Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

Rejoice, O’Zevulun, in your excursions, and Yissachar in your tents. (33:18)

arav Chaim Alpandri, zl, distinguishes between the machazik Torah, supporter of Torah, and the lomeid Torah, one who studies Torah. He notes that he who studies Torah receives great reward in Olam Haba, the World to Come. In addition, Torah study protects him from the blandishments of the yetzer hara, evil inclination. An antidote for the yetzer hara, Torah provides a therapeutic bulwark against the yetzer hara’s efforts to sway a person away from Hashem. While the Torah supporter certainly receives his due reward in Olam Haba, he might venture that reward and protection are not synonymous. In other words,…

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וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

Of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim befit Your devout one. (33:8)

Moshe begins his blessing by addressing the Kohanim. Then, he speaks to the rest of the tribe. The praises that he sings are truly impressive and certainly warranted. Are we to ignore the fact, however, that the greatest controversy in the history of the nascent Jewish nation was initiated by a member of the tribe of Levi? The machlokes Korach, controversy of Korach, is one of the saddest moments in our history. Moshe Rabbeinu, also a member of the tribe of Levi, seems to have glossed over it. Why? Surely it must have pained him to recall that bitter dispute…

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תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהלת יעקב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

“The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the Congregation of Yaakov.” (33:4)

The Midrash in Sefer Vayikra cites the following story: An illiterate Jew approached Rabbi Yanai with a complaint, “Why are you holding on to my rightful inheritance?” Rabbi Yanai immediately countered, “What are you talking about? I am not aware of anything of yours that is in my possession.” The man did not budge. “You have something of mine!” he screamed. The Tanna had no idea who this man was, let alone that he had anything in his possession that belonged to him. “Do you think that simply because I am illiterate you can take advantage of me?” the man…

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והם תכו לרגלך ישא מדברתיך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

And they were brought in at Your feet, He would bear Your utterances.(33:3)

In the Talmud Bava Basra 8a, Chazal interpret this pasuk as a reference to talmidei chachamim, Torah scholars, who cut their feet going from town to town and country to country to learn Torah. Horav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Shlita, relates the story of a certain gadol, Torah leader, who grew up in abject poverty. He was able to continue his Torah studies unimpeded due to his mother’s singular devotion to Torah. Winter cold and frost presented a unique problem for his mother. She had three sons who attended cheder and their shoes were not fit for walking in the cold and…

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אף חבב עמים כל קדשיו בידך והם תכו לרגלך ישא מדברתיך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

He also showed love to peoples, all its holy ones are in Your hands; and Ithey were brought in at Your feet, He would bear Your utterances. (33:3)

In an alternative exposition of this pasuk, Rashi says that the love that Hashem demonstrated is a reference to a time in which Hashem manifests endearment to the nations of the world. He shows them a smiling countenance when He delivers Klal Yisrael into their hands. Nonetheless, “all its Holy ones are in Your hands.” Despite this g’zar din, difficult decree, against the Jewish People, its righteous ones and its good ones have cleaved to Hashem, never once doubting Him. Hashem, therefore, guards them. These deeply committed Jews accept Your decree with love and joy, declaring: Torah tzivah lanu Moshe morashah…

Home -> 5764 -> Bereishis

ארור אתה מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה... ועפר תאכל כל ימי חייך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5764

“Accursed are you beyond all the animals and all the beasts of the Ofield…and dust shall you eat all the days of your life.” (3:14)

One wonders if this is much of a punishment. On the contrary, the snake will never have to search for food. Why does Hashem say to the snake, “Accursed are you beyond all the animals and all the beasts of the field”? We derive from here that an easy life, a life without challenge and trial, is not necessarily a blessing. We grow and develop from our challenges. Horav Moshe Shternbuch, Shlita, remembers when a bachur about to be married asked Horav Moshe Schneider, zl, Rosh HaYeshivah in London, for a brachah, blessing, prior to his wedding. Rav Moshe asked…

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ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5764

G-d blessed the seventh day. (2:3)

The Midrash relates that once the Roman Caesar went out for a stroll. In the course of walking, he entered the Jewish neighborhood. It was Shabbos, and the aroma of delicious Shabbos foods permeated the air. The Caesar was enchanted by the essence. He sent for Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, a leading sage, and asked, “Why do the Jewish foods have such a savory fragrance to them? I have never smelled anything so delectable.” Rabbi Yehoshua replied, “We have a unique spice called Shabbos that creates a sweet aroma in our food.” “Please obtain this spice for me, so that…

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נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5764

Let us make Man in Our image, after Our likeness. (1:26)

What is the meaning of man being formed in G-d’s image? Certainly man has a corporeal form, quite unlike Hashem, Who has no corporeality. Furthermore, what is meant by the phrase, “Let us make Man”? Horav Moshe Shternbuch, Shlita, gives a compelling explanation. The concept of man as he was created, is not limited to what we see with our human eyes. Man was designed to be much more than a two- legged creature. Man is man only when he lives up to his spiritual potential and integrates his spiritual dimension with his physical entity. This is consistent with Chazal’s dictum,…

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ויהי ערב ויהי בקר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5764

“And there was evening and there was morning.” (1:5)

The Midrash interprets the reference in the pasuk to night and day from a different perspective. “It was night” denotes the activities of the wicked, while “it was morning” is a reference to the actions of the righteous. Hashem asserts that the light is good. It seems strange that the Torah would have to tell us that Hashem favors the actions of the righteous, symbolized by the light. Such a statement is not novel. Certainly, Hashem prefers the activities of the righteous. We do not need a Midrash to teach us this lesson. The Dubno Maggid, zl, gives a practical…

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בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם... כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב. ויקרא האדם שם אשתו חוה כי היא היתה אם כל חי. ויעש ד' אלקים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5763

“By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread… For you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Chavah, because she had become the mother of all the living. And Hashem G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin. (3:19,20,21)

The commentators question the sequence of the pesukim. The fact that Adam named Chavah should have been written earlier, at the end of Perek bais, where the Torah relates how Adam gave names to all the creatures. Why is the naming of Chavah juxtaposed to Hashem making garments for Adam and Chavah? The Kehillas Yitzchak explains that when Adam realized what Chavah’s act had catalyzed, when he understood that his death and the deaths of all future generations was the result of Chavah’s eating and sharing of the Eitz HaDaas, he immediately became severely depressed and angry. After awhile, it dawned…

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שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

Rejoice, O’Zevulun, in your excursions, and Yissachar in your tents. (33:18)

וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך

Of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim befit Your devout one. (33:8)

תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהלת יעקב

“The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the Congregation of Yaakov.” (33:4)

והם תכו לרגלך ישא מדברתיך

And they were brought in at Your feet, He would bear Your utterances.(33:3)

אף חבב עמים כל קדשיו בידך והם תכו לרגלך ישא מדברתיך

He also showed love to peoples, all its holy ones are in Your hands; and Ithey were brought in at Your feet, He would bear Your utterances. (33:3)

ארור אתה מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה... ועפר תאכל כל ימי חייך

“Accursed are you beyond all the animals and all the beasts of the Ofield…and dust shall you eat all the days of your life.” (3:14)

ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו

G-d blessed the seventh day. (2:3)

נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו

Let us make Man in Our image, after Our likeness. (1:26)

ויהי ערב ויהי בקר

“And there was evening and there was morning.” (1:5)

בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם... כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב. ויקרא האדם שם אשתו חוה כי היא היתה אם כל חי. ויעש ד' אלקים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור

“By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread… For you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Chavah, because she had become the mother of all the living. And Hashem G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin. (3:19,20,21)

YEARS

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