PARACHAT HAYE SARAH (5) - HITAT DU JOUR 26 HESHVAN 5787 - 06 Novembre 2026

Greetings to one and all, and welcome to our daily appointment for the study of the daily Chitas. Today is Yom Shishi, the holy Shabbat of Parashat Chayei Sarah. We are on the 26th of Cheshvan, 5784, and I am infinitely happy to be with you to share this moment. One day, the Rebbe received a letter from a man deeply worried about his situation.

He was having issues with parnassa, difficulty finding work, and debts. The Rebbe replied with an extraordinary question. Does Hashem need your worries to find a solution to your problems? Can He not find a good solution even without you worrying?

The Rebbe explains to him that worrying does not move things forward. On the contrary, it can weaken bitachon, trust in God. Of course, one must make the necessary efforts, seek solutions, and act, but without losing inner serenity. Bitachon is understanding that our role is to make the effort, but the result belongs to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

Bitachon is fulfilling our shlichut, our mission, each and every one of us in our own domain, that is to say, in every moment of our life. It is to bring holiness into existence, to reveal God here on earth, and not to carry the burden of tomorrow today, because Hashem is already there and He already knows what we need. In the Chumash of Parashat Chayei Sarah , we are in the Shishi today, as we saw yesterday in the reading, Yitzchak had brought Hagar back to his father, Abraham. Abraham married her again.

After the passing of Sarah, she now bore the name Keturah. Keturah, like ketoret, is the image given here of incense, because as we know, Keturah had done teshuva. Hagar had done teshuva, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu was happy with that. She gave birth to several children, including Midian.

Even though Abraham and Keturah had other children, Abraham transmitted all his assets to Yitzchak, as well as the ability to bless others. To the sons of Keturah, Abraham offered other types of gifts. The capacity to manage the forces of impurity, the tumah , as well as goods he did not wish to keep. Like the gifts once received by Pharaoh or Avimelech, he then sent them away from Yitzchak.

They, too, made a contribution to mankind by transmitting a certain knowledge of Hashem. Abraham had also sent Ishmael away, but the latter later returned to stand by his father's side just before his passing. Abraham lived for 175 years and left this world as an accomplished tzadik. He had the merit of seeing, during his lifetime, all of his children maintain their faith in Hashem.

Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave of Machpelah. Ishmael acknowledged that Isaac should become the head of the family and let him lead the burial. After Abraham's passing, the Almighty came to comfort Isaac during his lifetime. Abraham had hesitated to bless Isaac himself before departing because he sensed that Esau would descend from him .

He therefore preferred to wait for the Almighty to bless him in a way where the good would be fully realized. Finally, Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi for the rest of his story . Today, we are reading the second half of Psalm 119, the long one. Every soul is sent into this world invested with a particular mission.

Our existence does not consist solely of accomplishing easy tasks. We must identify what needs to be corrected within us and work on it. How can we know what the priorities are to rectify ? There is a verse in today's Psalm that gives us an indication.

One way to explain this verse is as follows . My enemies help me become wiser in fulfilling Your commandments. How can we become wiser to understand which commandments we need to work on? By examining our moral imperfections, our inner enemies.

When we discern those that require the most effort from us, we understand that these are precisely the points our soul is tasked with repairing down here. When it hurts, it means we need to work on it. This is how Hasidim used to prepare for yechidus. They would reflect quietly, serenely, and perform what is called a cheshbon, a careful examination of their middot, their character traits, to determine their areas for growth, and then ask the Rebbe how to act to serve God faithfully and correct these aspects.

There is a very beautiful story that shows us the full scope of this preparation. Many years ago, a bochur went to the Rebbe of Lubavitch for his first yechidus. Before entering, he consulted his mashpia to know what he should discuss with the Rebbe. The mashpia advised him to express what was on his heart and what he truly cared about.

We know the mashpia is there to guide the bochur, the person who needs to be steered in the right direction. In the note handed to the Rebbe before the meeting between the bochur and the Rebbe, the young man wrote that he wanted advice on overcoming his moral imperfections and his gaavah, his pride When the bochur went into yechidus, the Rebbe read his note and told him, "What you write about character flaws, you must get rid of them. But as for gaavah , you should use it

in the service of holiness to create what is called kinat sofrim." It means that when people see the good done by others, it inspires them to do the same. It can be a form of jealousy, but a positive jealousy in the sense that it makes us want to do even more.

It brings more holiness into the world since we want to do more than the other person. The Rebbe invited him to channel this feeling of pride to increase his commitment to the Torah and Judaism. In this way, he could inspire those around him to do the same and spread more good around him. What we see here is that we can turn what is negative within us into a strength.

That is what today's lesson tells us. Ki le'olam, he Tiferet siman le'olam ha-ba. Today, we complete the 4th section of the Tanya HaKodesh. In several letters of Igrot Kodesh, the Rebbe encouraged the Chassidim to intensify their donations of Tzedakah for Israel beyond their initial plans.

In this letter, the Rebbe thanks the Chassidim for giving Tzedakah on their own initiative, without him needing to urge them. He emphasizes the value of generosity, particularly when it stems from a personal impulse. First, the Rebbe explains what Tzedakah accomplishes on a spiritual level, the reward for which we will see at the coming of Mashiach. Giving Tzedakah in exile, in Galut, is like planting a seed in the ground.

We do not see the seed underground, we do not see its development because for a certain time it remains in the soil, but later it begins to emerge. It gives birth to a beautiful flower or plant. Tzedakah follows the same principle. At first, we do not measure the full scope of our gift, nor the nachat, the satisfaction it brings to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

However, at the time of the resurrection of the dead, Techiyat HaMetim, every Jew will be able to see what grew thanks to their Tzedakah. We will see how it brought and allowed Hakadosh Baruch Hu to reside in the world, and we will reap our reward. This is what the Rebbe tells us today. There are two ways to give Tzedakah.

The first is when someone among us convinces or inspires us to give. The second is when we ourselves trigger this inner impulse through our own spiritual work, our Avodah. For example, we can have a deep intention, a Kavanah, while reciting the Shema and thinking of our willingness to give of ourselves, our Mesirat Nefesh. We then decide to dedicate to Tzedakah the very money we have worked so hard to earn.

It is a very high form of tzedakah that brings down holiness and blessing with much greater intensity. And it is with these words of blessing that we conclude this study of the Igrot Kodesh . In 5726, in 1965, the conclusion of the study of the Igrot Kodesh took place on the Shabbat of Parshat Chayei Sarah, just like this year. And the Rebbe spoke about it during the farbrengen of that Shabbat.

He developed a remarkable teaching regarding tzedakah. He takes up the final words of Rabbi Shneur Zalman in the Hayom Yom. "The time is short"—in a literal sense, Zalman lacked the time to elaborate further on his letter, but the Lubavitcher Rebbe explains to us that these terms also allude to the reward of tzedakah; even today in exile, we possess this reward. There is no need to wait for the resurrection of the dead; it is in a condensed form.

It is like a person who receives a magnificent treasure in a safe. The key is given to him, but he is asked not to open it immediately. The same applies to tzedakah. He tells us: we hold its reward already today, but we will only perceive its full immensity upon the coming of Mashiach, may it happen very soon.

Hayom Yom. However, one might think that it is a virtue to examine one's mistakes to feel sorry for them, but that is inaccurate. The true path, the Rebbe tells us here, in divine service, in the work of Hashem , requires that a person know themselves well. One must clearly identify their successes as well as their shortcomings , their qualities as well as their faults.

And once we know what must be corrected , we cannot be content with just lamenting our weaknesses or sighing. No , it is our duty to act concretely through our spiritual work, through our avodah, to apply the necessary and urgent remedy for our lives. We conclude with the Rambam of the day, and we begin today the study of the laws relating to partners and neighbors. First chapter: the Rambam states that partners can agree to dissolve their partnership and proceed to divide their common property, provided that the whole is large enough to be divided.

In chapter 2, the Rambam deals with the division of real estate between two partners and the act of placing a partition wall between the two properties. The Rambam, here in the 3rd chapter, examines the case where the wall separating the two properties collapses . He specifies that the distribution of stones and the way to rebuild the structure have quite precise laws and details that must be respected to maintain good neighborly relations. That was the Rambam of the day.

May Hashem grant that the people of Israel may spend a Shabbat of tranquility, serenity, and true joy. Shabbat shalom to one and all. Be infinitely blessed in all material and spiritual realms. Send us your dedication to +33 6 21 37 24 52 and more than ever.

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We have studied for the elevation of the soul, may they rest in peace.