Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

  • Reset

Home -> 5775 -> Chayei Sarah

ואברהם זקן בא בימים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chayei Sarah, 5775

Now Avraham was old, well on in years. (24:1)

Did Avraham Avinu suddenly become old? The Midrash Tanchuma teaches that when Sarah Imeinu died, Avraham began to age. Horav Mordechai Eliyahu, zl, explains that as long as Sarah stood by the Patriarch’s side, he did not sense that he had aged. She encouraged and spurred him to continue his holy work. When his life’s companion, his major source of inspiration, was taken from him, Avraham no longer had by his side that spiritual force that motivated him to maintain his youthful endeavors. The Rishon L’Tzion adds that this unique ability to galvanize the individual to aspire for greater success…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Chayei Sarah

נתתי כסף השדה קח ממני

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chayei Sarah, 5775

I give the price of the field, (take) accept it from me . (23:13)

The Talmud Kiddushin 2a questions the source for money, kessef, serving as a means for achieving kiddushin, betrothal, of a woman. The Talmud explains that a woman is actually niknis, acquired; thus, the act of kiddushin is essentially a kinyan, act of acquisition. The Talmud asks, “From where do we know that ‘money’ is a valid method of kiddushin?” “We derive kichah/kichah misdei Efron.” (Through the use of a gezeirah shavah, one of the thirteen hermeneutic principles for expounding the Torah, through which a similar word or phrase occurs in two otherwise unrelated passages in the Torah, they are linked…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Bo

והיה לאות על ידכה ולטוטפות בין עיניך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bo, 5775

And it shall be a sign upon your arm, and an ornament between your eyes. (13:16)

The four Scriptural passages contained in the Tefillin are basic to Judaism. They address the concepts of the Oneness of G-d, reward and punishment, and the obligation of a Jew to observe all of the mitzvos of the Torah. Also contained therein is a reminder of the Exodus which catalyzed our freedom from tyranny, leading up to our acceptance of the Torah and eventual initiation as Hashem’s People. Thus, wearing Tefillin daily is an affirmation of our belief in all of the above. A Jew who does not put on Tefillin is referred to as a poshei Yisrael b’gufo, Jewish…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Beshalach

וכל בכור אדם בבניך תפדה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5775

And you shall redeem every human first born among your sons. (13:13)

The mitzvah of Pidyon HaBen is a rite of passage mitzvah in which the firstborn son is redeemed for five silver coins. This is an important mitzvah, in that the child/b’chor/firstborn is like a Kohen, since the priesthood was once the domain of the firstborn. They lost it, and it was transferred over to Shevet/Tribe of Levi, of which the Kohanim became the replacement b’chorim. Thus, every firstborn harbors a degree of sanctity which must be redeemed, since he cannot use it. In the following incident, we see exactly how important the mitzvah of Pidyon HaBen really is. Rav Meir…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Bo

דבר נא באזני העם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bo, 5775

Please speak in the ears of the People. (11:2)

Rashi quotes the Midrash which explains the reason that Hashem asked Moshe Rabbeinu to make a special effort to convince the Jews to request valuables from the Egyptians. If they would not do so, the neshamah, soul, of Avraham Avinu would take umbrage, saying that Hashem had carried out His promise that the Jews would be enslaved and persecuted, while he had not carried out the second prophecy, concerning the Jews’ exodus amid great wealth. It appears that Hashem’s primary concern was regarding what Avraham would say. What about Hashem’s word? The Almighty informed Avraham that two things would occur:…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Bo

ולמען תספר באזני בנך ובן בנך את אשר התעללתי במצרים... וידעתם כי אני ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bo, 5775

So that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt… that you may know that I am Hashem. (10:2)

The Revelation of the Divine Presence witnessed by the Jewish People in Egypt was unparalleled. They saw how Hashem manipulated the “laws of nature” to serve the needs of His People, as he meted out justice to the evil Egyptians. This year of Revelation led up to their liberation from Egypt, followed by the Splitting of the Red Sea, which was the precursor to the seminal event in Jewish history: the Giving of the Torah. It would all be for naught, however, had it not been transmitted to future generations. The Torah invokes us to relate this experience to our…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Beshalach

נטית ימינך תבלעמו ארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5775

You stretched out Your right hand – the earth swallowed them. (15:12)

Rashi explains this pasuk as sort of a reward for the Egyptians, because they had acknowledged Hashem’s justice, when (ibid 9:27) they proclaimed, Hashem HaTzaddik, “Hashem is righteous.” He showed His infinite mercy by allowing them to be buried following their ordeal. This is the meaning of, tivlaeimo aretz, “The earth swallowed them up.” A powerful lesson may be derived from here. Regardless of who a person is, his previous negative actions notwithstanding, when he acts appropriately, when he performs a positive act that either serves as a vehicle for glorifying Hashem or assisting a (fellow) Jew – he will…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Beshalach

ויאמר ד' אל משה מה תצעק אלי דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5775

Hashem said to Moshe, “Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them journey forth.” (14:15)

Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu that there was a time to pray and a time to move on to take action. Apparently, this was not the time for prayer. The Divrei Chaim renders this pasuk homiletically, lending us an insight into the demands of leadership, and the need for a strong leader to determine the appropriate response to a given situation and how best to rally the people behind him. Moshe Rabbeinu was well known for his unusual humility. Anav mikol adam; “he was the most humble person on the earth.” Indeed, the word mah, “what” (as in V’nachnu mah, “And…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Beshalach

וחמושים עלו בני ישראל מארץ מצרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5775

Bnei Yisrael were armed when they went up from Egypt. (13:18)

Rashi defines chamushim as armed. Taking a journey through the wilderness is not like a walk in the park. One can encounter pernicious challenges at almost every step of the way. Additionally, the pagan nations inhabiting Eretz Yisrael would certainly not take kindly to the idea of being displaced by the Jewish People. The fact that G-d promised the Land to the Jews had very little bearing on the pagan mindset. On the other hand, the Jews were not a warrior nation. For the past 210 years, their primary vocation had been slavery. Thus, the people took along weapons as…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Beshalach

ויהי בשלח פרעה את העם ולא נחם אלקים דרך ארץ פלשתים...

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5775

And it came to be when Pharaoh sent out the people that G-d did not lead them by the land of the Plishtim. (13:17)

Developing a relationship/bond with Hashem is a process. It does not just happen. There are ups and downs and challenges to our faith which we must overcome. Some do so successfully; others do not. In an inspirational and informative thesis, Horav Tzadok HaKohen, zl, (Pri Tzaddik) elucidates an insightful comment made by the Zohar HaKadosh concerning the opening pesukim of this parsha. Parashas Beshalach begins with the word Vayehi, “And it came to be.” Chazal teach that this word imparts a fundamental lesson in Biblical exegesis. Whenever the word vayehi appears in the Torah it conveys a message of sorrow….

Continue Reading

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

You have Successfully Subscribed!