Today's Laws & Customs:
• Lag BaOmer
Lag BaOmer (the 33rd day of the Omer count) celebrates the end of the plague amongst Rabbi Akiva's students, and the ascent on high of the soul of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (see "Today in Jewish History"). The mourning practices of the Omer period are suspended, which is why many three-year-old boys receive their first haircut on this day. Many visit the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron in northern Israel. It is customary to go on outings and to light bonfires; children play with bow-and-arrows to recall that "during the lifetime of Rabbi Shimon the rainbow (--a sign of the world's unworthiness, as per Genesis 9:14) was not seen."
The Lubavitcher Rebbe initiated the organization of parades of Jewish unity and pride on Lag BaOmer and on a number of occasions (in 1953, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1990) he addressed the parade held near his headquarters in Brooklyn in which thousands of Jewish children and their teachers participated.
Links: Lag BaOmer: The Mystic Dimension
• Count "Thirty-Four Days to the Omer" Tonight Tomorrow is the thirty-fourth day of the Omer Count. Since, on the Jewish calendar, the day begins at nightfall of the previous evening, we count the omer for tomorrow's date tonight, after nightfall: "Today is thirty-four days, which are four weeks and six days, to the Omer." (If you miss the count tonight, you can count the omer all day tomorrow, but without the preceding blessing).
The 49-day "Counting of the Omer" retraces our ancestors' seven-week spiritual journey from the Exodus to Sinai. Each evening we recite a special blessing and count the days and weeks that have passed since the Omer; the 50th day is Shavuot, the festival celebrating the Giving of the Torah at Sinai.
Tonight's Sefirah: Yesod sheb'Hod -- "Connection in Humility"
The teachings of Kabbalah explain that there are seven "Divine Attributes" -- Sefirot -- that G-d assumes through which to relate to our existence: Chessed, Gevurah, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod and Malchut ("Love", "Strength", "Beauty", "Victory", "Splendor", "Foundation" and "Sovereignty"). In the human being, created in the "image of G-d," the seven sefirot are mirrored in the seven "emotional attributes" of the human soul: Kindness, Restraint, Harmony, Ambition, Humility, Connection and Receptiveness. Each of the seven attributes contain elements of all seven--i.e., "Kindness in Kindness", "Restraint in Kindness", "Harmony in Kindness", etc.--making for a total of forty-nine traits. The 49-day Omer Count is thus a 49-step process of self-refinement, with each day devoted to the "rectification" and perfection of one the forty-nine "sefirot."
Links:
How to count the Omer
The deeper significance of the Omer Count
Today in Jewish History:
• Plague among R. Akiva's Disciples Ends (circa 120 CE)
In the weeks between Passover and Shavuot, a plague decimated 24,000 students of the great sage Rabbi Akiva--a result, says the Talmud, of the fact that they "did not respect one another." The plague's cessation on Iyar 18--the 33rd day of the Omer Count or "Lag BaOmer"--is one of the reasons that the day is celebrated each year (see "Laws and Customs" below).
Links: Rabbi Akiva
• Passing of R. Shimon bar Yochai (2nd century CE) Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai ("Rashbi"), was a leading disciple of Rabbi Akiva and one of the most important tana'im whose teachings of Torah law are collected in the Mishnah. He was also the first to publicly teach the mystical dimension of the Torah known as the "Kabbalah", and is the author of the basic work of Kabbalah, the Zohar. For 13 years Rabbi Shimon hid in a cave to escape the wrath of the Romans whose government he criticized. On the day of his passing--Iyar 18, the 33rd day of the Omer Count--Rabbi Shimon gathered his disciples and revealed many of the deepest secrets of the divine wisdom, and instructed them to mark the date as "the day of my joy."
Links: Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
• Passing of Rama (1573?)
Rabbi Moshe Isereles ("Rama") of Cracow (1525-1573?) authored the glosses ("hagga'ot") on R. Yosef Caro's the Code of Jewish Law and is regarded as the definitive Halachic authority for Ashkenazic Jews.
Links: Rabbi Moshe Isserlis
• Ettingen Jews Acquitted (1690)
Following a blood libel and the decree, if found guilty, to destroy the synagogue of Ettingen, Switzerland, the Jews were acquitted. The local Jews celebrated this day as a local "Purim" celebration-day of thanksgiving.
Links: The Other Purims
• IDF Created (1948)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was created on Lag BaOmer of 1948. The IDF comprises the Israeli army, Israeli air force and Israeli navy. It was formed to defend the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state of Israel and combat all forms of terrorism which threaten the daily lives of its inhabitants.
Links: Israel Defense Force (IDF)
• Hurva Synagogue Destroyed (1948)
The Hurva synagogue, located in the Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, was captured and dynamited by the Arab Legion of Jordan during the battle for Old Jerusalem in 1948.
The synagogue was built by the group of disciples of Rabbi Elijah (the "Vilna Gaon") who immigrated from Lithuania in 1864. The synagogue was built on the ruins of the synagogue built by Rabbi Judah Chassid (Segal) and his disciples in 1700, which was destroyed by Arab mobs in 1721. It was therefore named the "Hurvat Rabbi Judah HaChassid"—the ruins of Rabbi Judah the Chassid, or simply "The Hurva"—The Ruin.
In 2010, following several years of construction, the synagogue—built to resemble its Ottoman era form—was once again opened amid great fanfare.
Daily Quote:
As one person, with one heart[Midrash Mechilta (describing the Jews' encampment at Sinai to receive the Torah)]
Daily Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Behar-Bechukotai, 1st Portion Leviticus 25:1-25:18 with Rashi
• English / Hebrew Linear Translation | Video Class
Leviticus Chapter 251And the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, אוַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה בְּהַ֥ר סִינַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר:
on Mount Sinai: What [special relevance] does the subject of Shemittah [the “release” of fields in the seventh year] have with Mount Sinai? Were not all the commandments stated from Sinai? However, [this teaches us that] just as with Shemittah, its general principles and its finer details were all stated from Sinai, likewise, all of them were stated-their general principles [together with] their finer details-from Sinai. This is what is taught in Torath Kohanim (25:1). [And why is Shemittah used as the example to prove this rule, especially since the very fine details are not even specified here (Sefer Hazikkaron)?] It appears to me that its explanation is as follows: [At the plains of Moab, Moses reiterated the majority of the laws of the Torah to the Israelites before their entry into the land of Israel, this reiteration comprising most of the Book of Deuteronomy. Now,] since we do not find the laws of Shemittah [“release”] of land reiterated on the plains of Moab in Deuteronomy, we learn that its general principles, finer details, and explanations were all stated at Sinai. Scripture states this [phrase] here to teach us that [just as in the case of Shemittah,] every statement [i.e., every commandment] that was conveyed to Moses came from Sinai, [including] their general principles and finer details [and that the commandments delineated in Deuteronomy were merely] repeated and reviewed on the plains of Moab [not originally given there]. בהר סיני: מה ענין שמיטה אצל הר סיני, והלא כל המצות נאמרו מסיני, אלא מה שמיטה נאמרו כללותיה ופרטותיה ודקדוקיה מסיני, אף כולן נאמרו כללותיהן ודקדוקיהן מסיני, כך שנויה בתורת כהנים. ונראה לי שכך פירושה לפי שלא מצינו שמיטת קרקעות שנשנית בערבות מואב במשנה תורה, למדנו שכללותיה ופרטותיה כולן נאמרו מסיני, ובא הכתוב ולמד כאן על כל דבור שנדבר למשה שמסיני היו כולם כללותיהן ודקדוקיהן, וחזרו ונשנו בערבות מואב:
2Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a Sabbath to the Lord. בדַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֤י תָבֹ֨אוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְשָֽׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַֽיהֹוָֽה:
a Sabbath to the Lord: For the sake of the Lord, just as is stated of the Sabbath of Creation (see Exod. 20:10) [i.e., just as every seventh day is a holy Sabbath day, acclaiming that God Himself rested on the seventh day and thus acclaiming that God is the Supreme Creator of all existence, likewise, man must rest from working the land on the seventh year, for the sake of God, not for the sake of the land, so that it should gain fertility by lying fallow for a year]. — [Sifthei Chachamim ; Torath Kohanim 25:7] שבת לה': לשם ה', כשם שנאמר בשבת בראשית:
3You may sow your field for six years, and for six years you may prune your vineyard, and gather in its produce, גשֵׁ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ תִּזְרַ֣ע שָׂדֶ֔ךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים תִּזְמֹ֣ר כַּרְמֶ֑ךָ וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֖ אֶת־תְּבֽוּאָתָֽהּ:
4But in the seventh year, the land shall have a complete rest a Sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field, nor shall you prune your vineyard. דוּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ת שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה שָֽׂדְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔ע וְכַרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִזְמֹֽר:
the land shall have [a complete rest]: for fields and vineyards [but you may dig holes in your land]. — [Sifthei Chachamim] יהיה לארץ: לשדות ולכרמים:
nor shall you prune: Heb. לֹא תִזְמֹר. [This refers to the procedure in which] they cut off the [excessive] vine-branches (זְמוֹרוֹת) [and this expression] is rendered [by Onkelos] as לָא תִכְסָח, you shall not cut off, and similar to it is “as thorns cut down (כְּסוּחִים) [that are burned in fire]” (Isa. 33:12), and "it is burned with fire, it is cut (כְּסוּחָה) down. לא תזמר: שקוצצין זמורותיה. ותרגומו לא תכסח, ודומה לו (ישעיה לג יב) קוצים כסוחים, (תהלים פ יז) שרופה באש כסוחה:
5You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest, and you shall not pick the grapes you had set aside [for yourself], [for] it shall be a year of rest for the land. האֵ֣ת סְפִ֤יחַ קְצִֽירְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִקְצ֔וֹר וְאֶת־עִנְּבֵ֥י נְזִירֶ֖ךָ לֹ֣א תִבְצֹ֑ר שְׁנַ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן יִֽהְיֶ֥ה לָאָֽרֶץ:
the aftergrowth of your harvest: although you did not sow it, but it grew by itself from seeds that [inadvertently] had dropped on [the ground] at the time of harvesting. This is called סְפִיחַ. את ספיח קצירך: אפילו לא זרעתה והיא צמחה מן הזרע שנפל בה בעת הקציר, הוא קרוי ספיח:
You shall not reap: to keep it like a regular harvest, but it must be rendered ownerless, [and available] for everyone [to take at will]. — [Be’er Basadeh] לא תקצור: להיות מחזיק בו כשאר קציר, אלא הפקר יהיה לכל:
the grapes you had set aside [for yourself]: [i.e., those grapes] that you set aside (הִנְזַרְתָּ) and kept people away from them and did not declare them ownerless. נזירך: שהנזרת והפרשת בני אדם מהם ולא הפקרתם:
you shall not pick: Those, you shall not pick, but [you may pick] from crops declared ownerless. — [Torath Kohanim 25:8] לא תבצר: אותם אינך בוצר, אלא מן המופקר:
6And [the produce of] the Sabbath of the land shall be yours to eat for you, for your male and female slaves, and for your hired worker and resident who live with you, ווְהָֽיְתָ֠ה שַׁבַּ֨ת הָאָ֤רֶץ לָכֶם֙ לְאָכְלָ֔ה לְךָ֖ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ֣ וְלַֽאֲמָתֶ֑ךָ וְלִשְׂכִֽירְךָ֙ וּלְתוֹשָׁ֣בְךָ֔ הַגָּרִ֖ים עִמָּֽךְ:
And [the produce of] the Sabbath of the land, shall be [yours to eat]: Although I have prohibited the produce [of the Shemittah year] to you, I did not prohibit you to eat it or to derive benefit from it, only that you should not treat it as if you were its owner. Rather, everyone is deemed equal [regarding the use of the Shemittah year’s produce]-you, [your slaves,] and your hired worker and resident. והיתה שבת הארץ וגו': אף על פי שאסרתים עליך, לא באכילה ולא בהנאה אסרתים, אלא שלא תנהוג בהם כבעל הבית, אלא הכל יהיו שוים בה, אתה ושכירך ותושבך:
And the produce of the Sabbath of the land... yours to eat: שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ. You may eat from what you treated as ownerless (שָׁבוּת), [see Sifthei Chachamim], but from that [produce] which is stored away, you shall not eat. — [Torath Kohanim 25:10] שבת הארץ לכם לאכלה: מן השבות אתה אוכל, ואי אתה אוכל מן השמור:
for you, for your male and female slaves: Since Scripture says [regarding Shemittah], “and the poor of your people shall eat [it]” (Exod. 23:11), one might think that it [the produce of the Shemittah year] is prohibited to be eaten by wealthy people. Scripture, therefore, says here, “for you, for your male and female slaves,”-we see that the [wealthy] owners and the male and female slaves are included here [to permit them also to eat of the Shemittah year produce]. — [Torath Kohanim 25:12 and see Sefer Hazikkaron] לך ולעבדך ולאמתך: לפי שנאמר (שמות כג יא) ואכלו אביוני עמך, יכול יהיו אסורים באכילה לעשירים, תלמוד לומר לך ולעבדך ולאמתך, הרי בעלים ועבדים ושפחות אמורים כאן:
and for your hired worker and resident [who live with you]: Even non-Jews. — [Torath Kohanim 25:14] [Hired worker is one hired by the day. Resident is one hired by the year (Bechor Shor).] ולשכירך ולתושבך: אף הגוים:
7And all of its produce may be eaten [also] by your domestic animals and by the beasts that are in your land. זוְלִ֨בְהֶמְתְּךָ֔ וְלַֽחַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאַרְצֶ֑ךָ תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה כָל־תְּבֽוּאָתָ֖הּ לֶֽאֱכֹֽל:
by your domestic animals and by the beasts: But if a beast may eat [Shemittah produce], how much more so are domestic animals [allowed to eat it], since you are obliged to feed them! So why does Scripture mention “by your domestic animals”? [The answer is that Scripture] compares the domestic animal to the beast. As long as beasts [have a particular food available for them to] eat in the field, you may feed your domestic animals from your house. However, once that [particular food] has been consumed by the beasts in the field, you must remove what you had [stored] in your house for your domestic animals [and make that food freely available to everyone]. — [Torath Kohanim 25:15] ולבהמתך ולחיה: אם חיה אוכלת בהמה לא כל שכן, שמזונותיה עליך, מה תלמוד לומר ולבהמתך, מקיש בהמה לחיה, כל זמן שחיה אוכלת מן השדה האכל לבהמתך מן הבית, כלה לחיה מן השדה כלה לבהמתך מן הבית:
8And you shall count for yourself seven sabbatical years, seven years seven times. And the days of these seven sabbatical years shall amount to forty nine years for you. חוְסָֽפַרְתָּ֣ לְךָ֗ שֶׁ֚בַע שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת שָׁנִ֔ים שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְהָי֣וּ לְךָ֗ יְמֵי֙ שֶׁ֚בַע שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת הַשָּׁנִ֔ים תֵּ֥שַׁע וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָֽה:
sabbatical years: Heb. שַׁבְּתֹת שָׁנִים, sabbatical years. Now, [since our verse therefore tells us to count “seven sabbatical years,”] one might think that we should observe seven consecutive sabbatical years, and then make a Jubilee year after them. Scripture, therefore, continues here, “seven years seven times,” thus showing us that every Shemittah year occurs in its own time [namely, every seventh year]. — [Torath Kohanim 25:13] שבתת שנים: שמטות שנים. יכול יעשה שבע שנים רצופות שמטה ויעשה יובל אחריהם, תלמוד לומר שבע שנים שבע פעמים, הוי אומר כל שמטה ושמטה בזמנה:
And the days of these seven [sabbatical years will amount to forty-nine years]: [But is it not already clear that seven years seven times equals forty-nine? However, this] comes to tell us that even though you have not observed the Shemittah years [throughout that period], nevertheless, make a Jubilee at the end of forty-nine years. — [Torath Kohanim 25:14] [This is a Midrashic explanation, linking the end of our verse with the next, to read, “And the days of these seven sabbatical years will amount to forty-nine years for you (and) Then…you shall proclaim with shofar blasts.”] The simple meaning of our verse is, however, that the calculation of the years of the Shemittah cycles will amount to the number forty-nine. והיו לך ימי שבע וגו': מגיד לך שאף על פי שלא עשית שמטות עשה יובל לסוף מ"ט שנה. ופשוטו של מקרא יעלה לך חשבון שנות השמטות למספר מ"ט:
9You shall proclaim [with] the shofar blasts, in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month; on the Day of Atonement, you shall sound the shofar throughout your land. טוְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֞ שׁוֹפַ֤ר תְּרוּעָה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִעִ֔י בֶּֽעָשׂ֖וֹר לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ בְּיוֹם֙ הַכִּפֻּרִ֔ים תַּֽעֲבִ֥ירוּ שׁוֹפָ֖ר בְּכָל־אַרְצְכֶֽם:
You shall proclaim: Heb. וַהַעֲבַרְתָּ, [lit., “you shall pass” something from one place to another. But here, this term] stems from [the similar expression in the verse], “and they proclaimed (וַיַּעֲבִירוּ קוֹל) throughout the camp” (Exod. 36:6), an expression of proclamation. — [R.H. 34a] והעברת: לשון (שמות לו ו) ויעבירו קול במחנה, לשון הכרזה:
[On the tenth of the month,] on the Day of Atonement: But since it says, “on the Day of Atonement,” do I not already know that this occurs “on the tenth of the month”? So why does Scripture need to state, “on the tenth of the month”? However, [it does so,] in order to teach you the following: [The obligation] to sound the shofar on the tenth of the month [i.e., on the Yom Kippur of the Jubilee year] overrides the [prohibition of sounding the shofar on the] Sabbath “throughout your entire land,” whereas [the obligation] to sound the shofar on Rosh Hashanah does not override the [prohibition of sounding the shofar on] Sabbath “throughout your entire land,” except in the court of law [where this prohibition does not apply (see Ramban on our verse)]. — [Torath Kohanim 25:16] ביום הכפורים: ממשמע שנאמר ביום הכפורים איני יודע שהוא בעשור לחדש, אם כן למה נאמר בעשור לחדש, אלא לומר לך תקיעת עשור לחדש דוחה שבת בכל ארצכם, ואין תקיעת ראש השנה דוחה שבת בכל ארצכם, אלא בבית דין בלבד:
10And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year, and proclaim freedom [for slaves] throughout the land for all who live on it. It shall be a Jubilee for you, and you shall return, each man to his property,_ and you shall return, each man to his family. יוְקִדַּשְׁתֶּ֗ם אֵ֣ת שְׁנַ֤ת הַֽחֲמִשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּקְרָאתֶ֥ם דְּר֛וֹר בָּאָ֖רֶץ לְכָל־יֽשְׁבֶ֑יהָ יוֹבֵ֥ל הִוא֙ תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְשַׁבְתֶּ֗ם אִ֚ישׁ אֶל־אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ תָּשֻֽׁבוּ:
And you shall sanctify [the fiftieth year]: [How?] At its commencement, [this Jubilee year] is sanctified in the court, [at which time] they declare: “This year is holy!” וקדשתם: בכניסתה מקדשין אותה בבית דין ואומרים מקודשת השנה:
and proclaim freedom: for slaves, whether a נִרְצָע [a Jewish slave who chose to remain with his master even after his being permitted to go free at the end of six years and who therefore had to have his ear bored (see Exod. 21:16) or a slave] for whom his six-year period since having been sold has not yet elapsed. Said Rabbi Judah: What does this term דְּרוֹר mean? As one who dwells (כִּמְדַייֵר) in a dwelling (בֵּי דַייְרָא) etc., who dwells wherever he wishes, and is not under the domain of others [thus, the term דְּרוֹר denotes “freedom”]. — [Torath Kohanim 25:18, R.H. 9b and see Rashi there] וקראתם דרור: לעבדים, בין נרצע, בין שלא כלו לו שש שנים משנמכר. אמר ר' יהודה מהו לשון דרור, כמדייר בי דיירא ומסחר בכל מדינה וכו', שדר בכל מקום שהוא רוצה ואינו ברשות אחרים:
It shall be a Jubilee: This year is distinguished from all other years, for only it has a special name. And what is that name? It is called יוֹבֵל [meaning “ram’s horn” (see Rashi on Exod. 19:13)], because of the shofar that is sounded [upon its commencement]. יובל הוא: שנה זאת מובדלת משאר שנים בנקיבת שם לה לבדה. ומה שמה, יובל שמה, על שם תקיעת שופר:
and you shall return, each man to his property: that the fields revert to their owners. [This verse does not mean that the owner must return to his field, but that the ownership of the field returns to the one who had sold it (Mesiach Illemim)]. ושבתם איש אל אחזתו: שהשדות חוזרות לבעליהן:
and you shall return, each man to his family: [This clause comes] to include the “bored one.” (See second Rashi on this verse.) - [Kid. 15a] ואיש אל משפחתו תשבו: לרבות את הנרצע:
11This fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you you shall not sow, nor shall you reap its aftergrowth or pick [its grapes] that you had set aside [for yourself]. יאיוֹבֵ֣ל הִ֗וא שְׁנַ֛ת הַֽחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔עוּ וְלֹ֤א תִקְצְרוּ֙ אֶת־סְפִיחֶ֔יהָ וְלֹ֥א תִבְצְר֖וּ אֶת־נְזִרֶֽיהָ:
This fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you: What does this come to teach us?“ Since Scripture says (preceding verse),”And you shall sanctify [the fiftieth year,“ one might think that just as, at the beginning of the year, it gains sanctity progressively, so should its sanctity extend after the year, as it is with other instances of sanctification of holy times, e.g., Sabbath or a holy Festival, with which some ordinary time is added on to the holy time, here, too, some of the year following the Jubilee must be added on to it. Scripture, therefore, says, ”This fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you" - only the fiftieth year, with no extensions. The above] is taught in Tractate R.H. (8b) and Torath Kohanim (25:23). יובל הוא שנת החמשים שנה: מה תלמוד לומר, לפי שנאמר וקדשתם וגו', כדאיתא בראש השנה (ח ב) ובתורת כהנים:
its [grapes that] you had set aside: Heb. נְזִרֶיהָ, those grapes stored away, but you may harvest those that have been rendered ownerless. [For] just as with Shemittah [the term נְזִירֶךָ] is stated [specifically referring to grapes (see Rashi verse 5 above)], so with Jubilee, [this term נְזִרֶיהָ] is stated [and refers specifically to grapes, for Shemittah and Jubilee are equal in all matters. (Mesiach Illemim, Devek Tov, Sifthei Chachamim) See also Be’er Basadeh, Maskil L’David]. Thus, two holy years are found right next to each other-the forty-ninth year [in each cycle] is Shemittah and the fiftieth year is Jubilee. את נזריה: את הענבים המשומרים. אבל בוצר אתה מן המופקרים, כשם שנאמר בשביעית כך נאמר ביובל, נמצאו שתי שנים קדושות סמוכות זו לזו, שנת מ"ט שמטה ושנת החמישים יובל:
12For it is Jubilee. It shall be holy for you; you shall eat its produce from the field. יבכִּ֚י יוֹבֵ֣ל הִ֔וא קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם מִ֨ן־הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה תֹּֽאכְל֖וּ אֶת־תְּבֽוּאָתָֽהּ:
It shall be holy for you: [The produce of Jubilee] attaches its holiness onto the money [it is sold for] like items dedicated to the Holy Temple. However, one might think that [just like items dedicated to the Holy Temple, this produce] leaves [its holy status,] to become unholy-Scripture, therefore, says here “It shall be,” [as if to say,] they shall remain as they were. — [Suk. 40b] קדש תהיה לכם: תופסת דמיה כהקדש. יכול תצא היא לחולין, תלמוד לומר תהיה, בהוויתה תהא:
You shall eat [its produce] from the field: You shall [gauge your] eating in the house, by way of the field. [That is to say,] once [a particular food] has been consumed by the beasts in the field, you must remove [what you had stored of that food] from your house [and make it freely available to all]. (See Rashi on verse 7 above; Torath Kohanim 25:26). Just as was stated regarding Shemittah, so it is stated regarding the Jubilee. מן השדה תאכלו: על ידי השדה אתה אוכל מן הבית, שאם כלה לחיה מן השדה אתה צריך לבער מן הבית, כשם שנאמר בשביעית כך נאמר ביובל:
13During this Jubilee year, you shall return, each man to his property. יגבִּשְׁנַ֥ת הַיּוֹבֵ֖ל הַזֹּ֑את תָּשֻׁ֕בוּ אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־אֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ:
you shall return, each man to his property: But has this not already been stated, [when Scripture says], “ and you shall return, each man to his property” (verse 10 above)? However, [this clause is stated here,] to include one who sold his field, and his son arose and redeemed it, that it reverts to his father in the Jubilee. — [Torath Kohanim 25:28] תשבו איש אל אחזתו: והרי כבר נאמר (פסוק י) ושבתם איש אל אחזתו, אלא לרבות המוכר שדהו ועמד בנו וגאלה שחוזרת לאביו ביובל:
14And when you make a sale to your fellow Jew or make a purchase from the hand of your fellow Jew, you shall not wrong one another. ידוְכִֽי־תִמְכְּר֤וּ מִמְכָּר֙ לַֽעֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ א֥וֹ קָנֹ֖ה מִיַּ֣ד עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ אַל־תּוֹנ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אָחִֽיו:
And when you make a sale to your fellow-Jew or make a purchase from your fellow-Jew: Its simple meaning is obvious. The verse can also be expounded [to teach us the following lesson]: How do we know that when you wish to sell, you should sell to your fellow-Jew? For Scripture says, “ וְכִי תִמְכְּרוּ מִמְכָּר לַעֲמִיתֶךָ,” i.e., “And when you make a sale--sell to your fellow-Jew!” And how do we know that if you come to buy, you should buy from your fellow-Jew? For Scripture continues here: “אוֹ קָנֹה מִיַּד עֲמִיתֶךָ,” i.e., “or when you buy--buy from your fellow-Jew!” - [Torath Kohanim 25:29] וכי תמכרו וגו': לפי פשוטו כמשמעו. ועוד יש דרשה מנין כשאתה מוכר, מכור לישראל חברך, תלמוד לומר וכי תמכרו ממכר לעמיתך מכור, ומנין שאם באת לקנות קנה מישראל חברך, תלמוד לומר או קנה מיד עמיתך:
you shall not wrong: This means wronging through money (see verse 17 below and Lev. 19:33). - [Torath Kohanim 25:31] אל תונו: זו אונאת ממון:
15According to the number of years after the Jubilee, you shall purchase from your fellow Jew; according to the number of years of crops, he shall sell to you. טובְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שָׁנִים֙ אַחַ֣ר הַיּוֹבֵ֔ל תִּקְנֶ֖ה מֵאֵ֣ת עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר שְׁנֵֽי־תְבוּאֹ֖ת יִמְכָּר־לָֽךְ:
According to the number of years after the Jubilee, you shall purchase: The following is its simple meaning, to explain the verse according to its context: [The text] comes to warn against wronging [by overcharging, thereby linking verses 14-16 together (Mizrachi)], [namely, that] when you sell or purchase land, you should be aware of how many years remain until the [next] Jubilee, and according to [that number of] years and the crops that it is fit to yield, the seller should sell and the buyer should buy. For indeed, he will eventually return it to him in the Jubilee year. Thus, if there are [only] a few years [left until the next Jubilee year], and this one sells it for a high price, the purchaser has been wronged. And if there are many years [left until the next Jubilee year], and he will eat many crops from it [until Jubilee-if the purchaser had purchased the land for a low price], the seller has been wronged. Therefore, it must be purchased according to the time [left until the next Jubilee]. And this is [the meaning of] what it says, תְבוּאֹת יִמְכָּרלָ בְּמִסְפַּר שְׁנֵי, “according to the number of years of crops, he shall sell to you.” “According to the number of years of crop yields that it will remain in the hands of the purchaser, you shall sell it to him.” Now, [the word שְׁנֵי can mean “years of” or can mean “two.” Thus,] our Rabbis have expounded from here (see end of this Rashi for clarification), that one who sells his field is not permitted to redeem it in less than two years, that it must remain in the purchaser’s possession for exactly two years to the day, even if there are three crops during those two years, for example, if he sold it to him with crop standing in it [and then the ensuing years brought two more yields of produce. In that case, the seller cannot redeem after one year, claiming that two years’ crops have been issued,] for the word שְׁנֵי [which could mean two, i.e., two yields] does not leave its simple meaning [that it means years,] referring to [the number of years that elapse and] specifically, years that elapse with a yield of crop, but not years of blight. [Now, if the word שְׁנֵי means “years” and not two, then how do our Rabbis expound it to mean “two years”?] Because [the term שְׁנֵי is plural, and] the minimum quantity implied by שָׁנִים is two. — [Arachin 29b; Mizrachi] במספר שנים אחר היובל תקנה: זהו פשוטו ליישב מקרא על אופניו על האונאה בא להזהיר, כשתמכור או תקנה קרקע דע כמה שנים יש עד היובל. ולפי השנים ותבואות השדה שהיא ראויה לעשות ימכור המוכר ויקנה הקונה, שהרי סופו להחזירה לו בשנת היובל. ואם יש שנים מועטות וזה מוכרה בדמים יקרים הרי נתאנה לוקח, ואם יש שנים מרובות ואכל ממנה תבואות הרבה ולקחה בדמים מועטים הרי נתאנה מוכר, לפיכך צריך לקנותה לפי הזמן. וזהו שנאמר במספר שני תבואות ימכר לך, לפי מנין שני התבואות שתהא עומדת ביד הלוקח תמכור לו. ורבותינו דרשו מכאן, שהמוכר שדהו אינו רשאי לגאול פחות משתי שנים, שתעמוד שתי שנים ביד הלוקח מיום ליום, ואפילו יש שלש תבואות באותן שתי שנים, כגון שמכרה לו בקמותיה. ושני אינו יוצא מפשוטו, כלומר מספר שנים של תבואות, ולא של שדפון, ומעוט שנים שנים:
16The more [the remaining] years, you shall increase its purchase [price], and the fewer the [remaining] years, you shall decrease its purchase [price], because he is selling you a number of crops. טזלְפִ֣י | רֹ֣ב הַשָּׁנִ֗ים תַּרְבֶּה֙ מִקְנָת֔וֹ וּלְפִי֙ מְעֹ֣ט הַשָּׁנִ֔ים תַּמְעִ֖יט מִקְנָת֑וֹ כִּ֚י מִסְפַּ֣ר תְּבוּאֹ֔ת ה֥וּא מֹכֵ֖ר לָֽךְ:
you shall increase its purchase: You should sell it at a high price. תרבה מקנתו: תמכרנה ביוקר:
you shall decrease its purchase: You should sell it for less money [than in the case in which many years are left until the Jubilee]. — [Mizrachi]. תמעיט מקנתו: תמעיט בדמיה:
17And you shall not wrong, one man his fellow Jew, and you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord, your God. יזוְלֹ֤א תוֹנוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עֲמִית֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם:
And you shall not wrong, one man his fellow-Jew: Here, [as opposed to the same expression in verse 14 above (see Rashi there),] Scripture is warning against wronging verbally, namely, that one must not provoke his fellow [Jew], nor may one offer advice to him that is unsound for him but according to the mode of life or the benefit of the advisor. And if you say, “Who can tell whether I had evil intentions [when I talked to my fellow in an insulting manner? Perhaps I did so in order to make him feel remorseful and repent his ways].” (see Be’er Basadeh). Therefore, it says, “and you shall fear your God.”-The One Who knows all thoughts-He knows. Concerning anything held in the heart and known only to the one who bears this thought in his mind, it says “and you shall fear your God!” - [B.M. 58b] ולא תונו איש את עמיתו: כאן הזהיר על אונאת דברים, שלא יקניט איש את חברו לא ישיאנו עצה שאינה הוגנת לו לפי דרכו והנאתו של יועץ. ואם תאמר, מי יודע אם נתכוונתי לרעה, לכך נאמר ויראת מאלהיך, היודע מחשבות הוא יודע. כל דבר המסור ללב, שאין מכיר אלא מי שהמחשבה בלבו, נאמר בו ויראת מאלהיך:
18You shall perform My statutes, keep My ordinances and perform them then you will live on the land securely. יחוַֽעֲשִׂיתֶם֙ אֶת־חֻקֹּתַ֔י וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֥י תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם אֹתָ֑ם וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ לָבֶֽטַח:
Then you will live on the land securely: because it is through the transgression of [the laws of] Shemittah that the Israelites are exiled [from their land], as the verse says, “Then, the land will appease its Sabbaths. [All the days of desolation while you are in the land of your enemies -] the land will rest and appease its Sabbaths” (Lev. 26:34). And the seventy years of the Babylonian exile [when the land remained forcibly at rest], corresponded to the seventy years of Shemittah not observed by Israel, [and thus came to rectify and “appease” them]. [see Rashi Lev. 26:25 where the calculation is explained; Shab. 33a; and see II Chron. 36:21] וישבתם על הארץ לבטח: שבעון שמטה ישראל גולים, שנאמר (ויקרא כו לד) אז תרצה הארץ את שבתותיה והרצת את שבתותיה, ושבעים שנה של גלות בבל, כנגד שבעים שמטות שבטלו היו:
Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 88 - 89
• Hebrew text
• English textChapter 88
The psalmist weeps and laments bitterly over the maladies and suffering Israel endures in exile, which he describes in detail.
1. A song, a psalm by the sons of Korach, for the Conductor, upon the machalat le'anot; 1 a maskil2 for Heiman the Ezrachite.
2. O Lord, God of my deliverance, by day I cried out [to You], by night I [offer my prayer] before You.
3. Let my prayer come before You; turn Your ear to my supplication.
4. For my soul is sated with affliction, and my life has reached the grave.
5. I was reckoned with those who go down to the pit, I was like a man without strength.
6. [I am regarded] among the dead who are free, like corpses lying in the grave, of whom You are not yet mindful, who are yet cut off by Your hand.
7. You have put me into the lowest pit, into the darkest places, into the depths.
8. Your wrath has weighed heavily upon me, and all the waves [of Your fury] have constantly afflicted me.
9. You have estranged my friends from me, You have made me abhorrent to them; I am imprisoned and unable to leave.
10. My eye is afflicted because of distress; I call to You, O Lord, every day; I have stretched out my hands [in prayer] to You.
11. Do You perform wonders for the deceased? Do the dead stand to offer You praise? Selah.
12. Is Your kindness recounted in the grave, your faithfulness in the place of perdition?
13. Are Your wondrous deeds known in the darkness [of the grave], or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
14. But, I, to You, O Lord, I cry; each morning my prayer comes before You.
15. Why, O Lord, do You forsake my soul? Why do You conceal Your countenance from Me?
16. From my youth I have been afflicted and approaching death, yet I have borne the fear of You which is firmly established within me.
17. Your furies have passed over me; Your terrors have cut me down.
18. They have engulfed me like water all day long, they all together surrounded me.
19. You have estranged from me beloved and friend; I have been rejected by my intimates.
FOOTNOTES
1.A musical instrument(Metzudot).
2.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
Chapter 89
This psalm speaks of the kingship of the House of David, the psalmist lamenting its fall from power for many years, and God's abandonment and spurning of us.
1. A maskil1 by Eitan the Ezrachite.
2. I will sing of the Lord's kindness forever; to all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
3. For I have said, "The world is built with kindness; there in the heavens You establish Your faithfulness.”
4. I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to David, My servant:
5. "I will establish Your descendants forever; I will build your throne for all generations," Selah.
6. Then the heavens will extol Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness, too, in the congregation of the holy ones.
7. Indeed, who in heaven can be compared to the Lord, who among the supernal beings can be likened to the Lord!
8. The Almighty is revered in the great assembly of the holy ones, awe-inspiring to all who surround Him.
9. O Lord, God of Hosts, who is mighty like You, O God! Your faithfulness surrounds You.
10. You rule the vastness of the sea; when its waves surge, You still them.
11. You crushed Rahav (Egypt) like a corpse; with Your powerful arm You scattered Your enemies.
12. Yours are the heavens, the earth is also Yours; the world and all therein-You established them.
13. The north and the south-You created them; Tabor and Hermon sing of [the greatness] of Your Name.
14. Yours is the arm which has the might; strengthen Your hand, raise high Your right hand.
15. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; kindness and truth go before Your countenance.
16. Fortunate is the people who know the sound of the shofar; Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
17. They rejoice in Your Name all day, and they are exalted through Your righteousness.
18. Indeed, You are the splendor of their might, and in Your goodwill our glory is exalted.
19. For our protectors turn to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
20. Then You spoke in a vision to Your pious ones and said: "I have granted aid to [David] the mighty one; I have exalted the one chosen from among the people.
21. I have found David, My servant; I have anointed him with My holy oil.
22. It is he whom My hand shall be prepared [to assist]; My arm, too, shall strengthen him.
23. The enemy shall not prevail over him, nor shall the iniquitous person afflict him.
24. And I will crush his adversaries before him, and will strike down those who hate him.
25. Indeed, My faithfulness and My kindness shall be with him, and through My Name his glory shall be exalted.
26. I will set his hand upon the sea, his right hand upon the rivers.
27. He will call out to Me, 'You are my Father, my God, the strength of my deliverance.’
28. I will also make him [My] firstborn, supreme over the kings of the earth.
29. I will maintain My kindness for him forever; My covenant shall remain true to him.
30. And I will bestow [kingship] upon his seed forever, and his throne will endure as long as the heavens last.
31. If his children forsake My Torah and do not walk in My ordinances;
32. if they profane My statutes and do not observe My commandments,
33. then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their misdeeds with plagues.
34. Yet I shall not take away My kindness from him, nor betray My faithfulness.
35. I will not abrogate My covenant, nor change that which has issued from My lips.
36. One thing I have sworn by My holiness-I will not cause disappointment to David.
37. His seed will endure forever and his throne will be [resplendent] as the sun before Me.
38. Like the moon, it shall be established forever; [the moon] is a faithful witness in the sky for all time.”
39. Yet You have forsaken and abhorred; You became enraged at Your anointed.
40. You annulled the covenant with Your servant; You have profaned his crown [by casting it] to the ground.
41. You shattered all his fences; You turned all his strongholds into ruin.
42. All wayfarers despoiled him; he has become a disgrace to his neighbors.
43. You have uplifted the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice.
44. You also turned back the blade of his sword, and did not sustain him in battle.
45. You put an end to his splendor, and toppled his throne to the ground.
46. You have cut short the days of his youth; You have enclothed him with long-lasting shame.
47. How long, O Lord, will You conceal Yourself-forever? [How long] will Your fury blaze like fire?
48. O remember how short is my life span! Why have You created all children of man for naught?
49. What man can live and not see death, can save his soul forever from the grave?
50. Where are Your former deeds of kindness, my Lord, which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
51. Remember, my Lord, the disgrace of Your servants, that I bear in my bosom from all the many nations;
52. that Your enemies have disgraced, O Lord, that they have disgraced the footsteps of Your anointed.
53. Blessed is the Lord forever, Amen and Amen.
FOOTNOTES
1.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
Tanya: Likutei Amarim, beginning of Chapter 49
• English Text: Lessons in Tanya
• Hebrew Text
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Sunday, Iyar 18, 5777 · May 14, 2017
Today's Tanya Lesson
Likutei Amarim, beginning of Chapter 49The Alter Rebbe explained in the previous chapter that since the light and life drawn down from G‑d is infinite — Ein Sof, as its name indicates — therefore in order for this finite world to be created, the Divine light had to undergo a multitude of contractions (tzimtzumim). This was the only way that finite creation could proceed from the infinite light of Ein Sof; were it to have been drawn down in an orderly progression, finitude would have never resulted.
As will be explained later in this chapter, all these contractions were a result of G‑d’s love of the Jewish people and His desire that they have the opportunity to fulfill Torah and the mitzvot.
The Alter Rebbe will now describe these contractions in a general manner, and will conclude that just as G‑d “overcame all obstacles” because of His love for the Jews and created finite worlds and creatures, so, too, “as water mirrors the reflection of a face,” should every Jew overcome all obstacles and come to experience a love of G‑d. Moreover, just as G‑d brought forth His light into this world in a manner that transcended orderly and limited progression, so, too, should every Jew seek to serve G‑d not only in an orderly and limited fashion, but without limit, renouncing everything for the sake of his love of Him. Even limitations foisted upon him by the world’s very nature should not act as an impediment to his service of G‑d.
והנה אף כי פרטי בחינות ההסתר והעלם אור אין סוף ברוך הוא בהשתלשלות העולמות, עד שנברא עולם הזה הגשמי, עצמו מספר ומינים ממינים שונים
Even though the particular aspects of the nature of the obscuring and concealment of the [infinite] light of the blessed Ein Sof in the descent of the worlds, descending as they do ever lower until this material world was created, are too numerous to count and are of many diverse kinds,
כידוע לטועמים מעץ החיים
as is known to those who have tasted of the “Tree of Life,” the Kabbalah,
אך דרך כלל הם שלשה מיני צמצומים עצומים כלליים, לשלשה מיני עולמות כלליים, ובכל כלל יש רבוא רבבות פרטים, והם שלשה עולמות: בריאה, יצירה, עשיה, כי עולם האצילות הוא אלקות ממש
yet in general there are three levels of powerful and comprehensive “contractions” giving rise to three comprehensive Worlds, each category consisting of myriads upon myriads of particulars. These are the Worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah — for the World of Atzilut is G‑dliness itself.
Since Atzilut is G‑dliness itself it is not considered to be created ex nihilo, but rather is called Atzilut, which means an emanation from and an extension of G‑dliness — an illumination which comes from G‑d liness itself.
וכדי לברוא עולם הבריאה, שהן נשמות ומלאכים עליונים, אשר עבודתם לה׳ בבחינת חב״ד המתלבשים בהם
In order to create the World of Beriah, which consists of the higher souls and angels whose service to G‑d is in the sphere of the intellectual faculties of ChaBaD which are clothed in them — i.e., G‑dliness is revealed to them in an intellectual manner, through the three intellectual faculties of Chochmah, Binah and Daat,
והם משיגים ומקבלים מהם
and they i.e., the souls and angels apprehend them and receive [influence] from them — from ChaBaD which illumines them,
In order to create a world whose creations are not wholly nullified to G‑d — as is the case in Atzilut — but are only capable of knowledge and comprehension (and it will be noted that comprehension entails an awareness of one’s own being, in that comprehension presupposes an entity who is comprehending),
היה תחלה צמצום עצום כנ״ל
there necessarily preceded a powerful “contraction”, as mentioned above.
A mighty “contraction” was necessary in order to ensure that the light of G‑dliness manifest in Atzilut should be hidden, and that only a “contracted” form of light should illuminate and create creatures of the World of Beriah, which are on a level of creation ex nihilo.
וכן מבריאה ליצירה
So, too, from Beriah to Yetzirah,
In order for the World of Yetzirah — a World far lower than Beriah — to be created, there again had to be a powerful contraction.
כי אור מעט מזער המתלבש בעולם הבריאה, עדיין הוא בבחינת אין סוף לגבי עולם היצירה
for the minute portion of light (“minute”, that is, in relation to the light found in Atzilut) which clothes itself in the World of Beriah is still in a category of infinity in relation to the World of Yetzirah, so that the light of Beriahhad to undergo a powerful “contraction” before it was able to descend into Yetzirah,
ואי אפשר להתלבש בו אלא על ידי צמצום והעלם, וכן מיצירה לעשיה
and it is unable to clothe itself in the latter except through contraction and obscuration. So, too, from Yetzirah to Asiyah.
There, too, the light of the World of Yetzirah had to be considerably limited to enable it to descend into the World of Asiyah.
וכמו שכתוב במקום אחר ביאור שלשה צמצומים אלו באריכות, לקרב אל שכלינו הדל
(1An elaborate explanation of these three “contractions” is given elsewhere, in order to make them more accessible to our poor intellect.)
ותכלית כל הצמצומים הוא כדי לברוא גוף האדם החומרי, ולאכפייא לסטרא אחרא, ולהיות יתרון האור מן החושך
The purpose of all the “contractions” is the creation of the material human body and the subjugation by man of the sitra achra, to bring about the preeminence of light supplanting darkness — by having light replace darkness, and even more so when the darkness itself is transformed into light, at which time the preeminence of light is felt to an even greater degree. This is accomplished:
בהעלות האדם את נפשו האלקית והחיונית ולבושיהן, וכל כחות הגוף כולן, לה׳ לבדו, כנ״ל באריכות
when a person elevates his divine soul and his vivifying soul (a soul which receives its nourishment from kelipot,but through man’s service in Torah and mitzvot is elevated and incorporated into holiness, thereby elevating the souls)together with their garments of thought, speech and action, and all the powers of the body, to G‑d alone, as has been discussed earlier at length,
כי זה תכלית השתלשלות העולמות
for this is the purpose of the progressive descent of the Worlds.
The ultimate purpose of all the descents from level to level and World to World is this physical world. It is here that a Jew is able, through his divine service, to effect the subjugation of evil and the preeminence of light supplanting darkness.
The Alter Rebbe now goes on to say that just as G‑d’s love for the Jews “overcame all obstacles” that (as it were) stood in the way of creating this physical world, contracting His infinite light so that infinite beings could be created, so, too, should every Jew respond in kind by overcoming all obstacles that hinder him from serving G‑d. Furthermore, his level of service too should not be finite but infinite.
והנה כמים הפנים לפנים
And “as water mirrors the reflection of a face”:
Just as water reflects an exact replica of one’s face, so, too, with regard to the “heart of man to his fellow man,” the love of one person to another results in the other person’s loving him as well:
כמו שהקב״ה כביכול הניח וסילק לצדדין דרך משל את אורו הגדול הבלתי תכלית וגנזו והסתירו בג׳ מיני צמצומים שונים, והכל בשביל אהבת האדם התחתון, להעלותו לה׳
As G‑d has (as it were) laid down and set aside, figuratively speaking, His great infinite light, and has stored it away and concealed it by means of three different kinds of “contractions” — and all this because of His love for lowly man, in order to raise him up to G‑d,
This means to say that G‑d created a world in which man may serve Him, and by doing so man is uplifted to G‑d. But how is it possible for love to bring about “contraction”, when love signifies kindness and expansiveness, while contraction and concealment characterize severity? The Alter Rebbe answers this implied question by pointing out that we find that love, too, can bring about contraction, as in the Gemara now quoted:
כי אהבה דוחקת את הבשר
for2 “love impels the flesh,” so that the flesh will not impede it. Thus, because of G‑d’s love for His people, He (figuratively speaking) set aside His great light and concealed it through many contractions, and so on. This being so:
על אחת כמה וכמה, בכפלי כפליים לאין קץ, כי ראוי לאדם גם כן להניח ולעזוב כל אשר לו מנפש ועד בשר, ולהפקיר הכל
how much more, and an infinite number of times more, is it fitting that a man also should relinquish and set aside all he possesses, both spiritually and physically, and renounce everything,
בשביל לדבקה בו יתברך בדביקה חשיקה וחפיצה, ולא יהיה שום מונע מבית ומחוץ, לא גוף ולא נפש ולא ממון ולא אשה ובנים
in order to cleave to Him, with attachment, desire and longing, without any hindrance, within or without, neither of body nor soul — hindrances from “within”, nor money, nor wife and children — hindrances from “without”. None of these things should hinder him from cleaving to G‑d. By renouncing them all he sets aside even his most important needs for the sake of his love of G‑d.
FOOTNOTES
1. Parentheses are in the original text.
2. Bava Metzia 84a.
Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
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Sunday, Iyar 18, 5777 · May 14, 2017
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 113
The Red Heifer
"And it shall be as a keepsake for the congregation of the children of Israel"—Numbers 19:9.
We are commanded to prepare a red heifer [as detailed in the Torah], to have it ready for the procedure of purifying those who are ritually impure as a result of contact with a corpse.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
The Red Heifer
Positive Commandment 113
Translated by Berel Bell
The 113th mitzvah is that we are commanded to prepare the red heifer1 to have it ready for the procedure of purifying those who are tameh as a result of tumas meis.2
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement3 (exalted be He), "[A ritually clean person shall gather up the cow's ashes and...] it shall be a keepsake for the congregation of the Jewish people."
The details of this mitzvah are found in the tractate devoted to this subject, tractate Parah.
FOOTNOTES
1.To slaughter it, burn it, gather the ashes, etc.
2.See P107.
3.Num. 19:9.
• 1 Chapter: She'elah uFikkadon She'elah uFikkadon - Chapter 8
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She'elah uFikkadon - Chapter 8
1
The following rules apply when a person entrusts an animal or articles to a colleague, and they were lost or stolen. If the watchman says, "I will pay," because he does not desire to take an oath, he acquires the rights to certain profits that come because of the article.
If the thief is discovered, he must pay twice the value of the article. If he slaughtered it or sold it, he should pay four or five times the value of the stolen animal. To whom should restitution be made? To the person who has the rights to the article i.e., the watchman, for he said that he would make restitution.
If the animal itself is returned, it should be returned to the owner - it, its shearings and its offspring. For the watchman does not acquire the profits that come from its body, but only the profits that come because of outside factors. We have already explained that the thief is required to return only the shearings and the offspring that preceded the owner's despair of the recovery of his property.
If the watchman took the oath because he did not desire to pay, and afterwards the thief is discovered, the thief must pay twice the value of the article. If he slaughtered it or sold it, he should pay four or five times the value of the stolen animal. To whom should restitution be made? To the owner of the entrusted article.
Similarly, when a person rents a cow from a colleague and it is stolen, if he says, "I am willing to pay and I will not take an oath," if the thief is discovered afterwards, he should pay double or four or five times to the renter. For had the renter desired, he could have taken an oath that the cow was stolen in a manner in which he could not control, and he would be released from liability.א
המפקיד אצל חבירו בהמה או כלים ונגנבו או אבדו אמר הריני משלם ואיני נשבע ונמצא הגנב משלם תשלומי כפל טבח או מכר משלם תשלומי ארבעה וחמשה למי משלם למי שהיה הפקדון אצלו שהרי אמר אשלם חזרה הבהמה עצמה חוזרת לבעליה היא וגזותיה וולדותיה שאין זה השומר קונה שבח הבא מגופה אלא שבח הבא מאליו וכבר ביארנו שאין הגנב מחזיר גזות וולדות אלא לפני יאוש נשבע השומר ולא רצה לשלם ואחר כך נמצא הגנב משלם תשלומי כפל טבח או מכר משלם תשלומי ארבעה וחמשה למי משלם לבעל הפקדון וכן השוכר פרה מחבירו ונגנבה ואמר הריני משלם ואיני נשבע ואחר כך הוכר הגנב משלם תשלומי כפל ותשלומי ארבעה וחמשה לשוכר שאילו רצה השוכר היה נשבע שנגנבה באונס ונפטר:
2
When an unpaid watchman says, "I was negligent," he acquires the right to the double payment because he obligated himself to make restitution. For had he said, "It was stolen," or "It was lost," he would not have been liable. Similarly, when a renter or a borrower says, "It was stolen," he acquires the right to the double payment because he obligated himself to make restitution. For had he said, "It died," he would not have been liable.
A borrower, by contrast, does not acquire the right to the double payment until he makes restitution on his own initiative. If afterwards the thief is discovered, he makes the payment of four or five times the animal's value to the borrower.ב
שומר חנם שאמר פשעתי זכה בכפל שהרי חייב עצמו לשלם ואילו רצה אמר נגנבה או אבדה והיה פטור וכן נושא שכר והשוכר שאמר נגנבה קנה הכפל שהרי חייב עצמו לשלם ואילו רצה אמר מתה והיה נפטר אבל השואל אינו קונה הכפל עד שישלם מעצמו קידם ושלם מעצמו ואח"כ הוכר הגנב משלם תשלומי ארבעה וחמשה לשואל:
3
Whenever a watchman acquires the rights to the double payment, he also acquires the rights to any profit that comes as a matter of course.
What is implied? A person entrusts four se'ah, worth a sela, to his colleague. They were stolen or lost. The watchman says, "I will pay a sela; I do not desire to take the oath." If they were later discovered and at that time were worth four sela'im, they are granted to the watchman. He, however, is required to pay only a sela.
When does the above apply? When the watchman did not trouble the owner to undertake legal process to recover his money. Different rules apply, however, if the watchman admits that he was negligent and the court required him to pay, but he did not do so willingly and had to be compelled by the court, and it had to expropriate the money from him. If, afterwards, the thief is found or the entrusted article is discovered, it should be returned to the owner in its present condition. The money that was expropriated from the watchman should be returned to him. If the court expropriated utensils or land from the watchman after evaluating them, the watchman's utensils or land should be returned to him.ג
כל הקונה הכפל קונה השבח הבא מאליו כיצד הפקיד ארבע סאין אצל חבירו והרי הן שוין סלע ונגנבו או אבדו ואמר הריני משלם סלע ואיני נשבע ואחר כך נמצאו והרי הן שוין ארבע סלעים הרי הן של שומר ואינו משלם אלא סלע בד"א בשלא הטריחן לבעלים בדין אבל אם הודה שפשע וחייבוהו ב"ד ליתן ולא נתן ברצונו עד שכפוהו ב"ד על כרחו ונטלו ממנו ואח"כ הוכר הגנב או נמצא הפקדון יחזיר לבעלים כמות שהוא ומחזירין לשומר הדמים שלקחו ממנו ואם כלים או קרקע גבו ב"ד ממנו בשומא מחזיר לשומר כליו או שדהו:
4
When the owner demanded the return of the entrusted article from a watchman, the watchman took an oath to free himself of responsibility, but made restitution regardless, if the thief was discovered afterwards, since the watchman made restitution willingly, he acquires the right to the double payment.
This applies despite the fact that at the outset, he troubled the owner to take him to court until he took an oath. Similarly, if at first the watchman said, "I will not pay," and then he said, "I will pay," he acquires the right to the double payment.ד
תבעוהו בעלים לשומר ונשבע ואחר כך שלם והוכר הגנב הואיל ושלם ברצונו זכה בכפל אף על פי שהטריחו בתחילה לדין עד שנשבע אמר השומר בתחלה איני משלם וחזר ואמר הריני משלם זכה בכפל:
5
All the following situations represent questions left unresolved by the Talmud: The watchman said, "I will pay" and then said, "I refuse to pay";
the watchman said, "I will pay" and then died, and his children said, "We refuse to pay";
the owner was not able to demand payment from the watchman before the watchman died; he demanded payment of his sons and they paid;
the sons of the watchman paid the sons of the owner;
the watchman paid half the sum;
he borrowed two cows and paid for one of them;
he borrowed from partners and paid one of them;
partners borrowed and one of them paid;
he borrowed from a woman and paid her husband;
a woman borrowed and her husband paid.
There is unresolved doubt with regard to all the above instances. The ownership of the money is in doubt, and it is not in the hands of either of them. Therefore, the double payment or the increase in the value of the entrusted article is divided between the owner and the watchman. If, however, one of them took the initiative and seized the entire amount, it should not be expropriated from his possession. This applies even in the diaspora.ה
אמר הריני משלם וחזר ואמר איני משלם או שאמר הריני משלם ומת ואמרו הבנים אין אנו משלמין או שלא הספיק לתבוע את השומר עד שמת ותבע הבנים ושלמו בני השומר או ששלמו הבנים לבנים או ששלם השומר מחצה שאל שתי פרות ושלם אחת מהן שאל מהשותפין ושלם לאחד מהן שותפין ששאלו ושלם אחד מהן שאל מן האשה ושלם לבעלה אשה ששאלה ושלם בעלה כל אלו ספק והרי הכפל מוטל בספק ואינו תחת יד אחד מהן לפיכך חולקין הכפל או השבח בין בעל הפקדון ובין השומר ואם קידם אחד מהן ותפס הכל אין מוציאין מידו ואפילו בח"ל:
6
When the entrusted article was stolen in a manner beyond the watchman's control, and afterwards the thief was discovered, both an unpaid watchman and a paid watchman must lodge a legal claim against the thief. The watchman is not required to take an oath.
The following rules apply when the watchman hurried and took the oath before the thief was discovered, and then the thief was discovered. If he is an unpaid watchman, he may remain content with his oath if he desires. If he desires, he may lodge a legal claim against the thief. If he is a paid watchman, he must lodge a legal claim against him.
There is a question when an animal that was deposited as an entrusted article is stolen in a manner beyond the watchman's control and then returned by the thief to the watchman's house, and it dies there because of the watchman's negligence. There is an unresolved question whether his responsibility as a watchman was concluded when the article was stolen, and hence he is absolved of liability or his responsibility did not conclude. Hence, the watchman is not required to make restitution. If the owner seizes the animal's worth, it is not expropriated from his possession.ו
נגנב הפקדון באונס ואח"כ הוכר הגנב אחד ש"ח ואחד ש"ש עושה דין עם הגנב ואינו נשבע קדם ונשבע ואחר כך הוכר הגנב אם ש"ח הוא רצה עומד בשבועתו רצה עושה דין עם הגנב ואם ש"ש הוא עושה עמו דין נגנב הפקדון באונס והחזירו הגנב לבית השומר והרי הוא בהמה ומתה שם בפשיעה יש בדבר ספק אם כלתה שמירתו ונפטר או עדיין לא כלתה שמירתו לפיכך השומר פטור מלשלם ואם תפסו הבעלים אין מוציאין מידם:
With God's help, this concludes the Laws of Borrowing and Entrusted Objects
סליקו להו הלכות שאלה ופקדון:
• 3 Chapters: Parah Adummah Parah Adummah - Chapter 5, Parah Adummah Parah Adummah - Chapter 6, Parah Adummah Parah Adummah - Chapter 7
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Parah Adummah - Chapter 5
1
All of those involved in offering the red heifer from the beginning to the end become impure and impart impurity to their garments as long as they are involved in its being offered. This concept is derived as follows: With regard to the one who slaughters the heifer and one who casts the cedar wood into its belly, Numbers 19:7 states: "The priest shall launder his clothes and wash his flesh." And with regard to the one who burns it, ibid.:8 states: "The one who burns it shall launder his clothes," and ibid.:10 states: "The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall launder...."
These verses teach that all those involved in offering it from the beginning until the end impart impurity to their clothes, must immerse themselves, and wait for nightfall to regain purity according to Scriptural Law. One who guards the heifer at the time it is being offered imparts impurity to his garments according to Rabbinic Law. This is a decree lest he move one of its limbs.א
כל העוסקין בפרה מתחלה ועד סוף מטמאין בגדים כל זמן עשייתן שנאמר בשוחט ומשליך עץ ארז וכבס בגדיו ורחץ בשרו ונאמר בשורף והשורף אותה יכבס בגדיו ונאמר וכבס האוסף את אפר הפרה מלמד שכל העוסקין בה מתחלה ועד סוף מטמאים בגדים וטעונין טבילה והערב שמש דין תורה אבל המשמרה בשעת עשייתה מטמא בגדים מדבריהם גזירה שמא יזיז בה אבר:
2
Whenever the Torah states with regard to impurity: "One shall launder his clothes," it does not come merely to teach that the clothes on a person are impure. Instead, it teaches that every garment or implement that this impure person will touch while he is still in contact with the object that imparted impurity to him becomes impure. After he separates himself from the object that imparted impurity to him, he does not impart impurity to his garments or to other objects.
What is implied? A person who carries an animal carcass imparts impurity to the clothes he is wearing and to any implement he touches as long as he is carrying it. They are considered as a first degree derivative of impurity. Similarly, the one who carries the animal carcass is considered as impure to the first degree. If he ceased contact with the object that imparted ritual impurity, casting away the animal carcass, he remains impure to the first degree as before. If, however, he touches an implement or a garment, he does not impart impurity to it, for a derivative of ritual impurity does not impart impurity to implements, as we explained in the beginning of this text. Similar laws apply to all types of impurity analogous to that imparted by an animal carcass.
Similarly, with regard to all those involved in offering the red heifer: If they touch a garment or an implement at the time they are slaughtering or burning the heifer, it becomes impure. After such an individual ceased the tasks involved with it, however, even though he has not yet immersed, he does not impart impurity to an implement that he touches, because he is merely a derivative of impurity.
The red heifer itself does not impart impurity to a person or to implements that touch it. It is only those involved in its offering who become impure, must immerse themselves, and impart impurity to their garments, as long as they are involved in its offering.ב
כ"מ שנאמר בתורה בטומאות יכבס בגדיו לא בא ללמדנו שהבגדים שעליו בלבד הם טמאים אלא ללמד שכל בגד או כלי שיגע בו הטמא הזה בשעת חיבורו במטמאיו הרי הן טמאים אבל אחר שיפרוש ממטמאיו אינו מטמא בגדים כיצד הנושא את הנבילה אחד בגד שעליו או כלי שיגע בו כל זמן שהוא נושאה הרי הן טמאין והרי הן ראשון לטומאה וכן זה הנושא הרי הוא ראשון פירש ממטמאיו והשליך את הנבילה הרי הוא ראשון כמות שהיה ואם יגע בכלי או בגד אינו מטמא אותו שאין ולד טומאה מטמא כלים כמו שביארנו בתחלת ספר זה וכן כל כיוצא בנבילה וכן כל העוסקין בפרה אם נגע בבגד או בכלי בשעת שחיטה או בשעת שריפה הרי הן טמאין אבל אחר שיפרוש ממעשיה אעפ"י שעדיין לא טבל אם נגע בכלי אינו מטמאו מפני שהוא ולד הטומאה והפרה עצמה אינה מטמאה לא אדם ולא כלים שנגעו בו אלא המתעסק בה בלבד הוא הטמא וטעון טבילה ומטמא בגדים כל זמן שעוסק בה:
3
When does the above apply? When the red heifer was burnt as prescribed. If, however, it was disqualified, those involved in offering it are pure. If a disqualifying factor occurred during its slaughter, it does not cause a person's garments to become impure. If a disqualifying factor occurs during the sprinkling of its blood, those who were involved with its offering before it was disqualified impart impurity to their garments. Those involved after its disqualification do not impart impurity to their garments.ג
בד"א בזמן שנשרפת כמצוותה אבל אם נפסלה המתעסק בה טהור אירע פיסול בשחיטתה אינה מטמאה בגדים אירע פיסול בהזייתה כל העוסק בה לפני פיסולה מטמא בגדים לאחר פיסולה אינו מטמא בגדים:
4
When the collection of its ashes was completed, anyone who is involved with it - i.e., with the division of its ashes or with setting them aside for safekeeping - or who touches it, is pure.
These principles do not apply to the red heifer alone, but also to all the sin-offerings of bulls and goats that are burnt. One who burns them imparts impurity to his garments while he is burning them until they are reduced to ashes. For behold, with regard to the bull and the goat burned on Yom Kippur, Leviticus 16:25 states: "The one who burns them shall launder his garments." According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that this is a general rule applying to all those who burn sacrificial offerings, teaching that they impart impurity to their garments until the offerings are reduced to ashes.
When does the above apply? When no disqualifying factor occurred and they were burned in the ashheap as prescribed. If, however, they were disqualified in the Temple Courtyard, they are burned there like disqualified offerings and the one who burns them is ritually pure. Similarly, one who is involved with these offerings after they have been reduced to ashes does not impart impurity to his garments.
Who is considered as "one who burns" it? Anyone who helps in burning it, for example, one who turns over the meat, one who places wood upon it, one who fans the fire, one who stirs the coals so that the fire will burn, and the like. In contrast, one who kindles the flame and one who builds the arrangement are pure.
According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that one who carries the bulls and the goats that are burnt to transport them to the ashheap to burn them is ritually impure and imparts impurity to his garments according to Scriptural Law as long as he is involved in transporting them. To regain purity, he is required to immerse himself in a mikveh and wait until nightfall like the one who sends the goat to Azazel. The latter imparts impurity to all the garments and all the implements that he touches that are on him throughout the time he is involved in sending the goat to its destination, as ibid.:26 states: "The one who sends the goat to Azazel shall launder his garments."ד
השלים לכנוס את אפרה המתעסק בה אחר כן בחילוק העפר או בהצנעתו וכן הנוגע בו טהור ולא הפרה בלבד אלא כל החטאות הנשרפות מן הפרים ומן השעירים השורפם מטמא בגדים בשעת שריפתו עד שיעשו אפר שהרי הוא אומר בפר ושעיר של יום הכפורים והשורף אותם יכבס מפי השמועה למדו שזה בנין אב לכל הנשרפים שיהו מטמאין בגדים עד שיעשו אפר במה דברים אמורים בשלא אירע להן פיסול ונשרפו כמצוותן בבית הדשן אכל אם נפסלו בעזרה נשרפין שם כפסולי המוקדשין ושורפן טהור וכן המתעסק בהן משיעשו אפר אינו מטמא בגדים ואי זהו שורף זה המסייע בשריפה כגון המהפך בבשר והמשליך עצים והמהפך באש והחותה גחלים כדי שתבער האש וכיוצא בהן אבל המצית האור והמסדר את המערכה טהור כך למדו מפי השמועה שהנושא פרים ושעירים הנשרפין להוציאן לבית הדשן לשורפן טמא ומטמא בגדים דין תורה כל זמן שהוא עוסק בהולכתן וטעון טבילה והערב שמש כמו המשלח את השעיר לעזאזל שהוא מטמא כל בגד וכל כלי שיגע בו בכלים שעליו כל זמן שמתעסק בשלוחו שנאמר והמשלח את השעיר לעזאזל יכבס בגדיו:
5
From when do those who carry the bulls and goats that are burnt impart impurity to their garments? When they take them out of the Temple Courtyard. If they carried them with poles and some of those carrying them left the walls of the Temple Courtyard and others did not depart, those that departed impart impurity to their garments. Those who did not yet depart do not impart impurity to their garments until they depart.
If they depart and then return to the Temple Courtyard and transfer the carcasses to others, the others who carry them in the Temple Courtyard are pure until they take them out.
If a person was standing outside the Courtyard and was pulling the poles on which the carcasses were hanging from the Courtyard after they were returned there, he is considered as being impure of doubtful status, since the sacrificial animals had already been taken outside and the one pulling them was standing outside.ה
מאימתי מטמאין בגדים הנושאין פרים ושעירים הנשרפים משיצאו בהן חוץ לחומת העזרה נשאום במוטות ויצאו מקצת הנושאים חוץ לחומת העזרה והאחרונים לא יצאו אלו שיצאו מטמאין בגדים ואלו שעדיין לא יצאו אינן מטמאין בגדים עד שיצאו יצאו וחזרו לעזרה הנושאין בעזרה טהור עד שיצא בהן היה עומד חוץ לעזרה ומושך אותם משם מאחר שחזרו הואיל וכבר יצאו לחוץ וה"ז המושכם בחוץ הרי הוא ספק טמא:
6
When does the person who sends the goat to Azazel impart impurity to his garments? From the time he departs Jerusalem until he pushes the goat off the cliff to Azazel. After he pushes it off the cliff, if he touches implements or garments, they are pure.ו
ומאימתי מטמא בגדים המשלח את השעיר משיצא חוץ לחומת ירושלים עד שעת דחייתו לעזאזל אבל אחר שדחהו אם נגע בכלים ובבגדים טהורים:
7
When an entity - whether a person, an implement, food, or liquid - touches the bodies of the bulls and the goats that are burnt, even after they have been taken out of the Temple Courtyard, everything is pure. Similarly, if they would touch the goat sent to Azazel itself while it is being carried there, they would be pure. For these sacrificial animals impart impurity only to one who is involved with carrying them, as indicated by Leviticus 16:28: "The one who burns them shall launder his garments." One who touches, by contrast, is pure.ז
הנוגע בפרים ובשעירין הנשרפין עצמן אפילו אחר שיצאו בין אדם בין כלים בין אוכלין בין משקין הכל טהור וכן אם נגעו בשעיר המשתלח עצמו בזמן הולכתו טהורין שאין אלו מטמאין אלא למתעסק בהן בלבד שנאמר והשורף אותה יכבס בגדיו אבל הנוגע טהור:
Parah Adummah - Chapter 6
1
The water upon which the ashes of the red heifer are placed must be drawn only with a container and only from a spring or flowing river, as Numbers 19:17 states: "And he shall place upon it living water in a vessel."
Placing the ashes of the heifer on the water that was drawn is called sanctification. The water on which the ashes were placed is called mei chatat and sanctified water. Scripture Numbers 19:9 refers to them as mei nidah, "sprinkling water."א
המים שנותנין עליו אפר הפרה אין ממלאין אותן אלא בכלי ומן המעיינות או מן הנהרות המושכין שנאמר ונתן עליו מים חיים אל כלי ונתינת אפר הפרה על המים שנתמלאו הוא הנקרא קידוש והמים האלו שניתן עליהן האפר הן הנקראין מי חטאת ומים מקודשין והם שקראן הכתוב מי נדה:
2
Everyone is acceptable to draw the water for the ashes of the red heifer, except a deafmute, an intellectually or emotionally compromised person, and a minor. Similarly, everyone is acceptable to sanctify the water except a deafmute, an intellectually or emotionally compromised person, and a minor.
One must draw such water and sanctify it only with a vessel and one may sprinkle the ashes only from a vessel. Drawing this water and sanctifying it is acceptable at night, but the sprinkling and the immersion of the hyssop in the water is acceptable only during the day. The entire day is fit for the sprinkling and this immersion.ב
הכל כשרים למלאות המים חוץ מחרש שוטה וקטן והכל כשרין לקדש חוץ מחרש שוטה וקטן ואין ממלאין ואין מקדשין אלא בכלי ואין מזין אלא מכלי והמילוי והקידוש כשרין בלילה אבל אין מזין ואין טובלין אלא ביום וכל היום כשר להזאה ולטבילה:
3
One may draw this water, sprinkle it when mixed with the ashes, and sanctify it with all vessels, even vessels made of animal turds, stone, or earth, or a ship. This applies to earthenware utensils and all other utensils. One may not, however, draw this water, sprinkle the water, or sanctify it with the walls of a vessel, the base of an earthenware distributor of water, the sealing of a jug, one's hands, an egg-shell, or a trough within a natural rock. One may, however, used an egg made by a potter, because it is considered as a vessel made from earth.ג
בכל הכלים ממלאין ומזין ומקדשין אפילו בכלי גללים וכלי אבנים וכלי אדמה ובספינה ואחד כלי חרס ואחד כל הכלים אבל אין ממלאין ואין מקדשין ולא מזין בדפנות הכלים ולא בשולי המחץ ולא במגופת החבית ולא בחפניו ולא בביצת התרנגולת ולא בשוקת שבסלע אבל ביצת היוצרים כשירה מפני שהיא כלי אדמה:
4
We may not sanctify with the base of a wooden vessel, that of a glass vessel, or that of a bone vessel unless they were smoothed down, repaired, and made into vessels in their own right. Similarly, if the sealing of a jug was fixed to serve as a vessel, one may sanctify the water with it. An ostrich egg is acceptable for sanctification. Needless to say, it is acceptable to be used to draw this water and sprinkle from it.ד
שולי כלי עץ וכלי זכוכית וכלי עצם אין מקדשין בהן עד שישוף אותן ויתקנם ויעשם כלים בפני עצמן וכן מגופה שהתקינה להיות כלי מקדשין בה וביצת הנעמית כשירה לקדש בה ואין צ"ל שכשירה למלאות בה ולהזות ממנה:
5
When a utensil was attached to the earth or to rock, even if it was attached with lime, one may sanctify in it or sprinkle from it. The following laws apply if one made a border of clay around such a container and the water in the container was filled beyond its limits until it is held within the border. If the border remains intact when the container is moved, the water in it is acceptable. It is as if it is in a container made from earth. If not, it is as if one formed a border of clay on a rock or on the earth and filled it with water. This would be unacceptable, because the water is not in a container.ה
כלי שחיברו בארץ או בסלע אפילו חיברו בסיד מקדשין בו ומזין ממנו עשה עטרה של טיט סביב לכלי והמים שבכלי צפין עד שהלכו לעטרה אם ניטלת העטרה עם הכלי הרי המים שבתוכה כשרים שהרי הן בכלי אדמה ואם לאו הרי הן כמי שהקיף עטרה של טיט בסלע או על הארץ ומילא אותה מים שהן פסולין מפני שאינן בכלי:
6
When an earthenware container has been perforated to the extent that water would enter it, one may not draw this water or sanctify it with it. If, however, its hole is smaller and water will leak out, but will not enter, one may sanctify with it.ו
כלי חרס שניקב בכונס משקה אין ממלאין ומקדשין בו אבל אם ניקב במוציא משקה מקדשין בו:
7
When a container has been perforated from below and plugged close with rags, it is invalid. The rationale is that the water in it is not resting on the base of the utensil, but on the plug. If it was perforated from the side and plugged, it is acceptable to draw this water, sanctify it, and sprinkle it using such a container.ז
כלי שניקב מלמטה וסתמו בסמרטוטין פסול שהמים שבו אינן על עיגול הכלי אלא על הפקק היה נקוב מן הצד ופקקו הרי זה כשר למלאות ולקדש ולהזות ממנו:
8
When someone splashes water from a spring with his hands or his feet or with shards, causing them to enter a barrel, the water is unacceptable to be used for a red heifer, because it was not drawn with a utensil. Even if one placed the barrel in the water and pushed the water with his hands or feet or with vegetable leaves so that it flows into the barrel, it is unacceptable. Similarly, if one submerged articles into water so that the water would rise and flow into the barrel, it is unacceptable. If one did the above with the leaves of reads or nut shells, the water is acceptable.
This is the general principle: If one uses something that is fit to contract ritual impurity to help move the water so that the container will become full, the water is unacceptable. If one used something that is not susceptible to ritual impurity, it is acceptable.ח
הזולף מים מן המעיין בידיו וברגליו ובחרסים ונתן לתוך החבית פסולין מפני שלא נתמלאו בכלי נתן את החבית במים ודחק המים בידיו או ברגליו או בעלי ירקות כדי שיעברו לחבית הרי אלו פסולין וכן אם שקעו במים כדי שיגברו המים ויעלו וישפכו לחבית פסולין ואם עשה כן בעלי קנים או בעלי אגוז הרי המים כשירים זה הכלל דבר שהוא מקבל טומאה אם סייע בו המים כדי שימלאו הכלי המים פסולין ואם סייע בדבר שאינו מקבל טומאה כשרים:
9
If one causes a spring to flow into a vat or into a pool and then drew water with a container from that pool or vat, it is unacceptable. For at the outset, one must draw water from the spring with a container.ט
המפנה המעיין לתוך הגת או לתוך הגבא וחזר ומילא בכלי מאותו הגבא או הגת פסולים שהרי צריך שתהיה לקיחת המים מן המעיין בכלי בתחלה:
10
The Great Sea is considered like a mikveh and not like a spring. Therefore water to be sanctified may not be drawn from it. Water from all of the rivers is unacceptable to be sanctified to serve as the water for the ashes of the red heifer. Other seas or lakes are like springs.י
הים הגדול כמקוה ואינו כמעיין לפיכך אין ממלאין ממנו לקידוש וכל הנהרות פסולין לקדש מהן מי חטאת ושאר הימים כמעיין:
11
Water that flows out from other seas is called running water and is unacceptable. Water flowing from a stream is considered as the stream itself and is acceptable.יא
והמים הנגררין משאר הימים והן הנקראין זוחלין פסולין והזוחלין מן המעיין הרי הם כמעיין וכשרים:
12
Spoiled springs and "lying" waters are unacceptable. The following types of springs are termed spoiled: salty springs or hot springs. "Lying" waters refer to springs that sometimes flow and sometimes, run dry and are arid. Even if they run dry only once in seven years, they are unacceptable. If, however, they run dry only in years of drought or less frequently than once in seven years, or their waters were, at times, abundant and, at times, sparse, but they do not run entirely dry, they are acceptable. When a stream is first discovered, it is deemed acceptable. There is no need to see whether it will run dry in certain years.יב
מים המוכין והמכזבין פסולין ואלו הן המוכין המלוחים או הפושרים והמכזבים הם המעיינו' שפעמים מקירין ופעמים חרבין ויבשין אפילו היו חרבין פעם אחת לשבע שנים פסולין אבל אם היו חרבין בשני בצורת או לשנים רבות יתר משבע או שהיו מימיהן פעמים מרובין ופעמים מועטין ואינן חרבין הרי אלו כשרים ומעיין היוצא בתחלה כשר ואינו צריך לבדוק שמא יכזב:
13
Swamps and waters like those of the Jordan and the Yarmuch are unacceptable, because they are mixed waters. This is what is meant by the term "mixed waters": water that is fit to be sanctified that is mixed with water that is unfit. Water should not be drawn from such a mixture. When, by contrast, water that is acceptable becomes mixed with other water that is acceptable, e.g., the water of two streams become mixed and flow together, water for the ashes of a red heifer may be drawn from them.יג
מי ביצים ומי הירדן ומי הירמוך פסולין מפני שהן מי התערובות ואלו הן מי התערובות מים כשרים לקידוש שנתערבו במים פסולין אין ממלאין מתערובת שניהם אבל מים כשרים שנתערבו במים כשרים כגון מימי שתי המעיינות שנתערבו ונמשכו ממלאין מהן:
14
If the appearance or flavor of water changes because of itself, it is acceptable.יד
המים שנשתנו שינויין מחמת עצמן כשרין:
15
If a shard or earth fell into a well and caused its water to become murky, one may still draw water for the ashes of a red heifer from it. It is not necessary to wait until the water clears. If a flow of rainwater falls into it, one should wait until the water becomes clear.טו
באר שנפל לתוכה חרסית או אדמה ונעשו מימיה עכורין ממלא ממנה וא"צ להמתין נפל לתוכה שטף של מימי גשמים ימתין עד שתיצל:
16
It is acceptable to draw water for the ashes of the red heifer from an irrigation canal that brings water from a distance, since it originates in a wellspring, provided one is careful that a person does not interrupt the flow. Were that to happen, one would be drawing water that originated in a wellspring, but was interrupted; this is not acceptable.טז
אמת המים הבאה מרחוק הואיל ותחילתה מן המעין כשירה למלאות ממנה ובלבד שישמרנה שלא יפסקנה אדם ונמצא ממלא מן המים שפסקו תחילתן מן המעין שהן פסולין:
Parah Adummah - Chapter 7
1
The performance of work disqualifies water that was drawn for the ashes of the red heifer before it is sanctified, but it does not disqualify the sprinkling of the ashes. These rulings are stated in the Oral Tradition.
What is implied? If one draws water for sanctification with the ashes and was involved with another activity while drawing it, carrying the water that was drawn, or pouring it from one container to another, he disqualifies it.
The performance of an activity disqualifies the water until the ashes are placed on it. If one placed the ashes on the water and sanctified it, causing it to be fit for sprinkling, the performance of another activity does not disqualify it. If one carries sanctified water from place to place or pours it from one container to another while being occupied with another activity, it is of no consequence. This also applies if one sprinkles it with one hand and performs an activity with the other hand.א
המלאכה פוסלת במים קודם שיתקדשו ואינה פוסלת בהזאה ודברים אלו הן דברי קבלה כיצד הממלא מים לקידוש ונתעסק במלאכה אחרת בשעת המילוי או בשעת הולכת המים שממלא או בעת שמערה אותן מכלי אל כלי פסלן לעולם המלאכה פוסלת במים עד שיטיל להן את האפר הטיל את האפר ונתקדשו ונעשו מי נדה אין המלאכה פוסלת בהן אלא המוליך המים המוקדשין או מערה אותן מכלי לכלי והוא עוסק במלאכה אחרת אין בכך כלום וכן מזה מהן בידו אחת והוא עושה מלאכה בידו האחרת:
2
The payment of a wage disqualifies the sanctification of the water and the sprinkling of it, but it does not disqualify the drawing of it.
What is implied? When one takes a wage for sanctifying the water for the ashes of the red heifer or sprinkling it, the water is considered as the water of a cavern and the ashes, as ashes from a range, which are of no halachic significance. One may, however, take a wage for drawing the water or transporting it. One should sanctify it without charge and the one who sprinkles it, should sprinkle it without charge.
If the one sanctifying or sprinkling the water was old and unable to walk and an impure person came and asked him to go with him to a distant place to sanctify such water or sprinkle it, he may have him ride on a donkey and pay him a wage as befits an unemployed worker who had previously worked at that profession. Similarly, if he was a priest and because he would accompany him, he would contract an impurity that prevents him from partaking of terumah, he should feed him, give him beverages, and oil to anoint himself during the time he travels with him to sanctify or sprinkle the water. If he causes him to cease working, he should pay him a wage as befits an unemployed worker who had previously worked at that profession.
The rationale is that all of these considerations are not wages he is being paid for sanctifying or sprinkling the water, for he did not profit at all. He only took compensation for what he lost.ב
השכר פסול בקידוש ובהזייה ואינו פוסל במילוי כיצד הנוטל שכרו לקדש מי חטאת או להזות מהן הרי אותן המים כמי המערה והאפר כאפר מקלה שאינו כלום אבל נוטל הוא שכר למלאות המים או להוליכן ומקדשין אותן בחנם ומזה מהן המזה בחנם היה המקדש או המזה זקן שאינו יכול להלך על רגליו ובא הטמא וביקש ממנו להלוך עמו במקום רחוק לקדש או להזות ה"ז מרכיבו על החמור ונותן שכרו כפועל בטל שבטל מאותה מלאכה שביטלו ממנה וכן אם היה כהן והיה טמא בטומאה המונעתו מלאכול תרומתו בעת שילך עמו להזות או לקדש ה"ז מאכילו ומשקהו וסכו ואם ביטלו ממלאכה נותן לו שכרו כפועל בטל של אותה מלאכה שכל אלו הדברים אינן שכר שנשתכר בקידוש או בהזאה שהרי לא הרויח כלום ולא נטל אלא כנגד מה שהפסיד:
3
When a person draws water with one hand and performs work with his other hand, the water is unacceptable. Similarly, if he drew water for himself and for another person or he drew water for two people at the same time, both are unacceptable. For drawing water is considered as work. Thus during each of the drawings of water, it is as if he performed another task at that time. And we have already stated that the performance of an activity disqualifies the drawing of water, whether one draws for himself or for others.ג
הממלא באחת ידו ועושה מלאכה בידו האחרת או הממלא לו ולאחר או שמילא לשנים כאחת שניהן פסולין שהמילוי מלאכה ונמצא כל מילוי משניהם כאילו עשה עמו מלאכה אחרת וכבר הודענו שהמלאכה פוסלת במילוי בין שמילא לעצמו בין שמילא לאחרים:
4
When a person draws water for the ashes of the red heifer for others - even if he filled one thousand barrels one after the other for one thousand different people - they are all acceptable. Each person should take his water and sanctify it.
The following rules apply if one drew water for himself, one barrel after another. If he intended to collect all the water in one container, cast the ashes upon it, and sanctify all at once, it is all acceptable, for it is all considered as one drawing of water. If, however, he intended to sanctify every barrel individually, they are all unacceptable except for the last one. The rationale is that the first becomes disqualified due to the work - i.e., the drawing of the second barrel - that was performed before it was sanctified. Similarly, the second is disqualified by the drawing of the third. Thus it is only the last which is acceptable.ד
הממלא לאחרים אפילו מילא אלף חביות זו אחר זו לאלף בני אדם כולן כשרים וכל אחד מהן נוטל המים שלו ומקדשן מילא לעצמו חבית אחר חבית אם נתכוון לקבץ כל החביות לכלי אחד ולהשליך עליהן את האפר ומקדשן קידוש אחד כולן כשרים שהכל מילוי אחד הוא אבל אם נתכוון לקדש כל חבית וחבית בפני עצמה כולן פסולין חוץ מן האחרונה שהראשונה נפסלת במלאכה שעשה קודם שיקדש והוא מילוי השניה וכן השניה נפסלת במילוי השלישית ואין כשירה אלא אחרונה:
5
When five people fill five barrels with spring water to sanctify them for five different sanctifications, e.g., they intended to cast the ashes on each one individually and then changed their minds and decided to mix them all together and sanctify them at once; alternatively, they filled the barrels to sanctify them all in one container and then changed their minds and decided to sanctify each of the five independently, they are all acceptable, because the person drawing the water did not become involved in drawing other water afterwards. When, by contrast, an individual fills five barrels to sanctify each of the five independently, only the last one is acceptable,
If he filled the barrels to sanctify all the water in one container and he changed his mind and sanctified each of the five individually, only the one that he sanctified first is acceptable. Similarly, if a person told a colleague: "Sanctify these for yourself," only the bucket that is sanctified first is acceptable. If, however, he told him: "Sanctify these for me," they are all acceptable, because they were all filled to be sanctified in one container. Even though he changed his mind and decided to sanctify each of the five individually, he himself did not perform the sanctification, someone else did.ה
חמשה שמלאו חמש חביות לקדשם חמשה קידושים כגון שישליך האפר על כל אחת ואחת בפני עצמו ונמלכו לערבן ולקדשן כולן קידוש אחד או שמלאום לקדשן קידוש אחד ונמלכו לקדשן חמשה קידושין כולן כשרין שהרי לא נתעסק הממלא במילוי אחר אבל היחיד שמילא חמש חביות לקדשם חמשה קידושין אף ע"פ שחזר ונמלך לקדשן קידוש אחד אין כשר אלא אחרון מלאן לקדשן קידוש אחד ונמלך לקדשן חמשה קידושין אין כשר אלא זה שקידש בתחלה וכן אם אמר לאחר קדש לך את אלו אין כשר אלא זו שנתקדשה מהן בתחלה אבל אם אמר לו קדש לי את אלו הרי כולן כשרין שהרי לקידוש אחד מלאן ואף על פי שנמלך עליה לקדשה חמשה קידושין הרי לא קידש הוא אלא אחר קידש לו:
6
When a person seeks to draw water to sanctify it and other water for his own purposes, he should draw the water he desires for his own purposes first and tie the barrels and load them behind him. Afterwards, he fills the buckets he intended to use for the water for the ashes of the red heifer so that he will not be involved in any work after drawing it. He places it in front of him, and proceeds.ו
הרוצה למלאות מים לקדשן ומים אחרים לצרכיו ממלא את של צרכיו תחלה וקושרן וטוענן לאחוריו ואחר כך ממלא את של חטאת כדי שלא יתעסק במלאכה אחר המילוי ונותנם לפניו והולך:
7
The following laws apply when two people were drawing water individually and one helped the other lift his water to load it on his back or one removed a thorn from the other's hand or body when he was drawing the water. If they both drew the water to sanctify it in a single container, all of the water is acceptable. If each of them drew the water to sanctify it independently, the one who helped his colleague lift his water or removed the thorn, disqualified his own water.ז
שנים שהיו ממלאין כל אחד ואחד לעצמו והגביהו זה על זה ונטל זה לזה קוץ מידו או מגופו בשעת מילואו אם מלאו שניהם לקידוש אחד המים כשרים ואם מלאו לקדש כל אחד לעצמו זה שהגביה או הוציא את הקוץ פסל מימיו:
8
When a person borrows a rope to draw water for the ashes of the red heifer, draws the water, takes the rope in his hand, and the water on his shoulders, and meets the owner of the rope while he is on his way, the water remains acceptable even though he give him the rope while he is walking. If he went out of his way to bring the rope to its owner, he disqualified the water.ח
השואל חבל למלאות בו ומילא ונטל החבל בידיו ומימיו על כתפו ופגע בבעלים בדרכו ונתן להן את החבל כשהוא מהלך כשרין ואם יצא מן הדרך כדי להוליך החבל לבעלים פסל את המים:
9
If someone who was drawing water for the ashes of the red heifer cast the rope he used to draw the water on the ground and after he drew the water gathered the rope in his hand, he disqualified the water. If, while drawing the water, he gathered the rope, winding it around his hand, the water is acceptable.ט
מי שהיה ממלא ומשליך החבל שמילא בו על הארץ ואחר שמילא חזר וקבץ על ידו פסלן ואם היה דולה ומקבץ לתוך ידו המים כשרים:
10
When one was drawing water with a small jug and pouring the water into a larger barrel and he put aside the larger barrel so that it would not break while he was drawing the water or he turned it upside down to dry it so he could fill it, the water is acceptable, for these activities were performed for the sake of drawing the water. If, however, before sanctifying the water he had drawn, he set the barrel aside or dried it to transport the water he would sanctify, he disqualified the water, because he performed a task that was not for the purpose of drawing the water. Similar laws apply when one who was drawing water and pouring the water into a trough within a stone removed shards from the trough while filling it. If his intent was so that the trough would hold more water, the water is acceptable, for this is considered as for the purpose of drawing water. If his intent is that the shards should prevent the water from flowing out when he seeks to draw off the water with which he filled the trough, the water is unacceptable.י
הממלא ונותן לחבית עד שימלאנה מים והצניע את החבית שלא תשבר בשעה שהיה ממלא או שכפאה על פיה על מנת לנגבה למלאות בה כשר שזה מצורך המילוי הוא אבל אם הצניעה או נגבה כדי להוליך בה את הקידוש פסל שהרי עשה מלאכה שאינה לצורך המילוי וכן הממלא ונותן לשוקת ופינה חרסית מן השוקת בשעת מילוי אם בשביל שתחזיק מים רבים כשרים שהרי זו צורך המילוי ואם בשביל שלא יהיו החרסין מעכבין אותו בשעה שהוא זולף את המים שמילא בשוקת הרי אלו פסולין:
11
The following rules apply when a person thinks of filling a bucket of water to drink and changes his mind and decides to use the water for the ashes of the red heifer]. If he changed his mind before the bucket reached the water, he must pour the water out, but he does not have to dry out the bucket. If he changed his mind after the bucket reached the water, he must pour it out and he must dry it. Only afterwards, may he fill it with water for the ashes of the red heifer.
If he lowered the bucket towards the water with the intent of using the water to drink and the rope broke away from his hand, if he changed his mind before the bucket reached the water, he must pour the water out, but he does not have to dry out the bucket. If he changed his mind while the bucket was still in the water and intended to use the water for the ashes of the red heifer, he must pour it out, but does not have to dry the bucket.
When a person drew water to use for the ashes of the red heifer and, after drawing it, thought to drink it, the water is disqualified from the time he inclined the container to drink from it, even though he did not drink from it at all.יא
הממלא דלי לשתות ונמלך וחישב עליו למי חטאת אם עד שלא הגיע הדלי למים חישב מערה וא"צ לנגב ואם משהגיע הדלי למים חישב מערה וצריך לנגב ואחר כך ימלא בו לחטאת שלשל הדלי ונפסק החבל מידו אם עד שלא הגיע הדלי למים חישב עליו מערה וא"צ לנגב נמלך והוא עודהו בתוך המים וחישב עליו למי חטאת מערה ואינו צריך לנגב מים שמלאן למי חטאת ואחר שנתמלא חישב עליהן לשתותן כשיטה את הכלי לשתות פסל המים אע"פ שלא שתה מהן כלום:
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Sunday, Iyar 18, 5777 · 14 May 2017
Iyar 18, 33rd day of the omer
Sunday, Iyar 18, 33rd day of the omer 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: B'chukotai, first parsha with Rashi.
Tehillim: 88-89.
Tanya: But how can (p. 259)...exalted and holy." (p. 259).
Lag Ba'Omer was one of the Mitteler Rebbe's particularly noteworthy festivals. He and the Chassidim would go out to the fields that day, and although he did not wash and break bread, he did partake of mashkeh (strong drink), which he was not allowed to do for health reasons. Many wonders were seen at that time, most of them involving the blessing of children for childless couples - and all year long people waited for Lag Ba'Omer.
Daily Thought
Cosmic Marriage
From the moment that they were sundered apart, the earth has craved to reunite with heaven: physical with spiritual, body with soul, the life that breathes within us with the transcendental that lies beyond life, beyond being.
And yet more so does the Infinite Light yearn to find itself within that world, that pulse of life, within finite, earthly existence. There, more than any spiritual world, is the place of G‑d’s delight.
Towards this ultimate union all of history flows, all living things crave, all human activities are subliminally directed. When it will finally occur, it will be the quintessence of every marriage that has ever occurred.
May it be soon in our times, sooner than we can imagine.[Sefer ha-Sichot 5750, vol. 1, pp. 103ff.]
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Sunday, Iyar 18, 5777 · May 14, 2017
Today's Tanya Lesson
Likutei Amarim, beginning of Chapter 49The Alter Rebbe explained in the previous chapter that since the light and life drawn down from G‑d is infinite — Ein Sof, as its name indicates — therefore in order for this finite world to be created, the Divine light had to undergo a multitude of contractions (tzimtzumim). This was the only way that finite creation could proceed from the infinite light of Ein Sof; were it to have been drawn down in an orderly progression, finitude would have never resulted.
As will be explained later in this chapter, all these contractions were a result of G‑d’s love of the Jewish people and His desire that they have the opportunity to fulfill Torah and the mitzvot.
The Alter Rebbe will now describe these contractions in a general manner, and will conclude that just as G‑d “overcame all obstacles” because of His love for the Jews and created finite worlds and creatures, so, too, “as water mirrors the reflection of a face,” should every Jew overcome all obstacles and come to experience a love of G‑d. Moreover, just as G‑d brought forth His light into this world in a manner that transcended orderly and limited progression, so, too, should every Jew seek to serve G‑d not only in an orderly and limited fashion, but without limit, renouncing everything for the sake of his love of Him. Even limitations foisted upon him by the world’s very nature should not act as an impediment to his service of G‑d.
והנה אף כי פרטי בחינות ההסתר והעלם אור אין סוף ברוך הוא בהשתלשלות העולמות, עד שנברא עולם הזה הגשמי, עצמו מספר ומינים ממינים שונים
Even though the particular aspects of the nature of the obscuring and concealment of the [infinite] light of the blessed Ein Sof in the descent of the worlds, descending as they do ever lower until this material world was created, are too numerous to count and are of many diverse kinds,
כידוע לטועמים מעץ החיים
as is known to those who have tasted of the “Tree of Life,” the Kabbalah,
אך דרך כלל הם שלשה מיני צמצומים עצומים כלליים, לשלשה מיני עולמות כלליים, ובכל כלל יש רבוא רבבות פרטים, והם שלשה עולמות: בריאה, יצירה, עשיה, כי עולם האצילות הוא אלקות ממש
yet in general there are three levels of powerful and comprehensive “contractions” giving rise to three comprehensive Worlds, each category consisting of myriads upon myriads of particulars. These are the Worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah — for the World of Atzilut is G‑dliness itself.
Since Atzilut is G‑dliness itself it is not considered to be created ex nihilo, but rather is called Atzilut, which means an emanation from and an extension of G‑dliness — an illumination which comes from G‑d liness itself.
וכדי לברוא עולם הבריאה, שהן נשמות ומלאכים עליונים, אשר עבודתם לה׳ בבחינת חב״ד המתלבשים בהם
In order to create the World of Beriah, which consists of the higher souls and angels whose service to G‑d is in the sphere of the intellectual faculties of ChaBaD which are clothed in them — i.e., G‑dliness is revealed to them in an intellectual manner, through the three intellectual faculties of Chochmah, Binah and Daat,
והם משיגים ומקבלים מהם
and they i.e., the souls and angels apprehend them and receive [influence] from them — from ChaBaD which illumines them,
In order to create a world whose creations are not wholly nullified to G‑d — as is the case in Atzilut — but are only capable of knowledge and comprehension (and it will be noted that comprehension entails an awareness of one’s own being, in that comprehension presupposes an entity who is comprehending),
היה תחלה צמצום עצום כנ״ל
there necessarily preceded a powerful “contraction”, as mentioned above.
A mighty “contraction” was necessary in order to ensure that the light of G‑dliness manifest in Atzilut should be hidden, and that only a “contracted” form of light should illuminate and create creatures of the World of Beriah, which are on a level of creation ex nihilo.
וכן מבריאה ליצירה
So, too, from Beriah to Yetzirah,
In order for the World of Yetzirah — a World far lower than Beriah — to be created, there again had to be a powerful contraction.
כי אור מעט מזער המתלבש בעולם הבריאה, עדיין הוא בבחינת אין סוף לגבי עולם היצירה
for the minute portion of light (“minute”, that is, in relation to the light found in Atzilut) which clothes itself in the World of Beriah is still in a category of infinity in relation to the World of Yetzirah, so that the light of Beriahhad to undergo a powerful “contraction” before it was able to descend into Yetzirah,
ואי אפשר להתלבש בו אלא על ידי צמצום והעלם, וכן מיצירה לעשיה
and it is unable to clothe itself in the latter except through contraction and obscuration. So, too, from Yetzirah to Asiyah.
There, too, the light of the World of Yetzirah had to be considerably limited to enable it to descend into the World of Asiyah.
וכמו שכתוב במקום אחר ביאור שלשה צמצומים אלו באריכות, לקרב אל שכלינו הדל
(1An elaborate explanation of these three “contractions” is given elsewhere, in order to make them more accessible to our poor intellect.)
ותכלית כל הצמצומים הוא כדי לברוא גוף האדם החומרי, ולאכפייא לסטרא אחרא, ולהיות יתרון האור מן החושך
The purpose of all the “contractions” is the creation of the material human body and the subjugation by man of the sitra achra, to bring about the preeminence of light supplanting darkness — by having light replace darkness, and even more so when the darkness itself is transformed into light, at which time the preeminence of light is felt to an even greater degree. This is accomplished:
בהעלות האדם את נפשו האלקית והחיונית ולבושיהן, וכל כחות הגוף כולן, לה׳ לבדו, כנ״ל באריכות
when a person elevates his divine soul and his vivifying soul (a soul which receives its nourishment from kelipot,but through man’s service in Torah and mitzvot is elevated and incorporated into holiness, thereby elevating the souls)together with their garments of thought, speech and action, and all the powers of the body, to G‑d alone, as has been discussed earlier at length,
כי זה תכלית השתלשלות העולמות
for this is the purpose of the progressive descent of the Worlds.
The ultimate purpose of all the descents from level to level and World to World is this physical world. It is here that a Jew is able, through his divine service, to effect the subjugation of evil and the preeminence of light supplanting darkness.
The Alter Rebbe now goes on to say that just as G‑d’s love for the Jews “overcame all obstacles” that (as it were) stood in the way of creating this physical world, contracting His infinite light so that infinite beings could be created, so, too, should every Jew respond in kind by overcoming all obstacles that hinder him from serving G‑d. Furthermore, his level of service too should not be finite but infinite.
והנה כמים הפנים לפנים
And “as water mirrors the reflection of a face”:
Just as water reflects an exact replica of one’s face, so, too, with regard to the “heart of man to his fellow man,” the love of one person to another results in the other person’s loving him as well:
כמו שהקב״ה כביכול הניח וסילק לצדדין דרך משל את אורו הגדול הבלתי תכלית וגנזו והסתירו בג׳ מיני צמצומים שונים, והכל בשביל אהבת האדם התחתון, להעלותו לה׳
As G‑d has (as it were) laid down and set aside, figuratively speaking, His great infinite light, and has stored it away and concealed it by means of three different kinds of “contractions” — and all this because of His love for lowly man, in order to raise him up to G‑d,
This means to say that G‑d created a world in which man may serve Him, and by doing so man is uplifted to G‑d. But how is it possible for love to bring about “contraction”, when love signifies kindness and expansiveness, while contraction and concealment characterize severity? The Alter Rebbe answers this implied question by pointing out that we find that love, too, can bring about contraction, as in the Gemara now quoted:
כי אהבה דוחקת את הבשר
for2 “love impels the flesh,” so that the flesh will not impede it. Thus, because of G‑d’s love for His people, He (figuratively speaking) set aside His great light and concealed it through many contractions, and so on. This being so:
על אחת כמה וכמה, בכפלי כפליים לאין קץ, כי ראוי לאדם גם כן להניח ולעזוב כל אשר לו מנפש ועד בשר, ולהפקיר הכל
how much more, and an infinite number of times more, is it fitting that a man also should relinquish and set aside all he possesses, both spiritually and physically, and renounce everything,
בשביל לדבקה בו יתברך בדביקה חשיקה וחפיצה, ולא יהיה שום מונע מבית ומחוץ, לא גוף ולא נפש ולא ממון ולא אשה ובנים
in order to cleave to Him, with attachment, desire and longing, without any hindrance, within or without, neither of body nor soul — hindrances from “within”, nor money, nor wife and children — hindrances from “without”. None of these things should hinder him from cleaving to G‑d. By renouncing them all he sets aside even his most important needs for the sake of his love of G‑d.
FOOTNOTES
1. Parentheses are in the original text.
2. Bava Metzia 84a.
Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
English Text | Hebrew Text |
Audio: Listen | Download | Video ClassSunday, Iyar 18, 5777 · May 14, 2017
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 113
The Red Heifer
"And it shall be as a keepsake for the congregation of the children of Israel"—Numbers 19:9.
We are commanded to prepare a red heifer [as detailed in the Torah], to have it ready for the procedure of purifying those who are ritually impure as a result of contact with a corpse.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
The Red Heifer
Positive Commandment 113
Translated by Berel Bell
The 113th mitzvah is that we are commanded to prepare the red heifer1 to have it ready for the procedure of purifying those who are tameh as a result of tumas meis.2
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement3 (exalted be He), "[A ritually clean person shall gather up the cow's ashes and...] it shall be a keepsake for the congregation of the Jewish people."
The details of this mitzvah are found in the tractate devoted to this subject, tractate Parah.
FOOTNOTES
1.To slaughter it, burn it, gather the ashes, etc.
2.See P107.
3.Num. 19:9.
• 1 Chapter: She'elah uFikkadon She'elah uFikkadon - Chapter 8
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Audio: Listen | Download | Video ClassShe'elah uFikkadon - Chapter 8
1
The following rules apply when a person entrusts an animal or articles to a colleague, and they were lost or stolen. If the watchman says, "I will pay," because he does not desire to take an oath, he acquires the rights to certain profits that come because of the article.
If the thief is discovered, he must pay twice the value of the article. If he slaughtered it or sold it, he should pay four or five times the value of the stolen animal. To whom should restitution be made? To the person who has the rights to the article i.e., the watchman, for he said that he would make restitution.
If the animal itself is returned, it should be returned to the owner - it, its shearings and its offspring. For the watchman does not acquire the profits that come from its body, but only the profits that come because of outside factors. We have already explained that the thief is required to return only the shearings and the offspring that preceded the owner's despair of the recovery of his property.
If the watchman took the oath because he did not desire to pay, and afterwards the thief is discovered, the thief must pay twice the value of the article. If he slaughtered it or sold it, he should pay four or five times the value of the stolen animal. To whom should restitution be made? To the owner of the entrusted article.
Similarly, when a person rents a cow from a colleague and it is stolen, if he says, "I am willing to pay and I will not take an oath," if the thief is discovered afterwards, he should pay double or four or five times to the renter. For had the renter desired, he could have taken an oath that the cow was stolen in a manner in which he could not control, and he would be released from liability.א
המפקיד אצל חבירו בהמה או כלים ונגנבו או אבדו אמר הריני משלם ואיני נשבע ונמצא הגנב משלם תשלומי כפל טבח או מכר משלם תשלומי ארבעה וחמשה למי משלם למי שהיה הפקדון אצלו שהרי אמר אשלם חזרה הבהמה עצמה חוזרת לבעליה היא וגזותיה וולדותיה שאין זה השומר קונה שבח הבא מגופה אלא שבח הבא מאליו וכבר ביארנו שאין הגנב מחזיר גזות וולדות אלא לפני יאוש נשבע השומר ולא רצה לשלם ואחר כך נמצא הגנב משלם תשלומי כפל טבח או מכר משלם תשלומי ארבעה וחמשה למי משלם לבעל הפקדון וכן השוכר פרה מחבירו ונגנבה ואמר הריני משלם ואיני נשבע ואחר כך הוכר הגנב משלם תשלומי כפל ותשלומי ארבעה וחמשה לשוכר שאילו רצה השוכר היה נשבע שנגנבה באונס ונפטר:
2
When an unpaid watchman says, "I was negligent," he acquires the right to the double payment because he obligated himself to make restitution. For had he said, "It was stolen," or "It was lost," he would not have been liable. Similarly, when a renter or a borrower says, "It was stolen," he acquires the right to the double payment because he obligated himself to make restitution. For had he said, "It died," he would not have been liable.
A borrower, by contrast, does not acquire the right to the double payment until he makes restitution on his own initiative. If afterwards the thief is discovered, he makes the payment of four or five times the animal's value to the borrower.ב
שומר חנם שאמר פשעתי זכה בכפל שהרי חייב עצמו לשלם ואילו רצה אמר נגנבה או אבדה והיה פטור וכן נושא שכר והשוכר שאמר נגנבה קנה הכפל שהרי חייב עצמו לשלם ואילו רצה אמר מתה והיה נפטר אבל השואל אינו קונה הכפל עד שישלם מעצמו קידם ושלם מעצמו ואח"כ הוכר הגנב משלם תשלומי ארבעה וחמשה לשואל:
3
Whenever a watchman acquires the rights to the double payment, he also acquires the rights to any profit that comes as a matter of course.
What is implied? A person entrusts four se'ah, worth a sela, to his colleague. They were stolen or lost. The watchman says, "I will pay a sela; I do not desire to take the oath." If they were later discovered and at that time were worth four sela'im, they are granted to the watchman. He, however, is required to pay only a sela.
When does the above apply? When the watchman did not trouble the owner to undertake legal process to recover his money. Different rules apply, however, if the watchman admits that he was negligent and the court required him to pay, but he did not do so willingly and had to be compelled by the court, and it had to expropriate the money from him. If, afterwards, the thief is found or the entrusted article is discovered, it should be returned to the owner in its present condition. The money that was expropriated from the watchman should be returned to him. If the court expropriated utensils or land from the watchman after evaluating them, the watchman's utensils or land should be returned to him.ג
כל הקונה הכפל קונה השבח הבא מאליו כיצד הפקיד ארבע סאין אצל חבירו והרי הן שוין סלע ונגנבו או אבדו ואמר הריני משלם סלע ואיני נשבע ואחר כך נמצאו והרי הן שוין ארבע סלעים הרי הן של שומר ואינו משלם אלא סלע בד"א בשלא הטריחן לבעלים בדין אבל אם הודה שפשע וחייבוהו ב"ד ליתן ולא נתן ברצונו עד שכפוהו ב"ד על כרחו ונטלו ממנו ואח"כ הוכר הגנב או נמצא הפקדון יחזיר לבעלים כמות שהוא ומחזירין לשומר הדמים שלקחו ממנו ואם כלים או קרקע גבו ב"ד ממנו בשומא מחזיר לשומר כליו או שדהו:
4
When the owner demanded the return of the entrusted article from a watchman, the watchman took an oath to free himself of responsibility, but made restitution regardless, if the thief was discovered afterwards, since the watchman made restitution willingly, he acquires the right to the double payment.
This applies despite the fact that at the outset, he troubled the owner to take him to court until he took an oath. Similarly, if at first the watchman said, "I will not pay," and then he said, "I will pay," he acquires the right to the double payment.ד
תבעוהו בעלים לשומר ונשבע ואחר כך שלם והוכר הגנב הואיל ושלם ברצונו זכה בכפל אף על פי שהטריחו בתחילה לדין עד שנשבע אמר השומר בתחלה איני משלם וחזר ואמר הריני משלם זכה בכפל:
5
All the following situations represent questions left unresolved by the Talmud: The watchman said, "I will pay" and then said, "I refuse to pay";
the watchman said, "I will pay" and then died, and his children said, "We refuse to pay";
the owner was not able to demand payment from the watchman before the watchman died; he demanded payment of his sons and they paid;
the sons of the watchman paid the sons of the owner;
the watchman paid half the sum;
he borrowed two cows and paid for one of them;
he borrowed from partners and paid one of them;
partners borrowed and one of them paid;
he borrowed from a woman and paid her husband;
a woman borrowed and her husband paid.
There is unresolved doubt with regard to all the above instances. The ownership of the money is in doubt, and it is not in the hands of either of them. Therefore, the double payment or the increase in the value of the entrusted article is divided between the owner and the watchman. If, however, one of them took the initiative and seized the entire amount, it should not be expropriated from his possession. This applies even in the diaspora.ה
אמר הריני משלם וחזר ואמר איני משלם או שאמר הריני משלם ומת ואמרו הבנים אין אנו משלמין או שלא הספיק לתבוע את השומר עד שמת ותבע הבנים ושלמו בני השומר או ששלמו הבנים לבנים או ששלם השומר מחצה שאל שתי פרות ושלם אחת מהן שאל מהשותפין ושלם לאחד מהן שותפין ששאלו ושלם אחד מהן שאל מן האשה ושלם לבעלה אשה ששאלה ושלם בעלה כל אלו ספק והרי הכפל מוטל בספק ואינו תחת יד אחד מהן לפיכך חולקין הכפל או השבח בין בעל הפקדון ובין השומר ואם קידם אחד מהן ותפס הכל אין מוציאין מידו ואפילו בח"ל:
6
When the entrusted article was stolen in a manner beyond the watchman's control, and afterwards the thief was discovered, both an unpaid watchman and a paid watchman must lodge a legal claim against the thief. The watchman is not required to take an oath.
The following rules apply when the watchman hurried and took the oath before the thief was discovered, and then the thief was discovered. If he is an unpaid watchman, he may remain content with his oath if he desires. If he desires, he may lodge a legal claim against the thief. If he is a paid watchman, he must lodge a legal claim against him.
There is a question when an animal that was deposited as an entrusted article is stolen in a manner beyond the watchman's control and then returned by the thief to the watchman's house, and it dies there because of the watchman's negligence. There is an unresolved question whether his responsibility as a watchman was concluded when the article was stolen, and hence he is absolved of liability or his responsibility did not conclude. Hence, the watchman is not required to make restitution. If the owner seizes the animal's worth, it is not expropriated from his possession.ו
נגנב הפקדון באונס ואח"כ הוכר הגנב אחד ש"ח ואחד ש"ש עושה דין עם הגנב ואינו נשבע קדם ונשבע ואחר כך הוכר הגנב אם ש"ח הוא רצה עומד בשבועתו רצה עושה דין עם הגנב ואם ש"ש הוא עושה עמו דין נגנב הפקדון באונס והחזירו הגנב לבית השומר והרי הוא בהמה ומתה שם בפשיעה יש בדבר ספק אם כלתה שמירתו ונפטר או עדיין לא כלתה שמירתו לפיכך השומר פטור מלשלם ואם תפסו הבעלים אין מוציאין מידם:
With God's help, this concludes the Laws of Borrowing and Entrusted Objects
סליקו להו הלכות שאלה ופקדון:
• 3 Chapters: Parah Adummah Parah Adummah - Chapter 5, Parah Adummah Parah Adummah - Chapter 6, Parah Adummah Parah Adummah - Chapter 7
English Text | Hebrew Text |
Audio: Listen | DownloadParah Adummah - Chapter 5
1
All of those involved in offering the red heifer from the beginning to the end become impure and impart impurity to their garments as long as they are involved in its being offered. This concept is derived as follows: With regard to the one who slaughters the heifer and one who casts the cedar wood into its belly, Numbers 19:7 states: "The priest shall launder his clothes and wash his flesh." And with regard to the one who burns it, ibid.:8 states: "The one who burns it shall launder his clothes," and ibid.:10 states: "The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall launder...."
These verses teach that all those involved in offering it from the beginning until the end impart impurity to their clothes, must immerse themselves, and wait for nightfall to regain purity according to Scriptural Law. One who guards the heifer at the time it is being offered imparts impurity to his garments according to Rabbinic Law. This is a decree lest he move one of its limbs.א
כל העוסקין בפרה מתחלה ועד סוף מטמאין בגדים כל זמן עשייתן שנאמר בשוחט ומשליך עץ ארז וכבס בגדיו ורחץ בשרו ונאמר בשורף והשורף אותה יכבס בגדיו ונאמר וכבס האוסף את אפר הפרה מלמד שכל העוסקין בה מתחלה ועד סוף מטמאים בגדים וטעונין טבילה והערב שמש דין תורה אבל המשמרה בשעת עשייתה מטמא בגדים מדבריהם גזירה שמא יזיז בה אבר:
2
Whenever the Torah states with regard to impurity: "One shall launder his clothes," it does not come merely to teach that the clothes on a person are impure. Instead, it teaches that every garment or implement that this impure person will touch while he is still in contact with the object that imparted impurity to him becomes impure. After he separates himself from the object that imparted impurity to him, he does not impart impurity to his garments or to other objects.
What is implied? A person who carries an animal carcass imparts impurity to the clothes he is wearing and to any implement he touches as long as he is carrying it. They are considered as a first degree derivative of impurity. Similarly, the one who carries the animal carcass is considered as impure to the first degree. If he ceased contact with the object that imparted ritual impurity, casting away the animal carcass, he remains impure to the first degree as before. If, however, he touches an implement or a garment, he does not impart impurity to it, for a derivative of ritual impurity does not impart impurity to implements, as we explained in the beginning of this text. Similar laws apply to all types of impurity analogous to that imparted by an animal carcass.
Similarly, with regard to all those involved in offering the red heifer: If they touch a garment or an implement at the time they are slaughtering or burning the heifer, it becomes impure. After such an individual ceased the tasks involved with it, however, even though he has not yet immersed, he does not impart impurity to an implement that he touches, because he is merely a derivative of impurity.
The red heifer itself does not impart impurity to a person or to implements that touch it. It is only those involved in its offering who become impure, must immerse themselves, and impart impurity to their garments, as long as they are involved in its offering.ב
כ"מ שנאמר בתורה בטומאות יכבס בגדיו לא בא ללמדנו שהבגדים שעליו בלבד הם טמאים אלא ללמד שכל בגד או כלי שיגע בו הטמא הזה בשעת חיבורו במטמאיו הרי הן טמאים אבל אחר שיפרוש ממטמאיו אינו מטמא בגדים כיצד הנושא את הנבילה אחד בגד שעליו או כלי שיגע בו כל זמן שהוא נושאה הרי הן טמאין והרי הן ראשון לטומאה וכן זה הנושא הרי הוא ראשון פירש ממטמאיו והשליך את הנבילה הרי הוא ראשון כמות שהיה ואם יגע בכלי או בגד אינו מטמא אותו שאין ולד טומאה מטמא כלים כמו שביארנו בתחלת ספר זה וכן כל כיוצא בנבילה וכן כל העוסקין בפרה אם נגע בבגד או בכלי בשעת שחיטה או בשעת שריפה הרי הן טמאין אבל אחר שיפרוש ממעשיה אעפ"י שעדיין לא טבל אם נגע בכלי אינו מטמאו מפני שהוא ולד הטומאה והפרה עצמה אינה מטמאה לא אדם ולא כלים שנגעו בו אלא המתעסק בה בלבד הוא הטמא וטעון טבילה ומטמא בגדים כל זמן שעוסק בה:
3
When does the above apply? When the red heifer was burnt as prescribed. If, however, it was disqualified, those involved in offering it are pure. If a disqualifying factor occurred during its slaughter, it does not cause a person's garments to become impure. If a disqualifying factor occurs during the sprinkling of its blood, those who were involved with its offering before it was disqualified impart impurity to their garments. Those involved after its disqualification do not impart impurity to their garments.ג
בד"א בזמן שנשרפת כמצוותה אבל אם נפסלה המתעסק בה טהור אירע פיסול בשחיטתה אינה מטמאה בגדים אירע פיסול בהזייתה כל העוסק בה לפני פיסולה מטמא בגדים לאחר פיסולה אינו מטמא בגדים:
4
When the collection of its ashes was completed, anyone who is involved with it - i.e., with the division of its ashes or with setting them aside for safekeeping - or who touches it, is pure.
These principles do not apply to the red heifer alone, but also to all the sin-offerings of bulls and goats that are burnt. One who burns them imparts impurity to his garments while he is burning them until they are reduced to ashes. For behold, with regard to the bull and the goat burned on Yom Kippur, Leviticus 16:25 states: "The one who burns them shall launder his garments." According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that this is a general rule applying to all those who burn sacrificial offerings, teaching that they impart impurity to their garments until the offerings are reduced to ashes.
When does the above apply? When no disqualifying factor occurred and they were burned in the ashheap as prescribed. If, however, they were disqualified in the Temple Courtyard, they are burned there like disqualified offerings and the one who burns them is ritually pure. Similarly, one who is involved with these offerings after they have been reduced to ashes does not impart impurity to his garments.
Who is considered as "one who burns" it? Anyone who helps in burning it, for example, one who turns over the meat, one who places wood upon it, one who fans the fire, one who stirs the coals so that the fire will burn, and the like. In contrast, one who kindles the flame and one who builds the arrangement are pure.
According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that one who carries the bulls and the goats that are burnt to transport them to the ashheap to burn them is ritually impure and imparts impurity to his garments according to Scriptural Law as long as he is involved in transporting them. To regain purity, he is required to immerse himself in a mikveh and wait until nightfall like the one who sends the goat to Azazel. The latter imparts impurity to all the garments and all the implements that he touches that are on him throughout the time he is involved in sending the goat to its destination, as ibid.:26 states: "The one who sends the goat to Azazel shall launder his garments."ד
השלים לכנוס את אפרה המתעסק בה אחר כן בחילוק העפר או בהצנעתו וכן הנוגע בו טהור ולא הפרה בלבד אלא כל החטאות הנשרפות מן הפרים ומן השעירים השורפם מטמא בגדים בשעת שריפתו עד שיעשו אפר שהרי הוא אומר בפר ושעיר של יום הכפורים והשורף אותם יכבס מפי השמועה למדו שזה בנין אב לכל הנשרפים שיהו מטמאין בגדים עד שיעשו אפר במה דברים אמורים בשלא אירע להן פיסול ונשרפו כמצוותן בבית הדשן אכל אם נפסלו בעזרה נשרפין שם כפסולי המוקדשין ושורפן טהור וכן המתעסק בהן משיעשו אפר אינו מטמא בגדים ואי זהו שורף זה המסייע בשריפה כגון המהפך בבשר והמשליך עצים והמהפך באש והחותה גחלים כדי שתבער האש וכיוצא בהן אבל המצית האור והמסדר את המערכה טהור כך למדו מפי השמועה שהנושא פרים ושעירים הנשרפין להוציאן לבית הדשן לשורפן טמא ומטמא בגדים דין תורה כל זמן שהוא עוסק בהולכתן וטעון טבילה והערב שמש כמו המשלח את השעיר לעזאזל שהוא מטמא כל בגד וכל כלי שיגע בו בכלים שעליו כל זמן שמתעסק בשלוחו שנאמר והמשלח את השעיר לעזאזל יכבס בגדיו:
5
From when do those who carry the bulls and goats that are burnt impart impurity to their garments? When they take them out of the Temple Courtyard. If they carried them with poles and some of those carrying them left the walls of the Temple Courtyard and others did not depart, those that departed impart impurity to their garments. Those who did not yet depart do not impart impurity to their garments until they depart.
If they depart and then return to the Temple Courtyard and transfer the carcasses to others, the others who carry them in the Temple Courtyard are pure until they take them out.
If a person was standing outside the Courtyard and was pulling the poles on which the carcasses were hanging from the Courtyard after they were returned there, he is considered as being impure of doubtful status, since the sacrificial animals had already been taken outside and the one pulling them was standing outside.ה
מאימתי מטמאין בגדים הנושאין פרים ושעירים הנשרפים משיצאו בהן חוץ לחומת העזרה נשאום במוטות ויצאו מקצת הנושאים חוץ לחומת העזרה והאחרונים לא יצאו אלו שיצאו מטמאין בגדים ואלו שעדיין לא יצאו אינן מטמאין בגדים עד שיצאו יצאו וחזרו לעזרה הנושאין בעזרה טהור עד שיצא בהן היה עומד חוץ לעזרה ומושך אותם משם מאחר שחזרו הואיל וכבר יצאו לחוץ וה"ז המושכם בחוץ הרי הוא ספק טמא:
6
When does the person who sends the goat to Azazel impart impurity to his garments? From the time he departs Jerusalem until he pushes the goat off the cliff to Azazel. After he pushes it off the cliff, if he touches implements or garments, they are pure.ו
ומאימתי מטמא בגדים המשלח את השעיר משיצא חוץ לחומת ירושלים עד שעת דחייתו לעזאזל אבל אחר שדחהו אם נגע בכלים ובבגדים טהורים:
7
When an entity - whether a person, an implement, food, or liquid - touches the bodies of the bulls and the goats that are burnt, even after they have been taken out of the Temple Courtyard, everything is pure. Similarly, if they would touch the goat sent to Azazel itself while it is being carried there, they would be pure. For these sacrificial animals impart impurity only to one who is involved with carrying them, as indicated by Leviticus 16:28: "The one who burns them shall launder his garments." One who touches, by contrast, is pure.ז
הנוגע בפרים ובשעירין הנשרפין עצמן אפילו אחר שיצאו בין אדם בין כלים בין אוכלין בין משקין הכל טהור וכן אם נגעו בשעיר המשתלח עצמו בזמן הולכתו טהורין שאין אלו מטמאין אלא למתעסק בהן בלבד שנאמר והשורף אותה יכבס בגדיו אבל הנוגע טהור:
Parah Adummah - Chapter 6
1
The water upon which the ashes of the red heifer are placed must be drawn only with a container and only from a spring or flowing river, as Numbers 19:17 states: "And he shall place upon it living water in a vessel."
Placing the ashes of the heifer on the water that was drawn is called sanctification. The water on which the ashes were placed is called mei chatat and sanctified water. Scripture Numbers 19:9 refers to them as mei nidah, "sprinkling water."א
המים שנותנין עליו אפר הפרה אין ממלאין אותן אלא בכלי ומן המעיינות או מן הנהרות המושכין שנאמר ונתן עליו מים חיים אל כלי ונתינת אפר הפרה על המים שנתמלאו הוא הנקרא קידוש והמים האלו שניתן עליהן האפר הן הנקראין מי חטאת ומים מקודשין והם שקראן הכתוב מי נדה:
2
Everyone is acceptable to draw the water for the ashes of the red heifer, except a deafmute, an intellectually or emotionally compromised person, and a minor. Similarly, everyone is acceptable to sanctify the water except a deafmute, an intellectually or emotionally compromised person, and a minor.
One must draw such water and sanctify it only with a vessel and one may sprinkle the ashes only from a vessel. Drawing this water and sanctifying it is acceptable at night, but the sprinkling and the immersion of the hyssop in the water is acceptable only during the day. The entire day is fit for the sprinkling and this immersion.ב
הכל כשרים למלאות המים חוץ מחרש שוטה וקטן והכל כשרין לקדש חוץ מחרש שוטה וקטן ואין ממלאין ואין מקדשין אלא בכלי ואין מזין אלא מכלי והמילוי והקידוש כשרין בלילה אבל אין מזין ואין טובלין אלא ביום וכל היום כשר להזאה ולטבילה:
3
One may draw this water, sprinkle it when mixed with the ashes, and sanctify it with all vessels, even vessels made of animal turds, stone, or earth, or a ship. This applies to earthenware utensils and all other utensils. One may not, however, draw this water, sprinkle the water, or sanctify it with the walls of a vessel, the base of an earthenware distributor of water, the sealing of a jug, one's hands, an egg-shell, or a trough within a natural rock. One may, however, used an egg made by a potter, because it is considered as a vessel made from earth.ג
בכל הכלים ממלאין ומזין ומקדשין אפילו בכלי גללים וכלי אבנים וכלי אדמה ובספינה ואחד כלי חרס ואחד כל הכלים אבל אין ממלאין ואין מקדשין ולא מזין בדפנות הכלים ולא בשולי המחץ ולא במגופת החבית ולא בחפניו ולא בביצת התרנגולת ולא בשוקת שבסלע אבל ביצת היוצרים כשירה מפני שהיא כלי אדמה:
4
We may not sanctify with the base of a wooden vessel, that of a glass vessel, or that of a bone vessel unless they were smoothed down, repaired, and made into vessels in their own right. Similarly, if the sealing of a jug was fixed to serve as a vessel, one may sanctify the water with it. An ostrich egg is acceptable for sanctification. Needless to say, it is acceptable to be used to draw this water and sprinkle from it.ד
שולי כלי עץ וכלי זכוכית וכלי עצם אין מקדשין בהן עד שישוף אותן ויתקנם ויעשם כלים בפני עצמן וכן מגופה שהתקינה להיות כלי מקדשין בה וביצת הנעמית כשירה לקדש בה ואין צ"ל שכשירה למלאות בה ולהזות ממנה:
5
When a utensil was attached to the earth or to rock, even if it was attached with lime, one may sanctify in it or sprinkle from it. The following laws apply if one made a border of clay around such a container and the water in the container was filled beyond its limits until it is held within the border. If the border remains intact when the container is moved, the water in it is acceptable. It is as if it is in a container made from earth. If not, it is as if one formed a border of clay on a rock or on the earth and filled it with water. This would be unacceptable, because the water is not in a container.ה
כלי שחיברו בארץ או בסלע אפילו חיברו בסיד מקדשין בו ומזין ממנו עשה עטרה של טיט סביב לכלי והמים שבכלי צפין עד שהלכו לעטרה אם ניטלת העטרה עם הכלי הרי המים שבתוכה כשרים שהרי הן בכלי אדמה ואם לאו הרי הן כמי שהקיף עטרה של טיט בסלע או על הארץ ומילא אותה מים שהן פסולין מפני שאינן בכלי:
6
When an earthenware container has been perforated to the extent that water would enter it, one may not draw this water or sanctify it with it. If, however, its hole is smaller and water will leak out, but will not enter, one may sanctify with it.ו
כלי חרס שניקב בכונס משקה אין ממלאין ומקדשין בו אבל אם ניקב במוציא משקה מקדשין בו:
7
When a container has been perforated from below and plugged close with rags, it is invalid. The rationale is that the water in it is not resting on the base of the utensil, but on the plug. If it was perforated from the side and plugged, it is acceptable to draw this water, sanctify it, and sprinkle it using such a container.ז
כלי שניקב מלמטה וסתמו בסמרטוטין פסול שהמים שבו אינן על עיגול הכלי אלא על הפקק היה נקוב מן הצד ופקקו הרי זה כשר למלאות ולקדש ולהזות ממנו:
8
When someone splashes water from a spring with his hands or his feet or with shards, causing them to enter a barrel, the water is unacceptable to be used for a red heifer, because it was not drawn with a utensil. Even if one placed the barrel in the water and pushed the water with his hands or feet or with vegetable leaves so that it flows into the barrel, it is unacceptable. Similarly, if one submerged articles into water so that the water would rise and flow into the barrel, it is unacceptable. If one did the above with the leaves of reads or nut shells, the water is acceptable.
This is the general principle: If one uses something that is fit to contract ritual impurity to help move the water so that the container will become full, the water is unacceptable. If one used something that is not susceptible to ritual impurity, it is acceptable.ח
הזולף מים מן המעיין בידיו וברגליו ובחרסים ונתן לתוך החבית פסולין מפני שלא נתמלאו בכלי נתן את החבית במים ודחק המים בידיו או ברגליו או בעלי ירקות כדי שיעברו לחבית הרי אלו פסולין וכן אם שקעו במים כדי שיגברו המים ויעלו וישפכו לחבית פסולין ואם עשה כן בעלי קנים או בעלי אגוז הרי המים כשירים זה הכלל דבר שהוא מקבל טומאה אם סייע בו המים כדי שימלאו הכלי המים פסולין ואם סייע בדבר שאינו מקבל טומאה כשרים:
9
If one causes a spring to flow into a vat or into a pool and then drew water with a container from that pool or vat, it is unacceptable. For at the outset, one must draw water from the spring with a container.ט
המפנה המעיין לתוך הגת או לתוך הגבא וחזר ומילא בכלי מאותו הגבא או הגת פסולים שהרי צריך שתהיה לקיחת המים מן המעיין בכלי בתחלה:
10
The Great Sea is considered like a mikveh and not like a spring. Therefore water to be sanctified may not be drawn from it. Water from all of the rivers is unacceptable to be sanctified to serve as the water for the ashes of the red heifer. Other seas or lakes are like springs.י
הים הגדול כמקוה ואינו כמעיין לפיכך אין ממלאין ממנו לקידוש וכל הנהרות פסולין לקדש מהן מי חטאת ושאר הימים כמעיין:
11
Water that flows out from other seas is called running water and is unacceptable. Water flowing from a stream is considered as the stream itself and is acceptable.יא
והמים הנגררין משאר הימים והן הנקראין זוחלין פסולין והזוחלין מן המעיין הרי הם כמעיין וכשרים:
12
Spoiled springs and "lying" waters are unacceptable. The following types of springs are termed spoiled: salty springs or hot springs. "Lying" waters refer to springs that sometimes flow and sometimes, run dry and are arid. Even if they run dry only once in seven years, they are unacceptable. If, however, they run dry only in years of drought or less frequently than once in seven years, or their waters were, at times, abundant and, at times, sparse, but they do not run entirely dry, they are acceptable. When a stream is first discovered, it is deemed acceptable. There is no need to see whether it will run dry in certain years.יב
מים המוכין והמכזבין פסולין ואלו הן המוכין המלוחים או הפושרים והמכזבים הם המעיינו' שפעמים מקירין ופעמים חרבין ויבשין אפילו היו חרבין פעם אחת לשבע שנים פסולין אבל אם היו חרבין בשני בצורת או לשנים רבות יתר משבע או שהיו מימיהן פעמים מרובין ופעמים מועטין ואינן חרבין הרי אלו כשרים ומעיין היוצא בתחלה כשר ואינו צריך לבדוק שמא יכזב:
13
Swamps and waters like those of the Jordan and the Yarmuch are unacceptable, because they are mixed waters. This is what is meant by the term "mixed waters": water that is fit to be sanctified that is mixed with water that is unfit. Water should not be drawn from such a mixture. When, by contrast, water that is acceptable becomes mixed with other water that is acceptable, e.g., the water of two streams become mixed and flow together, water for the ashes of a red heifer may be drawn from them.יג
מי ביצים ומי הירדן ומי הירמוך פסולין מפני שהן מי התערובות ואלו הן מי התערובות מים כשרים לקידוש שנתערבו במים פסולין אין ממלאין מתערובת שניהם אבל מים כשרים שנתערבו במים כשרים כגון מימי שתי המעיינות שנתערבו ונמשכו ממלאין מהן:
14
If the appearance or flavor of water changes because of itself, it is acceptable.יד
המים שנשתנו שינויין מחמת עצמן כשרין:
15
If a shard or earth fell into a well and caused its water to become murky, one may still draw water for the ashes of a red heifer from it. It is not necessary to wait until the water clears. If a flow of rainwater falls into it, one should wait until the water becomes clear.טו
באר שנפל לתוכה חרסית או אדמה ונעשו מימיה עכורין ממלא ממנה וא"צ להמתין נפל לתוכה שטף של מימי גשמים ימתין עד שתיצל:
16
It is acceptable to draw water for the ashes of the red heifer from an irrigation canal that brings water from a distance, since it originates in a wellspring, provided one is careful that a person does not interrupt the flow. Were that to happen, one would be drawing water that originated in a wellspring, but was interrupted; this is not acceptable.טז
אמת המים הבאה מרחוק הואיל ותחילתה מן המעין כשירה למלאות ממנה ובלבד שישמרנה שלא יפסקנה אדם ונמצא ממלא מן המים שפסקו תחילתן מן המעין שהן פסולין:
Parah Adummah - Chapter 7
1
The performance of work disqualifies water that was drawn for the ashes of the red heifer before it is sanctified, but it does not disqualify the sprinkling of the ashes. These rulings are stated in the Oral Tradition.
What is implied? If one draws water for sanctification with the ashes and was involved with another activity while drawing it, carrying the water that was drawn, or pouring it from one container to another, he disqualifies it.
The performance of an activity disqualifies the water until the ashes are placed on it. If one placed the ashes on the water and sanctified it, causing it to be fit for sprinkling, the performance of another activity does not disqualify it. If one carries sanctified water from place to place or pours it from one container to another while being occupied with another activity, it is of no consequence. This also applies if one sprinkles it with one hand and performs an activity with the other hand.א
המלאכה פוסלת במים קודם שיתקדשו ואינה פוסלת בהזאה ודברים אלו הן דברי קבלה כיצד הממלא מים לקידוש ונתעסק במלאכה אחרת בשעת המילוי או בשעת הולכת המים שממלא או בעת שמערה אותן מכלי אל כלי פסלן לעולם המלאכה פוסלת במים עד שיטיל להן את האפר הטיל את האפר ונתקדשו ונעשו מי נדה אין המלאכה פוסלת בהן אלא המוליך המים המוקדשין או מערה אותן מכלי לכלי והוא עוסק במלאכה אחרת אין בכך כלום וכן מזה מהן בידו אחת והוא עושה מלאכה בידו האחרת:
2
The payment of a wage disqualifies the sanctification of the water and the sprinkling of it, but it does not disqualify the drawing of it.
What is implied? When one takes a wage for sanctifying the water for the ashes of the red heifer or sprinkling it, the water is considered as the water of a cavern and the ashes, as ashes from a range, which are of no halachic significance. One may, however, take a wage for drawing the water or transporting it. One should sanctify it without charge and the one who sprinkles it, should sprinkle it without charge.
If the one sanctifying or sprinkling the water was old and unable to walk and an impure person came and asked him to go with him to a distant place to sanctify such water or sprinkle it, he may have him ride on a donkey and pay him a wage as befits an unemployed worker who had previously worked at that profession. Similarly, if he was a priest and because he would accompany him, he would contract an impurity that prevents him from partaking of terumah, he should feed him, give him beverages, and oil to anoint himself during the time he travels with him to sanctify or sprinkle the water. If he causes him to cease working, he should pay him a wage as befits an unemployed worker who had previously worked at that profession.
The rationale is that all of these considerations are not wages he is being paid for sanctifying or sprinkling the water, for he did not profit at all. He only took compensation for what he lost.ב
השכר פסול בקידוש ובהזייה ואינו פוסל במילוי כיצד הנוטל שכרו לקדש מי חטאת או להזות מהן הרי אותן המים כמי המערה והאפר כאפר מקלה שאינו כלום אבל נוטל הוא שכר למלאות המים או להוליכן ומקדשין אותן בחנם ומזה מהן המזה בחנם היה המקדש או המזה זקן שאינו יכול להלך על רגליו ובא הטמא וביקש ממנו להלוך עמו במקום רחוק לקדש או להזות ה"ז מרכיבו על החמור ונותן שכרו כפועל בטל שבטל מאותה מלאכה שביטלו ממנה וכן אם היה כהן והיה טמא בטומאה המונעתו מלאכול תרומתו בעת שילך עמו להזות או לקדש ה"ז מאכילו ומשקהו וסכו ואם ביטלו ממלאכה נותן לו שכרו כפועל בטל של אותה מלאכה שכל אלו הדברים אינן שכר שנשתכר בקידוש או בהזאה שהרי לא הרויח כלום ולא נטל אלא כנגד מה שהפסיד:
3
When a person draws water with one hand and performs work with his other hand, the water is unacceptable. Similarly, if he drew water for himself and for another person or he drew water for two people at the same time, both are unacceptable. For drawing water is considered as work. Thus during each of the drawings of water, it is as if he performed another task at that time. And we have already stated that the performance of an activity disqualifies the drawing of water, whether one draws for himself or for others.ג
הממלא באחת ידו ועושה מלאכה בידו האחרת או הממלא לו ולאחר או שמילא לשנים כאחת שניהן פסולין שהמילוי מלאכה ונמצא כל מילוי משניהם כאילו עשה עמו מלאכה אחרת וכבר הודענו שהמלאכה פוסלת במילוי בין שמילא לעצמו בין שמילא לאחרים:
4
When a person draws water for the ashes of the red heifer for others - even if he filled one thousand barrels one after the other for one thousand different people - they are all acceptable. Each person should take his water and sanctify it.
The following rules apply if one drew water for himself, one barrel after another. If he intended to collect all the water in one container, cast the ashes upon it, and sanctify all at once, it is all acceptable, for it is all considered as one drawing of water. If, however, he intended to sanctify every barrel individually, they are all unacceptable except for the last one. The rationale is that the first becomes disqualified due to the work - i.e., the drawing of the second barrel - that was performed before it was sanctified. Similarly, the second is disqualified by the drawing of the third. Thus it is only the last which is acceptable.ד
הממלא לאחרים אפילו מילא אלף חביות זו אחר זו לאלף בני אדם כולן כשרים וכל אחד מהן נוטל המים שלו ומקדשן מילא לעצמו חבית אחר חבית אם נתכוון לקבץ כל החביות לכלי אחד ולהשליך עליהן את האפר ומקדשן קידוש אחד כולן כשרים שהכל מילוי אחד הוא אבל אם נתכוון לקדש כל חבית וחבית בפני עצמה כולן פסולין חוץ מן האחרונה שהראשונה נפסלת במלאכה שעשה קודם שיקדש והוא מילוי השניה וכן השניה נפסלת במילוי השלישית ואין כשירה אלא אחרונה:
5
When five people fill five barrels with spring water to sanctify them for five different sanctifications, e.g., they intended to cast the ashes on each one individually and then changed their minds and decided to mix them all together and sanctify them at once; alternatively, they filled the barrels to sanctify them all in one container and then changed their minds and decided to sanctify each of the five independently, they are all acceptable, because the person drawing the water did not become involved in drawing other water afterwards. When, by contrast, an individual fills five barrels to sanctify each of the five independently, only the last one is acceptable,
If he filled the barrels to sanctify all the water in one container and he changed his mind and sanctified each of the five individually, only the one that he sanctified first is acceptable. Similarly, if a person told a colleague: "Sanctify these for yourself," only the bucket that is sanctified first is acceptable. If, however, he told him: "Sanctify these for me," they are all acceptable, because they were all filled to be sanctified in one container. Even though he changed his mind and decided to sanctify each of the five individually, he himself did not perform the sanctification, someone else did.ה
חמשה שמלאו חמש חביות לקדשם חמשה קידושים כגון שישליך האפר על כל אחת ואחת בפני עצמו ונמלכו לערבן ולקדשן כולן קידוש אחד או שמלאום לקדשן קידוש אחד ונמלכו לקדשן חמשה קידושין כולן כשרין שהרי לא נתעסק הממלא במילוי אחר אבל היחיד שמילא חמש חביות לקדשם חמשה קידושין אף ע"פ שחזר ונמלך לקדשן קידוש אחד אין כשר אלא אחרון מלאן לקדשן קידוש אחד ונמלך לקדשן חמשה קידושין אין כשר אלא זה שקידש בתחלה וכן אם אמר לאחר קדש לך את אלו אין כשר אלא זו שנתקדשה מהן בתחלה אבל אם אמר לו קדש לי את אלו הרי כולן כשרין שהרי לקידוש אחד מלאן ואף על פי שנמלך עליה לקדשה חמשה קידושין הרי לא קידש הוא אלא אחר קידש לו:
6
When a person seeks to draw water to sanctify it and other water for his own purposes, he should draw the water he desires for his own purposes first and tie the barrels and load them behind him. Afterwards, he fills the buckets he intended to use for the water for the ashes of the red heifer so that he will not be involved in any work after drawing it. He places it in front of him, and proceeds.ו
הרוצה למלאות מים לקדשן ומים אחרים לצרכיו ממלא את של צרכיו תחלה וקושרן וטוענן לאחוריו ואחר כך ממלא את של חטאת כדי שלא יתעסק במלאכה אחר המילוי ונותנם לפניו והולך:
7
The following laws apply when two people were drawing water individually and one helped the other lift his water to load it on his back or one removed a thorn from the other's hand or body when he was drawing the water. If they both drew the water to sanctify it in a single container, all of the water is acceptable. If each of them drew the water to sanctify it independently, the one who helped his colleague lift his water or removed the thorn, disqualified his own water.ז
שנים שהיו ממלאין כל אחד ואחד לעצמו והגביהו זה על זה ונטל זה לזה קוץ מידו או מגופו בשעת מילואו אם מלאו שניהם לקידוש אחד המים כשרים ואם מלאו לקדש כל אחד לעצמו זה שהגביה או הוציא את הקוץ פסל מימיו:
8
When a person borrows a rope to draw water for the ashes of the red heifer, draws the water, takes the rope in his hand, and the water on his shoulders, and meets the owner of the rope while he is on his way, the water remains acceptable even though he give him the rope while he is walking. If he went out of his way to bring the rope to its owner, he disqualified the water.ח
השואל חבל למלאות בו ומילא ונטל החבל בידיו ומימיו על כתפו ופגע בבעלים בדרכו ונתן להן את החבל כשהוא מהלך כשרין ואם יצא מן הדרך כדי להוליך החבל לבעלים פסל את המים:
9
If someone who was drawing water for the ashes of the red heifer cast the rope he used to draw the water on the ground and after he drew the water gathered the rope in his hand, he disqualified the water. If, while drawing the water, he gathered the rope, winding it around his hand, the water is acceptable.ט
מי שהיה ממלא ומשליך החבל שמילא בו על הארץ ואחר שמילא חזר וקבץ על ידו פסלן ואם היה דולה ומקבץ לתוך ידו המים כשרים:
10
When one was drawing water with a small jug and pouring the water into a larger barrel and he put aside the larger barrel so that it would not break while he was drawing the water or he turned it upside down to dry it so he could fill it, the water is acceptable, for these activities were performed for the sake of drawing the water. If, however, before sanctifying the water he had drawn, he set the barrel aside or dried it to transport the water he would sanctify, he disqualified the water, because he performed a task that was not for the purpose of drawing the water. Similar laws apply when one who was drawing water and pouring the water into a trough within a stone removed shards from the trough while filling it. If his intent was so that the trough would hold more water, the water is acceptable, for this is considered as for the purpose of drawing water. If his intent is that the shards should prevent the water from flowing out when he seeks to draw off the water with which he filled the trough, the water is unacceptable.י
הממלא ונותן לחבית עד שימלאנה מים והצניע את החבית שלא תשבר בשעה שהיה ממלא או שכפאה על פיה על מנת לנגבה למלאות בה כשר שזה מצורך המילוי הוא אבל אם הצניעה או נגבה כדי להוליך בה את הקידוש פסל שהרי עשה מלאכה שאינה לצורך המילוי וכן הממלא ונותן לשוקת ופינה חרסית מן השוקת בשעת מילוי אם בשביל שתחזיק מים רבים כשרים שהרי זו צורך המילוי ואם בשביל שלא יהיו החרסין מעכבין אותו בשעה שהוא זולף את המים שמילא בשוקת הרי אלו פסולין:
11
The following rules apply when a person thinks of filling a bucket of water to drink and changes his mind and decides to use the water for the ashes of the red heifer]. If he changed his mind before the bucket reached the water, he must pour the water out, but he does not have to dry out the bucket. If he changed his mind after the bucket reached the water, he must pour it out and he must dry it. Only afterwards, may he fill it with water for the ashes of the red heifer.
If he lowered the bucket towards the water with the intent of using the water to drink and the rope broke away from his hand, if he changed his mind before the bucket reached the water, he must pour the water out, but he does not have to dry out the bucket. If he changed his mind while the bucket was still in the water and intended to use the water for the ashes of the red heifer, he must pour it out, but does not have to dry the bucket.
When a person drew water to use for the ashes of the red heifer and, after drawing it, thought to drink it, the water is disqualified from the time he inclined the container to drink from it, even though he did not drink from it at all.יא
הממלא דלי לשתות ונמלך וחישב עליו למי חטאת אם עד שלא הגיע הדלי למים חישב מערה וא"צ לנגב ואם משהגיע הדלי למים חישב מערה וצריך לנגב ואחר כך ימלא בו לחטאת שלשל הדלי ונפסק החבל מידו אם עד שלא הגיע הדלי למים חישב עליו מערה וא"צ לנגב נמלך והוא עודהו בתוך המים וחישב עליו למי חטאת מערה ואינו צריך לנגב מים שמלאן למי חטאת ואחר שנתמלא חישב עליהן לשתותן כשיטה את הכלי לשתות פסל המים אע"פ שלא שתה מהן כלום:
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Sunday, Iyar 18, 5777 · 14 May 2017
Iyar 18, 33rd day of the omer
Sunday, Iyar 18, 33rd day of the omer 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: B'chukotai, first parsha with Rashi.
Tehillim: 88-89.
Tanya: But how can (p. 259)...exalted and holy." (p. 259).
Lag Ba'Omer was one of the Mitteler Rebbe's particularly noteworthy festivals. He and the Chassidim would go out to the fields that day, and although he did not wash and break bread, he did partake of mashkeh (strong drink), which he was not allowed to do for health reasons. Many wonders were seen at that time, most of them involving the blessing of children for childless couples - and all year long people waited for Lag Ba'Omer.
Daily Thought
Cosmic Marriage
From the moment that they were sundered apart, the earth has craved to reunite with heaven: physical with spiritual, body with soul, the life that breathes within us with the transcendental that lies beyond life, beyond being.
And yet more so does the Infinite Light yearn to find itself within that world, that pulse of life, within finite, earthly existence. There, more than any spiritual world, is the place of G‑d’s delight.
Towards this ultimate union all of history flows, all living things crave, all human activities are subliminally directed. When it will finally occur, it will be the quintessence of every marriage that has ever occurred.
May it be soon in our times, sooner than we can imagine.[Sefer ha-Sichot 5750, vol. 1, pp. 103ff.]
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