Bereishis – Peninim on the Torah

“Hashem Elokim cast a deep sleep upon the man, and he slept.” (2:21)

Hashem determined that Adam Ha’rishon should not witness the creation of his wife-to-be. To circumvent this problem, He made Adam fall asleep. The Torah does not record him waking up from his spiritual slumber. Horav Shimon Schwab, z.l., derives from here that indeed, in comparison to the clarity of vision and spiritual perception that Adam manifest prior to his slumber, he and his descendants are considered to be in a deep spiritual sleep. Only Klal Yisrael stood at Har Sinai, being spiritually awakened as they experienced the Revelation and received the Torah. With this idea in mind, Horav Schwab proceeds to…

Home -> 5760 -> Bereishis

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5760

“And Hashem Elokim formed the man… and He blew into his nostrils the soul of life; and man became a living being.” (2:7)

The “soul,” the nishmas chaim, which Hashem blew into man’s nostrils is defined by Targum Onkelos as “ruach memalela,” a speaking spirit. This means that the essence of life, which only Hashem could have imparted to man, is the soul that includes the power of speech. The ability to use intelligent speech to communicate is what elevates man above the animal world. We must endeavor to understand with whom man was designed to communicate. At this time, no one else had yet been created. Horav Shimon Schwab, z.l., derives from here that the primary purpose in creating man with the…

Home -> 5760 -> Bereishis

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5760

“In the beginning G-d created.” (1:1)

Horav Tzvi Hirsh Meisels, z.l., the Veitzener Rav, cites the Midrash Hane’elam that suggests that the letters of Bereishis, “Bais, Reish, Aleph, Shin, Yud, Saf,” are an acronym for two words; bris eish, a convenant of fire. He explains the concept of a covenant forged in fire based upon the following story: Horav Meisels was the rav in the dreaded concentration camp Auschwitz. On Simchas Torah night a group of fifty young Gerer chassidim were brought to the gas chambers. Their sin was rebelling against the German government. Their act of mutiny – observing the laws of the Torah. These…

Home -> 5760 -> Bereishis

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5760

“And He brought her to the man.” (2:22)

This is the underlying concept of shidduchim, marriage matchmaking – Hashem brings the couple together. It is only the unperceptive who think otherwise. Anyone whose vision is not blurred by secular-induced myopia is acutely aware of the Yad Hashem, Hand of G-d, in this misunderstood area of Jewish life. Horav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Shlita, tells the story of a young man, a talmid chacham and yarei shomayim, Torah scholar and G-d-fearing, who was having a difficult time finding his “bashert,” intended mate. He decided to go to Eretz Yisrael to implore the neshamos, souls, of the tzaddikim, righteous, virtuous Jews who…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Bereishis -> 5760

“Hashem Elokim cast a deep sleep upon the man, and he slept.” (2:21)

“And Hashem Elokim formed the man… and He blew into his nostrils the soul of life; and man became a living being.” (2:7)

“In the beginning G-d created.” (1:1)

“And He brought her to the man.” (2:22)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!