Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

והבריח התיכן בתוך הקרשים מבריח מן הקצה אל הקצה

The middle bar inside the planks shall extend from end to end. (26:28)

The Briach HaTichon was an amazing component of the Mishkan. It basically kept the walls together, thus stabilizing the Mishkan structure. The Targum Yonasan ben Uziel explains how this pillar functioned. Avraham Avinu planted a tree in Beer Sheva. When Klal Yisrael walked through the miraculously split Red Sea, the angels uprooted the tree and flung it into the sea. The tree floated on top of the water. At that point, an angel proclaimed, “This tree was originally planted by the Patriarch Avraham; it was at this tree that the Patriarch would pray and call out to others in the…

Home -> 5774 -> Terumah

ועשית את הקרשים למשכן עצי שטים עמדים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5774

You shall make the planks of the Mishkan of Shittim wood, standing erect. (26:15)

Chazal teach that the Kerashim, Planks, of the Mishkan were from a tree, she’eino oseh peiros, that was non fruit-bearing. One would think that the edifice from which such holiness emanated would have had walls that symbolized the future. What could be more symbolic of the future than bearing fruit? Yet, this is exactly what the Torah does not want. Dayan Moshe Swift, zl, explains that when the walls are comprised of fruit-bearing wood, there is always the fear that one might begin to think that it is the edifice that generates holiness, that the building itself is the primary…

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והיו הכרבים... ופניהם איש אל אחיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5774

And the Keruvim… and their faces toward one another (25:20)

The Talmud Bava Basra 99a debates how the Keruvim stood. What position toward one another did they maintain? One opinion posits that they stood with their faces toward one another, while the other opinion is that they faced toward the House, i.e., eastward towards the Holy. The question raised from the pasuk which states: u’pneihem laBayis, “With their faces toward the House,” is resolved by Chazal, who distinguish between: b’zman she’Yisrael osin retzono shel Makom, “when the nation does the will of Hashem,” when the Keruvim faced one another; and when the nation did not perform the will of Hashem,…

Home -> 5774 -> Terumah

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את תרומתי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5774

And let them take for Me a portion, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My portion. (25:2)

The Yerushalmi Terumos 1:5:5 states that five individuals are excluded from giving Terumah, the designated tithe of grain given to the Kohen. They are a: cheresh, deaf – who speaks but does not hear; shoteh– imbecile; katan – young child; toreim es she’eino shelo – one who contributes from funds that are not his; oveid kochavim – idol worshipper/gentile, even if he is giving money which belongs to a Jew. I was perusing through some old seforim and came across a volume of drashos, homilies, from rabbanim written some fifty years ago. From a homiletic perspective, they were quite good….

Home -> 5774 -> Tazria

וראה הכהן את הנגע... וראהו הכהן וטמא אתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5774

The Kohen shall look at the affliction on the skin… the Kohen shall look at it and declare him contaminated. (13:3)

The Kohen is looking at the same nega, plague, – once; yet, the Torah writes that he sees/looks twice. Why is there a redundancy? The Meshech Chochmah offers a powerful insight to explain that, in fact, the Kohen is instructed to have a “double take,” look twice: once at the plague; and once at the person who manifests the plague. In the Talmud Moed Katan 7b, Chazal quote the pasuk, “U’b’yom heiraos bo; ‘On the day that healthy flesh appears in it” (Vayikra 13:14).’ There are days during which you (Kohen) may view the nega, and there are days when…

Home -> 5774 -> Tazria

אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5774

If a person will have on the skin of his flesh a seis, or a sapachas. (13:2)

The Torah details various forms of tzaraas, which is often incorrectly translated as “leprosy.” It is a spiritual illness that manifests itself in the body by displaying white spots on one’s skin, similar to leprosy. The Sifsei Kohen posits that the words seis and sapachas allude to two spiritual deficiencies which catalyze the tzaraas. Seis is connected to hisnasus, elevating/lording oneself over others, raising himself above those around him. Such a person walks with an upright gait as if to “push up against the Shechinah” Who towers over everyone, melo kol ha’aretz Kevodo, “The entire earth is filled with His…

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תביא כבש בן שנתו לעלה ובן יונה או תר לחטאת... וכפר עליה הכהן וטהרה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5774

She shall bring a sheep within its first year for an Elevation-offering and a young dove or a turtle dove for a Sin-offering… and the Kohen shall provide atonement for her and she shall leave purified. (12:6,8)

The new mother is required to bring a korban, sacrifice, to atone – for what? This woman just brought a new neshamah, soul, into the world. She should be the recipient of accolades. Yet, she must bring a korban to atone for herself. Chazal teach that Moshiach will not arrive until all of the neshamos that are “waiting” in Heaven are born. She, in fact, was mekareiv, brought closer, the geulah, Final Redemption. Still, she must bring a korban for atonement. Chazal address this question and explain that, because during the extreme pangs of childbirth she had uttered an oath,…

Home -> 5774 -> Tazria

אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר... אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5774

When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male… if a person will have on the skin of his flesh a seis, or a sapachas. (12:2) (13:2)

As happens often, I received a call from a father who was celebrating his son’s bar-mitzvah on Parashas Tazria, and he wanted something to say for a Dvar Torah. Obviously, I had written Parashas Tazria a few weeks ahead of time. After giving it some thought, I began to wonder: What is the connection between Parashas Tazria and bar-mitzvah? The question actually goes deeper. Tazria begins with the laws concerning a woman who gives birth, the korbanos she should offer after a period of time and other laws connected with birth. The Torah then moves on to the laws of…

Home -> 5774 -> Tazria

אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5774

When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male. (12:2)

Many people travel the road of life, remaining clueless about what is happening around them. We do not stop to think, to ask ourselves: What just happened? Why did it occur? What does it have to do with me? If nothing actually “bad” happens to us, we continue in our life with business as usual. Isha ki sazria – v’yalda zachar. We take so many things for granted. Chazal quote the pasuk in Tehillim 139:5, Achor vakedem tzartani, “Back and front, You have formed me.” This pasuk refers to the initial creation of man as an androgynous being, as male…

Home -> 5774 -> Shoftim

מי האיש אשר בנה בית... מי האיש אשר נטע כרם... ומי האיש אשר ארש אשה... ילך וישב לביתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shoftim, 5774

Who is the man who built a new house… and who is the man who has planted a vineyard… and who is the man who had betrothed a woman… Let him go and return to his house. (20:5,6,7,8)

The Torah exempts the fellow who has recently built a home, planted a vineyard, or betrothed a young woman from going into battle. These people will not be good soldiers, since their minds are preoccupied with what they have left at home. Interestingly, if someone owns a huge estate, has many orchards, or has a wife and seven children – he does not go home. Why? Does one who has great wealth and familial responsibilities have less on his mind than the poor fellow who has one small home, brand new vineyard, or has just become united with a woman?…

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והבריח התיכן בתוך הקרשים מבריח מן הקצה אל הקצה

The middle bar inside the planks shall extend from end to end. (26:28)

ועשית את הקרשים למשכן עצי שטים עמדים

You shall make the planks of the Mishkan of Shittim wood, standing erect. (26:15)

והיו הכרבים... ופניהם איש אל אחיו

And the Keruvim… and their faces toward one another (25:20)

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את תרומתי

And let them take for Me a portion, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My portion. (25:2)

וראה הכהן את הנגע... וראהו הכהן וטמא אתו

The Kohen shall look at the affliction on the skin… the Kohen shall look at it and declare him contaminated. (13:3)

אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת

If a person will have on the skin of his flesh a seis, or a sapachas. (13:2)

תביא כבש בן שנתו לעלה ובן יונה או תר לחטאת... וכפר עליה הכהן וטהרה

She shall bring a sheep within its first year for an Elevation-offering and a young dove or a turtle dove for a Sin-offering… and the Kohen shall provide atonement for her and she shall leave purified. (12:6,8)

אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר... אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת

When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male… if a person will have on the skin of his flesh a seis, or a sapachas. (12:2) (13:2)

אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר

When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male. (12:2)

מי האיש אשר בנה בית... מי האיש אשר נטע כרם... ומי האיש אשר ארש אשה... ילך וישב לביתו

Who is the man who built a new house… and who is the man who has planted a vineyard… and who is the man who had betrothed a woman… Let him go and return to his house. (20:5,6,7,8)

YEARS

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