Hayom Yom 17 Adar 1 - Amen Yehei Shmei Rabba with fire

אַ סַךְ יאָהרעֶן נאָך פאַר פּעֶטעֶרְבּוּרג (הַמַּאֲסָר שָׁם בִּשְׁנַת תּקנ"ט)

One day, many years before his imprisonment in Petersburg in 5559 [1798], 

אִיז דעֶר אַלְטעֶר רֶבִּי אַמאָל אַרוֹיס צוּם עוֹלָם אוּן האָט געֶזאָגְט

the Alter Rebbe stepped out of his study and addressed the chassidim present as follows:

אִין גַּן עֵדֶן דעֶרְהעֶרט מעֶן דִי טַייעֶרקַייט פוּן עוֹלָם הַזֶּה

“In Gan Eden, they appreciate the precious quality of this world.

לֹא מִיבָּעִי מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת

Not only the ministering angels,

אֲפִילוּ נֶאֱצָלִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים

but even the exalted beings first emanated from the World of Atzilus, 

וואָלטעֶן אַלץ אַוועֶק געֶגעֶבּעֶן פאַר אַ אָמֵן יְהֵא שְׁמֵי'הּ רַבָּא פוּן אַ אִידעֶן

would forego all [their blissful revelations of Divinity] in exchange for the Amen, yehei Shmei rabba… 

אַז עֶר זאָגט בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ כְּפֵרוּשׁוֹ בְּכָל כַּוָּנָתוֹ

that a Jew recites with all his might — which is understood to mean, ‘with all his devout intent’;

הַיינוּ אַז עֶר אִיז אִינְגאַנְצעֶן אִין דעֶם

i.e., he is focused entirely on those words.”

דאָס אִיז געֶוועֶן דעֶר גאַנְצעֶר מַאֲמָר

That was the entire discourse. 

אוּן עֶר האָט געֶפּוֹעֶלְט אַזאַ הִתְלַהֲבוּת וְהִתְלַהֲטוּת בַּא דִי העֶרעֶר

It generated such ardent enthusiasm among the listeners

אַז אַ גאַנְץ יאָהְר האָט מעֶן געֶזאָגְט אָמֵן יְהֵא שְׁמֵי'הּ רַבָּא מִיט אַ בְּרעֶן

that for a whole year they responded Amen, yehei Shmei rabba with fire.

Hayom Yom 17 Adar 2 - Vowels in Tehillim chapter 87,7 vs Benching

בַּאֲמִירַת תְּהִלִּים (פז. ז)

In the phrase kol mayanai bach (Tehillim 87:7), [the word כל may be vocalized in either of two ways].

אוֹמְרִים כָּל מַעְיָנַי הַכָּ"ף בְּקָמַץ

When one is reading Tehillim, this word should be pronounced as vocalized with a kamatz; 

בְּסֵדֶר בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן — הַכָּ"ף בְּחוֹלָם

when it appears in [the readings that precede] the Grace after Meals, it should be pronounced as vocalized with a cholam.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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