Sruly Schnair – Page 62 – Peninim on the Torah

והובא אל אהרן הכהן או אל אחד מבניו הכהנים

He shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen, or to one of his sons the Kohanim. (13:2)

Aharon HaKohen was destined to live another forty years at the most. The chances are that in the future the metzora will present himself to one of Aharon’s descendants. Why is Aharon mentioned here for posterity, when, in fact, his tenure was short? The Tiferes Shlomo explains that the achievements of tzaddikim inspire for generations to come – long after they have left this world. He relates an incident that occurred concerning the Arizal, one time when he was sitting surrounded by his students. In came Horav Shmuel DiOzida, zl, author of the Midrash Shmuel, who was a young man…

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נגע צרעת כי תהיה באדם

Sruly Schnair In Tazria, 5782

If a tzaraas affliction will be in a person. (13:9)

Tzaraas, spiritual leprosy, is visited upon a person who fails to curb his tongue. Lashon hora, slanderous speech, is the rubric under which sins of verbal expression fall. Veritably, it does not have to be verbal; it may be a non-verbal expression, such as a turn of the nose, a “hrrumph” negatively dispatched with enough venom behind it to destroy a person: all this falls under the lashon hora classification. We also recognize such a phenomenon as lashon tov, good, complimentary speech, words that soothe, embrace, empower, ennoble and show that someone respects and cares about you. Sadly, the negative…

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וטמא טמא יקרא ... בדד שב מחוץ למחנה משבו

Sruly Schnair In Tazria, 5782

He is to call out: “Contaminated, contaminated” … He shall dwell in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:45,46)

Shlomo Hamelech writes (Sefer Mishlei 18:21), Maves v’chaim b’yad lashon; “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” We can understand that slander defames a person; it can be viewed as character assassination, but murder? The victim that has been disgraced, slandered, is alive and well. Why is the act of speaking evil considered tantamount to murder? The Baalei Mussar, Ethicists, make a powerful statement, one which we rarely think about. When one is slandered, when one is the subject of lashon hora, he is no longer viewed in the same manner – even if it is a…

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וראה הכהן אחרי הכבס את הנגע והנה לא הפך הנגע את עינו

Sruly Schnair In Tazria, 5782

The Kohen shall look after the affliction has been washed and behold! The affliction has not changed its color. (13:55)

The Zohar Hakadosh notes that the words nega and oneg are comprised of the same Hebrew letters, but in different sequence: nun, gimmel, ayin – nega; ayin, nun, gimmel – oneg. The difference between them is where the ayin is placed – at the beginning of the word (as in oneg, pleasure) or the end of the word (nega, affliction). The metzora is to derive a powerful lesson therein. If he expiates his hurtful speech and changes his life, he transforms his present state of nega to oneg. As long as he is afflicted, however, it indicates that he has…

Home -> 5782 -> Shemini

קרב אל המזבח ועשה את חטאתך ואת עולתך וכפר בעדך

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

Come near to the Altar, and perform the service of your sin-offering and your elevation-offering, and provide atonement for yourself. (9:7)

The Chatas, sin-offering, which Aharon HaKohen brought, was personal. It atoned for his participation in the chet ha’eigal, Golden Calf debacle. Why was it necessary for Aharon to offer up his korban prior to offering up the communal offering? Horav Eliyahu Meir Bloch, zl, derives from here that, prior to teaching others, one must first and foremost show that he himself is free of any such taint. When one seeks to convey his hashkafos, perspectives/outlook on life (based upon the Torah) to others, he must first be an exemplar of his teaching. K’shot atzmecha v’achar kach k’shot acheirim, “Beautify yourself…

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ויקחו בני אהרן נדב ואביהו איש מחתתו... ויקריבו לפני ד' אש זרה אשר לא צוה אותם

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

The sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, each took his firepan… and they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them. (10:1)

Nadav and Avihu’s action was clearly in violation of the norm. These two tzaddikim, righteous persons, did not plan on sinning against Hashem. They were of the opinion that their initiative was appropriate and even commendable. Wherein lay the difference between their position and that of Moshe Rabbeinu? While the commentators enumerate a number of areas in which they could have been lacking (clearly relative to their exalted spiritual status), the Talmud (Eiruvin 63a) underscores two: they entered the Sanctuary while intoxicated with wine; they rendered a halachic decision in the presence of their Rebbe, Moshe. Both of these seeming…

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וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

Moshe heard, and he approved. (10:20)

We do not find disputes between Klal Yisrael’s leaders: Moshe Rabbeinu and his brother, Aharon HaKohen – except with regard to the sa’ir Rosh Chodesh, he-goat brought on Rosh Chodesh. They disagreed about whether an onein, mourner, was permitted to eat the sa’ir Rosh Chodesh on the day of the funeral. The question arose concerning kodshei doros, that which is sanctified for generations: a korban which will continually be offered; and kodshei shaah, a korban designated for that specific time. Three he-goats were offered that day – two of which were kodshei shah, and one of which was kodshei doros….

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ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

Do not contaminate yourselves through them lest you become contaminated through them. (11:43)

Noticeably, the aleph of v’nitamtem /v’nitmeisem is missing. We translate v’nitmeisem as, “and you have become contaminated through them.” In contrast, we read v’nitamtem as “and you become dulled by them.” Consuming forbidden foods will cause the mind to become dense (with regard to learning Torah, which he will have difficulty grasping) and ultimately blunt his spirituality. The following story is frightening and gives us all something to ponder. A devout family was blessed that all of their sons were accomplished talmidei chachamim, Torah scholars, except for their youngest child, who could not comprehend the simplest, most basic line of…

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להבדיל בין הטמא ובין הטהור ובין החיה הנאכלת ובין החיה אשר לא תאכל

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

To distinguish between the contaminated and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten. (11:47)

A Jew must know the Torah and its laws; otherwise, he is challenged to keep them. In order to carry out the will of Hashem, we must know what is His will and how to execute it properly. In most cases the distinction between “clean” and “unclean,” “pure” and “not pure,” what may be eaten and what may not be eaten, is evident and does not require a degree in higher Torah knowledge. It is, however, vital that we know how to distinguish between those categories that are similar to one another. For example, the slaughtering of an animal or…

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אם על תודה יקריבנו

Sruly Schnair In Tzav, 5782

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

Paying gratitude to the Almighty when everything seems to be going our way is very convenient. Everyone would agree that we have an obligation to acknowledge our debt of gratitude. What about when our prayers are answered with a reply that we find “unacceptable” – when the answer is, “No”? Do we still thank Hashem? We should understand that Hashem is either testing our reaction or He is saving the positive response that we crave for another time. Unfortunately, gratitude under unagreeable, trying circumstances requires cognitive deliberation, hindsight as well as foresight, to understand, accept and show our appreciation for…

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והובא אל אהרן הכהן או אל אחד מבניו הכהנים

He shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen, or to one of his sons the Kohanim. (13:2)

נגע צרעת כי תהיה באדם

If a tzaraas affliction will be in a person. (13:9)

וטמא טמא יקרא ... בדד שב מחוץ למחנה משבו

He is to call out: “Contaminated, contaminated” … He shall dwell in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:45,46)

וראה הכהן אחרי הכבס את הנגע והנה לא הפך הנגע את עינו

The Kohen shall look after the affliction has been washed and behold! The affliction has not changed its color. (13:55)

קרב אל המזבח ועשה את חטאתך ואת עולתך וכפר בעדך

Come near to the Altar, and perform the service of your sin-offering and your elevation-offering, and provide atonement for yourself. (9:7)

ויקחו בני אהרן נדב ואביהו איש מחתתו... ויקריבו לפני ד' אש זרה אשר לא צוה אותם

The sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, each took his firepan… and they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them. (10:1)

וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו

Moshe heard, and he approved. (10:20)

ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם

Do not contaminate yourselves through them lest you become contaminated through them. (11:43)

להבדיל בין הטמא ובין הטהור ובין החיה הנאכלת ובין החיה אשר לא תאכל

To distinguish between the contaminated and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten. (11:47)

אם על תודה יקריבנו

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

YEARS

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