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Home -> 5784 -> Ki Seitzei

כי תבנה בית חדש ועשית מעקה לגגך

Sruly Schnair
In Ki Seitzei, 5784

If you build a new house, you shall make a fence for your roof. (22:8)

Noting the juxtaposition of the law of maakeh, fence for a roof, upon the previous law of shiluach ha’kein, Rashi comments, “If you fulfilled the mitzvah of sending away the mother bird from the nest, your end will be to (merit to) build a new house and will fulfill the mitzvah of maakeh, for mitzvah goreres mitzvah, a mitzvah engenders another mitzvah after it.” One wonders: Is it possible to live without a house? Obviously not. If so, why does Rashi emphasize that the house is the result of mitzvas shiluach ha’kein, which will now engender the mitzvah of maakeh?…

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Home -> 5784 -> Shoftim

והיתה עמו וקרא בו כל ימי חייו

Sruly Schnair
In Shoftim, 5784

It shall be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life. (17:19)

The Torah enjoins the Melech Yisrael, Jewish King, to write two copies of the Torah for himself: one to keep in his treasury; and the other to keep with him at all times. The imperative that the Torah be a constant part of his life will serve as a reminder that, although he publicly holds an august position, he is a servant of Hashem. As such, he must adhere to all 613 mitzvos in the same manner as every Jew. He should not fall prey to the allure of power, wealth and fame. His position obligates him to take greater…

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Home -> 5784 -> Shoftim

נביא מקרבך מאחיך כמני יקים לך ד' אלקים תשמעון

Sruly Schnair
In Shoftim, 5784

A prophet from your midst, from your brothers, like me, shall Hashem, your G-d, establish for you – to him shall you listen. (18:15)

The Navi is obviously very special, since Hashem has chosen him for this function. How are we to know if he is truly Hashem’s choice? Apparently, the credentials of this tzaddik, righteous person, are impeccable, characterized by positive attributes and virtues to which everyone agrees. Nonetheless, everyone has his personal opinion and his own litmus test. What passes muster for one person does not necessarily pass muster for another. Is there a clear- cut criteria which define a righteous leader? Rashi comments that he must be mumchah hu lach, proven to you, to be a tzaddik gamur, such as Eliyahu…

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Home -> 5784 -> Shoftim

ודברו השוטרים אל העם לאמר מי האיש אשר בנה בית חדש ולא חנכו ... ואמרו מי האיש הירא ורך הלבב ילך וישוב לביתו

Sruly Schnair
In Shoftim, 5784

The officers shall speak to the people saying, “Who is the man who has built a new house and has not inaugurated it? … Who is the man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house.” (20:5,8)

In times of war, individuals may experience distractions that impede their ability to concentrate on the battle before them. While the observant Jew understands that Hashem is the Supreme General and that the war will play itself out in accordance with His will, the soldier must still endeavor to execute his mission and not undermine the battle plan. He must maintain his focus on the dangers ahead. His weakness affects not only him, but all the members of the battalion. The Torah recognizes three types of individuals whose circumstances may cause them to divert their attention from the battlefield. One…

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Home -> 5784 -> Shoftim

כי האדם עץ השדה

Sruly Schnair
In Shoftim, 5784

For man is like a tree of the field. (20:19)

With the above three words, the Torah conveys the notion that a man is to be likened to a tree. From a superficial perspective, a man can be compared to a tree in a number of areas. Trees are known for their strong trunks and deep roots. This provides for – and bespeaks – stability. A person’s character should be firm and grounded, able to withstand the winds of change that could sway him away from Hashem. Second, trees grow and develop. Over time, they branch out far beyond their original appearance. They reach toward the sky and spread outward…

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Home -> 5784 -> Re'eh

השמר לך פן תעזב את הלוי

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5784

Beware for yourself lest you forsake the Levi. (12:19)

Chazal (Chullin 85a) relate that Rav tells us that every day a Divine Voice emerges from Har Chorev and says: “The entire world is sustained by the merit of Chanina ben Dosa, My son, and for Chanina, My son, a kav of carob is sufficient to sustain him for an entire week, from Shabbos to Shabbos.” Rashi comments that this is referring to the holy Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa in whose lifetime this Heavenly Voice emerged. The fact that people were unaware of Rabbi Chanina’s dire poverty is very telling. Imagine, one of the greatest Torah giants of all time…

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Home -> 5784 -> Re'eh

כי עם קדוש אתה

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5784

For you are a holy nation. (14:2)

“Holy nation” is not simply an appellation describing the Jewish People, but, additionally, it is an imperative which obliges us to live in a specific manner. When one is holy, he cannot do what he wants. He has a responsibility, not only to himself and the collective Jewish People, he also has an obligation to Hashem. People are influenced by the actions of others. When one Jew sanctifies Hashem’s Name, it inspires others to follow suit, because kedushah, holiness, is intrinsic. Hashem is the source of holiness, and it is from our connection to Him that we draw kedushah. Every…

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Home -> 5784 -> Re'eh

שבעת ימים תאכל עליו מצות לחם עני כי בחפזון יצאת מארץ מצרים

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5784

For seven days, you shall eat matzos, because of it, the bread of affliction for you departed from the land of Egypt in haste. (16:3)

Is it bread of affliction or bread commemorating the haste in which Bnei Yisrael left Egypt? Veritably, the Jewish People, as slaves to Pharaoh, ate only matzah, which is considered poor man’s bread, because it takes longer to digest and allows the person to feel “satiated” longer. This was their bread of affliction. When they left Egypt, they left in a hurry; thus, their dough could not rise long enough to become bread. Sforno wonders why the Torah gives two reasons for lechem oni. He explains that Hashem took all the afflictions of Bnei Yisrael into consideration, and, as a…

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Home -> 5784 -> Eikev

פסל לך שני לוחות אבנים כראשונים

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5784

Carve for yourself two stone Tablets like the first ones. (10:1)

Hashem instructs Moshe Rabbeinu to replace the two Tablets which he shattered. These Tablets contained the Aseres HaDibros, Ten Commandments. Apparently, the replacement Tablets represented a pivotal moment for the Jewish People, since, when Moshe shattered the first Tablets, Hashem concurred with his decision. This is evinced in the closing pasuk of the Torah, U’l’chol ha’yad ha’chazakah… asher asah Moshe l’einei kol Yisrael, “And by all the strong hand… that Moshe performed before the eyes of all Yisrael” (Devarim 34:12). The yad chazakah, strong hand, is in reference to Moshe’s shattering of the Luchos, to which Hashem responded, Yiyasher kochacha…

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Home -> 5784 -> Eikev

לאהבה את ד' אלקיכם ולעבדו בכל לבבכם

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5784

To love Hashem, your G-d, and to serve Him with all your heart. (11:13)

The mitzvah of ahavas Hashem, loving the Almighty, is recorded in the Torah thirteen times. (Interestingly, the gematria, numerical equivalent, of ahavah, love, is 13. Another word that has such a gematria is echad, one. True love transforms two people into one. When we love Hashem, we abrogate ourselves, thus becoming completely attached to Him.) In the previous parashah, the Torah teaches that this love must extend to: b’chol levavcha, with all your heart; b’chol nafshecha, with all your soul (life); and b’chol me’odecha, with all your material assets. Chazal add their own interpretation to these three expressions of love….

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