Emor – Page 3 – Peninim on the Torah

'ושמרתם מצותי ועשיתם אתם אני ד

You shall observe My commandments and perform them. (22:31)

Rashi explains the verbs in this pasuk practically: u’shmartem, “You shall observe,” as referring to Mishnah, study; and va’asisem; “and perform them,” as an enjoinment to action, to carrying out mitzvos. In contrast, the Chasam Sofer, zl, approaches the verb “u’shmartem,” homiletically. U’shmartem, “You shall guard them,” as we find concerning Yaakov Avinu’s understanding of Yosef’s dream; V’aviv shamar es ha’davar, “And his father kept the matter in mind” (Bereishis 37:11). Our Patriarch anticipated the results of the dream. He guarded it, anticipating its outcome. Thus, the Torah teaches us that it is not enough to merely execute the mitzvah;…

Home -> 5778 -> Emor

ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל

Moshe Marcovich In Emor, 5778

You shall not desecrate My Holy Name, and I shall be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael. (22:32)

Some of us live under the misguided, self-imposed impression that Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying Hashem’s Name, is a one-time event – the ultimate sacrifice one must accept upon himself when the need arises and the situation is so pressing that there is no other way out other than abdicating one’s religious commitment. Horav Nissan Alpert, zl, understands otherwise from the text of this pasuk. According to the Rambam (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 5:1), this pasuk is the source for the mitzvah that all the Jewish People are commanded to sanctify the great and holy Name of Hashem Yisborach. As it says, V’nikdashti…

Home -> 5777 -> Emor

והכהן הגדול מאחיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5777

The Kohen who is exalted above his brethren. (21:10)

The Kohen Gadol is described as the individual who is the most exalted above his brethren. Chazal define this greatness as exalted in piety, wisdom, handsomeness, wealth (which, if he does not have, is supplied to him), and strength. Obviously, the two most critical requirements are piety and wisdom; the other criteria are mentioned so that the average person, who does not look beyond the external, is still impressed. While appearance certainly does play a role, as does physical strength, why should wealth be important? Indeed, material wealth seems to be the antithesis of ruchniyos, spirituality. The Rebbe of Rizhin,…

Home -> 5777 -> Emor

והכהן הגדול מאחיו... ועל כל נפשת מת לא יבא לאביו ולאמו לא יטמא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5777

The Kohen who is exalted above his brethren… he shall not come near any dead person; he shall not contaminate himself to his father or his mother. (21:10,11)

The Chassidic Masters posit that the Kohen Gadol is prohibited from defiling himself ritually (metamei) to relatives – including even his parents, because, as the individual who stands at the spiritual helm of the nation, he should feel equally close to all Jews. The concept of “family” should not apply to him, since all of Klal Yisrael is his family. This is, of course, a very noble concept to which an individual who climbs the ladder of spiritual ascendency should aspire. Veritably, feeling a stronger sense of closeness to one’s family is entirely normal. The Ohaiv Yisrael, Horav David, zl,…

Home -> 5777 -> Emor

אלה מועדי ד' מקראי קדש... בחדש הראשון... בין הערבים פסח לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5777

These are the appointed Festivals of Hashem, the holy convocations… in the first month… in the afternoon is the time of the Pesach-offering to Hashem. (23:4,5)

In his Chorev (23), Horav S.R. Hirsch, zl, explains why the Festivals, the Yamim Tovim, are referred to in the Torah as Moadim, which means appointed times. He writes, ‘The Moadim summon us to submit ourselves entirely to the contemplation and inner realization of those ideals which lie at their foundation. The Moadim are days which stand out from among the other days of the year. They summon us from our everyday life to halt and to dedicate all of our spiritual activities to them. They (the Moadim) give us the spirit, power, and sanctity for the future by reviving…

Home -> 5777 -> Emor

ויצא בן אשה ישראלית והוא בן איש מצרי... ושם אמו שלומית בת דברי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5777

The son of a Yisraeli woman went out – and he was the son of an Egyptian man… the name of his mother was Shlomis bas Divri. (24:10,11)

Chazal (Midrash Rabbah, Vayikra 32) state that Klal Yisrael was redeemed from Egypt due to its high standard of morality. Indeed, not one Jewish man or woman was involved with an Egyptian, except for Shlomis bas Divri, who is singled out in the Torah. This is our Torah’s way of teaching that no other Jew or Jewess had sinned. A powerful statement, attested to by the Torah. How did they do it? It is not as if Klal Yisrael was perfect. Veritably, the people clung steadfast to certain traditions and lifestyles, but to rise above the moral turpitude that was…

Home -> 5776 -> Emor

ואשה גרושה מאישה לא יקחו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5776

They shall not marry a woman who has been divorced by her husband. (21:7)

In the Talmud Gittin 90a, a debate ensues between Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel concerning when it is “appropriate” to give one’s wife a bill of divorce. Bais Shammai, who is usually more stringent in his approach to rendering a Halachic ruling, says that one may divorce his wife only under such circumstances in which she has acted immorally. Bais Hillel, who is typically lenient, declares that one may divorce his wife for any inappropriate behavior – even if she has burnt his soup! While the position of Bais Shammai is understandable, we wonder how we can permit one to…

Home -> 5776 -> Emor

ושמרתם מצותי... ולא תחללו את שם קדשי...

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5776

You shall observe My commandments, you shall not desecrate My holy Name. (22:31, 32)

One would assume that chillul Hashem, profaning Hashem’s Name, occurs only when one commits a transgression, thereby demonstrating that he has little regard for his spiritual dimension. What about an individual who performs mitzvos, but his attitude is lacking? He does what he absolutely must do to fulfill the mitzvah, but does not go the extra mile? He buys a simple Esrog “off the rack” with no regard to its beauty. Hiddur mitzvah means beautifying the mitzvah, showing how much it really means to him; dressing for Shabbos as if he were attending a wedding; glorifying the mitzvah as if…

Home -> 5776 -> Emor

בחדש הראשון בארבעה עשר לחדש בין הערבים פסח... ובחמשה עשר יום לחדש הזה חג המצות לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5776

In the first month, on the fourteenth of the month in the afternoon, is the time of the Pesach offering to Hashem. And on the fifteenth day of this month is the Festival of Matzos to Hashem. (23:5, 6)

Rashi explains that although the Festival actually begins in the evening (of the fifteenth day of Nissan), the Pesach-offering is slaughtered during the afternoon of the fourteenth. In the Torah, the word Pesach is used to describe the offering, while matzos – Chag HaMatzos, defines the Festival. Haamek Davar considers the time of Bein Ha’Arbayim, in the afternoon, to be part of the holy convocation of the Festival, so that labor is forbidden at that time. Why is there a separation between the time of slaughtering the sacrifice and the time that it is eaten – during the actual Festival?…

Home -> 5776 -> Emor

כי תבאו אל הארץ אשר אני נתן לכם וקצרתם את קצירה והבאתם את עמר ראשית קצירכם אל הכהן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5776

When you shall enter the Land that I give you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring an Omer from your first harvest to the Kohen. (23:10)

The Torah commences with, “And you reap its harvest,” implying that the harvest belongs to the Land, and concludes with, “You shall bring an omer from your harvest to the Kohen.” The question is: To whom does the harvest belong – to the Land or to the harvester? The answer is obvious: The harvester thinks he is the owner. Hashem is reminding him that a Jew does not live for himself. He is not to lose sight of the spiritual nature of his worldly possessions. They are all here to serve one purpose: to help others. Working in the trenches …

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Emor ->

'ושמרתם מצותי ועשיתם אתם אני ד

You shall observe My commandments and perform them. (22:31)

ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל

You shall not desecrate My Holy Name, and I shall be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael. (22:32)

והכהן הגדול מאחיו

The Kohen who is exalted above his brethren. (21:10)

והכהן הגדול מאחיו... ועל כל נפשת מת לא יבא לאביו ולאמו לא יטמא

The Kohen who is exalted above his brethren… he shall not come near any dead person; he shall not contaminate himself to his father or his mother. (21:10,11)

אלה מועדי ד' מקראי קדש... בחדש הראשון... בין הערבים פסח לד'

These are the appointed Festivals of Hashem, the holy convocations… in the first month… in the afternoon is the time of the Pesach-offering to Hashem. (23:4,5)

ויצא בן אשה ישראלית והוא בן איש מצרי... ושם אמו שלומית בת דברי

The son of a Yisraeli woman went out – and he was the son of an Egyptian man… the name of his mother was Shlomis bas Divri. (24:10,11)

ואשה גרושה מאישה לא יקחו

They shall not marry a woman who has been divorced by her husband. (21:7)

ושמרתם מצותי... ולא תחללו את שם קדשי...

You shall observe My commandments, you shall not desecrate My holy Name. (22:31, 32)

בחדש הראשון בארבעה עשר לחדש בין הערבים פסח... ובחמשה עשר יום לחדש הזה חג המצות לד'

In the first month, on the fourteenth of the month in the afternoon, is the time of the Pesach offering to Hashem. And on the fifteenth day of this month is the Festival of Matzos to Hashem. (23:5, 6)

כי תבאו אל הארץ אשר אני נתן לכם וקצרתם את קצירה והבאתם את עמר ראשית קצירכם אל הכהן

When you shall enter the Land that I give you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring an Omer from your first harvest to the Kohen. (23:10)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!