Yisro – Peninim on the Torah

לא תשא את שם ד' אלוקך לשוא

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5785

You shall not take the Name of Hashem, your G-d, in vain. (20:7)

Simply put, the Torah is teaching us that to utter Hashem’s Name in vain shows contempt for Hashem’s Name and disgraces It. In HaEmunah u’HaBitachon, the Ramban writes that one who has a spiritual awakening, a profound appreciation of the greatness and wonders of Hashem, must immediately concretize this inspiration and make it a part of his life. Otherwise, if he does not make use of this inspiration, he will continue on the same trajectory as before. With no upward swing, he transgresses the prohibitive commandment: lo tisa es Shem Hashem lashav. Hashem says, B’chol makom asher azkir es Shemi,…

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ויענו כל העם יחדו ויאמרו כל אשר דבר ד' נעשה

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5785

The entire people responded together and said, “Everything that Hashem has spoken we will do.” (19:8)

Chazal (Midrash Shir Hashirim 1:24) teach that giving the Torah to Klal Yisrael was not as simple as it seems. The Torah was Hashem’s gift to us, yet, it is the raison d’être of Creation. If we do not observe the Torah, there is no ultimate purpose for our existence. Thus, when Hashem was about to give the Torah, He asked for guarantors who would ensure that Klal Yisrael would abide by the Torah. The nation replied: “Let our ancestors, the three Patriarchs, be our guarantors.” Hashem replied: “Your forefathers themselves need guarantors.” Apparently, as perfect as the Patriarchs were,…

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ומשה עלה אל האלקים...

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5785

Moshe ascended to G-d… (19:3)

When Moshe Rabbeinu ascended Har Sinai to receive the Torah on behalf of Klal Yisrael, it was not a quick and easy reception. The angels felt that the Torah belonged in Heaven and that Moshe should turn back and report to his nation that it was not going to happen. Hashem listened to what the angels had to say and turned to Moshe for rebuttal. If he could not convince the angels that Torah belonged on earth and was the directive for humans and not for angels, then perhaps he and the people were not ready or worthy to receive…

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וישמע יתרו... את כל אשר עשה אלקים למשה ולישראל עמו... ויבוא יתרו... אל משה אל המדבר... ויספר משה לחותנו את כל אשר עשה ד' לפרעה ולמצרים

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5785

Yisro… heard everything that G-d did to Moshe and to Yisrael… Yisro…came to Moshe… Moshe told his father-in-law everything that Hashem had done to Pharaoh and Egypt. (Exodus 18:1,5,8)

The Torah relates that Yisro was so impressed by what he heard had happened to Pharaoh and the Egyptians that he packed up and left Midyan to join Klal Yisrael. The Torah continues telling us that Moshe Rabbeinu told Yisro everything that Hashem had done for His people-the many miracles and wonders that He wrought. Is this not somewhat redundant? Obviously, Yisro was impressed enough by what he heard that he left Midyan, where he held a leadership position, to join Klal Yisrael., Not one to waste words, Moshe was clearly rehashing the Exodus experience to impart an important lesson….

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כבד את אביך ואת אמך

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5784

Honor your father and your mother. (20:12)

The imperative to honor one’s parents is etched on the same Tablets as the belief in Hashem and the admonishments prohibiting murder and immoral relations. It is a special mitzvah which defines, not only our relationship with our parents, but our relationship with Hashem as well. One who does not see the need to honor parents will not see the need to honor Hashem. The mitzvah has nothing to do with gratitude, because we received it in the wilderness at a time in which parents did not provide for their children’s needs. Hashem did. [It has not changed. Hashem is…

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זכור את יום השבת לקדשו

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5784

Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it. (20:8)

Two central themes characterize the observance of Shabbos. It is an expression of our belief that Hashem created the world in six days, which implies the existence of the Creator. We also observe Shabbos in remembrance of Hashem’s kindness in liberating us from the bondage of Egypt. The Egyptians made labor on Shabbos mandatory. The Midrash teaches that the Egyptians forced the Jews to work on Shabbos and transgress all thirty-nine melachos, labors, that are prohibited on Shabbos. The Arizal teaches that the thirty-nine labors correspond to the thirty-nine curses which were the result of Adam’s eating from the Eitz…

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בחדש השלישי לצאת בני ישראת מארץ מצרים... באו מדבר סיני

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5784

In the third month from the exodus of Bnei Yisrael from the land of Egypt… they arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. (19:1)

Chazal (Midrash) ask why Hashem did not give the Torah to the Jewish People immediately upon their departure from Egypt. Why was it necessary to wait seven weeks for this seminal event to take place? They cite a parable comparing the Jewish people to a young prince who had been ill and was weakened from his illness. Once he had recuperated, his father said, “I will allow him to rest for a while to recoup his strength, and then I will send him back to cheder.” Klal Yisrael left Egypt flawed by the spiritual blemishes to which they had become…

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כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5783

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

Every mitzvah is accompanied by halachos, laws, and customs which guide its fulfillment. If one does not adhere to them, the fulfillment of the mitzvah is nullified. Some mitzvos have numerous halachos, while others are simple and basic. The mitzvah of kibbud av v’eim, honoring one’s parents, which is one of the most difficult mitzvos to carry out properly, has a considerable amount of laws and criteria which must be met in order to appropriately execute this mitzvah. Determining what is included in the term kavod, honor, and what is not and who is deserving of honor (i.e. an abusive…

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זכור את יום השבת לקדשו

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5783

Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it. (20:8)

I think the primary essence of Shabbos is to be derived from the word l’kadsho, “to sanctify it.” This does not in any way mean to belittle the importance of zachor, “remember,” the Shabbos. Clearly, one who does not remember, who does not observe Shabbos according to halachah, can hardly sanctify it. The suggestion, however, is that Shabbos observance without focusing on its sanctity, by concentrating on the positive aspects of rest, and how this time should be spent spiritually elevating ourselves, undermines the essence of Shabbos. Shabbos is a day of elevation, of spiritual growth, which is achieved through…

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אנכי ד' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5783

I am Hashem, Your G-d, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. (20:2)

Kabbalas haTorah, the Giving/Receiving of the Torah, was the crown of Creation. As the Abir Yaakov (Horav Yaakov Abuchatzeira, zl) writes, the purpose of Creation is to recognize Hashem’s Monarchy. It is understandable that the world cannot exist without Torah, which guides us how to serve Hashem. In this sense, the world was not completed until Klal Yisrael received/accepted the Torah on Har Sinai. With this in mind, the Abir Yaakov explains the first pesukim of the Torah: Bereishis bara Elokim, “In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth…darkness was on the face of the depths, and the…

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לא תשא את שם ד' אלוקך לשוא

You shall not take the Name of Hashem, your G-d, in vain. (20:7)

ויענו כל העם יחדו ויאמרו כל אשר דבר ד' נעשה

The entire people responded together and said, “Everything that Hashem has spoken we will do.” (19:8)

ומשה עלה אל האלקים...

Moshe ascended to G-d… (19:3)

וישמע יתרו... את כל אשר עשה אלקים למשה ולישראל עמו... ויבוא יתרו... אל משה אל המדבר... ויספר משה לחותנו את כל אשר עשה ד' לפרעה ולמצרים

Yisro… heard everything that G-d did to Moshe and to Yisrael… Yisro…came to Moshe… Moshe told his father-in-law everything that Hashem had done to Pharaoh and Egypt. (Exodus 18:1,5,8)

כבד את אביך ואת אמך

Honor your father and your mother. (20:12)

זכור את יום השבת לקדשו

Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it. (20:8)

בחדש השלישי לצאת בני ישראת מארץ מצרים... באו מדבר סיני

In the third month from the exodus of Bnei Yisrael from the land of Egypt… they arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. (19:1)

כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

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

זכור את יום השבת לקדשו

Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it. (20:8)

אנכי ד' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים

I am Hashem, Your G-d, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. (20:2)

YEARS

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