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וימררו את חייהם בעבודה קשה... את כל עבודתם אשר עבדו בהם בפרך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5776, Shemos

They embittered their lives with hard work… All the labors that they performed with them were with crushing hardness. (1:14)

The Talmud Pesachim 39a explains that Chazeres/ lettuce, which may be used for marror, bitter herbs, is representational of the type of crushing hard labor to which the Jewish People were subjected by their Egyptian taskmasters. Chazeres begins soft (at first, when one bites into it, it seems soft, almost sweet), becoming marror and bitter tasting overtime; likewise, the Egyptian initiated the Jewish slave labor with sweetness: either by offering them money in reimbursement for their time and toil; or by convincing them of the significance of their labor, etc. Chazal’s statement attributing the use of lettuce to its similarity…

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Home -> 5776 -> Shemini

להבדיל בין הטמא ובין והטהר ובין החיה הנאכלת ובין החיה אשר לא תאכל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shemini, 5776

To distinguish between the contaminated and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten. (11:47)

Being knowledgeable about Jewish law is not just a privilege; it is a critical obligation for every Jew to develop proficiency in halachah. This applies not only in the abstract, but in its practical application. It is at least incumbent upon us to be acutely aware of what is a shailah, halachic question. We are a nation of law; brooking no compromise to illiteracy. One must learn in order to know. Rashi explains the above pasuk as applying to making the delicate and often difficult decision, whereby we must distinguish between things that appear kosher, appear similar, but are not….

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Home -> 5776 -> Shemini

ואת אלה תשקצו מן העוף לא יאכלו שקץ הם את הנשר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shemini, 5776

These shall you abominate from among the birds, they may not be eaten – they are an abomination; the nesher. (11:13)

The nesher, commonly translated as the eagle, is unique among the non-kosher fowl in that its image is on the Kisei HaKavod, Hashem’s Throne. Chazal teach that the image of four creatures are on the throne: man, lion, ox and eagle. In contrast is the yonah, pigeon, which is a fowl that has its share of troubles, preyed on by other fowl, was slaughtered on the Mizbayach, Altar, and used as a korban, offering. How do we reconcile the fact that a non-kosher bird achieves such a lofty status, while the kosher bird, which is “pushed around,” does not? Horav…

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Home -> 5776 -> Shemini

את זה תאכלו מכל אשר במים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shemini, 5776

This may you eat from everything that is in the water. (11:9)

Mikol asher ba’mayim, “from all that is in the water,” implies that an amphibian which has simanei taharah, signs of purity/kashrus, may be eaten. “A fish is a fish”; the question is only whether it is a kosher fish. Its status as amphibian is not relevant. The Mishnah in Meseches Keilim 17:13 appends this idea when it says anything in the water (utensils made from amphibious creatures) are tahor (utensils are considered tahor, ritually pure) except for the kelev ha’yam, sea dog (possibly the otter), since it flees to dry land.” In other words, a sea dog maintains the status…

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Home -> 5776 -> Shemini

ויאמר משה אל אהרן ולאלעזר ולאיתמר בניו ראשיכם אל תפרעו ובגדיכם לא תפרמו... ועל כל העדה יקצף ואחיכם כל בית ישראל יבכו את השרפה אשר שרף ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shemini, 5776

Moshe said to Aharon and to his sons Elazar and Isamar, “Do not leave your heads unshorn and do not rend your garments that you do not die, and He became wrathful with the entire assembly; and your brethren, the entire House of Yisrael, shall bewail the conflagration that Hashem ignited. (10:6)

Aharon HaKohen is instructed by Moshe Rabbeinu not to mourn the deaths of his two sons overtly. His two remaining sons, Elazar and Isamar, are likewise instructed to refrain from overt mourning. Yet Klal Yisrael, the entire nation, is adjured to mourn the deaths of these two tzaddikim, righteous persons. Why? Is it more appropriate for those who are unrelated – in fact, distant from the deceased, to mourn, while those closest to them do not? The Sefer HaChaim explains this based upon the following statement made by Chazal in the Talmud Megillah 15a: “When a righteous person dies, he…

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Home -> 5776 -> Shemini

וידם אהרן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shemini, 5776

And Aharon was silent. (10:3)

Aharon HaKohen sustained a Heavenly blow on what should have been the happiest day of his life. Experiencing such extreme tragedy on a day that should have engendered extreme joy would have destroyed not only a lesser person, but most people. Not Aharon, about whom the Torah writes, “And Aharon was silent.” As the various commentators explain, Va’yidom is much more than silence: it is numbness; no movement; no expression; like an inanimate stone. Aharon stood there without reacting whatsoever. Aharon was mute, like an insentient object that does not react to external stimuli. Perhaps there is a deeper meaning…

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Home -> 5776 -> Shemini

ויאמר משה אל אהרן קרב אל המזבח

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shemini, 5776

Moshe said to Aharon: Come near to the Altar. (9:7)

Rashi teaches that, at first, Aharon HaKohen demurred from offering the sacrifice. He was ashamed to approach the Mizbayach, Altar, due to his involvement in the building of the Golden Calf. Moshe Rabbeinu said to him, “Why are you ashamed? This is why you have been chosen for the position of leadership in the area of the Priestly service.” The Arizal comments that Moshe was intimating to Aharon that his embarrassment and humility were precisely the reasons for Hashem’s choice that Aharon became the Kohen Gadol, High Priest. A leader must maintain a strong sense of humility, or he will…

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Home -> 5776 -> Shelach

והיה לכם לציצית וראיתם אותו וזכרתם את כל מצוות ד' ועשיתם אותם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5776

It shall constitute Tzitzis for you, that you may see it and remember all the commandments of Hashem and perform them. (15:39)

We are to wear Tzitzis, so that when we look at them, we will remember all of the other mitzvos in the Torah. In other words, wearing Tzitzis generates mitzvah observance. “Seeing” catalyzes remembering, which engenders positive action via religious observance. Indeed, the Rambam writes that one should be diligent in his observance of Tzitzis, because of its compelling effect vis-à-vis all other mitzvos. In his commentary to the Chumash, Rashi writes: “The parsha of the mekosheish eitzim— he who had transgressed Shabbos by picking twigs and carrying them in a public place– is juxtaposed upon the parsha of avodah…

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Home -> 5776 -> Shelach

וישכמו בבקר ויעלו אל ראש ההר לאמר הננו ועלינו אל המקום אשר אמר ד' כי חטאנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5776

They awoke early in the morning and ascended toward the mountain top saying, “We are ready, and we will ascend to the place of which Hashem has spoken, for we have sinned. (14:40)”

The nation was chastened. They now realized that they had overreacted to the slanderous news conveyed by the meraglim, spies, and that they must do something to repair the rift created by their sins. Nonetheless, there is a time and place for everything. They had forfeited their chance to enter Eretz Yisrael. Without Hashem’s mandate and leadership they could never conquer the Land. Now was not the time. Some people simply do not understand the meaning of “no.” A group of Jews decided to prove that they were willing to move on, to wage war against the inhabitants of the…

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Home -> 5776 -> Shelach

ויאמרו כל העדה לרגום אתם באבנים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5776

But the entire assembly said to pelt them with stones. (14:10)

Rashi comments: “Them” refers to Yehoshua and Calev. Is this a rational reaction? We can accept anger and even threatening bodily harm against those who would do us harm. We seek to avenge ourselves from those who have caused us pain and trouble. Yehoshua and Calev, however, had done nothing negative to the Jewish people. They posed no threat. Ten spies disputed them. What power could they hold with which to dissuade the people? Indeed, if the entire assembly was prepared to stone them, it means that everyone was against them. What threat or potential danger did these two harmless…

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