Sruly Schnair

“And these (are) the generations of Aharon and Moshe… and these (are) the names of the sons of Aharon.” (3:1,2)

In response to this pasuk, Rashi cites the Talmud in Sanhedrin 19b. Although the Torah mentions Aharon and Moshe’s generations, it goes on to enumerate only Aharon’s children. Chazal derive from this pasuk that the scripture considers an individual who teaches his neighbor’s son Torah as if he has actually begotten the child. The Talmud in Sanhedrin 99b offers a slight variation to this statement. Chazal view the Rebbe as the one who fashioned the child. Is there a difference between uskh, begotten, and uvag, fashioned or made him? Each in their own distinct manner, the commentaries cite differences between…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Bamidbar

“Every man with his own camp and every man with his own flag.” (1:52)

The inclination to be orderly is an essential prerequisite for achieving shleimus, completion, in character development. One who is generally lethargic in his attitude and thoughtless in executing his responsibilities is often a confused person. Such an individual is frequently unreliable and inconsiderate. It is vital for an individual to have a systematized approach to planning out his daily endeavor, so that he can set priorities and act upon them accordingly. Horav Simcha Zissel M’Kelm z.l. cites several sources from Chazal to illustrate this point. The heads of the yeshivos in Bavel were crowned with the title of “reish sidrah”…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Bamidbar

“Take the sum of all the congregation of Bnei Yisrael by their families, by their father’s households… from twenty years and upward.” (1:2,3)

In Jewish life, as well as in contemporary society, the family unit constitutes the most basic social unit. The center of Jewish life always has been — and will always be — the home. The home is the place in which parents prepare their children physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually to serve Hashem in the Jewish way. The collapse of traditional Judaism in America has followed the breakdown of the Jewish home as it has functioned for thousands of years. The secularization of the Jewish family, effected by assimilation into American society, was the precursor of the spiritual decline of…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Behar

“You shall not subjugate him with rigor and you shall fear your G-d… but over your brethren, Bnei Yisrael, one over another, you shall not rule with rigor.” (25:45,46)

The second admonishment against treating slaves harshly seems redundant. Why was it necessary to repeat the same prohibition three pesukim later? The Chasid Yaavetz explains that since the Torah had previously stated that we may enslave the Canaanites, a distinct possibility exists that we may inadvertently begin to treat the Jewish slave like his Canaanite counterpart. The Torah, therefore, repeats its warning against mistreatment of the Jewish slave. This statement is vexing. Are we to believe that one would unjustly mistreat a Jewish servant, because he is permitted to treat a Canaanite slave as he wishes? How does the treatment…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Behar

“If your brother becomes impoverished… you shall strengthen him. Do not take from him interest and increase.” (25:35,36)

The prohibition against paying interest to a Jew presents a number of difficulties. First, why should interest be forbidden altogether? Second, if taking interest is so bad, why are we permitted to exact interest from gentiles? Isn’t this a form of “double standard”? In response to these questions, Horav S.R. Hirsch z.l. offers an explanation which focuses on the true meaning of this prohibition. It is an accepted norm for one to make use of his home, animals, and various other possessions. He can do this either by personally utilizing them or by renting them out, applying the rental money…

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Sruly Schnair In Emor, 5754

“And you shall not profane My Name, but let Me be hallowed in the midst of Bnei Yisrael.” (22:32)

When we accepted the Torah, we became the bearers of Hashem’s Name as reflected in the lifestyle we lead as individuals and as a community. We are charged to be kadosh, holy, and to radiate this demeanor for the entire world to see and emulate. With every refusal to defer to a life of kedushah and any attraction which draws us away from fulfillment of this charge ,we are kkjnw desecrate, Hashem’s Name. As Horav S.R. Hirsch z.l. asserts, we justify our existence and validate our possessions to the degree of our affinity to kiddush Hashem, sanctification of Hashem’s Name. …

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Sruly Schnair In Emor, 5754

“A widow or one who is divorced or a profaned (woman or a) harlot; these he shall not take.” (21:14)

Why does the Torah prohibit the Kohen Gadol to marry a widow, while the kohen hedyot is only denied marriage to a divorcee? Horav Meir Bergman, Shlita, cites the Moshav Zekeinim, authored by the Baalei Tosfos, which offers an intriguing answer. They state that on Yom Kippur, when the Kohen Gadol reaches the zenith of kedushah and utters the Shem Ha’Meforash, Ineffable Name, he might perchance stare at a married woman. During this brief interlude, the Kohen Gadol might become momentarily captivated by this woman. His attraction to her might cause him to will death for her husband. Such strong…

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Sruly Schnair In Emor, 5754

“Speak unto the kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and say unto them.” (21:1)

Rashi explains the apparent redundancy of “speak unto, and say.” He suggests that this is the Torah’s way to emphasize its admonishment for adults to educate minors. The adult kohanim should be extra vigilant in transmitting the laws of kehunah to their sons. This pasuk has traditionally been viewed as a paradigm for parents’ obligation to transmit Torah values to their children. Although Rashi states an essential prerequisite for effective parenting, his concept does not seem to be indicated in the context of this pasuk. The word, ,rntu, “and say,” seems to focus upon adults, consistent with the earlier part of…

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Sruly Schnair In Acharei Mos, 5754

“After the doings of the land of Egypt… you shall not do… and after the doings of the land of Canaan… you shall not do, and in their statutes you shall not walk. My ordinances you shall do and My statutes you shall keep to walk therein.” (18:3,4)

Rashi cites the Sifra which derives from the words “to walk therein” that one should not think that he can exempt himself from mitzvos. In other words, one shall not say, “I have learned the wisdom of Yisrael, I shall now go and learn the wisdom of other nations.” To act in such a manner is equivalent to exempting himself from Torah and mitzvos. This seems vexing. Why should studying the culture of other nations be viewed as being diametrically opposed to a Torah way of life? Horav Boruch Sorotzkin z.l. suggests the following explanation. Limud ha’Torah is not merely…

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Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5754

“Whatever has a split hoof and is wholly cloven footed and chews its cud among the beasts, you may eat.” (11:4)

The two features stated in this pasuk are signs which identify permitted animals. No reason is stated as a rationale for their permissibility. The Abarbanel suggests that animals which chew their cud are not capable of crushing and chewing up bones. Consequently, they feed on plants, and they do not have the ferocity of wild animals. Their split hooves do not have claws, suggesting that these are peaceloving and relatively harmless animals. Indeed, these animals reflect the traits of compassion and mercy, which are the hallmarks of the Jewish personality. In a similar sense, Rabbi S.R. Hirsch z.l. explains that…

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“And these (are) the generations of Aharon and Moshe… and these (are) the names of the sons of Aharon.” (3:1,2)

“Every man with his own camp and every man with his own flag.” (1:52)

“Take the sum of all the congregation of Bnei Yisrael by their families, by their father’s households… from twenty years and upward.” (1:2,3)

“You shall not subjugate him with rigor and you shall fear your G-d… but over your brethren, Bnei Yisrael, one over another, you shall not rule with rigor.” (25:45,46)

“If your brother becomes impoverished… you shall strengthen him. Do not take from him interest and increase.” (25:35,36)

“And you shall not profane My Name, but let Me be hallowed in the midst of Bnei Yisrael.” (22:32)

“A widow or one who is divorced or a profaned (woman or a) harlot; these he shall not take.” (21:14)

“Speak unto the kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and say unto them.” (21:1)

“After the doings of the land of Egypt… you shall not do… and after the doings of the land of Canaan… you shall not do, and in their statutes you shall not walk. My ordinances you shall do and My statutes you shall keep to walk therein.” (18:3,4)

“Whatever has a split hoof and is wholly cloven footed and chews its cud among the beasts, you may eat.” (11:4)

YEARS

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