Challenge – Page 11 – Peninim on the Torah

בדד ישב מחוץ למחנה מושבו

He shall dwell in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:46)

Someone comes over and says, “Have you heard the latest about Moshe?” (Fictitious name) The perfect response, as noted by the Baalei Mussar, Ethicists, is: “Let me ask you a simple question. Did you make it your business to run the information (concerning Moshe) through your three sieves?” “What three sieves?” you ask. “Well, the first sieve is the one of emes, truth. Are you absolutely certain that what you are about to say is true?” At this point, the individual who was about to share a nice bit of information hesitates and says, “I heard it from someone whom…

Home -> Metzora -> Tazria

כי תבואו אל ארץ כנען ... ונתתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחוזתכם

Sruly Schnair In Tazria, Metzora, 5780

When you arrive in the land of Canaan… and I will place a tzaraas affliction upon a house in the land of your possession. (14:34)

A well-known Rashi teaches that the news concerning a plague of tzaraas appearing on one’s house was to be taken with a grain of salt. While at first it seems tragic that one should suffer the loss of his home, there was a rewarding caveat to the destruction of the house. When the Canaanim heard of the impending arrival of the Jews into the land which they had inhabited, they hid their treasures in the walls, so that the Jews would not benefit from them. Now that the house was destroyed, the concealed places revealed all of the hidden treasure….

Home -> 5780 -> Shemini

ויהי ביום השמיני קרא משה לאהרון ולבניו ולזקני ישראל

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5780

It was on the eighth day, Moshe summoned Aharon and his sons, and the elders of Yisrael. (9:1)

The command to bring the offerings was for Aharon HaKohen alone. Why were the Zekeinim, Elders, included in the summons? Rashi explains that Moshe Rabbeinu wanted the Elders to hear for themselves that Hashem had elevated Aharon to the position of Kohen Gadol, High Priest. They should not suspect that Aharon had seized it for himself, or that Moshe had played favorites and given it to his older brother. Partiality, especially toward close relatives, has a way of raising people’s ire. To assuage the situation and clear the air, Moshe stated that it was Hashem’s command. It is certainly true…

Home -> 5780 -> Shemini

אל תשקצו את נפשתיכם בכל השרץ השרץ ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5780

Do not make your souls abominable by means of any teeming thing; do not contaminate yourselves through them lest you become contaminated through them. (11:43)

Thorough the vehicle of a number of mitzvos, the Torah exhorts us to distance ourselves from prohibited foods. The prohibitions come in various forms: Some foods have once been kosher/appropriate for eating until they contracted a form of tumah, ritual contamination, rendering them spiritually unsuitable for Jewish consumption. Neveilah is a dead carcass, which has not been ritually slaughtered, rendering it unkosher, so that it is tamei, unclean. Sheratzim, creeping creatures, in various sizes and physical build, may not be eaten. Bugs and insects, both land and water based, are restricted from Jewish consumption. They are all included under the…

Home -> 5780 -> Tzav

וישחט ויקח משה מדמו ויתן על תנוך אזן אהרן הימנית

Sruly Schnair In Tzav, 5780

And (Moshe) he slaughtered (the ram), and Moshe took from the blood and put it on Aharon’s ear. (8:23)

Moshe Rabbeinu was concluding his brief tenure as Kohen Gadol. Soon, his older brother, Aharon HaKohen, would be invested in the Kehunah Gedulah, High Priesthood, with his descendants following him as Kohanim. Moshe slaughtered the ayil ha’miluim, inauguration ram. It was a Korban Shelamim, Peace-Offering, with this service serving as the conclusion of the process by which the Kohanim were consecrated for their new role in Jewish life. In this pasuk, the word vayishchat, “and he slaughtered,” has the trop, cantillation mark, shalsheles, a sign which rarely appears in the Torah and which gives great emphasis to the word upon…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5780

יעשה פרעה ויפקד פקדים על הרארץ וחמש את ארץ מצרים בשבע שני השבע

Sruly Schnair In 5780, Mikeitz

Let Pharaoh proceed and let him appoint overseers on the land, and he shall prepare the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. (41:34)

Yosef gave Pharaoh sound advice: Prepare during the seven years of abundance for a time in which food would be nothing more than a dream (or a nightmare). We do not focus on the periods of adversity when we are surrounded by plenty. We are unable to imagine what it means to be hungry while we are eating a succulent piece of meat. That is human nature. A chacham, wise person, has the vision to transcend his natural proclivity and see another time, another circumstance, when all will not be good, when every morsel of food will be considered a…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5780

ויקרא יוסף את שם הבכור מנשה כי נשני אלקים את כל עמלי ואת כל בית אבי

Sruly Schnair In 5780, Mikeitz

Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menashe, for “G-d has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.” (41:51)

Is it possible that Yosef lauded forgetting his father’s home, the home of Yaakov Avinu, the b’chir haAvos, chosen of the Patriarchs? Certainly not. Yosef HaTzaddik would certainly not be so crass as to name his firstborn with a name that indicated the severance of his relationship with the past. Horav Yisrael Salanter, zl, explains that Yosef lauded his self-imposed amnesia concerning his brothers’ hatred toward him and their consequent selling him to the caravan of Arabs that brought him to Egypt. It was a great challenge to look to the future while ignoring the past. He wanted to remember…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5780

אנכי אערבנו מידי תבקשנו... וחטאתי לך כל הימים

Sruly Schnair In 5780, Mikeitz

I will personally guarantee him; of my own hand you can demand him… and I will have sinned to you for all time. (43:9)

Rashi explains Yehudah’s statement: “I will have sinned to you for all time” implies that Yehudah’s sin will transcend this world and will be held against him even in Olam Habba, the World to Come. This is a powerful commitment on the part of Yehudah. He is willing to accept banishment from both worlds, should he fail to bring Binyamin back to his father. Why was it necessary for Yehudah to make such a strong promise? Yaakov Avinu would have believed him even had he not promised to relinquish his Olam Habba. Horav Reuven Karlinstein, zl, explains that by accepting…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5780

אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף

Sruly Schnair In 5780, Vayeishev

These are the chronicles of Yaakov: Yosef. (37:2)

While the word toldos is usually translated as offspring, in this pasuk it means chronicles, since the only offspring of Yaakov Avinu that the pasuk mentions is Yosef. Rashi explains why the Torah applies the term toldos to Yosef more so than to any of his brothers. First, Yaakov worked for Lavan in order to get Rachel Imeinu, Yosef’s mother, as his wife. Second, Yosef’s countenance closely resembled that of Yaakov. Third, whatever happened to Yaakov (so to speak), happened to Yosef: Yaakov was hated by his brother; so, too, was Yosef (obviously for different reasons); Yaakov’s brother sought to…

Home -> 5780 -> Vayishlach

ויאמר עשו יש לי רב ויאמר ויעקב ...וכי יש לי כל

Sruly Schnair In Vayishlach, 5780

And Eisav said, “I have much, And Yaakov said, I have everything.” (33:9,11)

The Chafetz Chaim, zl, states that the varied comments concerning their individual material bounty that Yaakov Avinu and Eisav ha’rasha expressed define their individual outlook on olam hazeh, this world. Eisav contended that he had much; a term that implied he could use more. With such an attitude, he would always seek more. One who has one hundred is dissatisfied. He now wants two hundred. He never has enough. On the other hand, Yaakov declared that he had everything. Material assets had little worth to Yaakov. He got by on what he had and what he had was all that…

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בדד ישב מחוץ למחנה מושבו

He shall dwell in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:46)

כי תבואו אל ארץ כנען ... ונתתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחוזתכם

When you arrive in the land of Canaan… and I will place a tzaraas affliction upon a house in the land of your possession. (14:34)

ויהי ביום השמיני קרא משה לאהרון ולבניו ולזקני ישראל

It was on the eighth day, Moshe summoned Aharon and his sons, and the elders of Yisrael. (9:1)

אל תשקצו את נפשתיכם בכל השרץ השרץ ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם

Do not make your souls abominable by means of any teeming thing; do not contaminate yourselves through them lest you become contaminated through them. (11:43)

וישחט ויקח משה מדמו ויתן על תנוך אזן אהרן הימנית

And (Moshe) he slaughtered (the ram), and Moshe took from the blood and put it on Aharon’s ear. (8:23)

יעשה פרעה ויפקד פקדים על הרארץ וחמש את ארץ מצרים בשבע שני השבע

Let Pharaoh proceed and let him appoint overseers on the land, and he shall prepare the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. (41:34)

ויקרא יוסף את שם הבכור מנשה כי נשני אלקים את כל עמלי ואת כל בית אבי

Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menashe, for “G-d has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.” (41:51)

אנכי אערבנו מידי תבקשנו... וחטאתי לך כל הימים

I will personally guarantee him; of my own hand you can demand him… and I will have sinned to you for all time. (43:9)

אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף

These are the chronicles of Yaakov: Yosef. (37:2)

ויאמר עשו יש לי רב ויאמר ויעקב ...וכי יש לי כל

And Eisav said, “I have much, And Yaakov said, I have everything.” (33:9,11)

YEARS

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