Peninim on the Torah

Moshe said to Hashem, “…I am not a man of words…for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of speech.” (4:10)

Rashi teaches us that for seven days Hashem spoke to Moshe, attempting to convince him to go to Egypt and instruct Pharaoh to permit the Jews to leave his country. Seven days is a long time, especially when Hashem is talking. Moshe refused; he felt he was not worthy, because he had a speech impediment. How could he speak to Pharaoh if he had difficulty communicating orally? Moshe Rabbeinu used this excuse for seven days until Hashem finally became angry with him. Hashem said, “I will be with you, so you have nothing to worry about.” Yet, Moshe did not want…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Shemos

“Stretch out your hand and grasp its tail.” (4:4)

Hashem prepared Moshe Rabbeinu with signs/miracles to demonstrate to Pharaoh His powers. He was to take the Mateh Elokim, holy staff – given to him by Hashem – and throw it before Pharaoh, and it would become a serpent. He was then instructed to grab the serpent’s tail, and it would turn back into the Mateh. We wonder why Hashem insisted that Moshe grasp the serpent by its tail? Does the tail have significance? The Kli Yakar views the entire miracle as a simile, a lesson about Klal Yisrael. The signs that Hashem chose were certainly by design. Each one had…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Shemos

“And now, go and I shall dispatch you to Pharaoh and you shall take My people, the Bnei Yisrael, out of Egypt.” (3:10)

Hashem assures Moshe of success despite the odds, the apparent hopelessness of one man triumphing over the strongest power in the world. That is mesiras nefesh, dedication to the point of self-sacrifice, for Klal Yisrael. One endeavors whatever he can on behalf of his people who are incarcerated. The Skulener Rebbe, Horav Elazar Zushe Portugal, z.l., was like that. Nothing stood in his way in his mission to rescue Jews who were in need. He was in Chernowitz, which was under Soviet dominion, in order to assist Soviet Jews who had smuggled themselves across the border in to Romania. Furthermore,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Shemos

“And he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man…He turned this way and that and saw that there was no man…He went out the next day and behold! two Hebrew men were fighting…and he thought, ‘Indeed, the matter is known.’” (2:11-14)

Horav Azariah Figu, z.l., says that Moshe Rabbeinu’s first impression of his Jewish brethren worried him. He went out and saw an Egyptian beating a Jew. His first reaction was to look around to see if there were any other Jews around to help. He was shocked to see that ein ish, “there was no man.” There were Jews, but they did not seem to want to become involved – or perhaps they did not care. Moshe could not believe this sense of indifference to the plight of another Jew. He attributed their lack of involvement to the fact that Jews…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Shemos

“She opened it, and saw him, the child, and behold! A youth was crying… ‘This is one of the Hebrew boys.’” (2:6)

A child, a youth: is it a child or a youth? Chazal ask this question in the Talmud Sotah 12b. The Torah calls him a yeled, child, and it also calls him a naar, youth. Which is it? He is a child, but his voice is that of a youth. Chazal seem to imply that Moshe Rabbeinu’s voice had the maturity of that of a young boy. We wonder at the Torah’s expression, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.” Why could the Torah not have simply said, “This is a Hebrew boy.” Why does it say, “one of the Hebrew boys”?…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Vayechi

“Yissachar is a strong-boned donkey.” (49:14)

It is interesting how Yaakov Avinu compares his sons to various animals. Yehudah, the strong son, the leader who would one day be the monarch, is compared to a lion. Naftali is compared to a hind, because of his exceptional speed. Yaakov took a specific character trait, which the individual tribe exemplified, and compared that to an animal in which the trait was also significant. What is difficult to grasp is Yissachar’s comparison to a strong-boned donkey. This is the tribe that exemplified Torah study at its zenith. The donkey is among the lowliest in the animal world. What is the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Vayechi

“Water-like impetuosity – you cannot be foremost.” (49:4)

Yaakov Avinu addresses his bechor, firstborn, Reuven, as kochi v’reishis oni, “my strength and initial vigor,” his hope, the one who should have been the leader of the brothers, but who lost it due to his impetuosity. He was the most precious gem in the family treasury, but he was not qualified for the leadership of the family. He was missing the ingredients which are requisite for a leader. Horav S.R. Hirsch, z.l., notes that the word pachaz, which has been translated as impetuous, is found in Sefer Shoftim 9:4, Anashim reikim u’pochazim, a reference to men who possess a shortcoming…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Vayechi

And he [Yaakov] said, “Gather yourselves together and I will tell you that which will befall you in the end of the days.” (49:1)

Rashi tells us that Yaakov Avinu wanted to reveal to his children the time of the Final Redemption, but the Divine Spirit suddenly left him. Why did Hashem remove His spirit from Yaakov? While it may be true that Hashem had no desire that the time of the Geulah Ha’asidah, Final Redemption, be revealed, this is no reason to remove His spirit from him. He could have simply not disclosed this date to Yaakov. Why did He remove his prophetic powers? The Radomsker Rebbe, z.l., gives a profound explanation for Rashi’s statement. He says that actually Hashem did not revoke Yaakov’s…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Vayigash

Then Yisrael said to Yosef, “Now I can die, after my having seen your face, because you are still alive.” (46:30)

With these words ends the saga of Yosef’s “disappearance” from home. After many years of bitter longing, Yaakov Avinu was finally able to once again embrace his son. We read about it, but unless one has undergone the travail of almost losing a child and then finding him alive and well, it is difficult to fully grasp the overwhelming joy that both Yaakov and Yosef experienced. Baruch Hashem, this experience is something that is a rarity. There was a time, not so long ago, during World War II, when families were separated, when children were torn away from their parents, when…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Vayigash

“Then Yisrael journeyed forth with all that he had…and (he) offered sacrifices to the G-d of his father Yitzchak.” (46:1)

Yaakov Avinu arrived in Be’er Sheva, a city glorified by the memory of his fathers. There he offered zevachim, sacrifices. He was in the happiest frame of mind that he had attained in his entire life. It was here at this zenith in his life, with his troubles and struggles behind him, that he felt capable of offering a Korban Shelamim, Peace- Offering. Horav S.R. Hirsch, z.l., notes that this is the first time that any of the Avos, Patriarchs, offered a korban other than a Korban Olah, Burnt- Offering. He explains that a Korban Olah expresses complete submission to Hashem….

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Moshe said to Hashem, “…I am not a man of words…for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of speech.” (4:10)

“Stretch out your hand and grasp its tail.” (4:4)

“And now, go and I shall dispatch you to Pharaoh and you shall take My people, the Bnei Yisrael, out of Egypt.” (3:10)

“And he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man…He turned this way and that and saw that there was no man…He went out the next day and behold! two Hebrew men were fighting…and he thought, ‘Indeed, the matter is known.’” (2:11-14)

“She opened it, and saw him, the child, and behold! A youth was crying… ‘This is one of the Hebrew boys.’” (2:6)

“Yissachar is a strong-boned donkey.” (49:14)

“Water-like impetuosity – you cannot be foremost.” (49:4)

And he [Yaakov] said, “Gather yourselves together and I will tell you that which will befall you in the end of the days.” (49:1)

Then Yisrael said to Yosef, “Now I can die, after my having seen your face, because you are still alive.” (46:30)

“Then Yisrael journeyed forth with all that he had…and (he) offered sacrifices to the G-d of his father Yitzchak.” (46:1)

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