Sruly Schnair

הבה נתחכמה לו פן ירבה

Come, let us outsmart it lest it become numerous. (1:10)

Pharaoh no longer remembered how Yosef had brilliantly led the nation through a major economic crisis. He looked around and saw that the immigrant family of seventy Jews that had originally come from Canaan had now become a nation of thousands, growing exponentially. They had become too numerous and too strong. Something had to be done about them. He foolishly thought that he could contend with Hashem and control the destiny of Klal Yisrael. He was clearly wrong. When our nation received the Torah at Har Sinai, the Torah records the event. Va’yehi kol ha’shofar holeich v’chazeik me’od, “The sound…

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כי לא כנשים כמצריות העבריות ... בטרם תבוא אליהן המילדת וילדו

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Shemos

Because the Hebrew women are unlike the Egyptian women … before the midwife comes to them, they have given birth. (1:19)

Pharaoh had instructed Shifrah and Puah, the Jewish midwives, to murder the male infants. They, of course, did not listen to the evil despot, claiming that by the time they arrived at the homes of the Jewish women, the children had been born. Horav Shabsi Frankel, zl, quotes an original thought from his father-in-law, Horav Yosef Nechemiah Kornitzer, zl, which presents us with a deeper meaning to the dialogue that ensued between Pharaoh and the me’yaldos, midwives. Understandably, these holy women were not prepared to commit the unthinkable. Their task was to bring on life, not to shorten it. They…

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וימת מלך מצרים ויאנחו בני ישראל מן העבודה ויזעקו

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Shemos

It happened that the king of Egypt died, and Bnei Yisrael groaned because of the work, and they cried out. (2:23)

What about the Egyptian king’s death provoked Bnei Yisrael’s pain and initiated their crying out? Horav Yitzchak, zl, m’Volozhin explains that as long as Pharaoh was alive, the Jews attributed all of their tzaros, troubles, to his wicked leadership. They hoped that when he would hopefully leave this world, the evil decrees would end. When he died, however, and the evil continued unabated, they realized that they could only turn to Hashem. The nature of man is to attribute everything that occurs in his life to natural causes and place their hopes on its positive conclusion. The believing Jew, however,…

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ויאמר ד' ראה ראיתי את עני עמי אשר במצרים

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Shemos

Hashem said, “I have, indeed, seen the affliction of My people that is in Egypt.” (3:7)

Chazal (Midrash Rabbah Shemos 3:2) note the double usage of the word ra’oh, see (ra’oh ra’isi). They explain that Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu, “Moshe, you see a re’iyah achas, one sight, but I see two reiyos, two sights. You see the nation coming to Har Sinai and receiving the Torah. I, too, see them coming to Sinai and receiving My Torah. (This is the meaning of the first ra’oh.) However, I also see the sight of the incident of the eigel, Golden Calf.” Hashem’s message to Moshe is intriguing and surely laden with profound meaning. Simply, Hashem intimated to Moshe…

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ועתה הנה צעקת בני ישראל באה אלי

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Shemos

And now, behold! The outcry of Bnei Yisrael has come to Me. (3:9)

There is tefillah, prayer, and there is tze’akah, crying out, yelling or effusive prayer laden with emotion and expression. Tze’akah is the prayer one offers when he is literally up against the wall with nowhere to go. He sees no way out, no form of salvation. Imagine one is walking in a forest when he suddenly chances upon a bear. He screams. Will the scream make a difference? Bears are really not moved by the screams of a human being. Nonetheless, when one realizes that this is it, he has no way out – he screams. Klal Yisrael was in…

Home -> Vayechi -> 5783

ויאמר קחם נא אלי ואברכם

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayechi

Bring them to me, if you please, and I will bless them. (48:9)

Yosef brought his two sons to his father, Yaakov Avinu, for a blessing, as the Patriarch had instructed him. Is this not why Yosef brought them? He did not want a long-distance blessing. What was Yaakov intimating when he said, “Bring them to me”? Yaakov was alluding that not only was his blessing of great significance, but it was also important for his grandsons to see him up close, to sear into their minds his visage and bearing. When Yerushalayim was under siege by the Roman army, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai met with Vespasian, the Roman commander and chief. He…

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וימאן אביו ויאמר ידעתי בני ידעתי

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayechi

But his father refused, saying, “I Know, my son, I know.” (48:19)

Yosef made a move to show his father that Menashe was his older son; thus, he warranted the blessing on the right/stronger side. One would have expected Yaakov Avinu to simply inform him that Ephraim will ultimately be the greater of the two. Why does he preface his response with Yadaati, b’ni, yadaati? Horav Yisrael Aharon Kupshitz, Shlita (Torah Ohr, quoted by Horav Eliezer Turk, Shlita), comments that the Torah is teaching us an important principle with regard to our seeking advice from a gadol, Torah giant. We must never forget that the reason he is where he is, and…

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ויברכם... בך יברך ישראל לאמר ישמך אלקים כאפרים וכמנשה

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayechi

So he blessed them… saying, “By you shall Yisrael bless saying, ‘May G-d make you like Ephraim and like Menashe.’” (48:20)

Yaakov Avinu blessed his grandsons with what has become the standard of blessing. Horav Yechezkel, zl, m’Kuzmir, notes that the word becha, by you, is singular, as if the speaker is addressing one person, which is not the case. Both Menashe and Ephraim were present during this blessing; thus, bach refers to both of them. The Kuzmirer explains that bach alludes to complete unity in which two individuals – in this instance, Menashe and Ephraim – who are unified in complete harmony as one person. Only when perfect amity prevails can brachah, blessing, radiate to Klal Yisrael. When Yosef presented…

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וירא מנוחה כי טוב... ויט שכמו לסבול

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayechi

He saw tranquility that it was good… Yet he bent his shoulder to bear. (49:15)

We have before us a paradox concerning Yissachar, the symbol of the ben Torah, who devoted his life to Torah study and spiritual pursuits. If he sees that tranquility is good, why does he bend his shoulder to bear? Why should he toil if he has an easier way? Horav Moshe Shternbuch, Shlita, explains that the Torah is lauding Yissachar’s devotion in that he remains committed, despite the easy way out – tranquility. Torah is so valuable to him that he would rather toil in Torah than relax. All the worldly pleasures which avail themselves to him do not stand…

Home -> Vayigash -> 5783

ויגש אליו יהודה ויאמר בי אדנ-י

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayigash

Then Yehuda approached him and said, “If you please, my lord.” (44:18)

The Jewish people are called Yehudim, from Yehudah’s name. What is so special about his name that earned this distinction? The goal of a Jew is to realize that everything which occurs in his life emanates from Hashem. Even when he finds himself in the worst predicament of his life, he acknowledges his life force: Hashem. He sees Hashem’s light amid the darkness that engulfs him. The Sefas Emes explains Yehudah’s statement to Yosef, Bee Adonee, literally, “Within me is my Master.” Yehudah’s name contains within it the same letters as Hashem’s Name. When Yehudah expunged whatever personal bias might…

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הבה נתחכמה לו פן ירבה

Come, let us outsmart it lest it become numerous. (1:10)

כי לא כנשים כמצריות העבריות ... בטרם תבוא אליהן המילדת וילדו

Because the Hebrew women are unlike the Egyptian women … before the midwife comes to them, they have given birth. (1:19)

וימת מלך מצרים ויאנחו בני ישראל מן העבודה ויזעקו

It happened that the king of Egypt died, and Bnei Yisrael groaned because of the work, and they cried out. (2:23)

ויאמר ד' ראה ראיתי את עני עמי אשר במצרים

Hashem said, “I have, indeed, seen the affliction of My people that is in Egypt.” (3:7)

ועתה הנה צעקת בני ישראל באה אלי

And now, behold! The outcry of Bnei Yisrael has come to Me. (3:9)

ויאמר קחם נא אלי ואברכם

Bring them to me, if you please, and I will bless them. (48:9)

וימאן אביו ויאמר ידעתי בני ידעתי

But his father refused, saying, “I Know, my son, I know.” (48:19)

ויברכם... בך יברך ישראל לאמר ישמך אלקים כאפרים וכמנשה

So he blessed them… saying, “By you shall Yisrael bless saying, ‘May G-d make you like Ephraim and like Menashe.’” (48:20)

וירא מנוחה כי טוב... ויט שכמו לסבול

He saw tranquility that it was good… Yet he bent his shoulder to bear. (49:15)

ויגש אליו יהודה ויאמר בי אדנ-י

Then Yehuda approached him and said, “If you please, my lord.” (44:18)

YEARS

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