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Home -> 5786 -> Korach

ויקח קרח

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5786

Korach…separated himself. (16:1)

Machlokes, discord, controversy, is one of the most destructive forces in a person’s life.  It does not merely create disagreement – it consumes perspective, distorts judgment, and unravels long-time relationships to the point that it can erode one’s entire quality of life.  At the root of the problem is that, in the heat of discord, a person loses himself.  It suddenly becomes only about “me.”  The need to be right, to win, to prove my point, takes center stage over the truth.  It is no longer about clarity, but validation.  The individual denigrates the actions of his antagonist, because after…

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Home -> 5786 -> Shelach

שלח לך אנשים ויתרו את ארץ כנען

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5786

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan. (13:2)

The Torah introduces the meraglim stating, kulam anashim, “All were men.”  Chazal explain anashim as a term reserved for men who are honorable, upright, men of stature.  This explanation only intensifies the question that is on everyone’s mind:  How did such distinguished personalities err so egregiously?  Their reaction and the manner in which they later riled up the nation led to the people’s ultimate exclusion from entering Eretz Yisrael, transforming that night – the Ninth of Av – into our national day of mourning.  If these men were such kesheirim, men of integrity, how did they fall so catastrophically? I…

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Home -> 5786 -> Shelach

שלח לך אנשים ויתרו את ארץ כנען

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5786

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan. (13:2)

Rashi notes the juxtaposition of the meraglim debacle upon the story with Miriam in which she spoke against Moshe Rabbeinu.  She spoke negatively of her brother, underscoring his departure from his wife’s tent. He did not know when Hashem would summon him; thus, he must always be prepared.  Miriam looked askance at this behavior, feeling it was not fair to Tziporah, Moshe’s wife.  Her words were considered slanderous and, as a result, Hashem punished her with tzaraas, spiritual leprosy, which confined her to seclusion for seven days.  Due to her extraordinary distinction, Hashem had the entire nation remain encamped until…

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Home -> 5786 -> Shelach

היש בה עץ אם אין

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5786

Are there trees in it or not? (13:20)

Rashi explains that Moshe Rabbeinu’s mention of a tree is an allusion to a tzadik.  He wanted the spies to find out if a righteous person was living in the land, in whose merit the people would be sheltered from attack.  This refers to Iyov, who was a saintly and virtuous man – but who died right before the spies reached the land.  With this in mind, we infer that Moshe did not require the services of the meraglim to ascertain the Jews ability to conquer the land.  Hashem would provide for their triumph.  If a righteous man lived in…

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Home -> 5786 -> Beha'alosecha

דבר אל אהרן ... בהעלתךך את הנרות ... ויעש כן אהרן

Sruly Schnair
In Beha'alosecha, 5786

Speak to Aharon … when you kindle the lamps. Aharon did so. (8:2,3)

Rashi adds, the Torah is underscoring the praise of Aharon – she’lo shinah; he did not deviate in any way from the instructions that Hashem had given him.  This is written after Aharon was consoled, for neither he nor his shevet, tribe (Levi), were to be included in the Chanukas ha’Mishkan, inauguration of the Sanctuary.  Hashem told him, Shelcha gedolah mi’she’lahem, “Yours is greater because you will light the Menorah, which would continue throughout their journey in the wilderness and in the Bais HaMikdash.” (Actually, the lighting of the Chanukah Menorah, which continues to this very day, is a continuation…

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Home -> 5786 -> Beha'alosecha

ויהי אנשים אשר היו טמאים לנפש אדם ...למה נגרע לבלתי הקריב את אדם קרבן ד' במועדו

Sruly Schnair
In Beha'alosecha, 5786

These were men who were contaminated by a human corpse…Why should we be diminished by not offering Hashem’s offering in its appointed time?” (9:6,7)

Some men were ritually impure due to contact with a human corpse, and they could not sacrifice the Pesach-offering on that day … These men said, “We are ritually impure through contact with a human corpse.  Why should we be diminished, so as not to bring the offering of Hashem on its appointed time?”  (9:6) One must be ritually pure in order to offer the Korban Pesach (or any Korban for that matter).  These men were tamei meis, ritually impure, due to their contact with a human corpse.  Confronted with the circumstance, they came to Moshe Rabbeinu and offered their…

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Home -> 5786 -> Beha'alosecha

והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Sruly Schnair
In Beha'alosecha, 5786

Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth. (12:3)

The Torah describes Moshe Rabbeinu as the humblest of all men.  This does not mean that he was unaware of his unparalleled greatness, his extraordinary achievements, or his role as Klal Yisrael’s quintessential rebbe and leader.  On the contrary, Moshe understood exactly who he was.  Yet, his humility lay in how he perceived the source of his greatness.  He felt that he had been granted opportunities that no one else had received.  Had others stood at Har Sinai, had they learned Torah directly from Hashem, they, too, could have risen to his level of leadership. Chazal teach that the Torah…

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Home -> 5786 -> Naso

איש או אשה כי יפלא לנדר נדר נזיר להזיר לד'

Sruly Schnair
In Naso, 5786

A man or woman who shall disassociate himself by taking a Nazirite vow of abstinence for the sake of Hashem. (6:2)

The Torah juxtaposes the laws of Nazir upon the previous laws of the sotah, wayward wife.  Chazal (Sotah 2A) derive that one who sees a sotah in her degradation should take a Nazarite vow, thereby prohibiting himself from drinking wine.  One who witnesses the sotah’s punishment and realizes what led to it understands that he has just been availed a window into how easily people fall prey to temptation. He is able to observe how the yetzer hora, evil inclination, can ensnare a person and pull him down to the nadir of depravity.  Let us look at a before and…

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Home -> 5786 -> Naso

דבר אל אהרן ואל בניו לאמר – כה תברכו את בני ישראל

Sruly Schnair
In Naso, 5786

Speak to Aharon and his sons saying, so shall you bless the Bnei Yisrael. (6:23)

Hashem charged Aharon HaKohen and his descendants with conveying Hashem’s blessing to His people.  The concept of the Kohen having koach ha’brachah, power of blessing, appears enigmatic on the surface.  True, the Kohen is biologically holy, born into the Priestly family, but what about the talmid chacham, Torah scholar, who has a distinction of his own?  He has earned his status. Through toil, effort, diligence in Torah study, the talmid chacham has elevated himself.  His sanctity is acquired because it is the product of ameilus and mesiras nefesh.  I am not suggesting in any way that the Kohen is not…

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Home -> 5786 -> Naso

ביום השני הקריב נתנאל בן צוער נשיא יששכר

Sruly Schnair
In Naso, 5786

On the second day, the sacrifice was brought by Nesanel ben Tzuar, the Prince of Yissachar. (7:18)

The sequence of the offerings did not follow the relative ages of the Nesiim; rather, it apparently went according to distinction.  Nachshon ben Aminadov, Nasi of Shevet Yehudah, the tribe that represented malchus, royalty, offered the first korbanos.  Shevet Yehudah deserved this distinction.  Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 72:5) explain that Yissachar was second in line, because he represented the lomeid Torah, the talmid chacham whose nights and days were spent engrossed in Torah.  Zevulun, who supported Yissachar, was up next, indicating how much Hashem values and loves the machzik Torah, supporter of Torah. Veritably, it all boils down to how much…

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