Shemos – Page 5 – Peninim on the Torah

ומשה היה רעה את צאן יתרו חתנו כהן מדין

Moshe was shepherding the sheep of Yisro, his father-in-law, the Priest of Midyan. (3:1)

The Torah is informing us that Moshe Rabbeinu’s vocation prior to his being selected as the man who would lead the Jewish People from Egypt, and who would shepherd them throughout their desert journey, was a shepherd. The Torah does not waste words. If the Torah mentions Moshe’s background, it is because it is vital to his resume as leader. Chazal explain that our quintessential leader was first given a “trial run” as Yisro’s shepherd, in order to ascertain his leadership abilities. After seeing how Moshe performed as a shepherd, Hashem chose him to lead our ancestors. What did he…

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וילך ויפגשהו בהר האלקים וישק לו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Shemos

And he (Aharon) went and encountered him (Moshe) at the mountain of G-d, and he kissed him. (4:27)

According to Rambam, Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen met at Har Sinai. What seems to be a simple meeting of two brothers is described by Chazal as an encounter of two individuals with complementary character traits. “This is what is written, Chesed v’emes nifgashu, tzedek v’shalom nashaku, ‘Kindness and truth met, righteous and peace kissed’” (Tehillim 85:11). Kindness” refers to Aharon, and “truth” refers to Moshe. This is what is meant by “kindness” and “truth” met – “And he (Aharon) met him (Moshe) at the mountain of G-d.” “Righteous” refers to Moshe and “peace” refers to Aharon. Thus, “kiss” corresponds…

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וימת יוסף וכל אחיו וכל הדור ההוא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Shemos

Yosef died, and all his brothers and that entire generation. (1:6)

Sforno comments that, as long as any member of the original generation that had descended with Yaakov Avinu to Egypt was still alive, the present generation was able to maintain the proper spiritual level. Once they were gone, however, the spiritual decline which led to slavery and persecution accelerated. In his commentary to Shemos 6:16, Rashi teaches that, as long as a member of the original group of immigrants was alive, the Jews enjoyed freedom. The slavery commenced with the demise of the last one. This seems inconsistent with Rashi’s commentary to the beginning of Parashas Vayechi (Bereishis 47:28), where…

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ותראהו את הילד והנה נער בוכה... ותאמר מילדי העברים זה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Shemos

She saw him, the boy, and behold! A youth was crying… and (she) said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.” (2:6)

Pharaoh’s daughter looked at the infant in the basket and noticed something unusual about the manner in which the infant wept. This made her assume that it was a Jewish infant. What about the infant’s weeping spurred her to think that it was Jewish? The Slonimer Rebbe, zl, explains that, indeed, a marked difference exits between the cry of a Jew and the cry of one who is not. Rather than go right to the distinction, I would like to approach it from the vantage point of Tishah B’Av, our national day of mourning. Every Festival has its cheftzah d’mitzvah,…

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ויגדל הילד ותבאהו לבת פרעה ויהי לה לבן ותקרא שמו משה ותאמר כי מן המים משיתהו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Shemos

The boy grew up and she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh and he was a son to her. She called his name Moshe, as she said, “For I drew him from the water.” (2:10)

The well-known Midrash at the beginning of Sefer Shemos states: “By your life! (Hashem is speaking to Moshe). From amongst all of the names that were called (given) to you, I will only refer to you by the name given to you by Bisyah bas Pharaoh. Thus, it is written, Vatikra shemo Moshe; ‘And she (Bisyah) called him Moshe;’ Vayikra el Moshe, ‘And He (Hashem) called to Moshe.” This is a wonderful commentary on the character and moral demeanor of Bisyah, Pharaoh’s daughter. Nonetheless, Horav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zl, wonders why Hashem accepted a name which was given to Moshe as…

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ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Shemos

And (he) went out to his brethren. And (he) saw their burdens. (2:11)

Rashi defines vayar b’sivlosam, “And he saw their burdens: Nasan einav v’libo liheyos metzar aleihem, ‘He focused his eyes and heart to be distressed over them.’” Literally, the phrase means that Moshe Rabbeinu “saw into their burdens.” He delved into their adversity. Apparently, the word va’yar, or its root raoh, to see, means much more than superficial perception. It demands cognitive application in conjunction with the perception. To see, and not to see beneath the surface, is not reiyah, seeing. I think that we have just uncovered a deep insight into the concept of “seeing” as evinced by the word…

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וייטב אלקים למילדות וירב העם ויעצמו מאד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Shemos

Hashem was good to the midwives, and the people increased and became very mighty. (1:20)

The meyaldos haIvrios, Hebrew midwives, really extended themselves to save the Jewish children,but is that not what being Jewish means? These women stood up to Pharaoh’s evil decree, with great risk to their own lives; thus, they were able to save countless Jewish children. The pasuk’s syntax, however, seems out of order. It begins, “Hashem was good to the midwives, and the people increased and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared Hashem, He gave them houses.” Rashi explains the meaning of this “good” which Hashem gave the midwives as the Houses of Priesthood that they would be of the…

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ויגדל משה ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם וירא איש מצרי מכה איש עברי מאחיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Shemos

And Moshe grew up and went out to his brethren and observed their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, of his brethren. (2:11)

Rashi’s famous comment tells it all: Nassan einav v’libo liheyos meitzar aleihem, “He applied his eyes and heart (to see their suffering and) grieve with them.” The Melitzer Rebbe, Shlita, observes that Hashem has given us a mitzvah to protect our eyes from gazing at anything that will cause us spiritual harm. V’lo sassuru acharei levavchem v’acharei eineichem, “And (do) not explore after your heart and after your eyes” (Bamidbar 15:39). To explore with our eyes can be quite dangerous to our spiritual health. This is why we are admonished concerning shemiras ha’einayim, guarding/ protecting our eyes from those areas…

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ויאמר משה אל ד'... לא איש דברים אנכי גם מתמול גם משלשם גם מאז דברך אל עבדך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Shemos

Moshe replied to Hashem… I am not a man of words, not since yesterday, not since the day before yesterday, nor since You first spoke to your servant. (4:10)

Rashi notes that this was the seventh day of Moshe Rabbeinu’s dialogue with Hashem. Moshe’s reluctance to assume the leadership of Klal Yisrael was because he did not want to arrogate himself over his older brother, Aharon, who was a Navi, Prophet, and the present leader of the people. The Yalkut Shimoni quotes Moshe, “Until I stood here, my brother, Aharon, had been prophesizing for the last eighty years. Now I should come into his perimeter? I should be his adversary and cause him pain?” Hashem replied, “You will neither be his adversary, nor will you cause him pain. Indeed,…

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וילך איש מבית לוי ויקח את בת לוי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Shemos

A man went from the House of Levi and took a daughter of Levi. (2:1)

The Torah presents the lineage of Moshe Rabbeinu in a very clandestine manner, almost as if it is attempting to hide the names of his parents. It is only later, in Parashas Vaeira, that we are finally introduced to his parents. Clearly, the Torah must have a reason for concealing their identities. Horav Moshe Feinstein, zl, explains this, providing us with a practical application for parents. Nachas, satisfaction, is something we all seek from our children. Because parents are naturally biased, we take pride in our children’s achievements, especially when they demonstrate talent and outstanding character traits. Undoubtedly, Amram and…

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ומשה היה רעה את צאן יתרו חתנו כהן מדין

Moshe was shepherding the sheep of Yisro, his father-in-law, the Priest of Midyan. (3:1)

וילך ויפגשהו בהר האלקים וישק לו

And he (Aharon) went and encountered him (Moshe) at the mountain of G-d, and he kissed him. (4:27)

וימת יוסף וכל אחיו וכל הדור ההוא

Yosef died, and all his brothers and that entire generation. (1:6)

ותראהו את הילד והנה נער בוכה... ותאמר מילדי העברים זה

She saw him, the boy, and behold! A youth was crying… and (she) said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.” (2:6)

ויגדל הילד ותבאהו לבת פרעה ויהי לה לבן ותקרא שמו משה ותאמר כי מן המים משיתהו

The boy grew up and she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh and he was a son to her. She called his name Moshe, as she said, “For I drew him from the water.” (2:10)

ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם

And (he) went out to his brethren. And (he) saw their burdens. (2:11)

וייטב אלקים למילדות וירב העם ויעצמו מאד

Hashem was good to the midwives, and the people increased and became very mighty. (1:20)

ויגדל משה ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם וירא איש מצרי מכה איש עברי מאחיו

And Moshe grew up and went out to his brethren and observed their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, of his brethren. (2:11)

ויאמר משה אל ד'... לא איש דברים אנכי גם מתמול גם משלשם גם מאז דברך אל עבדך

Moshe replied to Hashem… I am not a man of words, not since yesterday, not since the day before yesterday, nor since You first spoke to your servant. (4:10)

וילך איש מבית לוי ויקח את בת לוי

A man went from the House of Levi and took a daughter of Levi. (2:1)

YEARS

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