Wednesday Tevet 1, Rosh Chodesh, 6th Day of Chanuka 5703
Torah Lessons (5703)	Chumash: Mikeitz, Revi'i with Rashi. Tehillim: 1-9. Tanya: Now these three garments (p. 13)...in these three garments (p. 15).

It is customary that one not Davening with a minyan says the opening (p. 241) and closing (p. 245) b'rachot of Hallel even on days when "half Hallel" [1] is said.

In the concluding paragraph, Yehal'lucha (p.245) omit the word "Al. All Tefillin [2] should be worn (then, later, taken off) before Musaf (p. 245), but the daily Torah lessons are studied after concluding the entire service.

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) See instructions, Siddur p. 241.

2. (Back to text) See Menachem Av 19.

Chapter Five

[At the conclusion of the previous chapter, the Alter Rebbe depicted the study of Torah as a royal embrace:

When one studies Torah, his intellect "embraces" and encompasses the Divine Will and wisdom - and thus he "embraces" the King of Kings Himself, since "He and His wisdom are one."

In turn, the "King" (i.e., G-d's Will and wisdom) "embraces" the mind of the Torah student.

But while it is readily understood that the mind can be described as "embracing" the Torah knowledge that it absorbs, the meaning of Torah's "embracing" one's intellect is unclear.

In chapter 5 the Alter Rebbe clarifies this point.

He does so by elucidating the term "grasp" used in the statement by Elijah (quoted in the previous chapter) that no thought can "grasp" G-d except by way of "grasping" the Torah.

Primarily, however, this chapter aims to show how Torah study is superior to all other mitzvot; not only is one encompassed by G-d's Will when he studies the Torah, as when he performs any Mitzvah, but furthermore, he "embraces" G-d by understanding His wisdom as set forth in Torah.]

A further explanation, to more fully elucidate the expression "tefissa" - "[grasp]", in the words of Elijah, "No thought can grasp You":

[As explained in chapter 4, we cannot ordinarily "grasp" G-d with our intellect, but only through Torah study.

Realizing our inability to comprehend G-dliness will thus explain how we do grasp Him through Torah.]

When any intellect perceives and understands some intellectual subject, the mind grasps that subject and encompasses it, and the subject is grasped and encompassed by, and is clothed within, the intellect that understood and perceived it.

[The subject, which is now within the human intellect, is surrounded and encompassed by that intellect, much as a material object is surrounded by the hand that grasps it.

But the subject can be said to be within the mind only once the mind has fully understood it (as indicated also by the Alter Rebbe's use of the past tense - "...the intellect that understood and perceived it").

Before mastering the subject, however, while the mind is engaged in analyzing its details, the subject is still "above" the mind, and the relationship between them is the reverse: the mind is "within" the subject and is encompassed by it.

In the Alter Rebbe's words]:

Also, the intellect is clothed within the subject at the time of intellectual comprehension and grasping. [1]

[Thus, in the act of understanding an idea the mind both encompasses the concept and is encompassed by it, and this is the significance of the term "grasping" used above.

When, for example, one understands and comprehends a particular halachah in the Mishnah or Gemara, clearly and thoroughly, [through strenuous application of his mind], his intellect grasps and encompasses that halachah, and his intellect is also clothed in it [at that time when he strives to understand it].

Now, this halachah is the wisdom and Will of G-d - [the rationale underlying the halachah is G-d's wisdom, and the ruling itself is G-d's Will, as mentioned in chapter 4].

It so arose in His Will that if, for example, Reuven would claim thus and Shimon thus, such and such should be the verdict between them. Even if it never did nor ever will come to pass that litigation occur over these arguments and claims,

[Thus, were the purpose of Torah study only to learn how to practice its laws - in this case: how to resolve this dispute - then the study of such a law would indeed serve no purpose.

In fact, however, there is great value in studying even such a halachah, for thereby one knows G-d's Will and wisdom, and attaches himself to it, as the Alter Rebbe continues]:

Yet, since it arose thus in G-d's Will and wisdom that if one person would claim this way and the other that way, the verdict be such and such, therefore when one knows and comprehends this verdict as a halachah set forth in the Mishnah or Gemara or Poskim (the halachic codifiers),

[If one arrives at the identical verdict on the basis of any other legal system, this verdict represents human knowledge, not Divine wisdom.

If, however, he derives the ruling from Torah], he then actually comprehends and grasps the Will and wisdom of G-d, Whom no thought can grasp, nor [can any thought grasp] His Will and wisdom, except when they - [G-d's Will and wisdom] - clothe themselves in the halachot set before us.

[This is one facet of understanding Torah, namely, that thereby one's intellect encompasses the Divine Will and wisdom.

Furthermore] his intellect is also clothed within them - [within the Divine Will and wisdom contained in Torah; his mind is encompassed by them].

Now this is a most wonderful unity; in the physical realm there in no unity similar or parallel to it, [i.e., of two things as disproportionate as human intellect and Torah, G-d's intellect] - that they should actually become one and united from every side and angle.

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) The Rebbe Shlita notes:

   "The process of understanding an idea is as follows:

   "At first one grasps the idea or concept in a general way, and at that time his intellect encompasses the subject. Afterwards, one begins to dissect the general idea through analysis and argument, at which time the subject encompasses his intellect.

   "When he finishes dissecting and analyzing (i.e., once he has mastered the concept thoroughly, in the Alter Rebbe's words: `The intellect ... understood and perceived it...'), his intellect once again encompasses the subject.

Positive Mitzvah 197: Lending Money
Exodus 22:24 "If you lend money to any of My people that is poor among you"

Lending money to a needy person is a greater act of Tzedakah than actually giving it as charity!

Giving money to a person who has fallen to the point where he must beg for help is important. However, by giving a fellow Jew a loan, you prevent him from begging for help.

We are commanded to lend money to people who need it.

By doing so, we are assisting them to stand on their own two feet and help them pull out of their difficulties.

---

Negative Mitzvah 234: It is forbidden to demand payment of a loan from a borrower who cannot return it
Exodus 22:24 "You shall not be to him as a creditor"

Solly's class went on an outing.

They hiked through the woods and then arrived at a nearby lake where they were to go boating.

While the teacher was organizing the groups for rowing, all the boys went to the canteen to buy drinks.

Solly noticed that Itzi was standing alone and staring ahead with an uncomfortable look in his eyes.

Slowly, Itzi approached Solly, and hesitantly asked in a hushed voice:

"Would you please lend me thirty-five cents?"

Solly remembered that on many of the class trips, Itzi never seemed to bring spending money. "Maybe his parents just can't afford to give him extra money," Solly thought to himself. "But that means that he probably won't pay me back!"

Nevertheless, Solly reached into his wallet and lent Itzi the money, without saying a word.

In fact, Solly didn't say a word about the loan afterwards either! He decided not to remind Itzi about the loan, hoping that he would return the money as soon as he could.

Solly was keeping the Mitzvah of not demanding a loan back from someone who has trouble returning it. The Torah cautions us to be patient and not to harass the borrower.

In the end Solly's patience paid off. A few weeks later, Itzi returned the thirty-five cents and apologized for the delay.

Solly invited him to his home and the two soon became good friends.

---

Rabbi Zera fasted 100 fasts to forget all he had learned in Babylonia, so he could go on to learn the Torah of the Land of Israel. Learning is not the mere acquisition of knowledge and more knowledge. Learning is a process of making quantum leaps beyond the subjective self. No matter how high a summit you may reach, there is always another peak above. But you can only reach that peak once you realize you are still in the valley.

From: Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Tzvi Freeman - tzvif@aol.com