Re’eh – Page 5 – Peninim on the Torah

ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך והרבך כאשר נשבע לאבתיך

And He will give you mercy and be merciful to you and multiply you, as He swore to your forefathers. (13:18)

When someone is charged with carrying out an execution, it can have a strong negative effect on his sensitivities. After all, it means taking the life of another human being. This emotion is exacerbated when it involves the mass execution of an entire Jewish city of men, women, children — even livestock. Such action takes its toll on the most compassionate person, rendering him callous to suffering. Thus, Hashem promises the nation that the executioners, who carry out this most difficult punishment, will be infused with a Heavenly-sponsored dose of compassion to counteract the soulless nature of their work. Once…

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כי יהיה בך אביון... לא תאמץ את לבבך ולא תקפץ את ידך מאחיך האביון

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Re'eh, 5774

If there will be among you a needy man… you shall not make your heart unfeeling and not close up your hand to your brother, the needy man. (15:7)

Literally, the translation of this pasuk is: “You shall not do violence to your heart.” Horav S. R. Hirsch, zl, observes that the Torah is teaching us that Jews are, by nature, good-hearted and sensitive towards others. It is, therefore, assumed that if Jewish hearts are permitted to give free rein to their natural impulses, they will do good. On the other hand, the individual who does not act with feeling and consideration is selfish and calculating, going against his true-self. Jewish hands are also, by nature, open to the poor and are closed up only by unnatural selfishness. As…

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ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם... ברכה וקללה... את הברכה אשר תשמעו... והקללה אם לא תשמעו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Re'eh, 5774

See, I present before you… a blessing and a curse. The blessing: that you listen… and the curse if you do not listen. (11:26,27,28)

Parashas Re’eh opens with an enjoinment to “see” both blessing and curse. “Seeing” here means intellectual perception, since blessing and curse are not entities which can be observed by corporeal eyes. It requires intelligence to comprehend, distinguish and acknowledge that, indeed, those who are Torah observant Jews are blessed, fulfilled, feel a sense of achievement and spiritual growth. It takes a fool to disregard and purposely overlook the vacuousness and almost daily crises that plagues those who have chosen a lifestyle that caters to the fulfillment of materialistic and physical needs and desires. One who pursues the pleasures of the…

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Sruly Schnair In Re'eh, 5754

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.” (11:26)

The Sforno asserts that this pasuk clearly differentiates Klal Yisrael from the other nations. The fate of other nations is not measured in dichotomies. They are not in a position to be either fully prosperous, on the one hand, or totally devastated on the other. Klal Yisrael, in contrast, is different. Being Hashem’s people means that there is no middle road; Bnei Yisrael will either be blessed or cursed! This, states the Sforno, was Moshe’s message to them. “Behold, see and reflect upon your distinctiveness.” These choices are “before you.” The unique fate of Klal Yisrael is inextricably intertwined with…

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Sruly Schnair In Re'eh, 5754

“That you shall set the blessing on Har Gerizim and the curse on Har Eival.” (11:29)

Why was it necessary to confer blessing and curse on two disparate mountains? Would it not have been just as effective to have used a single mountain for demonstrating both blessing and curse? This same question arises in Parashas Ki Savo, when the Leviim were told to face Har Gerizim for blessing and to face Har Eival when they articulated curse. Horav Tzvi Hirsch z.l. M’Vilna suggests that Hashem teaches us a profound lesson with this distinction between blessing and curse. This separation is made in order to emphasize that the source of blessing must always be distinguished from the…

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Sruly Schnair In Re'eh, 5754

“You are children of Hashem your G-d, you shall not cut yourselves, nor make a bald patch between your eyes for the dead.” (14:1)

The juxtaposition of topics in this portion of the parsha begs elucidation. The previous perek dealt with the false prophet who instigated people to worship idols. This is followed by the laws concerning an ir ha’nidachas, a place in which an entire population of a city defected from Hashem and committed themselves to idol worship. The Torah goes on to emphasize our unique relationship with Hashem as analogous to the relationship between children and their parents. This unparalleled relationship precludes our unusual out-pouring of grief at the death of a parent. What connection is there between these various laws? What…

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Sruly Schnair In Re'eh, 5754

“You shall surely give him… (because) (that for) this thing that Hashem your G-d will bless you in all your work.” (15:10)

Man must realize that his wealth is bequeathed to him for a specific purpose, so that he will use it to to help others. One should not think that giving tzeddakah, charity, decreases his financial assets. On the contrary, the greatest merit for attaining financial security is to give charity to others. This is the pasuk’s message. The Dubna Maggid offers a parable to elucidate this idea. A man went to the market with a hundred dollars in his pocket, which he later lost. The next day he returned to the market and found a wallet with two hundred dollars…

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ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Re'eh, 5773

See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse. (11:26)

There are no grey areas in Judaism. One either listens to the word of G-d and is blessed, or he is cursed for refusing to listen. Moshe Rabbeinu seems to underscore the significance of the word, ha’yom, “today.” Does it really make a difference if it is “today” or “tomorrow”? The message is the same. If you listen – blessing; you do not listen – curse! Why does he emphasize that he is presenting it “today”? In the Likutei Moharan, Horav Nachman Breslover, zl, is quoted as saying: “A man has in this world only ‘that day,’ ‘that hour,’ ‘that…

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כי יקום בקרבך נביא או חלם חלום... לא תשמע אל דברי הנביא... אחרי ד' אלקיכם תלכו ואותו תיראו ואת מצותיו תשמרו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Re'eh, 5773

If there should stand up in your midst a prophet or a dreamer of a dream… do not listen to the words of that prophet… Hashem, your G-d, you shall follow and Him shall you fear; His mitzvos shall you observe. (13:2, 4, 5)

The Torah admonishes us not to listen to the false prophesies of a prophet who encourages us to turn away from Hashem. While the prophet’s message might be very subtle, the heresy is still present. Regrettably, the common man might not see through the beautiful picture that he paints, but false remains false, regardless of the presentation and background. We are told to follow only Hashem, to fear Him and observe His mitzvos. This is the only protection against those who would do us harm. A similar posuk is found in Parashas Eikev, “Hashem, your G-d, shall you fear, Him…

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הכה תכה את ישבי העיר לפי חרב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Re'eh, 5773

You shall smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword. (13:16)

There are a number of halachos pertaining to Ir Hanidachas, the wayward city, and to the testimony of the witnesses who attest to the guilt of its inhabitants which do not seem to be consistent with one another. The people living in a city in which most of its inhabitants have been persuaded to worship idols are put to death. This includes all inhabitants of the city – including women and children, who might otherwise be innocent of the charges. The Torah demands that the testimony of the witnesses must be eidus she’atah yachol l’haazimah, a testimony of witnesses that…

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ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך והרבך כאשר נשבע לאבתיך

And He will give you mercy and be merciful to you and multiply you, as He swore to your forefathers. (13:18)

כי יהיה בך אביון... לא תאמץ את לבבך ולא תקפץ את ידך מאחיך האביון

If there will be among you a needy man… you shall not make your heart unfeeling and not close up your hand to your brother, the needy man. (15:7)

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם... ברכה וקללה... את הברכה אשר תשמעו... והקללה אם לא תשמעו

See, I present before you… a blessing and a curse. The blessing: that you listen… and the curse if you do not listen. (11:26,27,28)

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.” (11:26)

“That you shall set the blessing on Har Gerizim and the curse on Har Eival.” (11:29)

“You are children of Hashem your G-d, you shall not cut yourselves, nor make a bald patch between your eyes for the dead.” (14:1)

“You shall surely give him… (because) (that for) this thing that Hashem your G-d will bless you in all your work.” (15:10)

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse. (11:26)

כי יקום בקרבך נביא או חלם חלום... לא תשמע אל דברי הנביא... אחרי ד' אלקיכם תלכו ואותו תיראו ואת מצותיו תשמרו

If there should stand up in your midst a prophet or a dreamer of a dream… do not listen to the words of that prophet… Hashem, your G-d, you shall follow and Him shall you fear; His mitzvos shall you observe. (13:2, 4, 5)

הכה תכה את ישבי העיר לפי חרב

You shall smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword. (13:16)

YEARS

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