Likutey Halakhos, Yoreh Deah 1, Kley HaYayin 1 – Para. 7. Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon. Kos Shel Bracha – Tzedakah – Charity for Shabbos and Charity for Yom Tov – Tov Ayin – A Good Eye – Chidush for VaYechi – Reiva deReiven.
This halakha is based on 2Likutey Moharan 4. וּבְיוֹם הַבִּכּוּרִים, בְּהַקְרִיבְכֶם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַייָ בְּשָׁבֻעֹתֵיכֶם, מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ – “On the day of the first fruits, when you offer up a new meal offering to the Lord, on your festival of Weeks; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall not perform any mundane work“ (Bamidbar 28:26).
00:00 – PARAGRAPH 7. The Kos Shel Bracha is similar in concept to the concept of tzedakah – charity. Both reveals a quality called רצון – which means Hashem’s will or appeasement, and can also refer to a person’s good will, yearning, desire, or inclination. טֽוֹב־עַ֖יִן ה֣וּא יְבֹרָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־נָתַ֖ן מִלַּחְמ֣וֹ לַדָּֽל – “He who has a good [generous eye] will be blessed, for he gave of his bread to the poor“ (Mishlei 22:9).
02:34 – The Zohar HaKodesh describes an encounter between the students of Rabbi Shimon and a yanuka – a child born with complete memory of the Torah he learned in a previous גלגול – reincarnation. When his mother told her son to greet the great rabbis, the child replied, “What great rabbis? They didn’t even say Kriyas Shema today.” How did this child know? After their seudah there was an exchange between the yanuka and the visiting rabonim about the Kos Shel Bracha.
05:44 – Kos Shel Bracha and טוב עין. Tzedakah is usually given in honor of a meal to celebrate an occasion of simcha. The story of how Rabbi Akiva’s daughter gave her meal to a poor person on her wedding day and how this act saved her from a deadly snake.
08:17 – Tzedakah on Shabbos .
*09:13 – Fulfillment of the mitzvah to rejoice on a Yom Tov includes providing charity for those in need. וְשָֽׂמַחְתָּ֞ לִפְנֵ֣י | יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אַתָּ֨ה וּבִנְךָ֣ וּבִתֶּ֘ךָ֘ וְעַבְדְּךָ֣ וַֽאֲמָתֶ֒ךָ֒ וְהַלֵּוִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ וְהַגֵּ֛ר וְהַיָּת֥וֹם וְהָֽאַלְמָנָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּקִרְבֶּ֑ךָ בַּמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְחַר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן שְׁמ֖וֹ שָֽׁם – “And you shall rejoice before Hashem – you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite who is within your cities, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are among you – in the place which Hashem will choose to establish His Name” (Devarim 16:11).
Reference to Likutey Moharan 31.
12:22 – שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥ב הַיָּמִ֖ים תִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ – “Cast your bread upon the surface of the water [share your wealth with others], for after many days you will find it” (Koheles 11:1).
*14:43 – Charity for Yom Tov. It is a custom to increase tzedakah in honor of the holidays. It’s impossible to experience the joy of Yom Tov without giving צדקה. Giving charity to a “fitting recipient” elevates the donor to the spiritual level of “a good eye”. צדקה in honor of Yom Tov reveals Hashem’s רצון – good will – in the world.
15:47 – Q&R can tzedakah be given on Shabbos and Yom Tov, or only before? Making a monetary pledge for charity on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Buying an aliya.
17:40 – Q&R – Who is a “fitting recipient” for charity? Helping a person to be able to earn a living. The tzaddik as “fitting recipient”.
19:31 – Kos Shel Birkas HaMazon. At every meal it’s good to give charity. טֽוֹב־עַ֖יִן ה֣וּא יְבֹרָ֑ךְ – “He who has a good [generous eye] will be blessed”.
22:31 – The mitzvah to protect wine.
23:40 – Respect for consequences and fear of punishment is crucial for any person – Jew or non-Jew – to succeed in life.
24:53 – People who deny Hashem are filled with destructive fear. Wine stored in the vessel of a non-Jew becomes forbidden because it’s spiritually contaminated. Drinking it harms the mind by introducing denial of Hashem and is considered an aspect of idol worship.
27:55 – הִ֜שְׁקִיתָ֗נוּ יַ֣יִן תַּרְעֵלָֽה – “…You have given us to drink wine of bewilderment” (Tehillim 60:5). תרעלה – the term for “bewilderment” in this phrase – means “blocked” (Rashi).
29:35 – כִּ֚י כ֪וֹס בְּיַד־יְהֹוָ֡ה וְיַ֚יִן חָמַ֨ר | מָ֥לֵא מֶסֶךְ֘ וַיַּגֵּ֪ר מִ֫זֶּ֥ה אַךְ־שְׁ֖מָרֶיהָ יִמְצ֣וּ יִשְׁתּ֑וּ כֹּ֜֗ל רִשְׁעֵי־אָֽרֶץ – “For a cup is in the hand of Hashem, and strong wine, a full mixture, and He pours out of this [cup], but all the wicked of the earth will drain and drink [it]” (Tehillim 75:9).
*30:54 – In the time of Moshiach, wine from the six days of creation will be given to those who maintained faith in Hashem even during the suffering of exile. Because they used their difficulties and pain to bring them closer to Hashem, they will be receive a wine of complete joy (Berakhos 34).
34:40 – Moshe Rabbeinu passed away during the hours of the fullest revelation of Hashem: ברעוא דרעוין – on Shabbos in the late afternoon.
36:50 – Q&R about drinking wine. NOTE about invitation to R’ Maimon to take part in a podcast about Uman Rosh Hashanah.
*39:46 – NOTE – Tov Ayin – a good eye – chidush for Parshas VaYechi. When Esav came to meet Yaakov, he brought and army of 400 men. 400 is b’gematria רע עין – “evil eye” – jealousy. Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld ז”ל shows how Yaakov Avinu is just the opposite because he has an – עין טוב – “good eye”. Parshas VaYechi begins וַיְחִ֤י יַֽעֲקֹב֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם שְׁבַ֥ע עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה שָׁנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י יְמֵי־יַֽעֲקֹב֙ שְׁנֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה – ” (Bereishis 47:28, VaYechi). His entire life span was 147 years. The 17 years after he knew that his son Yosef was alive he considered טוב – good. The remaining years, 130, have the gematria of עין – eye.
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