Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

Take a census (lit. raise the heads) of the sons of Gershon, them as well (after counting Kehas). (4:22)

Shlomo Ha’melech writes, Yekarah hee mi’peninim v’chol chafa’tzecha lo yishvu bah, “It (the Torah) is dearer (more precious) than pearls, and all your desires cannot compare to it” (Mishlei 3:15). Following the census of the Jewish People, Hashem asked Moshe Rabbeinu to count Shevet Levi separately. Their count was carried out according to their sequence at birth: Gershon, Kehas, Merari. However, after their tasks within the Bais HaMikdash were designated, the sequence changed – Kehas, as the bearer of the Aron Kodesh, preceded Gershon, who carried the Curtains. The Midrash establishes the order of the counting of the Leviim according to…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Bamidbar

Nadav and Avihu died before Hashem. (3:4)

Va’yamas is singular, meaning, “and he died.” Concerning the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, the Torah should have written va’yamusu, “and they died.” K’motzei Shalal Rav cites the Zohar Ha’kadosh that teaches that Nadav and Avihu died a purely physical death. Their spiritual selves did not perish, but lived on. The Zohar supports this hypothesis with an anomaly in the text concerning Pinchas. The Torah states (Shemos 6:25) that Elazar HaKohen took a wife from the daughters of Putiel and Pinchas was born to them. The verse continues with the words, eileh roshei avos ha’Leviim, “These were the heads/leaders of the…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Bamidbar

There are the offspring of Aharon and Moshe. (3:1)

The Torah is about to detail the offspring of both Aharon and Moshe – yet, it enumerates only those of Aharon. Rashi quotes Chazal in the Talmud Sanhedrin 19b who teach that “whoever teaches his friend’s son Torah, it is considered as if he gave birth to him.” The Shlah Ha’kadosh adds that one should not take the word k’ilu, “as if,” verbatim, for it is more than “as if.” One who teaches Torah to his friend’s son has actually given birth to him. Father and mother provide a child’s body; the rebbe, Torah teacher, sustains his neshamah, soul. Thus,…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Bamidbar

And you shall appoint the Leviim over the Mishkan of the Testimony. (1:50)

Upon perusal of the pesukim, it is evident that the Torah instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to appoint the Leviim for their mission concerning the Mishkan of Testimony even before he was told to count them. Whereas the rest of the nation was immediately totaled into the census, Shevet Levi was first presented with their unique function and then counted. The Shach explains this from a practical standpoint. Shevet Levi’s census was quite small in contrast to the other Shevatim, Tribes. Initially, this might have caused them chalishas ha’daas, a somewhat downcast feeling. After all, why should Shevet Levi be the smallest in…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Bamidbar

And you shall appoint the Leviim over the Mishkan of the Testimony. (1:50)

The Baal HaTurim notes an intriguing Mesorah concerning the word hafkeid, appoint. There is one other hafkeid in Tanach: Hafkeid alav rasha, “Appoint a wicked man over him” (Tehillim 109:6). What relationship is there between the two hafkeids? Appointing the Leviim to a position of distinction, and signifying one as wicked, are hardly parallel. The explanation of the Baal HaTurim seems to intensify the ambiguity concerning the correlation of the two pesukim. He says that this supports a statement made by Chazal, “One does not become a pakid (hafkeid), overseer – rise to a position of importance and responsibility below…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Bamidbar

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

The census was executed according to tribe, thereby requiring each individual to establish his genealogical descent from a given tribe. This was done either by document, witnesses, or by the word of the individual. Chazal relate that when Hashem gave the Torah to Klal Yisrael, the nations of the world suddenly disputed His decision. Why were the Jews receiving the Torah and not they? Hashem replied, “Bring Me your Sefer Yuchsin, book of family pedigree, to determine from which nations you descend, so that it can be determined if you are worthy of receiving the Torah. The Jewish People have…

Home -> Bechukosai -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Bechukosai

Then they will confess their sin and the sin of their forefathers for the treachery with which they betrayed Me. (26:40)

We can understand saying Viduy, confessing one’s own sins, but why must we repent for the sins of our parents? We have a hard enough time dealing with our own issues – let alone those of our forebears. Horav Chaim Zaitchik, zl, explains that this reasoning would be justified in the event that we were not to be responsible for the sins of our parents. However, when our actions, cause our parents to sin, it is an entirely different story. Children, young and old, make excessive demands on their parents which can lead to parents doing things which are inappropriate,…

Home -> Bechukosai -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Bechukosai

If you will follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them. (26:3)

The opening words of the pasuk – Im bechukosai teilechu, “If you will follow My decrees” – are not addressing the subject of mitzvah observance, since the words that immediately follow are, v’es mitzvosai tishmeru, “and observe My commandments.” Rashi’s observation is well-known: Apparently, Im bechukosai teileichu teaches that one must be amal, exert himself and toil in Torah. In other words, Torah study that is simple “learning,” is insufficient to protect a person. In order to fulfill Hashem’s mandate concerning Torah study, he must labor when he studies and learn with fervor, passion and enthusiasm. This is a nice…

Home -> Behar -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Behar

If your brother becomes impoverished. (25:39)

Everyone wants to be charitable, to share with those who are less fortunate than he is. It is one of those mitzvos that make us feel good. After all, what could be wrong with helping another Jew? Perhaps that is the first mistake: “helping another Jew.” Tzedakah, popularly known as charity, is not just about helping someone else, but rather about feeling that person’s pain. When one “helps,” he is still separated from the beneficiary. He is fine, but the “other guy” is in need. True tzedakah does not distinguish between “me” and “him;” “us” and “them.” Tzedakah binds the…

Home -> Behar -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Behar

If your brother becomes impoverished with you and is sold to you; you shall not work him with slave labor…you shall not subjugate him through hard labor. (25:39,43)

The Torah includes topics which some members of contemporary society might feel are no longer pertinent. They are wrong. Every word of the Torah has relevance and application today, as it did then. In his volume of divrei Torah from the Rosh Yeshivah, Horav Avraham Pam, zl, Rabbi Sholom Smith illustrates how Rav Pam applied the laws concerning eved Ivri, the Jewish bondsman to contemporary issues. There are two circumstances in which a Jew would sell himself as a slave to another Jew. In Parashas Mishpatim (Shemos 22:2), the Torah addresses the eved who is nimkar b’geneivaso, “he shall be…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Naso ->

Take a census (lit. raise the heads) of the sons of Gershon, them as well (after counting Kehas). (4:22)

Nadav and Avihu died before Hashem. (3:4)

There are the offspring of Aharon and Moshe. (3:1)

And you shall appoint the Leviim over the Mishkan of the Testimony. (1:50)

And you shall appoint the Leviim over the Mishkan of the Testimony. (1:50)

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

Then they will confess their sin and the sin of their forefathers for the treachery with which they betrayed Me. (26:40)

If you will follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them. (26:3)

If your brother becomes impoverished. (25:39)

If your brother becomes impoverished with you and is sold to you; you shall not work him with slave labor…you shall not subjugate him through hard labor. (25:39,43)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!