Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

לא מרבכם מכל העמים חשק ד' בכם ויבחר בכם כי אתם המעט מכל העמים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5774

Not because you are numerous than all the peoples did Hashem desire you and choose you, for you are the fewest of all peoples. (7:7)

Toward the end of the parsha, the Torah describes Hashem’s relationship with Klal Yisrael, claiming that it has nothing to do with our being numerous – because we are not. We are a minority among nations. Because we are the fewest of peoples, however, Hashem has decided to bestow His love on us. Rashi explains that size does not actually play a significant role in determining our relationship. Rather, “fewest” means we minimize ourselves, like Avraham Avinu who said, V’Anochi afar va’eifar, ‘I am but dust and ashes” (Bereishis 18:27) and like Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen, who said, Va’anachnu…

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ולא תתאוה בית רעך... וכל אשר לרעך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5774

You shall not desire your friend’s house… or anything that belongs to your fellow. (5:18)

In Pirkei Avos, the Tanna underscores the egregious nature of envy. Hakinah, v’hataavah, v’hakavod motziin es ha’adam min ha’olam, “Jealousy, lust and glory remove a man from the world.” The sequence of these deficient character traits intimates that envy has garnered first place. Indeed, it all starts with envy, moves on to lust and self-aggrandizement. The triple crown removes a person from the world – or, perhaps, each one has a negative effect on a person. Regardless, we see that kinah is the worst of the bunch. When one is obsessed with the possessions which his friend has, he may…

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ויום השביעי שבת לד' אלקיך לא תעשה כל מלאכה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5774

But the seventh day is Shabbos to Hashem your G-d; you shall not do any work. (5:14)

Shabbos is much more than the catchword for the day of rest or the prohibition against laboring. Shabbos represents a covenant between Klal Yisrael and Hashem. It is a principle of our faith that Hashem created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, proclaiming it holy. By not observing Shabbos, one impugns the belief in Hashem as Creator of the world. Shabbos calls to mind the exodus from Egypt, without which we would have continued as a slave people. As Ibn Ezra observed, “A slave never rests.” Hashem liberated us from the slavery of Egypt and…

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לא תוסיפו... ולא תגרעו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5774

You shall not add… nor shall you subtract from it. (4:2)

The Torah is complete. It requires no addition and no subtraction. If Hashem has commanded us to perform a mitzvah in a specific manner, it is perfect in the manner it was given. To append or amend is to impugn the integrity of Hashem’s command. Thus, the mitzvah of Lulav is comprised of four species – not two or five; Tzitzis are fringes on the four corners of a garment – not five or three. While it is understandable that one may not diminish from Hashem’s word, but what is wrong with giving a little extra? Why place restrictions on…

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ואלעזר בן אהרן הכהן לקח לו מבנות פוטיאל לו לאשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5774

Elazar, son of Aharon HaKohen, took for himself from the daughters of Putiel as a wife. (6:25)

Rashi explains that the name Putiel alludes to two of the ancestor’s of Elazar’s wife. She was of the seed of Yisro, she’piteim agalos l’avodah zarah, “who fattened the calves for idol worship,” prior to his learning about and accepting the true G-d. Also, she was of the seed of Yosef who is called Putiel, she’piteim b’yitzro, “he overcame his evil-inclination.” In this sense, her father came from either Shevet, the tribe of Efraim or Menashe, and her mother was of the seed of Yisro. Thus, Elazar was either Yisro’s son-in-law or grand-son-in-law. In his commentary to Meseches Sotah 43a,…

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ויקח עמרם את יוכבד דודתו לו לאשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5774

Amram took his aunt, Yocheved, as a wife. (6:20)

As a general rule, we do not find many women’s names mentioned in the Torah. Mentioning Yocheved’s name is, therefore, unanticipated and gives us food for thought. Yocheved gave birth to three pillars of Judaism, leaders who nurtured our nation during its forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, but is this the primary source of her distinction? Horav Arye Leib Heyman, zl, posits that Levi ben Yaakov Avinu named his daughter – as well as his sons – with names that correlated to the mechiras Yosef, the sale of Yosef. He felt a greater sense of guilt and responsibility, since his…

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ולא שמעו אל משה מקצר רוח ומעבודה קשה... הן בני ישראל לא שמעו אלי ואיך ישמעני פרעה. ואני ערל שפתים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5774

But they did not listen to Moshe, because of shortness of breath and hard work… “Behold Bnei Yisrael have not listened to me, so how will Pharaoh listen to me? And I have sealed lips!” (6:9,12)

Rashi observes that Moshe Rabbeinu’s response to Hashem is considered one of the ten kal v’chomer arguments to be found in the Torah. Kal v’chomer translated literally means, “light and weighty.” This refers to the extrapolation from a minor premise to a major one. Thus, Moshe argues, “Behold the Jews (who would want any opportunity to leave) did not listen to me, so how can You expect Pharaoh to listen?” The commentators question this kal v’chomer, since the Torah had already given a reason for the refusal of the people to listen. They had already given up. The persecution had…

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המוציא אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5774

Who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt. (6:7)

The word sivlos, which is translated as “burdens,” is used by the commentators (Kotzker Rebbe, zl) to connote a sense of complacency in adapting to slavery. Thus, sivlos is connected to savlanus, patience, reticence. The Jews had become content, accepting their situation in life, obsequiously willing to submit to being Egyptian slaves. Furthermore, they had become part of Egyptian culture to the point that it had become their culture, their mindset. The Egyptian way of life was not foreign to them; it was not an anathema. It was the way they were willing to live. This bespeaks the galus, exile,…

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קח את אהרן ואת בניו אתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tzav, 5774

Take Aharon and his sons with him. (8:2)

Rashi teaches us how Aharon HaKohen was taken/convinced to perform the avodah, service. Mashcheihu bi’devarim, “draw him with words.” We are being taught an important principle. One should not be pulled to do something against his will. Compelling someone to perform a service which he either is not interested in executing or for which he feels completely incompetent will not produce fruits of success. Whatever inhibitions one has concerning a position must be assuaged via a positive manner if his work is to produce positive results. Aharon HaKohen had serious concerns regarding his own suitability to perform the sacrificial service….

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אם על תודה יקריבנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tzav, 5774

If he shall offer it for a Thanksgiving-offering. (7:12)

Chazal list four instances in which a person should bring a Korban Todah: when he has traveled overseas; when he has traveled through the desert; when he has been released from prison; when he has been cured of an illness. Rabbeinu Bachya supplements this, saying that all instances of joy – such as simchas chassan v’kallah, wedding – are reason for bringing a Korban Todah. The Korban Todah is comprised of forty loaves, thirty of which are matzoh and ten which are chametz. All this must be eaten in the span of a night and a day. For instance, if…

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לא מרבכם מכל העמים חשק ד' בכם ויבחר בכם כי אתם המעט מכל העמים

Not because you are numerous than all the peoples did Hashem desire you and choose you, for you are the fewest of all peoples. (7:7)

ולא תתאוה בית רעך... וכל אשר לרעך

You shall not desire your friend’s house… or anything that belongs to your fellow. (5:18)

ויום השביעי שבת לד' אלקיך לא תעשה כל מלאכה

But the seventh day is Shabbos to Hashem your G-d; you shall not do any work. (5:14)

לא תוסיפו... ולא תגרעו

You shall not add… nor shall you subtract from it. (4:2)

ואלעזר בן אהרן הכהן לקח לו מבנות פוטיאל לו לאשה

Elazar, son of Aharon HaKohen, took for himself from the daughters of Putiel as a wife. (6:25)

ויקח עמרם את יוכבד דודתו לו לאשה

Amram took his aunt, Yocheved, as a wife. (6:20)

ולא שמעו אל משה מקצר רוח ומעבודה קשה... הן בני ישראל לא שמעו אלי ואיך ישמעני פרעה. ואני ערל שפתים

But they did not listen to Moshe, because of shortness of breath and hard work… “Behold Bnei Yisrael have not listened to me, so how will Pharaoh listen to me? And I have sealed lips!” (6:9,12)

המוציא אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים

Who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt. (6:7)

קח את אהרן ואת בניו אתו

Take Aharon and his sons with him. (8:2)

אם על תודה יקריבנו

If he shall offer it for a Thanksgiving-offering. (7:12)

YEARS

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