Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

  • Reset

Home -> 5783 -> Naso

והביא האיש את אשתו אל הכהן והביא את קרבנה עליה עשירית האיפה קמח שעורים לא יצוק עליו שמן ולא יתן עליו לבונה

Sruly Schnair
In Naso, 5783

The man shall bring his wife to the Kohen, and he shall bring her offering for her, a tenth-eiphah of barley flour; he shall not pour oil over it and shall not put frankincense upon it. (5:15)

Her husband brings the Minchas Sotah, meal-offering of the wayward wife. It is not a normal offering in the sense that its ingredients are a reminder of her moral transgression. This minchah should invoke within her a confrontation with her profligate past, the activities which brought her here in the first place. All she has to do is confess and correct her ways. In the face of the terrifying fate which will be hers if she refuses to acknowledge her guilt, her obstinacy will be her downfall. Rather than offering a meal-offering consisting of flour, hers is made of barley,…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5783 -> Naso

ישא ד' פניו אליך וישם לך שלום

Sruly Schnair
In Naso, 5783

May Hashem lift His countenance to you and establish peace for you. (6:26)

Simply, this means that Hashem will suppress His disappointment with us when we sin. He will continue to show us special consideration and not punish us. Chazal (Berachos 20b, Bamidbar Rabbah 11:4) question why G-d would show special consideration to Klal Yisrael when they do not deserve it. Indeed, Hashem cannot be bribed, as it says (Devarim 10:17): Asher lo yissa panim v’lo yikach shochad, “Who does not lift a countenance (does not overlook a sin if the sinner is undeserving of favor) and does not accept bribery.” They explain that the Jewish people are worthy of Hashem’s favor and…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5783 -> Naso

... וקרבנו קערת כסף אחת

Sruly Schnair
In Naso, 5783

His offering one silver bowl… (7:13)

The twelve Nesiim brought identical offerings. Yet, the Torah details each Nasi’s korban. This is because each arrived at his formulation independently, and each had a different set of symbolisms for his choice of components. In other words, on the surface, they appeared identical, and, in reality, they all brought the same offerings; however, the underlying motif and symbolism differed from one Nasi to another. Each Nasi’s kavanah, intention for his korban, differed from that of his peer. Horav Shimshon Pincus, zl, derives from here an important lesson concerning one’s avodas hakodesh, service to Hashem. People live within an established…

Continue Reading

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5783

שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל למשפחתם לבית אבתם

Sruly Schnair
In 5783, Bamidbar

Take a census of the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael according to their father’s house. (1:2)

The Zera Shimshon wonders why the Torah traces each Jew’s lineage from his father’s line, rather than from his mother’s. First, a child’s Jewish identity is determined by his mother. (Matrilineal descent is one of the areas which the secular streams have attempted to alter, due to their diminishing numbers.) Second, the women in Egypt were at the center of safeguarding yichus, lineage, of the Jewish People. They refused to be violated by the Egyptians. Indeed, in addressing the familial names of each tribe, the Torah writes, mishpachas ha’Reuveni, mishpachas ha’Shimoni, “the family of Reuven, the family of Shimon” (Ibid….

Continue Reading

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5783

והלוים למטה אבתם לא התפקדו בתוכם ... וידבר ד' אל משה לאמר אך את מטה לוי לא תפקד

Sruly Schnair
In 5783, Bamidbar

The Leviim, according to their father’s tribe, were not counted among them. Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, “You shall not count the tribe of Levi.” (1:47,48,49)

Apparently, Moshe Rabbeinu did not count the Leviim even before Hashem instructed him to exclude them from the census. Ramban and Sforno rationalize Moshe’s decision. Every shevet, tribe, had a Nasi, leader, who represented the tribe. Shevet Levi did not, because Hashem did not tell Moshe to appoint one. As a result, Moshe deduced that Hashem had other plans for the tribe of Levi. While this is all well and good, we wonder why Hashem did not preempt Moshe’s decision by telling him up front that Shevet Levi was not to be counted. Horav Mordechai Gifter, zl, explains this with…

Continue Reading

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5783

משפחת בני קהת יחנו על המשכן תימנה

Sruly Schnair
In 5783, Bamidbar

The families of the children of Kehas would encamp on the side of the Mishkan to the south. (3:29)

Rashi explains that specifically concerning Bnei Kehas, the Torah underscores that they were to the south side of the Mishkan, indicating that a special significance was attributed to the southern campsite of Bnei Kehas. He quotes Chazal (Succos 56b) that posit, Oy l’rasha v’oy lishcheinav. The tribe of Reuven encamped on the south next to Kehas, rendering Reuven vulnerable to the negative influence of Korach who descended from Kehas. As a result, the sons of Reuven, Dasan and Aviram, followed by the 250 heads of the Sanhedrin, joined the Korach controversy, which ultimately led to their untimely deaths. Rashi’s lashon,…

Continue Reading

Home -> Behar -> 5783

ולא תונו איש את עמיתו

Sruly Schnair
In 5783, Behar

Each of you shall not wrong his fellow Jew. (25:17)

The Chafetz Chaim observes the famous maxim: The world thinks that the fool is a fool only with regard to other people’s interests. However, Ven es kumpt tzu zich, “When it involves himself, his own interests, he suddenly becomes quite clever.” Conversely, when it comes to one’s personal vested interests, the otherwise clever man may act foolishly. When one allows his petty prejudices and self-serving opinions to drive his actions and control his life – he is a fool. The sage expounds on our pasuk, noting the added word, V’lo sonu Ish es amiso: The word es is extra. He…

Continue Reading

Home -> Behar -> 5783

וחי אחיך עמך

Sruly Schnair
In 5783, Behar

And let your brother live with you. (25:36)

With regard to the above, Chazal (Bava Metzia 62a) quote a debate between Bar Petora and Rabbi Akiva. Two men are traveling in the desert. It is hot, and they are thirsty. The problem is: They have only one water canteen. If one of them drinks the water, he will live, but his friend will die. If both drink the water, they will both die. Bar Petora says that it is better for both to drink and take their chances that a miracle might occur, than one drink and watch his friend die. Rabbi Akiva disputed this ruling, citing the…

Continue Reading

Home -> Bechukosai -> 5783

ונסתם ואין רדף אתכם

Sruly Schnair
In 5783, Bechukosai

You will flee, though none chase after you. (26:17)

Fear of an unknown enemy (or demons, in today’s vernacular) is a terrible curse. It is a miserable way to live. To be beset by imagined fears and phobias takes a toll on a person. His life comes to a halt, his cognitive lucidity off balance, because he is afraid to do anything out of fear of consequences. The systems upon which a person’s basic needs are built are interrupted, often taking down the “victim” and those who have the misfortune to be in his proximity. A modern-day term for describing fear of an unknown enemy which one has convinced…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5783 -> Emor

שור או כשב או עז כי יולד והיה שבעה ימים תחת אמו... ושור או שה... אותו ואת בנו לא תשחטו ביום אחד... וכי תזבחו זבח תודה לד' לרצונכם תזבחו... ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל

Sruly Schnair
In Emor, 5783

An ox, lamb or goat, when it is born shall be with its mother for seven days… (22:27) But an ox or a sheep… you may not slaughter and its offspring on the same day… (22:28) When you slaughter a feast thanksgiving offering to Hashem, you shall slaughter it to gain favor for yourselves. (22:29) You shall not desecrate My Holy Name, rather I shall be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael. (22:32)

Four pesukim in sequence: the first three address korbanos, offerings; the fourth pasuk addresses chillul and kiddush Hashem, profaning and sanctifying Hashem’s Name. Clearly, the Torah’s arrangement of pesukim is not haphazard. Every pasuk, every letter, every crown, is in its specific place by Heavenly design. What is the rationale behind the positioning of these four pesukim? Horav Shimon Schwab, zl (Rav Schwab on Chumash), examines the common denominator in these pesukim. It is about life and living. First, the Torah teaches us that not just any animal, regardless of age, may be sacrificed. It must be, at minimum, eight…

Continue Reading

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

You have Successfully Subscribed!