Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020)

Short Version Introduction:
Farbrengen

Short Version Part One:
Six words: 1) Derech 2) Torah 3) Aidus, 4) Pikudim, 5) Chukim, 6) Mitzvos

Short Version Part Two:
Last six words: 7) Mishpatim, 8) Tzedaka, 9) Devarim, 10) Amiros, 11) Orach, 12) Niflaos

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class One.
176 Pesukim, longest Parsha (Nasso) longest Kapital Tehillim (119) and longest Miseches in Sha”s (Bava Basra).
A Perek about אלף בית, the letters that are the source of everything. By saying each letter it includes everything that begins with each of the letters of the Hebrew אלף בית.
Each letter is repeated eight times, the idea of eight- above Hishtalshelus.
The 12 words around which this Perek revolves.
The מאירי says this Perek is about Torah and peace and goodness.
Others interpret the Perek about requests and concerns.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Two.
More on the content of the entire Kapital,
The lines above the Perek in our Tehillim says it is about “Mussar amd requests” that is so important it is worthwhile saying everyday in the beginning before Avodah.
The Meiiri connects it to Torah, what one enjoys he talks about incessantly, and he prays not to lose this enthusiasm, this is Perek 119.
There are 12 key words, we discussed two:
1) דרך the idea of a road takes from the capital to the edges of civilization and back again. The concept in Avoda is ישר יחזו פנימו in other words ChaBaD can get you to Atzmus.
11) אורח is basically the same idea but perhaps it is the opposite; the מלמעלה למטה of this process כמבואר בענין מגדל עוז שם הגדול ומבואר מענין ישיש כגבור לרוץ אורח.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Three.
Two more (of the 12) key words (in קי”ט) are explored in this class.
2) תורה, there are several ideas here:
A. אור light, changing nothing and changing everything.
B. It represents the כלל (and אברים כלליים) of Yiddishkeit.
C. מלשון הוראה there is no such thing as Torah which is altogether theoretical, everything (literally) has a practical lesson.
3) עדות,
A. Mitzvos that are “witness” to events and lessons going forward that make sense once Hashem gives them to us.
B. Witness to Hashem’s power (of the super-natural) over the world.
C. Witness to the Truth of Torah and Prophecy.
D. Moshe father of all the Neviim.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Four.
(This class has a 20 minute introduction about 80 years from 9 Adar, you can skip past it if you chose to).
4) פקודים
A. Commandments
B. Counting, the two opposites of דבר שבמנין limited and not Bottul no matter what.
C. Memory on a level where forgetting isn’t possible.
D. Pregnancy, what is hidden is blessed and possibly infinite.
E. It helps us remember Hashem and His unity (Meiiri).

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Five.
5) חוקים
To do all Mitzvos even the reasonable ones only because Hashem said, זאת חוקת התורה.
Above reason, from the word חקיקה engraved the Yid and Yiddishkeit are one; as opposed to מצוה where there are two.
6) מצוות; מצוה
Commandment connotes one who instructs and one who is instructed and the instruction itself; this is the opposite of חוקים where the Commander, the Commandment and the one commanded are one.
Like it says in שער היחוד והאמונה ריש פרק ז.
7) משפטים Reason is based on above reason.
Lesson from the Nazis, who were their own god.
To bring אין סוף into reason is a Chidush in Dira BiTachtonim.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Six.
This class deals with the one word: צדק, צדקה
1) The idea of the Rebbe (ליקוטי שיחות חלק ב) that it means righteousness, not charity, because when we give WE create parity in the world, which leads to the second point…
2) The world was designed to have משפיע ומקבל (Givers and Takers) it makes the world kinder and gentler and without this it would be jealous and competitive to the worst possible degree. The story with Rebbe MaharaSh and the people of Kishinov bailing out their breatheren: “the poor man screams why must I be poor, let him be poor and i”ll help him”??!!
3) Tzeda and Tzadik (Kabbalistically: מלכות and יסוד) are Tzedaka and Gemilas Chasadim (which is also for the rich). The bond between lender and borrower doesn’t last a few minutes (like it is with Tzedaka) it lasts until the debt is paid; the idea of helping those closest to you first (את העני עמך- עניי עירך קודמין) is similar to the former idea.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Seven.
This class deals with the word דבר (Davar).
1) In hebrew דבר means (both) a word and a thing.
They are the דבר after קריאת שמע in the morning: “…אמת ויציב… הדבר הזה עלינו… ודבריו חיים וקיימים… דבר טוב וקיים באמת ובאמונה…”
This is the word of Torah and thing of יציאת מצרים, through Torah we are really free.
2) In Devarim it says וידבר ה’ אלי and Rashi says that only when the entire דור המדבר passed did Hashem show חביבות because מנודה לרב מנודה לתלמיד.
Thus דבר means favoritism and love.
3) Kidushin (3a) כל היכא דאיכא פלוגתא תני דרכים וכל היכא דליכא פלוגתא תני דבר.
Torah is established with מחלוקת. Those rare instances of consensus show on a special fusing of heavenly thought and human thought.
The Arizal, the Alter Rebbe’s Davening, The RaMbaM’s Mushna Torah represent (in very different ways) this idea.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Eight.
This class deal with the word אמירה (Amira)
1) Soft; like כה תאמר לבית יעקב ותגד לבני ישראל
Story of חפץ חיים Shabbos Shabbos
In Aramic the word for sheep is אימרא and sheep are considered creatures of רחמים like it is brought that even her bleat arouses compassion
2) Thought, as in (Chassidus) ברוך שאמר והי’ העולם this is reminiscent of the מאמר אחד before the עשרה מאמרות
3) On the other hand there are עשרה מאמרות creation through speech A. separated B. diverse.
The Zohar עשרה עשרה הכף the 10 of Creation and the 10 of Torah are paralleled and in their source they are one.
25 Elul and Rosh Hashana, in certain aspects 25 Elul (מאמרות) is advantageous even to Rosh Hashana (Torah).
4) מאמר ביבמה though it’s מדרבנן but the name chosen is precise.
Something when done wrong is an איסור כרת and when done right is a huge Mitzvah is called מאמר
Note that Chassidus is recited in what is called מאמרים
Where words count like an action, דברים שנקנין באמירה when there is חביבות

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Nine.
Introduction (10 minutes) 28 Nissan.
This class is on two words:
1) Orach, like Derech
specifically from the top down (שכר עבודה).
2) Niflaos, has three ideas:
A. why do you ask my name (by Yaakov and Manoach and the Malach) and it is פליא a wonder; or, I don;t have a permanant name, my name is His name.
B. גל עיני ואביטה נפלאות מתורתיך the idea of טעמי תורה which are above the levels of נקודות תגים אותיות. The Gemara about Hashem adding crowns to the Sefer Torah and asking Moshe for a Bracha.
C. Three meanings of פלא:
A. אלופו של עולם Master of the world (like יחודא תתאה)
B. אולפנא ולימוד Teacher.
C. אותיות פלא
all three are added to גולה and make גאולה.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Ten.
This class is on the last of the 13 “code” words of Kapital 119: Emunah.
1) Loyalty, like ויהי ידיו אמונה עד בוא השמש [and והאמין בהוי’ ויחשבי’ לו צדקה] and ומצאת את לבבו נאמן לפניך
2) from inside (born on top of the mountain rather than climbing from the bottom up)
3) A connection that doesn’t pass through reason; knowing reasons limitations
4) Proficiency at faith.
5) Like the word אמן which includes the קרי and the כתיב; the word אמן is בגמטריא of הוי’ אדני; so it includes two ideas.

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Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Eleven.
Perek (inside) (1) Pesukim 1-8.
One needs Temimus to maintain the “Derech”
One must guard the עדות
This translates to care in בור מרע ועשה טוב
This connects us to פקודיך (Remebrance, counted)
Learning and reason vs higher than reason חוקים and the reward.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twelve.
Perek (inside) (2) Pesukim 9-16.
The basic idea of these eight Pesukim is that we are dealing with נער.
The upside is his alacrity, search for truth and willingness to take risks; the downside is his lack of דעת and קלות ראש and tendencies to talk too much and rush.
He prays not to falter to his flaws especially by mistake.
He learns and the grows to talk and rejoice in his growth.
He eventually appreciates even the חוקים.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirteen.
Perek (inside) (3) Pesukim 17-24
The theme of these eight Pesukim is עבד.
The submission of eved affects:
A. שמח נפש עבדיך his submission requires outside joy.
B. תענוג העבד הוא תענוג האדון עצמו his Master’s (Hashem’s) joy is his, as his identity extends from his father.
He prays not to error and to overcome the (intended and unintended) scoffers.
He is also open to the light of Torah (גל עיני ואביטה נפלאות מתורתיך) fue to jhis submission.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Fourteen.
Perek (inside) (4) Pesukim 25-32
The theme here is נפש and תשובה.
Dovid is being challenged (the story of אבשלום) and he’s asking to survive and thrive afterwards, as the בעל תשובה is meant to live after the תשובה.
Connection between נפש and sin and Teshuva (יחידה).
The בעל תשובה is falling apart and is asking to “be put back together” and protected considering the intensity of his תשובה- that he accepting “בקבלה” without question the אמת of Torah etc.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Fifteen.
Perek (inside) (5) Pesukim 33-40.
Theme: עקב heal in all of it’s ways:
1) end of Yiddishkeit (little “details”)
2) in time till the end of one’s life and till the end of time
3) End of person- children
4) Avrohom served him עקב years (wasn’t born righteous from the outset [like Moshe] and the lesson.
5) Reward, the RaMbaM in Hil Teshuva Ch 8, Introduction to Perek Chelek about Schar, not “Pizza with extra cheese”.
The eight Pesukim speak to this decision to be careful (until עקב) and pray for help for him and his children.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Sixteen.
Perek (inside) (6) Pesukim 41-48
The point of these Pesukim is אמת (Truth tolerates no compromise)
It is forever. never changes, extends from the highest heights to the lowest lows.
The loneliness of Seeking Truth; The Alter Rebbe, The Kotzker, Hayom Yom במדת אמת ליעקב
The idea of חסד ואמת נפגשו and that the אמת לאמיתו is יברא and חסד!!!
Dovid begs to be protected from the slightest deviation from Truth, and that it should continue (indefinitely)
Truth requires great precision and exactitude, but ultimately if it is really Truth it MUST be manifest broadly and every where ואתהלכה ברחבה and include pleasure, understanding, love etc.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Seventeen.
Perek (inside) (7) Pesukim 49-56
This section involves Dovid suffering so much that his faith and trust are challenged and he falls back on the promises made to him, the special Hashgacha he enjoys, and his ability to keep perspective, He has a long cheshbon but you must not quit.
There are two key words:
1) נחם, doubt, regret, depression and consolation, encouragement etc.
2) זאת the Torah.
He doesn’t allow the challenges and the circumstances lead hiom from the right path.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Eighteen.
Perek (inside) (8) Pesukim 57-64.
The theme of these eight Pesukim is חשבתי… “I thought it through…”
This is Dovid’s commitment to Yiddishkeit with no conditions a

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Nineteen.
Letter ט needs more than one class (in spite of the promises) as this one deals directly with Torah (on the level of hard work).
Two ideas (for today):
1) Stories of Mesiras Nefesh for Torah and her understanding,
2) Every question has an answer and every answer has a question, levels and layers of Torah.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty.
Second introductory class to ט.
3) Drawing Torah from the G-dly (כלל) to the intellectual (פרט) as indicated in the story of the בית יוסף and the effort he invested in חידושי תורה and subsequently it came easy to others.
4) פנימיות התורה is אור but most people must go from darkness to light. בתורתו של ר’ מאירק הי’ כתוב כתנות אור באל”ף the rare individuals who know Torah from the outset as אור like רשב”י.
The value of their Torah and what it reveals about what Torah is altogether, this too Dovid wants.
5) טוב is an absolute concept of goodness which lies at the essence of what Torah is.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty One.
Perek (inside) (11) Pesukim 65-72.
Tov is the absolute reality and it is absolutely Good, but Dovid wants more; he wants טעמי תורה.
He earned it with his “טוב לי כי עונתי” and his תמימות which causes the sinners to call him שקר.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty Two.
In this אות יו”ד Dovid talks of his sin and those who wanted to paint him “שקר” and how he fights against it with all he has.
His measure are the “יריאיך” who once loved him and now distanced themselves from him and he’s hoping that ישובו אלי יריאיך they will return to him due to hie Teshuva.
He hopes and prays to remain as loyal and sincere as he was before.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty Three.
אות כ”ף seems quite bitter.
Dovid is (now) lamenting the people who keep questioning his יחוס as a descendant of רות המואבי’ה; though the Halacha is that מואבי ולא מואבית are not allowed into the קהל the murmuring of רודפי continues and Dovid pleads for Hashem to SHOW his righteousness and put these pursuers in their place.
He argues that it is taking far too long.
But there may be a deeper issue at play here: Dovid lives an absolutely Torah light and Torah’s mastery over the world must be shown (for Torah’s sake)
We’ll continue in the next class.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty Four.
אות כ”ף continued: the deeper understanding (continued from the end of yesterday’s class) of these eight Pesukim is that Dovid is all about Torah and G-d and if his life doesn’t reflect that (with overt Hashgacha) it is almost a חילול השם and this is why he protests and asks to see his pursuers punished, so the world will reflect his level.
He speaks of כמה ימי עבדיך being a בר נפלא not meant for this world, who is (yet) somehow born and the test of his life not reflecting להשם הארץ ומלואה is hiding the truth that this is Hashem’s world.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty Five.
Today we did אות למ”ד Inside, Pesukim 89-96.
Two types of eternity: 1) world (heaven and earth) 2) G-dliness, Neshamos, Torah etc.
Dovid celebrates the eternity of creation (Heaven and earth) but then emphasizes how the divine eternity is so much higher and more complete.
He also emphasizes that the growth never ends, and that the key to maintaining the fine involvement in the delight of Torah and G-dliness is to grow higher and higher, לכל תכלה ראיתי קץ רחבה מצותך מאד.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty Six.
Today we did אות מ”ם Inside, Pesukim 97-104.
מה אהבתי תורתיך how much does Dovid love the Torah!!
מ”ה, לי, שיחה
Dovid’s love for Torah gets strength from many places:his enemies, teachers, every body who teaches anything.
This love is seen even the ordinary every-day talk.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty Seven.
Today we did אות נו”ן Inside, Pesukim 105-112.
נר, אור, נשבעתי, נחלתי, ששון לבי, לעולם עקב
These Pesukim are explained that Dovid has enlightenment (above מדות טובות and דיעות נכונות) and these empower him to deal with his hardships.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty Eight.
Today we did אות סמ”ך Inside, Pesukim 113-120.
The key idea is סעפים which mean duplicitous people.
However often the duplicity isn’t wanton or deliberate (evil) it is just confused.
Dovid speaks to the risks herein and thanks Hashem that he is spared this evil and prays for it’s eradication.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Twenty Nine.
The eight Pesukim of the letter עי”ן are read inside, Pesukim 121-128.
The spirit of these 8 Pesukim is the need to keep the spirit (הנסתרות) and the body (הנגלות) of Yiddishkeit together.
This is really quite obvious as the מאירי explains the words (פסוק קכ”ח) of כל פקודי כל the deepest truths are also the most universal.
We also explained the request ערוב עבדך לטוב אל יעשקוני זדים
And the invocation (and instruction) עת לעשות להשם הפרו תורתיך.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirty (Part One).
The eight Pesukim of the letter פ”י are read inside, Pesukim 129-136.
[The class is divided in two because it is too long to uploaded at once].
פלאות this is all about Dovid wishing for and reaching for רוח הקדש and/ or נבואה.
This is the end of שכל התורה and the beginning of חכמה נעלמה or אור התורה.
The kind of preparation one needs to be ready for this רוח הקדש and נבואה and the dangers involved as indicated in the story of נדב ואביהו and the ארבעה שנכנסו לפרדס etc.
The beginning of Torah is light;
The desperate desire to “swallow” this light,
Crying tears of joy for this experience.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirty (Part Two).

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirty One.
The eight Pesukim of letter צדי are read inside (Pesukim 137-144) and explained.
The spirit of these eight Pesukim is צדוק הדין when there is judgement we full back on אמונה and see the righteousness in Hashem’s judgement.
The most famous Possuk in this sequence is צדקתך צדק לעולם ותורתך אמת
The most compelling Possuk in this sequence is צמתתני קנאתי כי שכחו דבריך צרי which we explained to be a reference to the people who suffer much and leave Yiddishkeit and how this eats Dovid up alive.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirty Two.
This is פרק קי”ט אות קו”ף Pesukim 145-152.
Here (for the first time) we could not find a constant (primary) theme for the eight Pesukim; so in this letter קו”ף we identified two themes and accordingly we have two classes.
This first theme (class) explores the Pesukim 145-150. It discusses the idea of קריאה and קדימה Dovid calls to Hashem in prayer (not asking for something, but) for the sake of תפלה מלשון התופל connection.
The Alter Rebbe’s words in Tanya (end of) Chapter 37 that תורה שבכתב is called מקרא because it is like קורא לבנו… לחבירו… calling to Him “to come to you”.
And the idea of קדמתי בנשף and קדמו עיני אשמורת that though he was a King he didn’t rest foe a single moment and pushed himself to connect to Hashem.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirty Three.
אות קו”ף is continued here. we are exploring specifically Pesukim 150-152.
The theme is נצחיות התורה (and to a lesser degree, the להחליפם באומה אחרת אינו יכול- the eternity of the Jew).
We go into the (beginning of the Sicha לקוטי שיחות חלק כ”ג ע’ 33-4) question of the Torah being eternal logically or higher than logic.
The RaMbaM Reb Yosef Albo (ספר העקרים) and Chassidus.
These few Pesukim speak of the Torah being “from before” and therefor “continuing after”.
On tow levels: שכל and עצמי.
This applies to Yidden as well and explains the words קרבו רודפי זימה מתורתך רחקו and the follow up: קרוב אתה ה’ וכל מצותיך אמת which means that He never abandons even those who sin… because they have eternal worth to Him.
The Pesukim are rich (and though few [onlt 2 really] they didn’t get the full attention they deserved וחבל).

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirty Four.
This class explores the eight Pesukim (153-160) connected to the letter רי”ש.
The spirit or constant here is (supported heavily by the ראשונים’s commentary) is about the contention between the One and the Many.
This battle is always on all levels and in areas. excellence vs expediency, and Dovid begs for help to remain principled and ultimately to take on the whole world AND WIN!!!
The last Possuk is the most important: ראש דברך אמת the first thing spoken is the entire Truth and therefore it is ולעולם כל משפט צדקיך forever and all people etc as the RaMbaM describes אותו הזמן that all we’ll care about (even in nthe parameters of Yiddishkeit) will be לדעת את השם בלבד.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirty Five.
Letter שי”ן Pesukim 161-168 are explored here.
Dovid is on the level of Toraso Umnaso and from Torah alone all good comes and he need not deal directly with evil at all.
Explanation: The normal way is to get something from Hashem down here through Tefilla, not through Torah.
But those on the level of תורתו אומנתו the Torah provides: מלאכתו נעשית ע”י אחרים.
These 8 Pesukim are divided into three:
1) Soul of Judaism as represented by יראה עילאה and ברית מילה.
2) The Torah which Dovid loves, and accordingly דרך המוניות disgusts him.
3) Mitzvos on all three levels are his passion.
This is the idea of from highest to the lowest, and only one on the highest comes all the way until the lowest, and with no effort.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirty Six.
Introduction to the learning of the (letter תי”ו) last eight Pesukim 169-176; we explain the Pesukim as being (even higher than תורתו אומנתו) which is the idea of איזהו חסיד המתחסד עם קונו and above (even) that עם קן דילי’ה.
This involves רינה from the bottom up; followed by Tefilla from the top down.
It culminate with the idea of תשובה with the last: תעיתי כשה אובד בקש עבדך כי מצותיך לא שכחתי.
Next time we’ll IYH complete this task.

Kapital 119 (5780/ 2020) Class Thirty Seven.
Letter תי”ו inside.
The חסיד reaches upwards in the first two Pesukim, תקרב רנתי etc and תבוא תחינתי
The next two Pesukim are the words the חסיד speaks for Hashem (the idea of שוב like שמונה עשרה) the Pesukim תבענה שפתי and תען לשוני אמרתיך
The next three Pesukim speak of the חסיד’s servitude.
And the last Possuk תעיתי כשה אובד בקש עבדיך כי מצותיך לא שכחתי is the level of the בעל תשובה both the literal בעל תשובה who has only one “מצותיך לא שכחתי” and the biggest צדיקים who משיח will bring to תשובה that they are also כשה אובד like the idea in Tanya הכל כפתים אצלו יתברך.