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Podcast: The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman
Episode: Hayom Yom 23 Elul - The Torah consists entirely of exemplary character traits
Description: ר' מֹשֶׁה, בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵןThe Alter Rebbe’s son, R. Moshe, בְּלָמְדוֹ — וְהוּא אָז כְּבֶן ח'-י"א שָׁנָהwho was between eight and eleven years old at the time, was studying הַסּוּגְיָא בְּשִׁבְחָן שֶׁל חֲכָמִים בְּגִטִּין (ס"ז א)the passage in Tractate Gittin (p. 67a) that praises our Sages, נִסְתַּפֵּק בְּמַאֲמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי שָׁםand was uncertain about the meaning of R. Shimon bar Yochai’s statement: שְׁנוּ מִדּוֹתַי“Study midosai.” שֶׁיֵשׁ בָּזֶה שְׁנֵי פֵּרוּשִׁיםThere are two interpretations of this: לִמְדוּ תוֹרָתִי (רַשִׁ"י)“Learn my teachings” (as Rashi comments), אוֹ מִדּוֹתַי כִּפְשׁוּטוֹor “Learn my character traits,” according to the simple meaning of the term middos.בְּתוֹךְ כַּךְ נִכְנַס רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵןAs he was deliberating, the Alter Rebbe entered the room וְאָמַר — בְּנִגּוּן, כְּדַרְכּוֹ בַּקֹּדֶשׁand said the following words melodically, as was his holy practice: תּוֹרָה...