Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

Reuven went out in the days of the wheat harvest, and he found dudaim in the field…Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s dudaim.” But, she said to her, “Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband? And to take my son’s dudaim as well?” And Rachel said, “Therefore he shall be with you tonight in exchange for your son’s dudaim.” (30:14, 15)

There is a reason that one must learn Torah from a rebbe and that without the interpretation of the commentators, the Torah remains a closed book. We often come across instances, attitudes and actions that seem strange, atypical and questionable. We are struck by glaring reactions, which are obvious to one who is seeking a way to question the Torah. There is no shortage of bona fide commentators who elucidate and not only make sense of the circumstances, but also illuminate for us a perspective which indicates that this was specifically the only approach to ameliorate a potentially volatile situation….

Home -> 5771 -> Vayeitzei

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayeitzei, 5771

Lavan had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rachel. (29:16)

When Boaz married Rus, the elders and the assemblage conferred upon them the following blessing: “May Hashem make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and like Leah, both of whom built up the house of Yisrael” (Rus 4:11). The word shteihem, “both of them,” seems redundant, since, if we are mentioning only Rachel and Leah, obviously there are two/both of them. Horav Aryeh Leib Heyman, zl, cites a number of places in Tanach which have a similar redundancy, whereby names and a total number are mentioned. We find this especially significant concerning the two he-goats used for…

Home -> 5771 -> Vayeitzei

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayeitzei, 5771

He encountered the place and spent the night there…He took from the stones of the place which he arranged around his head, and lay down in that place. (28:11)

Yaakov Avinu left for Charan without any assurances. The road was dangerous. His brother, Eisav, who had sworn to do him bodily harm, was after him. He was on the way to the home of Lavan, the corrupt swindler, to a house filled with idols. One wonders what motivated him to go to Charan. Did Hashem promise him safe passage? No! Hashem was allowing him to go to Charan, but had made no promises. Yaakov was basically on his “own,” or as much on his own that anyone ever is. One is never on his own – only in his mind….

Home -> 5771 -> Vayeitzei

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayeitzei, 5771

And Yaakov went out from Beer Sheva. (28:10)

When Yaakov Avinu fled his father’s home, he was sixty-three years old. He was a wholesome, G-d-fearing Torah scholar whose entire life was devoted to studying Torah. Yet, prior to arriving in Lavan’s home, he had chopped arein, grabbed, another fourteen years of Torah study in the yeshivah of Shem and Eiver. Rashi writes that during those fourteen years our Patriarch was glued to the sefer. He did not lie down in bed to go to sleep the entire time he was there. Why? He was preparing himself for his entrance into the outside world. Imagine, if this was Yaakov Avinu’s…

Home -> 5771 -> Toldos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5771

And it came to pass, when Yitzchak became old, and his eyes dimmed from seeing, that he summoned Eisav, his older son. (27:1)

Yitzchak Avinu saw that his mortal years were slowly coming to a close. He called Eisav to grant him his fatherly blessing, as befits the first-born son. Rivkah Imeinu understood what was about to transpire, and she manipulated the situation, so that in the end it was Yaakov Avinu who received the blessings. One shudders at the thought of Eisav receiving the blessings. Yet, this was Yitzchak’s intention. How are we to reconcile ourselves with this? What did Yitzchak see in Eisav that prompted him to view him as worthy of blessing? True, Eisav was a fraud, a very talented fraud,…

Home -> 5771 -> Toldos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5771

Yaakov was a wholesome man, abiding in tents. (25:27)

Yaakov Avinu was morally and ethically wholesome, attributes attested to by the Torah. He is characterized as “abiding in tents.” Rashi explains that this is a reference to Yaakov’s total devotion to spending his time in the tents of Torah, under the direction of Shem and Eiver. Yaakov did not simply “learn.” He studied with a passion, totally devoted to the Torah. During the fourteen years that Yaakov spent in yeshivah engrossed in Torah study, he did not willingly go to sleep in a bed. This does not mean that he was superhuman. Yaakov slept only when sleep overtook him….

Home -> 5771 -> Toldos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5771

Yitzchak entreated Hashem… Hashem allowed Himself to be entreated by him, and his wife Rivkah conceived. (25:21)

Rashi explains that the implication of the masculine singular form lo, “by him,” is that Hashem responded specifically to Yitzchak’s Avinu’s prayer, as opposed to that of his wife, Rivkah Imeinu. In addition, he explains that the root of the word, va’ye’etar, “and he entreated,” is the word atar, which denotes abundance and beseechment. The sense of the pasuk is that Yitzchak prayed abundantly – every which way, in order to effect a positive response from the Almighty. Why was it necessary to pray so hard in every manner possible? Horav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zl, gives us a powerful – almost…

Home -> 5771 -> Toldos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5771

And these are the generations of Yitzchak, the son of Avraham, Avraham begot Yitzchak. (25:19)

The opening pasuk of this Parshah is seemingly redundant. We are about to detail the story of the offspring of Yitzchak Avinu, son of Avraham Avinu, but first the Torah repeats the fact that Avraham begot Yitzchak. One would assume that we have already been informed of Yitzchak’s pedigree when it was related that he was the son of Avraham. Rashi quotes the Midrash which informs us that the leitzanei ha’dor, scoffers of that generation, individuals who had really nothing else to do but slander and denigrate, claimed that Yitzchak’s real father was Avimelech. After all, Sarah had spent some…

Home -> 5771 -> Chayei Sarah

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chayei Sarah, 5771

And she said to the slave, “Who is that man?”… And the slave said, “He is my master.” She then took the veil and covered herself. (24:65)

Rashi explains that the word va’tiskas, “and she covered herself,” is the hispael form of the word kasoh, to cover. It is the reflexive form, indicating the future, third person, feminine. The word therefore means, “and she covered herself,” with the object stated in the word itself. This is as if it were to read, va’techas es atzmah. Rashi compares it to two other words: va’tikaver, “and she was buried” (Ibid. 35:8), a reference to Devorah, Rivkah Imeinu’s nursemaid; and va’tishaver, “and it was broken,” in Shmuel I 4:18. While these two are not in the hispael tense, they are…

Home -> 5771 -> Chayei Sarah

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chayei Sarah, 5771

“…That you not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites.” (24:3)

Avraham Avinu was adamant: Yitzchak was not to marry a girl from his Canaanite neighbors. Eliezer, Avraham’s student, must go to Aram Naharaim to find Yitzchak’s bashert, Heavenly-designated spouse. These two places had one thing in common: The people worshipped pagans. Avodah zarah, idol worship, was a way of life in both places. Therefore, what did Avraham gain by going elsewhere? At least, if Yitzchak’s wife were to come from Canaan, Avraham would be acquainted with the family. Kli Yakar focuses on this question and presents us with an important explanation. He explains that there is another fear that concerned Avraham….

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Vayeitzei ->

Lavan had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rachel. (29:16)

He encountered the place and spent the night there…He took from the stones of the place which he arranged around his head, and lay down in that place. (28:11)

And Yaakov went out from Beer Sheva. (28:10)

And it came to pass, when Yitzchak became old, and his eyes dimmed from seeing, that he summoned Eisav, his older son. (27:1)

Yaakov was a wholesome man, abiding in tents. (25:27)

Yitzchak entreated Hashem… Hashem allowed Himself to be entreated by him, and his wife Rivkah conceived. (25:21)

And these are the generations of Yitzchak, the son of Avraham, Avraham begot Yitzchak. (25:19)

And she said to the slave, “Who is that man?”… And the slave said, “He is my master.” She then took the veil and covered herself. (24:65)

“…That you not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites.” (24:3)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!