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Home -> 5782 -> Shoftim

מקרב אחיך תשים עליך מלך לא תוכל לתת עליך איש נכרי אשר לא אחיך הוא

Sruly Schnair
In Shoftim, 5782

From among your brethren shall you set a king over yourself, you cannot place over yourself a foreign man who is not your brother. (17:15)

The Sefer HaChinuch writes that we may not establish one who is not m’zera Yisrael (having the blood DNA of the seed of Yisrael) over us as a king.  This applies even if the person is a ger tzedek, righteous convert.  The shoresh ha’mitzvah, root of the mitzvah, is due to the fact that zera Yisrael are rachmanim, merciful.  It is critical that he show mercy to all Jews and not impose upon them a heavy yoke which they are unable to bear.  He should love truth, justice and righteousness, which are qualities that descendants of Avraham Avinu possess.  The…

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Home -> 5782 -> Re'eh

אחרי ד' אלקיכם תלכו

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5782

Hashem, your G-d, shall you follow. (13:5)

When the Chafetz Chaim, zl, met the Gerrer Rebbe, zl (Imrei Emes), at the first Knessiah Gedolah, he asked him about what appeared to be an inconsistency in Rashi’s commentary concerning the definition of the word acharei.  In the above pasuk, Rashi does not view acharei as having any “geographical” impact, while, in 11:30, Acharei derech ma’vo ha’shemesh.” “Far, in the direction of the sunset,” Rashi explains the pasuk does have geographical impact: “Wherever acharei is used, it is muflag, it implies a considerable distance in time and space.”  The Chafetz Chaim asked, “According to Rashi’s explanation, how are we…

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Home -> 5782 -> Re'eh

כי יהיה בך ... כי פתח תפתח את ידך לו והעבט תעביתנו ד' מחסרו אשר יחסר לו

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5782

If there shall be a destitute person among you… You shall surely open your hand and lend him money, as much as he needs, whatever he is lacking. (15:7,8)

“Whatever he is lacking” is a tall order.  In other words, someone who has been quite wealthy and lives a far from frugal lifestyle is suddenly confronted with a reversal of his fortunes.  Instead of being on top of the mountain, he is suddenly thrust down to the cellar, with no support.  Rather than give him sufficient funds in order to make ends meet and live a lower or middle-class lifestyle, the Torah instructs us to provide for him, “whatever he is lacking.” Should we have the ability, we would be obligated to provide this formerly affluent man with the…

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Home -> 5782 -> Re'eh

שמור את חדש האביב ועשית פסח ... ועשית חג שבועות לד' אלקיך ... ושמחת לפני ד' ... חג הסוכות תעשה לך שבעת ימים ... ושמחת בחגך ... והיתה אך שמח

Sruly Schnair
In Re'eh, 5782

You shall observe the month of springtime and perform the Pesach offering … You shall count seven weeks for yourself … You shall rejoice before Hashem… You shall make the festival of Succos for a seven-day period … You shall rejoice on your festival … And you will be completely joyous. (16:1,10,11,13,14,15)

The Baal HaTurim notes that with regard to the Yom Tov of Pesach, the Torah does not mention the mitzvah of simchah, joy.  Concerning Shavuos, the Torah mentions simchah once, while regarding Succos, the Torah mentions it twice.  He explains that, on Pesach, the crops are still growing in the field. Nothing has been harvested.  Understandably, the farmer is (the Jews lived an agrarian lifestyle) nervous, hoping that he will be blessed with a good yield.  Until that takes place, however, he is a bundle of nerves.  The Torah does not compel him to rejoice.  We have a mitzvah of…

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Home -> 5782 -> Eikev

שמלתך לא בלתה מעליך ורגלך לא בצקה זה ארבעים שנה

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5782

Your garment did not wear out upon you, and your feet did not swell – these forty years. (8:4)

We take so much for granted, either because we do not think or because we think that we are entitled.  We could be in the midst of receiving an incredible act of generosity, a miracle of epic proportion, and allow it to just go over our heads as if it had never taken place.  Moshe Rabbeinu reminds Klal Yisrael to look at their clothing.  The mere fact that their clothing remained spotlessly clean and as new as the day when they had first received it is, in and of itself, an indicator of Hashem’s Presence within their camp.  Furthermore, as…

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Home -> 5782 -> Eikev

ועתה ישראל מה ד' אלקיך שאל מעמך כי אם ליראה את ד' אלקיך

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5782

Now, O Yisrael, what does Hashem, your G-d, ask of you? Only to fear Hashem, your G-d. (10:12)

Chazal (Berachos 32B) derive from this pasuk (in which Hashem asks us to fear Him) that everything is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven.  Everything in a person’s nature and circumstance in life — such as his height, complexion, financial success and his intelligence — are in Hashem’s hands.  Whether or not one is G-d-fearing (and, by extension, all aspects of spiritual growth), however, is man’s decision.  It is not forced upon him.  Fear of Hashem is part of man’s free-will.  The Talmud asks: Is fear of Heaven a small thing?  They respond that, yes, for…

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Home -> 5782 -> Eikev

ולמדתם אתם את בניכם לדבר בם

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5782

And you shall teach them to your children (so that they will) discuss them. (11:19)

The above pasuk, which is included in the second parsha (paragraph) of Shema, appears to reiterate what was stated earlier (first paragraph): V’sheenantam l’vanecha v’dibarta bam, “And you shall instruct your children about them and you shall discuss them” (Devarim 6:7).  On the surface, the second pasuk does not seem to contain any supplement.  Ramban explains that in the first pasuk (V’sheenantam l’vanecha), the focus is on v’dibarta; you shall speak.  Your speech at home, in the presence of family, should be in Torah.  In the second pasuk, the emphasis is on l’dabeir bam, they, the children shall speak to…

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Home -> 5782 -> Eikev

למען ירבו ימיכם וימי בניכם על האדמה אשר נשבע ד' לאבתיכם לתת להם

Sruly Schnair
In Eikev, 5782

In order to prolong your days and the days of your children upon the ground that Hashem has sworn to your ancestors to give to them. (11:21)

A fascinating dialogue in the Talmud (Berachos 8A) should inspire our attitude toward the Bais Haknesses, shul, that we frequent.  Rabbi Yochanan lived to an unusually advanced age.  Rabbi Yochanan heard that elderly Jews lived in Bavel.  This caused him to wonder, “It is written, ‘In order to prolong your days and the days of your children upon the ground that Hashem has sworn to your ancestors to give to them.’ (This means Eretz Yisrael.  In other words, the blessing of longevity is tied in with living in the Holy Land.)” Once they informed him, however, that the elders are…

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Home -> Devarim -> 5782

איכה אשא לבדי טרחכם ומשאכם וריבכם

Sruly Schnair
In 5782, Devarim

How can I alone carry your contentiousness, your burdens, and your quarrels? (1:12)

Moshe Rabbeinu laments the nation’s behavior.  In describing his leadership, he uses the word, essa, carry. This teaches that a leader leads by carrying his flock on his shoulders.  They are not a separate entity removed from him, following him wherever he leads them.  The leader carries them upon his shoulders.  They go where he goes, because he is taking them.  Sometimes, the “weight” becomes too heavy.  Carrying one on his shoulder is a metaphor for accepting responsibility.  A leader does not dole out the blame for something gone wrong on others.  The leader steps up to the plate and…

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Home -> Devarim -> 5782

איכה אשא לבדי טרחכם ומשאכם וריבכם

Sruly Schnair
In 5782, Devarim

How can I carry alone your contentiousness, your burdens, and your quarrels? (1:12)

Rashi derives from the word masaachem, your burdens, that the people were apikorsim, heretics.  They were skeptics who did not believe in their leaders.  Thus, they questioned the motives of everything that Moshe Rabbeinu did.  If he left his home early, they asserted that there was trouble at home.  If he left late, they claimed that he was busy seeking ways to take advantage or hurt them.  They were bogged down with suspicion.  Nothing was good enough for them.  They had jaundiced misgivings and perspective about everyone who helped them.  This is a masa, burden.  Apparently, Rashi feels that an…

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