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Home -> 5779 -> Yisro

אשר שם האחד גרשם... ושם האחד אליעזר

Sruly Schnair
In Yisro, 5779

And the name of one was Gershom… and the name of one (the other) was Eliezer. (18:3,4)

The Baalei Mussar, Ethicists, exhort us to live on the bare minimum in terms of material needs. The Tanna in Pirkei Avos teaches us the recipe for Torah living: Pas ba’melech tochal, u’mayim ba’meshureh tishte, “Bread dipped in salt, and measured water”; v’al haaretz tishan, “and sleep on the floor.” We can do without luxuries. When it comes to spiritual benefits, Torah achievements, one should not be mistapek b’muat, suffice with a little. We should be filled with a passion to achieve greater and even greater levels of erudition in Torah. Horav Reuven Karlinstein, zl, applies this rule to explain…

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Home -> 5779 -> Yisro

והר סיני עשן כלו מפני אשר ירד עליו ד' באש

Sruly Schnair
In Yisro, 5779

All of Har Sinai was smoking, because Hashem had descended upon it in the fire. (19:18)

The most awesome, momentous moment in the history of mankind was the Revelation, during which Hashem descended upon Har Sinai amid an unprecedented display of thunder, smoke, lightning and fire. The background “music” was the accompaniment of shofar blasts. In Derech Eitz Chaim, the Ramchal addresses the idea that the essence of Torah is eish, fire: “Behold! With great precision, it (the Torah) was compared to fire. When one uses an ember which does not flame (not noticeable), but the energy of the flame is concealed inside, until that moment when one blows (stokes) on it. Then the flame will…

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Home -> 5779 -> Beshalach

ויושע ד' ביום ההוא את ישראל מיד מצרים וירא ישראל את מצרים מת על שפת הים

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5779

On that day, Hashem saved Yisrael from the hand of Egypt, and Yisrael saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. (14:30)

Pesach and Purim occur a month apart on the Jewish calendar, but the mode of celebration of each differs greatly. This is because each manifested a different mode of celebration, with regard to our emerging triumphant over our enemies. On Purim, we celebrate the day that Haman’s evil decree was annulled, the day asher nacha mei’oyiveihem, “they rested from their enemies”; in contrast, on both the first and seventh day of Pesach, we celebrate the destruction of our enemies. During the seder night, the firstborn of Egypt perished. Nary was there a home that did not reek of death. Our…

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Home -> 5778 -> Beshalach

והמים להם חמה מימינם ומשמאלם

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5778

The water was a wall for them, on their right and on their left. (14:29)

Actually, the Red Sea was divided into twelve parts, allowing each tribe to walk though separately. The Sfas Emes explains that Hashem did this to teach them that each individual tribe has its own singular mission and, thus, deserves the miracle of the Splitting of the Red Sea for its own sake. In Sefer Tehillim 136:13, David Hamelech records the miracle, L’Gozeir Yam Suf ligzarim, “Who splits/divides the Red Sea into parts.” Surprisingly, the pasuk is written in the present tense, as if Hashem continually splits the Red Sea. (Veritably, the commentators translate it in the past tense, but l’gozeir…

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Home -> 5779 -> Beshalach

וידי משה כבדים ויקחו אבן וישימו תחתיו וישב עליה

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5779

The hands of Moshe were heavy, and they took a stone, placed it beneath him, and he sat upon it. (17:12)

We can distinguish between those mitzvos that are incumbent upon man in his relationship with Hashem – bein adam laMakom; and those mitzvos that involve interpersonal relationships – bein adam lachaveiro. The basis for mitzvos bein adam laMakom is Hashem. He desires our service. The root of mitzvos bein adam la’chaveiro is V’halachta bidrachav, “You shall emulate His ways” (Devarim 11:22). Hashem interacts with our world by sharing our pain. With regard to interpersonal relationships, this trait is called nosei b’ol im chaveiro, sharing/carrying the burden with one’s fellow. During the Revelation that accompanied the Giving of the Torah on…

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Home -> 5779 -> Beshalach

ויבאו בני ישראל בתוך הים ביבשה

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5779

Bnei Yisrael came within the sea on dry land. (14:22)

Did all of the people immediately enter the Red Sea? Nachshon ben Aminadov made the first move. Everybody followed his lead. Chazal (Sotah 36b) quote a debate that takes place between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Meir teaches that when the Jewish People stood at the banks of the Red Sea the tribes began to contend with one another, each one declaring, “I am going in first!” Rabbi Yehudah disagrees. He claims it was the opposite, with each tribe giving the “honor” of entering the water first to the other tribe. In the end, it was Nachshon ben Aminadov…

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Home -> 5779 -> Bo

בא אל פרעה כי אני הכבדתי את לבו ואת לב עבדיו

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5779

Come to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart and the heart of his servants stubborn. (10:1)

Rashi explains that Hashem sent Moshe to warn Pharaoh of the upcoming plague. Why warn Pharaoh if his reaction would be negative as a result of Hashem hardening his heart? A warning should serve a purpose. Apparently, this warning did not. Horav Yosef Dov Soloveitzchik, zl, Rosh Yeshivas Brisk, Yerushalayim, explains this based upon a principle quoted from Horav Yeruchem Levovitz, zl, Mashgiach Yeshivas Mir. When Sarah Imeinu gave birth to Yitzchak Avinu at the age of 90 years old, the Torah makes a big “to do” about the overt miracle that she had experienced. In contrast, when Yocheved gave…

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Home -> 5779 -> Bo

ויט משה את ידו על השמים ויהי חשך אפלה בכל ארץ מצרים

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5779

Moshe stretched forth his hand towards the heavens, and there was a thick darkness throughout the Land of Egypt. (10:22)

Chazal (Midrash Rabbah/Shemos 14:2) ask from whence came this choshech, darkness. Rabbi Yehudah says it came from on High. It was a Heavenly/otherworldly darkness, as it says in Tehillim 18:12, “He made darkness His concealment, around Him His shelter.” (This means: even when Hashem intervenes in a swift and stunning manner in human affairs, He remains concealed [Ibn Ezra], or alternatively, man quickly forgets Hashem’s role in all that happens to him [Horav S.R. Hirsch]. The question is obvious: If the darkness that plagued Egypt was from Heaven – where in Heaven was it to be found? Is there darkness…

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Home -> 5779 -> Bo

וישאל איש מאת רעהו ואשה מאת רעותה כלי כסף וכלי זהב

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5779

Let each man request of his fellow and each woman from her fellow silver vessels and gold vessels. (11:2)

Hashem asked Moshe Rabbeinu to make a special effort to impress upon the Jews the significance of requesting silver and gold vessels from the Egyptians, because, if they did not leave Egypt with a sizable financial portfolio, Avraham Avinu’s neshamah, soul, would have a “complaint” against Hashem. She’lo yomar oso tzaddik V’avadum v’inu osam – kayeim ba’hem – v’acharei chein yeitzu b’r’chush gadol – lo kayeim ba’hem; “So that the righteous person (Avraham) should not say, ‘G-d carried out in full measure the prophecy that his offspring will be oppressed, but not the companion promise that they will leave their…

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Home -> 5779 -> Bo

והיה לך לאות על ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5779

And it shall be for you a sign, your arm and a reminder between your eyes. (13:9)

The mitzvah of Tefillin – two boxes which each contain four short parshiyos from the Torah inscribed on parchment, and worn on the arm and the forehead – is one of the most important mitzvos of the Torah. One of the boxes is worn on the arm, opposite the heart, which is the seat of one’s emotions; the other is placed above the forehead, resting opposite the cerebrum. Thus, our attention is directed to the head, the heart and to the hand, thereby implying that our actions must be dedicated to Hashem in such a manner that we conjoin our…

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