סֵדֶר הֶכְשֵׁר בָּשָׂר לַאֲכִילָה

To make meat fit for consumption,

לְהוֹצִיא מִמֶּנּוּ דַּם הָאָסוּר הוּא

the forbidden blood must be removed by the following procedure:

שְׁרִיָּה, מְלִיחָה, הֲדָחָה

[First the meat is] soaked, then salted, and then rinsed.

עִנְיָנָם בָּעֲבוֹדָה

The parallels in our Divine service are:

שְׁרִיָּה — וֵוייקעֶן זִיךְ אִין דִּבְרֵי הָרַב

Soaking — which means immersing oneself in the words of one’s Rebbe;

מְלִיחָה — יְחִידוּת

salting — which means [meeting him at] yechidus;

הֲדָחָה — נִגּוּן

rinsing — which means [singing a] niggun.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

For questions and follow-up: cablejew@gmail.com

אֲמִירַת כָּל הַתְּהִלִּים בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה. יוֹם הִתְוַעֲדוּת

[On this Shabbos, too, it is our custom] to recite the entire Book of Tehillim early in the morning and to hold a farbrengen on that day.

סְלִיחוֹת — אַחַר חֲצוֹת לַּיְלָה וּבְסָמוּךְ לָהּ

[On Saturday night,] Selichos should be begun after midnight, but close to it.

אֲבָל בִּשְׁאַר הַיָּמִים — בְּאַשְׁמוֹרֶת הַבּוֹקֶר

On the other days, [these prayers] should be recited “at the morning watch.”

כַּאֲשֶׁר נִצָּבִים וַיֵּלֶךְ נִפְרָדוֹת מַתְחִילִין לְמַפְטִיר וְכֵן לִשְׁבִיעִי — שַׁבָּת פָּרָשַׁת נִצָּבִים — רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ גו

When the parshiyos called Nitzavim and Vayeilech are read on separate weeks, both the maftir and the shevi’i reading of Parshas Nitzavim begin Re’eh nasati lefanecha.

אַדְמוּ"ר הַזָּקֵן סִפֵּר

The Alter Rebbe related:

בְּמעֶזְרִיטְשׁ שָׁמַעְתִּי מִמּוֹרִי וְרַבִּי הָרַב הַמַּגִּיד בְּשֵׁם מוֹרוֹ רַבּוֹ הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב, נִשְׁמָתוֹ עֵדֶן

When I was in Mezritch, I heard the following teaching from my revered master, the Maggid, in the name of his revered master, the Baal Shem Tov.

הַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי שֶׁהוּא הַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה

The seventh month [which is Tishrei] is the first of the months of the year.

הקב"ה בְּעַצְמוֹ מְבָרְכוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת מְבָרְכִים שֶׁהוּא הַשַּׁבָּת הָאַחֲרוֹן דְּחֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל

The Holy One Himself blesses it on Shabbos Mevarchim, the last Shabbos of the month of Elul.

וּבְכֹחַ זֶה יִשְׂרָאֵל מְבָרְכִים אֶת הַחֳדָשִׁים י"א פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה

And with the power of this [blessing], the Jewish people bless the months eleven times in the year.

כְּתִיב אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם

[This week’s Torah reading begins:] Atem nitzavim hayom — “You are standing firm today.”

דְּהַיּוֹם קָאֵי עַל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁהוּא יוֹם הַדִּין

The word “today” alludes here to Rosh HaShanah, which is the Day of Judgment,

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם גו' וְתִרְגֵּם וַהֲוָה יוֹם דִּינָא רַבָּא

for the phrase, “The day came,” is rendered by the Targum with the words, “the day of great judgment came.”

וְאַתֶּם נִצָּבִים קַיָּמִים וְעוֹמְדִים, וְהַיְנוּ שֶׁזּוֹכִים בַּדִּין

[And it is concerning this day that the Torah tells us:] “You are standing firm”; that is, you are vindicated in judgment.

וּבַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁלִּפְנֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁהוּא שַׁבָּת הָאַחֲרוֹן דְּחֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל

On the Shabbos before Rosh HaShanah, which is the last Shabbos of the month of Elul,

קוֹרְאִין אָז פָּרָשַׁת אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים

we read the parshah that begins with the words, Atem nitzavim.

דְּזֶהוּ בִּרְכָתוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה

This [reading constitutes] the blessing that G‑d gives

בְּשַׁבָּת מְבָרְכִים חֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי

on...

אַמאָל אִיז יעֶדעֶר וואָרט וואָס מ'האָט געֶהעֶרט געֶוועֶן אַ תּוֹרָה

There was a time when every word that one heard was a teaching,

אוּן יעֶדעֶר זאַךְ וואָס מ'האָט געֶזעֶהן

and every event that one saw

אַ הוֹרָאָה אִין עֲבוֹדָה אוּן הַדְרָכָה

was a directive for one’s Divine service and personal guidance.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

For questions and follow-up: cablejew@gmail.com

ר' מֹשֶׁה, בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן

The Alter Rebbe’s son, R. Moshe,

בְּלָמְדוֹ — וְהוּא אָז כְּבֶן ח'-י"א שָׁנָה

who was between eight and eleven years old at the time, was studying

הַסּוּגְיָא בְּשִׁבְחָן שֶׁל חֲכָמִים בְּגִטִּין (ס"ז א)

the passage in Tractate Gittin (p. 67a) that praises our Sages,

נִסְתַּפֵּק בְּמַאֲמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי שָׁם

and was uncertain about the meaning of R. Shimon bar Yochai’s statement:

שְׁנוּ מִדּוֹתַי

“Study midosai.”

שֶׁיֵשׁ בָּזֶה שְׁנֵי פֵּרוּשִׁים

There are two interpretations of this:

לִמְדוּ תוֹרָתִי (רַשִׁ"י)

“Learn my teachings” (as Rashi comments),

אוֹ מִדּוֹתַי כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ

or “Learn my character traits,” according to the simple meaning of the term middos.

בְּתוֹךְ כַּךְ נִכְנַס רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן

As he was deliberating, the Alter Rebbe entered the room

וְאָמַר — בְּנִגּוּן, כְּדַרְכּוֹ בַּקֹּדֶשׁ

and said the following words melodically, as was his holy practice:

תּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לָנוּ כּוּלָּהּ מִדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת

“The Torah that was given to us consists entirely of exemplary character traits.

אֲפִלּוּ הָעוֹנָשִׁין שֶׁבָּהּ הֵם בֶּאֱמֶת חֶסֶד וָטוֹב

Even its punishments are really kindness and goodness.

וּשְׁנֵי הַפֵּרוּשִׁים אֶחָד הֵם

Thus the two interpretations are in fact one

וְהָא בְּהָא תַּלְיָא

and interdependent.

אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִהְיוֹת מִדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת בְּלִי תּוֹרָה

It is impossible to have exemplary character traits without Torah knowledge

וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַתּוֹרָה בְּלִי מִדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת

and it is impossible to have Torah knowledge without exemplary character traits.”

כְּכָל הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל קָרָה גַּם לְהַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בְּגִיל ח'-י"א שָׁנָה

The Tzemach Tzedek had an identical experience when he was the same age.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

For questions and follow-up: cablejew@gmail.com

תּוֹרַת הַחֲסִידוּת דּוֹרֶשֶׁת

The teachings of Chassidus demand

כִּי תְחִלָּה לְהוֹכָחָה

that before rebuking one’s fellowman,

צְרִיכִים לְהָסִיר אֶת הַצִּפָּרְנַיִם

one should “cut one’s nails,”

נִיט שְׁטעֶכעֶן זִיךְ

so that people will not scratch each other —

כִּי בְּטוּפְרְהָא אֲחִידָן

for [the forces of kelipah] cling to the nails.

יעֶדעֶר שְׁטאָך אִיז קְלִיפָּה וְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא

Every prick [unleashes] kelipah and sitra achra.

וְאַחַר נְטִילַת הַצִּפָּרְנַיִם

Then, after cutting the nails,

צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת נְטִילַת יָדַיִם

one must perform a ritual washing of the hands.

כִּמְבוֹאָר עִנְיָנָהּ בְּדִבְרֵי אֱלֹקִים חַיִּים

In [the metaphorical language of] Chassidus, this signifies

הַמְשָׁכַת הַמּוֹחִין לְמִדּוֹת

the drawing down of intellectual influence into the emotions.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

For questions and follow-up: cablejew@gmail.com

אָבִינוּ הָרִאשׁוֹן אַבְרָהָם

Our first father Avraham

בִּגְלַל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בִּמְסִירַת נֶפֶשׁ

because of his self-sacrificing labors

לְפַרְסֵם אֱלֹקוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ — אֵל אֶחָד — לְכָל בְּנֵי הָעוֹלָם

in making the oneness of G‑d known to all the inhabitants of the world,

זָכָה לְהַנְחִיל לְזַרְעוֹ עַד סוֹף כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת

he was found worthy of endowing his descendants as an eternal inheritance

אֶת הָאֱמוּנָה הַטְּהוֹרָה בַּה' וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ

a pure faith in G‑d and His Torah

וְכָל אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל

Every Jewish man or woman

יֵשׁ לָהֶם הַכֹּחַ וְהָעוֹז

has the strength and fortitude

לִמְסוֹר נַפְשָׁם עַל הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה

to absolutely devote his or her life for the sake of our holy Torah.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

For questions and follow-up: cablejew@gmail.com

דעֶר וואָס אִיז נִידעֶרִיג אוּן גְראָבּ

A person who is spiritually low and coarse

העֶרט נִיט אָן דִי אֵייגעֶנעֶ גְראָבּקַייט אוּן נִידעֶרִיקַייט

is insensitive to his own coarseness and lowness.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

For questions and follow-up: cablejew@gmail.com

רַבֵּינוּ הַזָּקֵן זַייעֶנדִיג נאָךְ אִין וִויטעֶבּסְק

While the Alter Rebbe was still living in Vitebsk,

האָט אַמאָל געֶזאָגט אַ תּוֹרָה אוֹיפ'ן פָּסוּק אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים גו

he once delivered a teaching on the verse: “You are all standing today [before G‑d]..., [the choppers of your wood and drawers of your water].”

אוּן האָט געֶטַייטשְׁט מֵחוֹטֵב עֵצֶךָ לְשׁוֹן עֵצָה

The word meaning “your wood” (eitzecha) is phonetically related to the word meaning “counsel” (eitzah).

מְ'דאַרף אוֹיסהאַקעֶן דִי רַבּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֶב אִישׁ

That is, we must chop away the “many thoughts [that are] in a man’s heart,”

שׁוֹאֵב מֵימֶיךָ אוֹיסשׁעֶפּעֶן דִי מַיִם וואָס מַצְמִיחִים כָּל מִינֵי תַּעֲנוּג.

and cast out the water that causes all kinds of [improper] desires to flourish.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

For questions and follow-up: cablejew@gmail.com