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Home -> 5776 -> Naso

ויהי ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5776

It came to pass, on the day Moshe finished erecting the Mishkan. (7:1)

Rashi observes that the pasuk does not write, “On the day Moshe erected…” This teaches us that, throughout the seven days of inauguration, Moshe Rabbeinu erected and dismantled the Mishkan. On the eighth day, he erected it without dismantling it. This is why the Torah writes, “On the day Moshe finished erecting…” It was on this auspicious day that he culminated his building. Why was it necessary for our quintessential leader to erect and dismantle the Mishkan repeatedly for seven days – only to erect it and not dismantle it on the eighth day? Why could he not have erected…

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Home -> 5776 -> Naso

זאת חנוכת המזבח

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5776

This was the dedication of the Altar. (7:84)

In 1925, at the Chanukas HaBayis, dedication ceremony, for Yeshivas Baranovitz, Horav Elchonan Wasserman, zl, its Rosh Yeshivah, quoted the above pasuk in his address. Zos; “This,” was the dedication of the Altar. He observed that the gematria, numerical equivalent, of zos equals that of: tzom, fasting; kol, sound/prayer; mammon, money/charity. This alludes to the idea that in order to build/dedicate/establish a new altar/Torah edifice, in contrast to the amazing joy that accompanies such an endeavor, there must be a tempering of fasting, prayer and weeping. Joy is a mainstay of which our people sadly do not have a surplus….

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Home -> 5775 -> Naso

ואיש את קדשיו לו יהיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5775

A man’s holies shall be his. (5:10)

The Chafetz Chaim, zl, was wont to say that the above pasuk teaches us that an object or endeavor which a person dedicates/consecrates for sacred use is what actually belongs to him, and this is what ultimately accompanies him to the eternal world of Olam Habba, the World to Come. This means that the only objects/endeavors that we may call “ours” are those which are linked to a spiritual goal. Otherwise, we cannot consider it to belong to us. Moreover, we should not rely on others to carry out our responsibilities. True, many wonderful and generous people are around who…

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Home -> 5775 -> Naso

ולקח הכהן מים קדשים בכלי חרש ומן העפר אשר יהיה בקרקע המשכן יקח הכהן ונתן אל המים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5775

The Kohen shall take sacred water in an earthenware vessel, and the Kohen shall take from the earth that is on the floor of the Mishkan and put it in the water. (5:17)

The “bitter waters,” which the sotah, wayward wife, must drink, are the instrument of an ordeal which can have either negative or positive results. On the negative side, if the woman has, as accused, been involved in an extra-marital relationship, she will die a bitter death. On the positive side, if she has been wrongly accused, she stands to benefit considerably. She will be blessed with healthy children. The process begins with the Kohen reading the curses contained in Parashas Sotah on a piece of parchment. The verses of the Torah in which these curses are written are then erased…

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Home -> 5775 -> Naso

ולבני קהת לא נתן כי עבודת הקודש עליהם בכתף ישאו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5775

And to the sons of Kehas, he did not give; since the sacred service was upon them, they carried on the shoulder. (7:9)

The Chida, zl, offers a compelling interpretation of this pasuk. Shevet Kehas, the Tribe of Kehas, was part of Shevet Levi, the tribe which represents the lomdei Torah, those who devote themselves to the study of Torah. As such, says the Chida, the chiyuv, obligation, to study Torah is never-ending. It is a ceaseless commitment on the part of the devoted to learn Torah literally until his last ounce of strength, until his very last breath. One cannot retire from Torah. One whose vocation is teaching Torah will, upon retirement, move on to studying Torah full time. This idea is…

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Home -> 5774 -> Naso

איש או אשה כי יעשו מכל חטאת האדם... והתודו את חטאתם... והשיב את אשמו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5774

If a man or woman commit any sin that people commit… then they shall confess their sin… and he shall make restitution for his guilt. (5:6,7)

The Rambam rules that vidui, confession, is a mitzvah, positive commandment, which is an integral component of the teshuvah, repentance, process. Interestingly, the Rambam does not list teshuvah as a mitzvah – only vidui. Given the crucial significance of teshuvah, we wonder why the Rambam does not include it in his minyan ha’mitzvos, detailed count of the 613 commandments. Vidui – yes. Teshuvah – no? It does not sound right. What makes the question more demanding is the fact that vidui is, in fact, part of the teshuvah process. The Nesivos Shalom explains that teshuvah essentially is comprised of regretting…

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Home -> 5774 -> Naso

עשירת האיפה קמח שעורים לא יצוק עליו שמן ולא יתן עליו לבונה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5774

A tenth eiphah of barley flour; he shall not pour oil over it and shall not put frankincense upon it. (5:15)

The composition of the korban brought on behalf of the sotah, wayward wife, is indicative of its purpose and symbolism. Coarse barley is used instead of fine flour. She acted coarsely, thus her sacrifice reflects her behavior. Likewise, she offers barley, which is a grain most often reserved for animal feed. She acted in a base manner, a behavior suitable for an animal. Last, the korban does not have the usual accompaniment of oil and frankincense, because incense recalls the spiritual fragrance of the Imahos, Matriarchs, and oil symbolizes light. She acted in darkness to conceal her sin, and she…

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Home -> 5774 -> Naso

איש או אישה כי יפליא לנדר נדר נזיר להזיר לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5774

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

When we first set eyes on an individual who has chosen a life of crime, human nature tends to focus on the present; he is a criminal, with little or no redeeming value. Rarely do we take the time to question his or her origins: What was his or her family life like as they were growing up? Did he or she go to school? Did he or she have good friends? In other words, we rarely ask where and when he or she went wrong? For the most part, this is due to a preconceived notion that all criminals…

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Home -> 5774 -> Naso

כל ימי נדר נזרו... קדש יהיה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5774

All the days of the vow of his nezirus… holy shall he be. (6:5)

The Nazir is unique in that his body becomes consecrated to Hashem. He becomes kadosh, holy, b’kedushas ha’guf, his actual body becomes holy. He is not permitted to become ritually impure to a corpse, even to his closest seven relatives. Why? Ki neizar Elokav al Rosho, “For the crown of his G-d is upon his head” (ibid 6:7). What is the meaning of being the “receptacle” for Hashem’s crown? Why would this be a reason for prohibiting him from becoming contaminated to a corpse? Is he holier than the Kohen who is permitted to become tamei, contaminated, to his seven…

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Home -> 5774 -> Naso

כה תברכו את בני ישראל אמור להם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5774

So shall you bless Bnei Yisrael, saying to them. (6:23)

The Kohen who blesses the people has an “approved text” to which he must adhere verbatim. There is no room for the Kohen to supplement the prescribed text stated in the Torah. The Kohen who adds blessing transgresses the prohibition of Es kol hadavar asher Anochi metzaveh eschem oso tishmoru laasos, lo soseif alav v’lo sigra mimenu, “The entire word that I command you, that you shall observe to do; you shall not add to it, and you shall not subtract from it” (Devarim 13:1). In his commentary to the pasuk, Rashi cites examples of Bal Tosif, do not add:…

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