The Twelve Pesukim

The Twelve Pesukim and Sayings of Chazal are a collection of verses, Talmudic sayings, and Chassidic teachings that were compiled by the Rebbe as fundamental texts that every Jewish child should memorize and know by heart. These pesukim are traditionally recited together with Jewish children during gatherings, Lag BaOmer parades, Shabbat parties, and various other occasions. Tzivos Hashem in Eretz HaKodesh, together with the Tzivos Hashem choir, produced a song about the 12 Pesukim.

The Twelve Pesukim

The pesukim chosen by the Rebbe are:

1. "Torah tziva lanu Moshe morasha kehilas Yaakov"
2. "Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad"
3. "Bechol dor vador chayav adam liros es atzmo ke'ilu hu yatza miMitzrayim"
4. "Kol Yisrael yesh lahem chelek l'olam haba, shene'emar: v'amech kulam tzadikim l'olam yirshu aretz, netzer mata'ai ma'aseh yadai lehispa'er"
5. "Ki karov eilecha hadavar me'od beficha uvilvavcha la'asoso"
6. "Vehinei Hashem nitzav alav umelo kol ha'aretz kevodo umabit alav uvochein kelayos valev, im ovdo karaui"
7. "Bereishis bara Elokim es hashamayim ve'es ha'aretz"
8. "Veshinantam levanecha vedibarta bam beshivtecha beveisecha uvelechtecha vaderech uveshochbecha uvekumecha"
9. "Yagati velo matzasi - al ta'amin, lo yagati umatzasi - al ta'amin, yagati umatzasi - ta'amin"
10. "Ve'ahavta lere'acha kamocha - Rabbi Akiva omer, zeh klal gadol baTorah"
11. "Vezeh kol ha'adam vetachlis beriaso uverias kol ha'olamos, elyonim vetachtonim, lihyos lo yisbarech dira betachtonim"
12. "Yismach Yisrael be'osav, perush shekol mi shehu mizera Yisrael yesh lo lismoach besimchas Hashem, asher sas vesame'ach bediraso betachtonim"

Selection of the Pesukim

The first time the Rebbe spoke about reciting pesukim and sayings of Chazal with children was during a farbrengen on Erev Rosh Chodesh Iyar 1976, following the Rebbe's declaration of the Year of Education and Mivtza Chinuch. During a talk to the chassidim, the Rebbe spoke about the importance of engraving fundamental pesukim in children's memories that encapsulate the foundations of Jewish education in short sentences. During the farbrengen, the Rebbe selected six pesukim and explained their content and importance in Jewish education. Three weeks later, during a Lag BaOmer parade which the Rebbe attended, the Rebbe requested to add two more pesukim, two sayings of Chazal, and two statements from the Alter Rebbe, totaling an additional six pesukim.

Order of the Pesukim

The first two pesukim take their place as first according to what is written in the Alter Rebbe's Hilchos Talmud Torah, that as soon as a child learns to speak, his father teaches him the pasuk "Torah tziva," and then the pasuk "Shema Yisrael," and then other pesukim.

See Also

• Tzivos Hashem