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Home -> 5776 -> Balak

וירא בלק בן צפור את אשר עשה ישראל לאמורי... ובלק בן צפור מלך למואב בעת ההיא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Balak, 5776

Balak ben Tzipor saw all that Yisrael had done to the Emori… Balak ben Tzipor was King of Moav at the time. (22:2,4)

The sequence of the pasuk is enigmatic. Why does the Torah mention Balak’s position as King of Moav only after relating what he saw concerning the Jewish People’s destruction of the Emori? Would it not be more realistic to state, that “Balak, King of Moav, saw all that Yisrael had done to the Emori”? The Alter, zl, m’Kelm, explains that the answer to our question lies in the words, “Balak ben Tzipor was King of Moav”. Why was he appointed king? It is not as if his lineage warranted his succession to the throne. Balak was a nobody. Yet, he…

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Home -> 5776 -> Acharei Mos

דם יחשב לאיש ההוא דם שפך ונכרת האיש ההוא מקרב עמו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Acharei Mos, 5776

It shall be considered as bloodshed for that man, he has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from the midst of his people. (17:4)

After Noach saved the animals during the Flood, Hashem permitted man to partake of animals for food. If a man slaughters a consecrated animal outside of the Bais Hamikdash, the process is referred to as shchutei chutz, slaughtering “outside”. This act of slaughtering reverts to pre-Noach days and is deemed tantamount to committing bloodshed. There is no death penalty, because the individual did not take a human life; on a cosmic level, however, he did spill blood – which is an offense punishable by Heaven. Horav Ezra Barzal, zl, quotes Rashi who compares this spilling of blood to human killing….

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Home -> 5776 -> Acharei Mos

וסמך אהרן את שתי ידו על ראש השעיר החי והתודה עליו... ושלח ביד איש עתי המדברה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Acharei Mos, 5776

Aharon shall lean his two hands upon the head of the living he-goat, and confess upon it… and send it with a designated man to the desert. (16:21)

The ish iti, designated man, who accompanied the seh l’azazel, he-goat, to the desert did not go alone. In fact, Chazal teach (Yoma 66b) Mi’yakirei Yerushalayim hayu melavin oso ad succah ha’rishonah, “Some of the eminent men of Yerushalayim would accompany him to the first booth”. There were altogether ten booths from Yerushalayim to the cliff where the seh l’azazel met its death. The first booth was two thousand amos, cubits, from the city, which is the techum Shabbos, the distance one may walk on Shabbos beyond the city limits. Horav Mordechai Leib Saks, zl, makes a noteworthy observation. Let…

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Home -> 5776 -> Acharei Mos

כי בענן אראה על הכפרת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Acharei Mos, 5776

For in a Cloud I will appear upon the Ark-cover. (16:2)

The Aron HaKodesh was situated within the confines of the Kodesh HaKodoshim, Holy of Holies, a place where only the Kohen Gadol could enter on the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur. Otherwise, it was off limits, even to the Kohen Gadol. Ki be’anan eiraeh, “For in a cloud will I appear”: Simply, this means that no one may enter the inner sanctuary because Hashem’s Glory is manifested in the Cloud of Glory that hovers over the Ark. Entering such a place should inspire one with extraordinary fear and awe, for he stands in the Presence of the Divine….

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Home -> 5776 -> Acharei Mos

ואל יבא בכל עת אל הקדש

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Acharei Mos, 5776

He shall not enter at all times into the sanctuary. (16:2)

The only time that the Kohen Gadol was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies was on Yom Kippur – the holiest day of the year – the day set aside for spiritual atonement. Our parsha begins with the mention of the deaths of the two righteous sons of Aharon HaKohen and follows with the laws concerning the Yom Kippur service in the Temple. Chazal derive from this juxtaposition that the deaths of the righteous have an atoning effect similar to that of Yom Kippur. Likewise, we find a similar statement made by Chazal, noting that the mention of the…

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Home -> 5776 -> Acharei Mos

ואל יבא בכל עת אל הקדש

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Acharei Mos, 5776

He shall not come at all times into the sanctuary. (16:2)

The parsha begins by reiterating the tragic deaths of Aharon HaKohen’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu; then it continues with its explanation of the Yom Kippur service. Yom Kippur was the only day of the year that the Kohen Gadol was permitted to enter the Kodesh HaKodoshim, Holy of Holies. Chazal point out that two instances of misas tzaddikim, deaths of the righteous, are juxtaposed on issues that deal with kapparah, atonement: Parah Adumah and Yom Kippur. The death of Miriam HaNeviyah is juxtaposed upon the laws of Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer; and the laws of Yom Kippur are…

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Home -> 5777 -> Yisro

משה ידבר והאלקים יעננו בקול

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Yisro, 5777

Moshe would speak, and G-d would respond to him with a voice. (19:19)

The pasuk refers to the Giving of the Aseres HaDibros, Ten Commandments. The people heard the first two Dibros from Hashem. The next eight were transmitted by Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu, who would then repeat them to Klal Yisrael. Millions of people were gathered there. How could Moshe’s voice possibly extend to everyone? How could such a multitude hear his voice? Rashi explains that Moshe spoke and, in order to make it possible for his voice to be heard, Hashem responded by granting him a (loud) voice. Hashem magnified Moshe’s voice. The Yalkut Shimoni (Shmuel 162) asks: We are taught…

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Home -> 5777 -> Yisro

ואשא אתכם על כנפי נשרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Yisro, 5777

And (how) I carried you on wings of eagles. (19:4)

It is nothing short of amazing to observe how someone who had been introduced to Torah late in his life is able to grasp its profundities and, in almost no time, to grow in Torah to the point that it is almost difficult to believe that he had not been learning all of his life. How does this occur? Horav Simchah Wasserman, zl, attributes this transformation to being carried “on the wings of eagles.” Hashem sees a Jew who is sincere about his learning, who wants to grow in Torah, and He raises him up, so to speak, on the…

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Home -> 5777 -> Yisro

כה תאמר לבית יעקב ותגיד לבני ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Yisro, 5777

So shall you say to Bais Yaakov. (19:3)

Moshe Rabbeinu was commanded to give precedence to the women when he delivered Hashem’s mandate to the nation. Rabbeinu Bachya explains that a “good” woman has the power to inspire her son to study Torah with zest and vigor. She creates the excitement, the passion, the inherent joy. This is why I used the word “good” to describe what every Jewish mother should be. It is only if she personally feels a strong affinity for Torah that she can imbue her son (and daughter) with such emotion. The love of Torah should resonate with her son, thus encouraging a long,…

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Home -> 5777 -> Yisro

כה תאמר לבית יעקב ותגיד לבני ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Yisro, 5777

So shall you say to Bais Yaakov and relate to Bnei Yisrael. (19:3)

Chazal (Mechilta) teaches that amirah/somar/say implies a mild form of speech, while hagadah/sagid/speak/relate, implies firmness or even harshness of speech. When Moshe Rabbeinu spoke with the women (Bais Yaakov), he expressed the commandments in a manner that was compatible with their compassionate, maternal nature. When speaking with the men (Bnei Yisrael), the tone changed, because the mitzvos had to be transmitted to them with firmness. While this may be true, it is surprising that pasuk 6 concludes with the following words, “These are the words that you shall speak (tidaber) to Bnei Yisrael.” Rashi adds – lo pachos v’lo yoseir…

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