Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

והרים את הדשן אשר תאכל האש את העולה על המזבח ושמו אצל המזבח

And he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has consumed the elevation/burnt offering on the Altar, and lay them down at the side of the Altar. (6:3)

Prior to arranging the pyre and the kindling of the Altar fire, the Kohen was enjoined to perform the mitzvah of Terumas HaDeshen. The purpose of Terumas HaDeshen is not to prepare the Altar for the coming day’s sacrifices, since this is the focus of the Hotzoas HaDeshen, the removal of the ashes; rather, Terumas HaDeshen is in and of itself an avodah, priestly service. Thus, it may be carried out only by a Kohen kasher, dressed in his priestly vestments. The Haromas HaDeshen is the final conclusion to the service of the preceding day. Just as with the Korban…

Home -> 5776 -> Terumah

וישא עשו קולו ויבך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5776

And Eisav raised his voice and wept. (27:38)

Yaakov Avinu received the blessings from his father, Yitzchak Avinu. He had barely left the room before Eisav returned with his father’s meal. Eisav had been sent to prepare a special meal for his father, so that his father would bless him. Following his mother, Rivkah Imeinu’s instructions, Yaakov entered the room first, giving the impression that he was Eisav, and preventing the blessings from falling into the hands of the evil Eisav. Understandably, Eisav did not react kindly to this scenario. Feeling that he was the victim of fraud, having been outsmarted by his brother, he let out a…

Home -> 5776 -> Terumah

ויחרד יצחק חרדה גדולה עד מאד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5776

And Yitzchak trembled in very great perplexity. (27:33)

Chazal teach us that the words, gedolah ad meod, “very great perplexity,” mean that the fear that Yitzchak Avinu experienced when Eisav walked in was even greater than when he lay at the Akeidah about to be slaughtered. Imagine, up until this moment, Yitzchak was under the impression that Eisav was fine, upstanding and observant. He would ask him halachic questions which, by their very nature, indicated that he was extremely stringent in his observance. Suddenly, the floor fell out from beneath him, and he saw Eisav in his true colors, for all that he was. The shock of discovery…

Home -> 5776 -> Toldos

ויאמר ד' לה שני גיים בבטנך ושני לאומים ממעיך יפרדו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5776

And Hashem said to her: Two nations are in your womb; two regimes from your insides shall be separated. (25:23)

Rashi explains that the two nations which would descend from the twins within Rivkah’s womb would have two great leaders who were friends. Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, known as Rebbi, was the redactor of the Mishnah. His contemporary was the Roman emperor, Antoninus, a descendant of Eisav. The Chasam Sofer explains that Rivkah was informed that the twins, Yaakov and Eisav, had the potential to complement one another’s service to Hashem, much like Yissacher who studied Torah supported by his brother, Zevullun. We find that Antoninus was subservient to Rebbi to the point that he enabled him to redact the Mishnah….

Home -> 5776 -> Terumah

ויעתר יצחק לד' לנכח אשתו כי עקרה היא ויעתר לו ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5776

Yitzchak entreated Hashem opposite his wife, because she was barren. Hashem allowed Himself to be entreated by him. (25:21)

Rashi explains that Hashem listened to Yitzchak’s plea over that of Rivkah, because there is no comparison between the effect of the prayer offered by a tzaddik ben tzaddik, righteous person who is the son of a righteous person, to that of a tzaddik ben rasha, righteous person whose father was evil. Rashi’s explanation is well-known, and it sets the standard for tefillah: A person’s righteous lineage makes a difference. This obviously presents a question to the rational mind: Is the efficacy of the prayers of someone whose roots are murky intrinsically limited? One would assume that the tefillos of…

Home -> 5776 -> Terumah

ועשית את המזבח עצי שטים... ושלש אמות קמתי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5776

You shall make the Altar of shittim wood… and three cubits its height. (27:1)

The Baalei Tosfos teach that the three amos/cubits height of the Mizbayach, Altar, coincided with the three redeemers who acted on behalf of Klal Yisrael: Moshe Rabbeinu; Aharon HaKohen; Miriam HaNeviah. We wonder why Miriam is included. There is no mention anywhere of her role as redeemer. Why is she included? What did she do to facilitate the redemption that warrants her inclusion in this triumvirate? Horav Chaim Zaitchik, zl, explains that it was exactly this act of facilitating that grants her mention as one of the three redeemers. The Talmud Sotah 12a states that Miriam’s father, Amram, was one…

Home -> 5776 -> Terumah

ועשית את הקרשים למשכן עצי שטים עמדים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5776

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

The Midrash (Shemos Rabba 35:2) derives an important lesson from the Torah’s requirement that wood used for the Mishkan be shittim, acacia wood. The acacia tree is a non-fruit bearing tree. Hashem said, “If a person wants to use wood to build for himself a house, he should take into account that the King of Kings, to whom everything belongs, chose non-fruit bearing trees as a source of wood for the Mishkan; likewise, man should do the same.” Just because we want to build a house for ourselves, it does not mean that we have the right to destroy a…

Home -> 5776 -> Terumah

והיו הכרובים פורשי כנפים למעלה... ופניהם איש אל אחיו אל הכפורת יהיו פני הכרובים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5776

The Keruvim shall be with wings spread upward… with their faces toward one another; toward the Cover shall be the faces of the Keruvim. (25:20)

In his commentary to the Torah, the Abarbanel writes that the phrase, “The Keruvim shall be with wings and spread upward,” alludes to the idea that all Jews should be focused on Heaven. A person’s mind determines his goals and objectives. His thoughts should be motivated; his values should concentrate on spiritual growth. If one is stimulated towards nurturing his spiritual dimension, he can be certain that everything else in life that matters– ethics, morals — will develop on a positive note. When one’s values are distorted, the distortion takes its toll on everything else in his life, leaving him…

Home -> 5776 -> Terumah

ועשו ארון עצי שטים אמתים וחצי ארכו ואמה וחצי רחבו ואמה וחצי קמתו וצפית אתו זהב טהור מבית ומחוץ תצפנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5776

They shall make an Ark of shittim wood, two and a half cubits its length; a cubit and a half its width; and a cubit and a half its height. You shall cover it with pure gold, from within and from without shall you cover it. (25:10, 11)

The construction of the Mishkan — its various components and accompanying vessels — is replete with symbolism. The materials used for the Mishkan, its very measurements, and the manner of constructing its components are a source for much exposition by the various commentators. While we are not on the level of comprehending the mystical aspects and secrets involved in this holy edifice, there is great practical application to be derived from what we are able to understand. The Chafetz Chaim explains the half-measurements of the Aron as alluding to the reality that no human being can claim to have achieved…

Home -> 5776 -> Tetzaveh

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tetzaveh, 5776

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

Rashi notes that the word terumah, portion/donation, is mentioned three times. This teaches that there were three terumos: one was the Machatzis HaShekel, half-shekel, which was used for the Adanim, sockets, in which were placed the Kerashim, poles, which acted as the walls of the Mishkan; another half-shekel which was placed in the communal chest and designated for communal offerings; third was for the building of the Mishkan. Here, each person gave according to his heart’s content. The Bostoner Rebbe, zl, expands on these two approaches to communal involvement. The Jewish People form a community, all dedicated toward a common…

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והרים את הדשן אשר תאכל האש את העולה על המזבח ושמו אצל המזבח

And he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has consumed the elevation/burnt offering on the Altar, and lay them down at the side of the Altar. (6:3)

וישא עשו קולו ויבך

And Eisav raised his voice and wept. (27:38)

ויחרד יצחק חרדה גדולה עד מאד

And Yitzchak trembled in very great perplexity. (27:33)

ויאמר ד' לה שני גיים בבטנך ושני לאומים ממעיך יפרדו

And Hashem said to her: Two nations are in your womb; two regimes from your insides shall be separated. (25:23)

ויעתר יצחק לד' לנכח אשתו כי עקרה היא ויעתר לו ד'

Yitzchak entreated Hashem opposite his wife, because she was barren. Hashem allowed Himself to be entreated by him. (25:21)

ועשית את המזבח עצי שטים... ושלש אמות קמתי

You shall make the Altar of shittim wood… and three cubits its height. (27:1)

ועשית את הקרשים למשכן עצי שטים עמדים

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

והיו הכרובים פורשי כנפים למעלה... ופניהם איש אל אחיו אל הכפורת יהיו פני הכרובים

The Keruvim shall be with wings spread upward… with their faces toward one another; toward the Cover shall be the faces of the Keruvim. (25:20)

ועשו ארון עצי שטים אמתים וחצי ארכו ואמה וחצי רחבו ואמה וחצי קמתו וצפית אתו זהב טהור מבית ומחוץ תצפנו

They shall make an Ark of shittim wood, two and a half cubits its length; a cubit and a half its width; and a cubit and a half its height. You shall cover it with pure gold, from within and from without shall you cover it. (25:10, 11)

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו

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

YEARS

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