Sruly Schnair – Page 19 – Peninim on the Torah

ויקרא אל משה וידבר ד' אליו

And He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him. (1:1)

The well-known Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 1:15) derives an important lesson from Moshe Rabbeinu’s behavior: “Any Torah scholar who lacks daas, wisdom, decorum, conduct, and manners is worse than an animal carcass; neveilah is better than he is.” Moshe Rabbeinu, the father of wisdom, the father of prophets, who took the Jews out of Egypt and was the medium through whom many miracles were wrought and who concerned himself with all aspects of the building of the Mishkan, did not enter the innermost chamber until Hashem called him. Rav Yitzchak Hutner, zl, explains why Chazal state that a talmid chacham who…

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ונפש כי תקריב קרבן מנחה לד' סלת יהיה קרבנו

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Vayikra

When a person offers a meal-offering to Hashem, his offering shall be of fine flour. (2:1)

Of all those who bring a korban nedavah, voluntary offering, the Torah refers only to one who brings a Korban Minchah, meal offering, as nefesh, soul (person). This korban is the least costly of all offerings. Thus, it was the korban of choice for the economically challenged, poor man. Hashem says that one who brings this offering is considered as if he had offered his soul. Let us sit back and analyze this idea. A poor man was to take his life’s savings and purchase a large cow as a korban. It makes sense that he was giving everything/his soul,…

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אשר נשיא יחטא ועשה אחת מכל מצוות ד' אלוקיו אשר לא תעשנה בשגגה ואשם

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Vayikra

When a ruler sins and commits one from among all the commandments of Hashem, his God, that may not be done – unintentionally – and becomes guilty. (4:22)

Asher can be translated as “when,” indicating the inevitability of the ruler’s unintentional sin. It often comes with the territory. Power and wealth make great demands on a person, and sometimes a ruler is distracted or overwhelmed by the stress of his role. Rashi cites Sifra that translates Asher as alluding to Ashrei, fortunate. This implies that the generation whose leader does not resort to cover-up or spin to validate his actions – who concedes that he has erred – is truly a fortunate generation. This is a leader whom we can respect. His integrity is more important to him…

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אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדת

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Pekudei

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony. (38:21)

Simply, the Mishkan was the abode of the Aron HaKodesh which contained within it the Luchos HaEidus, Tablets of Testimony. Noticeably, the word Mishkan is repeated, alluding to the two Mishkanos. Chazal teach that this refers to the two Batei Mikdash which were taken from us. Mishkan is a resting place. It can also be transformed (changing the vowels) to mashkon, collateral. Thus, the dual Mishkan in our pasuk alludes to the two mashkanos, collaterals (Batei Mikdash), that were taken from us, to be returned only when the collective nation repents and, consequently, is restored to its original glory. We…

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עשה את כל אשר צוה ד' את משה

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Pekudei

Did everything as Hashem commanded Moshe. (38:22)

A king commissioned a master craftsman to build a summer mansion. The king gave him the approved architectural drawings and instructed him to build the mansion in accordance with the drawings. The craftsman was a brilliant builder who had ideas of his own which he incorporated into the edifice. When it was completed, he felt that the mansion was far more beautiful than what he would have constructed based upon the architect’s drawings. He was beyond proud of himself. It, therefore, came as a surprise when the king frowned upon seeing and entering the mansion. “What did you do?” asked…

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ויעשו על שולי המעיל רמוני תכלת... ויעשו פעמוני זהב טהור ויתנו את הפעמונים בתוך הרימונים על שולי המעיל סביב בתוך הרימונם פעמון ורימון פעמון ורימון על שולי המעיל סביב

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Pekudei

On the robe’s hem, they made pomegranates and of turquoise… They made bells of pure gold, and they placed the bells amidst the pomegranates on the hem of the robe… A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate on the hem of the robe all around. (39:24-26)

Rashi explains that the rimonim were colored wool, shaped as a ball and hollow within. Between each two rimonim hung a gold paamon which served as the sound-maker to inform people that the Kohen Gadol was approaching. Ramban disagrees, contending that rimonim were not present to “hang around” between the paamonim. He feels that the rimonim were hollow for one purpose: so that the paamonim would be placed inside of them. Clearly, the Bigdei Kehunah, Priestly vestments, and indeed all of the klei, vessels, of the Mishkan were there for a lofty purpose, with concealed esoteric secrets to be derived…

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ומשחת אותם כאשר משחת את אביהם

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Pekudei

You shall anoint them as you had anointed their father. (40:15)

The present anointment of the Kohanim prepared them to transmit the Kehunah to their children as well. The Kehunah now was to remain in the family eternally. We have studied the previous meshichos, anointments, in which the Mishkan, its vessels, the Mizbayach, Aharon HaKohen, and now his sons were anointed. It never mentioned kaasher moshachta es avihem. Why did Hashem instruct Moshe to anoint Aharon’s sons in a manner similar to the way he anointed Aharon? Why should this anointment be different? The Meshech Chochmah explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was considered to be a Kohen; thus, he had the power…

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ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Vayakhel

On six days, work may be done, but the seventh day shall be holy for you. (35:2)

Of the seven days of the week, Shabbos stands out as kodesh, holy, consecrated for Hashem. Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 11:8) relates a dialogue that ensued between Shabbos and Hashem: “Shabbos said before Hashem, ‘All of the days of the week have a zug/mate, but I have no mate.’ Hashem replied, ‘Knesses Yisrael will be your mate!’” Simply put, each day of the week is matched with another day (Sunday/ Monday, Tuesday/ Wednesday, Thursday/ Friday), making three matches, leaving Shabbos as the odd day out. Others explain that each day of the week has as its mate the various entities which…

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לא תבערו אש בכל משבתים ביום השבת

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Vayakhel

You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwellings on the Shabbos day. (35:3)

The Gemorah records a debate among Chazal (Shabbos 70a) about why the Torah singled out the prohibitive mitzvah of creating fire on Shabbos – as opposed to the other 38 acts of labor. One Tanna opines havarah l’lav yatzas, havarah, kindling fire, was singled out to be a mere prohibition – not a capital crime. The other Tanna contends havarah l’chaleik yatzas, it was singled out to separate the melachos, forms of labor, into distinct categories of liability. Each melachah is an act of chillul Shabbos and carries with it its own punishment. If one performs two melachos, he is…

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קחו מאתכם תרומה לד' כל נדיב לבו יביאה את תרומת ד' זהב וכסף ונחושת

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Vayakhel

Take from yourselves a portion for Hashem; everyone whose heart motivates him shall bring it, as a gift for Hashem: gold, silver, copper. (35:5)

Chazal (Shemos Rabbah 49:2) teach that zahav, gold, kesef, silver; and nechoshes, copper – all allude to the Avos, three Patriarchs. The connotation of the pasuk (based upon Chazal’s interpretation) is that the Shechinah rests His Divine Presence in the Mishkan in the merit of the three Avos. Gold alludes to Avraham, whose faith was put to a test when he was flung into a furnace – a process which is used to refine gold. Silver represents Yitzchak, who was purified when he was bound upon the Altar. Unlike gold, which is heated in a furnace to test its quality,…

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ויקרא אל משה וידבר ד' אליו

And He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him. (1:1)

ונפש כי תקריב קרבן מנחה לד' סלת יהיה קרבנו

When a person offers a meal-offering to Hashem, his offering shall be of fine flour. (2:1)

אשר נשיא יחטא ועשה אחת מכל מצוות ד' אלוקיו אשר לא תעשנה בשגגה ואשם

When a ruler sins and commits one from among all the commandments of Hashem, his God, that may not be done – unintentionally – and becomes guilty. (4:22)

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדת

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony. (38:21)

עשה את כל אשר צוה ד' את משה

Did everything as Hashem commanded Moshe. (38:22)

ויעשו על שולי המעיל רמוני תכלת... ויעשו פעמוני זהב טהור ויתנו את הפעמונים בתוך הרימונים על שולי המעיל סביב בתוך הרימונם פעמון ורימון פעמון ורימון על שולי המעיל סביב

On the robe’s hem, they made pomegranates and of turquoise… They made bells of pure gold, and they placed the bells amidst the pomegranates on the hem of the robe… A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate on the hem of the robe all around. (39:24-26)

ומשחת אותם כאשר משחת את אביהם

You shall anoint them as you had anointed their father. (40:15)

ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש

On six days, work may be done, but the seventh day shall be holy for you. (35:2)

לא תבערו אש בכל משבתים ביום השבת

You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwellings on the Shabbos day. (35:3)

קחו מאתכם תרומה לד' כל נדיב לבו יביאה את תרומת ד' זהב וכסף ונחושת

Take from yourselves a portion for Hashem; everyone whose heart motivates him shall bring it, as a gift for Hashem: gold, silver, copper. (35:5)

YEARS

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