The two hundred and forty-first "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Monday, 23 Tammuz 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Matot-Masei, Sheni with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, on the 23rd of the month, one recites from chapter 108 through chapter 112 inclusive.
Tanya: on this day one begins chapter 6 in Iggeret HaTeshuvah, from the start of the chapter with the word "Amnam," and the lesson concludes on page 96 with the words "leyodei chen."
The saying before us contains a very brief practical directive. This week we read Mattos-Masei as combined portions, but at times Mattos and Masei are separate, and then there is a week in which Mattos is read alone and Masei alone. And as is known, on Mondays, Thursdays, and at Shabbos Minchah, three aliyos are read, which are divided from the first section of the parashah only. And here it is discussed how the division of the aliyos should be in Parashas Masei when it is read alone.
Let us preface and say that in the siddurim printed in past years — even in Chabad siddurim — there was a division different from the one stated here for the aliyos of Parshas Masei. Let us bring an example: in one of the siddurim it is written that for the Kohen there is no difference — one reads until the words "einei kol Mitzrayim," and so too today. But for the Levi one reads only three pesukim, literally the beginning of the journeys, and one concludes with the words "asher biktzei hamidbar"; and for Yisrael another four pesukim, and one concludes with the words "vayachanu al Yam Suf," and that is all. And the entire continuation of the journeys is not read at all.
When the Rebbe published the siddur "Torah Or" in a new edition in the year 5701, he noted down for himself various passages that he had clarified with chassidim; many things he of course clarified with the Rebbe Rayatz as to how one conducts oneself, and thus he entered them into the siddur. All the passages that the Rebbe noted down for himself are today gathered in a sefer called "Hagahot LeSiddur Rabbeinu HaZaken," in which is collected everything the Rebbe noted down for himself during the preparation of the siddur.
There it brings testimony recorded by the Rebbe, which he heard from the chassid Rabbi Eliyahu Simpson; and this testimony, appearing here, was established as a Chabad custom. Let us read the wording: "When Mattos and Masei are separate, at Minchah of Shabbos, on Monday and Thursday, one reads for the Levi until the end of all the journeys" — meaning, not as was stated before, that they divided the journeys and did not even complete them, but rather the Levi begins in his aliyah the journeys of the Jewish people in the desert and reads until the end of the journeys — a long aliyah — and with it the Levi concludes.
And what is the reason for this? This custom is cited in numerous seforim, and likewise in the "Magen Avraham," that in Kabbalah there is a concept called "the forty-two-letter Name" (Shem Mem-Beis), and the forty-two journeys correspond to the Shem Mem-Beis, and therefore one should not interrupt between them in the middle.
To complete the matter, I will share from the practices of the Rebbe of Munkács in his sefer "Darkei Chaim VeShalom," from which he was accustomed to bring many of his practices; there it is written that he was accustomed to finish all the forty-two journeys by the Kohen, and the Levi and the Yisrael after him read three verses each — already by the Kohen they did not pause between the journeys.
And let us conclude with the fact that the Rebbe himself addressed this custom at the farbrengen of Shabbat Mevarchim Menachem Av in the year 5743, and said: What do we learn from the fact that one does not pause in the middle of the journeys? This expresses the concept of "We want Moshiach now" — in the middle of the journeys one does not stop, but rather one must already arrive at "Yarden Yericho," which is the end of the journeys, and which alludes to Moshiach. If so, the fact that one does not stop in the middle comes to hint that we do not wish to stop, but rather to arrive already and complete all the journeys and reach Moshiach, alluded to in the final journey — "Moshiach now," at "Yarden Yericho."