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לא יחל דברו ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה

He shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth, he should do. (30:3)

The word of a Jew is sacred. He must stand behind his word. When a person does not keep his word, he is mechallel diburo, desecrates his word. Chillul is a strong term. We use the term chillul with regard to desecrating Hashem’s Name – chillul Hashem. Also, when a bas Kohen, daughter of a Kohen, acts in a morally profligate manner, the Torah writes, Es avihah hee mechalleles, “She desecrates her father” (Vayikra 21:9). Apparently, the sanctity of a Kohen, the sacredness of a person’s word, are of a similar nature to the sanctity of Hashem, in the sense…

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ואש יצאה מאת ד' ותאכל את החמישים ומאתים איש

A flame came forth from Hashem and consumed the two hundred and fifty men. (16:35)

Any believing Jew is acutely aware of the harmful effect of machlokes, controversy. It destroys communities, families, and individuals. It causes people to act in the most offensive and debasing manner. It “allows” them to conjure up a justification for acting with disrespect for individuals who not only deserve our respect, but whom the Torah demands that we respect. All of this is well-known. How many of us “believe” that when we cross the line of respect, regardless of how many reasons we have convinced ourselves we have, when we breach the Torah’s perimeter for derech eretz for a Rav,…

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ויאמר משה בזאת תדעון כי ד' שלחני לעשות את כל המעשים האלה

Moshe said, “Through this, shall you know that Hashem sent me to perform all these acts.” (16:28)

Moshe Rabbeinu took an enormous chance when he implied to Korach that Hashem would back him up (with a miracle). What would have happened if Hashem had not provided Moshe with a miraculous intervention? Moshe was placing his position as shaliach Hashem, the agent of the Almighty, in jeopardy. Why did he do this? Horav Yaakov Kamenetzky, zl, explains that, with Korach’s rebellion, Moshe saw and was compelled to acknowledge that, sadly, there were Jews who still questioned Moshe’s Divine mandate to serve as Klal Yisrael’s leader. If this was the case, then all of the Torah that he had…

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רב לכם בני לו

There is much to you, Bnei Levi. (16:7)

Rashi asks: Korach was a pikeach, clever person. What is it that he saw which led him to this shtus, folly? (What did he think? He obviously knew that what he was undertaking was mutinous. Did he think that he would emerge unscathed?) Eino hitato – His eye led him to error. He saw a great chain of descendants emerging from him (referring to Shmuel HaNavi, the twenty-four mishmaros, watches, which officiated in the Bais Hamikdash. Among them were included Neviim, prophets, who possessed Ruach HaKodesh, Divine inspiration). Korach ruminated to himself, “Is it possible that all of this greatness…

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ויקח קרח בן יצהר בן קהת בן לוי

Korach ben Yitzhar, ben Kehas, ben Levi, took (separated himself). (16:1)

Noticeably, Yaakov Avinu’s name is omitted from Korach’s lineage. Rashi comments that it was the Patriarch himself who prayed that his name be deleted from anything connected to Korach. Simply, Yaakov wanted no association whatsoever, even by name, with Korach. This, of course, does not deny the fact that everyone knows that Yaakov was Levi’s father, and, in turn, the Patriarch of Korach’s lineage, but the deletion of Yaakov’s name declares that no part of Korach’s nefarious behavior had its source in Yaakov. Yaakov is the epitome of emes, truth. Machlokes, controversy, by its very nature, is founded in sheker,…

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ויקח קרח

Korach took (separated himself). (16:1)

Korach was the first prominent demagogue to create a rift in Klal Yisrael when he impugned Moshe Rabbeinu’s leadership, and, by extension, created a mutiny against Hashem. Targum Onkeles defines machlokes, controversy, as: pilug; a split; a breach; a rift. Klal Yisrael is supposed to live in harmony. We must strive to emulate Hashem, Who is Echad, One. Thus, when we live together as one, we give satisfaction to Hashem. Chazal distinguish between a machlokes, which is l’shem Shomayim, for the sake of Heaven, and one which is not. A machlokes l’shem Shomayim is a dispute in which each party…

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ויקח קרח

Korach took, (separated himself). (16:1)

Korach had it all, but, it was not enough for him. He wanted more, or he simply did not want Moshe Rabbeinu to have it. Korach was a clever dissident who was able to attract a powerful following of supporters. First, he told the people that he was acting on their behalf. Since he already had it all, he had no need for personal leadership. He was taking a stand for “others.” He felt that the people were being exploited, and he was coming to their rescue. Kol ha’eidah kulam kedoshim, “The entire congregation is holy”; “Hashem is in their…

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לך רד כי שחת עמך אשר העלית מארץ מצרים...עשו להם עגל מסכה

Go! Go down! For your people that you brought up from the land of Egypt has become corrupt …They hand made themselves a molten calf. (32:7,8)

The idyllic relationship that had emerged between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael when we overwhelmingly accepted the Torah at Har Sinai changed with the sin of the Golden Calf. After the chet ha’eigel – nothing has been the same. Had Moshe Rabbeinu not intervened, it would have been – deservedly – all over. Indeed, the sin continues to dog us to this very day since, in variations, we have yet to comprehend the repeat performances we have in some way presented. U’b’yom pakdi u’pokadeti aleihem chatasam, “And on the day that I make My account, I shall bring their sin to…

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וירא העם כי בשש משה לרדת מן ההר ויקהל העם על אהרן ויאמרו אליו קום עשה לנו אלהים

The people saw that Moshe had delayed in descending the mountain, and the people gathered around Aharon and said to him, “Rise up, make for us gods!” (32:1)

One error, one simple mistake was all that was needed to precipitate Klal Yisrael’s tragic rebellion, their egregious demonstration of infidelity– the construction of the Golden Calf. How did a people who had recently received the Torah under circumstances that were unreal become so faithless, almost overnight? It was all due to a mistake, an error in judgment. They thought that Moshe was to have been back, but they erred. Once they exhibited fear, Satan was certain that he had ensnared them. They were putty in his hands. He seized the opportunity and created an illusion of a deceased Moshe…

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לדעת כי אני ד' מקדשכם

To know that I am Hashem, Who makes you holy. (31:13)

Chazal (Shabbos 11:B) teach, “Hashem said to Moshe, ‘I have a good (very special) gift in My treasury (where I keep My precious treasures). It is called Shabbos. I wish to give it to Klal Yisrael. Go and inform them.’” Shabbos is a precious treasure that Hashem saved especially for His children. We must learn to appreciate the unique nature of this gift, and, above all, how much it means to Hashem. The Tzaddik, Horav Avraham, zl, m’Porisav related in the name of the Chidushei HaRim, the meaning of, Leich v’hodiam, “Go and inform them” (which Hashem said to Moshe)….

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