lamps or candles -- each evening for eight days, increasing the number of lights each evening. Tonight, the first night of Chanukah, we kindle one light. (In the Jewish calendar, the day begins at nightfall; this evening, then, commences the 1st day of Chanukah). ● On the 1st night of Chanukah, we recite three blessings before lighting. ● The lights—which ideally should be kindled soon after sunset—must burn for at least half an hour after nightfall. Learn more about the proper lighting ​ time. ​ Text and Audio of the Menorah Blessings How to Light the Menorah ● Hallel & Al HaNissim Special prayers of thanksgiving -- Hallel (p. 307-311, in its full version) and V'Al HaNissim -- are added to the daily prayers (Mariv - p. 129, Shacharit - p. ​ 51, Mincha p. 109) and Grace After Meals (p. 90) on all eight days of ​ ​ Chanukah. Tachnun (confession of sins) and similar prayers are omitted for the duration of the festival. ● Chanukah Foods On Chanukah we eat foods fried in oil—such as latkes (potato pancakes) ​ ​ ​ and sufganiot (doughnuts) -- in commemoration of the miracle of the oil. ​ ​ It is also customary to eat dairy foods in commemoration of Judith's heroic ​ deed. ​ ● Dreidel It is customary to play dreidel—a game played with a spinning top inscribed with the Hebrew letters Nun, Gimmel, Hei and Shin, which spell the phrase Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, "a great miracle happened there." (It is said that when the Greeks forbade the study of Torah, Jewish children continued the study with their teachers in caves and cellars; when the agents of the king were seen approaching, the children would hide their scrolls and start to play with spinning tops...) How to Play Dreidel ● Chanukah Gelt It is an age-old custom to distribute gifts of Chanukah gelt ("Chanukah money") to children on Chanukah. (It was the custom of the rebbes of ​ Chabad-Lubavitch to give Chanukah gelt to their children and other family members on the fourth or fifth night of Chanukah; more recently, however, the Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged the giving of Chanukah gelt every day of the festival—except for Shabbat, when handling money is forbidden.) ● Today in Jewish History Construction of the Second Temple Resumes (353 BCE) In the first year of rule of Cyrus, the King of Persia, Jews were given ​ ​ permission to return to Israel and rebuild the Holy Temple. A group of Jews ​ ​ led by Zerubavel set out for Jerusalem and began working on the second Temple. However, the Cutheans falsely accused the Jews of plotting a rebellion against King Cyrus and were successful in halting the construction of the Holy Temple for the remainder of his reign and throughout the reign of Ahasuerus, his successor. Construction resumed in the second year of the reign of Darius, Ahasuerus's son, on the 24th of Kislev. Friday, 25 Kislev - 2nd night of Chanukah ● Kindle 2 Lights before sunset (4:51 PM) Tonight is the eve of the 2nd day of Chanukah, so we kindle two lights in the Chanukah menorah. IMPORTANT: Because of the prohibition to kindle fire on Shabbat, the ​ ​ Chanukah lights must be lit before lighting the Shabbat candles, and should ​ ​ contain enough oil (or the candle be big enough) to burn until 30 minutes after nightfall.