Challenge – Page 28 – Peninim on the Torah

ויאמר בא אחיך במרמה ויקח ברכתך

But he (Yitzchak) said, “Your brother came with cleverness and took your blessing.” (27:35)

That Yaakov Avinu received the blessings from Yitzchak Avinu under what seems to have been a surreptitious method has been a major point of contention presented to challenge those who adhere to the Patriarch’s way of life. Veritably, the question is glaring: Why did Hashem cause the blessings that apparently belonged to Eisav to go instead to Yaakov? One who studies the gist of the blessings notes that they are physical in nature, promising material bounty. Is this really what Yaakov wanted? The Patriarch was devoted to his spiritual development: Why would he want a blessing that guaranteed him abundant…

Home -> Shemos -> 5774

ויגדל משה ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם וירא איש מצרי מכה איש עברי מאחיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Shemos

And Moshe grew up and went out to his brethren and observed their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, of his brethren. (2:11)

Rashi’s famous comment tells it all: Nassan einav v’libo liheyos meitzar aleihem, “He applied his eyes and heart (to see their suffering and) grieve with them.” The Melitzer Rebbe, Shlita, observes that Hashem has given us a mitzvah to protect our eyes from gazing at anything that will cause us spiritual harm. V’lo sassuru acharei levavchem v’acharei eineichem, “And (do) not explore after your heart and after your eyes” (Bamidbar 15:39). To explore with our eyes can be quite dangerous to our spiritual health. This is why we are admonished concerning shemiras ha’einayim, guarding/ protecting our eyes from those areas…

Home -> 5774 -> Nitzavim

ראה נתתי לפניך היום את החיים ואת הטוב ואת המות ואת הרע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Nitzavim, 5774

See – I have placed before you today the life and the good, and the death and the evil. (30:15)

The Torah informs us that the choice between a life devoted to Torah principles versus one that is not is tantamount to the choice between life and death. Two lessons are to be derived from this pasuk. First, Torah is the path to life; a life without Torah is the path to death. It is as simple as that. Torah is equated with good and life. No Torah is compared to evil and death. Second, the choices are equal. Torah is pure life; no Torah is pure death. They are commensurate. No grey areas exist. It is all black and…

Home -> 5774 -> Shelach

ונהי בעינינו כחגבים וכן היינו בעיניהם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5774

We were like grasshoppers in our eyes, also we were in their eyes. (13:33)

Probably the most common catalyst for sinful behavior is low self-esteem, which is often the precursor of depression. While depression alone is not a sin, it leads one to commit the most egregious transgressions. When one thinks ill of himself, he has little reason to act positively. After all, who cares? This, explains the Kotzker Rebbe, zl, was the motivation for the sin perpetrated by the meraglim, spies. They felt worthless; they had no chance of overcoming such a strong nation. Their negativity was infectious, causing the entire nation to feel bereft of their leadership. They all began to cry….

Home -> 5774 -> Re'eh

ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך והרבך כאשר נשבע לאבתיך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Re'eh, 5774

And He will give you mercy and be merciful to you and multiply you, as He swore to your forefathers. (13:18)

When someone is charged with carrying out an execution, it can have a strong negative effect on his sensitivities. After all, it means taking the life of another human being. This emotion is exacerbated when it involves the mass execution of an entire Jewish city of men, women, children — even livestock. Such action takes its toll on the most compassionate person, rendering him callous to suffering. Thus, Hashem promises the nation that the executioners, who carry out this most difficult punishment, will be infused with a Heavenly-sponsored dose of compassion to counteract the soulless nature of their work. Once…

Home -> 5774 -> Re'eh

כי יקום בקרבך נביא... ונתן אליך אות או מופת... ובא האות והמופת... לא תשמע אל דברי הנביא ההוא... כי מנסה ד' אלקיכם אתכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Re'eh, 5774

If there should stand in your midst a prophet… and he will produce to you a sign or a wonder… and the sign or the wonder comes about… do not listen to the words of that prophet… for Hashem, your G-d, is testing you. (13:2,3,4)

The false prophet attempts to sway the nation away from Hashem, to seduce the people to worship idols, by offering “proof” that he is the “real thing” and that his message is Heaven sent. He produces a miracle, a wonder that is undeniable, that gets the people thinking: “Is it possible? Could he be for real?” Hashem instructs us not to listen to him, because he is part of a test to ascertain and confirm our nation’s true conviction. Do we truly believe in Hashem, or is it only a matter of convenience, something we do as long as there…

Home -> 5774 -> Noach

ויחל נח איש האדמה ויטע כרם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5774

Noach, the man of the earth, debased himself and planted a vineyard. (9:20)

The Midrash comments: Vayichal Noach, “He (Noach) was nischalleil, profaned. Why? Vayita kerem, ‘He planted a vine.’” He should have planted something else. Chazal are teaching us that, from the get-go, planting the vineyard was a disgraceful, baneful act. The fact that Noach later drank from the fruits of the vine and became inebriated is merely the consequence of his earlier chillul, profanation. Elsewhere, Chazal state; Vayichal Noach ish ha’adamah, “Since he (Noach) required the earth, he became profaned.” Originally, he was referred to as Noach ish tzaddik, “the righteous man.” Now that he planted a vineyard, he was transformed…

Home -> 5774 -> Mishpatim

אם חבל תחבל שמלת רעך עד בא השמש תשיבנו לו. כי היא כסותה לבדה הוא שמלותו לערו במה ישכב והיה כי יצעק אלי ושמעתי כי חנון אני

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Mishpatim, 5774

If you take your fellow’s garment as security, until sunset shall you return it to him. For it alone is his clothing, it is his garment for his skin – in what should he lie down? So it will be that if he cries out to Me, I shall listen, for I am compassionate. (22:25,26)

Rarely do we find the Torah explaining the reason behind a mitzvah so thoroughly as it does in this case. Theoretically, the Torah is presenting an argument for returning the borrower’s garment before nightfall. Indeed, the Torah goes so far as to give three reasons for returning the garment: it is his only garment; “it covers his skin”; “in what shall he lie down?” One would expect the rav who was making an appeal on behalf of the less fortunate members of his community to emphasize these points. This, however, is not the Torah’s way. It presents the law without…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5774

על כן באה אלינו הצרה הזאת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Mikeitz

This is why this anguish has come upon us. (42:21)

The brothers introspected when they saw a series of misfortunes coming upon them. They realized that these had not been isolated occurrences, but rather, a punishment of sorts. But, for what? These were righteous men who did nothing without first consulting halachah. They felt that they had adjudicated Yosef’s sale in accordance with the halachah, stating that a rodef, pursuer, who threatens one’s life must be dealt with. Yet, Hashem still found something wrong with their actions. Otherwise, they would not be in this predicament. It must be their lack of compassion in the manner in which they carried out…

Home -> 5774 -> Lech Lecha

ואברכה ואגדלה שמך והיה ברכה. ואברכה מברכיך ומקללך אאר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5774

I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you, I will curse. (12:2)

Avraham HaIvri is the name given to our first Patriarch, the individual who, with his own cognitive ability, was able to understand what had eluded an entire world: there is a Creator; He is One; He is the G-d of Creation and of history. With simple – but penetrating – logic, Avraham reached out to a pagan society and imbued them with faith and conviction in the Almighty. Yet, he was all alone, literally b’eiver echad, on one side – the opposing side of everybody else. Hence, the name Avraham HaIvri. We, his descendants, are heirs to this proud appellation,…

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ויאמר בא אחיך במרמה ויקח ברכתך

But he (Yitzchak) said, “Your brother came with cleverness and took your blessing.” (27:35)

ויגדל משה ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם וירא איש מצרי מכה איש עברי מאחיו

And Moshe grew up and went out to his brethren and observed their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, of his brethren. (2:11)

ראה נתתי לפניך היום את החיים ואת הטוב ואת המות ואת הרע

See – I have placed before you today the life and the good, and the death and the evil. (30:15)

ונהי בעינינו כחגבים וכן היינו בעיניהם

We were like grasshoppers in our eyes, also we were in their eyes. (13:33)

ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך והרבך כאשר נשבע לאבתיך

And He will give you mercy and be merciful to you and multiply you, as He swore to your forefathers. (13:18)

כי יקום בקרבך נביא... ונתן אליך אות או מופת... ובא האות והמופת... לא תשמע אל דברי הנביא ההוא... כי מנסה ד' אלקיכם אתכם

If there should stand in your midst a prophet… and he will produce to you a sign or a wonder… and the sign or the wonder comes about… do not listen to the words of that prophet… for Hashem, your G-d, is testing you. (13:2,3,4)

ויחל נח איש האדמה ויטע כרם

Noach, the man of the earth, debased himself and planted a vineyard. (9:20)

אם חבל תחבל שמלת רעך עד בא השמש תשיבנו לו. כי היא כסותה לבדה הוא שמלותו לערו במה ישכב והיה כי יצעק אלי ושמעתי כי חנון אני

If you take your fellow’s garment as security, until sunset shall you return it to him. For it alone is his clothing, it is his garment for his skin – in what should he lie down? So it will be that if he cries out to Me, I shall listen, for I am compassionate. (22:25,26)

על כן באה אלינו הצרה הזאת

This is why this anguish has come upon us. (42:21)

ואברכה ואגדלה שמך והיה ברכה. ואברכה מברכיך ומקללך אאר

I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you, I will curse. (12:2)

YEARS

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