Sruly Schnair – Peninim on the Torah

עד מתי מאנת לענות מפני

Sruly Schnair In Bo, 5786

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? (10:3)

Horav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zl, asks, if we were to bring Pharaoh to trial before the International Court in The Hague — what would this evil man be convicted of? Pharaoh’s sins were monstrous, even by the standards of the most brutal, sadistic tyrants of history. Mass murder, enslavement, cruelty beyond imagination – all crimes against humanity, deserving of the most painful punishment. Yet, the Torah does not list these atrocities as an indictment against Pharaoh. The only thing the Torah writes is: “You refused!” Pharaoh refused to acknowledge Hashem as the One behind the punishment. He ignored the obvious…

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קדש לי כל בכור פטר כל רחם בבני ישראל באדם ובבהמה לי הוא

Sruly Schnair In Bo, 5786

Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first issue of every womb, among Bnei Yisrael, of man and beast, is Mine. (13:2)

Chazal (Pesikta Rabbasi Parsha 14) cited by Horav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Shlita, relates the following story. A Jew owned a cow. This was his sole source of livelihood. Unfortunately, his small parcel of land was not producing sufficiently, forcing him to sell his cow to a gentile. He received a good price which would sustain him until his economic situation would take a positive turn. The gentile was very happy with the cow, and he had it plow his field on a daily basis. Come Shabbos, something strange happened with the cow: it refused to plow. No coaxing, no beating –…

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זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים

Sruly Schnair In Bo, 5786

Remember this day on which you departed from Egypt. (13:3)

Memory and the joy of remembering seminal moments in our history are among the cornerstones of Jewish life. As such, we are a nation who, although we live in the present, we neither forget nor take for granted the lessons of the past. As Klal Yisrael is about to prepare for its liberation from the Egyptian exile, they were repeatedly exhorted to remember that they were once slaves, and Hashem in His infinite kindness redeemed them from bondage. In the Haggadah, we underscore this obligation with, B’chol dor vador chayiv adam liros es atzmo k’ilu hu yatza mi’Mitzrayim, “In every…

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והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא

Sruly Schnair In Bo, 5786

You shall relate to your son on that day. (13:8)

One might ask why the Torah emphasizes bincha, your son, rather than talmidcha, your student? After all, every Jew bears the collective responsibility of v’shinantam l’vanecha, which is explained, “You shall teach Torah to all of Klal Yisrael” – not only to one’s biological children. Why is the father-son relationship underscored? Perhaps the Torah seeks to impart an important message. The foundation of Jewish continuity is bolstered in the yeshivah, bais ha’medrash, Bais Yaakov – but it begins at home. Before one can inspire a talmid he must first connect with his ben. The mitzvah of v’higadeta l’vincha is not…

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וגם אני שמעתי את נאקת בני ישראל אשר מצרים מעבדים אותם ואזכור את בריתי

Sruly Schnair In Vaeira, 5786

And I, too, have heard the wail of Bnei Yisrael whom Egypt enslaves, and I have remembered My covenant. (6:5)

What is the meaning of the added “I, too,” as if Hashem is also listening, when, in fact, Who else but Hashem listens? Hashem heard the cries emanating from the Jewish slaves. Why is this referred to as “also”? The Chasam Sofer explains that, “I, too,” teaches us that, indeed, Hashem is not the only one listening. In Egypt, each and every Yid listened to the painful cries of his neighbor and, as a result, they commiserated with one another. They did not think only of their pain, but also of the pain of other Yidden who were suffering. When…

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אמר אל אהרן קח מטך ונטה ידך על מימי מצרים

Sruly Schnair In Vaeira, 5786

Say to Aharon, “Take your staff and stretch out your hand on the waters of Egypt.” (7:19)

Rashi comments that, concerning the plagues of blood and frogs, Aharon HaKohen was the one who struck the water. Moshe Rabbeinu owed a debt of gratitude to the natural resource because it was the Nile that protected him as a newborn infant. The obvious question is: Does water have a mind? Does water have feelings? It is inanimate. Why does one have to maintain a sense of gratitude to it? Indeed, Chazal teach, Bira d’shasis bei maya al tizrok bo even, “The well from which you drink, do not throw a stone into it.” It would seem that this is…

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ושמתי פדות בין עמי ובין עמך למחר יהיה האות הזה

Sruly Schnair In Vaeira, 5786

I shall make a distinction between My people and your people – tomorrow this sign will come about. (8:19)

Simply speaking, Moshe Rabbeinu informed Pharaoh when each plague would begin. This was meant to underscore the miraculous nature of the plague. Horav Shalom Bentzion Felman, zl, explains this pasuk homiletically: “I will make a distinction between My people and your people.” What is this distinction? In which area of belief do we see a separation between Jew and non-Jew? Tomorrow, this sign will come about. It is with regard to the concept of “tomorrow” that we differ. The Jew who believes in Hashem lives with a constant awareness of “tomorrow.” Even if today appears bleak and filled with hardship,…

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ואלה שמות בני ישראל הבאים מצרימה

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Shemos

And these are the names of Bnei Yisrael who were coming to Egypt. (1:1)

The second book of Chamishah Chumshei Torah is known as Sefer Shemos –— Names. This is how it begins, with a list of the families that arrived in Egypt. Their descendants are the ones who, after acculturating into the Egyptian lifestyle, ultimately became slaves to an oppressive despotic leader and nation. They were eventually liberated, received the Torah and built the Mishkan. This is the essence of Sefer Shemos. Where does “names” fit in? Furthermore, in translation, the second book is called, “Exodus,” which refers to departure or redemption. Once again, where does “names” fit in? The English and Hebrew…

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וראך ושמח בלבו

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Shemos

And when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart. (4:14)

Moshe Rabbeinu refused to undertake the mission to lead the Jews, lest his older brother, Aharon HaKohein, who heretofore had been their leader, feel bad over being passed over for his younger brother. Hashem assuaged Moshe’s feelings that his brother was overjoyed to hear the good news. Chazal underscore that this was not superficial joy, but true, genuine joy born of love for Moshe. As a result of Aharon’s selflessness, he merited to wear the Choshen HaMishpat, BreastPlate, over his chest. The Urim V’Tumim were inside the Choshen, elevating the Choshen to unparalleled spiritual status. All this was because Aharon…

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תכבד העבודה על האנשים ויעשו בה ואל ישעו בדברי שקר

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Shemos

Let the work weigh heavier on the men, and let them engage in it and let them not engage in words of falsity. (5:9)

Chazal (Shemos Rabbah 5:18) teach that the Jews had Torah scrolls (scrolls that contained words of Torah) in which they would delight from Shabbos to Shabbos. Those scrolls imbued them with deep faith that Hashem would soon liberate them. They were able to learn from those scrolls because Shabbos was their official day off. (Moshe Rabbeinu convinced Pharaoh that he would receive maximum benefit from his slave if he allows him a day to rest and rejuvenate. Pharaoh agreed, and Moshe suggested Shabbos be that day of rest.) When Pharaoh saw the people enjoying Shabbos by learning Torah, he quickly…

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עד מתי מאנת לענות מפני

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? (10:3)

קדש לי כל בכור פטר כל רחם בבני ישראל באדם ובבהמה לי הוא

Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first issue of every womb, among Bnei Yisrael, of man and beast, is Mine. (13:2)

זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים

Remember this day on which you departed from Egypt. (13:3)

והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא

You shall relate to your son on that day. (13:8)

וגם אני שמעתי את נאקת בני ישראל אשר מצרים מעבדים אותם ואזכור את בריתי

And I, too, have heard the wail of Bnei Yisrael whom Egypt enslaves, and I have remembered My covenant. (6:5)

אמר אל אהרן קח מטך ונטה ידך על מימי מצרים

Say to Aharon, “Take your staff and stretch out your hand on the waters of Egypt.” (7:19)

ושמתי פדות בין עמי ובין עמך למחר יהיה האות הזה

I shall make a distinction between My people and your people – tomorrow this sign will come about. (8:19)

ואלה שמות בני ישראל הבאים מצרימה

And these are the names of Bnei Yisrael who were coming to Egypt. (1:1)

וראך ושמח בלבו

And when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart. (4:14)

תכבד העבודה על האנשים ויעשו בה ואל ישעו בדברי שקר

Let the work weigh heavier on the men, and let them engage in it and let them not engage in words of falsity. (5:9)

YEARS

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