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Home -> 5777 -> Vaeira

ולא שמעו אל משה מקוצר רוח ומעבודה קשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Vaeira, 5777

They did not heed Moshe, because of shortness of breath and hard work. (6:9)

Shortness of breath, lack of spirit, and backbreaking work devastates a person, so that he does not respond favorably to assurances that he will achieve salvation. When a person is wasted, it is difficult to get him to listen – regardless of the positive nature of the message. The lack of spirit and hard work seem out of sequence relative to one another. One loses spirit as a result of overwork – not the other way around. Why does the Torah precede hard work with a lack of spirit? Perhaps spirit refers to spirituality. When a person is connected to…

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Home -> 5777 -> Vaeira

ולא שמעו אל משה מקוצר רוח ומעבודה קשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Vaeira, 5777

But they did not heed Moshe, because of shortness of breath and hard work. (6:9)

Imagine that a person is afflicted, persecuted, the victim of a vicious and cruel despot who has enslaved him for years. One would think that if someone would come along and tell him that it will soon be over– he will be able to leave — he would jump for joy and begin counting the minutes until the cuffs would be off and he could finally say good-bye to his life of misery. Yet, we see here that, when Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen told Klal Yisrael that it was finally all over, they paid no attention to them. They…

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Home -> 5777 -> Vaeira

ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Vaeira, 5777

And I will take you to Myself as a people. (6:7)

The destiny and concomitant exclusivity of Klal Yisrael are described in these few words. Hashem took us to Him as a nation via the medium of the Torah, which we accepted. Horav S. R. Hirsch, zl, observes that people have thoughtlessly grouped the Jewish religion together with the religions of the other nations of the world, when, in fact, our religion encompasses many elements beyond those commonly regarded to be integral to religion. The above verse – Li l’am, “To Myself as a People,” clearly delineates that Judaism as established by Hashem is, indeed, not a religion at all; rather,…

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Home -> 5777 -> Toldos

ויאמר אליו הנה משמני הארץ יהיה מושבך ומטל השמים מעל ויתן לך האלקים מטל השמים ומשמני הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Toldos, 5777

And may G-d give you of the dew of the heavens and of the fatness of the earth. (27:28) – Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling and of the dew of the heaven above. (27:39)

Two blessings: Yaakov Avinu received the first one from his father, Yitzchak Avinu. Eisav received the second blessing after he discovered that Yaakov had preceded him in blessing. At face value, both blessings are material in nature and quite similar. Both sons were promised blessings from the fat of the land and dew from the Heavens above. Chazal, however, detect what appears on the surface to be a stylistic difference in the syntax of the pasuk. Being that verse (28) begins the text of the blessing, which is a new topic, the conjunction vov – v’yitein, and (may G-d) give,…

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Home -> 5777 -> Toldos

ויאמר יעקב אל אביו אנכי עשו בכורך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Toldos, 5777

Yaakov said to his father, “It is I, Eisav your firstborn.” (27: 19)

If one studies Chumash only on a cursory level, merely translating the pesukim, he will leave in a state of ambiguity when confronting the lives of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs. This is especially true upon studying the life of Yitzchak Avinu and his relationship with his twins – Yaakov and Eisav. On the one hand, we are taught that Yitzchak was the olah temimah, perfect sacrifice, the individual who most represented total selflessness to Hashem, the Patriarch who is singular in Fear of Heaven. On the other hand, we find this same holy Patriarch falling for Eisav’s ruse. Did he…

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Home -> 5777 -> Toldos

ויהי כי זקן יצחק ותכהין עיניו מראות

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Toldos, 5777

And it was when Yitzchak became old, and his eyes dimmed from seeing. (27:1)

Rashi explains that Yitzchak Avinu’s premature vision loss was due to the smoke that Eisav’s wives raised when they burned incense for their idols. Alternatively, when he was bound upon the Altar of the Akeidah, as Avraham Avinu was about to slaughter him, the Heavens opened up and the Ministering Angels saw what was happening to him. They began to cry, their tears descending and falling on Yitzchak’s eyes, causing them to dim later in life. In his hesped, eulogy, for his son, who had died an untimely death, Horav Shmuel Birnbaum, zl, asked why was it necessary for the…

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Home -> 5777 -> Toldos

ויאהב יצחק את עשו כי ציד בפיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Toldos, 5777

Yitzchak love Eisav because game was in his mouth. (25:28)

Horav Chaim, zl, m’Chernowitz, author of the Be’er Mayim Chaim, had a son who had gone off the derech. Nonetheless, Rav Chaim did not turn his back on him, treating him in the same loving manner that he manifest towards his other children. He would say, “I ask of Hashem that He act towards his sons in the same manner that I act towards mine. Thus, when Jews sin and are deserving of censure, Hashem will have mercy on them.” Horav Meir, zl, m’Premishlan was a disciple of Rav Chaim and acutely aware of his revered Rebbe’s love for his…

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Home -> 5777 -> Toldos

ויאהב יצחק את עשו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Toldos, 5777

Yitzchak loved Eisav. (25:28)

Yitzchak Avinu loved his son, Eisav, despite his nefarious ways. The Satmar Rav, zl, once commented about this. It happened that a student in Yeshivah Torah V’Yirah of Satmar/Williamsburg went off the derech, left the fold. Everyone in the yeshivah was devastated by this tragedy – especially the Rav. One of the rabbanim connected with the yeshivah suggested to the Rav that the reason that this tragedy occurred (in Satmar) might be the size of the yeshivah. The institution was bursting at the seams, and it was no longer possible for each rebbe to give individual attention to every student….

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Home -> 5777 -> Toldos

ויצא הראשון אדמוני... ויקראו שמו עשו. ואחרי כן יצא אחיו וידו אחזת בעקב עשו ויקרא שמו יעקב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Toldos, 5777

The first one emerged red… so they named him Eisav. After that, his brother emerged with his hand grasping onto the heel of Eisav so he called his name Yaakov. (25: 25, 26)

Is there an end to the misery that has been inflicted upon us by the descendants of Eisav? While it appears that in the present era our primary national adversity comes from the minions of Yishmael, we may never forget the terror and persecution that have been orchestrated against us throughout history by Eisav’s children, particularly those who maintain the strong tendencies of Amalek. Horav Yaakov Moshe Charlap, zl, observes that, even when Eisav (or his descendants) exhibit themselves as being “first” and stronger, Yaakov still grasps his heel. This implies that Eisav’s rule has limits. Yaakov will hold on…

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Home -> 5777 -> Tetzaveh

לקח פר אחד בן בקר ואילים שנים תמימים טחם מצות

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Tetzaveh, 5777

Take one young bull and two rams, unblemished, with unleavened breads. (29:1)

There are good people, and there are people who perform good deeds. A good person is consistent in his acts of goodness. He does not take a vacation from performing good deeds. It is part of his DNA. His counterpart might have a “good” day during which he acts appropriately. For him “good” just happens upon occasion. It is not a way of life. Having said this, we will segue into the commentary of the Baalei Tosfos to the above pasuk. “The par, ox, was sacrificed in the merit of Avraham Avinu, regarding about whom it is written, v’el habakar…

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