Bereishis – Page 12 – Peninim on the Torah

בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם... כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב. ויקרא האדם שם אשתו חוה כי היא היתה אם כל חי. ויעש ד' אלקים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור

“By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread… For you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Chavah, because she had become the mother of all the living. And Hashem G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin. (3:19,20,21)

The commentators question the sequence of the pesukim. The fact that Adam named Chavah should have been written earlier, at the end of Perek bais, where the Torah relates how Adam gave names to all the creatures. Why is the naming of Chavah juxtaposed to Hashem making garments for Adam and Chavah? The Kehillas Yitzchak explains that when Adam realized what Chavah’s act had catalyzed, when he understood that his death and the deaths of all future generations was the result of Chavah’s eating and sharing of the Eitz HaDaas, he immediately became severely depressed and angry. After awhile, it dawned…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5762

G-d said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate between water and water…and it was so…And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” (1:6-8)

Although Hashem created the heavens on the first day they remained in a state of transition. He solidified them on the second day, creating a separation between the waters above and the waters below. For a deeper explanation of the meaning of this division between waters, one should delve into the various commentaries on the Torah. For our purposes, we look to the end of the pesukim where the Torah writes that “it was so,” followed by the statement that this was the second day. This is the only day of Creation about which the Torah does not say “ki…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5762

“And Hashem G-d formed the man of dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the soul of Life.” (2:7)

Man is comprised of two aspects: spiritual and physical. The guf, body, is his physical dimension; the neshamah, soul, the “chelek Elokah miMaal,” portion which comes directly from Hashem Above, is his spiritual dimension. Life is a constant struggle between the spirit and the physical: Who will prevail? Horav Sholom Schwadron, z.l., cites his rebbe Horav Leib Chasman, z.l., who explained this with the following compelling analogy. It happened that those who sought to undermine the Jewish religion were finally successful in slandering the saintly Chafetz Chaim. The government, looking for any opportunity to put away anyone who was seditious,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5762

Hashem G-d said, “It is not good that man be alone; I will make him a helper corresponding to him.” (2:18)

Sforno focuses on the concept of eizer k’negdo, “a helper corresponding to him” and interprets it as being the defining point in the relationship between husband and wife. He explains that “it is not good that man be alone.” The intended purpose in creating man in the image and likeness of Hashem will not be realized if man has to occupy himself alone in order to supply the needs of life. He must have a helper that is equal to him in image and likeness, so that the helper is able to appreciate his needs and meet them at the…

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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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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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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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וכל יצר מחשבת לבו רק רע כל היום

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5761

“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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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…

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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…

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בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם... כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב. ויקרא האדם שם אשתו חוה כי היא היתה אם כל חי. ויעש ד' אלקים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור

“By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread… For you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Chavah, because she had become the mother of all the living. And Hashem G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin. (3:19,20,21)

G-d said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate between water and water…and it was so…And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” (1:6-8)

“And Hashem G-d formed the man of dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the soul of Life.” (2:7)

Hashem G-d said, “It is not good that man be alone; I will make him a helper corresponding to him.” (2:18)

בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

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

ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו

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

ויאמר לו איכה

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

וכל יצר מחשבת לבו רק רע כל היום

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

“In the beginning G-d created.” (1:1)

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

YEARS

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