5786 – Page 3 – Peninim on the Torah

ורצע אדניו את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם

And the master shall bore through his ear with the awl, and he shall serve him forever. (21:6)

Chazal (Kiddushin 22b) explain why the ear is the organ of the body that is pierced: “It is the ear that heard on Har Sinai that Bnei Yisrael should be servants (only) to Me, and this man went and acquired a (new) master for himself.” The obvious question is: if the purpose of the piercing is to reprimand the eved, bondsman, for continuing his servitude, why was it not pierced when he originally sold himself to pay for his ill-begotten debts? Why wait until the end of his tenure? Furthermore, why is the master the one who bores the ear?…

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ורפא ירפא

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5786

He shall provide for healing. (21:18)

Horav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zl, asks why the closing b’rachah, Bircas Refa’einu, the blessing for healing, is Rofeh cholei Amo Yisrael; Hashem heals the Jewish people. Does He not heal everyone? If Hashem does not “agree” to the patient being healed, he will not be healed. He explains, based upon a story that occurred when the Gaon, zl, m’Vilna, refused to turn to doctors for assistance in healing. He was a firm believer (following Ramban, commentary to Vayikra 20:11) that one who fears and places his trust only in Hashem will be healed by the Divine Himself. Nonetheless, during his…

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כי תראה חמור שנאך רבץ תחת משאו וחדלת מעזב לו – עזב תעזב עמו

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5786

If you see the donkey of someone you hate crouching under its burden, would you refrain from helping him? You shall help repeatedly with him. (23:5)

“Someone you hate.” Jews are not supposed to hate. V’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha; “Love your fellow as yourself” is a cornerstone of our faith. Obviously, this is not the common hatred based on envy and other social flaws. This must be a hate that falls under the rubric of permissibility, such as a fellow Jew who persistently commits sinful behavior – despite being warned and admonished repeatedly to desist from his spiritually egregious activities. Until that time that he listens and repents, he may be the focus of our disdain and even loathing. Such a person harms not only himself, but…

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ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ד' לישראל

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5786

Yisro rejoiced over all the good that Hashem had done for Yisrael. (18:9)

Rashi translates va’yichad Yisro as va’yismach Yisro, as rejoicing over the salvation of Am Yisrael. The Brisker Rav, zl (cited by Horav Eliyahu Baruch Finkel, zl) explains Yisro’s b’rachah as a blessing of gomeil, gratitude to Hashem. We would normally think that the person who recites the blessing is none other than the direct beneficiary of Hashem’s favor. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 219:4), however, rules that one can fulfill his obligation to bless through the medium of his fellow’s blessing. This means that “Reuven” can bentch gomeil for “Shimon,” and Shimon will have properly discharged his religious duty to…

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ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5786

And Yisrael encamped there, opposite the mountain. (19:2)

Rashi notes that the verb, va’yichan, they encamped, is written in the singular, rather than in the plural, va’yachanu. This teaches us that the huge multitude of people, which comprised the nation that was about to receive the Torah, was camped k’ish echad, b’lev echad, like a single person with one heart. Klal Yisrael’s unity is critical to its survival as a Torah nation. Only when they were united in their goal of hearing and accepting the d’var Hashem, word of G-d, would they be ready to receive the Torah. A number of points concerning the concept of k’ish echad…

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כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5786

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be lengthened. (20:12)

We wonder why the Torah chooses to write yaarichun, they will lengthen, rather than aarich, I will lengthen. It is as if the Torah were saying that, by honoring your parents, you cause your children to lengthen your life. Horav Chaim Meir, zl, m’Vishnitz, answered this question after first relating an incident in which three sons/brothers sought his advice concerning their aged father’s care. Apparently, they felt it was difficult for them, and the question on the table was: Do they continue with home care with its various difficulties, or move him to a nursing home? The Rebbe (Imrei Chaim)…

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ולא נחם אלקים דרך ארץ פלשתים כי קרוב הוא

Sruly Schnair In Beshalach, 5786

Hashem did not lead them by way of the land of Plishtim, because it was near. (13:17)

Our lives are filled with miracles. Yet, we do not take the time or make the effort to study them and to employ them as a pathway for deepening our bitachon, trust, in Hashem. When Klal Yisrael left Egypt, two paths were before them: the short and easy route through the land of Plishtim; the long circuitous route through the wilderness. Rabbeinu Chananel (quoted by Rabbeinu Bachya) explains that Hashem chose the long way which, albeit took them through the wilderness, provided the opportunity for exposure to additional miracles. A trip straight through Plishtim would not have availed them the…

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וישאו בני ישראל את עיניהם והנה מצרים נסע אחריהם. וייראו מאד ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ד'

Sruly Schnair In Beshalach, 5786

And Bnei Yisrael raised their eyes and behold! Egypt was journeying after them, and they were very frightened. Bnei Yisrael cried out to Hashem. (14:10)

The euphoria connected with the liberation and exodus from Egypt lasted until the nation saw Pharaoh and his army in pursuit. Some prayed fervently to Hashem for salvation. Prayer is our key to reaching Hashem and petitioning Him to annul whatever decree hangs over our heads. Others were frozen in fear. They sadly complained that they would have settled for remaining in Egypt as long as their slavery would have ended. Hashem responded that this was not a time for prayer, but rather for positive action, for mesiras nefesh, a display of their faith in Him and a willingness to…

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ולא יכלו לשתות מים ממרה כי מרים הם ... ויצעק אל ד' ויורהו ד' עץ וישלך אל המים וימתקו המים

Sruly Schnair In Beshalach, 5786

But they could not drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter … He cried out to Hashem, and He showed him a tree, he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. (15:23,25)

Horav Yechezkel Abramsky, zl, related the following homiletic rendering of these pesukim. (Apparently, he had heard the exposition from a Chassidic Jew.) On the surface, the pesukim relate that, when Klal Yisrael came to a place which was (later) called Marah, bitter, they found the drinking water to be bitter. As a result, they were unable to drink, and they questioned the choice of rest area. Moshe Rabbeinu prayed to Hashem, Who instructed him to throw a certain tree into the water, and it became sweet. Water is a metaphor for Torah. Be’er chafaruah sarim, “Well that the princes dug”…

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עד מתי מאנת לענות מפני

Sruly Schnair In Bo, 5786

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? (10:3)

Horav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zl, asks, if we were to bring Pharaoh to trial before the International Court in The Hague — what would this evil man be convicted of? Pharaoh’s sins were monstrous, even by the standards of the most brutal, sadistic tyrants of history. Mass murder, enslavement, cruelty beyond imagination – all crimes against humanity, deserving of the most painful punishment. Yet, the Torah does not list these atrocities as an indictment against Pharaoh. The only thing the Torah writes is: “You refused!” Pharaoh refused to acknowledge Hashem as the One behind the punishment. He ignored the obvious…

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ורצע אדניו את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם

And the master shall bore through his ear with the awl, and he shall serve him forever. (21:6)

ורפא ירפא

He shall provide for healing. (21:18)

כי תראה חמור שנאך רבץ תחת משאו וחדלת מעזב לו – עזב תעזב עמו

If you see the donkey of someone you hate crouching under its burden, would you refrain from helping him? You shall help repeatedly with him. (23:5)

ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ד' לישראל

Yisro rejoiced over all the good that Hashem had done for Yisrael. (18:9)

ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר

And Yisrael encamped there, opposite the mountain. (19:2)

כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be lengthened. (20:12)

ולא נחם אלקים דרך ארץ פלשתים כי קרוב הוא

Hashem did not lead them by way of the land of Plishtim, because it was near. (13:17)

וישאו בני ישראל את עיניהם והנה מצרים נסע אחריהם. וייראו מאד ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ד'

And Bnei Yisrael raised their eyes and behold! Egypt was journeying after them, and they were very frightened. Bnei Yisrael cried out to Hashem. (14:10)

ולא יכלו לשתות מים ממרה כי מרים הם ... ויצעק אל ד' ויורהו ד' עץ וישלך אל המים וימתקו המים

But they could not drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter … He cried out to Hashem, and He showed him a tree, he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. (15:23,25)

עד מתי מאנת לענות מפני

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? (10:3)

YEARS

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