Bereishis – Peninim on the Torah

וכל יצר מחשבת לבו רק רע כל היום

“And that every product of the thoughts of his heart was but evil always.” (6:5)

We have no idea of the hold the yetzer hara, evil-inclination, has on us, as the following story demonstrates: The Sanzer Rav, Horav Chaim Halberstam, z.l., once stood by his window and gazed at the people walking by. He saw a certain Jew and motioned for him to come inside. When the man entered, the Rav asked him, “What would you do if you discovered a wallet filled with money in the street, and you were aware of the identity of its owner?” The Jew responded, “I would immediately return it.” Hearing this response, the Rav rebuked the fellow and…

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ויאמר לו איכה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5761

He (Hashem) said to him, “Where are you?” (3:9)

When the Baal HaTanya was incarcerated by the Russian government, one of the leading “thinkers” of the day came to visit with him. This visit was just another opportunity to present one of his mocking questions to the Rebbe. The answer was unimportant, his objective was accomplished by simply asking the question: “What is the meaning of the ‘Ayeca?’, ‘Where are you?’ which Hashem asked Adam? Did Hashem not know where Adam was?” The Rebbe looked at the thinker and responded, “Do you believe that the Torah is eternal?” “Certainly,” he responded. The Rebbe said, “Since the Torah is eternal,…

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ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5761

“G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” (2:3)

he average person understands the negative aspect of Shabbos, the various acts of labor that are forbidden. What about the positive side of Shabbos? How does one “celebrate” Shabbos? How does one act “Shabbosdik”? We all know that one is required to have an oneg Shabbos. What does “oneg,” enjoyment, mean? Horav Sholom Schwadron, z.l., contends that the idea of oneg Shabbos can have many definitions, based upon the individual and his religious/spiritual perspective. Some will enjoy Shabbos on a spiritual plane, with Torah and tefillah, heightened Torah study and prayer. Others will enjoy its physical/material aspect either through relaxation, sleep and peace of mind. Alternatively, is the individual who…

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בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5761

“In the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and the earth.” (1:1)

The foundation of any structure determines its strength and permanence. The Torah is a spiritual structure which is founded and sustained on the union of a number of positive attributes. There is no room for any negative trait in the Torah’s foundation. This idea, cited by Rabbi Paysach Krohn, is expressed by Rabbeinu Bachya in his Sefer Kad HaKemach. He notes that in the first pasuk, verse, in the Torah, every vowel sound is present except one. The komatz, patach, segol, tzeirei, cholem, sh’vah and chirik are all present. There is only one missing sound: the shuruk, the “ooh” sound….

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Back to Home -> Bereishis -> 5761

וכל יצר מחשבת לבו רק רע כל היום

“And that every product of the thoughts of his heart was but evil always.” (6:5)

ויאמר לו איכה

He (Hashem) said to him, “Where are you?” (3:9)

ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו

“G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” (2:3)

בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

“In the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and the earth.” (1:1)

YEARS

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