Sruly Schnair

יפקד ד' אלקי הרוחות לכל בשר איש על העדה

May Hashem, G-d of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the assembly. (27:16)

Horav Mordechai Ilan, zl, comments that, although Moshe Rabbeinu was acutely aware that his sons were not worthy successors to his mantle of leadership, he nonetheless asked for them to succeed him. Chazal (Midrash Tanchuma) relate that Hashem countered that Yehoshua, his primary student, who never left his side, would succeed him. Why did Moshe ask if he knew the answer? Moshe sought to underscore that sons do not inherit a Torah position solely due to pedigree. One must be worthy to be a leader. Torah leadership is not transmitted by inheritance, but by substance and distinction. Furthermore, the Torah…

Home -> 5781 -> Balak

עתה קבה לי אתו

Sruly Schnair In Balak, 5781

Now go and curse it for me. (22:11)

In Bilaam’s dialogue with Hashem, he related that Balak, king of Moav, had petitioned him to curse the Jewish people. The word Bilaam used for curse is kavah, imprecate, which is a stronger, more emphatic, tone of curse. Rashi observes that kavah is stronger than arah, which was the actual term which Balak employed. Bilaam changed the word from arah to kavah, because Bilaam’s enmity for the Jews was more intense than that of Balak. Balak feared the Jews. He was anxious lest they overrun his country, as they did to the other pagan kings in the area. Bilaam’s animus,…

Home -> 5781 -> Balak

ויתיצב מלאך ד' בדרך לשטן לו

Sruly Schnair In Balak, 5781

And an angel of Hashem stood on the road to impede him. (22:22)

It is well-known that the Shem Hashem, Name of G-d, yud-kay,vov-kay, denotes the middah, attribute, of Rachamim, Mercy. In other words, the angel of Hashem/Rachamim, who was sent to prevent Bilaam from going to curse the Jews, was sent on a mission of mercy. Since when is reproof attributed to mercy? It is much closer to Din, Strict Justice. Horav Chaim Toito, Shlita (Torah V’Chaim), explains this with the following story. During the tenure of the Alter, zl, m’Kelm, there lived a wealthy man whose enormous wealth was overshadowed only by his miserliness. He absolutely refused to share any of…

Home -> 5781 -> Balak

ויאמר מלאך ד' אל בלעם לך עם האנשים

Sruly Schnair In Balak, 5781

The angel of Hashem said to Bilaam, “Go with the men.” (22:35)

Hashem originally instructed Bilaam not to go with the Moavite emissaries. Then, He changed the message. He could go with them. Rashi explains this based upon the Talmudic dictum, B’derech she’adam rotzeh leilech bah molichin oso, “The path that a person chooses to follow, they bring him (and allow him to go) down that path.” In other words, Bilaam indicated that he would like to join the officers of Moav. When Hashem saw that Bilaam yearned to accompany them, He said, “Go!” Chazal’s statement leaves us with a question about the text. What is the meaning of the word bah,…

Home -> 5781 -> Balak

וישא בלעם את עיניו וירא ישראל שכן לשבטיו

Sruly Schnair In Balak, 5781

Bilaam raised his eyes and saw Yisrael dwelling according to its tribes. (24:2)

Rashi comments (Bilaam raised his eyes): “He sought to instill the evil eye in them.” The Michtav Mei’Eliyahu explains the concept of ayin hora, evil eye. The blessings which Hashem bestows upon an individual should not serve as a source of angst to others. If one allows his blessing (such as: wealth, children, good fortune) to cause pain to others who are less fortunate (especially if he is so callous as to flaunt his good fortune), he arouses a Divine judgment against himself and a reevaluation of his worthiness for those blessings. Chazal in Pirkei Avos (5:19) distinguish between the…

Home -> 5781 -> Chukas

זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל

Sruly Schnair In Chukas, 5781

This is the teaching regarding a man who would die in a tent (19:14)

It takes only one person to make a change, to alter one’s plans, goals, trajectory towards success. Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen stood at the helm of the Jewish nation. Hashem had selected them to lead Klal Yisrael. One cannot be more legitimate and more authentic than being the personal choice of Hashem. Yet, one person – Korach – disrupted the pristine functioning of this leadership. It takes one student to disrupt a class. One rotten apple in a group can set the tone that undermines the group’s functioning. One malcontent in a shul can infect those willing to listen…

Home -> 5781 -> Chukas

ותמות שם מרים ותקבר שם ולא היה מים לעדה

Sruly Schnair In Chukas, 5781

Miriam died there, and she was buried there. There was no water for the assembly. (20:1,2)

A well-known quotation comes to mind: “Dead people receive more flowers than living ones, because regret is much stronger than gratitude.” Sadly, after someone takes leave of his earthly abode, some people tend to appreciate them more than when he/she was present in this world. Some people do not know how to appreciate others when they are here. Veritably, both emotions demand that a person process cognitively, not emotionally, and with sincerity. To pay gratitude one must appreciate how he has benefitted from the person. To be regretful, one must confront his own errors. Learning to appreciate is more difficult,…

Home -> 5781 -> Chukas

ותמת שם מרים ותקבר שם ולא היה מים לעדה

Sruly Schnair In Chukas, 5781

Miriam died there, and she was buried there. There was no water for the assembly. (20:1,2)

Chazal (Taanis 9a) explain the juxtaposition of Klal Yisrael’s lack of water upon Miriam’s death with the miraculous well that accompanied them throughout their forty-year journey. This well, duly dubbed be’eirah shel Miriam, Miriam’s well, gave water in the zechus, merit, of Miriam HaNeviah. Thus, when she died, the well dried up. The Zohar HaKadosh (Emor 103B) attributes the miracle of Miriam’s well to her standing at the banks of the Nile River to ensure the safety of her infant brother, Moshe (Rabbeinu), who had been placed in a reed basket, hidden from the Egyptian soldiers who were bent on…

Home -> 5781 -> Chukas

ויאמר להם שמעו נא המרים המן הזה נוציא לכם מים.

Sruly Schnair In Chukas, 5781

“Listen now, O rebels, shall we bring forth water for you from this rock?” (20:10)

Miriam HaNeviah passed away. The water that had sustained Klal Yisrael for forty years was in her merit. Following her death, the water stopped flowing. When people have no water to drink, they react. They complained to Moshe Rabbeinu that they were thirsty. Moshe struck the rock, and it provided the necessary water. Hashem told Moshe, “Since you have not trusted in Me to sanctify Me before the People… you will not lead them in the Land.” Imagine, the quintessential leader of Klal Yisrael made one wrong decision, which is beyond our ability to comprehend, and he received a most…

Home -> 5781 -> Chukas

ך את הסלע במטהו פעמים ויצאו מים רבים ותשת העדה ובעירם.

Sruly Schnair In Chukas, 5781

And he struck the rock with his staff twice; abundant water came forth, and the assembly and their animals drank. (20:11)

Hashem instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to speak to the rock. He also told him to fetch his staff – which he had earlier used to strike the rock that had previously provided the nation with water. Who knows? Clearly, whatever infraction was involved in Moshe’s striking the rock is beyond us. The mere fact that so many early commentators weigh in concerning the sin is a clear indication that the sin was esoteric and of the minutest form of misconduct. In other words, when one must search, dispute and delve into the action that represents the sin, it demonstrates that it…

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יפקד ד' אלקי הרוחות לכל בשר איש על העדה

May Hashem, G-d of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the assembly. (27:16)

עתה קבה לי אתו

Now go and curse it for me. (22:11)

ויתיצב מלאך ד' בדרך לשטן לו

And an angel of Hashem stood on the road to impede him. (22:22)

ויאמר מלאך ד' אל בלעם לך עם האנשים

The angel of Hashem said to Bilaam, “Go with the men.” (22:35)

וישא בלעם את עיניו וירא ישראל שכן לשבטיו

Bilaam raised his eyes and saw Yisrael dwelling according to its tribes. (24:2)

זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל

This is the teaching regarding a man who would die in a tent (19:14)

ותמות שם מרים ותקבר שם ולא היה מים לעדה

Miriam died there, and she was buried there. There was no water for the assembly. (20:1,2)

ותמת שם מרים ותקבר שם ולא היה מים לעדה

Miriam died there, and she was buried there. There was no water for the assembly. (20:1,2)

ויאמר להם שמעו נא המרים המן הזה נוציא לכם מים.

“Listen now, O rebels, shall we bring forth water for you from this rock?” (20:10)

ך את הסלע במטהו פעמים ויצאו מים רבים ותשת העדה ובעירם.

And he struck the rock with his staff twice; abundant water came forth, and the assembly and their animals drank. (20:11)

YEARS

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