5782 – Page 6 – Peninim on the Torah

רב לכם כי כל העדה כלם קדשים ובתוכם ד' ומדוע תתנשאו על קהל ד'

It is too much for you! For the entire assembly – all of them are holy and Hashem is among them. Why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem? (16:3)

Nothing is as audaciously offensive as a despot who makes use of his Torah knowledge to undermine Torah leadership and mutiny against Hashem. Korach confronted Moshe Rabbeinu with a halachic query. He and all of his henchmen came dressed in garments fashioned completely of techeiles, turquoise wool. He asked derisively, “Does a tallis made completely of techeiles require one strand of techeiles thread in the Tzitzis?” Moshe replied, “Yes.” The fact that a garment is made of techeiles does not exempt it from the techeiles requirement of Tzitzis. This is what Korach was waiting for. He pounced back, “If a…

Home -> 5782 -> Korach

וידבר אל קרח ואל כל עדתו

Sruly Schnair In Korach, 5782

He (Moshe Rabbeinu) spoke to Korach and to his entire assembly. (16:5)

Either debated, dissenting opinions or the fire of controversy can characterize disagreements based in Torah. Chazal (Pirkei Avos 5:17) label the controversy of Korach v’adaso, and his congregation, as a machlokes she’lo l’shem Shomayim, controversy not for the sake of Heaven. It is a disagreement which undermines the very underpinnings of Torah Judaism. Korach v’adaso stand in contrast with the two classic debaters of the Mishnah, Hillel and Shammai, who debated l’shem Shomayim. Interestingly, concerning Hillel and Shammai, both disputants are named, while in the controversy that surrounded Korach and Moshe, it is called the machlokes of Korach v’adaso –…

Home -> 5782 -> Korach

וידעתם כי נאצו האנשים האלה את ד'

Sruly Schnair In Korach, 5782

Then you shall know that these men provoked Hashem. (16:30)

The best way to extricate oneself from machlokes is to circumvent it. When a person suffers an indignity, or when someone whom we respect and love suffers an indignity or is slandered, our knee-jerk reaction is to put the other fellow in his place. We want to teach him a lesson, so that he would never again be cavalier with another’s emotions. That, in and of itself, is the beginning of machlokes. The best way to stop a machlokes is to prevent it from starting. The following two stories are about individuals, both holy, both whom I had the z’chus…

Home -> 5782 -> Shelach

שלח לך אנשים ויתרו את ארץ כנען

Sruly Schnair In Shelach, 5782

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the land of Canaan. (13:2)

At the beginning of the parshah, Rashi focuses on the juxtaposition of the incident of the meraglim upon Miriam speaking inappropriately about Moshe Rabbeinu, and the punishment she received. On the surface, the two incidents do not seem to have a common thread. Rashi explains that Miriam’s comment was considered lashon hora. Concerning the meraglim, he says: Reshaim hallalu ra’u v’lo lakchu mussar; “Those wicked ones saw what happened to Miriam and did not take a lesson.” In other words, they too spoke negatively. Indeed, Miriam spoke against Moshe; they spoke against the Land. Apparently, a parallel exists between the…

Home -> 5782 -> Shelach

שלח לך אנשים ויתרו את ארץ כנען

Sruly Schnair In Shelach, 5782

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the land of Canaan. (13:2)

The incident of the meraglim, Jewish spies – who left the wilderness as tzaddikim, wholly righteous individuals, and returned spewing slanderous statements against the Land – is one of the greatest tragedies recorded in the Torah. I use the term tragedy because the transformation that occurred in these men, the ripple-effect that it had on the nation, and the ultimate disastrous punishment that resulted are nothing less than tragic. Obviously, the Torah records this incident due to the lessons we are to derive from it. The first and foremost question that must be resolved is: How did this happen? Shlach…

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ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע

Sruly Schnair In Shelach, 5782

Moshe called Hoshea Bin Nun Yehoshua. (13:16)

Moshe Rabbeinu added the letter yud to Yehoshua’s name, so that his name would begin with the letters of Hashem’s Name (Yud, Kay). The Hebrew name Yehoshua means Hashem saves or Hashem will save, which conveys that Moshe prayed for Yehoshua. Kah yoshiacha mei’atzas meraglim; “May Hashem save you from the conspiracy/counsel of the spies.” Why did Moshe pray for Yehoshua and not for Calev? Moshe had greater reason to be concerned for Yehoshua, for he feared that Yehoshua’s yetzer hora l’shem Shomayim, evil inclination would convince him to act egregiously because, ultimately, it would be for the sake of…

Home -> 5782 -> Shelach

והאנשים אשר שלח משה לתור את הארץ וישבו וילנו עליו את כל העדה להוציא דבה על הארץ...וימתו האנשים מוצאי דבת הארץ רעה במגפה לפני ד'

Sruly Schnair In Shelach, 5782

But as for the men whom Moshe sent to spy out the Land, and who returned and provoked the entire assembly to complain against him by spreading a report against the Land. (14:36)…The men, the ones spreading an evil report about the Land died in a plague before Hashem. (14:37)

The preceding pasuk already mentioned that the spies had spread an evil report about the Land. Why does the next pasuk, which relates their punishment, reiterate their slander of the Land? The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh attributes this to their slandering Eretz Yisrael. “How can one declare a completely beautiful Land to be bad? How can a human being be so brazen?… As a result of this insurrection, Hashem’s anger flared against them, and He killed them immediately.” We derive from here that speaking negatively of Eretz Yisrael is a grave sin. It is unnatural because it is contrary to the…

Home -> 5782 -> Beha'alosecha

על פי ד' יסעו בני ישראל ועל פי ד' יחנו

Sruly Schnair In Beha'alosecha, 5782

According to the word of Hashem would Bnei Yisrael journey, and, according to the word of Hashem, they would encamp. (9:18)

Hashem orchestrated and guided Klal Yisrael’s journey through the wilderness. He employed the medium of the cloud that rested above the Mishkan as a signal. When the cloud began to move, it was a Heavenly signal to pull out. It was time to fold the tents and pack their belongings for the next trip. They traveled until the cloud stopped, which was their signal to pitch tents and unpack. No set time was established for how long they remained in each camp. At times, it could be months and even years – or it could be mere days. Regardless of…

Home -> 5782 -> Beha'alosecha

ונסעו הקהתים נשאי המקדש

Sruly Schnair In Beha'alosecha, 5782

Then journeyed the Kehasim, bearers of the Sanctuary. (10:21)

Interestingly, the Torah refers to the Leviim who descended from Kehas as Kehasim, and those who descended from Gershon and Merari as Bnei Gershon and Bnei Merari. Why? Korban Ani explains that the sons of Kehas were zoche, merited, to carry the Aron and the other holy vessels. This was because they were a very close-knit, unified family. In Bereishis 49:10, Yaakov Avinu blesses Yehudah with the words, V’lo yikhas amim, “And his will be an assemblage of nations. Yikhas/kehas refers to an assemblage/congregation/aggregate, a gathering of people working together with a common goal. As a result of their achdus,…

Home -> 5782 -> Beha'alosecha

לא כן עבדי משה בכל ביתי נאמן הוא

Sruly Schnair In Beha'alosecha, 5782

Not so is my servant Moshe, in My entire household he is the trusted one. (12:7)

Moshe Rabbeinu is like a trusted member of Hashem’s Heavenly kingdom. The Torah alludes to Moshe’s unique qualities, especially in the area of nevuah, prophecy, in which he stood out above all prophets. He is referred to as avdi Moshe, My servant Moshe, who is trusted. The question that presents itself is obvious. Is it an accolade to state that Moshe was honest and, thus, to be trusted? To possess moral and ethical integrity is a basic quality which Hashem demands and expects of every person. What is novel about Moshe’s integrity and being trusted in Heaven? When one hires…

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רב לכם כי כל העדה כלם קדשים ובתוכם ד' ומדוע תתנשאו על קהל ד'

It is too much for you! For the entire assembly – all of them are holy and Hashem is among them. Why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem? (16:3)

וידבר אל קרח ואל כל עדתו

He (Moshe Rabbeinu) spoke to Korach and to his entire assembly. (16:5)

וידעתם כי נאצו האנשים האלה את ד'

Then you shall know that these men provoked Hashem. (16:30)

שלח לך אנשים ויתרו את ארץ כנען

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the land of Canaan. (13:2)

שלח לך אנשים ויתרו את ארץ כנען

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the land of Canaan. (13:2)

ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע

Moshe called Hoshea Bin Nun Yehoshua. (13:16)

והאנשים אשר שלח משה לתור את הארץ וישבו וילנו עליו את כל העדה להוציא דבה על הארץ...וימתו האנשים מוצאי דבת הארץ רעה במגפה לפני ד'

But as for the men whom Moshe sent to spy out the Land, and who returned and provoked the entire assembly to complain against him by spreading a report against the Land. (14:36)…The men, the ones spreading an evil report about the Land died in a plague before Hashem. (14:37)

על פי ד' יסעו בני ישראל ועל פי ד' יחנו

According to the word of Hashem would Bnei Yisrael journey, and, according to the word of Hashem, they would encamp. (9:18)

ונסעו הקהתים נשאי המקדש

Then journeyed the Kehasim, bearers of the Sanctuary. (10:21)

לא כן עבדי משה בכל ביתי נאמן הוא

Not so is my servant Moshe, in My entire household he is the trusted one. (12:7)

YEARS

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