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ונפשנו קצה בלחם הקלקל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5773

And our soul is disgusted with the insubstantial food. (21:5)

We do not find the Jews complaining much about the manna during their forty-year trek in the wilderness. Suddenly, at the end of their trip, as they stood geared to enter the Promised Land, they issued their complaints concerning the Heavenly bread. Could they have found no other time to register their discontent concerning the manna? Why now? The Chiddushei Ha’Rim offers a practical explanation. Satisfaction is often determined by the character of the individual and his concomitant comfort level. Yes, for forty years the Jews ate the manna and it was delicious and satisfying. These, however, were different Jews….

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Home -> 5772 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5772

“This is the statute of the Torah…and they shall take to you a perfectly red cow.” (19:2)

The parsha that addresses the concept of chukim employs the halachos, laws, of the Parah Adumah, Red Cow, as its standard. Jewish religious thought divides Divine commandments into two categories: “rational” laws, known as mishpatim; and “edicts” or chukim. Making a related distinction, Rabbeinu Saadya Gaon speaks of mitzvos sichliyos, those commandments required by reason, and mitzvos shimiyos, commandments mandated by Revelation. In truth, as the Sefas Emes explains, the overriding approach to mitzvah observance should be in the perspective of chukim, whereby one observes all commandments simply because they constitute an expression of Hashem’s Will. The Piaseczner Rebbe, z.l.,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5772

“Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Bnei Yisrael.” (20:12)

Rashi explains that Hashem’s complaint against them stemmed from the fact that had they spoken to the rock, as they were commanded, it would have brought forth water and Hashem’s Name would have been sanctified. Klal Yisrael would have said, “Now, if this rock, which neither speaks nor hears and does not need subsistence, fulfills the word of Hashem, how much more so should we fulfill His word.” While this may be true, the words expressed in the Torah in criticizing them, “because you did not believe in Me,” are, at best, enigmatic. Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest believer. Aharon…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5772

“And the Egyptians did evil to us and to our forefathers.” (20:15)

Rashi says that from here we see that the Avos, Patriarchs, feel pain in the grave when Klal Yisrael is punished. Rashi adds the word “b’kever,” in the grave, which is enigmatic. The neshamah, soul, of the departed is not really in the grave. Its place is in the Heavens. Why does Rashi seem to emphasize the pain sustained by the souls in the grave? In his commentary, Eish Kodesh, the Piaseczner Rebbe, z.l., posits that Rashi focuses on the souls in the grave by design. He is teaching us that the Avos, whose bodies lie in the ground, are…

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Home -> 5772 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5772

About this the poets would say: “Come to Cheshbon.” (21:27)

Chazal define this pasuk homiletically, saying, “Come let the rulers who are in control of their evil-inclination make a cheshbon, reckoning, of their spiritual activity. Let us keep in mind the benefit of a mitzvah as compared to the loss incurred by a sin.” Horav Yehoshua Heshel, z.l., m’Aftah said in reference to himself, “When I was young, I thought I could rule over my province, my city – but I was not successful. I attempted then to govern over my immediate family – also, to no avail. Afterwards, I made up my mind to control myself, to rule over…

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Home -> 5771 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5771

If a man will die in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anything that is in the tent shall be contaminated/impure for seven days. (19:14)

We view a rasha, wicked person, with disdain, when actually it is the sin that we should  hate,  not  the  sinner.  We  do  not  realize  that  regardless  of  a  person’s transgressions, his neshamah, soul, is endowed with kedushah, holiness. Horav Tuvia HaLevi, zl, one of the talmidei Arizal, applies this idea to explain why a Jewish corpse is metamei, ritually contaminates, anyone who comes in contact with it, more so than the corpse of a gentile. A Jewish corpse is metamei both b’ohel and b’maga, by standing over it (whereby you are creating an “ohel”) or touching it, while a…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5771

Any open vessel that has no cover fastened to it is contaminated/impure. (19:15)

It is sad, but true: A person is most often judged by his external appearance. His manner of dress,  be it  conventional  or “different,”  determines  our first  opinion  of him. We become caught up in the chitzoniyus, externals, and ignore the “real” Jew, the pnimiyus, internal essence of the person who stands before us. I have found this to be a reality, especially in dealing with individuals of both genders who are incarcerated for various felonies – some light, others serious, but felonies no less. At first glance, they might present themselves in an unsavory light, but, upon getting to…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5771

Take Aharon and Elazar his son and bring them up to Hor Ha’hor. (20:25)

Rashi teaches that Moshe Rabbeinu was instructed to console Aharon, to calm him now that his mortal life was coming to a close. It was a difficult blow. He did, however, achieve the tremendous nachas, satisfaction and pleasure, of seeing his son ascend to the High Priesthood – something which had eluded Moshe. We derive an important lesson from here. We must make people feel good – regardless of how painful it might be for us personally. Aharon had the true nachas for which every parent aspires: to see his offspring achieve an enviable spiritual plateau. Moshe, the quintessential leader…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5771

Then Aharon died there on Har Hahar… The Canaanite (King)… heard that (Klal) Yisrael had come… And he warred against Yisrael. (20:28, 21:1)

Rarely do we find a mitzvah in the Torah in which we are told not only to execute a certain deed, but never to forget that we are enjoined in this mitzvah. These mitzvos are zechiros mitzvos in which there is a specific duty to remember a specific occurrence. This act of perpetuating the occurrence will spur us to carry out a specific mitzvah or not to do a prohibited activity. For instance, we are enjoined to remember what Hashem did to Miriam HaNeviah, and how she was publicly censured for speaking ill of Moshe Rabbeinu. Although it was not actual…

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Home -> 5771 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5771

“And our soul is disgusted with the insubstantial food.” (21:5)

We do not find the Jews complaining much about the manna during their forty-year trek in the Wilderness. Suddenly, at the end of their trip, as they stood geared to enter the Promised Land, they issued their complaints concerning the Heavenly bread. Could they have found no other time to register their discontent concerning the manna? Why now? The Chiddushei Ha’Rim offers a practical explanation. Satisfaction is often determined by the character of the individual and his concomitant comfort level. Yes, for forty years the Jews ate the manna and it was delicious and satisfying. However, these were different Jews….

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