Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

איש על דגלו באתת לבית אבתם

Each man by his banner according to the insignias of his father’s household. (2:2)

Each of the three-tribe formations was distinguished by a distinctively-colored banner which included the tribal colors of each of its three tribes. Horav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, zl, explains this pasuk homiletically. While it is undoubtedly important that a person follow in the footsteps of his forebears (concerning: nusach ha’tefillah, version of one’s prayer service; specific customs and traditions, and perspective on Jewish life), one should never be satisfied with just “following”; rather, he should be “a man” in his own right: forging his own path, developing his own perspective; innovating his own customs. It is our function to augment the…

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אך את מטה לוי לא תפקוד ואת ראשם לא תשא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Bamidbar

But you shall not count the tribe of Levi, and you shall not take a census of them. (1:49)

Shevet Levi, the tribe of Levi, had proven their fidelity to Hashem during– and after– the sin of the Golden Calf. This earned them the appellation ligyono shel Melech, the legion of the King/Hashem, which was an elevated status. This new status warranted them being counted separately and differently from the rest of the nation. While the rest of the nation was counted from the age of twenty-years old, Shevet Levi was counted as infants, thirty days and older. In commenting on Rashi’s statement: “It is appropriate that the King’s legion be counted alone,” Sifsei Chachamim writes that this is…

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לבני יוסף לבני אפרים תולדתם למשפחתם לבית אבתם במספר שמת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Bamidbar

For the sons of Yosef: For the sons of Ephraim, their offspring according to their families, according to their fathers’ households, by number of the names. (1:32)

Interestingly, in the previous mention of Yosef’s sons/tribes, the Torah (ibid 1:10) writes, “To the sons of Yosef… to Ephraim… to Menashe.” In this pasuk, however, the Torah adds the word l’vnei, “To the sons of Ephraim.” It seems as if the Torah does not record Ephraim’s sons as part of Yosef’s genealogy. By adding, “to the sons of,” there appears to be a break, indicating that Ephraim has his own distinction. The Baal HaTurim explains that Yosef did not participate in carrying the coffin of his father, Yaakov Avinu, because he was a melech, king. Out of respect for…

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ויתילדו על משפחתם לבית אבתם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Bamidbar

And they established their genealogy according to their families, according to their father’s household. (1:18)

The census was performed according to tribe. Thus, the people had to establish, either by written proof or valid testimony, that they belonged to a given tribe. Sforno explains that this strict requirement of family purity was based upon the need for the merit of their forefathers, which would protect them later on during their sojourn in the wilderness. Chazal teach that, when the nations of the world heard that Hashem had given His precious Torah to Klal Yisrael, they became envious. Why the Jews – and not them? Why were the Jews more worthy of receiving the Torah than…

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איש ראש לבית אבתיו הוא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Bamidbar

A man who is a leader of his father’s household. (1:4)

The census was taken with the participation of the leader of each tribe, an individual who was acutely aware of the lineage of each of the members of his tribe. In a homiletic rendering of this pasuk, the commentators say that the ish, man, who became the tribe’s rosh, leader, should have achieved this position on his own personal accomplishments. It should not be the result of his avosav, ancestors. One must be deserving by virtue of his own merit. Pedigree is a wonderful quality; illustrious lineage is meritorious, but only if it augments an already distinguished individual who has…

Home -> 5775 -> Balak

ויצמד ישראל לבעל פעור

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5775

Yisrael became attached to Baal Peor. (25:3)

The attachment of Klal Yisrael to the Peor idol is described by Chazal (Talmud Sanhedrin 64a) as k’tzamid pasil, “Like a lid clings to a jar.” They become one with the pagan god. This is highly unusual and something which we would never expect from an intelligent people. The worship of Peor was carried out by degrading oneself in its presence, such as relieving oneself in front of the idol. Is there anything more humiliating for the idol than this? A Jew who worshipped Peor in such a manner was liable for the death penalty. What kind of person would…

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וישב ישראל בשיטים ויחל העם לזנות את בנות מואב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5775

And (the) Yisrael dwelled in Shittim, and began to sin with the daughters of Moav. (Bamidbar 25:1)

One of society’s more difficult anomalies is interfaith marriage. We live in a time when even marriages which seem perfect on paper fail dismally. Why would anyone in his right mind start married life with someone who is of an opposing faith? I use the word opposing by design, since, for the most part, the Jews have been the world’s sacrificial lamb, having been abused, persecuted, tortured, hounded and murdered by anyone who felt they had the right to lord over them. Why would anyone marry into a religion whose elders and doctrine revile us? They say love conquers all…

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הנה העם היצא ממצרים ויכס את עין הארץ עתה לכה קבה לי אתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5775

Behold! The people coming out of Egypt has covered the surface of the earth. Now go and curse it for me. (22:11)

In Parashas Balak, we are introduced to a new type of enemy, and, consequently, a battle which is of a completely different nature. Our standard classical enemies, such as Egypt, Amalek and others which followed them, came out to annihilate or persecute us with soldiers, weapons, and a battle plan. Balak and Bilaam did no such thing. Theirs was a battle waged on spiritual terrain, a battle between: the forces of tumah, spiritual defilement, and taharah, spiritual purity. It was the base, immoral Bilaam, a degenerate of epic proportions, who was hired by Balak, an evil misfit in his own…

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ועתה לכה נא ארה לי את העם הזה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5775

So now – please come and curse this people for me. (22:6)

Humility is much more than a positive character trait. It is a characteristic which is absolutely vital to one’s success in life. It is an indicator of adherence to the truth. One who is arrogant is simply not a truthful person. Indeed, life is one long lesson in humility, without which life would be a sham, with the greatest fool being the one who lords himself over others. At the end of the day, he knows that he is only fooling himself. Having said this, we turn to the Haftorah in Parashas Balak, which recalls Balak’s attempt to curse the…

Home -> 5776 -> Yisro

אנכי ד' אלקיך... לא יהיה לך אלהים אחרים על פני

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Yisro, 5776

I am Hashem, Your G-d. You shall not recognize the gods of others in My Presence. (20:2,3)

The first two commandments exhort us to believe only in Hashem. No other power, however real or purported, has any validity. Only Hashem is One. He is our G-d, and the G-d of the entire universe. We understand that we may not turn to any other source for salvation, since only Hashem has the power to save. The Alter, zl, m’Novorodok was wont to relate the following story in support of this idea. A poor man had reached the limits of degradation. He had no one to whom to turn. He had exhausted every avenue of “income.” Depressed and dejected,…

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איש על דגלו באתת לבית אבתם

Each man by his banner according to the insignias of his father’s household. (2:2)

אך את מטה לוי לא תפקוד ואת ראשם לא תשא

But you shall not count the tribe of Levi, and you shall not take a census of them. (1:49)

לבני יוסף לבני אפרים תולדתם למשפחתם לבית אבתם במספר שמת

For the sons of Yosef: For the sons of Ephraim, their offspring according to their families, according to their fathers’ households, by number of the names. (1:32)

ויתילדו על משפחתם לבית אבתם

And they established their genealogy according to their families, according to their father’s household. (1:18)

איש ראש לבית אבתיו הוא

A man who is a leader of his father’s household. (1:4)

ויצמד ישראל לבעל פעור

Yisrael became attached to Baal Peor. (25:3)

וישב ישראל בשיטים ויחל העם לזנות את בנות מואב

And (the) Yisrael dwelled in Shittim, and began to sin with the daughters of Moav. (Bamidbar 25:1)

הנה העם היצא ממצרים ויכס את עין הארץ עתה לכה קבה לי אתו

Behold! The people coming out of Egypt has covered the surface of the earth. Now go and curse it for me. (22:11)

ועתה לכה נא ארה לי את העם הזה

So now – please come and curse this people for me. (22:6)

אנכי ד' אלקיך... לא יהיה לך אלהים אחרים על פני

I am Hashem, Your G-d. You shall not recognize the gods of others in My Presence. (20:2,3)

YEARS

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