Matos – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

ויאמר אליהם משה החייתם כל נקבה. הן הנה היו לבני ישראל בדבר בלעם למסר מעל בד' על דבר פעור

Moshe said to them: Did you let every female live? Behold It was they who caused Bnei Yisrael by the word of Bilaam, to commit a betrayal against Hashem regarding the matter of Pe’or. (31:15,16)

It is said how the most well-meaning – albeit quite insecure – leaders of factions of the religious Jewish community who call themselves Orthodox, but have yet to prove it, fall prey to the double-edged sword of Jew/non-Jew relationships. One cannot sufficiently emphasize how the blandishments of the non-Jewish society in which we live have had a disastrous influence on the religious vitality and continuity of our People. One need only to take a stroll outside of the shelter of the observant Jewish community to observe the downward spiral of Jewish literacy and commitment. The staggering rate of intermarriage is…

Home -> Matos -> 5775

ונכבשה הארץ לפני ד' ואחר תשבו והייתם נקים מד' ומישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Matos, Masei

And the Land shall be conquered before Hashem, and then you shall return – then you shall be vindicated before Hashem and from Yisrael. (32:22)

“So what if people do not understand my lofty goals?” “Since when must I explain myself to people?” “As long as I satisfy Hashem, is that not what is important?” It is statements such as these, with the attitude of arrogance that accompanies them, that get people into trouble. The end does not justify the means. One must act in a manner that does not incur public suspicion of impropriety. Everything we do must be above board, maintaining sufficient transparency to withstand the greatest scrutiny. There is a well-known Teshuvos Chasam Sofer (6: Likutim 59) in which the revered Rav…

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אלה מסעי בני ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Matos, Masei

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael. (33:1)

On a recent trip to Eretz Yisrael, I struck up a conversation with a fellow traveler. He told me that, since it was his first overseas trip, he was planning to savor every moment. He looked forward to the eleven-hour flight as another leg on what was supposed to be a momentous trip. He was so excited that he was keeping track of every moment – from the taxi that picked him up at home until his eventual return in ten days. I felt this was an interesting perspective on travel, which, for most people, is something they must endure…

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אלה מסעי בני ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Matos, Masei

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael. (33:1)

The adage, “Life is a trip,” has greater meaning than one might think. Each of us travels on the journey called life, and, as occurs in many instances, not all travelers have the same experience. One can travel to a wonderful, beautiful vacation spot and still have a miserable experience. The other can go to a stark, cold, uninviting place and still have a great time. Different people have varied experiences as they go through life. For some, the trip is long and quite enjoyable; for others, it might be too short, and not much to write home about. Once,…

Home -> Matos -> 5774

נקם נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים... וישלח אתם משה... ואת פנחס בן אלעזר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Matos

Exact the revenge of Bnei Yisrael from the Midyanim… Moshe sent them… with Pinchas ben Elazar HaKohen. (31:6)

Hashem instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to exact revenge against the Midyanim for their role in causing Klal Yisrael to sin with the Moavite girls and worship the Peor idol. Moshe himself did not lead the way; instead, he chose Pinchas. Rashi attributes Moshe’s reasoning to the fact that Pinchas had begun the deed of reckoning, by slaying Kozbi, the Midyanite Princess, who had cohabited with Zimri, the renegade Prince of the Tribe of Shimon. Let the one who initiates the revenge carry on to the next phase. Alternatively, Pinchas was a descendant of Yosef HaTzaddik who was sold by his brothers…

Home -> Matos -> 5774

והנה קמתם תחת אבתיכם תרבות אנשים חטאים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Matos

Behold! You have risen up in place of your fathers, a society of sinful people. (32:14)

At the end of Talmud Sukkah (56b) Chazal teach that the mishmor, watch, of Bilgah always divides in the south. This means: The incoming watch divides the Lechem HaPanim, Showbread, in the north, since most offerings were slaughtered in the northern side of the courtyard. Thus, it was apparent that they were the incoming mishmor. The outgoing watch divided the Lechem HaPanim in the south, so that it should be clear that they were leaving. The family of Bilgah always divided in the south as the result of an incident involving Miriam, the daughter of one of the Kohanim of…

Home -> Matos -> 5774

ויתן להם משה לבני גד ולבני ראובן ולחצי שבט מנשה בן יוסף את ממלכת סיחן... ואת ממלכת עוג

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Matos

So Moshe gave to them – to Bnei Gad, and Bnei Reuven, and half the tribe of Menashe ben Yosef – the Kingdom of Sichon… And the Kingdom of Og. (32:33)

The lands which were inhabited by the kingdoms of Sichon and Og were very fertile. Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven were two tribes which had large herds of sheep and cattle. The fertile grazing land would be a boon for them. They, therefore, approached Moshe Rabbeinu and requested to lay claim to the eastern portion of the Jordan, Eivar ha’Yardein, for themselves and their families. They were granted their wish, and the two tribes, with the added complement of half the tribe of Menashe, were allowed to remain on Eivar haYardein. The question is obvious: Where did the tribe of…

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לא יחל דברו ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Matos

He shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do. (30:3)

For the most part, the idea of “keeping one’s word” is ethical in nature. I gave my word; someone relied on my word; it is only right that I keep my word. Our parsha teaches a new dimension in “word keeping”: our words are sacred. If one breaks his word, as in a promise to pay back a debt, to perform a specific endeavor, etc., he is not just acting unethically, but he is actually desecrating his word. Words are holy. We are used to thinking that kedushah, holiness, is relegated to space, time, objects. We view sanctity as innate….

Home -> Matos -> 5773

איש כי ידור נדר לד' או השבע שבועה לאסר אסר על נפשו לא יחל דברו ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Matos

If a man will take a vow to Hashem or swear an oath to establish a prohibition upon himself, he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do. (30:3)

Rashi teaches that vows and oaths apply only when one seeks to render prohibitive that which is permitted. One cannot, however, utilize oaths and vows to permit that which is forbidden. Horav Meir Shapiro, zl, was an individual known by many titles, one of which was Lubliner Rav. He followed a long line of distinguished rabbonim, one of whom was the famous Maharshal who preceded him by four centuries. The Maharshal was a formidable gadol, a talmid chacham, Torah scholar without peer, and a Kabbalist of great renown. The following story was often related by Rav Meir Shapiro. He had…

Home -> Matos -> 5773

נקם נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים אחר תאסף על עמיך. וידבר משה אל העם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Matos

Take vengeance for Bnei Yisrael against the Midyanim. Afterward you will be gathered unto your people. Moshe spoke to the people. (31:2,3)

Remarkable! The Midyanim were to receive their due punishment in response to their involvement in the Jews’ sins of immorality and idolatry. This punishment resulted in the deaths of 24,000 Jewish souls. Hashem told Moshe that this “unfinished business” should be addressed now, since his death was tied to it. In other words, Moshe was going to leave this world as soon as he carried out this last retribution. Our quintessential leader, Moshe Rabbeinu, could easily have taken his time in executing Hashem’s command. He did not. Indeed, he did it immediately, so great and intense was his love for…

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ויאמר אליהם משה החייתם כל נקבה. הן הנה היו לבני ישראל בדבר בלעם למסר מעל בד' על דבר פעור

Moshe said to them: Did you let every female live? Behold It was they who caused Bnei Yisrael by the word of Bilaam, to commit a betrayal against Hashem regarding the matter of Pe’or. (31:15,16)

ונכבשה הארץ לפני ד' ואחר תשבו והייתם נקים מד' ומישראל

And the Land shall be conquered before Hashem, and then you shall return – then you shall be vindicated before Hashem and from Yisrael. (32:22)

אלה מסעי בני ישראל

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael. (33:1)

אלה מסעי בני ישראל

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael. (33:1)

נקם נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים... וישלח אתם משה... ואת פנחס בן אלעזר

Exact the revenge of Bnei Yisrael from the Midyanim… Moshe sent them… with Pinchas ben Elazar HaKohen. (31:6)

והנה קמתם תחת אבתיכם תרבות אנשים חטאים

Behold! You have risen up in place of your fathers, a society of sinful people. (32:14)

ויתן להם משה לבני גד ולבני ראובן ולחצי שבט מנשה בן יוסף את ממלכת סיחן... ואת ממלכת עוג

So Moshe gave to them – to Bnei Gad, and Bnei Reuven, and half the tribe of Menashe ben Yosef – the Kingdom of Sichon… And the Kingdom of Og. (32:33)

לא יחל דברו ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה

He shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do. (30:3)

איש כי ידור נדר לד' או השבע שבועה לאסר אסר על נפשו לא יחל דברו ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה

If a man will take a vow to Hashem or swear an oath to establish a prohibition upon himself, he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do. (30:3)

נקם נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים אחר תאסף על עמיך. וידבר משה אל העם

Take vengeance for Bnei Yisrael against the Midyanim. Afterward you will be gathered unto your people. Moshe spoke to the people. (31:2,3)

YEARS

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