Chabad - Today in Judaism - TODAY IS: Sunday, Elul 5, 5774 • 31 August 2014

Chabad - Today in Judaism - TODAY IS: Sunday, Elul 5, 5774 • 31 August 2014
Today's Laws & Customs:
• ELUL OBSERVANCES 
As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionaly a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 1) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all."
Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below to view today's Psalms.
Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15
Elul is also the time to have one's tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.

Links: More on Elul

Today in Jewish History:

• FIRST CHASSIDIC ALIYA (1777) 
The first Chassidic aliyah ("ascent" - immigration to the Holy Land), led by Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, Rabbi Abraham of Kalisk and Rabbi Yisroel of Polotzk, reached the Holy Land on Elul 5 of the year 5537 from creation (1777 CE). They were all disciples of the 2nd leader of the Chassidic movement, Rabbi DovBer, the "Maggid of Mezeritch" (who had passed away five years earlier) and colleagues of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad. Initially, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was part of the group; but when the caravan reached the city of Moholiev on the Dnester River, Rabbi Menachem Mendel -- whom Rabbi Schneur Zalman regarded as his teacher and mentor after the Maggid's passing -- instructed him to remain behind to serve as the leader of the Chassidic community in White Russia and Lithuania. Rabbi Schneur Zalman retained close ties with the settlers in the Land of Israel and labored to raise funds for their support.
DAILY QUOTE:

Rabbi Elazar would give a coin to a pauper, and only then would he pray(Talmud, Bava Batra 10a)
DAILY STUDY:
CHITAS AND RAMBAM FOR TODAY:
Chumash: Ki Teitzei, 1st Portion Deuteronomy 21:10-21:21 with Rashi
• Chapter 21
10. If you go out to war against your enemies, and the Lord, your God, will deliver him into your hands, and you take his captives, י. כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ וּנְתָנוֹ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ:
If you go out to war: The verse here is referring to an optional war [i.e., non-obligatory] (Sifrei 21:1), since in reference to the [obligatory] war [to conquer] the land of Israel, it would be inappropriate to say “and you take his captives” because it has already been stated [regarding the seven nations of Canaan],“[from these peoples’ cities…] you shall not allow any soul to live.” (Deut. 20: 16).
כי תצא למלחמה: במלחמת הרשות הכתוב מדבר, שבמלחמת ארץ ישראל אין לומר ושבית שביו, שהרי כבר נאמר (לעיל כ טז) לא תחיה כל נשמה:
and you take his captives: Heb. וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ. [The double language here comes] to include Canaanites in their midst, even though they are from the seven nations. — [Sifrei 21:2; Sotah 35b]
ושבית שביו: לרבות כנענים שבתוכה ואף על פי שהם משבעה אומות:
11. and you see among the captives a beautiful woman and you desire her, you may take [her] for yourself as a wife. יא. וְרָאִיתָ בַּשִּׁבְיָה אֵשֶׁת יְפַת תֹּאַר וְחָשַׁקְתָּ בָהּ וְלָקַחְתָּ לְךָ לְאִשָּׁה:
a…woman: Heb. אֵשֶׁת, even a married woman (אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ). - [Kid. 21b]
אשת: אפילו אשת איש:
[and you desire her,] you may take [her] for yourself as a wife: [Not that you are commanded to take this woman as a wife,] but Scripture [in permitting this marriage] is speaking only against the evil inclination [, which drives him to desire her]. For if the Holy One, blessed is He, would not permit her to him, he would take her illicitly. [The Torah teaches us, however, that] if he marries her, he will ultimately come to despise her, as it says after this, “If a man has [two wives-one beloved and the other despised]” (verse 15); [moreover] he will ultimately father through her a wayward and rebellious son (see verse 18). For this reason, these passages are juxtaposed. — [Tanchuma 1]
ולקחת לך לאשה: לא דברה תורה אלא כנגד יצר הרע. שאם אין הקב"ה מתירה ישאנה באיסור. אבל אם נשאה, סופו להיות שונאה, שנאמר אחריו (פסוק טו) כי תהיין לאיש וגו' וסופו להוליד ממנה בן סורר ומורה, לכך נסמכו פרשיות הללו:
12. You shall bring her into your home, and she shall shave her head and let her nails grow. יב. וַהֲבֵאתָהּ אֶל תּוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ וְגִלְּחָה אֶת רֹאשָׁהּ וְעָשְׂתָה אֶת צִפָּרְנֶיהָ:
and let her nails grow: Heb. וְעָשְׂתָה אֶת-צִפָּרְנֶיהָ. She must let them grow, so that she should becomes repulsive [to her captor, to induce him to change his mind about marrying her]. — [Sifrei 21:7, Yev. 48a]
ועשתה את צפרניה: תגדלם כדי שתתנוול:
13. And she shall remove the garment of her captivity from upon herself, and stay in your house, and weep for her father and her mother for a full month. After that, you may be intimate with her and possess her, and she will be a wife for you. יג. וְהֵסִירָה אֶת שִׂמְלַת שִׁבְיָהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ וְיָשְׁבָה בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבָכְתָה אֶת אָבִיהָ וְאֶת אִמָּהּ יֶרַח יָמִים וְאַחַר כֵּן תָּבוֹא אֵלֶיהָ וּבְעַלְתָּהּ וְהָיְתָה לְךָ לְאִשָּׁה:
And she shall remove the garment of her captivity: [so that she should not be attractive to her captor,] for they are pretty [clothes], because gentile women adorn themselves during wartime, in order to seduce others [namely, the enemy] to have relations with them. — [Sifrei 21:8]
והסירה את שמלת שביה: לפי שהם נאים, שהגוים בנותיהם מתקשטות במלחמה בשביל להזנות אחרים עמהם:
and stay in your house: In the house he uses. Upon entering, he will stumble upon her, and upon leaving, he will stumble upon her, see her weeping and see her unsightly appearance-all this, so that she should become despicable to him. — [Sifrei 21: 9]
וישבה בביתך: בבית שמשתמש בו, נכנס ונתקל בה, יוצא ונתקל בה, רואה בבכייתה, רואה בנוולה, כדי שתתגנה עליו:
and weep for her father and her mother: Why is all this necessary? So that an Israelite woman [i.e., this man’s Jewish wife] should be happy, and this [gentile captive woman] should be grief-stricken, an Israelite woman should be dressed up, and this one should make herself repulsive. — [Sifrei 21:11]
ובכתה את אביה: כל כך למה, כדי שתהא בת ישראל שמחה וזו עצבה, בת ישראל מתקשטת וזו מתנוולת:
14. And it will be, if you do not desire her, then you shall send her away wherever she wishes, but you shall not sell her for money. You shall not keep her as a servant, because you have afflicted her. יד. וְהָיָה אִם לֹא חָפַצְתָּ בָּהּ וְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ לְנַפְשָׁהּ וּמָכֹר לֹא תִמְכְּרֶנָּה בַּכָּסֶף לֹא תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עִנִּיתָהּ:
And it will be, if you do not desire her: Scripture informs you that eventually you will despise her. — [Sifrei 21:14.
והיה אם לא חפצתה בה: הכתוב מבשרך שסופך לשנאותה:
You shall not keep her as a servant: Heb. לֹא-תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ. [This means:]“You must not use her [as a slave]” (Sifrei 21:16). In the Persian language, the term for slavery and servitude is עִימְרָאָה [the term used here]. I learned this from the Yesod of Rabbi Moses the Darshan.
לא תתעמר בה: לא תשתמש בה בלשון פרסי קורין לעבדות ושימוש, עימראה. מיסודו של רבי משה הדרשן למדתי כן:
15. If a man has two wives-one beloved and the other despised-and they bear him sons, the beloved one and the despised one, and the firstborn son is from the despised one. טו. כִּי תִהְיֶיןָ לְאִישׁ שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים הָאַחַת אֲהוּבָה וְהָאַחַת שְׂנוּאָה וְיָלְדוּ לוֹ בָנִים הָאֲהוּבָה וְהַשְּׂנוּאָה וְהָיָה הַבֵּן הַבְּכֹר לַשְּׂנִיאָה:
16. Then it will be, on the day he [the husband] bequeaths his property to his sons, that he will not be able to give the son of the beloved [wife] birthright precedence over the son of the despised [wife]-the [real] firstborn son. טז. וְהָיָה בְּיוֹם הַנְחִילוֹ אֶת בָּנָיו אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה לוֹ לֹא יוּכַל לְבַכֵּר אֶת בֶּן הָאֲהוּבָה עַל פְּנֵי בֶן הַשְּׂנוּאָה הַבְּכֹר:
17. Rather, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the despised [wife] and give him a double share in all that he possesses, because he [this firstborn son] is the first of his strength, then he has the birthright entitlement. יז. כִּי אֶת הַבְּכֹר בֶּן הַשְּׂנוּאָה יַכִּיר לָתֶת לוֹ פִּי שְׁנַיִם בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא לוֹ כִּי הוּא רֵאשִׁית אֹנוֹ לוֹ מִשְׁפַּט הַבְּכֹרָה:
a double share: [The firstborn son takes a share] equal to that of two brothers [together]. — [Sifrei 21:28]
פי שנים: כנגד שני אחים:
[and give him a double share] in all that he possesses: From here [we learn that] the firstborn son does not take [a double share] from that which [the father’s estate] is entitled to after the demise of the father, [e.g., from an uncollected debt,] as [he does] from what was in the father’s actual possession. — [Sifrei 21:29, Bech. 51b]
בכל אשר ימצא לו: מכאן שאין הבכור נוטל פי שנים בראוי לבא לאחר מיתת האב, כבמוחזק:
18. If a man has a wayward and rebellious son, who does not obey his father or his mother, and they chasten him, and [he still] does not listen to them, יח. כִּי יִהְיֶה לְאִישׁ בֵּן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁמֵעַ בְּקוֹל אָבִיו וּבְקוֹל אִמּוֹ וְיִסְּרוּ אֹתוֹ וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע אֲלֵיהֶם:
wayward: Heb. סוֹרֵר, deviating (סָר) from the [proper] path.
סורר: סר מן הדרך:
rebellious: Heb. מוֹרֶה, [meaning] one who disobeys the words of his father. [The word מוֹרֶה is] derived from [the same root as] the word מַמְרִים [meaning “to rebel”] (see Deut. 9:7).
ומורה: מסרב בדברי אביו, לשון ממרים:
they shall chasten him: They must warn him in the presence of three [people, not to steal, nor to eat a certain quantity of meat and drink a certain quantity of wine (see further in Rashi)], and then they must have him flogged [by the court] (San. 71a; see Sifrei). [The Talmud (San. 71a) emends this to read: They must warn him in the presence of two (witnesses) and have him flogged in the presence of three (judges).] The wayward and rebellious son incurs punishment only if he steals [money from his father], consumes [at one meal] a tartemar [a weight equal to half a maneh] of meat, and drinks [at the same meal] half a log of wine, as it is said [referring to him], “a glutton and a guzzler (זוֹלֵל וְסֹבֵא)” (verse 20), and [elsewhere] it says, “Do not be among wine-guzzlers (בְסֹבְאֵי-יָיִן), among gluttonous eaters of meat (בְּזֹלְלֵי-בָשָׂר)” (Prov. 23:20), [which indicates that the term “guzzler” refers to wine and “glutton” refers to meat] (San. 70a, Sifrei). The wayward and rebellious son is executed on account of [what he will become in] the end-the Torah penetrates to his ultimate intentions. Eventually, he will squander his father’s money, seek what he has become accustomed to, not find it, and stand at the crossroads and rob people [killing them, thereby incurring the death penalty. Says the Torah, “Let him die innocent [of such crimes], rather than have him die guilty [of such crimes].” - [San. 72b]
ויסרו אותו: מתרין בו בפני שלשה ומלקין אותו. בן סורר ומורה אינו חייב, עד שיגנוב ויאכל תרטימר בשר וישתה חצי לוג יין. שנאמר (פסוק כ) זולל וסובא, ונאמר (משלי כג, כ) אל תהי בסובאי יין בזוללי בשר למו. ובן סורר ומורה נהרג על שם סופו, הגיעה תורה לסוף דעתו, סוף שמכלה ממון אביו ומבקש לימודו ואינו מוצא, ועומד בפרשת דרכים ומלסטם את הבריות, אמרה תורה ימות זכאי ואל ימות חייב:
19. his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place. יט. וְתָפְשׂוּ בוֹ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ וְהוֹצִיאוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל זִקְנֵי עִירוֹ וְאֶל שַׁעַר מְקֹמוֹ:
20. And they shall say to the elders of his city, "This son of ours is wayward and rebellious; he does not obey us; [he is] a glutton and a guzzler." כ. וְאָמְרוּ אֶל זִקְנֵי עִירוֹ בְּנֵנוּ זֶה סוֹרֵר וּמֹרֶה אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁמֵעַ בְּקֹלֵנוּ זוֹלֵל וְסֹבֵא:
21. And all the men of his city shall pelt him to death with stones, and he shall die. So shall you clear out the evil from among you, and all Israel will listen and fear. כא. וּרְגָמֻהוּ כָּל אַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ בָאֲבָנִים וָמֵת וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ:
and all Israel will listen and fear: From here, [we learn that] the court must make a public proclamation, announcing: “So-and-so has been stoned because he was a wayward and rebellious son!” - [San. 89a]
וכל ישראל ישמעו ויראו: מכאן שצריך הכרזה בבית דין, פלוני נסקל על שהיה בן סורר ומורה:
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Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 29 - 34
• Special Custom for the Month of Elul and High Holidays
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
See below for today's additional chapters.
Chapter 29
The Name of God appears eighteen times in this psalm, corresponding to which our Sages established eighteen blessings-the Amidah. The entire psalm can be interpreted as referring to the giving of the Torah and the ingathering of the exiles.
1. A psalm by David. Render to the Lord, children of the mighty, render to the Lord honor and strength.
2. Render to the Lord the honor due to His Name; bow down to the Lord in resplendent holiness.
3. The voice of the Lord is over the waters, the God of glory thunders; the Lord is over mighty waters.
4. The voice of the Lord resounds with might; the voice of the Lord resounds with majesty.
5. The voice of the Lord breaks cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6. He makes them leap like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7. The voice of the Lord strikes flames of fire.
8. The voice of the Lord makes the desert tremble; the Lord causes the desert of Kadesh to tremble.
9. The voice of the Lord causes the does to calve, and strips the forests bare; and in His Sanctuary all proclaim His glory.
10. The Lord sat [as King] at the Flood; the Lord will sit as King forever.
11. The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.
Chapter 30
This psalm teaches one not to be distressed if God visits suffering upon him in this world, for only through suffering can one enter the World to Come. Even one of great spiritual stature should realize that his stability is not guaranteed, but that all is in the hands of God.
1. A psalm, a song of dedication of the House, by David.
2. I exalt You, Lord, for You have uplifted me, and did not allow my enemies to rejoice over me.
3. Lord, my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.
4. Lord, You have brought up my soul from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not descend to the pit.
5. Sing to the Lord, you His pious ones, and praise His holy Name.
6. For His wrath endures but for a moment, when He is conciliated there is [long] life; when one retires at night weeping, joy will come in the morning.
7. In my security I thought, "I shall never falter.”
8. Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; when You concealed Your countenance I was alarmed.
9. I called to You, O Lord, and I made supplication to my Lord:
10. What profit is there in my death, in my going down to the grave? Can dust praise You? Can it proclaim Your truth
11. Lord, hear and be gracious to me; Lord, be a help to me.
12. You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have undone my sackcloth and girded me with joy.
13. Therefore my soul shall sing to You, and not be silent; Lord my God, I will praise You forever.
Chapter 31
Composed by a destitute and oppressed David, running from Saul while placing his trust in God, this psalm instructs man to put his trust in God alone.
1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David.
2. In You I have taken shelter, O Lord, I shall never be shamed; rescue me in Your righteousness.
3. Turn Your ear to me, save me quickly; be to me a rock of refuge, a fortress to deliver me.
4. For You are my rock and my fortress; for the sake of Your Name, direct me and lead me.
5. Remove me from the net they planted for me, for You are my stronghold.
6. I entrust my spirit into Your hand; You will redeem me, Lord, God of truth.
7. I despise those who anticipate worthless vanities; but I trust in the Lord.
8. I will rejoice and delight in Your kindness, for You have seen my affliction; You know the troubles of my soul.
9. You have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet on spacious ground.
10. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from vexation-my soul and my stomach.
11. For my life is spent in sorrow, my years in sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones are wasted away.
12. Because of my adversaries I have become a disgrace-exceedingly to my neighbors, and a dread to my friends; those who see me outside flee from me.
13. Like a dead man, I was forgotten from the heart; I became like a lost vessel.
14. For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, when they assembled together against me and plotted to take my life.
15. But I trusted in You, O Lord; I said, "You are my God.”
16. My times are in Your hand; save me from the hands of my enemies and pursuers.
17. Shine Your countenance upon Your servant; deliver me in Your kindness.
18. O Lord, let me not be ashamed, for I have called You; let the wicked be shamed, let them be silent to the grave.
19. Let the lips of falsehood-which speak insolently against the righteous, with arrogance and contempt-be struck dumb.
20. How abundant is Your good that You have hidden for those who fear You; in the presence of man, You have acted for those who take refuge in You.
21. Conceal them from the haughtiness of man, in the shelter of Your countenance; hide them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
22. Blessed is the Lord, for He has been wondrous in His kindness to me in a besieged city.
23. I said in my panic, "I am cut off from before Your eyes!" But in truth, You heard the voice of my pleas when I cried to You.
24. Love the Lord, all His pious ones! The Lord preserves the faithful, and repays with exactness those who act haughtily.
25. Be strong and fortify your hearts, all who put their hope in the Lord!
Chapter 32
This psalm speaks of forgiveness of sin, and of the good fortune of one who repents and confesses to God wholeheartedly.
1. By David, a maskil.1Fortunate is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2. Fortunate is the man to whom the Lord does not reckon his sin, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3. When I was silent, my limbs wore away through my wailing all day long.
4. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my marrow became [dry] as the droughts of summer, Selah.
5. My sin I made known to You, my iniquity I did not cover. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and You have forgiven the iniquity of my transgression forever.
6. For this let every pious man pray to You, at a time when You may be found; indeed, the flood of many waters will not reach him.
7. You are a refuge to me; protect me from distress; surround me with songs of deliverance forever.
8. I will enlighten you and educate you in the path you should go; I will advise you with what I have seen.
9. Be not like a horse, like a mule, senseless, that must be muzzled with bit and bridle when being adorned, so that it not come near you.
10. Many are the agonies of the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord is surrounded by kindness.
11. Rejoice in the Lord and exult, you righteous ones! Sing joyously, all you upright of heart!
Chapter 33
This psalm teaches the righteous and upright to praise God. For the more one knows of the Torah's wisdom, the more should he praise God, for he knows and understands His greatness.
1. Sing joyously to the Lord, you righteous ones; it is fitting for the upright to offer praise.
2. Extol the Lord with a harp; sing to Him with a ten-stringed lyre.
3. Sing to Him a new song; play well with sounds of jubilation.
4. For the word of the Lord is just; all His deeds are done in faithfulness.
5. He loves righteousness and justice; the kindness of the Lord fills the earth.
6. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their hosts.
7. He gathers the waters of the sea like a mound; He places the deep waters in vaults.
8. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world tremble before Him.
9. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it endured.
10. The Lord has annulled the counsel of nations; He has foiled the schemes of peoples.
11. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart throughout all generations.
12. Fortunate is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose as a heritage for Himself.
13. The Lord looks down from heaven; He beholds all mankind.
14. From His dwelling-place He looks intently upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15. It is He Who fashions the hearts of them all, Who perceives all their actions.
16. The king is not saved by a great army, nor a warrior rescued by great might.
17. The horse is a false guarantee for victory; with all its great strength it offers no escape.
18. But the eye of the Lord is directed toward those who fear Him, toward those who hope for His kindness,
19. to save their soul from death and to sustain them during famine.
20. Our soul yearns for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.
21. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, for we have put our trust in His Holy Name.
22. May Your kindness, Lord, be upon us, as we have placed our hope in You.
Chapter 34
This psalm tells of when David was in grave danger while at the palace of Achish, brother of Goliath. David acted like a madman, letting spittle run down his beard, and writing on the doors: "Achish, king of Gath, owes me one hundred thousand gold coins," leading Achish to eject him from the palace. In his joy, David composed this psalm in alphabetical sequence.
1. By David, when he feigned insanity before Avimelech,1 who then drove him away, and he left.
2. I bless the Lord at all times; His praise is always in my mouth.
3. My soul glories in the Lord; let the humble hear it and rejoice.
4. Exalt the Lord with me, and let us extol His Name together.
5. I sought the Lord and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
6. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never humiliated.
7. This poor man called, and the Lord heard; He delivered him from all his tribulations.
8. The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.
9. Taste and see that the Lord is good; fortunate is the man who trusts in Him.
10. Fear the Lord, you His holy ones, for those who fear Him suffer no want.
11. Young lions may want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
12. Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
13. Who is the man who desires life, who loves long life wherein to see goodness?
14. Guard your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.
15. Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.
16. The eyes of the Lord are directed toward the righteous, and His ears toward their cry.
17. The wrath of the Lord is upon the evildoers, to excise their memory from the earth.
18. But when they [repent and] cry out, the Lord hears, and saves them from all their troubles.
19. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted, and saves those with a crushed spirit.
20. Many are the afflictions of a righteous person, but the Lord rescues him from them all.
21. He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.
22. Evil brings death upon the wicked, and the enemies of the righteous are condemned.
23. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants; all who take shelter in Him are not condemned.
Additional Three Chapters
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
Today's Chapters are 13, 14 and 15.
Chapter 13
A prayer for an end to the long exile. One in distress should offer this prayer for his troubles and for the length of the exile.
1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David.
2. How long, O Lord, will You forget me, forever? How long will You hide Your countenance from me?
3. How long must I seek counsel within my soul, [to escape] the grief in my heart all day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
4. Look! Answer me, O Lord, my God; give light to my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.
5. Lest my enemy say, "I have overcome him," [and] my oppressors rejoice when I falter.
6. I have placed my trust in Your kindness, my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord, for He has dealt kindly with me.
Chapter 14
This psalm speaks of the destruction of the two Holy Temples-the first by Nebuchadnezzar, and the second by Titus.
1. For the Conductor, by David. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God!" [Man's] deeds have become corrupt and abominable, no one does good.
2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon mankind, to see if there was any wise man who searches for God.
3. They have all gone astray together, they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
4. Indeed, all the evildoers, who devour My people as they devour bread, who do not call upon the Lord, will [ultimately] come to know [the consequences of their actions].
5. There they will be seized with fright, for God is with the righteous generation.
6. You scorn the counsel of the lowly, that he puts his trust in the Lord.
7. O that out of Zion would come Israel's deliverance! When the Lord returns the captivity of His people, Jacob will exult, Israel will rejoice.
Chapter 15
This psalm speaks of several virtues and attributes with which one should conduct oneself. He is then assured that his soul will rest in Gan Eden.
1. A psalm by David. Who may abide in Your tent, O Lord? Who may dwell on Your holy Mountain?
2. He who walks blamelessly, acts justly, and speaks truth in his heart;
3. who has no slander on his tongue, who has done his fellowman no evil, and who has brought no disgrace upon his relative;
4. in whose eyes a despicable person is abhorrent, but who honors those who are God-fearing; who does not change his oath even if it is to his own detriment;
5. who does not lend his money at interest, nor accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never falter.
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Tanya: 
• Lessons in Tanya
• Today's Tanya Lesson
Sunday, Elul 5, 5774 • 31 August 2014
Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 12
והיה מעשה הצדקה שלום, ועבודת הצדקה השקט ובטח עד עולם
“And [the reward for] the act of tzedakah will be peace, and [the reward for] the service of tzedakah [will be] quietness and surety forever.”1
Some commentaries explain that “act” (מעשה) and “service” (עבודה) are one and the same; the verse merely reiterates the same theme in different words. Targum Yonatan, however, writes that “act” and “service” indicate two different forms of charity: the reward for the “act” of tzedakah is peace; the reward for the “service” of tzedakah is eternal quietness and surety.
להבין ההפרש שבין מעשה לעבודה, ובין שלום להשקט ובטח
The difference between [the] “act” and “service” of tzedakah, and the difference between the rewards of “peace” and “quietness and surety,” will be understood
על פי מה שאמרו רז״ל על פסוק: עושה שלום במרומיו
by what our Sages, of blessed memory, said2 on the verse,3 “He makes peace in His high places”:
כי מיכאל שר של מים וגבריאל שר של אש, ואין מכבין זה את זה
“Michael is the prince of water and Gabriel is the prince of fire, yet they do not extinguish one another.”
Though water seeks to quench fire and fire endeavors to vaporize water, and “Michael is the prince of water and Gabriel is the prince of fire,” nevertheless they do not extinguish one another.
כלומר
This means to say, not that Michael’s substance derives from the spiritual element of water and Gabriel’s substance derives from the spiritual element of fire, but that
שמיכאל שר של חסד
Michael is the prince of Chesed (“kindness”),
הנקרא בשם מים, היורדים ממקום גבוה למקום נמוך
which is called “water”, because it descends from a high place to a low place.
והוא בחינת ההשפעה והתפשטות החיות מעולמות עליונים לתחתונים
In spiritual terms this [descent] means: the bestowal and diffusion of the [Divine] life-force from the higher to the lower worlds.
ובחינת אש, שטבעה לעלות למעלה, היא בחינת הגבורה, והסתלקות השפעת החיות ממטה למעלה
Fire, whose nature is to soar aloft, represents spiritually the thrust of Gevurah (“severity”), and the upward withdrawal of the flow of life-force,
שלא להשפיע רק בצמצום עצום ורב
in order not to bestow [it] except by way of an intense and immense contraction.
והן מדות נגדיות זו לזו
Now these attributes are in conflict, Chesed representing unlimited effusion, and Gevurah representing limitation and contraction,
והיינו, כשהן בבחינת מדות לבדן
but only when they are in their pristine state as attributes.
Inasmuch as the attributes are inherently limited (and indeed the very word middah means “measure”), each of them is confined to its innate characteristics, Chesed to expansiveness, Gevurah to withdrawal.
FOOTNOTES
1. Yeshayahu 32:17.
2. See Devarim Rabbah 5:12; Tanchuma, Vayigash 6.
3. Iyov 25:2.
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Rambam:
• Daily Mitzvah P100 - Sefer Hamitzvos:
Sunday, Elul 5, 5774 • 31 August 2014
Today's Mitzvah

A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Positive Commandment 100
Postpartum Ritual Impurity
We are commanded regarding the ritual impurity that follows childbirth. [I.e., when contracted, one must follow all the laws associated with this impurity.]
Postpartum Ritual Impurity
Positive Commandment 100
Translated by Berel Bell
The 100th mitzvah is that we are commanded regarding the tumah of a yoledes. This mitzvah includes all the laws of a yoledes.1
FOOTNOTES
1.Ibid.

________________________________________

Rambam:

• 1 Chapter a Day: To`en veNit`an To`en veNit`an - Chapter 3
To`en veNit`an - Chapter 3
Halacha 1
A person who admits a portion of a claim is not liable to take a Scriptural oath until he admits an obligation of a p'rutah or more and denies owing two silver me'in or more.
How much is a p'rutah worth? The weight of half a barleycorn of pure silver. How much is two me'in worth? The weight of 32 barleycorns of pure silver.
Halacha 2
Whenever the Torah speaks of kessef it refers to a holy shekel which is worth 20 me'in. Whenever the term kessef is used with regard to Rabbinic law, the intent is a coin used in Jerusalem referred to as a sela. This coin was one eighth silver and the remainder copper as we explained. A meah, by contrast, even in Jerusalem was pure silver; it was the smallest silver coin used in Jerusalem in that era.
Since the requirement that the claim denied be two measures of silver is Rabbinic in origin, the Sages established it as two silver coins of Jerusalem, i.e., two me'in, rather than two "holy" shekalim. This is the interpretation that appears correct with regard to the amount of money from the claim that must be denied for an oath to be required.
My teachers ruled that the amount of money from the claim that must be denied for an oath to be required is 19 and ½ barleycorns of silver. I have several proofs to refute the path of reasoning they adopted which led to their arriving at this figure. I think that it is an error.
Halacha 3
When the plaintiff claims: "You owe me two me'in and a p'rutah," and the defendant responds: "I owe you only two p'rutot," he is not obligated to take this oath. The rationale is that he denied owing less than two me'in.
When the plaintiff claims: "You owe me a maneh," and the defendant responds: "I owe you only half a p'rutot," he is not obligated to take this oath. The rationale is that whenever a person acknowledges a debt of less than a p'rutah, it is as if he did not acknowledge any debt at all.
Halacha 4
When the plaintiff claims: "You owe me 100 dates," and the defendant responds: "I owe you only ninety," we make calculations. If the ten dates that he denies are worth two me'in, he must take an oath. If they are not, he is not liable.
When the plaintiff claims: "You owe me five or six nuts," and the defendant responds: "I owe you only one," we make calculations. If the nut that he admits owing is equivalent to p'rutah, he must take an oath. If it is not, he is not liable. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.
Halacha 5
When does the above apply? With regard to money, merchandise, produce, or the like. With regard to utensils, by contrast, we do not evaluate their worth. Even when ten needles are being sold for a p'rutah, if a plaintiff claims two needles and the defendant admits owing one and denies owing the other, he is liable to take an oath.
This is derived from Exodus 22:6 which speaks of "money or utensils...." Implied is that all utensils are like money.
The following rules apply when the plaintiff claims that he is owed both money and utensils and the defendant admits owing the utensils, but denies owing the money. If the money he denies is equivalent to two me'in, he is obligated to take this oath. If not, he is under no obligation. Conversely, if he admits owing the money, but denies owing the utensils, he is liable if he admits owing a p'rutah. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.
Halacha 6
When one witness testifies against a colleague, stating that he owes money, he is required to take an oath even when he denied owing only a p'rutah. The rationale is that whenever the testimony of two witnesses would require a person to make a payment, the testimony of one witness obligates him to take an oath.
What is implied? The plaintiff claims: "You owe a p'rutah," or "...merchandise worth a p'rutah," the defendant responds: "I don't owe you anything," and a witness testifies that he does owe the plaintiff, he is required to take an oath.
Similar concepts apply with regard to an oath taken by a watchman. Even if a person entrusted a p'rutah or the worth of a p'rutah to a colleague and that person claimed that it was lost, he is required to take an oath. Anything less than a p'rutah is not financially significant and the court does not concern itself with it. Similarly, all those who take oaths and collect their claim, they take their oaths and collect any claim equivalent to a p'rutah or more.
Halacha 7
My teachers' ruled that a person who takes an oath and collects his claim does not have to issue a claim equivalent to two silver me'in. I differ and maintain that the defendant must deny a claim equivalent to two silver me'in for the plaintiff to be required to take an oath as ordained by the Sages to collect his claim. The rationale is that those who must take an oath because of a claim concerning which doubt exists are not required to take that oath unless there is a sum equivalent to two silver me'in which is denied.
Halacha 8
A person who admits a portion of a claim is not obligated to take an oath unless the admission is of the same nature as the claim.
What is implied? The plaintiff claims: "You owe me a kor of wheat." If the defendant responds: "I only owe you a letach of wheat," he is liable to take the oath. If, however, the defendant responds: "I only owe you a kor of barley," he is not liable. The rationale is that the defendant did not admit owing the species which the plaintiff claimed, and the plaintiff did not claim the species which the defendant admitted owing.
If the plaintiff claims: "I gave you golden dinarim for safekeeping," and the defendant responds: "You entrusted me only with silver dinarim," or the plaintiff claims: "I gave you a silver meah for safekeeping," and the defendant responds: "You entrusted me only with a p'rutah, the defendant is not liable, because the plaintiff claimed one species and the defendant admitted owing another.
Similarly, if the plaintiff claims: "I gave you 10 Egyptian dinarim for safekeeping," and the defendant responds: "You entrusted me only with Tyrian dinarim," he is not obligated to take an oath. Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.
Halacha 9
If the plaintiff claims: "You have a large lamp of mine," and the defendant responds: "I have only a small lamp of yours," he is not liable. If, however, the plaintiff claimed a lamp weighing ten liter, and the defendant admitted owing a lamp weighing five liter, he is considered as one who has admitted a portion of a claim. The rationale is that one can cut away the larger lamp and cause it to weigh only five.
Similarly, if the plaintiff claimed being owed a large belt, and the defendant replied: "I have only a small belt," he is not liable. If he claimed a curtain that was 20 cubits long and he admitted owing a curtain ten cubits long, he is required to take an oath, because it can be cut and limited to ten. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.
Halacha 10
If the plaintiff claims: "You have a kor of wheat of mine in your possession," and the defendant answers: "I have only a kor of barley," he is not liable, not even for the barley. The rationale is that the plaintiff states: "You do not owe me barley." Thus the situation resembles one in which a person tells a colleague in court: "I have a maneh of yours," and that colleague replies: "You do not owe me anything." In such a situation, the court does not require the person making the admission to pay his colleague anything.
If the plaintiff who claims the wheat seizes possession of the barley, we do not expropriate it from him.
Halacha 11
When a person claims that a colleague owes him two types of produce and the colleague admits owing only one, his admission is considered as the same type of the claim and he is required to take an oath. What is implied? The plaintiff claims: "You have a kor of wheat and a kor of barley of mine in your possession," and the defendant answers: "I have only a kor of wheat," he is liable.
The following rules apply when the plaintiff begins saying: "You have a kor of wheat in your possession," and before the plaintiff can complete his statements and add: "And you have a kor of barley of mine in your possession," the defendant answers: "I have only a kor of barley." If it appears to the judges that the defendant is seeking to deceive, he is required to take the oath. If it appears, that he acted in good faith, he is not liable.
Halacha 12
Different rules apply if the plaintiff does not issue both claims at once. For example, he claims: "You have a kor of wheat of mine in your possession," and the defendant answers: "Yes." And then he says: "and a kor of barley," to which the defendant replies: "I have no wheat of yours." He is not considered as admitting a portion of the claim unless the defendant makes these statements at one time. For an oath to be required, the plaintiff must claim: "You have a kor of wheat and a kor of barley of mine in your possession," and the defendant must answer: "I have only a kor of barley." Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.
Halacha 13
Similarly, the defendant is not held liable for an oath when the plaintiff claims: "You have a quantity of oil large enough to fill ten jugs of mine in your possession," and the defendant answers: "I owe you only ten empty jugs." The rationale is that the plaintiff claimed oil and the defendant admitted owing only earthenware.
Different rules apply if the plaintiff claimed: "You have ten jugs of oil of mine in your possession," and the defendant answers: "I owe you only ten empty jugs." The defendant is liable to take an oath. The rationale is that the plaintiff claimed both jugs and oil and the defendant admitted owing the jugs. Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.
Halacha 14
My teachers ruled that the defendant is considered as admitting a portion of a claim and is required to take an oath when the plaintiff claims: "You owe me a maneh which was given to you as a loan," and the defendant answers: "That never happened. I never borrowed from you. I do, however, owe you 50 dinarim which you entrusted to me for safekeeping," "...because of damages," or the like. The rationale is that the plaintiff claimed that the defendant owed him 100 and the defendant admitting owing 50. What difference does it make to me if he became liable because of a loan, as a trustee of an entrusted article, or because of damages? I also favor this approach.
Halacha 15
When a plaintiff claims: "You owe me a maneh and a utensil" and the defendant responds: "I owe you only the utensil. Here it is," the defendant is not required to take a Scriptural oath. He must, however, take a sh'vuat heset that this is all he owes him.
If the owner of the utensil claims that the utensil the defendant seeks to give him is not his own, the defendant must include in his oath that the utensil belongs to the plaintiff. If the defendant admits that this utensil is not the plaintiff's, but was exchanged for it, he is obligated to take an oath.
Whenever we have mentioned above that the defendant is not obligated, the intent is that he is not obligated to take a Scriptural oath. He is, however, obligated to take a sh'vuat heset as we explained on several occasions.
____________________________
Rambam:
• 3 Chapters a Day: Kelim Kelim - Chapter 15, Kelim Kelim - Chapter 16, Kelim Kelim - Chapter 17 
Kelim - Chapter 15
Halacha 1
An earthenware container does not become susceptible to ritual impurity until the tasks necessary to finish it are completed.
When are the tasks necessary to finish it completed? When they are fired in a kiln. An oven: When it is heated to bake donuts. A range with two openings: When it is heated so that a stirred egg can be baked over it in a frying pan. A range with one opening: If it was made for baking, the measure is the same as that of an oven. If it was made for cooking, the measure is the same as that of a range.
Halacha 2
When one has begun building an oven, if it is large, once one has begun building it for four handbreadths and heats it, it is susceptible to impurity. If it is small, once one has begun building it a for a handbreadth and heats it, it becomes susceptible to impurity. A range with two openings, becomes susceptible to impurity, once one has begun building it for three fingerbreadths and heats it. With regard to a range with one opening: If it was made for baking, the measure is the same as that of an oven. If it was made for cooking, the measure is the same as that of a range.
Halacha 3
When an oven was heated from behind, heated in the shop of the craftsman, or heated unintentionally, since it was nevertheless heated, it is susceptible to impurity. An incident occurred when a fire broke out in an oven in a village. The incident was brought before the court for a ruling and it determined that it is susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 4
When an oven was heated to roast food in it, it is susceptible to impurity. When it was heated to whiten bundles of flax, it is pure, because he is not doing wok that affects the substance of the oven.
Halacha 5
When an oven was divided into half and one of its portions was heated and then contracted impurity from liquids, that portion is impure, but the other portion remains pure. If it contracted impurity from the carcass of a crawling animal or other similar impurities of Scriptural origin, everything is impure. The thickness of the partition separating them is impure.
If they were both heated and only one portion contracted impurity from liquids in its inner space, we divide the thickness of the partition. That which is used by the impure portion is impure; that which is used by the pure portion is pure.
When does the above apply? When it was divided and then heated. If, however, it was heated and then divided, if only one of them became impure, even only due to liquids, everything contracts impurity.
Halacha 6
An oven or a range made from stone is always pure. A metal one is pure with regard to the laws of an oven or a range. This is derived from Leviticus 11:35 which states that an impure oven "must be smashed," i.e., these laws apply to an entity that can be smashed. A metal oven or range, is, however, susceptible to the impurity of a metal k'li.
What is implied? Such ovens and ranges do not contract impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity within their inner space, nor do they contract impurity when attached to the ground as an earthenware oven or a range does. And if a source of impurity touches them even from the outside, they contract impurity like all metal keilim. If they contract impurity from a human corpse, they become a primary source of impurity and they can regain purity after contracting other types of impurity through immersion in a mikveh.
Halacha 7
When a metal oven was perforated, blemished, or cracked and one patched it with clay or one made it a coating or an upper surface of clay, it contracts impurity as an earthenware oven does.
How large must the hole be for the above law to apply? Large enough for fire to emerge through it.
Similar concepts apply with regard to a metal range. If pot-rests of clay are made for it, it contracts impurity as an earthenware range does. If one smears clay on a metal range, whether inside or outside, it is still not susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 8
Although an earthenware oven is not fixed to the ground - even if it is hanging from the neck of a camel - it is susceptible to ritual impurity as an earthenware oven is, as implied by ibid.: "They are impure," i.e., in any place they are located.
Halacha 9
A furnace used by smelters of metal that has a place where a pot can be placed contracts impurity as a range does. Similarly, if a range used by glassmakers has a place where a pot can be placed, it contracts impurity as a range does.
Halacha 10
A furnace used to produce lime, glass, or pottery, is pure. An oven with an opening at its side - if it has a border at its side, it is susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 11
The following laws apply when stones were joined to each other and formed into an oven. If one made a coating for it on the inside and on the outside, it is considered as an oven in all contexts and contracts impurity from the presence of a source of impurity within its inner space. If it was coated from the outside alone, it contracts impurity from contact with a source of impurity, but not from the presence of a source of impurity within its inner space.
If stones were connected to an oven, but were not connected to each other, they contract impurity together with the oven. If they were connected with each other, but were not connected to the oven, they are like a tira. If one dug in the earth and fashioned a tira of earth, it is pure. A tira of a range is pure.
Halacha 12
When two barrels and two frying pans are combined to make a range, they contract impurity from the presence of a source of impurity within its inner space and from contact with a source of impurity. The inner space of the barrels is pure. The thickness of the walls of the barrels is divided: That which serves the range is susceptible to impurity; that which serves the inside of the barrels is pure.
Halacha 13
When a person affixes the three earthenware stands of a trivet in the earth and connects them with clay so that he can place a pot on them, they are susceptible to impurity like a range. If he affixed three pegs in the earth so that he can place a pot on them, even though he used clay to make a place on which the pot would sit, they are pure, like a metal range. Similarly, stones that were not coated with clay on which one places a pot are not susceptible to impurity. It is like they are a stone range.
Halacha 14
When a person makes two stones into a range and connects them with clay, they are susceptible to impurity. If he connected one with clay but he did not connect the other with clay, it does not contract impurity.
Halacha 15
When a person rests a pot on a stone and on an oven, on it and on a range with an opening for one pot, or it and on a range with an opening for two pots, it is susceptible to impurity. ...On it and on a wall or on it and on a rock, it is not susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 16
With regard to a range made by a cook - in which instance, one stone is placed at the side of another stone, and then another is placed at its side in a continuous chain and they are all connected with clay: If one of them contacts impurity, they all do not contract impurity.
Halacha 17
The following rules apply when there are three stones that were connected with clay and were made into two ranges, whether they were connected to each other and not connected to the ground or connected to the ground and not connected to each other. If one of the two ranges contracts impurity, the portion of the middle stone which serves the impure range contracts impurity. The portion which serves the pure range, by contrast, remains] pure. If one removed the outer stone of the pure range, the middle stone has been definitively classified and is impure in its entirety. If the outer stone of the impure range is removed, the middle stone is purified in its entirety.
The following rules apply if both ranges contracted impurity. If the middle stone is large, one allocates a portion large enough for a pot to be placed down on it on one side for one range and a portion large enough for a pot to be placed down on it on the other side for the other range, but the remainder of the stone is pure. If it was small, everything contracts impurity.
If the middle stone was removed, different laws apply: If a large pot can be placed down on the two outer ones, the range is impure. If they are further apart, the range is pure. If one returned the middle stone, everything is pure as it was. If one coated it with clay, it is susceptible to ritual impurity in the future, provided one heats each of them sufficiently to cook an egg.
Halacha 18
When two stones were made into a range and contracted impurity, but afterwards one added one stone to the stone on one side and another stone to the stone on the other side, half of each of the two stones from the first range is impure and half is pure. If the two pure stones that were added were later removed, the two stones of the first range return to their initial impurity.
Halacha 19
An earthenware heating counter that has receptacles in which a mixture of ash and coals were placed and which were used for pots is pure with regard to the laws pertaining to a range, but it is susceptible to impurity as an k'li with a receptacle. Therefore, if it was attached to the ground, it is pure as are other keilim. And if it has a hole, it is not susceptible to impurity like other keilim. These laws do not apply to a range.
An entity that touches the sides of the counter does not contract impurity like one which touches a range. Its wide portion where one can sit while the food is cooking contracts impurity if the counter contracts impurity.
Similarly, if one turned over a basket and built a range on top of it, it contracts impurity according to the laws pertaining to a wooden k'li and not according to those applying to a range. Therefore, it does not contract impurity from the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space as a range does.
Kelim - Chapter 16
Halacha 1
The remnants of a larger oven are four handbreadths. The remnants of a small oven are its larger portion.
What is implied? If a large oven is broken, as long as four handbreadths remain, it is susceptible to impurity. And if a small oven is broken, as long as its larger portion remains, it is susceptible to impurity. Similarly, if a large oven contracted impurity and it was smashed to the extent that less than four handbreaths remain, it is pure. A small oven becomes pure when less than its larger portion remains. If more than four handbreadths of a large oven remain or the larger portion of a small oven, it remains impure.
The remnants of a range with two openings are three handbreadths. For a range with one opening: If it was made for baking, the measure is the same as that of an oven. If it was made for cooking, the measure is the same as that of a range.
Halacha 2
How can the owner restore the purity of an oven that contracted impurity that he does not want to destroy? It should be divided into three portions and the coating removed from the shards so that each shard is standing on the earth without a coating of clay.
If he divided it in two, leaving one large portion and one smaller portion, the larger portion is impure and the smaller portion is pure. If they are both of equal size, they are both impure, because it is impossible to make an exact determination which is larger. When, by contrast, an earthenware tabletop with a wall was divided in two equal portions, they are both pure. If one was larger and one smaller, the larger one is impure.
Halacha 3
When an impure oven is divided into three portions and one is as large as the other two, the large portion is impure.
The following laws apply if such an oven was cut into circular portions, widthwise. If the height of every ring was less than four handbreadths, it is pure. If, afterwards, one arranges the rings one on top of the other and coats them with clay, making them into an oven as they were before, it is as if he made a different oven. It is susceptible to impurity only from the time it was reconstructed, provided it was heated to the extent that doughnuts could be baked in it after it was coated with clay.
If one separated the clay coating from the substance of the oven itself and placed sand or pebbles between the rings and the coating, it never becomes susceptible to impurity. Concerning this type of oven, it was said: A woman who is a nidah and one who is pure may both bake inside of it and everything is pure.
If it has one ring that is four handbreadths high and that ring contracts impurity through physical contact with a source of impurity and not from the presence of impurity within its inner space, the remainder of the rings are pure.
Halacha 4
The following rules apply when an oven comes cut in pieces from the craftsman's shop and one makes supports for it so that they will be joined together as a single entity. If one placed them there while it was pure and it contracted impurity, when one removes the supports, it regains purity. Even after he returns them, it remains pure. If one coated the portions of the oven with clay, they become susceptible to impurity from that time onward. It is not necessary to heat the oven, because it was already heated the first time it was assembled.
Halacha 5
When an oven was cut into rings, sand placed between each ring, and the entire structure coated with clay from the outside, it is susceptible to ritual impurity.
Halacha 6
A pit used by Arabs - i.e., one digs in the earth, coats the pit with clay, and bakes in it - is governed by the following rules: If the clay could stand independently, it is susceptible to ritual impurity. If not, it is pure.
Halacha 7
When one brings earthenware shards and sticks them together and forms an oven from them, making a coating for them from the inside and from the outside, after he heats it, it becomes susceptible to impurity, even though none of the shards is of the size required.
Halacha 8
When one removed the base of a large barrel and made it into an oven, coating its exterior with clay, it is pure even though its walls are capable of containing the required amount. The rationale is that once an earthenware container is classified as not being susceptible to impurity, it never becomes susceptible again unless one makes it into an oven and coats it on the inside and on the outside.
Halacha 9
When there is an oven with cracks for which a coating was made for each of the pieces, but the place of the cracks was left open, it is not susceptible to impurity. If clay, lime, or gypsum were placed on the cracks, it is susceptible to impurity. If one patched it with a paste made from ground earthenware and water, tar, sulfur, beeswax, yeast, dough, or animal turds, it is pure. This is the general principle: An entity from which an oven is not usually made is not considered as being sufficient to patch the cracks.
Halacha 10
When the crack in an oven is positioned in a corner, even though one smeared clay at the sides, it is pure.
Halacha 11
When the a shelf outside an oven was placed in a corner in order to bake with it, it is pure. If it comprises the majority of the oven, it is susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 12
The following rules apply when a person filled half of an oven with earth. If the oven contracted impurity from its inner space alone, only the portion above the earth contracts impurity. If it contracted impurity from contact with a source of impurity and the impurity touched its inside, the entire oven contracts impurity, even the portion below the earth.
Halacha 13
The term kirah refers to a range with a place for two pots to rest; the term kopach refers to a range with a place for one pot to rest. Therefore if a kirah is divided lengthwise, it is pure. If it is split across its width, it is still susceptible to impurity. When, by contrast, a kopach is split, it is pure whether it is split lengthwise or widthwise.
Halacha 14
The following rules apply when there is an opening in the upper surface of the base used by homeowners placed below a range. If the opening is less than three handbreadths deep, the range is susceptible to impurity, because if the kindling fuel is less than three handbreadths from the bottom of the range, a pot placed above will cook. If the opening is three handbreadths or more deep, it is not susceptible to impurity, because the fire will be too far from the pot and it will not cook.
If one places a stone or a rock over the opening, the range is still pure. If one coated the stone with clay, it becomes the base of the range and the range is susceptible to impurity in the future.
Kelim - Chapter 17
Halacha 1
All accessories of keilim are considered as the k'li itself. If the k'li contracts impurity, an accessory that is required to enable it to be used also contracts impurity. If the accessory is not required to enable it to be used, it is pure, as will be explained. Therefore when a stone protrudes a handbreadth from an oven or three fingerbreadths from a range with a place for two pots, it is considered as connected. Hence, if the oven or the range contract impurity, these stones also do. If foods or liquids touch these stones, they contract impurity. If they touch a place that is beyond a handbreadth from an oven or beyond three fingerbreadths from a range, they are pure.
Halacha 2
When a range with a place for one pot was made for baking, the measure is the same as that of an oven. If it was made for cooking, the measure is the same as that of a range.
Halacha 3
With regard to the extra layer of earth placed on top of an oven: that of homeowners is pure; that of bakers is susceptible to impurity like the oven is, because it is used as support for a spit. A similar law: an addition built around a pot used by those who cook olives is impure. One used by dyers is pure.
Halacha 4
The "crown" of a range is pure. The following laws apply to the tira of an oven, i.e., a place built at the side of an oven where a loaf is placed when it is removed from the oven. If it is four handbreadths high, it contracts impurity together with the oven. If it is less than four handbreadths high, it is pure, because it is not connected to the oven. If it was connected to the oven, even on three stones, it can contract impurity.
Halacha 5
The following laws apply to a place at the side of a range for a cruse of oil to be stored, for spices to be stored, or for a lamp to be placed. If the range contracted impurity by contact with a source of impurity, all of the above also contract impurity. If the range contracts impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space, they do not contract impurity, because they are considered as joined to the range only by Rabbinic decree. Therefore our Sages made a distinction in this regard, so that terumah and sacrificial food that come in contact with it should not be burnt.
Similarly, any object concerning which it is stated that it contracts impurity through contact with a source of impurity, but it does not contract impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space is considered as connected to an object that is fully susceptible to ritual impurity only according to Rabbinic Law. A distinction was made in its regard so that consecrated foods should not be burnt because of it, but instead, they should be held in abeyance.
Halacha 6
The open space in front of a range is considered as joined to the range when it is elevated three fingerbreadths above the ground. If either the range or its open space contracts impurity either due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space or through contact with a source of impurity, the other entity also contracts impurity.
If the open space was lower than that and one contracted impurity through contact with a source of impurity, the other entity also contracts impurity. If, however, one contracts impurity only due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space, the other entity is not impure. The rationale is that it is only considered as connected according to Rabbinic decree.
When the open space in front of a range was separate from it, when it is three fingerbreadths high, it is considered as joined to the range, both with regard to impurity stemming from contact with a source of impurity or the impurity that arises due to the presence of impurity in its inner space. If it was lower than this or the open space was flat and did not have a border, it is not considered as joined to the range. If the range contracts impurity - whether due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space or through contact with a source of impurity - the open space is pure. Conversely, if the open space contracts impurity, the range is pure.
Halacha 7
The following laws apply with regard to trivets on which a pot is placed on a range. If each of them was three fingerbreadths high or less, if the range contracts impurity - whether through contact with a source of impurity or due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space - all three contract impurity. Similar laws apply if there are four protrusions on which a pot is placed.
If one of the protrusions of the trivet is removed, a slight leniency is granted. If the range contracts impurity from contact with a source of impurity, the two remaining protrusions also contract impurity. But if the range contracts impurity due to the presence of impurity in its inner space, the protrusions do not contract impurity.
If at the outset only two protrusions - one opposite the other - were made to support a pot on a range, similar laws apply. If the range contracts impurity from contact with a source of impurity, the protrusions also contract impurity. But if the range contracts impurity due to the presence of impurity in its inner space, the protrusions do not contract impurity.
When the trivet was more than three fingerbreadths high, the portions that are three fingerbreadths high and lower contract impurity together with the range whether through contact with a source of impurity or due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space. The portions higher than three fingerbreadths contract impurity together with the range if it contracts impurity through contact with a source of impurity. If, however, it contracts impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space, it does not contract impurity with it.
If the protrusions are removed from the rim of the range, when they are located within three fingerbreadths of the rim, they contract impurity together with the range whether through contact with a source of impurity or due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space. When they are located beyond three fingerbreadths from the rim, they contract impurity together with the range if it contracts impurity through contact with a source of impurity. If, however, it contracts impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space, the protrusions do not contract impurity with it.
We are not extremely meticulous with regard to these measurments, for they are all of Rabbinic origin.
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Hayom Yom:
Sunday, Elul 5, 5774 • 31 August 2014

"Today's Day"
Sunday, Elul 5, 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Teitsei, first parsha with Rashi.
Tehillim: 29-34. Also 13-15.
Tanya: XII. "And the act (p. 449) ...of separate attributes. (p. 449).
Our custom in donning the tallit gadol:1 Place the folded tallit on the right shoulder. Inspect the tzitzit while reciting borchi nafshi (p. 11). Remove the tallit from the shoulder and open it. Kiss the top border. Twirl the tallit away from in front of the face to a position behind you.
Begin the b'racha l'hitateif b'tzitzit. Complete the b'racha close to placing the two right corners (of the tallit) around the neck over the left shoulder.
(See Sh'eirit Yehuda, Orach Chayim, 1, and Divrei Nechemya, Orach Chayim, 9.)
FOOTNOTES
1. "Large tallit," worn during prayer - as distinct from the tallit katan ("small tallit") worn constantly (beneath the outer garments).
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Daily Thought:

Imaginary Kindness
Most of the favors we do for others are things they do not need, things they only imagine they need, because live in a world propelled by fantasies.
And most of the kindness we do is saturated with ulterior motives. We do kindness for those we love, those close to us, or those who make us feel good when they receive.
But this does not matter. They are acts of kindness, nonetheless, and G‑d desires to be found in acts of kindness. And where can kindness be performed? In a world of delusions, where people imagine all sorts of needs and each of us is dependent on the other.
The highest, indeed, is found in the lowest, the deepest truths are submerged in the muddiest pits of confusion.(Reshimat Nefesh Hashefeilah, cited and elucidated in Likutei Sichot volume 16, page 41ff.)
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