Sruly Schnair

איש איש כי יהיה טמא לנפש או בדרך רחוקה

If any man will become contaminated through a human corpse or on a distant road. (9:10)

The Pesach Sheini dispensation has two aspects: tamei, ritual contamination; derech rechokah, distance from the Sanctuary. One who, for one of these reasons, missed out on celebrating Pesach Rishon appropriately, is granted a second chance in accordance with halachah. Horav Lazar Brody, Shlita, posits that the laws of Pesach Sheini are an allusion to the baal teshuvah, penitent, who returns to Jewish observance. One who was born to a family that was distant from observance can return, can have another start at being an observant Jew. Chazal (Pesachim 95a) ask what the difference is between Pesach Rishon and Pesach Sheini….

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ותדבר מרים ואהרן במשה על אודות האשה הכושית אשר לקח

Sruly Schnair In Beha'alosecha, 5783

Miriam and Aharon spoke against Moshe regarding the Cushite woman which he took. (12:1)

Rashi quotes Midrash Tanchuma (Parashas Tzav 13) which asks, “From where did Miriam know that Moshe Rabbeinu had separated from Tzipporah?” (Miriam complained about Moshe moving out of his family tent. The reason given was that he never knew when Hashem would speak with him. Thus, he had to maintain his purity at all times. Miriam rendered, “Was Moshe the only one who spoke with Hashem? They, too, received His word – yet, they did not separate from their spouses.”) The Midrash says that Miriam heard Tzipporah say, “Woe is to those who are called to prophecy, just like my…

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והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Sruly Schnair In Beha'alosecha, 5783

Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any other person on the face of the earth. (12:3)

How should we understand the concept of anivus, humility? Should a person ignore his positive attributes? Should he hide his successes? The Baalei Mussar, Ethicists, explain that one who ignores the reality of his wisdom, scholarship, positive character traits, is sorely lacking in the commodity of seichel, common sense. It is similar to a body builder, strong man, ignoring the fact that he can bench press four-hundred pounds. Reality is reality. Horav Shimshon Pincus, zl, offers a powerful insight into how one should relate to his strengths, while concomitantly not having a deleterious effect on his humility. He should view…

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והעם לא נסע עד האסף מרים

Sruly Schnair In Beha'alosecha, 5783

And the people did not journey until Miriam was brought in. (12:15)

Rashi teaches that Hashem instructed the entire Jewish nation to wait for Miriam Ha’Neviah to be healed before He allowed them to move on to their next encampment. This was her reward for the extra moments she spent at the river to keep an eye on her baby brother, Moshe. What did she really do that was worthy of such extraordinary reward, that an entire nation waited for her? She did very little, and, after all, it was for her brother. Such devotion is to be expected. Yet, Hashem recorded those moments, because “little” things, simple actions, are what define…

Home -> 5783 -> Naso

והביא האיש את אשתו אל הכהן והביא את קרבנה עליה עשירית האיפה קמח שעורים לא יצוק עליו שמן ולא יתן עליו לבונה

Sruly Schnair In Naso, 5783

The man shall bring his wife to the Kohen, and he shall bring her offering for her, a tenth-eiphah of barley flour; he shall not pour oil over it and shall not put frankincense upon it. (5:15)

Her husband brings the Minchas Sotah, meal-offering of the wayward wife. It is not a normal offering in the sense that its ingredients are a reminder of her moral transgression. This minchah should invoke within her a confrontation with her profligate past, the activities which brought her here in the first place. All she has to do is confess and correct her ways. In the face of the terrifying fate which will be hers if she refuses to acknowledge her guilt, her obstinacy will be her downfall. Rather than offering a meal-offering consisting of flour, hers is made of barley,…

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ישא ד' פניו אליך וישם לך שלום

Sruly Schnair In Naso, 5783

May Hashem lift His countenance to you and establish peace for you. (6:26)

Simply, this means that Hashem will suppress His disappointment with us when we sin. He will continue to show us special consideration and not punish us. Chazal (Berachos 20b, Bamidbar Rabbah 11:4) question why G-d would show special consideration to Klal Yisrael when they do not deserve it. Indeed, Hashem cannot be bribed, as it says (Devarim 10:17): Asher lo yissa panim v’lo yikach shochad, “Who does not lift a countenance (does not overlook a sin if the sinner is undeserving of favor) and does not accept bribery.” They explain that the Jewish people are worthy of Hashem’s favor and…

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... וקרבנו קערת כסף אחת

Sruly Schnair In Naso, 5783

His offering one silver bowl… (7:13)

The twelve Nesiim brought identical offerings. Yet, the Torah details each Nasi’s korban. This is because each arrived at his formulation independently, and each had a different set of symbolisms for his choice of components. In other words, on the surface, they appeared identical, and, in reality, they all brought the same offerings; however, the underlying motif and symbolism differed from one Nasi to another. Each Nasi’s kavanah, intention for his korban, differed from that of his peer. Horav Shimshon Pincus, zl, derives from here an important lesson concerning one’s avodas hakodesh, service to Hashem. People live within an established…

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שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל למשפחתם לבית אבתם

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Bamidbar

Take a census of the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael according to their father’s house. (1:2)

The Zera Shimshon wonders why the Torah traces each Jew’s lineage from his father’s line, rather than from his mother’s. First, a child’s Jewish identity is determined by his mother. (Matrilineal descent is one of the areas which the secular streams have attempted to alter, due to their diminishing numbers.) Second, the women in Egypt were at the center of safeguarding yichus, lineage, of the Jewish People. They refused to be violated by the Egyptians. Indeed, in addressing the familial names of each tribe, the Torah writes, mishpachas ha’Reuveni, mishpachas ha’Shimoni, “the family of Reuven, the family of Shimon” (Ibid….

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והלוים למטה אבתם לא התפקדו בתוכם ... וידבר ד' אל משה לאמר אך את מטה לוי לא תפקד

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Bamidbar

The Leviim, according to their father’s tribe, were not counted among them. Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, “You shall not count the tribe of Levi.” (1:47,48,49)

Apparently, Moshe Rabbeinu did not count the Leviim even before Hashem instructed him to exclude them from the census. Ramban and Sforno rationalize Moshe’s decision. Every shevet, tribe, had a Nasi, leader, who represented the tribe. Shevet Levi did not, because Hashem did not tell Moshe to appoint one. As a result, Moshe deduced that Hashem had other plans for the tribe of Levi. While this is all well and good, we wonder why Hashem did not preempt Moshe’s decision by telling him up front that Shevet Levi was not to be counted. Horav Mordechai Gifter, zl, explains this with…

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משפחת בני קהת יחנו על המשכן תימנה

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Bamidbar

The families of the children of Kehas would encamp on the side of the Mishkan to the south. (3:29)

Rashi explains that specifically concerning Bnei Kehas, the Torah underscores that they were to the south side of the Mishkan, indicating that a special significance was attributed to the southern campsite of Bnei Kehas. He quotes Chazal (Succos 56b) that posit, Oy l’rasha v’oy lishcheinav. The tribe of Reuven encamped on the south next to Kehas, rendering Reuven vulnerable to the negative influence of Korach who descended from Kehas. As a result, the sons of Reuven, Dasan and Aviram, followed by the 250 heads of the Sanhedrin, joined the Korach controversy, which ultimately led to their untimely deaths. Rashi’s lashon,…

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איש איש כי יהיה טמא לנפש או בדרך רחוקה

If any man will become contaminated through a human corpse or on a distant road. (9:10)

ותדבר מרים ואהרן במשה על אודות האשה הכושית אשר לקח

Miriam and Aharon spoke against Moshe regarding the Cushite woman which he took. (12:1)

והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any other person on the face of the earth. (12:3)

והעם לא נסע עד האסף מרים

And the people did not journey until Miriam was brought in. (12:15)

והביא האיש את אשתו אל הכהן והביא את קרבנה עליה עשירית האיפה קמח שעורים לא יצוק עליו שמן ולא יתן עליו לבונה

The man shall bring his wife to the Kohen, and he shall bring her offering for her, a tenth-eiphah of barley flour; he shall not pour oil over it and shall not put frankincense upon it. (5:15)

ישא ד' פניו אליך וישם לך שלום

May Hashem lift His countenance to you and establish peace for you. (6:26)

... וקרבנו קערת כסף אחת

His offering one silver bowl… (7:13)

שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל למשפחתם לבית אבתם

Take a census of the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael according to their father’s house. (1:2)

והלוים למטה אבתם לא התפקדו בתוכם ... וידבר ד' אל משה לאמר אך את מטה לוי לא תפקד

The Leviim, according to their father’s tribe, were not counted among them. Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, “You shall not count the tribe of Levi.” (1:47,48,49)

משפחת בני קהת יחנו על המשכן תימנה

The families of the children of Kehas would encamp on the side of the Mishkan to the south. (3:29)

YEARS

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