Sruly Schnair

ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם

And these are the judgments that you shall place before them. (21:1)

The previous parshah (Yisro) concluded with the laws of the Mizbayach, Altar. Rashi asks why the law of judicial cases are juxtaposed upon the laws of the Mizbayach. He explains this teaches that the Sanhedrin, supreme court, should have its place near to the Bais Hamikdash. [Commentators posit that the reference to the Mikdash, Temple, is an error. Rashi actually means Mizbayach. In any event, the message is clear: The Temple environs are where the Sanhedrin is to be placed. Mizbayach symbolizes sacrifice, which was a primary function of the Sanctuary.] The Mizbayach represents mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice. Horav Nosson Gestetner,…

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כי תקנה עבד עברי

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5783

If you buy a Jewish bondsman. (21:2)

The Torah begins Parashas Mishpatim presenting the many mitzvos that cover the gamut from social/welfare relationships to the appropriate manner of service to Hashem, including the laws of the eved Ivri, Jewish bondsman. One would think a number of other mitzvos would also serve as an appropriate opening to Parashas Mishpatim. The various commentators address this question by offering explanations for what seems to be an anomaly, but we know that no anomalies exist in the Torah. Everything is sorted out and presented by Heavenly design. Horav Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv, zl, comments that the very foundation of the laws concerning…

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כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5783

You shall not cause pain to any widow or orphan. (22:21)

What kind of person would mistreat a widow or an orphan? The mere fact that the Torah admonishes us against being so cruel indicates that there are people who will do anything to anyone to take advantage – be it for money, or just because they want to show their power. Some people simply do not use their seichel, common-sense. To them, a rule is a rule, and it should apply to the weak as well. Thus, a widow and orphan do not receive preferred treatment. They are no different than anyone else. No leniency exists for them. This is…

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ואנשי קדש תהיון לי

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5783

People of holiness shall you be to Me. (22:30)

It is not enough for a Jew to be good and upright. While these are noble, enviable attributes for anyone else, we answer to a Higher Authority and a Higher calling. We must strive to attain kedushah, holiness. Our neshamos, souls, are pure, and it is incumbent upon us to do everything within our ability to sustain the soul’s pristine nature. It is due to this Heavenly mandate to achieve kedushah that the dynamic concerning what we may do, where we may go, what we may eat and how we should live comes into play. For a Jew, everything comes…

Home -> 5783 -> Yisro

ויספר משה לחתנו את כל אשר עשה ד' ... ויאמר יתרו ברוך ד' אשר הציל אתכם

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5783

Moshe told his father-in-law everything that Hashem had done… Yisro said, “Blessed is Hashem Who has rescued you.” (18:8,10)

The power that a story has to impact a person cannot be overstated. Horav Nachman Breslover, zl, teaches, “There is nothing that revives the spirit, purifies the heart, deepens the thought, or draws us close to our Father in Heaven more than telling a story (obviously, there is an art to telling a story). Indeed, prior to giving us the mitzvos of the Torah, Hashem preceded it with the story of Creation.” Moshe Rabbeinu employed the effectiveness of a story to inspire Yisro and draw his heart close to Hashem, “Moshe related to his father-in-law all that Hashem had done.”…

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אנכי ד' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5783

I am Hashem, Your G-d, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. (20:2)

Kabbalas haTorah, the Giving/Receiving of the Torah, was the crown of Creation. As the Abir Yaakov (Horav Yaakov Abuchatzeira, zl) writes, the purpose of Creation is to recognize Hashem’s Monarchy. It is understandable that the world cannot exist without Torah, which guides us how to serve Hashem. In this sense, the world was not completed until Klal Yisrael received/accepted the Torah on Har Sinai. With this in mind, the Abir Yaakov explains the first pesukim of the Torah: Bereishis bara Elokim, “In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth…darkness was on the face of the depths, and the…

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זכור את יום השבת לקדשו

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5783

Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it. (20:8)

I think the primary essence of Shabbos is to be derived from the word l’kadsho, “to sanctify it.” This does not in any way mean to belittle the importance of zachor, “remember,” the Shabbos. Clearly, one who does not remember, who does not observe Shabbos according to halachah, can hardly sanctify it. The suggestion, however, is that Shabbos observance without focusing on its sanctity, by concentrating on the positive aspects of rest, and how this time should be spent spiritually elevating ourselves, undermines the essence of Shabbos. Shabbos is a day of elevation, of spiritual growth, which is achieved through…

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כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5783

Honor your father and mother, so that your days will be lengthened. (20:12)

Every mitzvah is accompanied by halachos, laws, and customs which guide its fulfillment. If one does not adhere to them, the fulfillment of the mitzvah is nullified. Some mitzvos have numerous halachos, while others are simple and basic. The mitzvah of kibbud av v’eim, honoring one’s parents, which is one of the most difficult mitzvos to carry out properly, has a considerable amount of laws and criteria which must be met in order to appropriately execute this mitzvah. Determining what is included in the term kavod, honor, and what is not and who is deserving of honor (i.e. an abusive…

Home -> 5783 -> Beshalach

הנני ממטיר לכם לחם מן השמים... למען אנסנו הילך בתורתי אם לא

Sruly Schnair In Beshalach, 5783

Behold! I shall rain down for you food from Heaven… so that I can test them, whether they will follow My teaching or not. (16:4)

Heavenly bread, or sustenance from Heaven, was to be the test that determined the faith and trust of the Jew. Would he listen by observing Shabbos, trusting that the amount of food necessary to feed his family would arrive in a timely manner? Would he follow Hashem even if, at the end of the day, he had no food available for the next day? Last, would he now devote all his free time to matters of the spirit – Torah study and mitzvah observance? The test continues to this very day. Some individuals contend that they trust in Hashem; He…

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ויאמר משה אליהם איש אל יותר ממנו עד בקר

Sruly Schnair In Beshalach, 5783

Moshe said to them, “No man may leave over from it until morning.” (16:19)

Chazal (Yoma 76a) teach that enormous amounts of manna descended each day – more than the nation required for a day’s sustenance. By midday, it was all gone. This was part of a Heavenly lesson to the people: Hashem provides for our daily needs – daily. To worry about tomorrow is a shortcoming in our emunah and bitachon, faith and trust, in Hashem. This is the gold standard for which a Jew should aspire. The amount of hishtadlus, endeavoring, that one should expend is correlated with his level and trust in Hashem. The Gaon, zl, m’Vilna, did not go to…

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ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם

And these are the judgments that you shall place before them. (21:1)

כי תקנה עבד עברי

If you buy a Jewish bondsman. (21:2)

כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון

You shall not cause pain to any widow or orphan. (22:21)

ואנשי קדש תהיון לי

People of holiness shall you be to Me. (22:30)

ויספר משה לחתנו את כל אשר עשה ד' ... ויאמר יתרו ברוך ד' אשר הציל אתכם

Moshe told his father-in-law everything that Hashem had done… Yisro said, “Blessed is Hashem Who has rescued you.” (18:8,10)

אנכי ד' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים

I am Hashem, Your G-d, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. (20:2)

זכור את יום השבת לקדשו

Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it. (20:8)

כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

Honor your father and mother, so that your days will be lengthened. (20:12)

הנני ממטיר לכם לחם מן השמים... למען אנסנו הילך בתורתי אם לא

Behold! I shall rain down for you food from Heaven… so that I can test them, whether they will follow My teaching or not. (16:4)

ויאמר משה אליהם איש אל יותר ממנו עד בקר

Moshe said to them, “No man may leave over from it until morning.” (16:19)

YEARS

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