Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

“And I remained upon the mountain for forty days and forty nights – I neither ate bread nor drank water.” (9:9)

The Midrash Tanchuma remarks that Moshe’s mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice, for the Torah earned him the zchus that the Torah is called by his name, Toras Moshe. This means that Hashem Yisborach gave His Torah, Toras Hashem, to Moshe. What was Moshe’s kinyan, act of acquisition? His mesiras nefesh was the medium which catalyzed his proprietorship over the Torah. What, indeed, was Moshe’s act of mesiras nefesh? What remarkable act of self-sacrifice did he exhibit that was so sublime to cause Hashem to “transfer” ownership to Moshe? He did not eat or drink for forty days and nights when he went…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5756

“I grasped the two Luchos…. and I smashed them before your eyes… at that time Hashem said to me, ‘Carve out for yourself two Luchos like the first ones.’ The Bnei Yisrael travelled…. there did Aharon die.” (8:17)

Moshe’s recounting of his days in Heaven are interrupted so that we should recognize and mourn the loss of a tzaddik to the same extent that we mourn the breaking of the Luchos. The loss of a righteous person should generate within us a sense of loss and despair which is commensurate to the tragedy of losing the Luchos. Chazal offer a number of interpretations for this parallel. The Kesav Sofer explains that despite the loss of the Luchos, albeit intense, they still had the new Luchos. These second Luchos, however, although sublime, paled in comparison to its predecessors. Likewise,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5756

“It is not by bread alone that man can make a life for himself, but that man can live by everything that comes from the mouth of Hashem.” (8:3)

This pasuk underscores the significance of acknowledging the source of man’s sustenance. The word ojk actually has a dual meaning. It can mean “bread” or to “wage war”. Horav S.R. Hirsch, zl, declares that “bread” is the nourishment that man wrests from nature, competing with his fellow man for the “piece of bread.” “Bread” represents the joint product of nature and man’s intelligence, indicating man’s mastery over the mundane world. Consequently, “bread” is the physical manifestation of the intelligence with which man creates his own sustenance as he interacts with his fellow man to “harness” nature. The tragedy of man…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5756

“This shall be your reward when you listen to these ordinances.” (7:12)

Rashi explains that according to the Midrash, the word ceg also means “heel.” The Torah, therefore, alludes to those mitzvos which people may regard as unimportant. This disregard for the body of mitzvos that people determine to be relatively unimportant, extends to the point that they tend to tread upon the discarded mitzvos with their heels. The Torah promises Klal Yisrael that if they maintain their devotion to all of the mitzvos, even those which have been neglected due to their apparent insignificance, Hashem will reward them. What is the meaning of “treading upon mitzvos“? Horav Moshe Swift, zl, remarks…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5756

“You shall teach them thoroughly to your children.” (6:7)

Rashi cites the Sifri that interprets “your children” as referring even to one’s students, since the Torah views one’s students to be like his children. We may wonder why the Torah did not simply say, “You shall teach your students.” Why should this idea emerge only by inference? Horav Yechezkel Sarne, zl, responded with a profound insight. If one does not view his students as his children – then not only are they not his children – they are not even his students! The definition of a student is simple – a spiritual child related through the medium of Torah….

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5756

“You shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your resources.” (6:5)

Chazal teach us that regarding he who places greater significance upon his material abundance than on his own body, the Torah says, “With all your resources.” For he whose body has greater importance than his money, the Torah says, “With all your soul.” Regardless of what is important to us, we must be willing to sacrifice it in the service of Hashem. The Chofetz Chaim examines this statement. What is the most important possession of a Jew? What takes precedence over everything? The Torah! It is our life. Without it, we simply cannot exist. Yet, declares the Chofetz Chaim, the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5756

“And you shall not covet your fellow’s wife, you shall not desire your friend’s house… or anything that belongs to your fellow.” (5:18)

In the beginning of Parashas Kedoshim, the Ramban demonstrates how the Aseres Ha’dibros are parallel to the mitzvos presented at the beginning of Parashas Kedoshim. He cites the Midrash that equates the prohibition, “Do not covet,” with the positive command, “You shall love your fellow man as yourself.” This is a remarkable chiddush, novel idea. How is not coveting correlated to caring for one’s fellow man? One would think that coveting is a consequence of envy and insecurity. How is it analogous to lack of friendship? Horav Simcha Zissel Broide, Shlita, infers from here that the root of desiring that…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5756

“And you will find Him, if you will seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.” (4:29)

Chazal teach us that sheker, falsehood, has no “legs/foundation;” ultimately, it must fall. Whatever is built upon a foundation of falsity, be it blatant deceit or merely insincerity, will not endure. If so, why do we find that so many reshaim, wicked people, whose goals are to manipulate the minds and lives of their followers, seem to succeed in their endeavors? In response to this critique, Horav Yisrael Salanter, zl, commented that they act with an emes; these people approach their reprehensible work with a “sincerity” that perhaps has greater veracity to it than the emes that we perform. Regrettably,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5756

“Let me go over, please, and see the good land… the goodly mountain and the Levanon.” (3:25)

Rashi cites the Sifri who interprets the “mountain” as a reference to the Har Ha’Bayis, the mountain on which the Bais Ha’Mikdash stood. The Sifri also views Levanon as an analogy for the Bais Ha’Mikdash. The word Levanon is a derivative of lavan, which means white. The Bais Ha’Mikdash is that place which “whitens” — or provides atonement — for our sins. The Yalkut Shimoni differentiates among the words with which our ancestors referred to the Bais Ha’Mikdash. Avraham Avinu referred to it as “har,” mountain; Yitzchak called it a “sadeh,” field, while Yaakov viewed it as a “bayis,” house….

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5756, Devarim

“We turned and ascended by way of the Bashan and Og King of Bashan went out toward us. Hashem said to me, ‘Do not fear him for in your hand I have given him.” (3:1,2)

Hashem told Moshe not to be concerned with Og, for He had promised that Og would fall into Moshe’s hands. The Midrash explains Moshe’s apprehension and Hashem’s reassurance. Og had assisted Avraham by bringing him the news of Lot’s capture. This merit might have been a sufficient reason for Hashem to spare Og. Hashem responded that although Og’s actions were noble, his intentions were deceiving. He informed Avraham of Lot’s capture only because he sought to lure Avraham into the battle. He had hoped that Avraham would be killed, so that Og would be able to take Sarah for himself….

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“And I remained upon the mountain for forty days and forty nights – I neither ate bread nor drank water.” (9:9)

“I grasped the two Luchos…. and I smashed them before your eyes… at that time Hashem said to me, ‘Carve out for yourself two Luchos like the first ones.’ The Bnei Yisrael travelled…. there did Aharon die.” (8:17)

“It is not by bread alone that man can make a life for himself, but that man can live by everything that comes from the mouth of Hashem.” (8:3)

“This shall be your reward when you listen to these ordinances.” (7:12)

“You shall teach them thoroughly to your children.” (6:7)

“You shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your resources.” (6:5)

“And you shall not covet your fellow’s wife, you shall not desire your friend’s house… or anything that belongs to your fellow.” (5:18)

“And you will find Him, if you will seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.” (4:29)

“Let me go over, please, and see the good land… the goodly mountain and the Levanon.” (3:25)

“We turned and ascended by way of the Bashan and Og King of Bashan went out toward us. Hashem said to me, ‘Do not fear him for in your hand I have given him.” (3:1,2)

YEARS

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