Thursday-Daily Chitas [Chumash, Tanya] & Rambam Summaries [13th Iyar 5783]

Thursday, 13th Iyar 5783/May 4, 2023

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Parshas Emor

Chamishi

  • Rosh Hashanah: On the first of the seventh month [i.e. Tishreiy] one is to rest, it is to be a day of remembrance of the Shofar, a calling of holiness. One is not to perform any laborious activity, and Karbanos are to be brought before Hashem.
  • Yom Kippur: The 10th day of the month is a day of atonement. It is a day of holiness for you and you shall oppress your soul and bring an offering to Hashem. You shall not perform any work on this day, as it is a day of atonement for Hashem to atone for you. Any soul who does not fast on this very day will be cut off from his people. Any soul who performs Melacha on this day, I will destroy him from amongst his people. One may not do any work for all generations, in all your settlements. It is a day of complete rest, and you shall afflict your souls. On the ninth of the month, from evening to evening, you shall rest on that day.

Tanya Chapter 47

Chapter 47: The daily Exodus

1. The daily Exodus:

  • The sages teach us that in every generation, and every day, a person is obligated to imagine as if he personally came out of Egypt. This is fulfilled by one experiencing a daily spiritual Exodus, as you will now explain.

2. The daily spiritual Exodus:

  • Leaving the constraints of the body: The daily Exodus is experienced through one removing his godly soul from its bodily constraints, which is referred to as a serpent skin.
  • Torah and mitzvah’s: This spiritual Exodus is realized through engaging in Torah study and mitzvah fulfillment, which causes one’s godly soul to become absorbed within the unity of the infinite light of G-d.
  • The daily Shema: It is especially experienced upon reciting the daily Shema in which one accepts the yoke of heaven, and draws upon himself the unity of G-d when reciting the words “Our G-d, G-d is one.” The words “our G-d” emphasize the idea that the godly soul is nullified and incorporated in the unity of G-d, as it states regarding Abraham.
  • The spiritual Exodus Of Abraham versus that of us: The spiritual Exodus experienced by our forefather Abraham was not as a result of Torah and mitzvah’s but rather was merited as a result of his hard work and advancements in holiness going from one level to the next. However by us his descendants, the ability to experience a spiritual Exodus is an inheritance and gift from G-d, as G-d gifted us the Torah into which He invested His will and wisdom which are united with His essence in the ultimate unity.

3. The Torah contains G-d himself:

  • By G-d gifting us the Torah, it is as if He has gifted us Him himself.
  • This is emphasized in the Zohar which interprets the verse “and take for me a donation,” to instead mean “take Me”

4. Uniting with G-d is within everyone’s reach:

  • According to the above it is understood, that there is nothing that stands in the way of the soul uniting with G-d with exception to its own will, if he G-d forbid does not wish to do so. However, the moment that he decides to draw upon himself G-dliness, his soul is automatically incorporated within the unity of G-d.
  • This in itself accomplishes the spiritual Exodus.

5. Why the recital of Shema contains a paragraph of the Exodus:

  • It is due to the above experiencing of the spiritual Exodus upon reciting the Shema that the sages instituted the recital of the paragraph of the Exodus at the conclusion of the Shema, even though it is in truth an independent mitzvah that has nothing to do with the mitzvah of Shema.
  • Based on the above, it is understood that both the recital Shema and the paragraph of the Exodus are one of the same. 

Rambam

Book 10-The book of Taharah:

  • Number of subjects in book: Eight.
    • The laws of impurity of a corpse.
    • The laws of the red-Heifer.
    • The laws of leprosy.
    • The laws of impurity imparted on a bed and seat.
    • The laws of other major categories of impurity.
    • The laws of impurity relating to foods.
    • Laws of impurity relating to vessels.
    • The laws of a Mikveh.

 

1. Hilchos Tumas Meis-The laws of impurity of a corpse

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: One positive command.
    • The laws relating to the impurity of a corpse.

2. Hilchos Parah Aduma-The laws of the red Heifer

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Two positive command.
    • The laws relating to the red heifer.
    • The laws relating to purifying a person using the sprinkling waters.

3. Hilchos Tumas Tzara’as-The laws of leprosy

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Eight commands. Six positive commands, and two negative comments.
    • To follow the laws of leprosy written in the Torah.
    • Not to cut the leprosy off the body.
    • Not to shave the hair off a bald spot leper.
    • For a leper to tear his clothing, and allow his hair to grow long, and cover his head.
    • To purify a leper.
    • For the leper to shave all the hair off his body.
    • The laws of leprosy and clothing.
    • The laws of leprosy on a home.

4. Hilchos Mitamei Mishkav Umoshav-The laws of impurity on beds and seats

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Four positive command.
    • The impurity of a Nidda.
    • The impurity of a woman after birth
    • The impurity of a Zavah.
    • The impurity of a Zav.

5. Hilchos Shaar Avos Hatuma-The laws of other major categories of impurity

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Three positive command.
    • The impurity of a carcass.
    • The impurity of a Sheretz.
    • The impurity of semen.
    • The rabbinical impurity of idolatry

6. Hilchos Tumas Ochlin-The laws of impurity relating to foods

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: One positive command.
    • The impurity that’s contracted by food and drink.

7. Hilchos Keilim-The laws of impurity relating to vessels

  • The purpose of these laws is to clarify which vessels receive impurity which do not.

8. Hilchos Mikvaos-The laws of Mikvaos

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: One positive command.
    • For an impure person to immerse in the waters of a mikvah.

The total amount of commands in this book are 20, which include 18 positive commands and two negative commands.

 

Book 11-The book of Nezikin:

  • Number of subjects in book: Five.
    • The laws of property damage.
    • The laws of stealing.
    • The laws of robbery.
    • The laws of bodily injury.
    • The laws of murder and guarding one’s soul.

 

1. Hilchos Nizkei Mamon-The laws of monetary damages

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Four positive command.
    • The law of a goring ox.
    • The law of the grazing animal.
    • The law of the pit.
    • The law of a fire.

2. Hilchos Gineiva-The laws of theft

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Seven commands. Five positive commands and two negative commands
    • Not to steal money.
    • The law of the thief.
    • To have proper scales and weights.
    • Not to do injustice with weights and scales.
    • Not to own incorrect weights and scales.
    • Not to infringe another person’s property.
    • Not to kidnap a person.

3. Hilchos Gezeila Viaveida-The laws of robbery and lost objects

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Seven commands. Two positive commands and five negative commands.
    • Not to rob.
    • Not to withhold payment.
    • Not to covet an item of another.
    • Not the desire an item of another.
    • To return a stolen object.
    • Not to ignore a lost object.
    • To return a lost object.

4. Hilchos Chovel Umazik-The laws of bodily injury

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: One positive command.
    • One who injures his friend or damages his friends property.

5. Hilchos Rotzeiach Ushemiras Hanefesh-The laws of murder and protection of life

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Seventeen commands. Seven positive commands and ten negative commands.
    • Not to murder.
    • Not to take money to redeem a murder.
    • To exile an inadvertent murder.
    • Not to take money to redeem an inadvertent murder.
    • Not to kill the murderer prior to trial.
    • To save the life of one who is being chased even by killing the person chasing him.
    • Not to show any mercy to one who is pursuing someone.
    • Not to stand idle when another person’s blood is being spilled.
    • To prepare cities of refuge.
    • To break the neck of the calf by the river.
    • Not to work in the ground where the calf was killed.
    • Not to allow dangerous situations.
    • To put up a guardrail.
    • Not to place a stumbling block before the innocent.
    • To help unload an animal.
    • To help load an animal.
    • Not to leave him distraught with the burden on the road

This book contains a total of 36 mitzvah’s, 16 positive commands of 20 negative commands.

 

Book 12-The book of Kinyan:

  • Number of subjects in book: Five.
    • The laws of sales.
    • The laws of gifts.
    • The laws of neighbors.
    • The laws of agents.
    • The laws of slaves.

 

1. Hilchos Mechira-The laws of sales

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Four commands. One positive commands and three negative commands.
    • The laws of sales.
    • Not to cheat in business.
    • Not to oppress another with words.
    • Not to oppress a convert.

2. Hilchos Zechiya Umatana-The laws of gifts

  • This topic discusses the laws of acquisition relating to disowned items, and gifts.

3. Hilchos Shecheinim-The laws of neighbors

  • This topic discusses the laws of joint ownership of real estate, and the distancing of damages from a neighbor, and a Baal Metzer.

4. Hilchos Shluchin Veshutfin-The laws of partners and agents

  • Business laws relating to agents and partners.

5. Hilchos Avadim-The laws of slaves

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Thirteen commands. Five positive commands and eight negative commands.
    • Acquiring a Jewish slave.
    • Not to sell a Jewish slave like a regular slave.
    • Not to work a Jewish slave too hard.
    • Not to allow a Gentile to work him too hard.
    • Not work him like a slave.
    • To give him severance pay when he leaves.
    • Do not allow him to leave empty-handed.
    • To redeem a maidservant.
    • To marry her off.
    • To not sell her.
    • To have a Canaanite slave work for you forever.
    • Not to extradite a slave who fled to Israel.
    • Not to oppress the slave.

There are a total of 18 mitzvah’s in this book 6 positive commands and 12 negative commands.

 

Book 13-The book of Mishpatim:

  • Number of subjects in book: Five.
    • The laws of employees.
    • The laws of custodians and borrowers.
    • The laws of loans.
    • The laws of claims.

The laws of inheritance.

 

1. Hilchos Sechirus-The laws of employees

  • Number of mitzvah’s included: Seven commands. Three positive commands and for negative commands.
    • The law of an employee and paid custodian.
    • To pay an employee on time.
    • Not to delay payment to an employee.
    • To allow an employee to eat while on the job.
    • For an employee not to eat from the foods attached to the ground.
    • For an employee not to profit more than what he ate.
    • Not to muzzle an animal during plowing.

 

Book 14-The book of Shoftim:

  • Number of subjects in book: Five.
    • The laws of the Supreme Court.
    • The laws of witnesses.
    • The laws of a rebel.
    • The laws of mourning.
    • The laws of Kings and wars.

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