Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

ואני הנני מביא את המבול מים על הארץ לשחת כל בשר

And as for Me – Behold, I am about to bring the Flood-waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh. (6:17)

The Flood was the greatest destruction of all time in the sense that it destroyed almost the entire world. It came as a Heavenly punishment to a generation of human beings that had gone totally awry. Evil was rampant; immorality was a way of life; idol worship was their mode of religious belief. Hashem gave them 120 years to repent, while Noach, his righteous emissary, labored strenuously building an Ark to save those who would repent. Then He gave them a seven-day reprieve to observe the seven-day shivah, mourning period, for Mesushelach. Perhaps the passing of this righteous person would…

Home -> 5774 -> Noach

וזה אשר תעשה אתה שלש מאות אמה ארך התבה חמשים אמה רחבה ושלשים אמה קומתה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5774

This is how you shall make it: The length of the Ark shall be 300 Amos, its width 50 Amos, and its height 30 Amos. (6:15)

We should not overlook the fact that the Torah records the details of the Ark’s measurements, nor should we fail to notice the Torah’s repeated mention of the fact that Noach follows every detail. Noach’s compliance with every instruction is noted with the words, kein asah, “so he did.” Horav S. R. Hirsch, zl, derives an important lesson from Hashem’s entire act of saving Noach with a select group of representatives of the world’s creatures. Hashem chose one man who was to save himself, his family and the animal world for the future, but that this man would be able…

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כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5774

For the earth is filled with robbery through them. (6:13)

The Midrash teaches that the members of that generation were no ordinary thieves. They made sure to steal less than a shavah perutah, value of a penny, which, according to Jewish law, is not accorded judgment in bais din. Therefore, they were punished by Heaven as a bnei Noach, who are treated differently by law. A ben Noach has seven Noachidic commandments. One of them is the prohibition against stealing. A ben Noach, however, is punished even for stealing less than the value of a perutah. A Jew must steal a perutah in order to be punished. Why is this?…

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כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו על הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5774

For all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. (6:12)

The people must have been extremely evil if Hashem saw no resolution to their sins other than destroying them all – literally putting an end to the world as it existed. How bad actually were they? We know they were immoral; bloodshed meant nothing to them; and we can throw in idol-worship for good measure. Did this warrant an end to society? Was there no one other than Noach that acted in a redeemable manner? The Torah writes, Ki hishchis kol basar, “Everyone – everything had become corrupt.” How bad was their level of corruption? Targum Yonasan ben Uziel gives…

Home -> 5774 -> Naso

כה תברכו את בני ישראל אמור להם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5774

So shall you bless Bnei Yisrael, saying to them. (6:23)

The Kohen who blesses the people has an “approved text” to which he must adhere verbatim. There is no room for the Kohen to supplement the prescribed text stated in the Torah. The Kohen who adds blessing transgresses the prohibition of Es kol hadavar asher Anochi metzaveh eschem oso tishmoru laasos, lo soseif alav v’lo sigra mimenu, “The entire word that I command you, that you shall observe to do; you shall not add to it, and you shall not subtract from it” (Devarim 13:1). In his commentary to the pasuk, Rashi cites examples of Bal Tosif, do not add:…

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כל ימי נדר נזרו... קדש יהיה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5774

All the days of the vow of his nezirus… holy shall he be. (6:5)

The Nazir is unique in that his body becomes consecrated to Hashem. He becomes kadosh, holy, b’kedushas ha’guf, his actual body becomes holy. He is not permitted to become ritually impure to a corpse, even to his closest seven relatives. Why? Ki neizar Elokav al Rosho, “For the crown of his G-d is upon his head” (ibid 6:7). What is the meaning of being the “receptacle” for Hashem’s crown? Why would this be a reason for prohibiting him from becoming contaminated to a corpse? Is he holier than the Kohen who is permitted to become tamei, contaminated, to his seven…

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איש או אישה כי יפליא לנדר נדר נזיר להזיר לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5774

A man or woman who shall disassociate himself by taking a Nazirite vow of abstinence for the sake of Hashem. (6:2)

When we first set eyes on an individual who has chosen a life of crime, human nature tends to focus on the present; he is a criminal, with little or no redeeming value. Rarely do we take the time to question his or her origins: What was his or her family life like as they were growing up? Did he or she go to school? Did he or she have good friends? In other words, we rarely ask where and when he or she went wrong? For the most part, this is due to a preconceived notion that all criminals…

Home -> 5774 -> Naso

עשירת האיפה קמח שעורים לא יצוק עליו שמן ולא יתן עליו לבונה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5774

A tenth eiphah of barley flour; he shall not pour oil over it and shall not put frankincense upon it. (5:15)

The composition of the korban brought on behalf of the sotah, wayward wife, is indicative of its purpose and symbolism. Coarse barley is used instead of fine flour. She acted coarsely, thus her sacrifice reflects her behavior. Likewise, she offers barley, which is a grain most often reserved for animal feed. She acted in a base manner, a behavior suitable for an animal. Last, the korban does not have the usual accompaniment of oil and frankincense, because incense recalls the spiritual fragrance of the Imahos, Matriarchs, and oil symbolizes light. She acted in darkness to conceal her sin, and she…

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איש או אשה כי יעשו מכל חטאת האדם... והתודו את חטאתם... והשיב את אשמו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Naso, 5774

If a man or woman commit any sin that people commit… then they shall confess their sin… and he shall make restitution for his guilt. (5:6,7)

The Rambam rules that vidui, confession, is a mitzvah, positive commandment, which is an integral component of the teshuvah, repentance, process. Interestingly, the Rambam does not list teshuvah as a mitzvah – only vidui. Given the crucial significance of teshuvah, we wonder why the Rambam does not include it in his minyan ha’mitzvos, detailed count of the 613 commandments. Vidui – yes. Teshuvah – no? It does not sound right. What makes the question more demanding is the fact that vidui is, in fact, part of the teshuvah process. The Nesivos Shalom explains that teshuvah essentially is comprised of regretting…

Home -> 5774 -> Mishpatim

ויאמר ד' אל משה עלה אלי ההרה... ואתנה לך את לחת האבן והתורה והמצוה. ויקם משה ויהושע משרתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Mishpatim, 5774

Hashem said to Moshe, “Ascend to Me to the mountain… and I shall give you the stone Tablets and the teaching and the commandment… Moshe stood up with Yehoshua, his servant. (24:12,13)

Hashem instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to ascend the mountain, so that He could teach him the Torah and give him the Luchos. Moshe left together with Yehoshua, his trusted servant. What was Yehoshua doing there? He was not asked to attend – nor did he have any function at the mountain. This “party” was for Moshe alone. Rashi explains that Yehoshua accompanied Moshe out of a sense of loyalty. He waited for forty days at the foot of the mountain for his revered Rebbe to return. Chazal teach us that it was this fidelity to his Rebbe that earned Yehoshua the…

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ואני הנני מביא את המבול מים על הארץ לשחת כל בשר

And as for Me – Behold, I am about to bring the Flood-waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh. (6:17)

וזה אשר תעשה אתה שלש מאות אמה ארך התבה חמשים אמה רחבה ושלשים אמה קומתה

This is how you shall make it: The length of the Ark shall be 300 Amos, its width 50 Amos, and its height 30 Amos. (6:15)

כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם

For the earth is filled with robbery through them. (6:13)

כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו על הארץ

For all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. (6:12)

כה תברכו את בני ישראל אמור להם

So shall you bless Bnei Yisrael, saying to them. (6:23)

כל ימי נדר נזרו... קדש יהיה

All the days of the vow of his nezirus… holy shall he be. (6:5)

איש או אישה כי יפליא לנדר נדר נזיר להזיר לד'

A man or woman who shall disassociate himself by taking a Nazirite vow of abstinence for the sake of Hashem. (6:2)

עשירת האיפה קמח שעורים לא יצוק עליו שמן ולא יתן עליו לבונה

A tenth eiphah of barley flour; he shall not pour oil over it and shall not put frankincense upon it. (5:15)

איש או אשה כי יעשו מכל חטאת האדם... והתודו את חטאתם... והשיב את אשמו

If a man or woman commit any sin that people commit… then they shall confess their sin… and he shall make restitution for his guilt. (5:6,7)

ויאמר ד' אל משה עלה אלי ההרה... ואתנה לך את לחת האבן והתורה והמצוה. ויקם משה ויהושע משרתו

Hashem said to Moshe, “Ascend to Me to the mountain… and I shall give you the stone Tablets and the teaching and the commandment… Moshe stood up with Yehoshua, his servant. (24:12,13)

YEARS

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