Before you is a summary of the topics from the daily lesson as delivered by our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days) – yesterday after the Maariv (evening) prayer, Wednesday night, the 29th of Marcheshvan 5786, Parshas Toldos:

1. The Molad (birth of the new moon) is tomorrow at 1:17 PM. The entire matter of the Molad is that the light of the moon should be like the light of the sun. For the whole secret of Kiddush Levanah (sanctification of the moon) is to show that we are prepared to desecrate the Sabbath [to testify about the moon], primarily to show that we are not like the Sadducees (who disputed the oral tradition regarding the calendar). 2. It is written, "And she covered herself – and she was buried"; when a person goes to their burial, that is the true wedding. 3. "And they saw him from afar," Rashi says: "him (oto) is like 'with him' (imo) or 'to him' (elav)." There was a certain tzaddik (righteous person) who wanted to know what the secret was; he knocked on the grave and wanted Rashi to reveal himself to him and tell him what the true meaning was. Suddenly, he saw a snake upon which was written, "And no uncircumcised person and no impure person shall eat of it." He said, "Do I eat non-kosher carcasses or torn animals? I perform the ritual slaughter myself!" And he did not stop knocking on the grave until Rashi revealed himself to him and told him that the dispute between Joseph and the brothers is the dispute between Metat (the angel Metatron) and the angels regarding the creation of the world. For the angels said not to create [the world], while Joseph—the true Tzaddik—said yes, create it, and he takes responsibility upon himself. And now they came to hold a trial to see how he took responsibility upon himself. 4. Because for anyone who is connected to the Tzaddik, the Tzaddik takes responsibility for him. 5. All the girls should read Tehillim (Psalms) until 11:00 PM and then say Chatzos (the Midnight Lament) for two hours; afterwards, the girls sleep until 8:30 AM. As for the boys, whoever usually sleeps should stay awake all night and learn 10 pages of Gemara (Talmud).