Sruly Schnair – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה. את הברכה אשר תשמעו... והקללה אם לא תשמעו

Sruly Schnair In Re'eh, 5785

Behold! I set before you this day a blessing and a curse… A blessing – if you obey (the commandments) … And a curse – if you do not obey (the commandments). (11:26–28)

In a homily (Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul, 1941, Warsaw Ghetto) passionately rendered to a group of Jews interned in the Ghetto, the Piaseczna Rebbe, z”l, focused on the opening pesukim of our parsha. Hashem instructs us to see the justice and truth in all things – blessing for one who obeys and observes, and curse for one who does not. The result of this perception will be that one will see “this day” that Hashem has set before us, that He is behind and involved in everything that goes on in our lives, both blessing and curse. A Jew must…

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כי יסיתך אחיך ... לאמר נלכה ונעבדה אלהים אחרים... לא תאבה לו, ולא תשמע אליו, ולא תחוס עינך עליו, ולא תחמל, ולא תכסה עליו.

Sruly Schnair In Re'eh, 5785

let us go and worship the gods of(If your brother will entice you secretly… saying “others” … you shall not accede to him, and not hearken to him, and your eye shall not take pity on him, you shall not compromise nor conceal him. (13:7–9)

The Torah singles out the meisis – person who entices others to idolatrous worship – for particularly severe treatment, as befits a sin of this egregious nature. Such a person poses a profound threat to the spiritual fabric of Klal Yisrael. His actions are much more than a personal transgression, but rather, an unpardonable assault on the collective faith and identity of the Jewish people. The punishment meted out to the meisis underscores the importance of maintaining the purity of faith within the Jewish community and how we abhor anyone who would dare undermine the status quo. The laws that…

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שבעת ימים תחג לה׳ אלקיך ... והיית אך שמח

Sruly Schnair In Re'eh, 5785

A seven-day period shall you celebrate to Hashem, your G-d…. And you will be completely joyous (16:15)

Rashi comments that v’hayisa ach sameach is not a command, but rather, a promise that we will fulfill the mitzvos of celebrating the festival amid joy. Chazal (Pesachim 71A) derive from here that the joy inherent in our celebration of the festival applies to the last night as well. The commentators question how ach, which in Hebrew is used to exclude, is used in this context to include the last night of the Yom Tov for joyful celebration. Throughout Shas, however, the word is used to exclude. In a homily rendered following the Holocaust which decimated European Jewry, HoRav Shmuel…

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והיה עקב תשמעון

Sruly Schnair In Eikev, 5785

When you listen to these ordinances. (7:12)

Rashi explains that the Torah uses the word, eikav, which also means heel, to allude to the sort of mitzvos that people regard as relatively unimportant. Thus, they tend to “tread upon them with their heels” figuratively. The Torah assures the nation that rewards will be in store for making an effort to observe mitzvos – especially those which, on the surface, appear insignificant. Do we have a concept of a mitzvah that is on the lower rung of significance? I think if we view the mitzvos from their Source – they are all from Hashem. This alone renders each…

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והסיר ד' ממך כל חלי וכל מדוי מצרים הרעים אשר לא ידעת ישימם בך

Sruly Schnair In Eikev, 5785

Hashem will remove from you every illness and all the bad maladies of Egypt that you knew – He will not put them upon you. (7:15)

Lo yesimam bach; “He will not put them upon you.” If Hashem will not put the illness on us; if we will not be affected by maladies, what reason is there for V’heisir Hashem mimcha kol choli, “Hashem will remove from you every illness”? If no illness is affecting them, what exactly will He remove? Horav Yehoshua, zl, m’Kutna explains, citing the Yerushalmi (Shabbos 75B): “Kol choli, every illness, this applies to worry and anxiety. When a person worries that he might be ill with a specific illness, the worry alone will fester and germinate in his mind until he…

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והוא תהילתך והוא אלקיך

Sruly Schnair In Eikev, 5785

He is your praise, and He is your G-d. (10:21)

Hashem should be the sole recipient of our praise. The Mezritcher Maggid, zl, was wont to say concerning this pasuk: If you want to determine the level of yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven, that you have achieved, you must authenticate your level of emunah, faith in Hashem. Analyze your davening, benching and other forms of tehillah, praise, to Hashem. Is it passionate, warm, with deveikus, desire to cling to the Almighty? The manner in which one expresses his praise of Hashem attests to his belief in Him – and vice versa.” The Maggid, zl, m’Warsaw would often use the following…

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ואשר עשה לדתן ולאבירם בני אליאב

Sruly Schnair In Eikev, 5785

And what he did to Dasan and Aviram sons of Eliav. (11:6)

Noticeably, the Torah mentions only Dasan and Aviram concerning the Korach rebellion against Moshe Rabbeinu’s leadership. It seems to gloss over Korach, the leader of the rebellion. He was the scoundrel who attempted to usurp Moshe’s authority. In Parashas Pinchas (Bamidbar 26:9-11), the Torah does, likewise, mention Dasan and Aviram who were part of Korach’s congregation, but falls short of mentioning Korach. The Ramban (commentary to Devarim 11:6) asks this question. The Ohr HaChaim (commentary to Parashas Pinchas) explains that while Korach was the leader and the one whose name is identified most with the controversy, it was Dasan and…

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ואתחנן אל ד' בעת ההיא

Sruly Schnair In Va'eschanan, 5785

I prayed to Hashem at that time. (3:23)

In the course of relating to Klal Yisrael his numerous efforts to stay Hashem’s decree that he not enter the Land, Moshe Rabbeinu adds, “Hashem became angry with me because of your matters.” Apparently, our leader was laying the blame for his remaining in the wilderness at the feet of the nation. This is uncharacteristic of Moshe, whose humility, dedication and forbearance serve as a model for future leaders. It almost seems as if he is bitterly blaming the people for his situation. In Pri Tzadik, Horav Tzadok HaKohen, zl, offers a novel interpretation of Moshe’s words. When Moshe heard…

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ויאמר ד' אלי רב לך אל תוסף דבר אלי עוד בדבר הזה

Sruly Schnair In Va'eschanan, 5785

Hashem said to me, “It is too much for you! Do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter.” (3:26)

Simply, Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu, “Enough! Do not continue asking to enter Eretz Yisrael. It is not happening. The decision has been made.” Chazal (Sotah 13) offer an alternative understanding of rav lach: Rav yeish lach — you have a Rav/Rebbe/spiritual guide—Yehoshua. On the surface, Chazal’s exposition is enigmatic. It appears almost as if Hashem was calling attention to the fact that Moshe would not enter Eretz Yisrael – adding that Yehoshua is his Rav. It is not bad enough that Hashem did not accept his pleas to reverse His decree, that he had to be reminded that he was…

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ואהבת את ד' אלקיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך

Sruly Schnair In Va'eschanan, 5785

You shall love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources. (6:5)

The Sifri (Parsha 32) comments, Ahaveihu al ha’brios k’Avraham… “Make Him beloved by people as Avraham Avinu did.” Our Patriarch was not satisfied merely with his relationship with Hashem. He wanted everyone in the world to have such a relationship with the Almighty. He taught the world about its Creator because he wanted them to love Hashem and observe His precepts. This idea of reaching out to others, bringing them closer to Hashem is echoed by Rambam (Sefer Hamitzvos 3 and Sefer HaChinuch 418). A Jew who loves Hashem cannot remain at ease while others are distant from Him. His…

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ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה. את הברכה אשר תשמעו... והקללה אם לא תשמעו

Behold! I set before you this day a blessing and a curse… A blessing – if you obey (the commandments) … And a curse – if you do not obey (the commandments). (11:26–28)

כי יסיתך אחיך ... לאמר נלכה ונעבדה אלהים אחרים... לא תאבה לו, ולא תשמע אליו, ולא תחוס עינך עליו, ולא תחמל, ולא תכסה עליו.

let us go and worship the gods of(If your brother will entice you secretly… saying “others” … you shall not accede to him, and not hearken to him, and your eye shall not take pity on him, you shall not compromise nor conceal him. (13:7–9)

שבעת ימים תחג לה׳ אלקיך ... והיית אך שמח

A seven-day period shall you celebrate to Hashem, your G-d…. And you will be completely joyous (16:15)

והיה עקב תשמעון

When you listen to these ordinances. (7:12)

והסיר ד' ממך כל חלי וכל מדוי מצרים הרעים אשר לא ידעת ישימם בך

Hashem will remove from you every illness and all the bad maladies of Egypt that you knew – He will not put them upon you. (7:15)

והוא תהילתך והוא אלקיך

He is your praise, and He is your G-d. (10:21)

ואשר עשה לדתן ולאבירם בני אליאב

And what he did to Dasan and Aviram sons of Eliav. (11:6)

ואתחנן אל ד' בעת ההיא

I prayed to Hashem at that time. (3:23)

ויאמר ד' אלי רב לך אל תוסף דבר אלי עוד בדבר הזה

Hashem said to me, “It is too much for you! Do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter.” (3:26)

ואהבת את ד' אלקיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך

You shall love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources. (6:5)

YEARS

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