CROWN OF THE WEEK
Friday and Sabbath
Today is: Erev Shabbat, Elul 24, 5771 • 9 23, 2011
.
Topics in the news
.
Troy Davis, convicted of a 1989 murder, is executed by the U.S. state of Georgia, after several appeals and high-profile calls for clemency fail.
.
Valentina Matviyenko (pictured) is elected Chairwoman of the Federation Council of Russia, the highest political position attained by a woman in the country since Catherine the Great.
.
The members of American rock band R.E.M. announce they are splitting up after 31 years together.
.
The government of Slovenia, led by Borut Pahor, falls after losing a vote of confidence.
.
Former Afghani President Burhanuddin Rabbani is assassinated in Kabul.
.
Current events
.
Armed conflicts and attacks
.
2011 Yemeni uprising: The President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh returns after a three month absence with an increase in violence. (AL-Jazeera)
.
Thousands of mourners gather in Kabul for the funeral of former President of Afghanistan Burhanuddin Rabbani who was killed by a suicide bomber earlier in the week. (BBC)
.
Business and economy
.
Asian and Australian stock markets fall for a second day amid the ongoing global economic crisis. (Sydney Morning Herald), (Bloomberg), (CNBC)
.
Thousands of Toyota workers in Australia go on strike over a pay dispute. (ABC News Australia)
.
Disasters
.
Floods in the Philippines province of Maguindanao affect 16,000 families. (Inquirer)
.
International relations
.
Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestine, will make a bid for full Palestinean statehood in an address to the General Assembly of the United Nations. (Washington Post) (Sky News)
.
Law and crime
.
South Korean prosecutors raid the offices of seven savings banks whose operations were suspended last week with the President of one bank committing suicide. (Yonhap)
.
Politics
.
Opposition leader Michael Sata is declared the winner of the Zambian presidential election. (BBC)
.
The United States House of Representatives passes a resolution providing funding for the Government through to November 18 but the Senate has vowed to reject it, making a Government shutdown from October 1 possible. (Washington Post)
.
Science
.
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is expected to fall from orbit sometime this evening Greenwich Mean Time. (BBC)
.
Today's Laws & Customs
.
• Elul Observances
.
As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionaly a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
.
As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 1) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all."
.
Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below to view today's Psalms.
.
Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72
.
Elul is also the time to have one's tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.
.
Today in Jewish History
.
• Passing of Chafetz Chaim (1933)
.
Elul 24 is the yahrtzeit of the revered Torah scholar, pietist and Jewish leader Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (1838-1933) of Radin (Poland), author of Chafetz Chaim (a work on the evils of gossip and slander and the guidelines of proper speech) and Mishnah Berurah (a codification of Torah law).
.
Daily Quote
.
Am I my brother’s keeper?
.
- Cain to G‑d (Genesis 4:9)
.
Daily Study
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayelech, 6th Portion Deuteronomy 31:14-31:19 with Rashi
.
Tehillim: Chapters 113 - 118
.
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 18
.
Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
.
• 1 Chapter: Avadim Chapter Four
.
• 3 Chapters: Me`ilah Chap. 5, 6, 7
.
Hayom Yom:
.
"Today's Day"
.
There was a time when every brief saying one heard was regarded as a "Torah" (teaching, guidance), and everything one saw was perceived as an instruction in his avoda and conduct.
.
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
.
Negative Commandment 114
.
Shearing an Animal Designated for Sacrifice
.
"And do not shear the firstborn of your sheep"—Deuteronomy 15:19.
.
It is forbidden to shear an animal designated for sacrifice.
.
Today is: Shabbat, Elul 25, 5771 • 9 24, 2011
.
Today's Laws & Customs
.
• Ethics of the Fathers: Chapters 5 & 6
.
During the summer months, from the Shabbat after Passover until the Shabbat before Rosh Hashahah, we study a portion of the Talmud's Ethics of the Fathers ("Avot") each Shabbat afternoon. This week, we complete this year's cycle with the study of Chapters Five and Six.
.
• Selichot
.
The series of Selichot ("supplication") prayers recited in preparation for the "Days of Awe" of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur begin this Saturday night, after midnight (after the Ashkenazic custom; the Sephardic community begins on the 1st of Elul). On subsequent days, the custom is to recite the Selichot in the early morning hours, before the morning prayers, each morning up to and including Elul 29, the eve of Rosh Hashanah.
.
• Elul Observances
.
As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionaly a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
.
As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 1) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all."
.
Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below to view today's Psalms.
.
Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75
.
Elul is also the time to have one's tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.
.
Today in Jewish History
.
• Creation (3761 BCE)
.
The 1st day of creation, on which G-d created existence, time, matter, darkness and light, was the 25th of Elul. (Rosh Hashanah, on which we mark "the beginning of Your works", is actually the 6th day of creation, on which the world attained the potential for the realization of its purpose, with the creation of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Rosh Hashanah is therefore the day from which the Jewish calendar begins to count the years of history; the 1st day of creation thus occurred on the 25th of Elul of what is termed -1 from creation.
.
• Jerusalem Walls Rebuilt (335 BCE)
.
The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem -- which had been in ruins since the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians 88 years earlier -- was completed by Nehemia on Elul 25 of the year 3426 from creation (335 BCE) as related in the Book of Nehemia (ch. 6).
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• Passing of Rabbi Elazar (2nd century CE)
.
Passing of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
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• Passing of R. Michel of Zlotchov (1786)
.
Passing of Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov (1721?-1786), disciple of the Baal Shem Tov.
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Daily Study
.
Chitas and Rambam for today:
.
Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayelech, 7th Portion Deuteronomy 31:20-31:30 with Rashi
•
Tehillim: Chapter 119, Verses 1-96
•
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 19
•
Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
.
• 1 Chapter: Avadim Chapter Five
.
• 3 Chapters: Me`ilah Chap. 8, Korban Pesach Chap. 1, 2
.
Hayom Yom: 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.
.
Negative Commandment 114
.
Shearing an Animal Designated for Sacrifice
.
"And do not shear the firstborn of your sheep"—Deuteronomy 15:19.
.
It is forbidden to shear an animal designated for sacrifice.
.
Positive Commandment 55
.
The Paschal Offering
.
"And the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon"—Exodus 12:6.
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Every individual is commanded to offer [or participate on a group that is offering] the Paschal Sacrifice on the afternoon of the fourteenth of Nissan [the eve of Passover]—even if this day falls on the Shabbat.
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Negative Commandment 115
.
Sacrificing the Paschal Offering with Chametz in One's Possession
.
"You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread"—Exodus 23:18.
.
It is forbidden to have chametz (leavened bread) in one's possession from the onset of the time when the Paschal Offering is brought—noon of the fourteenth of Nissan [the eve of Passover].
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This prohibition applies to all those who are participating in the eating of the sacrifice, the priest who slaughters it, the priest who sprinkles its blood on the altar, and the priest who offers its fats on the altar.
.
Negative Commandment 116
.
Leaving Overnight the Fats of the Paschal Offering
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"Neither shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until the morning"—Exodus 23:18.
.
It is forbidden to leave unsacrificed the fats of the Paschal Offering that are designated to be burnt on the altar, until they become invalid for offering [i.e., until the following morning].
.
"Today's Day"
ShabbatElul 255703
Say the entire Tehillim in the early morning.
Day of farbrengen. S'lichot immediately after midnight, but on the remaining s'lichot days - in the early morning.
When Nitzavim and Vayeilech are separate, the Maftir and Shevi'i of Nitzavim begin at Re'ei natati l'fanecha...
Torah lessons:Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayeilech, Shevi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 119, 1-96. Also 73-75.
Tanya: XIX. "He wraps (p. 489) ...(as follows). (p. 491).
The Alter Rebbe related: When I was in Mezritch I heard from my Rebbe, the Maggid, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov: The seventh month (Tishrei), first of the months of the year,1 is blessed by G-d Himself, on Shabbat mevarchim - last Shabbat in the month of Elul.2 With this power3 Israel blesses the other months eleven times a year.
It is written, Atem nitzavim hayom, "You stand this day."4 This day refers to Rosh Hashana which is the day of Judgment (as it is written, "The day came,"5 which Targum renders, the day of the great judgment came). Yet you remain standing firmly upright (nitzavim), meaning - you will be vindicated in judgment.6
On the Shabbat preceding Rosh Hashana, the last Shabbat in Elul, we read the parsha of Atem nitzavim, which is G-d's blessing7 on the Shabbat-of-blessing the seventh month (Shabbat mevarchim). That seventh month (Tishrei) is itself sated8 - and in turn satiates all Israel - with an abundance of good for the duration of the (coming) year."
FOOTNOTES
1. While Tishrei is the seventh month of the Festival Calendar (which begins with Nissan), it is the first month of the Annual Calendar, marking the years since Creation. See Likutei Sichos Vol. 4, p. 1139, footnote 2.
2. The month of Tishrei is not blessed by the congregants in shul on the Shabbat preceding it, unlike all other months of the year.
3. I.e. with the power of G-d's blessing of the seventh month - Tishrei.
4. Devarim 29:9.
5. Iyov 2:1.
6. This assurance of vindication in the upcoming Rosh Hashana judgment - contained in the opening words of Nitzavim - is G-d's blessing of Tishrei - embodied in the Torah-reading.
7. See footnote 6.
8. The word sheva (seven), may alternately be rendered sova (sated).
.
THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH
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Genesis Chapter 1
בְּרֵאשִׁית
.
Yom Ha´shee´shee ....Sixth day
.
כד וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ, בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיְתוֹ-אֶרֶץ, לְמִינָהּ; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 24
And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.' And it was so.
כה וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לְמִינָהּ, וְאֶת-הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ, וְאֵת כָּל-רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה, לְמִינֵהוּ; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 25
And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
כו וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ; וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל-הָאָרֶץ, וּבְכָל-הָרֶמֶשׂ, הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 26
And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
כז וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ: זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, בָּרָא אֹתָם. 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
כח וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם, אֱלֹהִים, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וְכִבְשֻׁהָ; וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם, וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבְכָל-חַיָּה, הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 28
And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
כט וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת-כָּל-עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, וְאֶת-כָּל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ פְרִי-עֵץ, זֹרֵעַ זָרַע: לָכֶם יִהְיֶה, לְאָכְלָה. 29
And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food;
ל וּלְכָל-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכָל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אֶת-כָּל-יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב, לְאָכְלָה; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 30
and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, [I have given] every green herb for food.' And it was so.
לא וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וְהִנֵּה-טוֹב מְאֹד; וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. {פ} 31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH
Genesis Chapter 1
בְּרֵאשִׁית
Yom Shabbat Rest.......7th Day
Genesis Chapter 2 בְּרֵאשִׁית
א וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, וְכָל-צְבָאָם. 1
And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
ב וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה; וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מִכָּל-מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. 2 And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.
ג וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ: כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל-מְלַאכְתּוֹ, אֲשֶׁר-בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת. {פ} 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which God in creating had made.
Friday and Sabbath
Today is: Erev Shabbat, Elul 24, 5771 • 9 23, 2011
.
Topics in the news
.
Troy Davis, convicted of a 1989 murder, is executed by the U.S. state of Georgia, after several appeals and high-profile calls for clemency fail.
.
Valentina Matviyenko (pictured) is elected Chairwoman of the Federation Council of Russia, the highest political position attained by a woman in the country since Catherine the Great.
.
The members of American rock band R.E.M. announce they are splitting up after 31 years together.
.
The government of Slovenia, led by Borut Pahor, falls after losing a vote of confidence.
.
Former Afghani President Burhanuddin Rabbani is assassinated in Kabul.
.
Current events
.
Armed conflicts and attacks
.
2011 Yemeni uprising: The President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh returns after a three month absence with an increase in violence. (AL-Jazeera)
.
Thousands of mourners gather in Kabul for the funeral of former President of Afghanistan Burhanuddin Rabbani who was killed by a suicide bomber earlier in the week. (BBC)
.
Business and economy
.
Asian and Australian stock markets fall for a second day amid the ongoing global economic crisis. (Sydney Morning Herald), (Bloomberg), (CNBC)
.
Thousands of Toyota workers in Australia go on strike over a pay dispute. (ABC News Australia)
.
Disasters
.
Floods in the Philippines province of Maguindanao affect 16,000 families. (Inquirer)
.
International relations
.
Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestine, will make a bid for full Palestinean statehood in an address to the General Assembly of the United Nations. (Washington Post) (Sky News)
.
Law and crime
.
South Korean prosecutors raid the offices of seven savings banks whose operations were suspended last week with the President of one bank committing suicide. (Yonhap)
.
Politics
.
Opposition leader Michael Sata is declared the winner of the Zambian presidential election. (BBC)
.
The United States House of Representatives passes a resolution providing funding for the Government through to November 18 but the Senate has vowed to reject it, making a Government shutdown from October 1 possible. (Washington Post)
.
Science
.
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is expected to fall from orbit sometime this evening Greenwich Mean Time. (BBC)
.
Today's Laws & Customs
.
• Elul Observances
.
As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionaly a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
.
As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 1) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all."
.
Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below to view today's Psalms.
.
Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72
.
Elul is also the time to have one's tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.
.
Today in Jewish History
.
• Passing of Chafetz Chaim (1933)
.
Elul 24 is the yahrtzeit of the revered Torah scholar, pietist and Jewish leader Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (1838-1933) of Radin (Poland), author of Chafetz Chaim (a work on the evils of gossip and slander and the guidelines of proper speech) and Mishnah Berurah (a codification of Torah law).
.
Daily Quote
.
Am I my brother’s keeper?
.
- Cain to G‑d (Genesis 4:9)
.
Daily Study
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayelech, 6th Portion Deuteronomy 31:14-31:19 with Rashi
.
Tehillim: Chapters 113 - 118
.
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 18
.
Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
.
• 1 Chapter: Avadim Chapter Four
.
• 3 Chapters: Me`ilah Chap. 5, 6, 7
.
Hayom Yom:
.
"Today's Day"
.
There was a time when every brief saying one heard was regarded as a "Torah" (teaching, guidance), and everything one saw was perceived as an instruction in his avoda and conduct.
.
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
.
Negative Commandment 114
.
Shearing an Animal Designated for Sacrifice
.
"And do not shear the firstborn of your sheep"—Deuteronomy 15:19.
.
It is forbidden to shear an animal designated for sacrifice.
.
Today is: Shabbat, Elul 25, 5771 • 9 24, 2011
.
Today's Laws & Customs
.
• Ethics of the Fathers: Chapters 5 & 6
.
During the summer months, from the Shabbat after Passover until the Shabbat before Rosh Hashahah, we study a portion of the Talmud's Ethics of the Fathers ("Avot") each Shabbat afternoon. This week, we complete this year's cycle with the study of Chapters Five and Six.
.
• Selichot
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The series of Selichot ("supplication") prayers recited in preparation for the "Days of Awe" of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur begin this Saturday night, after midnight (after the Ashkenazic custom; the Sephardic community begins on the 1st of Elul). On subsequent days, the custom is to recite the Selichot in the early morning hours, before the morning prayers, each morning up to and including Elul 29, the eve of Rosh Hashanah.
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• Elul Observances
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As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionaly a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
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As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 1) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all."
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Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below to view today's Psalms.
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Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75
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Elul is also the time to have one's tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.
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Today in Jewish History
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• Creation (3761 BCE)
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The 1st day of creation, on which G-d created existence, time, matter, darkness and light, was the 25th of Elul. (Rosh Hashanah, on which we mark "the beginning of Your works", is actually the 6th day of creation, on which the world attained the potential for the realization of its purpose, with the creation of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Rosh Hashanah is therefore the day from which the Jewish calendar begins to count the years of history; the 1st day of creation thus occurred on the 25th of Elul of what is termed -1 from creation.
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• Jerusalem Walls Rebuilt (335 BCE)
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The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem -- which had been in ruins since the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians 88 years earlier -- was completed by Nehemia on Elul 25 of the year 3426 from creation (335 BCE) as related in the Book of Nehemia (ch. 6).
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• Passing of Rabbi Elazar (2nd century CE)
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Passing of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
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• Passing of R. Michel of Zlotchov (1786)
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Passing of Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov (1721?-1786), disciple of the Baal Shem Tov.
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Daily Study
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Chitas and Rambam for today:
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Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayelech, 7th Portion Deuteronomy 31:20-31:30 with Rashi
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Tehillim: Chapter 119, Verses 1-96
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Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 19
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Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
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• 1 Chapter: Avadim Chapter Five
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• 3 Chapters: Me`ilah Chap. 8, Korban Pesach Chap. 1, 2
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Hayom Yom: Today's Mitzvah
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A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
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Important Message Regarding This Lesson
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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.
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Negative Commandment 114
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Shearing an Animal Designated for Sacrifice
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"And do not shear the firstborn of your sheep"—Deuteronomy 15:19.
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It is forbidden to shear an animal designated for sacrifice.
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Positive Commandment 55
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The Paschal Offering
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"And the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon"—Exodus 12:6.
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Every individual is commanded to offer [or participate on a group that is offering] the Paschal Sacrifice on the afternoon of the fourteenth of Nissan [the eve of Passover]—even if this day falls on the Shabbat.
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Negative Commandment 115
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Sacrificing the Paschal Offering with Chametz in One's Possession
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"You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread"—Exodus 23:18.
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It is forbidden to have chametz (leavened bread) in one's possession from the onset of the time when the Paschal Offering is brought—noon of the fourteenth of Nissan [the eve of Passover].
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This prohibition applies to all those who are participating in the eating of the sacrifice, the priest who slaughters it, the priest who sprinkles its blood on the altar, and the priest who offers its fats on the altar.
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Negative Commandment 116
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Leaving Overnight the Fats of the Paschal Offering
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"Neither shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until the morning"—Exodus 23:18.
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It is forbidden to leave unsacrificed the fats of the Paschal Offering that are designated to be burnt on the altar, until they become invalid for offering [i.e., until the following morning].
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"Today's Day"
ShabbatElul 255703
Say the entire Tehillim in the early morning.
Day of farbrengen. S'lichot immediately after midnight, but on the remaining s'lichot days - in the early morning.
When Nitzavim and Vayeilech are separate, the Maftir and Shevi'i of Nitzavim begin at Re'ei natati l'fanecha...
Torah lessons:Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayeilech, Shevi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 119, 1-96. Also 73-75.
Tanya: XIX. "He wraps (p. 489) ...(as follows). (p. 491).
The Alter Rebbe related: When I was in Mezritch I heard from my Rebbe, the Maggid, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov: The seventh month (Tishrei), first of the months of the year,1 is blessed by G-d Himself, on Shabbat mevarchim - last Shabbat in the month of Elul.2 With this power3 Israel blesses the other months eleven times a year.
It is written, Atem nitzavim hayom, "You stand this day."4 This day refers to Rosh Hashana which is the day of Judgment (as it is written, "The day came,"5 which Targum renders, the day of the great judgment came). Yet you remain standing firmly upright (nitzavim), meaning - you will be vindicated in judgment.6
On the Shabbat preceding Rosh Hashana, the last Shabbat in Elul, we read the parsha of Atem nitzavim, which is G-d's blessing7 on the Shabbat-of-blessing the seventh month (Shabbat mevarchim). That seventh month (Tishrei) is itself sated8 - and in turn satiates all Israel - with an abundance of good for the duration of the (coming) year."
FOOTNOTES
1. While Tishrei is the seventh month of the Festival Calendar (which begins with Nissan), it is the first month of the Annual Calendar, marking the years since Creation. See Likutei Sichos Vol. 4, p. 1139, footnote 2.
2. The month of Tishrei is not blessed by the congregants in shul on the Shabbat preceding it, unlike all other months of the year.
3. I.e. with the power of G-d's blessing of the seventh month - Tishrei.
4. Devarim 29:9.
5. Iyov 2:1.
6. This assurance of vindication in the upcoming Rosh Hashana judgment - contained in the opening words of Nitzavim - is G-d's blessing of Tishrei - embodied in the Torah-reading.
7. See footnote 6.
8. The word sheva (seven), may alternately be rendered sova (sated).
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THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH
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Genesis Chapter 1
בְּרֵאשִׁית
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Yom Ha´shee´shee ....Sixth day
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כד וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ, בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיְתוֹ-אֶרֶץ, לְמִינָהּ; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 24
And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.' And it was so.
כה וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לְמִינָהּ, וְאֶת-הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ, וְאֵת כָּל-רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה, לְמִינֵהוּ; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 25
And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
כו וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ; וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל-הָאָרֶץ, וּבְכָל-הָרֶמֶשׂ, הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 26
And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
כז וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ: זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, בָּרָא אֹתָם. 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
כח וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם, אֱלֹהִים, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וְכִבְשֻׁהָ; וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם, וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבְכָל-חַיָּה, הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 28
And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
כט וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת-כָּל-עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, וְאֶת-כָּל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ פְרִי-עֵץ, זֹרֵעַ זָרַע: לָכֶם יִהְיֶה, לְאָכְלָה. 29
And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food;
ל וּלְכָל-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכָל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אֶת-כָּל-יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב, לְאָכְלָה; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 30
and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, [I have given] every green herb for food.' And it was so.
לא וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וְהִנֵּה-טוֹב מְאֹד; וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. {פ} 31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH
Genesis Chapter 1
בְּרֵאשִׁית
Yom Shabbat Rest.......7th Day
Genesis Chapter 2 בְּרֵאשִׁית
א וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, וְכָל-צְבָאָם. 1
And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
ב וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה; וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מִכָּל-מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. 2 And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.
ג וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ: כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל-מְלַאכְתּוֹ, אֲשֶׁר-בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת. {פ} 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which God in creating had made.
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