Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

You shall not steal, you shall not deny falsely, and you shall not lie to one another. (19:11)

Horav Chaim Soloveitchik,zl, once said, “It is conceivable that specifically because an individual’s father would “run” to perform mitzvos, the son would break down doors in order to steal merchandise from which he could profit. While this statement seems incredible at first, Rav Chaim substantiates it with the following explanation: A child inherits the nature and personality of his parent, concerning innate traits. Behavior and mannerisms will not necessarily transfer to the offspring. When one pursues mitzvos as a result of an innate love for the Almighty and His mitzvos, purely for the sake of Heaven, this activity integrates into …

Home -> 5759 -> Kedoshim

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Kedoshim, 5759

Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and say to them: You shall be holy, for holy am I. (19:2)

Rashi explains that the concept of “Jewish holiness” refers to distancing oneself from immorality and idol worship. We see two extremes, each at an opposite end of the spectrum. On the one hand, we are enjoined to sanctify ourselves, our behavior and our thoughts; on the other hand, Rashi tells us that the opposite of kedushah, holiness, is immorality and degradation. We must understand how these two extremes co-exist. Chazal view kedushah as being the zenith of spiritual ascendence: How do you admonish someone who strives for that pinnacle of human behavior to distance himself from illicit relationships and debauchery? …

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Acharei Mos, 5759

This shall be to you an eternal decree to bring atonement upon the Bnei Yisrael for all their sins once a year. (16:34)

The phrase, “once a year,” underscores the significance of Yom Kippur. We find a similar idiom regarding the festival of Succos. The Torah declares, “You shall celebrate it as a festival for Hashem, a seven-day period in the year” (Vayikra 23:41). It seems that these two Yamim Tovim, festivals, distinguish themselves in that their hashpaah, spiritual influence, is to endure for “the year.” Horav Mordechai Ilan, zl, notes that this idea applies only to Succos and Yom Kippur. The parallel that exists between them is that the avodas Hashem, service to the Almighty, which is intrinsic to these festivals is…

Home -> 5759 -> Acharei Mos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Acharei Mos, 5759

Aharon shall place lots upon the two he-goats; one lot “for Hashem,” and one lot “for Azazel.” (16:8)

Chazal teach us that both he-goats must be equal in height, appearance and value. There can be no difference between these two animals other than their ultimate end, which is determined by the lots. Al HaTorah offers a thoughtful exposition of this equality. Human nature dictates that people spend money on many personal and secular pursuits. Regardless of the price, people always find the money to spend on themselves. For some it is the theater; for others, sports-related amusements; or, for still others, trips that spare no expense, money is always available. Then there are those humanitarians who feel they…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Acharei Mos, 5759

Hashem spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharon’s two sons… And Hashem said to Moshe: Speak to Aharon, your brother… (16:1,2)

The Midrash says that Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu to speak words of consolation to Aharon to help ease his period of bereavement. He was told to use the phrase found in Yeshaya (40:2), “Speak to the heart of Yerushalayim,” which were the Navi’s words of nechamah, consolation, to Yerushalayim following the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash and ensuing exile. We must endeavor to understand the meaning of the words, “speaking to the heart”. What was Moshe to convey to Aharon HaKohen?. Horav Mordechai Rogov, zl, explains that the Navi’s words of consolation to Klal Yisrael are meaningful in the context…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Yisro, 5759

The entire nation saw the thunder and the flames. (20:15)

The level of prophecy and spiritual perception which Klal Yisrael achieved during the Giving of the Torah was unprecedented. Indeed, as the pasuk implies, they were able to “see” the “sounds.” Although thunder is an invisible sound, Klal Yisrael were able to transcend the barriers of human limitation and rise to a level of superhuman comprehension. They could now see what is heard under normal physical constraints. Seeing and hearing are two functions of the human body, each of which projects its own individual level of perception. One sees with clarity. To see means to perceive with an unambigious level…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Yisro, 5759

On the third day…there was thunder and lightning…and the entire people that was in the camp shuddered. (19:16)

Klal Yisrael was not the only one to shudder from the noise. That awesome sound, the “mysterium tremendum” that accompanied the Revelation and Giving of the Torah, echoed far beyond the periphery of that mountain. It reached an entire world. They all gathered together, the kings and princes, the common man and scholar, to offer praise to the Almighty. The Midrash says that they were scared; they feared for their lives. They thought the world was coming to an end. Perhaps Hashem was deluging the world with another mabul, flood. They went to their “wise man,” seeking guidance and encouragement. …

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Yisro, 5759

Hashem said to Moshe, “Go to the people and sanctify them…and they shall wash their clothing…You shall set boundaries for the people roundabout… (19:10,12)

The Torah is enjoining people to prepare for the moment of Revelation when they will receive the Torah. They are to wash their clothes and fix limits around the mountain, so that no human or animal would be able to come closer. We may note the distinction of these two mitzvos – washing clothes and cordoning off the periphery of the mountain. What is the significance for these two forms of preparation for Kabolas HaTorah? Horav Y.A. Hirshovitz, zl, suggests that these two mitzvos serve not only as preparatory agents for Klal Yisrael’s ascent to religious nationhood, they underscore the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Yisro, 5759

The entire people responded together and said, “Everything that Hashem has spoken we shall do.” (19:8)

Chazal praise Klal Yisrael’s affirmative response, their ability to accept the challenge of performing Hashem’s command without demanding a rationale. “Naase v’nishma,” – “We will do and we will listen,” was the clarion cry of our anscestors as they accepted the Torah. Chazal cite the awesome reward that Klal Yisrael received for declaring “naase“, we will do, before “nishma,” we will listen. Indeed, Hashem queried, “Who revealed this secret to My children, a phrase that only the ministering angels use?” Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves: What difference does it really make? In the end, they accepted both aspects- to…

Home -> Pekudei -> 5759

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Pekudei

And they made the holy vestments for Aharon, as Hashem had commanded Moshe. (39:1)

Aharon HaKohen demonstrates the paradigm of love for a fellow Jew. He was the “oheiv shalom,v’rodeif shalom;” loved peace and pursued peace. He sought to maintain relationships between Jews and between husband and wife. He set the standard for all of us to emulate. In our quest to follow in Aharon Hakohen’s noble example, we might over-zealously tend to ignore some basic precepts of the Torah. We might bend the rules in order to promote harmony among our fellow men. We might resort to employing unconventional methods for creating a more positive relationship between husband and wife – methods that…

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Back to Home -> Kedoshim ->

You shall not steal, you shall not deny falsely, and you shall not lie to one another. (19:11)

Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and say to them: You shall be holy, for holy am I. (19:2)

This shall be to you an eternal decree to bring atonement upon the Bnei Yisrael for all their sins once a year. (16:34)

Aharon shall place lots upon the two he-goats; one lot “for Hashem,” and one lot “for Azazel.” (16:8)

Hashem spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharon’s two sons… And Hashem said to Moshe: Speak to Aharon, your brother… (16:1,2)

The entire nation saw the thunder and the flames. (20:15)

On the third day…there was thunder and lightning…and the entire people that was in the camp shuddered. (19:16)

Hashem said to Moshe, “Go to the people and sanctify them…and they shall wash their clothing…You shall set boundaries for the people roundabout… (19:10,12)

The entire people responded together and said, “Everything that Hashem has spoken we shall do.” (19:8)

And they made the holy vestments for Aharon, as Hashem had commanded Moshe. (39:1)

YEARS

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