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Home -> Matos -> 5785

ומקנה רב היה לבני ראובן ולבני גד

Sruly Schnair
In 5785, Matos

The Tribes Reuven and Gad had an extremely large amount of cattle. (32:1)

Chazal (Bamidbar Rabbah 22:6) underscore the good fortune of one who acquires any one of these G-d-given precious gifts: wisdom, strength and/or wealth. This idea, say Chazal, applies only if one receives these gifts from Hashem. If, however, he receives these gifts from human beings – they have no value. Chazal continue: two wise people – one Jewish, one gentile, Achitofel and Bilaam –were both lost; two well-known strong men who did not endure – Shimshon and Golias – one Jewish, one gentile.  Two men of great wealth — Korach and Haman – neither made it. Why were these men…

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Home -> Matos -> 5785

ומקנה רב היה לבני ראובן ולבני גד

Sruly Schnair
In 5785, Matos

Bnei Reuven and Bnei Gad had abundant livestock. (32:1)

The Torah teaches us that, following the war with Midyan, the tribes of Reuven, Gad and half of Menashe were beset with an abundance of cattle. They asked to remain on the other side of the Jordan and enter Eretz Yisrael only for the purpose of war. In other words, they were not adverse to helping their brothers in their fight to rid the Holy Land of the pagan nations who inhabited it; they just wanted to return to the lush land on the other side of the Jordan, so that they would have sufficient feed for their animals. While…

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Home -> Masei -> 5785

אלה מסעי בני ישראל אשר יצאו מארץ מצרים... ויכתב משה את מוציא הם למסעיהם על פי ד' ואלה מסעיהם למוצאיהם

Sruly Schnair
In 5785, Masei

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael, who went forth from the land of Egypt… Moshe wrote their goings for the according to their journeys, according to the bidding of Hashem, and these were the journeys according to their goings forth. (33:1,2)

The Torah attributes much significance to Klal Yisrael’s forty-year journey throughout the wilderness – to the point that it details each one of its forty-two encampments. Apparently, we can derive much from this journey and each one of the stops Bnei Yisrael made. Horav Zakai, a student of Horav Chaim Volozhiner, zl, was a deeply righteous Jew, who had a profound understanding of all areas of Torah – both revealed and unrevealed. Every year, when he would recite the forty-two encampments listed at the beginning of Parashas Masei, he would break down in bitter weeping. When asked for an explanation…

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Home -> Masei -> 5785

אלה שמות האנשים אשר ינחלו לכם את הארץ

Sruly Schnair
In 5785, Masei

These are the names of the men who are to take possession of the Land for you. (34:17)

Each nasi, leader of his respective tribe, took title to a province on behalf of his entire tribe. He would later apportion the land to be distributed among the members of his shevet, tribe. Noticeably, preceding each tribal leader, the word nasi is written, except for the first three the Torah mentions: Yehuda (Calev ben Yefuneh); Shimon (Shmuel ben Amihud); Binyamin (Elidad ben Kislon). Why is the title nasi omitted from their names? Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, zl, explains that all the nesiim achieved distinction as a result of being selected to lead their respective shevet. Their position distinguished them…

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Home -> 5785 -> Pinchas

השיב את חמתי מעל בני ישראל

Sruly Schnair
In Pinchas, 5785

He turned back My wrath from upon Bnei Yisrael. (25:11)

The Gaon, zl, m’Vilna, observes that the word machatzis (ha’shekel, the half-shekel coin which all Jews were obligated to give to the Mishkan) is spelled: mem, ches, tzadik, yud, saf. The middle of the five letters is the tzadik. The two letters closest to the tzadik (on its right and left) are the ches and yud – chai. The two outside letters are the mem and saf, spelling the word, meis. The tzadik is the first letter (rosh teivah) of the word tzedakah, charity. This, explains the Gaon, alludes to the maxim tzedakah tatzeil mimaves, charity saves one from death….

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Home -> 5785 -> Pinchas

לכן אמר הנני נתן לו את בריתי שלום

Sruly Schnair
In Pinchas, 5785

Therefore, say: Behold! I give him my covenant of peace. (25:12)

At times, taking a stand for what is right requires enormous courage. Taking a stand, acting boldly to uphold Divine will, requires that one be an authentic yarei Shomayim, G-d-fearing Jew. Many “talk the talk,” but, when the situation demands that he “walk the walk,” his feet suddenly begin to hurt. Two individuals, (Tzelafchad’s daughters were actually five) Pinchas and Bnos Tzelafchad, went against the prevailing spiritual current, and either took decisive action or spoke up when it was not popular, and Hashem rewarded them. Why did they do it? Because it was the ratzon Hashem, Divine will. Let us…

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Home -> 5785 -> Pinchas

לכן אמור הנני נותן לו את בריתי שלום

Sruly Schnair
In Pinchas, 5785

Therefore, say: “Behold! I give him My covenant of peace.” (25:12)

Pinchas saw an outrageous act of moral turpitude and took decisive action, meting out the ultimate punishment to the two perpetrators. He was rewarded with the Kehunah, Priesthood, the covenant of peace. Upon taking a closer look at the reward, a striking contrast is evident between Pinchas’ response to the sin and the reward that he received. To act zealously, risking one’s life, demands a strong element of the middah, attribute, of gevurah, strength/discipline and strict judgment. The reward of a covenant of peace is reflective of the attribute of chesed, kindness. Why would an act of zealousness be rewarded…

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Home -> 5785 -> Pinchas

והיתה לו ולזרעו אחריו ברית כהונת עולם

Sruly Schnair
In Pinchas, 5785

And it shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal Priesthood. (25:13)

Preceding Pinchas’ act of zealotry, the only anointed Kohanim were Aharon and his sons, with every male child born afterwards immediately entering into the family as a Kohen. Pinchas, however, was already alive at the time that Aharon and his sons (of whom one was Elazar, Pinchas’ father) were designated as Kohanim. Only after Pinchas acted decisively to preserve the honor of the nation, and to glorify Hashem’s Name, Hashem designated him as a Kohen. In an alternative explanation, Hashem promised that all Kohanim Gedolim would descend from Pinchas. The Sefarim HaKedoshim explain that it was for good reason that…

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Home -> 5785 -> Balak

ויגר מואב מפני העם מאד

Sruly Schnair
In Balak, 5785

Moav became very frightened of the people. (22:3)

Were the Moavites really afraid that the Jews would overrun them? Does the Torah not exhort us, “You shall not distress Moav, and you shall not provoke war with them” (Devarim 2:9). Certainly, explains the Chasam Sofer, Moav was acutely aware that the Jews on their own would not harass them and surely not contend militarily with them. What did they fear? It was the Am, “the People” – the eirev rav, mixed multitude, who tagged along with the nation, claiming they wanted to join. It was this same eirev rav that catalyzed the Golden Calf, and it has been…

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Home -> 5785 -> Balak

ויען בלעם... אם יתן לי בלק מלא ביתו כסף וזהב לא אוכל לעבר את פי ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Balak, 5785

And Bilaam answered… “If Balak will give me his household of silver and gold, I cannot transgress the word of Hashem.” (22:18)

Bilaam’s true character came to the fore as he demonstrated his implacable greed. It was all about money and honor. Chazal (Pirkei Avos 5:19) draw the distinction between the disciples of the wicked Bilaam and the disciples of Avraham Avinu. Students invariably attempt to emulate their mentor. Bilaam possessed three base qualities which represented his character; these were the distorted principles upon which he built his flawed life: ayin raah, evil eye, jealousy, begrudging the prosperity which others achieved and personal gain at the  expense of others; Ruach gevohah, haughty spirit, displaying arrogance as self-importance, pride and an ability to…

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