Yisro – Peninim on the Torah

כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5786

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be lengthened. (20:12)

We wonder why the Torah chooses to write yaarichun, they will lengthen, rather than aarich, I will lengthen. It is as if the Torah were saying that, by honoring your parents, you cause your children to lengthen your life. Horav Chaim Meir, zl, m’Vishnitz, answered this question after first relating an incident in which three sons/brothers sought his advice concerning their aged father’s care. Apparently, they felt it was difficult for them, and the question on the table was: Do they continue with home care with its various difficulties, or move him to a nursing home? The Rebbe (Imrei Chaim)…

Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5786

And Yisrael encamped there, opposite the mountain. (19:2)

Rashi notes that the verb, va’yichan, they encamped, is written in the singular, rather than in the plural, va’yachanu. This teaches us that the huge multitude of people, which comprised the nation that was about to receive the Torah, was camped k’ish echad, b’lev echad, like a single person with one heart. Klal Yisrael’s unity is critical to its survival as a Torah nation. Only when they were united in their goal of hearing and accepting the d’var Hashem, word of G-d, would they be ready to receive the Torah. A number of points concerning the concept of k’ish echad…

Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ד' לישראל

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5786

Yisro rejoiced over all the good that Hashem had done for Yisrael. (18:9)

Rashi translates va’yichad Yisro as va’yismach Yisro, as rejoicing over the salvation of Am Yisrael. The Brisker Rav, zl (cited by Horav Eliyahu Baruch Finkel, zl) explains Yisro’s b’rachah as a blessing of gomeil, gratitude to Hashem. We would normally think that the person who recites the blessing is none other than the direct beneficiary of Hashem’s favor. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 219:4), however, rules that one can fulfill his obligation to bless through the medium of his fellow’s blessing. This means that “Reuven” can bentch gomeil for “Shimon,” and Shimon will have properly discharged his religious duty to…

Home -> 5785 -> Yisro

לא תשא את שם ד' אלוקך לשוא

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5785

You shall not take the Name of Hashem, your G-d, in vain. (20:7)

Simply put, the Torah is teaching us that to utter Hashem’s Name in vain shows contempt for Hashem’s Name and disgraces It. In HaEmunah u’HaBitachon, the Ramban writes that one who has a spiritual awakening, a profound appreciation of the greatness and wonders of Hashem, must immediately concretize this inspiration and make it a part of his life. Otherwise, if he does not make use of this inspiration, he will continue on the same trajectory as before. With no upward swing, he transgresses the prohibitive commandment: lo tisa es Shem Hashem lashav. Hashem says, B’chol makom asher azkir es Shemi,…

Home -> 5785 -> Yisro

ויענו כל העם יחדו ויאמרו כל אשר דבר ד' נעשה

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5785

The entire people responded together and said, “Everything that Hashem has spoken we will do.” (19:8)

Chazal (Midrash Shir Hashirim 1:24) teach that giving the Torah to Klal Yisrael was not as simple as it seems. The Torah was Hashem’s gift to us, yet, it is the raison d’être of Creation. If we do not observe the Torah, there is no ultimate purpose for our existence. Thus, when Hashem was about to give the Torah, He asked for guarantors who would ensure that Klal Yisrael would abide by the Torah. The nation replied: “Let our ancestors, the three Patriarchs, be our guarantors.” Hashem replied: “Your forefathers themselves need guarantors.” Apparently, as perfect as the Patriarchs were,…

Home -> 5785 -> Yisro

ומשה עלה אל האלקים...

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5785

Moshe ascended to G-d… (19:3)

When Moshe Rabbeinu ascended Har Sinai to receive the Torah on behalf of Klal Yisrael, it was not a quick and easy reception. The angels felt that the Torah belonged in Heaven and that Moshe should turn back and report to his nation that it was not going to happen. Hashem listened to what the angels had to say and turned to Moshe for rebuttal. If he could not convince the angels that Torah belonged on earth and was the directive for humans and not for angels, then perhaps he and the people were not ready or worthy to receive…

Home -> 5785 -> Yisro

וישמע יתרו... את כל אשר עשה אלקים למשה ולישראל עמו... ויבוא יתרו... אל משה אל המדבר... ויספר משה לחותנו את כל אשר עשה ד' לפרעה ולמצרים

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5785

Yisro… heard everything that G-d did to Moshe and to Yisrael… Yisro…came to Moshe… Moshe told his father-in-law everything that Hashem had done to Pharaoh and Egypt. (Exodus 18:1,5,8)

The Torah relates that Yisro was so impressed by what he heard had happened to Pharaoh and the Egyptians that he packed up and left Midyan to join Klal Yisrael. The Torah continues telling us that Moshe Rabbeinu told Yisro everything that Hashem had done for His people-the many miracles and wonders that He wrought. Is this not somewhat redundant? Obviously, Yisro was impressed enough by what he heard that he left Midyan, where he held a leadership position, to join Klal Yisrael., Not one to waste words, Moshe was clearly rehashing the Exodus experience to impart an important lesson….

Home -> 5784 -> Yisro

כבד את אביך ואת אמך

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5784

Honor your father and your mother. (20:12)

The imperative to honor one’s parents is etched on the same Tablets as the belief in Hashem and the admonishments prohibiting murder and immoral relations. It is a special mitzvah which defines, not only our relationship with our parents, but our relationship with Hashem as well. One who does not see the need to honor parents will not see the need to honor Hashem. The mitzvah has nothing to do with gratitude, because we received it in the wilderness at a time in which parents did not provide for their children’s needs. Hashem did. [It has not changed. Hashem is…

Home -> 5784 -> Yisro

זכור את יום השבת לקדשו

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5784

Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it. (20:8)

Two central themes characterize the observance of Shabbos. It is an expression of our belief that Hashem created the world in six days, which implies the existence of the Creator. We also observe Shabbos in remembrance of Hashem’s kindness in liberating us from the bondage of Egypt. The Egyptians made labor on Shabbos mandatory. The Midrash teaches that the Egyptians forced the Jews to work on Shabbos and transgress all thirty-nine melachos, labors, that are prohibited on Shabbos. The Arizal teaches that the thirty-nine labors correspond to the thirty-nine curses which were the result of Adam’s eating from the Eitz…

Home -> 5784 -> Yisro

בחדש השלישי לצאת בני ישראת מארץ מצרים... באו מדבר סיני

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5784

In the third month from the exodus of Bnei Yisrael from the land of Egypt… they arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. (19:1)

Chazal (Midrash) ask why Hashem did not give the Torah to the Jewish People immediately upon their departure from Egypt. Why was it necessary to wait seven weeks for this seminal event to take place? They cite a parable comparing the Jewish people to a young prince who had been ill and was weakened from his illness. Once he had recuperated, his father said, “I will allow him to rest for a while to recoup his strength, and then I will send him back to cheder.” Klal Yisrael left Egypt flawed by the spiritual blemishes to which they had become…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Yisro ->

כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be lengthened. (20:12)

ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר

And Yisrael encamped there, opposite the mountain. (19:2)

ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ד' לישראל

Yisro rejoiced over all the good that Hashem had done for Yisrael. (18:9)

לא תשא את שם ד' אלוקך לשוא

You shall not take the Name of Hashem, your G-d, in vain. (20:7)

ויענו כל העם יחדו ויאמרו כל אשר דבר ד' נעשה

The entire people responded together and said, “Everything that Hashem has spoken we will do.” (19:8)

ומשה עלה אל האלקים...

Moshe ascended to G-d… (19:3)

וישמע יתרו... את כל אשר עשה אלקים למשה ולישראל עמו... ויבוא יתרו... אל משה אל המדבר... ויספר משה לחותנו את כל אשר עשה ד' לפרעה ולמצרים

Yisro… heard everything that G-d did to Moshe and to Yisrael… Yisro…came to Moshe… Moshe told his father-in-law everything that Hashem had done to Pharaoh and Egypt. (Exodus 18:1,5,8)

כבד את אביך ואת אמך

Honor your father and your mother. (20:12)

זכור את יום השבת לקדשו

Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it. (20:8)

בחדש השלישי לצאת בני ישראת מארץ מצרים... באו מדבר סיני

In the third month from the exodus of Bnei Yisrael from the land of Egypt… they arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. (19:1)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!