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Home -> 5776 -> Bo

וידעתם כי אני ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bo, 5776

That you may know that I am Hashem. (10:2)

We live in an era which may be characterized as “inexplicable.” When we look around the world and we open our minds to confront reality, it is obvious that Klal Yisrael – both as a nation in general and the individual Jew in particular – is not winning a popularity contest.  Indeed, this is the way it was in Egypt. The Egyptians despised the Jews. Yet, they were not prepared to let us leave their country. “Good riddance” was not enough for them. Their deep-rooted hatred for us and for everything that we represented stoked their desire to keep us…

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Home -> 5776 -> Bo

ולמען תספר באזני בנך ובן בנך את אשר התעללתי במצרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bo, 5776

And so that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt. (10:2)

We celebrate the exodus from Egypt annually on Pesach, when we recall the many miracles which Hashem wrought for us. Veritably, the Exodus was a seminal event, second in importance only to the Giving of the Torah. What happened at that time to our forebears carries weight for us to this very day. After all, had they not been liberated from the Egyptian bondage, where would we be today? Indeed, it makes sense for children to celebrate their parents’ wedding anniversary. Had their parents not wed, the children would never have been born. Therefore, the parents’ wedding celebration is not…

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Home -> 5776 -> Beshalach

וידי משה כבדים ויקחו אבן וישמו תחתיו וישב עליה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5776

Moshe’s hands grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. (17:12)

Moshe Rabbeinu’s hands grew heavy from fatigue. Therefore, Aharon HaKohen and Chur supported his arms. Moshe sat on a stone, rather than on a pillow, because he was not about to sit on a soft pillow while his people were in danger and suffering. The Talmud Brachos 54a enumerates a list of places in which miracles occurred, stating that if one were to see any of these places, he would be required to offer praise to Hashem. One of these places is the stone upon which Moshe sat. The Maharsha wonders why the stone upon which Moshe sat retains such…

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Home -> 5776 -> Beshalach

אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל את השירה הזאת לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5776

Then Moshe and Bnei Yisrael chose to sing this song to Hashem. (15:1)

The Shabbos during which the Shirah is read is unique. Indeed, it is called Shabbos Shirah – the Shabbos of the Song. Horav Yitzchak, zl, m’Varka once asked the Chidushei HaRim why the Shabbos on which we read the Shirah has become Shabbos Shirah, when this phenomenon does not occur on any other Shabbos. We do not refer to the Shabbos on which we read Parashas Yisro (which records Kabbolas HaTorah) as Shabbos Mattan Torah. Likewise, other Shabbosos do not derive their name from the contents of the parsha that we read on that particular week. The Chidushei HaRim replied…

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Home -> 5776 -> Beshalach

ויבואו בני ישראל בתוך הים ביבשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5776

And Bnei Yisrael shall come into the midst of the sea on dry land. (14:16)

The Tosefta Berachos 4:16 teaches that when the Shevatim, Tribes, came to the banks of the Red Sea, they stopped; a discussion ensued concerning which one was not going in first. Each tribe pushed the “honors” of entering the water onto someone else. Finally, Shevet Yehudah took the initiative by rising to the occasion and jumping in. They all followed after him. We wonder why the people refused to enter the water. Am Yisrael is a nation in which mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice for Hashem, is part of their DNA. Throughout the generations, we have never restrained ourselves from a willingness…

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Home -> 5776 -> Beshalach

ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5776

And Bnei Yisrael cried out to Hashem. (14:10)

Rashi cites Yalkut Shimoni who comments: Tafsu umnos Avosam, “They adopted the craft of their Forefathers.” The Avos HaKedoshim, holy Patriarchs, conversed with Hashem through the medium of prayer. Apparently, what was good for the Avos was good for their offspring. Horav Nosson Wachtfogel, zl, derives a powerful lesson from the Yalkut. A craft is one’s trade,his vocation, the medium by which he earns a living. Prayer is our trade, our umnos. One who has a profession must be serious about it, or his work will be for naught. Someone who has studied a trade, mastered a course, and received…

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Home -> 5776 -> Beshalach

ויסב אלקים את העם דרך המדבר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5776

So God turned the people toward the way of the wilderness. (13:18)

The Midrash teaches that this pasuk, which relates that Hashem caused the people to journey in a circuitous (va’yaseiv) manner, is the source for the halachah that requires each Jew – even one who is poverty-stricken – to sit at the Seder table, b’haseibah, reclining. Apparently, the only connection between the halachah and the pasuk is the word va’yaseiv; they are related by the root, sov. The question before us is obvious: What is the relationship between reclining on Pesach and the manner in which the Jewish People traveled from Egypt? Horav Zaidel Epstein, zl, suggests a significant principle to…

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Home -> 5776 -> Bereishis

ויאמר קין גדול עוני מנשוא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bereishis, 5776

Kayin said to Hashem “Is my iniquity too great to be borne.” (4:13)

Kayin committed a grave sin. To take a human life is a heinous act of aggression. Yet, Chazal teach that Kayin did teshuvah, repented, for his terrible crime. What is the meaning of his teshuvah? Can this teshuvah bring back Hevel? Obviously, it is impossible to bring back the deceased. Hevel is gone. He is not coming back – regardless of the sublimity of Kayin’s teshuvah. Murder is different than robbery. A thief can return the money. The murderer has taken a life, which he cannot bring back. Horav Shimon Schwab, zl, explains that, indeed, this is the wonder of…

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Home -> 5776 -> Bereishis

בעצב תלדי בנים... בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bereishis, 5776

In pain shall you bear children… by the sweat of your brow shall you eat your bread. (3:16,19)

Prior to the sin, Chavah conceived and gave birth immediately. She did not have to go through the physical change. After the sin, however, conception was not a given, and the extended pregnancy followed by a painful childbirth became a reality. Likewise, Adam, who, heretofore had his sustenance right before him, would now have to toil to earn a living. The Torah uses a strange word, etzev, to describe the pain associated with childbirth. The word etzev is more closely related to anxiety and depression than to pain. Horav Tuvia Lisitzin, zl, derives from here that when a person is…

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Home -> 5776 -> Bereishis

וירא אלקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bereishis, 5776

And G-d saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good. (1:31)

The Midrash interprets tov, good, meod, very (good), in a novel manner: “And behold it was very good” – tov is a reference to the Malach Ha’Chaim, Angel of life, or life per se. Meod, very (good), is a reference to the Malach Ha’Maves, Angel of death. Clearly, Chazal’s choice of the term “very” good to denote death begs elucidation. How can we understand death as being “very good” when life is only “good”? Horav Eliezer Sorotzkin, zl, posits that herein lies the secret of simchas ha’chaim, joy of life. When a person goes through life acquiescing to whatever Hashem…

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