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Home -> 5780 -> Shoftim

כפר לעמך ישראל אשר פדית

Sruly Schnair
In Shoftim, 5780

Atone for Your People Yisrael that You have redeemed. (21:8)

The Midrash Tanchuma (Haazinu) quotes the Toras Kohanim concerning the above pasuk: Kapeir l’amcha Yisrael, “Atone for Your People Yisrael.” This applies to the living; asher padisa; “that You have redeemed,” refers to the departed. This teaches that the living redeem the deceased. Therefore, it is our custom to memorialize the memory of the departed on Yom Kippur by praying for them, setting aside tzedakah, charity, in their behalf. I might think that tzedakah has no effect once a person passes on from this world. Thus, we learn from asher padisa, through the medium of tzedakah. The Midrash continues describing…

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Home -> 5780 -> Re'eh

ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5780

See, I present before you today, a blessing and a curse. (11:26)

It all boils down to choices. It is either a blessing or a curse. We really cannot have it both ways. A blessing that ends up as a curse is not much of a blessing. Why is it that some of us become victim to the “poor choice syndrome”? Why can we not look at a poor choice for what is, and just say, “No”? It is the yetzer hora, evil inclination, who does an excellent job of concealing the curse in our poor choices. In fact, he often presents it as a blessing, and we fall for his ruse….

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Home -> 5780 -> Re'eh

ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה. את הברכה אשר תשמעו.

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5780

See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing that you listen. (11:26,27)

Noticeably, the Torah begins with Re’eh, see, in the singular (instead of Re’u) in the plural form; then, it writes lifneichem, before you, in the plural (not lifanecha in the singular form) and concludes with, asher tishme’u, plural that you listen (not tishma) singular. In his Aderes Eliyahu, the Gaon, zl, m’Vilna, explains that the Aseres HaDibros, Ten Commandments, are spoken to Klal Yisrael in the singular, because when they stood at Har Sinai, all of Klal Yisrael were standing k’ish echad b’lev echad, as one person with one heart. Their unity was complete. Thus, Hashem spoke to them as…

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Home -> 5780 -> Re'eh

כי יסיתך אחיך ... לאמר נלכה ונעבדה אלהים אחרים אשר לא ידעת אתה ואבתיך

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5780

If your brothers… will incite you… saying, “Let us go and worship the gods of others,” that you did not know, you or your forefathers. (13:7)

Rashi explains the meaning of, “That you did not know, you or your forefathers”: “This matter is of great disgrace to you. For even the other nations (pagans) do not reject what their ancestors passed on to them, but this meisis, inciter, says to you, ‘Abandon what your ancestors passed on to you.’” Why does Rashi point the finger at the individual who is being incited to leave Judaism, intimating that it is humiliating to him to reject the traditions of his forebears, when, in fact, the individual who should be humiliated is the one who is acting disgracefully –…

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Home -> 5780 -> Re'eh

לא תאבה לו ולא תשמע אליו ולא תחוס עינך עליו ולא תחמל ולא תכסה עליו

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5780

You shall not accede to him and not hearken to him; your eye shall not take pity on him, you shall not be compassionate nor conceal him. (13:9)

“With prejudice” is legalese for dismissing a case/plaintiff permanently. The case is over and done with. No one is interested in rehashing it or listening to any appeals for clemency. Concerning the meisis/meidiach, one who entices others to go astray, the Torah goes to great lengths to underscore its disdain for anyone who would entice another Jew to worship idols. Regardless of the victim’s relationship with the enticer, he must turn him in and see that he is brought to justice. Although the Jewish court is to manifest utmost compassion and seek every avenue to look for extenuating circumstances that…

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Home -> 5780 -> Re'eh

וזה אשר לא תאכלו ... והחסידה

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5780

This is what you shall not eat…the chasidah. (14:12,18)

As the designated Banim atem la’Hashem Elokeichem, “Children to Hashem, your G-d” (ibid 14:1), we must act in accordance with our special status. It should serve as a source of pride and obligation. The Torah enjoins us with certain prohibitions which are entirely acceptable to the gentile world, but, to Hashem’s children, are an anathema. Among these prohibitions are the Jewish dietary laws which prohibit us from consuming certain animals, fowl and fish. Among the fowl, the Torah lists specific fowl which are considered unkosher due to their “character” which, of course, only the Creator Who created them knows. Among…

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Home -> 5780 -> Eikev

וידעת עם לבבך כי כאשר ייסר איש את בנו ד' אלקיך מיסרך

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5780

You should know in your heart that just as a father will chastise his son, so Hashem, your G-d, chastises you. (8:5)

We have undergone much hardship throughout our tumultuous history. These were not isolated occurrences during which we were subject to the whims and fancies, disdain and loathing, all products of a cruel, envious world who blamed every one of life’s incongruities on the Jews. Whatever happened to us did not “just happen.” It was all Heavenly-designated by a loving Father, Who, at times, was either meting out fatherly discipline or providing us with “opportunities” to secure our spiritual future. Everything was the result of the profound love that a father has for his son. The Kedushas Levi (m’Berditchev) explains why…

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Home -> 5780 -> Eikev

ועתה ישראל מה ד' אלקיך שאל מעמך כי אם ליראה את ד' אלקיך

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5780

And now, Yisrael, what is Hashem, your G-d, asking of you, other than to fear Hashem, your G-d. (10:12)

In his commentary to Sefer Shemos (3:22) Horav S.R. Hirsch, zl, distinguishes between various meanings for the word sho’ail, to borrow/to ask. His rule is: When the word sho’ail is followed by the word mei’eis, from, it means to request, as it says (Shemos 3:22), V’sho’alah ishah mishchentah, “Each woman shall request from her neighbor.” When the word sho’ail is followed by the word mei’im, with, it means to borrow, as in (Shemos 22:13), V’chi yishal ish mei’im reieihu, “If a man shall borrow from his fellow.” The reason for this is that, when one borrows an object, he does…

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Home -> 5780 -> Eikev

ולמדתם אתם את בניכם לדבר בם

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5780

You shall teach them to your children to discuss them. (11:19)

The Bnei Yissachar, Horav Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro, zl, cites (Takanos Tamchin D’Oraisa) Chazal (Bava Basra 21a) who credit Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Gamla with being the innovator of universal Torah education for all children. He was concerned for orphans who had no parent to teach them Torah. He set up Torah teachers in every province and district so that all children, regardless of parents or financial ability, would be availed Torah instruction. Chazal laud him for having ensured that the Jewish People would not forget the Torah. In the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 245:7, it is ruled that communal monies may…

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Home -> 5780 -> Eikev

ולמדתם אתם את בניכם לדבר בם

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5780

You shall teach them to your children to discuss them. (11:19)

The Torah provides a unique criterion for teaching Torah to one’s children. They should be able to discuss Torah; or, alternatively, when they speak, Torah should emerge from their mouths. Speech is the communication or expression of thoughts. An individual who speaks Torah thinks Torah. One’s cognitive dynamic should be shaped by Torah, so that when he expresses an opinion, a comment, it is Torah-based, the expression of a Torah mind. Thus, Rashi explains, as soon as a child is able to speak, his father should teach him Torah, so that it will be his “language” of communication. Therefore, everything…

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