Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon saying, “The Bnei Yisrael shall encamp, each man by his banner according to the insignias of their fathers’ household, at a distance surrounding the Ohel Moed shall they encamp.” (2:1,2)

An inconsistency seems to be manifest in the text of this pasuk. Hashem enjoins Klal Yisrael to camp “mineged,” at a distance, and “saviv“, surrounding. Are they to camp mineged or saviv? If it is opposite it is not close. The Satmar Rebbe, zl, cites his father in his sefer, “Yetev Lev.” He explains this apparent contradiction in light of Rashi’s interpretation of the phrase, “b’osos l’bais avosam,” “according to the insignias of their fathers’ household,” as a reference to the signs that Yaakov gave his sons, regarding the formation of his sons when they were to serve as his…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5759

From the top of rocks I see him and from the hills I behold him. (23:9)

Horav S.R. Hirsch, zl, interprets this pasuk as a perspective on history. Just as distances draw together in a panoramic view from a height, so it is with time. From a comprehensive survey of world history over centuries taken from above, events seem close together. When one views these events from the closer perspective of the present, they seem farther from one another. To quote Horav Mordechai Gifter, Shlita, “If one wishes to comprehend an event in history, one cannot look at it in the limited scope of the finite, here and now; rather, one must understand the event as…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5759

From Aram, Balak, King of Moav, led me, from the mountains of the east, “Come curse Yaakov for me, come bring anger upon Yisrael.” (23:7)

Bilaam begins his curse/blessing. His opening remarks convey a profound message. Bilaam lived in Aram, which was northeast of Eretz Yisrael. He says that Balak led him from the mountains of the east, which, according to the Midrash Tanchuma, is an allusion to the Patriarchs who were the spiritual “mountains” of the eastern world. He claims that Balak distanced him from the feelings of gratitude they both should have felt towards our ancestors. Balak’s kingdom of Moav descended from Lot, Avraham Avinu’s nephew, who lived to father children only as a result of Avraham’s intervention. Bilaam’s ancestor, Lavan, was blessed…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5759

And an angel of Hashem stood on the road to impede him.

In a few seemingly simple words, Rashi conveys a profound message. He says that this angel was a malach shel rachamim, an angel of mercy, who was sent to divert Bilaam from sinning. Horav Avraham Pam, Shlita, derives from here that a number of times in our life we imagine that the Satan is bent on destroying everything for which we have worked. The specific situation in question is the area of shidduchim, marriage. One sees a young woman a number of times (depending upon his orientation). He feels she is the one that is right for him; she is…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5759

And Moshe sent (spies) to spy out Yaazer and they conquered its towns. (21:32)

One city remained in the land of the Emorites that had not yet been conquered – Yaazer. Moshe Rabbeinu sent spies, Pinchas and Calev, to scout the land. Targum Yonasan relates that while their mission was simply to spy, they decided to upgrade their assignment to wage war with Yaazer. They succeeded, and conquered the city. They were compelled to act differently from their ill-fated predecessors, the original spies sent by Moshe to scout Eretz Yisrael. They conjectured that their faith and trust in the Almighty would protect them and led them to success. They were not willing to risk…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5759

Make for yourself a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole; and it shall be that everyone that is bitten when he sees it, shall live. (21:8)

The narrative stimulates a number of questions: Why did Moshe Rabbeinu fashion the serpent of copper? Why not of another substance, such as clay or wood? Is there a relationship between the word nachash, serpent, and the word nechoshes, copper? Why was this serpent placed upon a pole? How is one who is bitten by a serpent cured simply by gazing at the serpent? Horav Avigdor Miller, Shlita, addresses these questions in his commentary on this parsha. The serpent is a symbol of the yetzer hora, evil inclination. The yetzer hora’s strength lies in its ability to be elusive, to…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Masei

“These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael when they left the land of Egypt.” (33:1)

The Midrash which Rashi quotes employs a parable to explain the reason that Hashem chose to recount Bnei Yisrael’s travels. A king once took his ill son abroad to seek a cure for his illness. When they joyously returned home, the father reviewed their stopovers and in retrospect said, “Here you had a fever, at this inn you head hurt, etc.” Similarly, in this parsha Hashem enumerates for Bnei Yisrael the various places where they had angered Him. Although it is easy enough to understand, the parable does not seem consistent with the “maladies” to which the stopovers allude. The…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Masei

“These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael.” (33:1)

Rashi cites the Midrash which compares the recounting of Bnei Yisrael’s encampments to the following parable: A king once took his very ill son abroad, searching for a cure for his disease. He travelled with him to various doctors and medical centers throughout the world. Gradually, the son recovered and was able to return home. On their return trip, the father recounted the stopovers along the way where they had sought treatment for his malady. “Remember,” the father reminded the son, “here you slept, ubbah; here you had the chills, ubreuv; here you were plagued by a headache, lhatr ,t…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Matos

And you shall be clear before Hashem and before Yisrael.” (32:22)

In this pasuk Moshe is addressing the two and a half shevatim. He is informing them that after they have completed their part in conquering Eretz Yisrael, they will be considered “nekiim,” clear. This means that they will have fulfilled their obligation to Hashem and to Klal Yisrael. In the Yerushalmi, Shekalim 3:2, Chazal delineate the parameters of this obligation. One must be careful to deal with his fellow man with the same integrity that he deals with Hashem. Just as we must be sure to ferret out any vestige of inappropriateness in our behavior towards Hashem, so, too, must…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Matos

“Bnei Reuven and the Bnei Gad had abundant livestock … The Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven came and said to Moshe … Ataros and Divon … the land that Hashem smote … it is a land for livestock and your servants have livestock … And they said, ‘If we have found favor in your eyes …’ and Moshe said to the Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven.” (32:1-6)

A number of issues can be raised regarding the text of the pesukim which describes the dialogue between Bnei Gad, Bnei Reuven and Moshe Rabbeinu. First, why is Reuven’s name mentioned prior to Gad’s in the opening statement of this parsha, although throughout the remaining pesukim Gad’s name precedes Reuven’s ? Second, the word, urnthu, “and they said,” is repeated in their dialogue. Why is there such an apparent redundancy ? Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, z.l., cites Horav Sapir who asserts that Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven were motivated by two disparate objectives, even though they were making the same…

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Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon saying, “The Bnei Yisrael shall encamp, each man by his banner according to the insignias of their fathers’ household, at a distance surrounding the Ohel Moed shall they encamp.” (2:1,2)

From the top of rocks I see him and from the hills I behold him. (23:9)

From Aram, Balak, King of Moav, led me, from the mountains of the east, “Come curse Yaakov for me, come bring anger upon Yisrael.” (23:7)

And an angel of Hashem stood on the road to impede him.

And Moshe sent (spies) to spy out Yaazer and they conquered its towns. (21:32)

Make for yourself a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole; and it shall be that everyone that is bitten when he sees it, shall live. (21:8)

“These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael when they left the land of Egypt.” (33:1)

“These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael.” (33:1)

And you shall be clear before Hashem and before Yisrael.” (32:22)

YEARS

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