Devarim – Page 5 – Peninim on the Torah

“You answered me and said, ‘The thing that you proposed to do is good.’” (1:14)

Rashi explains Moshe’s critique in the following manner: “You decided the matter to your benefit without considering that you were being disrespectful. You should have responded to the suggestion about instituting sub-leadership by saying, ‘Our teacher Moshe, from whom is it more appropriate to learn: you or your student? Is it not better to learn from you because you suffered over the Torah?’” The last few words, “because you suffered over the Torah,” seem to be superfluous. It would have been sufficient merely to posit that it is better to learn from the master than to learn from the student….

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5772, Devarim

“They came until the valley of Eshkol, and spied it out.” (1:24)

Avraham Avinu had three close friends and confidants: Avner, Eshkol and Mamre, whom he consulted when he was commanded to circumcise himself. Avner advised him not to do it because of his advanced age. Eshkol presented arguments in support of Avner’s advice. He felt that in Avraham’s weakened condition post-circumcision, his enemies would be able to overpower him. Mamre encouraged Avraham to circumcise himself. When the meraglim, spies, came to Eretz Yisrael, they stopped at Nachal Eshkol and picked a cluster of grapes which they brought back to Moshe. Horav Eli Munk, z.l., suggests an analogy between the episode of…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Devarim

These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael. (1:1)

Chazal teach that Moshe Rabbeinu’s “words” were actually words of rebuke, veiled in a manner not to embarrass Klal Yisrael. Tochachah, rebuke, is a mitzvah. The Torah teaches in Vayikra 19:17, Ho’cheiaich tochiach es amisecha, “You shall reprove your fellow.” This is part of caring about and loving our fellowman. Regrettably, some people get carried away with their performance of this mitzvah. While administering rebuke is a mitzvah, it is not one that applies to everyone. In other words, not all of us are capable of – or fit the criteria – for an individual who may express reproof to…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Devarim

These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael. (1:1)

Sefer Devarim is Moshe Rabbeinu’s last will and testament, spoken by him during the last five weeks of his life. He began with an indirect rebuke, alluding to the nation’s sins and, at times, mutinous behavior during the past forty years. His words were cloaked in allusion, in an effort not to embarrass and offend his listeners. While this is clearly the preferred approach to rebuke, one wonders why in the past he had not manifested such restraint. Indeed, the Maor Va’Shemesh focuses on the word Eileh, “These,” a term which implies a specific designation which excludes previous “words.” Chazal…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Devarim

“How can I alone carry your trouble and your burden and your quarrels?” (1:12)

Rashi translates torchachem, as “your troubles”: Melamed she’hayu Yisrael tarchanim, “this teaches us that the Jewish People were troublesome.” Masaachem, which literally means, “your burdens,” is employed by Rashi to infer that they were apikorsim, heretics. It is understandable for the word torchanim to imply the troublesome nature of the Jews. Both words are derived from the same root word. How is masa, burden, related to heresy? There seems to be no connection between the two words. Horav Nachman Breslover, zl, explains that, indeed, from a practical perspective, a deep connection exists between the two terms. Apikorsus, heresy, is a…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5771, Devarim

For as an inheritance to Eisav have I given Mount Seir. (2:5)

The old cliché goes; Es is shver tzu zein a Yid, “It is difficult to be a Jew.” While this is a wrong attitude for a Jew to have, from a practical point of view, it may be considered true. Living an observant lifestyle takes a certain amount of conviction, resolution and forbearance. What we fail to acknowledge is that the cliché might have some validity – there may be a good explanation for the manifold challenges that a Jew confronts in life. Horav Aharon Bakst, zl, explains this as a reason for the distinction between Yaakov Avinu and Eisav…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5770, Devarim

“These are the words which Moshe spoke to all Yisrael…in the wilderness, in the plain, opposite the Sea of Reeds, between Paran and Tophel, and Lavan, and Chatzeiros, and Di Zahav.” (1:1)

In this pasuk, Moshe Rabbeinu bids farewell to his flock. His leadership of the nascent nation is coming to an end, as he is about to leave this world. His predecessor, Yaakov Avinu, blessed his sons before he left this world. His blessing took on the form of rebuke, since rebuke represents true blessing. To guide someone out of love, to point out his shortcomings constructively with the hope that it will steer him onto the correct path of life is a blessing of the highest order. Indeed, when we see another person doing something wrong, we are obligated to…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5770, Devarim

“How can I alone carry?” (1:12)

In the annual cycle of parshiyos, we always read Parashas Devarim, on the Shabbos preceding Tishah B’Av, our national day of mourning. This Shabbos is known as Shabbos Chazon, after the opening word of the Haftorah, Chazon Yeshayahu, where the Navi Yeshayahu foretells the great tragedy to befall the Jewish nation. Also, an obvious connection to Tishah B’Av is the word “Eichah,” how, which appears in Megillas Eichah, Book of Lamentations, that is read on Tishah B’Av. The Gaon M’Vilna sees a deeper connection between this parsha and Tishah B’Av in the third word of our pasuk, “levadi” – “Eichah esa…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5770, Devarim

“You answered me and said, ‘The thing that you proposed to do is good.’” (1:14)

Rashi explains Moshe’s critique in the following manner: “You decided the matter to your benefit without considering that you were being disrespectful. You should have responded to the suggestion about instituting sub-leadership by saying, ‘Our teacher Moshe, from whom is it more appropriate to learn: you or your student? Is it not better to learn from you because you suffered over the Torah?’” The last few words, “because you suffered over the Torah,” seem to be superfluous. It would have been sufficient merely to posit that it is better to learn from the master than to learn from the student….

Home -> Devarim -> 5770

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5770, Devarim

“They came until the valley of Eshkol, and spied it out.” (1:24)

Avraham Avinu had three close friends and confidants: Avner, Eshkol and Mamre, whom he consulted when he was commanded to circumcise himself. Avner advised him not to do it because of his advanced age. Eshkol presented arguments in support of Avner’s advice. He felt that in Avraham’s weakened condition post-circumcision, his enemies would be able to overpower him. Mamre encouraged Avraham to circumcise himself. When the meraglim, spies, came to Eretz Yisrael, they stopped at Nachal Eshkol and picked a cluster of grapes which they brought back to Moshe. Horav Eli Munk, z.l., suggests an analogy between the episode of…

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“You answered me and said, ‘The thing that you proposed to do is good.’” (1:14)

“They came until the valley of Eshkol, and spied it out.” (1:24)

These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael. (1:1)

These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael. (1:1)

“How can I alone carry your trouble and your burden and your quarrels?” (1:12)

For as an inheritance to Eisav have I given Mount Seir. (2:5)

“These are the words which Moshe spoke to all Yisrael…in the wilderness, in the plain, opposite the Sea of Reeds, between Paran and Tophel, and Lavan, and Chatzeiros, and Di Zahav.” (1:1)

“How can I alone carry?” (1:12)

“You answered me and said, ‘The thing that you proposed to do is good.’” (1:14)

“They came until the valley of Eshkol, and spied it out.” (1:24)

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