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Home -> 5775 -> Acharei Mos

שלח ביד איש עתי המדברה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Acharei Mos, 5775

And sent it with a designated man to the wilderness. (16:22)

The man who was appointed by the bais din to lead the he-goat to the wilderness was appointed the day before Yom Kippur. Chazal (Talmud Yoma 663) teach that he was accompanied on this journey by the yakirei Yerushalayim, dear ones, distinguished members of Yerushalayim’s elite, who would drop what they were doing – just to accompany the ish iti on this unique journey. Imagine what these men were relinquishing. They could have remained in the Azarah and been spectators, observing the Kohen Gadol perform the Yom Kippur service. This inspirational experience would have impacted their lives forever. Yet, they…

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Home -> 5776 -> Metzora

ונתתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחזתכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5776

And I will place a tzaraas affliction upon a house in the land of your possession. (14:34)

Chazal teach that, when Klal Yisrael was informed that their homes in Eretz Yisrael would be visited with plagues, it was actually good news. Apparently, when the Emorites who had inhabited the Holy Land heard that the Jews were coming, they hid all of their treasures in the walls of the houses. For forty years, as the Jews sojourned in the wilderness, the Emorites occupied themselves with hiding their gold and silver, lest the Jews find them. Now, when a Jew acts in such a manner that he deserves that a plague be delivered upon his house, it will ultimately…

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Home -> 5776 -> Metzora

כי תבואו אל ארץ כנען אשר אני נותן לכם לאחוזה וננתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחוזתכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5776

When you arrive in the land of Canaan that I give you as a possession, and I will place a tzaraas affliction upon a house. In the land of your possession (14:34)

Rashi teaches us that Moshe Rabbeinu brought good tidings when he informed the people that they would be subject to nigei battim, plagues that would strike their homes. Apparently, when the Emorites heard that the Jews were coming to attack them, they hid their gold, silver and jewelry in the walls of their homes. As a result of the negaim, the homes had to be dismantled, exposing the hidden treasures. To recap, the individual who acted inappropriately was punished with the destruction of his home. As a result of the punishment, he became the lucky winner of a hidden treasure…

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Home -> 5776 -> Metzora

וטבל אותם ואת הצפור החיה בדם הצפור השחוטה... וטהרו ושלח את הצפור החיה על פני השדה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5776

And he shall dip them and the live bird into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered… he shall purify him and he shall set the live bird free upon the open field. (14:6,7)

What else should he do with the live bird? It makes sense that if one bird dies and the other bird lives, the live bird be turned loose to live out its life. Simply, the reason the Torah underscores the freedom of the live bird is that originally it had been designated as a sacrifice. In the end, it worked out that it was not used for this purpose. I might think that once the term korban, sacrifice, has been designated on a bird, it has been spiritually elevated, thus prohibited for mundane use. The Torah is teaching us that,…

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Home -> 5776 -> Metzora

וצוה הכהן ולקח למטהר שתי צפרים חיות טהורות ועץ ארז ושני תולעת ואזוב... ושחט את הצפור האחת אל כלי חרש על מים חיים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5776

The Kohen shall command, and for the person being purified there shall be taken two live, clean birds, cedar wood and crimson wool and hyssop… and the one bird shall be slaughtered into an earthenware vessel over spring water. (14:4, 5)

Horav Nosson Gestetner, zl, observes that the taharas, purification process, of the metzora involves the four yesodos, foundations, types of Creation: domeim, inanimate; tzomeiach, growing vegetation; chai, living creature; medaber, human who has the power of speech. The water and earthenware vessel are domemim, inanimate objects. The cedar wood and hyssop represent the tzomeiach, growing vegetation. The bird and crimson wool dyed from the blood of a worm, correspond to chai, living creatures. The Kohen who performs the purification is the medaber, symbolizes the human speaking creature. The lesson for us is straightforward: one who speaks lashon hora defiles every…

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Home -> 5776 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצורע ביום טהרתו והובא אל הכהן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5776

This shall be the law of the metzora on the day of his purification: He shall be brought to the Kohen. (14:2)

This pasuk is rendered homiletically by the Roshei Besamim, based on a statement made by the Zohar HaKadosh (Parashas Pekudei). The Zohar states that the merit of prayer and study of the individual who prays to Hashem without kavanah, proper intention and devotion, or studies Torah she’lo lishmah, not purely for the sake of learning Torah, hangs in limbo in a specially designated spiritual sphere. The first time that he prays with proper kavanah, or learns for the appropriate purpose of lishmah, this prayer or Torah-study will gather all of those other tefillos which hang in limbo and elevate them…

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Home -> 5776 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצורע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5776

This shall be the law of the Metzora. (14:2)

Imagine working an entire lifetime on a project, building up a company from scratch until it is a global player, only to lose everything due to a simple, foolish error. It would be devastating. The Chovas HaLevavos writes that, when an individual speaks lashon hora against someone – even if the “someone” is evil – the one who speaks forfeits all of his mitzvos, which are, in turn, given to the person against whom he has spoken. The speaker becomes the sorry “beneficiary” of the slandered person. It seems like an unfair trade, but, unfortunately, it is what it is….

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Home -> Masei -> 5776

ואת הערים אשר תתנו ללוים את שש ערי המקלט אשר תתנו לנס שמה הרצח

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5776, Masei

The cities that you shall give to the Leviim: the six cities that you shall provide for a murderer to flee there. (35:6)

Forty-eight cities were set aside for the Leviim. Of these, six cities were specifically for the rotzeach b’shogeg, unintentional murderer. One wonders why men of such spiritual distinction were relegated to live with individuals who had blood on their hands. True, the murders that they committed were unintentional, but there are various levels of lack of intent, some of which border on carelessness. Only Hashem knows the truth. The Leviim led very spiritual lives. Obviously, their families had a different moral and spiritual compass than that which guided the rest of the nation. Is it fair that these fine, upstanding…

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Home -> Matos -> 5776

ויאיר בן מנשה הלך וילכד את חותיהם ויקרא אתהן חוות יאיר. ונבח הלך וילכד את קנת ואת בנתיה ויקרא לה נבח בשמו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5776, Matos

Yair ben Menashe, went and conquered their villages and called them Chavos Yair. Novach went and conquered Kenas and its suburbs, and called it Novach after his own name. (32:41,42)

Yair had no children to carry on his name. Therefore, after conquering the villages, he named them after himself as a memorial. Everyone wants to be remembered. Indeed, after having lived a mortal life replete with many achievements, all that is left are memories – memories of the individual. He is gone, but his memory lives on. It is up to each and every one of us to decide, by the way we act, how we want to be remembered. Sadly, for some, when we wake up to this realization, it is too late. Novach also conquered villages. He, too,…

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Home -> Matos -> 5776

ויקצף משה על פקודי החיל...ויאמר אליהם משה החייתם כל נקבה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5776, Matos

Moshe was angry with the commanders of the army…Moshe said to them, “Did you let every female live?” (31:14,15)

Moshe Rabbeinu was angry with the officers of his army for not following his orders. They spared the Midyanite women, despite their involvement in inciting the orgies which catalyzed the plague that brought death to so many Jews. Upon reading the pesukim, one may question why Moshe’s name is repeated in his rebuke. The Torah said that Moshe became angry. Obviously, he was the one rebuking the officers. Why did the Torah mention his name again? The commentators explain that Moshe did not immediately rebuke them out of anger. He waited a short while until his anger subsided and then…

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