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Home -> Masei -> 5786

וישב בה עד מות הכהן הגדול

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Masei

(The unintentional murderer) shall dwell there (in the Ir Miklat) until the death of the Kohen Gadol. (35:25

Chazal (Makkos 11A) explain why the unintentional murderer’s term is linked to the death of the Kohen Gadol.  As the spiritual leader of the nation, the Kohen Gadol should have prayed on behalf of his nation that unintentional murders not occur. I think the value of human life plays a critical role in any form of murder – other than pure accident, for which there is no punishment whatsoever.  The Kohen Gadol represents the epitome of life and a Jew’s purpose in living.  It is not about the physical, the material, or the mundane.  When a person appreciates the greatness…

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Home -> Matos -> 5786

איש כי ידור נדר לד' ... לא יחל דברו ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Matos

If a man takes a vow to Hashem… he shall not desecrate his word, according to whatever shall come from his mouth shall he do. (30:3)

Damesek Eliezer cites a Midrash pliah. Midrash pliah literally means a “wondrous,” “astonishing” Midrash.  This is a Rabbinic statement often found in the broad body of Midrash that is cryptic, puzzling, or seemingly illogical.  It begs elucidation and further analysis.  On the surface, it may sound confusing or even paradoxical.  It is usually a brief statement of few words which is meant to encourage deeper thinking and intellectual intensity.)  “This is what is meant by the pasuk in Sefer Tehillim (49:13), V’adam bikar bal yalin nimshal ka’beheimos nidmu. ‘Man, in honor, does not remain; he is likened to the animals.’” …

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Home -> Matos -> 5786

לא יחל דברו

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Matos

He shall not desecrate his word. (30:3)

Not defiling one’s power of speech consists of two aspects: negative and positive.  One who cheapens or denigrates his speech allows for a spiritual corrosion to set in, just as rust sets in on metal.  Just as rust dulls and weakens a once sharp, smooth utensil, the coarsening of language impedes the spiritual power of his words.  Even when one seeks to do the right thing, to reach out and help his fellow, to offer words of encouragement, uplifting words that would inspire and help him extricate himself from his morose state, the influence for good, the power to inspire…

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Home -> 5786 -> Pinchas

פינחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן השיב את חמתי מעל בני ישראל בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם

Sruly Schnair
In Pinchas, 5786

Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen turned back My wrath from upon aBnei Yisrael, when he zealously avenged My vengeance among them. (25:11)

With his remarkable act of zealotry in killing the two profligate perpetrators – Zimri and Cozbi — Pinchas turned the tide of blatant immorality and saved the nation from destruction.  His proactive stand earned him a place in the Priesthood, such that eventually every Kohen Gadol would descend from his lineage.  A leader is generally expected to be calm, deliberate, patient and decisive, reflecting deep sensitivity and empathy for the needs and emotions of every individual.  Pinchas was less-than-passive, responding to the flagrant desecration of Hashem’s Name and Moshe’s leadership with deliberate decisiveness.  This was a moment of urgency when…

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Home -> 5786 -> Pinchas

וסמכת את ידך עליו

Sruly Schnair
In Pinchas, 5786

And lean your hand upon him. (27:18)

Part of the transference of leadership from Moshe Rabbeinu to Yehoshua was semichas yadayim, whereby Moshe placed his hands on Yehoshua.  Clearly, much more than simple symbolism is involved here.  Horav Moshe Feinstein, zl, suggests that it was meant to symbolize that Yehoshua should be attached — and subordinate to — Moshe throughout his life, so that he should direct his mind and focus on the truth that Moshe received from Hashem Himself.  Throughout the generations, Rebbe to talmid has conferred semichah, which we translate as ordination, but has a deeper significance.  A chain of Torah transmission of the Mesorah…

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Home -> 5786 -> Balak

הן עם לבדד ישכן

Sruly Schnair
In Balak, 5786

They are a nation unto themselves. (23:9)

The Jews who sinned in Shittim did not have the option to return.  Their sin demanded an immediate Heavenly response.  Bilaam was well aware of this.  He knew that Hashem had forgiven (to an extent) the sin of the Golden Calf.  The punishment for the sin of the meraglim, spies, was meted out over the remainder of their journey – albeit they were no longer worthy of entering Eretz Yisrael.  What about Shittim claimed their lives?  Horav Shimshon Pincus, zl, explains that, as long as the sin/discord remains within the “family,” behind closed doors, no room exists for negotiation.  Once…

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Home -> 5786 -> Chukas

ותמת שם מרים ותקבר שם

Sruly Schnair
In Chukas, 5786

And Miriam died there, and she was buried there. (Bamidbar 20:1)

Miriam HaNeviah is a study in contrasts, a striking paradox of leadership without fanfare.  While she is known for her far-from-passive leadership and for her merit in sustaining the nation with water for forty years, she did not seek recognition.  Indeed, it is under such tension – true leadership and devotion to truth – that her greatness emerged.  Her most outstanding merit, which she manifested time and again, was her unyielding emunah, faith in Hashem.  She did not wait for a miracle to buttress her faith.  She anticipated it as if it were already a reality. Let us peruse a…

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Home -> 5786 -> Korach

ויקח קרח ... ויקהלו על משה ועל אהרן

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5786

Korach…separated himself…They gathered together against Moshe and against Aharon. (16:1,3)

The controversy Korach initiated against Moshe Rabbeinu serves as the paradigm of a machlokes shelo l’shem Shomayim – a dispute that is not for the sake of Heaven.  Korach rebelled against Moshe Rabbeinu and, by extension, against Hashem and His Torah. Chazal teach that such a dispute is destined not to endure, for it is rooted, not in truth, but in ego and self-interest. What is a machlokes?  The word is rooted in chelek – a portion, a division. A baal machlokes is one who separates himself from others, creating fragmentation where there should be unity.  He does not merely…

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Home -> 5786 -> Korach

ויקח קרח

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5786

Korach separated himself. (16:1)

I had a rebbe in yeshivah who would emphasize to me (more often than I care to admit) that a person who is wearing blue-colored lenses will always see blue.  This was his way of telling me that I was looking at things through a distorted, self-serving perspective.  The most compelling tragedy of Korach (among the many tragedies of Korach) was not merely the argument that he promoted, but the manner in which he misused the greatness with which he had been endowed. Hashem grants a person gifts: talent, perception, emotional depth, even flashes of Ruach HaKodesh, Divine Inspiration.  These…

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Home -> 5786 -> Korach

ויקח קרח

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5786

Korach…separated himself. (16:1)

Machlokes, discord, controversy, is one of the most destructive forces in a person’s life.  It does not merely create disagreement – it consumes perspective, distorts judgment, and unravels long-time relationships to the point that it can erode one’s entire quality of life.  At the root of the problem is that, in the heat of discord, a person loses himself.  It suddenly becomes only about “me.”  The need to be right, to win, to prove my point, takes center stage over the truth.  It is no longer about clarity, but validation.  The individual denigrates the actions of his antagonist, because after…

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