2020-09-02 – Netilas Yadayim LiSeduah 1 – Para. 1-2a – Pas Shacharis – Finding a Rabbi – Chain of Mesorah

Podcast (shiurim): Download (Duration: 52:39 — 48.3MB)

Netilas Yadayim LiSeduah 1 – The Five Grains – Washing for Bread and Matzah – The Importance of Pas Shacharis – Finding a Rabbi – Know Your Rabbi’s Chain of Mesorah – Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon. (Broadcast from Uman, Ukraine, Erev Rosh HaShanah 5781.)
00:00 – PARAGRAPH 1. Netilas Yadayim LiSeduah 1 is based on Likutey Moharan 56. The “Table of Kings” whenever a Jew eats a meal.
06:20 – The five grains represent Daas – awareness of HaShem. Stressing the letter “hey” in “hamotzi“.
10:48 – The definition of matzah.
12:11 – Note from Rabbi Rosenfeld zal. Chita – wheat – b’gematria 22 parallels the 22 letters of the alef-beis. Lechem is begematria 3 times Y – K – V – K. Pas – bread – is begamtria talmud. The importance of eating pas shacharais – the morning meal. HaLechem is spelled with the same letters as machalah – disease – referring to 83 different afflictions. Eating pas shacharis protects a person from 83 different kinds of illness.
15:36 – Biur Halikutim emphasizes the seven blessings possible during a seudah of bread.
16:21 – Q&R – Matzah is considered pas shacharis.
17:21 – Q&R – Mezonos can be eaten to fulfill pas shacharis bdi’eved – only if bread is not available.
17:53 – Bread made from Spelt is considered bread.
21:00 – The Arizal points out that matzah is begamtria AV – Ayin beis, SaG – samech gimmel.
29:18 – Israel had to leave Egypt in a hurry and had to eat matzah specifically to counteract the power of Pharaoh.
33:41 – How does chometz affect the soul? Why is chometz permitted throughout the year?
36:25 – Heard from Rabbi Rosenfeld zal: in Shiras HaYam (Shemos 15:1, Beshalach) in the phrase אָשִׁ֤ירָה לַּֽיהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה – the initial letters of the word גאה allude to the “Gimmel Avos HaKadoshim”.
36:54 – Why we were forced to eat matzah when we left Egypt.
39:32 – Q&R – All four elements – earth air, fire, water – are necessary to create bread. But matzah was commanded when we left Egypt because we hadn’t received the Torah yet and couldn’t refine the ruach/air aspect of bread at that point.
41:24 – Q&R about the water needed to create bread or matzah is related to chesed – kindness.
41:57 – “Mayim” is chokhmah and binah, just as lechem is AV and SaG.
42:35 – PARAGRAPH 2. Washing hands before eating bread to purify the daas. Lifting up the hands after washing them.
44:15 – Thoughts of teshuvah and taking a deep sigh (אנחה – anacha) before beginning a meal.
44:51 – Why do we need to spiritually purify our hands? If a person can’t feed themselves, he still needs to ritually wash with a blessing before eating bread. While the person who’s feeding them doesn’t.
47:30 – The size of the cup that holds the water for washing has to hold a “r’vi’is” (strictest opinion: at least 5 fluid ounces or 150 ml. of water. [] However, more is preferred by chazal (Sages of the Talmud). [] [48:41]
49:37 – NOTE on malkhus. Reference to Likutey Moharan 49 – sometimes malkhus is in a lower state, an aspect of the letter “dalet”, and when it’s in a higher, more completed state, it’s an aspect of the letter “hey”.
*51:51 – Update on Uman – travel to Uman is being restricted as of today, but for those already in Uman, all is proceeding with safety and order.
60:00 – Q&R.
63:00 – NOTE: heard from Rabbi Rosenfeld zal based on the SheLaH HaKadosh – the importance of contemporary rabbis Torah SheBaal Peh. Written Torah vs. Oral Torah in practice of halakha. M’d’rabonon is roshei teyvos gevurah. What is the definition of a talmud chochom? ***To find a true rabbi, investigate his chain of mesorah.

Indexing and Notes by S.Y. Wurtzel.