Chof Teves - The Rambam: Part II

00:00 The COVID, the beginning of Limud HaRambam, will discuss various responses that the Rebbe gave to various people benegea to the study of Rambam and also from the Rebbe's Sichas as the Rebbe referred to aspects of the Limud HaRambam. At one point, the Rebbe said, this was intended for the whole future, that it's kedai v'nochan, it's noteworthy, that in addition to learning the daily shiur of the three prak in Rambam, one of the halachas, or at least one detail of the halacha from the daily shiur should be studied with depth. Be'efneshal hamoke u'pilpo. In accordance to their quality in the study of Teda, each one according to their ability. Beginning of the Yaim Yaim appears the Rebbe's communal work, Shalshelos HaYachas, in Tov Shen Dalet Mem, 1984, when the Rebbe's biography was updated and it was mentioned there that the Rebbe calls on Klal Yisrael to begin learning Rambam on a daily basis. The wording that was originally sent to the Rebbe said, Lehishtagul, to exert oneself to learn. The Rebbe crossed out the word Lehishtagul. Likewise, in the Movli, which was in that same edition, in Tov Shen Dalet Mem, there was an edition of HaYaim Yaim that came out with HaOres, with Tzeyunim, with commentaries, and it said over there, Lehakpit Lilmeit, to be particular to learn Rambam. The Rebbe crossed out the word Lehakpit, to be particular. Just Lilmeit to learn. On an occasion, the Rebbe mentioned that Benegea to the learning of the Shiur Rambam on a daily basis, Mativim Anoyim, how

02:15 good and how pleasant it would be if Yidden would sit together, it would be a Shiur in public. Umativ, and preferred, according to the cycle of three chapters a day. HaRaf Ari, who lives today in Ets Yisrael, and in the past he lived in Manchester, England, once wrote a duch, a report to the Rebbe. This was approximately in the years Tov Shen Mem Zayin to Tov Shen Mem Tes, 1987, 1989, and he wrote as follows, that he has a Shiur every day in the Beis Chabad with a group of Alabatim, where they learn Rambam one chapter a day, and they learn it be iyun, in depth, poshet to know the halachas with the fullest clarity, how much it is possible. And it is a serious learning, and therefore it takes him a lot of time to prepare the Shiur in order to know the halachas very well and to relay it to the people at the Shiur. And it concludes, therefore he is learning Rambam only one pedek a day. The Rebbe responded as follows, HaRehu Rav, be tzorach li as a maylem bekedesh, asker al atzia. HaRehu Rav, he is a Rav. The Rebbe makes three exclamation marks, and therefore when it comes to matters of kedusha, sacred matters, a person always has to accelerate to a higher level, which as understood from this answer, that a person should not satisfy himself with one chapter a day, but should go up to three chapters a day of Rambam. On one occasion, the Rebbe said

03:59 that they should publicize the daily Rambam Shiurim everywhere and see to it that many Yidden, as many as possible, to join this study. To Rabbi Adin Steinsalz, the Rebbe wrote as follows, Surely his commotion in Benegea, the study of the Rambam, the conclusion of the first cycle and then continuing into the second cycle, and the more that he will commotion and add in this inyan, he shouldn't be concerned if this is appropriate according to the advice of the Rambam that the Rambam writes in Hilchos Deas that a person should always take the middle road, not extreme to the right, not extreme to the left. Because we still did not reach a third or a fourth. The Rebbe is implying that he shouldn't feel that he is going to become an extremist Benegea to Limud HaRambam because he is still not really anywhere close to that. In answer to a question that someone asked, could he join in the middle of a cycle? He's just beginning to learn Rambam. Should he wait till the end of the cycle and join at the beginning or he can join in the middle of a cycle? So the Rebbe said he should begin from the daily shiur where they're up to now in order that everyone studying Rambam will be united as one and over the time he should see to it to compensate the previous shiurim. In answer to another Yid who asked Benegea the Limud HaRambam that in the first cycle the person missed many days, therefore

05:55 many chapters of Rambam, and now he's up to the second cycle. Is there any point in filling in what he missed in the first cycle? So the Rebbe answered, yes, Moken, there is a, uh, point in also completing the event what he missed out in an earlier cycle. In Tafshim and Tes, nineteen eighty-nine, the Rebbe referred to the various takonas that were instituted by the Rebbeim. And the Rebbe said as follows, "To strengthen and increase in all shiurim Torah, shiurim haklolim, general shiurim based on the takonas hakhamim and minhagi Yisrael Jewish customs in every generation and in every place, including and in particular in this generation, the takona of the previous Rebbe, the study of shiurim chitas, and the study of the Rambam on a daily basis, which were instituted more recently. And although the reason for that is because it is a takona and following the directives of the chachamim, nevertheless, in the fulfillment of these takonas, a person fulfills the mitzvas ese, uh, min haTorah of studying Torah. Ve'ad, the Rebbe, even more yet, that he's doing it with a special chavivus ve'yikech, that special cherishing as something which is very unique, since these are heroes of his Rebbe, the Nasi HaDor." This is a very unusual expression that the Rebbe says, "Besas a chasid hears that there is a takona from his Rebbe, it is with a special fund." The hemsech to the earlier installment been agir to the takona of Limud HaRambam. As we mentioned earlier that, uh, we just began

07:52 learning the fortieth cycle. So the meile we'll continue with installment number two. In yonim that the Rebbe spoke been agir to the Limud of the Rambam, the benefit of learning Rambam also Pasuk B'Gashmiyus. Just on, uh, to add a certain interesting insight that, uh, came to mind, and that is that besas we begin learning the Sefer HaRambam, Sefer Yad HaChazakah. So we begin with a Pasuk right after we go through the Mitzvas Ese and then the Mitzvas Le'ese and then the list of the Prakim and their contents. So then the, the Rambam begins Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah with a Pasuk, Mishech chazdecho le yadecha, b'tsikoch lo yishri lev. HaKoponim, it is known that the Rambam began writing his Sefer when he was thirty-five years old, and he wrote it for ten years. It was after the ten years, as it is mentioned in Sefarim, two people visited him. One of them was his father, and, uh, his father introduced the second person who was Moshe Rabbeinu, and he told his son, the Rambam, that we came to look over your Sefer, and it was approved, and this was when he was forty-five years old. When he was thirty-five, as mentioned, he began writing his Chibur, the fourteen Sefarim, Yad HaChazakah, Yad is fourteen. We have the Kabbalah from the Baal Shem Tov that a person should say the Kapital Tehillim, the chapter of Tehillim that corresponds to his age, and how he was Mekabel it from his Rebbe, Achia Shaleni. But one looks in the Kapital

09:50 of the age of the Rambam as he was at the time when he began writing Yad HaChazakah, he was then thirty-five years old. The meile, he was saying Kapital Lamed Vav, thirty-six, and this is where this Pasuk, Mishech chazdecho le yadecha, appears, reflecting the age of the Rambam at that time and his Kapital Tehillim. And now we go on to a Sicha of the Rebbe's, Eyschanikei Tov Shem Vav, as it was translated in English, by Sichas in English, been agir to the number of Halachos, eighty-three Halachos. So the Rebbe said as follows, "The number of Halachic sections are set at eighty-three, as the Rambam himself writes in his, in his introduction. What is the significance of eighty-three? In the Talmud we find, 'I will remove machlah sickness from the midst of them.' It was also taught, machlah means gol. Why is it called machlah? Because eighty-three different kinds of illness result from it, but they are all counteracted by partaking of bread dipped in salt, followed by a pitcher of water. This reference to bread and water is symbolic of Torah learning, the spiritual bread and water. Thus, by studying the Halachic rulings, which are found in the eighty-three sections of the Rambam, one can neutralize and cure all illnesses. And since it is a Torah cure, it even prevents the sickness from coming. And this will certainly increase the study of Rambam, along with all other areas of Torah study, and may this all bring the fulfillment of the promise recorded at the close

11:47 of the Rambam. U'mol oretz de'yas havaye kan mayim layom mechasim. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea."