Kislev

KISLEV
From a letter of my father [the Rebbe Rashab]:
On Yud Tes Kislev, when the Alter Rebbe was redeemed from
prison, the light and life of our souls was given to us. This day is the
Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus, the Torah which was handed down to
us by our Rebbeimthe Torah of the Baal Shem Tov.
This day is the beginning of Your works. This is the day when
the true purpose of the creation of man begins to be fulfilledwhich
is to draw down the light of the innermost part of Torah. On Yud
Tes Kislev, a general light is drawn down for the entire year. On this
day we must awaken the desire, from the depths of our heart, that
Hashem should light up our souls with the light of His inner Torah.
Today we pray to Hashem from the depths of our hearts, to draw
down the deepest and innermost light of His Torah and mitzvos into
our innermost soul. We pray that our total existence should be devoted
to Hashem alone, to chase away all bad middos. Instead, all our actions
and concerns, both in avodas Hashem and in worldly matters, should
be with sincere kavanah, for the sake of Hashem alone.
May Hashem, our merciful Father, have compassion on us and
lead us along the good and righteous path, and may we see His face
with dignity.

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Kislev

KISLEV
Yud Tes Kislev
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The chazan does not wear a tallis for Minchah or Maariv, not
on Shabbos and not on Rosh Hashanah.
The Mezritcher Maggid passed away on Yud-Tes Kislev,
Tuesday, Parshas Vayeishev 5533 [1771]. He is buried in Anipoli.
The Alter Rebbe was released from his first imprisonment on
Yud Tes Kislev, Tuesday, Parshas Vayeishev 5559 [1797], towards
evening.
The Alter Rebbe was sitting in prison, reading Tehillim. It
was Tuesday, a day that Hashem said It was good twice in the
Torah. It was the 19th of Kislev, the yahrtzeit of his teacher, the
Mezritcher Maggid. He was reading Kapitel 55 in Tehillim, and
came to the verse Pada bshalom nafshi - He redeemed my soul
in peace. At that moment, the guards came to inform the Alter
Rebbe of his release from prison, and he came out in peace, by
the act of the G-d of peace (from a letter by the Alter Rebbe).
Yud Tes Kislev is a day of farbrengens and good resolutions
towards setting times to study the revealed Torah and Chassidus
in public, and strengthening the ways of chassidim with true
friendship.
It is customary to divide the study of the shas, according to
the procedure set out in Igeres Hakodesh Hocheiach Tochiach.
In Lubavitch, since the year 5663 [late 1902], this division was
made on Chof Daled Teves, as there was not enough time on
Yud Tes Kislev.

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KISLEV
Chof
Kislev
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The first printing of the Sefer Shel Benonim - Tanya - was
completed on Tuesday, Chof Kislev, 5557, in Slavita. It included
part I - Sefer Shel Benonim, Part II - Chinuch Katan and Shaar
Hayichud Vehaemuna.
Igeres Hatshuvah, first edition, was printed in Zalkvi 5559
[1799]; second edition, first printing, was in Shklov 5566 [1806].
Igeres Hakodesh, first printing was in Shklov 5574 [1818].
The corrected edition of all four parts was printed in Vilna
(Rom edition) in 5660 [1900] and has been reprinted many
times since.

Chof
Alef Kislev
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Yossi, what are you mumbling to yourself ? asked Yossis younger
brother Yanki, as they walked down the street together.
I am reviewing the Mishnayos that I learned by heart, replied
Yossi. Learning and reviewing Mishnayos by heart is one way we
can merit to welcome Moshiach!
Everyone should learn some Mishnah by heart, according to
their ability, and review it when walking down the street. In this
way, they will merit to greet Moshiach.
Chassidim must study Chassidus; all chassidim on Mondays,
Thursdays, and Shabbos. Temimim, those who learned in
Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, should learn an hour every day.
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Kislev

KISLEV
Chof
Beis Kislev
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The Frierdiker Rebbe instituted the practice of saying a
portion of Tehillim every morning, including Shabbos, Yom Tov,
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur after davening, as it is divided
for the days of the month. When Tehillim is completed with a
minyan, mourners Kaddish is said. In a month of 29 days, the
last two portions are said on the 29th.

Chof
Gimmel Kislev
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In the busy Berman household, Shabbos preparations begin early.
On Wednesday, the shopping is done, the challah dough is prepared,
and the vegetables are peeled for Shabbos.
The Zohar says that all days are blessed from Shabbos. All
days refers to the six days of creation, which Hashem blessed
with a general blessing Hashem will bless you in all you do.

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KISLEV
Shabbos blesses the days that come before it and the days that
follow it. The preparations for Shabbos begin on Wednesday, and
it is announced by the short lechu neranena of three verses. [The
first three verses of lechu neranena are added to the shir shel yom
of Wednesday. Lechu neranena is the opening prayer of Kabbalas
Shabbos, said on Friday night to welcome Shabbos.]

Chof
Daled Kislev, Erev Chanukah
___________________________________________________
Mommy, what will we have for Shabbos? little Devorah
Berman asked her mother one Wednesday.
Lets see, Devorah. We will have wine, challah, fish, soup, chicken
and some side dishes.
Mrs. Berman paused for a moment. Then she asked her daughter
with a smile, Devorahle, now let me ask you a question. What will
we do for Shabbos? How will we make sure that we are ready for
Shabbos, and that we feel differently on Shabbos than we do during
the week?
This is an explanation of Lechu Neranena, which is simple
enough to be understood by everyone. On Wednesday, we begin
to think about what we will make for Shabbos. But we also begin
to think about how we will make ourselves ready for Shabbos in
a spiritual way. This can cause us to feel a bit sad. The solution
is Lechu Neranena, come let us sing. Have faith, and trust in
Hashem. When Thursday comes and we are still not ready, it isnt
so easy anymore to be happy and sing. We realize that we need
to actually do something to make ourselves feel Shabbosdik. So
on Thursday night, we learn a little bit of Chassidus, so that by
Friday, we can begin to feel that Hashem is a great G-d and a
great King. With this feeling, we can go in to Shabbos.
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Kislev

KISLEV
During Minchah, Tachanun is not said.

Chof
Hey Kislev, 1st day of Chanukah
___________________________________________________
My father [the Rebbe Rashab] would light the Chanukah
lights between Minchah and Maariv. He was not particular
if the doorway faced south-north or east-west. He would say
haneiros halalu after lighting all the lights. He would sit near the
lights for a half-hour, except for erev Shabbos when he did not
stay that long. He made sure that the candles stayed lit for at
least 50 minutes.
The order we follow on erev Shabbos Chanukah is: Minchah,
Chanukah lights, then Shabbos candles.

Chof
Vov Kislev, 2nd day of Chanukah
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On Shabbos mevorchim, when the new month is blessed,
chassidim gather in shul early in the morning to recite the whole
Tehillim. Afterwards, for about an hour, they are to study a
maamar of Chassidus that everyone can understand, and then
daven. The time to farbreng is set according to the conditions of
each place where they live. The farbrengen of Shabbos mevorchim
brings material and spiritual success.
After finishing the whole Tehillim, Kaddish yasom is said. If
there is a yahrtzeit or mourner Kaddish is said after each of the
first five books of Tehillim.

Chof
Zayin Kislev, 3rd day of Chanukah
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During the Alter Rebbes second arrest, in 5561 [1800], he
was not imprisoned as harshly as the first time. But the charges
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KISLEV
against him were more serious, because they were aimed against
the teachings of Chassidus, and the opposition was very strong.
He was held in the Taini Soviet prison and released on the 3rd
Light of Chanukah.

Chof
Ches Kislev, 4th day of Chanukah
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It was customary for the Tzemach Tzedek to have a sort of
farbrengen on one of the nights of Chanukah with his family,
including his daughters-in-law. This was called latkes evening.
This custom was held also by the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler
Rebbe. Some of the stories the Rabbeim told at this meal were
the same ones that were discussed every Chanukah, even though
they had been talked about the previous year.
My father [the Rebbe Rashab] would give Chanukah gelt on
the fourth or fifth night of Chanukah.

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Kislev

KISLEV
Chof Tes Kislev, 5 day of Chanukah
___________________________________________________
th

The sins of the Jewish people in the times of the Greeks

were: Being too friendly with the Greeks, studying their culture,
not keeping Shabbos and Yom Tov, eating treif food, and not
being careful with Jewish taharah. The punishment-suffering
was the spiritual destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, death,
and slavery in galus. (Even though the Beis Hamikdash was
not destroyed by the Greeks, they entered it and defiled it by
putting idols inside and making the oil impure. After the
miracle of Chanukah, the Jews cleaned up the Beis Hamikdash
and purified it as it was before.) Through teshuvah and mesirus
nefesh, the great, miraculous G-dly salvation the miracle of
Chanukah came about.

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