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Home -> 5785 -> Acharei Mos

כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם לטהר אתכם מכל חטאתיכם לפני ד' תטהרו

Sruly Schnair
In Acharei Mos, 5785

For on this day He shall provide atonement for you to cleanse yourself; from all your sins before Hashem shall you be cleansed. (16:30)

In Pachad Yitzchak, Yom Kippur 1, Horav Yitzchak Hutner, zl, cites Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaar 2:14) who writes: “It is a positive mitzvah of the Torah for a person to awaken his spirit to return/perform teshuvah on Yom Kippur.” He quotes the above pasuk which intimates that it is a specific mitzvah to perform teshuvah on Yom Kippur (exclusive of the mitzvah to repent from one’s sins at all times). The Rosh Yeshivah wonders wherein lies the difference between teshuvah all year and teshuvah on Yom Kippur. He explains that the mitzvah to repent all year/all of the time, whenever one…

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Home -> 5785 -> Acharei Mos

כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם לטהר אתכם מכל חטאתיכם

Sruly Schnair
In Acharei Mos, 5785

For on this day he shall provide atonement for you; to cleanse you from all your sins. (16:30)

While the following well-known story takes place on Yom Kippur, it is not a Yom Kippur story – but, rather, a story of teshuvah, repentance and redemption. Hashem’s mercy is infinite. Regardless of how far one has distanced himself from Hashem; regardless of the gravity of his transgressions, the shaarei teshuvah, gates of repentance, are never locked. Indeed, even the most sinful individual can ascend to great heights following sincere repentance. A single moment of sincere teshuvah can transform a life of egregious error. Chazal (Avodah Zarah 17a) relate the story of Elazar ben Dordaya, who lived a life of…

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Home -> 5785 -> Kedoshim

ואמרת אליהם קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני אלקיכם

Sruly Schnair
In Kedoshim, 5785

And say to them: “You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem, Your G-d. (19:2)

Hashem exhorts us to be holy, to sanctify ourselves. In other words, “being good” is insufficient. One must strive to be holy. How does one achieve holiness? Indeed, how does one define holiness in the Heavenly vernacular? Rashi explains kedoshim tehiyu as perushim tehiyu, abstinence from immorality, distancing oneself from morally profligate behavior. Ramban maintains that instruction to be holy is not limited to any specific observance or discipline; rather, it is an enjoinment to live a life of moderation. Just because an activity is permitted, one does not have license to overindulge. Such a person is called a naval…

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Home -> 5785 -> Kedoshim

ואהבת לרעך כמוך אני ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Kedoshim, 5785

You shall love your fellow as yourself – I am Hashem. (19:18)

Understanding the need to promote love and positive relationships between fellow Jews is quite simple. However, how is Ani Hashem, “I am Hashem,” connected to ahavas Yisrael? The Rizhiner Rebbe, zl (Horav Yisrael), explains this with a parable. Two friends were inseparable. Even when they grew into adulthood and they chose vocations which created a geographic distance between them, their relationship did not change. They tried to stay in touch with one another as much as possible. One day, “Reuven” heard that his friend “Shimon” had been accused of a trumped-up charge; he immediately prepared to travel to his community…

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Home -> 5785 -> Metzora

וביום השביעי ימול בשר ערלתו

Sruly Schnair
In Metzora, 5785

On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (12:3)

No nation has suffered that which the Jewish people have experienced from its very infancy. Hashem has used adversity as the crucible for tempering our spiritual growth – and it has succeeded. The Jewish people have manifested incredible religious commitment, continuing to grow by leaps and bounds in their spiritual devotion, Torah study, and mitzvah performance. Nonetheless, a major portion of our people do not even know what it means to be Jewish. They are biologically Jewish, but, unfortunately, they are unaware of the uniquely Jewish spiritual persona that defines us. Many of them, although they do not practice religiously,…

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Home -> 5785 -> Tazria

והובא אל אהרן הכהן או אל אחד מדוין הכהנים

Sruly Schnair
In Tazria, 5785

“He shall be brought to Aharon HaKohen, or to one of his sons, the Kohanim.” (13:2)

The Torah authorizes only the Kohen to pronounce a plague as Tzaraas. Only the Kohen can render a plague tamei, spiritually impure. Chazal (Mishnah Negaim 3:1) teach that all are fit to view or diagnose a nega. Only a Kohen can make the pronouncement of tamei or tahor. If a Kohen is (sadly) not knowledgeable in the laws pertaining to Tzaraas, we seek a talmid chacham, Torah scholar, who is proficient in recognizing the purity or impurity of a given plague, and he instructs the Kohen concerning what pronouncement to make. The Tolna Rebbe, Shlita, quoted his grandfather Horav David,…

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Home -> 5785 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצרע

Sruly Schnair
In Metzora, 5785

This shall be the law of the Metzora. (14:2)

Tzaraas is the Heavenly-designated punishment for one who is motzi ra, speaks lashon hara, slander. One does not just speak lashon hara because he has nothing better to do. He always has a reason. It may not make sense; indeed, it may even be ludicrous, but to the one who is doing the speaking, it is a reason worth transgressing six aveiros, sins. One of the most “popular” reasons for speaking lashon hara is sinas chinam, unwarranted hatred: “I simply do not like that person. I have no legitimate reason, but, if you give me a few moments, I will…

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Home -> 5785 -> Metzora

כי תבאו אל ארץ כנען…ונתתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחזתכם…והנה הנגע בקירת הבית…וצוה הכהן וחלצו את האבנים אשר בהן הנגע הנגע

Sruly Schnair
In Metzora, 5785

When you arrive in the land of Canaan… and I will place a tzaraas affliction upon a house in the land of your possession… and behold, the affliction is in the walls of the house… the kohen shall command and they shall remove the stones that contain the affliction (14:34,37,40)

Chazal (Vayikra Rabbah 17:6) teach that, when the Canaanim heard Klal Yisrael was on their way to take their Heavenly-designated land, they hid their jewelry and precious metals inside the walls of their homes to prevent the Jews from finding them. Thus, when the house is demolished due to the plague, that is on it, the hidden jewelry will be discovered. Obviously, we can say a lot concerning Hashem’s manner of rewarding the Jews. Surely, He must have a better, simpler way of giving them the gold and silver than having them dismantle their homes due to a plague. Let…

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Home -> 5785 -> Shemini

ויאמר משה אל אהרן קרב אל המזבח ועשה את חטאתך ואת עולתך

Sruly Schnair
In Shemini, 5785

Moshe said to Aharon: Come near to the Altar and perform the service of your sin-offering and your elevation-offering. (9:7)

Chazal (Toras Kohanim) teach that Moshe Rabbeinu had to coerce Aharon to participate in the holy service. Apparently, he was reluctant to approach the Mizbayach, Altar, because he saw the image of an eigal, calf, on top of the Mizbayach. The calf brought to mind his participation in the sin of the Golden Calf. As a result, he was self-conscious concerning coming forward and taking his rightful position at the Mizbayach. Moshe Rabbeinu noticed Aharon’s hesitancy and said, “Why are you embarrassed to go forward and serve? Indeed, l’kach nivcharta, it is specifically because of your extraordinary humility that you…

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Home -> 5785 -> Shemini

ותצא אש מלפני ד' ותאכל אותם וימותו לפני ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Shemini, 5785

A fire came forth from before Hashem and consumed them, and they died before Hashem. (10:2)

We cannot downplay the tragedy of Nadav and Avihu’s untimely passing on what would have been the most auspicious day of their lives. The commentators attribute a number of spiritual failings to them, which ultimately led to their offering an eish zarah, strange fire, a fire which Hashem had not commanded. We are a nation built on obedience to Hashem. We follow His Will when He expresses it, and, when He does not, we wait. We do not act on our own, independently of the word of Hashem. Among the infractions of which hashem held them culpable was, Shelo natlu…

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