Haftora: Ve'arba'a Anashim. At Mincha say Avadim Hayinu (Passover Haggada).

Shabbat Nissan 12, Shabbat Haggadol 5703
Torah Lessons (5703)	Chumash: Metzora, Shvi'i with Rashi. Tehillim: 66-68. Tanya: He should also (p. 207)...subservient to Him..." (p. 207).

From the time of the exodus from Egypt the Jewish people are called the "Army of G-d." [1]

They are also called "servants."

The difference is this:

A servant performs his master's service which may be on many different levels; he may work at the delicate craft of threading pearls, he may do other kinds of expert work or he may perform simple tasks. His service involves great toil and labor, but this does not constitute Mesirat Nefesh - a willingness to sacrifice self, to lay down one's life.

Soldiers are servants who serve with great toil and labor and with self sacrifice, in wars of defense or attack. The soldiers stand at their posts with the highest degree of stalwart determination, undeterred by the opposing enemy; their service is not one of comprehension, for they act according to the orders of their commander.

The Jews in Egypt were utterly degraded under their severe and bitter affliction. Yet, despite it all, they did not change their names, their language, or their distinctive clothing. With absolute determination they stood at their posts, for they knew that G-d had promised to redeem them.

Whoever behaves as they did under such circumstances is a soldier in the Army of G-d, and the Al-mighty will come to his assistance in a manner that manifests itself in nature - yet transcends nature.

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Sh'mot 12:41.

However, when one engages [in divine service] explicitly not lishmah but for an ulterior motive of self-glorification, as, for example, in order to become a scholar, and the like, then this motive, which is derived from kelipat nogah, clothes itself in his Torah study, and the Torah [studied for this motive] is in a state of exile within the kelipah; [but only] temporarily, until he repents, since [12] "Repentance brings healing to the world."

For when he returns to G-d, his Torah returns with him [from kelipah to holiness].

Therefore our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said, [13] "One should always engage [in Torah and mitzvot, even shelo lishmah], for out of shelo lishmah he will certainly arrive at [study and observance] lishmah, since it is certain that he will ultimately repent, whether in this incarnation or another, because [14] "No one banished from Him [by his sins] will remain banished," [but will ultimately repent.

The Alter Rebbe thus perceives two novel insights in the statement that one should always engage in Torah and mitzvot even shelo lishmah, etc.

1. Progress from shelo lishmah to lishmah is a certainty, not a possibility, since every sinner will ultimately repent (- and the Alter Rebbe therefore adds the word "certainly" to the quotation);

2. Not only will the person advance from the state of shelo lishmah to lishmah, but even the Torah that he studied shelo lishmah will be elevated, so that it attains the quality of lishmah; for when one repents and returns to G-d, his Torah "returns" with him.

The aforesaid applies to one who engages in divine service for an ulterior motive, strictly shelo lishmah].

But if one acts neutrally, neither lishmah nor shelo lishmah, then the matter is not contingent on repentance.

Rather, as soon as he reviews the subject lishmah, then even that which he had studied neutrally soars on high, attaching itself to and joining his present study, since no kelipat nogah had yet clothed itself in [his previous study.

Because his earlier study was not motivated by selfish reasons, the Torah studied is not in exile within the kelipah; it merely lacks the quality of lishmah. This fault is remedied by reviewing the subject lishmah].

Therefore, "A man should always occupy himself [with Torah...even shelo lishmah, for out of shelo lishmah he will come to lishmah" - the Torah that he studied will itself be elevated to the level of lishmah.

In this case, the lishmah "comes" automatically when one reviews his studies; it is not contingent on repentance, as it is in the case of Torah studied for personal motives].

The same is true of prayer without kavanah, as discussed in the Zohar. [15]

[When one recites the prayer once again, this time with kavanah, his earlier prayer ascends as well.

Further in Tanya, the Alter Rebbe states that even if from all one's prayers throughout the year, only one full prayer with kavanah can be assembled piecemeal (from one part of prayer said with kavanah one day, another part on another day, and so on), this one prayer is sufficient to elevate all the prayers of the entire year.

For even where specific kavanah is lacking, the prayer is endowed with the comprehensive kavanah that one is praying to G-d].

   

Notes:

12. (Back to text) Cf. Yoma 86a.

13. (Back to text) Pesachim 50b.

14. (Back to text) Cf. II Shmuel 14:14.

15. (Back to text) The Rebbe Shlita notes: "It would seem that the reference is to Zohar II, 245b."

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Positive Mitzvah 157: Telling the Story of Pesach
Exodus 13:8 "And you shall relate to your son on that day"

If something very special happened to you, you would want to tell others about it.

Especially on the date of the event, you would tell the story over and over again each year and share your exciting experience with others.

The story of Pesach commemorates a very special event in the history of the Jewish people.

On Pesach, we became a nation; G-d led us out of Egypt in order to receive the Torah.

Each year, on Pesach, we are commanded to retell this story.

As we tell the story, we appreciate the great miracles HaShem did for us, selecting us as His chosen people and making us into His nation.

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For the text of the Hagada, see the Rambam inside.

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Positive Mitzvah 170: Hearing the Shofar Blown on Rosh HaShanah
Numbers 29:1 "It shall be a day of blowing the Shofar for you"

Rosh HaShanah is the beginning of the new year.

On this day, we proclaim HaShem to be King over the entire Universe.

Just as a king's arrival is announced by trumpet blowing, we sound the shofar on Rosh HaShanah, declaring HaShem the one and only King.

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Let's say you are an astronaut, far beyond the earth on a very long journey. Let's say you get fed up with the constant barrage of instructions coming in on your radio from home base. So you shut it off. With no regrets. And you relax, enjoying the awesome scenery out the window. And time flies by... But eventually, you realize you have no clue where you are. Or how to get back to where you want to be. And you remember that you had a mission, but you can't quite get straight exactly what it was. You panic. Finally, you remember the radio. You reactivate it. You hold the hand piece and call, "Home base? Astronaut calling home base! Answer me!!" A faint reply is heard. It is the sweetest sound you've ever come by. Now you can get back on course.

We are all astronauts. We took off from Mount Sinai over 33 centuries ago with a plan to follow and a mission to accomplish. We've got to reconnect to our home base.

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