Hayom Yom 12 Adar 1 - giving of himself leads him before great men

כְּתִיב מַתַּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לוֹ וְלִפְנֵי גְדוֹלִים יַנְחֶנּוּ

It is written: “A man’s gift grants him amplitude, and leads him before great men.”

יֵשׁ לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁהֵם גְּדוֹלֵי הַשֵּׁם בְּחָכְמָתָם אוֹ בְּעָשְׁרָם

Some people are renowned for their wisdom or their wealth.

אֲבָל מַתַּן אָדָם

However, “a man’s gift” —

כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם נוֹתֵן אֶת הָאָדָם שֶׁלּוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה הִתְעַסְּקוּת בְּהַחְזָקַת הַדָּת

his giving of himself to an activity that strengthens the practice of Yiddishkeit —

הִנֵה לֹא זוּ בִּלְבַד כִּי יַרְחִיב לוֹ

not only elicits ample blessings,

אֶלָּא עוֹד זֹאת כִּי לִפְנֵי גְדוֹלִים יַנְחֶנּוּ

but also “leads him before great men.”

Hayom Yom 12 Adar 2 - Sacrifice the Evil Inclination, the animal soul

דעֶר אָנְהוֹיב פוּן פָּרָשַׁת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת אִיז

The words that introduce the passages on the sacrifices

אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַה

[literally mean], “A man who will bring from you a sacrifice to G-d...

עֶס האָט דאָך געֶדאַרְפט שְׁטֵיין אָדָם מִכֶּם כִּי יַקְרִיב גו

Seemingly, the word order should have been, “A man from [among] you who will bring a sacrifice to G‑d....”

זאָגט דעֶר אַלְטעֶר רֶבִּי

the Alter Rebbe explains:

אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב, בִּכְדֵי אַ מעֶנְטשׁ זאָל וועֶרעֶן נעֶהנְטעֶר צוּ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ

[Now, the verb used here for “bringing an offering” is יקריב, which shares a root with the verb meaning “to draw near.”] Accordingly, the Alter Rebbe explains: “‘A man who will offer,’ i.e., if a person is to draw near to G‑d,

אִיז מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַה', פוּן אַייךְ אַלֵיין דאַרף זַיין דעֶר קָרְבָּן

the offering must come ‘from you’ — from one’s very self,

מַקְרִיב זַיין זַיין אֵייגעֶנעֶ בְּהֵמָה

from the animal within him;

דעֶם יֵצֶר הָרָע וואָס וועֶרט אָנְגעֶרוּפעֶן נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית

that is, he must sacrifice the Evil Inclination, which is [sometimes] called the animal soul.”

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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