Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

ועץ החיים בתוך הגן ועץ הדעת טוב ורע

And the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of good and bad. (2:9)

Sforno explains that daas, knowledge, means to focus one’s heart on (what is) good and evil. This explanation of the word daas, is also found in the phrase v’haAdam yoda, “and Adam knew,” i.e., he became aware and now concentrated his heart on her (Chavah). This is also why a relative is called a moda, as it says in Rus 2:1, moda l’ishah, “a relative of her husband,” for it is natural that one concerns himself with the needs of his relative. Horav Shmuel David Walkin, zl, infers from here that a relative is a moda, because the foundation of…

Home -> 5763 -> Bereishis

וירא אלקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5763

And G-d saw all that He had made and behold it was very good. (1:31)

Life is comprised of successes and failures. Some of us have a greater number of successes. Others look at failure more often than at success. This is not a perfect world, but our perspective on life and the world can make a “world” of difference. Hashem created the world that we know in Six Days of Creation. He made some subtle changes during Creation in order to offset some of the problems that arose. Hashem first created light. This was a powerful, intense and very spiritual light. In fact, it was so spiritually illuminating that the wicked would never be worthy…

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בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5763

TIn the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and earth. (1:1)

The Baal HaTurim notes that the last letters of the words Bereishis bara Elokim — taf, aleph, mem — spell out (when rearranged) the word emes, truth. This teaches us that the world was created via the attribute of emes. Interestingly, the Torah alludes to the word emes in an indirect manner, since the sequence of the letters is out of order. Horav Shmuel David Walkin, zl, infers a profound lesson from here. The Torah teaches us that one must strive for the truth, regardless of the situation. One is not obligated to be truthful only during times of smooth sailing…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5763

ולכל היד החזקה ולכל המורא הגדול אשר עשה משה לעיני כל ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5763, V'zos HaBrachah

And by all the strong hand and for all the awesome power that Moshe T performed before the eyes of all Yisrael. (34:12)

The Torah records every significant moment of Moshe Rabbeinu’s life that impacted his nation for all time to come. His activities — whether in the area of leadership or social justice, his relationship with the Almighty, or his character traits — are all presented either overtly or in the context of a subtle lesson. If we were to sum up his life’s endeavor and search for the crowning lesson — that action for which he is to be remembered for posterity — it would be found in the closing words of the Torah. The words that seemingly serve as our quintessential…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5763

וימת שם משה עבד ה'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5763, V'zos HaBrachah

So Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there. (34:5)

According to one opinion in Chazal, the last eight pesukim of the Torah were written by Moshe, but, rather than using ink, he wrote the last words with tears. The Torah comes to an end with the passing of Moshe, the quintessential rebbe of the Jewish nation, the man who dedicated every fibre of his being to Klal Yisrael. This conclusion to the greatest volume that has ever been recorded is written with tears — Moshe’s tears. It is very difficult to accept that Moshe wept over the words, “So Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there.” Our leader led a…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5763

וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5763, V'zos HaBrachah

FOf Levi he said, ‘Your tumim and your urim befit Your devout one.’ (33:8)

First, Moshe Rabbeinu stressed Levi’s position as the tribe from which the spiritual leadership, the Kohanim, of the nation emanated. Then, Moshe turned to the tribe as a whole, focusing on its bravery and steadfast loyalty in the desert. He then blessed the Leviim as the teachers of the nation. The commentators note the omission of Shimon from the blessings. This is due to the fact that Shimon was severely criticized by Yaakov Avinu for the tribe’s later participation in the worship and consequent moral deviation concerning the Baal Peor idol. The Sifri notes that at one time, Shimon and Levi…

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ויהי בישרון מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם יחד שבטי ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5763, V'zos HaBrachah

He became King over Yeshurun when the members of the nation gathered — the tribes of Yisrael in unity. (33:5)

Rashi explains that Hashem is Klal Yisrael’s King in the most complete sense only when the people unite to do His will. Just as achdus, unity, prevailed at Har Sinai when all of Klal Yisrael accepted the Torah, so, too, does Hashem reign only over a nation that maintains a sense of harmony in belief and action. The Navi writes in Melachim I 3:3, “And Shlomo loved Hashem, walking in the statutes of David, his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.” Rashi explains that while Shlomo acted in a manner similar to David Ha’melech, he deviated…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5761

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5761, V'zos HaBrachah

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

H orav Shlomo Heyman, z.l., related that when Rabbeinu Saadya Gaon left Egypt to become Rosh HaYeshivah in Sura, the people of Sura took it upon themselves to build the yeshivah building. Rabbeinu Saadya sent out a proclamation, urging all communities to join in support of this project. A certain wealthy Egyptian Jew decided to contribute a considerable sum to sponsor the Aron Kodesh. When he arrived in Sura, he discovered — to his chagrin — that someone had already preceded him in dedicating the Aron Kodesh. He was extremely upset that he would not be able to sponsor the holiest…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5761

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5761, V'zos HaBrachah

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

Horav Yehudah Tzadakah, z.l., was known for his incredible diligence in Torah study. In his youth, he would spend his day studying in the yeshivah bais ha’medrash, and at night he would go to the Beer Sheva shul and study through the early hours of the morning. In his later years, one of his grandsons asked why he chose this specific shul. He explained that the shamashim, caretakers, of the various shuls were frugal and limited the amount of kerosene used for the lamps. The shamash at the Beer Sheva shul, however, did not spare any kerosene, giving as much…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5761

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5761, V'zos HaBrachah

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

Rashi explains that Zevulun should be happy and successful as he goes out to commerce, because Yissachar, his brother and partner, is studying in the tent of Torah. If Zevulun’s reason for joy is his support of Yissachar’s Torah study, should not Yissachar’s name have preceded that of Zevulun? Rashi says that this is specifically why Zevulun’s name precedes Yissachar’s. It was Zevulun’s support than enabled Yissachar’s Torah. Horav Aharon Kotler, z.l., offers another reason for the significance of Zevulun preceding Yissachar. He cites the pasuk in Mishlei 23:24 in which two forms of joy, gilah and simchah are mentioned: “The…

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ועץ החיים בתוך הגן ועץ הדעת טוב ורע

And the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of good and bad. (2:9)

וירא אלקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד

And G-d saw all that He had made and behold it was very good. (1:31)

בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

TIn the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and earth. (1:1)

ולכל היד החזקה ולכל המורא הגדול אשר עשה משה לעיני כל ישראל

And by all the strong hand and for all the awesome power that Moshe T performed before the eyes of all Yisrael. (34:12)

וימת שם משה עבד ה'

So Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there. (34:5)

וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך

FOf Levi he said, ‘Your tumim and your urim befit Your devout one.’ (33:8)

ויהי בישרון מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם יחד שבטי ישראל

He became King over Yeshurun when the members of the nation gathered — the tribes of Yisrael in unity. (33:5)

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

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

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

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

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

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

YEARS

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