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והכהן המשיח תחתיו מבניו יעשה אתה

Sruly Schnair
In Tzav, 5784

The Kohen from among his sons who is anointed in his place shall perform it. (6:15)

The pasuk refers to a Kohen Gadol who is anointed when he assumes the office of the High Priesthood as the successor to Aharon HaKohen. Concerning Shemos 28:1, “Now you bring near to yourself Aharon, your brother, and his sons with him,” the Midrash comments (Shemos Rabbah 37:4), “When Hashem said these words (Take Aharon your brother and his sons), Moshe Rabbeinu became ill at ease. (He felt bad that he would not serve as Kohen Gadol.) Hashem told him, “I had the Torah, and I gave it to you. If not for it, I would have destroyed My world.”…

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Home -> 5784 -> Tzav

אם על תודה יקריבנו

Sruly Schnair
In Tzav, 5784

If he shall offer it for a Thanksgiving offering. (7:12)

The Korban Todah, Thanksgiving Offering, is special because it allows one who is the beneficiary of Hashem’s kindness to express his gratitude. Indeed, it is important to allow those to whom we reach out to in some manner to repay those favors. Otherwise, they feel humbled by not being able to return the favor. Gratitude does not necessarily have to be commensurate with the favor received. Some people who are the beneficiaries of the largesse of others are just not able to reciprocate. For instance, an individual who has been blessed with extraordinary material bounty is very generous with his…

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Home -> Vayikra -> 5784

ויקרא אל משה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Vayikra

He called to Moshe. (1:1)

Chazal (Vayikra Rabbah 7:3) say: “Why do they begin the teaching of Chumash to children with Toras Kohanim (Vayikra) and not with Bereishis? Since the children are pure, without sin, and the offerings are pure, it is, therefore, fitting that the pure should come and engross themselves in the study of that which is pure.” One should ask an intelligent person, one versed in pedagogy and proficient in the educational methodology for reaching a young child, captivating his interest for learning: From where should the child begin to learn? At what point should the lesson plan for teaching Chumash on…

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Home -> Vayikra -> 5784

ויקרא אל משה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Vayikra

He called to Moshe. (1:1)

Ostensibly, the call to Moshe Rabbeinu emanated from Hashem. Was it only to Moshe? What about Klal Yisrael? Chazal teach (Tanchuma 2) that the call to Moshe came in a loud, thunderous voice, but only he heard it. Hashem’s voice is meant for those who are worthy of hearing it. Indeed, Hashem is constantly calling out to us with subtle messages, incidents which are meant to get our attention, to wake us up from our deep slumber and get our act together. We do not always recognize these incidents as being messages. We are so involved with our everyday, mundane…

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Home -> Vayikra -> 5784

נפש כי תחטא בשגגה מכל מצות ד' אשר לא תעשנה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Vayikra

When a person will sin unintentionally from among all the commandments of Hashem that may not be done. (4:2)

The Torah goes on to say that one who sins b’shogeg, unintentionally, must bring a korban, offering, to atone his sin. We wonder why one brings a korban for an action which he committed unintentionally, with no malice aforethought? Horav Moshe Soloveitchik, zl (V’Ha’Ish Moshe), compares this with one who is transporting inexpensive glassware. Since their value is negligible, he moves the glasses quickly without giving much thought to his endeavor. What is the worst thing that could happen? Some would break – nu – it is not the end of the world. If one were transporting expensive crystal or…

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Home -> Pekudei -> 5784

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדת

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Pekudei

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan – the Mishkan Ha’Edus (Testimony). (38:21)

Rashi comments that, since Hashem’s Presence was upon the Mishkan, it attested to the fact that He had forgiven the sin of the Golden Calf. (Otherwise, why would the Divine Presence be connected with the Mishkan?) It would appear from Rashi that the purpose of the Mishkan was as testimony to the world that Hashem had forgiven Klal Yisrael’s sin. In Parashas Terumah, however, the stated reason for the Mishkan is hashroas HaShechinah, the Divine Presence resting among us. We sinned – repented and were (to an extent) forgiven. The fact that the Mishkan is among us is proof that…

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Home -> Pekudei -> 5784

ובצלאל בן אורי בן חור למטה יהודה עשה את כל אשר צוה ד' את משה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Pekudei

Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur of the tribe of Yehudah, did everything as Hashem commanded Moshe. (38:22)

In a well-known exposition, Sforno comments that, in addition to Betzalel, all the men who occupied themselves with the construction of the Mishkan were men of stature, sincerity and piety. This is in contrast to the workmen who built the First and Second Batei Mikdash; those work forces included people from various strata of society. Basically, they did not possess the appropriate spiritual and moral characteristics that would have imbued the project with eternal values. Furthermore, the First Bais Hamikdash built under the leadership of Shlomo Hamelech, was not the same as the Mishkan, built by Moshe Rabbeinu. They were…

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Home -> Pekudei -> 5784

ככל אשר צהו ד' את משה כן עשו בני ישראל את כל העבודה. וירא משה את כל המלאכה והנה עשו אותה כאשר צוה ד'... ויברך אותם משה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Pekudei

Like everything that Hashem commanded Moshe, so did Bnei Yisrael perform all the labor… Moshe saw the entire work; and behold! They had done it as Hashem had commanded… And Moshe blessed them. (39:42,43)

Noticeably, the first pasuk which relates Bnei Yisrael following instructions and building the Mishkan uses the word avodah to describe the work performed. When Moshe Rabbeinu looks at the finished results, the Torah refers to it as melachah. While, on the surface, melachah and avodah are synonyms, a marked difference exists between them. Horav Avigdor HaLevi Nebentzhal, Shlita, explains that the word melachah has a close tie with melech, king, royalty. Avodah, on the other hand, is derived from eved, slave – clearly a salient difference. The fact that avodah, labor/work is connected to eved, slave, is quite understandable. A…

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Home -> Pekudei -> 5784

והלבשת את אהרן את בגדי הקדש ומשחת אתו... ומשחת אתם כאשר משחת את אביהם

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Pekudei

You shall dress Aharon in the sacred vestments and anoint him… You shall anoint them as you anointed their father. (40:13,14)

Was something unique about the process of Aharon HaKohen’s anointing that compelled the Torah to emphasize “as you anointed their father”? The meshichah, anointing, was the same for the Kohen Gadol, High Priest (Aharon HaKohen), as it was for the Kohen Hedyot, common Kohen (Aharon’s sons). What might have catalyzed changing the process of the anointing? In his Meshech Chochmah, Horav Meir Simchah, zl (Dvinsk), offers a novel insight. When Moshe Rabbeinu anointed his brother, Aharon, as Kohen Gadol, he felt no jealousy. After all, Moshe was undeniably the Navi, Prophet, manhig, leader, Melech, king, Kohen Gadol, High Priest. (He…

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Home -> Vayakhel -> 5784

ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Vayakhel

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

Rashi teaches that, in the text, the mitzvah of shemiras Shabbos precedes the building of the Mishkan to warn us that shemiras Shabbos overrides the building of the Mishkan. Interestingly, in Parashas Ki Sisa (preceding the creation of the molten Gold Calf), the Torah introduces the mitzvah of building the Mishkan prior to mentioning the injunction concerning Shabbos. The Chidushei HaRim explains that, prior to the sin of the Golden Calf, the six weekday/workdays prepared for Shabbos Kodesh. (Shabbos was the focal point of the week, with each day bringing one closer to the ultimate goal of Shabbos Kodesh.) After…

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