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Home -> 5775 -> Shelach

כי לא פרש מה יעשה לו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5775

For it had not been clarified what should be done with him. (15:34)

They knew that one who profanes the Shabbos is put to death. They were just unclear as to the nature and procedure of the execution. In an alternative exposition, the commentators state that actually they were well aware of the type of execution which is meted out to a mechallel Shabbos, one who desecrates Shabbos. Nonetheless, they were uncertain as to what to do with the mekoshesh eitzim, the man who gathered wood on Shabbos. Why? It seems that the mekoshesh’s intentions were noble. He wanted the people to realize the seriousness of Shabbos desecration. They should know that one…

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Home -> 5775 -> Shelach

ואמרו אל יושב הארץ הזאת שמעו כי אתה ד' בקרב העם הזה. ועננך עמד עליהם ובעמוד ענן אתה הלך לפניהם יומם ובעמוד אש לילה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5775

And they will say about the inhabitants of the Land, “They have heard that You, Hashem are in the midst of this people… and that Your cloud stands over them, and that in a pillar of cloud You go before them by day, and in a pillar of fire at night.” (14:14)

The above pasuk underscores Hashem’s overwhelming love for the Jewish People, as perceived by the gentile nations. While it is unquestionably true, their perception of His love is interestingly based on a vision of chesed, kindness, which, albeit impressive, requires elucidation. “You, Hashem, are in the midst of this people”: The nations are impacted by Hashem’s close relationship with us. How do they see this closeness? What unique manifestation of love impacts them most? “That Your cloud stands over them, and that in a pillar of cloud You go before them”: The Ananei HaKavod, Clouds of Glory, protected the Jews…

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Home -> 5775 -> Shelach

ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5775

Moshe called Hoshea bin Nun, Yehoshua. (13:16)

One needs only to open up the Chumash, peruse the words of commentary found in Chazal, and study our turbulent history, to observe that Eretz Yisrael is not only a special land – it is ours – as bequeathed to us by Hashem. The subject should be closed. Nonetheless, throughout the millennia, there have been those who have taken umbrage with this position, laying claim to the Holy Land for which they have no right. We have suffered and have been persecuted to preserve our legacy of ownership… and, we will persevere, if we remember that Hashem gave us the…

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Home -> 5775 -> Shelach

ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5775

Moshe called Hoshea bin Nun Yehoshua. (13:16)

Rashi explains that Moshe Rabbeinu added the letter yud to Hoshea’s name, thereby transforming it to Yehoshua, so that his name would begin with Yud-Kay, the letters of G-d’s Name. The Hebrew name, Yehoshua, means, “G-d will save.” Moshe was praying that Hashem would spare his primary student, Yehoshua, from falling under the mutinous influence of the spies. Chazal give a number of reasons that Moshe singled out Yehoshua over Calev. Surely, it was not favoritism. Moshe was concerned that Yehoshua’s extreme humility would get the better of him and not permit him to stand up to the meraglim. Alternatively,…

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Home -> 5775 -> Shelach

שלח לך אנשים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5775

Send forth men, if you please. (13:2)

The Baal HaTurim makes an interesting observation which gives the reader an opportunity to pause and question. The letters at the end of the three words: shlach, lecha, anashim are ches, chof and mem, which spell the word chacham, wise man. This spurs the Baal HaTurim to say that there was Heavenly instruction concerning the quality of the person Moshe Rabbeinu would select to be among the meraglim, spies. He was to be a chacham, wise man. These men were Nesiim, Princes, of each shevet, tribe. It, thus, makes sense that they were individuals not lacking in wisdom, and they…

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Home -> 5775 -> Re'eh

כי יהיה בך אביון... לא תאמץ את לבבך ולא תקפוץ... כי פתוח תפתח את ידך לו... פתח תפתח את ידך לאחיך ועניך ולאבינך בארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Re'eh, 5775

If there shall be a destitute person among you… you shall not harden your heart or close your hand… rather you shall open your hand to him… you shall open your hand to your brother, to your poor, and to your destitute in your land. (15:7,8,11)

The Gaon, zl, m’Vilna, posits that this pasuk is intimating the proper guidelines one must maintain with regard to giving tzedakah, charity. There is a marked difference between an open hand and one in which he bends over his fingers, thereby partially closing his hand. When the hand is open and the fingers spread out/apart, the difference in physical size between each finger is apparent. When the hand is bent, however, all of the fingers are even; they all look the same. Chazal teach that the mitzvah of tzedakah demands that a person must be reinstated to his original standing….

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Home -> 5775 -> Re'eh

בנים אתם לד' אלקיכם... לא תתגודדו ולא תשימו קרחה בין עניכם למת כי עם קדוש אתה לד' אלקיך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Re'eh, 5775

You are children to Hashem, Your G-d – you shall not cut yourselves and you shall not make a bald spot between your eyes for a dead person. For you are a holy people to Hashem, Your G-d. (14:1,2)

The Torah appears to be giving us a straightforward mandate: do not grieve excessively. When someone dies, his relatives should not mutilate themselves out of grief. As a holy people we do not conduct ourselves in such a manner. Chazal, however, see a different meaning for Lo sisgodedu. The sisgodedu is derived from agudah, group/gathering of people. They interpret Lo sisgodedu as, “Do not form factions.” Hence, we learn that forming factions is prohibited. This plays itself out practically when two batei din, courts of law, are in one town; one rules in accordance with the decisions rendered by Bais…

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Home -> 5775 -> Re'eh

כי יסיתך אחיך... בסתר לאמר נלכה ונעבדה אלהים אחרים... לא תאבה לו ולא תשמע אליו ולא תחוס עינך עליו ולא תחמול ולא תכסה עליו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Re'eh, 5775

If your brother will entice you… secretly saying, “Let us go and worship the gods of others…” You shall not accede to him and not hearken to him; you shall not take pity on him; you shall not be compassionate to him nor conceal him. (13:7,9)

The punishment meted out to the meisis, enticer, is very serious and finds no match in the Torah. The fact that the meisis is treated so badly is a clear indication of the egregious nature of his sin. Five negative commandments concerning how we should act with the meisis are derived from the Torah’s unusual directives concerning our relationship with this evil man: we may neither accede to him, nor hearken to him; we may neither have pity on him; nor show any compassion towards him; we may not conceal him. He has committed a grave sin by attempting to…

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Home -> 5775 -> Re'eh

ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Re'eh, 5775

See, I present before you today, a blessing and a curse. (11:26)

Moshe Rabbeinu does not say a blessing or a curse; rather, he informs Klal Yisrael of the blessing and the curse that he presents before them. Apparently, everything in life – every gift – contains within it both blessing and curse. Let us take Torah for example. Clearly, it is the greatest blessing, without which we could not survive in the spiritually-hostile environment which surrounds us. If, however, a person does not approach the Torah properly, if he does not apply seichal, common sense, to understand what is being asked of him, the Torah becomes his poison. In the Talmud…

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Home -> 5775 -> Re'eh

ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם היום

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Re'eh, 5775

See, I present before you today. (11:26)

The pasuk begins with re’eh, see, which is lashon yachid, singular, as if Moshe Rabbeinu were speaking to an individual person. It concludes, however, lifneichem, before you, which is lashon rabim, plural. Why is there an inconsistency within the pasuk? Apparently, the Torah is according distinction to the individual who is part of the community. All too often, the individual becomes lost within the large scope of a multitude of people. He becomes a number, a blip, a faceless statistic; his name does not matter; who he is carries no weight, since he is assimilated into the group. While it…

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