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“On the second day Nesanel ben Tzuar, the prince of Yissachar, offered.” (7:18)

Although each Nasi, prince, brought the same sacrifice, the Torah seeks to emphasize the importance of the independent declaration of each individual Nasi. Horav Yechezkel Levenstein, z.l., infers from here the uniqueness of every individual and our responsibility to respect each and every Jew – regardless of his background or position. He cites the Rambam, who posits that to include all of the Nesiim under one blanket grouping would be to diminish the individual honor each one deserved. The Torah is very careful to show respect to every one of Hashem’s creations – even inanimate ones. Regrettably, we think that respect…

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“Let them place My Name upon Bnei Yisrael and I shall bless them.” (6:27)

Why does the Torah add this last phrase? Every blessing begins with Hashem: “Hashem should bless you”; “Hashem should make His face shine upon you”; “Hashem should turn His face unto you,” etc. We already know that Hashem is granting the blessing. Horav Simchah HaKohen Sheps, z.l., in his Sefer, Simchas HaTorah, explains that this last phrase is an added blessing. Even after one receives a blessing from Hashem, he must internalize the fact that the blessing comes only from Hashem. Nothing that one receives has any source other than Hashem. This, in itself, is a profound perception. For while many…

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“The Kohen shall inscribe these curses on a scroll and erase it into the bitter waters.” (5:23)

Although it is forbidden to erase Hashem’s Sacred Name, and one who does so is punished with malkos, lashes, Hashem  commanded that His Name be erased in order to engender peace and harmony between man and his wife. Domestic tranquility is the anchor  of the Jewish family unit, so that one must go to all lengths to enhance the unity of the marriage bond. Throughout history, we find that this was a priority of many of our gedolim, Torah leaders. Most recently, an individual of the calibre of Horav Moshe Aharon Stern, z.l., invested endless time and energy to assure that…

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“Any man whose wife deviates from the right path.” (5:12)

The sotah, wayward wife, has deviated from the prescribed moral path of a Jew by acting inappropriately and cavorting with another man  after  being  admonished  by  her  husband  to  desist from this relationship. The word sotah may also be derived from shoteh, which denotes a fool/an individual who has deviated from the normal psychological profile. The shoteh has no emotional control. The sotah has acted in a manner that bespeaks a breakdown of her mental faculties. Indeed, Chazal say that one does not sin unless he has first had a mental lapse. To deviate morally is not simply a shortcoming in…

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