Va’eschanan – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

ושננתם לבניך ודברת בם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5775

You shall teach them thoroughly to your children and you shall speak of them. (6:7)

Rashi teaches that banecha, your sons, eilu ha’talmidim, applies equally to one’s talmidim, students. In Nitzotzos, Rav Yitzchak Herskowitz, Shlita, relates a story he heard from a Rosh Yeshivah, who is one of today’s more successful marbitzei Torah, disseminators of Torah, in Eretz Yisrael. Apparently, Torah was not always this individual’s primary interest. As a young, teenage student attending Yeshivas Ohr Yisrael in Petach Tikvah, he was involved in a lot of things, most of which were not Torah-related. Running with a group of like-minded students, he presented a constant challenge for the patience of the yeshivah’s Mashgiach, ethical supervisor….

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ושננתם לבניך ודברת בם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5775

You shall teach them thoroughly to your children. (6:7)

In his Taam V’Daas, Horav Moshe Shternbach, Shlita, quotes a powerful observation from Horav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zl. Chazal teach that anyone who recites Krias Shema while not wearing Tefillin is considered as if he is offering false testimony. The parsha of Krias Shema includes the pasuk U’keshartem l’os al yadecha v’hayu l’totafos bein einecha, “Bind them as a sign upon your arm and let them be as ornaments between your eyes” (Devarim 6:8). How can one recite the mitzvah of wearing Tefillin when he himself is not wearing them? Accordingly, one who does not educate his children in the…

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ומשלם לשנאיו על פניו להאבידו לא יאחר לשנאו אל פניו ישלם לו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5775

But He repays each of His enemies to his face to make him perish; He will not delay for His enemy to his face He will repay him. (7:10)

Rashi explains that even the wicked who act appropriately and carry out good deeds will be rewarded. Hashem does not deprive anyone of his rightful reward. There is one difference, however; the wicked will be rewarded in this world. Olam Habba, the World To Come, is not their domain. They will not access their reward in the Eternal World. Their reward will be received in the here and now. The righteous, however, will enjoy the deep-rooted spiritual pleasure that is Olam Habba. Why should the rasha, wicked person, not receive his reward in Olam Habba? Is it reserved only for…

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לא תוסיפו... ולא תגרעו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5774

You shall not add… nor shall you subtract from it. (4:2)

The Torah is complete. It requires no addition and no subtraction. If Hashem has commanded us to perform a mitzvah in a specific manner, it is perfect in the manner it was given. To append or amend is to impugn the integrity of Hashem’s command. Thus, the mitzvah of Lulav is comprised of four species – not two or five; Tzitzis are fringes on the four corners of a garment – not five or three. While it is understandable that one may not diminish from Hashem’s word, but what is wrong with giving a little extra? Why place restrictions on…

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ויום השביעי שבת לד' אלקיך לא תעשה כל מלאכה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5774

But the seventh day is Shabbos to Hashem your G-d; you shall not do any work. (5:14)

Shabbos is much more than the catchword for the day of rest or the prohibition against laboring. Shabbos represents a covenant between Klal Yisrael and Hashem. It is a principle of our faith that Hashem created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, proclaiming it holy. By not observing Shabbos, one impugns the belief in Hashem as Creator of the world. Shabbos calls to mind the exodus from Egypt, without which we would have continued as a slave people. As Ibn Ezra observed, “A slave never rests.” Hashem liberated us from the slavery of Egypt and…

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ולא תתאוה בית רעך... וכל אשר לרעך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5774

You shall not desire your friend’s house… or anything that belongs to your fellow. (5:18)

In Pirkei Avos, the Tanna underscores the egregious nature of envy. Hakinah, v’hataavah, v’hakavod motziin es ha’adam min ha’olam, “Jealousy, lust and glory remove a man from the world.” The sequence of these deficient character traits intimates that envy has garnered first place. Indeed, it all starts with envy, moves on to lust and self-aggrandizement. The triple crown removes a person from the world – or, perhaps, each one has a negative effect on a person. Regardless, we see that kinah is the worst of the bunch. When one is obsessed with the possessions which his friend has, he may…

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לא מרבכם מכל העמים חשק ד' בכם ויבחר בכם כי אתם המעט מכל העמים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5774

Not because you are numerous than all the peoples did Hashem desire you and choose you, for you are the fewest of all peoples. (7:7)

Toward the end of the parsha, the Torah describes Hashem’s relationship with Klal Yisrael, claiming that it has nothing to do with our being numerous – because we are not. We are a minority among nations. Because we are the fewest of peoples, however, Hashem has decided to bestow His love on us. Rashi explains that size does not actually play a significant role in determining our relationship. Rather, “fewest” means we minimize ourselves, like Avraham Avinu who said, V’Anochi afar va’eifar, ‘I am but dust and ashes” (Bereishis 18:27) and like Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen, who said, Va’anachnu…

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Sruly Schnair In Va'eschanan, 5754

“When you shall beget children and children’s children and you will have become old in the land and will practice depravity.” (4:25)

Moshe did not fear the immediate danger of aberration on the part of Klal Yisrael. Rather, he perceived that change would result from being in the land for a while, occurring after the birth of the second and third generations. Horav S.R. Hirsch z.l. interprets the word o,baubu, “and you will become old,” in a different manner. iah is not like iez, the antonym of “young.” Rather, it is more closely related to being the opposite of “new” or “fresh.” This concept is already suggested by the literal meaning of iah as “dark” or “sleep.” Only after the nation has…

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Sruly Schnair In Va'eschanan, 5754

“Get up on top of Pisgah … and behold with your eyes for you shall not go over this Yarden… (3:27) Then Moshe separated three cities beyond the Yarden. (4:41) And this is the Torah which Moshe set before Bnei Yisrael.” (4:44)

The parsha begins with Moshe’s supplication to Hashem, entreating Him to be allowed entry into Eretz Yisrael. Moshe realized that his hopes would not be fulfilled, and he stood making his farewell speech to Bnei Yisrael. He reminded them of their past iniquities and exhorted them to remember their obligations to both Hashem and man. It seemed that Moshe’s task in this world had come to an end. Suddenly, Moshe undertook a new mitzvah, one that would not apply until Eretz Yisrael had been conquered and divided. He separated three cities of refuge for the Ever Ha’Yarden. Why did Moshe…

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Sruly Schnair In Va'eschanan, 5754

“And you should teach them diligently to your children.” (6:7)

We are enjoined to transmit Torah to the next generation. Rashi adds that “your children” also refers to one’s students. Indeed, teaching Torah to one’s students is a form of spiritual creation. Various interpretations cite the importance of either personally teaching or caring for the Torah education of one’s children. Horav Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld z.l. cites the Talmud in Brachos 14 which states that one who recites krias shema but does not wear tefillin, is viewed as a false witness. In the parsha of krias shema, one mentions the imperative to wear tefillin. To accept the mitzvah of krias shema,…

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ושננתם לבניך ודברת בם

You shall teach them thoroughly to your children and you shall speak of them. (6:7)

ושננתם לבניך ודברת בם

You shall teach them thoroughly to your children. (6:7)

ומשלם לשנאיו על פניו להאבידו לא יאחר לשנאו אל פניו ישלם לו

But He repays each of His enemies to his face to make him perish; He will not delay for His enemy to his face He will repay him. (7:10)

לא תוסיפו... ולא תגרעו

You shall not add… nor shall you subtract from it. (4:2)

ויום השביעי שבת לד' אלקיך לא תעשה כל מלאכה

But the seventh day is Shabbos to Hashem your G-d; you shall not do any work. (5:14)

ולא תתאוה בית רעך... וכל אשר לרעך

You shall not desire your friend’s house… or anything that belongs to your fellow. (5:18)

לא מרבכם מכל העמים חשק ד' בכם ויבחר בכם כי אתם המעט מכל העמים

Not because you are numerous than all the peoples did Hashem desire you and choose you, for you are the fewest of all peoples. (7:7)

“When you shall beget children and children’s children and you will have become old in the land and will practice depravity.” (4:25)

“Get up on top of Pisgah … and behold with your eyes for you shall not go over this Yarden… (3:27) Then Moshe separated three cities beyond the Yarden. (4:41) And this is the Torah which Moshe set before Bnei Yisrael.” (4:44)

“And you should teach them diligently to your children.” (6:7)

YEARS

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