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כבד את אביך ואת אמך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Va'eschanan, 5776

Honor your father and mother. (5:16)

To render honor to one’s parents is an awesome task. Honor means much more than respect. It means: to value; to cherish; to appreciate; to understand that one’s presence in this world is attributed to his parents. The Sefer HaChinuch writes: Heim sibas heyoso b’olam, “They are the cause of his being in this world.”  When one realizes that his basic “being” is due to them, he should be filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Honor should be the result of this emotion. Sadly, this emotion, or lack thereof, can backfire, when one has determined for himself that he…

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Home -> 5776 -> Va'eschanan

שמור את יום השבת לקדשו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Va'eschanan, 5776

Safeguard the day of Shabbos to sanctify it. (5:12)

The vernacular of this pasuk is ambiguous. If Shabbos is holy, why do we have to sanctify it? It is already holy. If it is a mitzvah like all mitzvos, one that imbues us with its kedushah, holiness, what role does remembering play in the scheme of shemiras Shabbos, Shabbos observance? Perhaps we may suggest the following: secular society recognizes that Shabbos is designated for the Jewish People as a day of rest. This does not necessarily mean that they view it as a day replete with unusual holiness. The kedushah is something that we infuse into the Shabbos. Otherwise,…

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Home -> 5776 -> Va'eschanan

אנכי עמד בין ד' וביניכם בעת ההיא להגיד לכם את דבר ד' כי יראתם מפני האש ולא עליתם בהר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Va'eschanan, 5776

I was standing between Hashem and you at that time, to relate the word of Hashem to you – for you were afraid of the fire and you did not ascend the mountain. (5:5)

Moshe Rabbeinu served as an intermediary between Hashem and the people in the days leading up to the Revelation. During the Giving of the Torah, Moshe’s services were even more necessary, since the people drew back in fear of the awesomeness of the experience. According to the commentators, the pasuk is informing us that Klal Yisrael did not ascend the mountain because they were afraid of the fire. In Shemos 19:12, the Torah teaches that the people were commanded to set boundaries around the mountain. They were enjoined, “Beware of ascending the mountain or touching its edge.” The question is…

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Home -> 5776 -> Va'eschanan

אז יבדיל משה שלש ערים בעבר הירדן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Va'eschanan, 5776

Then Moshe set aside three cities on the bank of the Jordan. (4:41)

The parshah of the arei miklat, cities of refuge, which Moshe Rabbeinu designated, seems to be misplaced. Up until now, Moshe has been rebuking Klal Yisrael, reminding them of their special relationship with Hashem, and informing them of the consequences of straying from this relationship. Later, in Perek 5, he exhorts them to listen to the Torah and to observe its precepts. He then underscores this admonition with a presentation of the Revelation at Har Sinai and repeating the Aseres HaDibros, Ten Commandments. Nestled in between the earlier rebuke, and later presentation and encouragement to follow the mitzvos, is the…

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