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Home -> 5782 -> Shelach

שלח לך אנשים ויתרו את ארץ כנען

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5782

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the land of Canaan. (13:2)

At the beginning of the parshah, Rashi focuses on the juxtaposition of the incident of the meraglim upon Miriam speaking inappropriately about Moshe Rabbeinu, and the punishment she received. On the surface, the two incidents do not seem to have a common thread. Rashi explains that Miriam’s comment was considered lashon hora. Concerning the meraglim, he says: Reshaim hallalu ra’u v’lo lakchu mussar; “Those wicked ones saw what happened to Miriam and did not take a lesson.” In other words, they too spoke negatively. Indeed, Miriam spoke against Moshe; they spoke against the Land. Apparently, a parallel exists between the…

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Home -> 5782 -> Shelach

שלח לך אנשים ויתרו את ארץ כנען

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5782

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the land of Canaan. (13:2)

The incident of the meraglim, Jewish spies – who left the wilderness as tzaddikim, wholly righteous individuals, and returned spewing slanderous statements against the Land – is one of the greatest tragedies recorded in the Torah. I use the term tragedy because the transformation that occurred in these men, the ripple-effect that it had on the nation, and the ultimate disastrous punishment that resulted are nothing less than tragic. Obviously, the Torah records this incident due to the lessons we are to derive from it. The first and foremost question that must be resolved is: How did this happen? Shlach…

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Home -> 5782 -> Shelach

ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5782

Moshe called Hoshea Bin Nun Yehoshua. (13:16)

Moshe Rabbeinu added the letter yud to Yehoshua’s name, so that his name would begin with the letters of Hashem’s Name (Yud, Kay). The Hebrew name Yehoshua means Hashem saves or Hashem will save, which conveys that Moshe prayed for Yehoshua. Kah yoshiacha mei’atzas meraglim; “May Hashem save you from the conspiracy/counsel of the spies.” Why did Moshe pray for Yehoshua and not for Calev? Moshe had greater reason to be concerned for Yehoshua, for he feared that Yehoshua’s yetzer hora l’shem Shomayim, evil inclination would convince him to act egregiously because, ultimately, it would be for the sake of…

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Home -> 5782 -> Shelach

והאנשים אשר שלח משה לתור את הארץ וישבו וילנו עליו את כל העדה להוציא דבה על הארץ...וימתו האנשים מוצאי דבת הארץ רעה במגפה לפני ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5782

But as for the men whom Moshe sent to spy out the Land, and who returned and provoked the entire assembly to complain against him by spreading a report against the Land. (14:36)…The men, the ones spreading an evil report about the Land died in a plague before Hashem. (14:37)

The preceding pasuk already mentioned that the spies had spread an evil report about the Land. Why does the next pasuk, which relates their punishment, reiterate their slander of the Land? The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh attributes this to their slandering Eretz Yisrael. “How can one declare a completely beautiful Land to be bad?  How can a human being be so brazen?… As a result of this insurrection, Hashem’s anger flared against them, and He killed them immediately.” We derive from here that speaking negatively of Eretz Yisrael is a grave sin. It is unnatural because it is contrary to the…

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Home -> 5782 -> Beha'alosecha

על פי ד' יסעו בני ישראל ועל פי ד' יחנו

Sruly Schnair
In Beha'alosecha, 5782

According to the word of Hashem would Bnei Yisrael journey, and, according to the word of Hashem, they would encamp. (9:18)

Hashem orchestrated and guided Klal Yisrael’s journey through the wilderness. He employed the medium of the cloud that rested above the Mishkan as a signal. When the cloud began to move, it was a Heavenly signal to pull out. It was time to fold the tents and pack their belongings for the next trip. They traveled until the cloud stopped, which was their signal to pitch tents and unpack. No set time was established for how long they remained in each camp. At times, it could be months and even years – or it could be mere days. Regardless of…

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Home -> 5782 -> Beha'alosecha

ונסעו הקהתים נשאי המקדש

Sruly Schnair
In Beha'alosecha, 5782

Then journeyed the Kehasim, bearers of the Sanctuary. (10:21)

Interestingly, the Torah refers to the Leviim who descended from Kehas as Kehasim, and those who descended from Gershon and Merari as Bnei Gershon and Bnei Merari. Why? Korban Ani explains that the sons of Kehas were zoche, merited, to carry the Aron and the other holy vessels. This was because they were a very close-knit, unified family. In Bereishis 49:10, Yaakov Avinu blesses Yehudah with the words, V’lo yikhas amim, “And his will be an assemblage of nations. Yikhas/kehas refers to an assemblage/congregation/aggregate, a gathering of people working together with a common goal. As a result of their achdus,…

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Home -> 5782 -> Beha'alosecha

לא כן עבדי משה בכל ביתי נאמן הוא

Sruly Schnair
In Beha'alosecha, 5782

Not so is my servant Moshe, in My entire household he is the trusted one. (12:7)

Moshe Rabbeinu is like a trusted member of Hashem’s Heavenly kingdom. The Torah alludes to Moshe’s unique qualities, especially in the area of nevuah, prophecy, in which he stood out above all prophets. He is referred to as avdi Moshe, My servant Moshe, who is trusted. The question that presents itself is obvious. Is it an accolade to state that Moshe was honest and, thus, to be trusted? To possess moral and ethical integrity is a basic quality which Hashem demands and expects of every person. What is novel about Moshe’s integrity and being trusted in Heaven? When one hires…

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Home -> 5782 -> Beha'alosecha

תסגר שבעת ימים מחוץ למחנה ואחר תאסף

Sruly Schnair
In Beha'alosecha, 5782

Let her be quarantined outside the camp for seven days, and then she may be brought in. (12:14)

Miriam HaNeviyah partnered with her two illustrious brothers in leading Klal Yisrael out of Egypt and through their forty-year journey through the wilderness. The Torah relates that Miriam misspoke concerning Moshe Rabbeinu, making a comment that was considered lashon hora, slanderous speech. As a result, she was struck with tzaraas, spiritual leprosy. The metzora must be quarantined for seven days. During Miriam’s seven-day isolation, the entire Klal Yisrael waited and did not journey to their next encampment. While this was considered a punishment to her, Klal Yisrael’s remaining in place for the duration of her quarantine is a tribute to…

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Home -> 5782 -> Naso

איש איש כי תשטה אשתו ומעלה בו מעל ...איש או אשה כי יפלא לנדר נדר נזיר להזיר לד'

Sruly Schnair
In Naso, 5782

Any man whose wife shall go astray and commit treachery against him. (5:12)…A man or woman who shall disassociate himself by taking a Nazirite vow of abstinence for the sake of Hashem. (6:2)

The parsha of nazir is juxtaposed upon the laws of the sotah. These two diverse experiences, with the nazir personifying the apex of sanctity and the sotah acting in a manner that reflects the nadir of depravity, are as diverse from one another as could be. Yet, the Torah places them near one another. Chazal (Bereishis 63a) explain that one who observes a sotah in her degradation should separate himself from wine which can, under the wrong circumstances, lead to sinful behavior. Let us attempt to portray a hypothetical scenario rationally. A holy tzaddik, righteous person, walks through the street…

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Home -> 5782 -> Naso

איש איש כי תשטה אשתו ומעלה בו מעל....איש או אשה כי יפלא לנדר נדר נזיר להזיר לד'

Sruly Schnair
In Naso, 5782

Any man whose wife shall go astray and commit treachery against him. (5:12)….A man or woman who shall dissociate himself by taking a Nazarite vow of abstinence for the sake of Hashem. (6:2)

In the Pri Tzaddik (Naso 13), Horav Tzadok HaKohen, zl, m’Lublin, observes a striking disparity with regard to the laws associated with sotah and nazir in the Torah and their placement in the Mishnah and Talmud. In the Torah, the laws of sotah, the wayward wife, precede those of the nazir; in contrast, in the Talmud, Meseches Nazir, precedes Meseches Sotah. Rav Tzadok posits that an important moral lesson can be derived from the Torah’s sequence of sotah before nazir. The sotah is a woman who is suspected of acting immorally outside of her marriage. A woman whose infidelity plummets…

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