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Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ד' לישראל

Sruly Schnair
In Yisro, 5786

Yisro rejoiced over all the good that Hashem had done for Yisrael. (18:9)

Rashi translates va’yichad Yisro as va’yismach Yisro, as rejoicing over the salvation of Am Yisrael. The Brisker Rav, zl (cited by Horav Eliyahu Baruch Finkel, zl) explains Yisro’s b’rachah as a blessing of gomeil, gratitude to Hashem. We would normally think that the person who recites the blessing is none other than the direct beneficiary of Hashem’s favor. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 219:4), however, rules that one can fulfill his obligation to bless through the medium of his fellow’s blessing. This means that “Reuven” can bentch gomeil for “Shimon,” and Shimon will have properly discharged his religious duty to…

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Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר

Sruly Schnair
In Yisro, 5786

And Yisrael encamped there, opposite the mountain. (19:2)

Rashi notes that the verb, va’yichan, they encamped, is written in the singular, rather than in the plural, va’yachanu. This teaches us that the huge multitude of people, which comprised the nation that was about to receive the Torah, was camped k’ish echad, b’lev echad, like a single person with one heart. Klal Yisrael’s unity is critical to its survival as a Torah nation. Only when they were united in their goal of hearing and accepting the d’var Hashem, word of G-d, would they be ready to receive the Torah. A number of points concerning the concept of k’ish echad…

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Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

Sruly Schnair
In Yisro, 5786

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be lengthened. (20:12)

We wonder why the Torah chooses to write yaarichun, they will lengthen, rather than aarich, I will lengthen. It is as if the Torah were saying that, by honoring your parents, you cause your children to lengthen your life. Horav Chaim Meir, zl, m’Vishnitz, answered this question after first relating an incident in which three sons/brothers sought his advice concerning their aged father’s care. Apparently, they felt it was difficult for them, and the question on the table was: Do they continue with home care with its various difficulties, or move him to a nursing home? The Rebbe (Imrei Chaim)…

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Home -> 5786 -> Beshalach

ולא נחם אלקים דרך ארץ פלשתים כי קרוב הוא

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5786

Hashem did not lead them by way of the land of Plishtim, because it was near. (13:17)

Our lives are filled with miracles.  Yet, we do not take the time or make the effort to study them and to employ them as a pathway for deepening our bitachon, trust, in Hashem.  When Klal Yisrael left Egypt, two paths were before them: the short and easy route through the land of Plishtim; the long circuitous route through the wilderness.  Rabbeinu Chananel (quoted by Rabbeinu Bachya) explains that Hashem chose the long way which, albeit took them through the wilderness, provided the opportunity for exposure to additional miracles.  A trip straight through Plishtim would not have availed them the…

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Home -> 5786 -> Beshalach

וישאו בני ישראל את עיניהם והנה מצרים נסע אחריהם. וייראו מאד ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5786

And Bnei Yisrael raised their eyes and behold! Egypt was journeying after them, and they were very frightened. Bnei Yisrael cried out to Hashem. (14:10)

The euphoria connected with the liberation and exodus from Egypt lasted until the nation saw Pharaoh and his army in pursuit.  Some prayed fervently to Hashem for salvation.  Prayer is our key to reaching Hashem and petitioning Him to annul whatever decree hangs over our heads.  Others were frozen in fear. They sadly complained that they would have settled for remaining in Egypt as long as their slavery would have ended.  Hashem responded that this was not a time for prayer, but rather for positive action, for mesiras nefesh, a display of their faith in Him and a willingness to…

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Home -> 5786 -> Beshalach

ולא יכלו לשתות מים ממרה כי מרים הם ... ויצעק אל ד' ויורהו ד' עץ וישלך אל המים וימתקו המים

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5786

But they could not drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter … He cried out to Hashem, and He showed him a tree, he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. (15:23,25)

Horav Yechezkel Abramsky, zl, related the following homiletic rendering of these pesukim.  (Apparently, he had heard the exposition from a Chassidic Jew.)  On the surface, the pesukim relate that, when Klal Yisrael came to a place which was (later) called Marah, bitter, they found the drinking water to be bitter.  As a result, they were unable to drink, and they questioned the choice of rest area.  Moshe Rabbeinu prayed to Hashem, Who instructed him to throw a certain tree into the water, and it became sweet.  Water is a metaphor for Torah.  Be’er chafaruah sarim, “Well that the princes dug”…

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Home -> 5786 -> Bo

עד מתי מאנת לענות מפני

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5786

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? (10:3)

Horav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zl, asks, if we were to bring Pharaoh to trial before the International Court in The Hague — what would this evil man be convicted of?  Pharaoh’s sins were monstrous, even by the standards of the most brutal, sadistic tyrants of history.  Mass murder, enslavement, cruelty beyond imagination – all crimes against humanity, deserving of the most painful punishment.  Yet, the Torah does not list these atrocities as an indictment against Pharaoh.  The only thing the Torah writes is: “You refused!”  Pharaoh refused to acknowledge Hashem as the One behind the punishment.  He ignored the obvious…

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Home -> 5786 -> Bo

קדש לי כל בכור פטר כל רחם בבני ישראל באדם ובבהמה לי הוא

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5786

Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first issue of every womb, among Bnei Yisrael, of man and beast, is Mine. (13:2)

Chazal (Pesikta Rabbasi Parsha 14) cited by Horav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Shlita, relates the following story.  A Jew owned a cow.  This was his sole source of livelihood.  Unfortunately, his small parcel of land was not producing sufficiently, forcing him to sell his cow to a gentile.  He received a good price which would sustain him until his economic situation would take a positive turn.  The gentile was very happy with the cow, and he had it plow his field on a daily basis.  Come Shabbos, something strange happened with the cow:  it refused to plow.  No coaxing, no beating –…

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Home -> 5786 -> Bo

זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5786

Remember this day on which you departed from Egypt. (13:3)

Memory and the joy of remembering seminal moments in our history are among the cornerstones of Jewish life.  As such, we are a nation who, although we live in the present, we neither forget nor take for granted the lessons of the past.  As Klal Yisrael is about to prepare for its liberation from the Egyptian exile, they were repeatedly exhorted to remember that they were once slaves, and Hashem in His infinite kindness redeemed them from bondage.  In the Haggadah, we underscore this obligation with, B’chol dor vador chayiv adam liros es atzmo k’ilu hu yatza mi’Mitzrayim, “In every…

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Home -> 5786 -> Bo

והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5786

You shall relate to your son on that day. (13:8)

One might ask why the Torah emphasizes bincha, your son, rather than talmidcha, your student?  After all, every Jew bears the collective responsibility of v’shinantam l’vanecha, which is explained, “You shall teach Torah to all of Klal Yisrael” – not only to one’s biological children.  Why is the father-son relationship underscored? Perhaps the Torah seeks to impart an important message.  The foundation of Jewish continuity is bolstered in the yeshivah, bais ha’medrash, Bais Yaakov – but it begins at home.  Before one can inspire a talmid he must first connect with his ben.  The mitzvah of v’higadeta l’vincha is not…

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