Naso – Page 14 – Peninim on the Torah

Sruly Schnair In Naso, 5754

“Command the Bnei Yisrael that they send out of the camp every leper, and every zav, and whosoever is unclean by a (dead) person.” (5:2)

Horav Zalmen Sorotzkin z.l. offers a homiletic exposition of this pasuk. Many observant Jews ignore their co-religionists whom they notice acting in an offensive manner. When they see members of their community transgressing the Torah by desecrating Shabbos, eating non-kosher food, and acting reprehensibly, they delegate to the Rabbi the responsibility to chastise the offenders. These individuals refuse to get involved, claiming various lame excuses to justify their apathy to the public travesty against Hashem. They feel that by sharing the details of their friends’ miscreancy with the Rabbi, they have fulfilled their requirements as Jews. Thus, they consider themselves…

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Sruly Schnair In Naso, 5754

“Anything in which grapes have been seeped he shall not drink.” (6:3)

The Torah forbids the nazir to drink any intoxicating liquor or any beverage derived from grapes, even if it contains no alcohol. He may not even eat fresh or dried grapes. The prohibition includes water in which grapes had been briefly soaked, even if only a mere hint of the grapes had been present in the water. Chazal infer from this concept that the taste of a food is regarded as representative of the food itself, or the taste is like the substance. In the Talmud Nazir 37b, Chazal also derive from this pasuk that when a half-measure of permitted…

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Sruly Schnair In Naso, 5754

“Speak unto Aharon and unto his sons saying, so you shall bless the Bnei Yisrael.” (6:23)

Hashem commands that His blessing be conferred only by the kohanim. Horav Moshe Shternbuch, Shlita, suggests a practical reason for this. Regrettably, many people posit that the kohen and his present day counterpart, the Torah scholar are supported by the community without any reciprocation. Many individuals believe that if an individual is not “working” in the way that they are, he is not contributing to the community. This notion is, of course, categorically wrong. The sustaining power of Klal Yisrael is manifest only through Torah and Torah scholars who devote their lives to its study and dissemination. This also applies…

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Sruly Schnair In Naso, 5754

“And it came to pass on the day that Moshe had completed setting up the Mishkan.” (7:1)

Chazal call attention to the first word of this pasuk hvhu, “and it came to pass.” They say that whenever this word occurs in Tanach, it always refers to a tzarah, a period of sorrow and grief. They question the element of grief associated with the Mishkan. The creation of the Mishkan as a place for the Shechinah to repose should surely be cause for simcha, happiness, and rejoicing. What role do despair and anxiety have during a moment of such exaltation? Chazal present an analogy to a king who had a quarrelsome wife, who would not stop her bickering….

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5753

“And they shall confess their sins.” (5:7)

The mitzvah of “viduy,” confession, is the prime prerequisite for performing teshuvah, repentance. Indeed, without viduy the teshuvah process has no value. It is puzzling that the Torah chooses to mention the mitzvah of viduy specifically at this point, in reference to the sin of stealing. The Chidushei Ha’Rim explains that actually every transgression committed by man consists of a form of theft. We have been granted life, health, and the ability to perform actions, so that we may serve the Almighty. To employ these G-d given abilities in behavior which violates Torah law is tantamount to theft. Not only…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5753

“And the man shall bring his wife to the Kohen and shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an eifah of barley meal, he shall not pour upon it any oil, nor pour frankincense on it.” (5:15)

Rashi cites the Talmud Sotah 12a, which explains the reason for the specific ingredients of this korban. Meal was used instead of fine flour, barley rather than wheat. This modification was due to the repulsiveness of the sotah’s immoral act; because she acted like an animal, her offering is the food of an animal. Oil is not poured over the meal, since oil symbolizes light and the sotah acted in darkness. Frankincense is not placed on the korban, since the Matriarchs are referred to as “levonah,” frankincense, and she deviated from their paths. Horav B.Z. Baruk, z.l., makes a noteworthy…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5753

“And this is the law of the Nazir, on the day of the completion of his vow.” (6:21)

At the conclusion of term of the Nazir’s vow, he must bring a korban. The reason for this korban is enigmatic. Is not a korban of this nature brought as penance for a specific sin? Rather than the Nazir be lauded for his great deed, he is seemingly castigated! Rabbeinu Bachya explains that this korban is necessary, since it appears as if the Nazir is departing from his previous lofty relationship with Hashem. For a significant period of time, he was removed from the pleasures of this world, only to return to his previous lifestyle. Although his lifestyle had been…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5753

“On the second day did offer Nesanel ben Tzuar, the Nasi of (the tribe of) Yissachar . . . he presented for his offering.” (7:18,19)

Rashi notes the redundancy of the word chrevw offered, regarding the tribe of Yissachar. In contrast, it is not doubly stated in reference to any of the other tribes. Rashi cites different explanations to resolve this question. Horav M. Wolfson, Shlita, offers a novel response. Nesanel represented the tribe of Yissachar, which was noted for total devotion to Torah study. Indeed, this was their vocation. Their material support came from the tribe of Zevulun, their “partners” in Torah endeavor. This “partnership” could easily cause the ignorant bystander to think that Yissachar, in fact, did not possess anything of his own….

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5753

“And when Moshe went into the Ohel Moed that he might speak with Him, and he heard the voice speaking to him.” (7:89)

Rashi points out that the word rcsn, “speaking,” is similar to rcs,n, “in the hispa’el” form (reflexive form of the intensive stem of the Hebrew verb), implying that Moshe heard the voice of Hashem speaking to Itself. The Sforno expands on this idea, suggesting that Hashem “makes it known to Himself” and that the voice heard by Moshe was in reality an “overflow” of Hashem’s words. This is similar to the voice which every Navi receives, each according to his own individual level of perception. Although the words of the Sforno are of a profound nature, an important lesson can…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5752

“When a man or a woman shall commit any sin that men commit… and they shall confess their sin which they have done, and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and the fifth part thereof he shall add unto it, and give it to whom he has been guilty.” (5:6-7)

The question concerning these pesukim is obvious. The Torah begins its account of the sin in the plural form (uaguw usuu,vu) and sums it up in the singular form (chavu wi,bu)! Horav Chaim Zaitzik Z”l poignantly explains that the succession of events which leads up to an individual’s transgressing suggests that frequently the sin is communal. The individual, who actually executes the misdeed is the product of an environment which has laid the foundation for this sin to transpire. In reality, this sin originates in the community. He cites scenarios to support this hypothesis. For example, let us look…

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“Command the Bnei Yisrael that they send out of the camp every leper, and every zav, and whosoever is unclean by a (dead) person.” (5:2)

“Anything in which grapes have been seeped he shall not drink.” (6:3)

“Speak unto Aharon and unto his sons saying, so you shall bless the Bnei Yisrael.” (6:23)

“And it came to pass on the day that Moshe had completed setting up the Mishkan.” (7:1)

“And they shall confess their sins.” (5:7)

“And the man shall bring his wife to the Kohen and shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an eifah of barley meal, he shall not pour upon it any oil, nor pour frankincense on it.” (5:15)

“And this is the law of the Nazir, on the day of the completion of his vow.” (6:21)

“On the second day did offer Nesanel ben Tzuar, the Nasi of (the tribe of) Yissachar . . . he presented for his offering.” (7:18,19)

“And when Moshe went into the Ohel Moed that he might speak with Him, and he heard the voice speaking to him.” (7:89)

“When a man or a woman shall commit any sin that men commit… and they shall confess their sin which they have done, and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and the fifth part thereof he shall add unto it, and give it to whom he has been guilty.” (5:6-7)

YEARS

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