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Home -> 5786 -> Terumah

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו

Sruly Schnair
In Terumah, 5786

Let them take for Me a portion from every man whose heart motivates him. (25:2)

The opening command of our Parshah represents the first appeal for funds.  Moshe Rabbeinu made the appeal, but he was doing so at the behest of Hashem.  Perhaps, this is something we should consider when someone asks us to open our wallets to support a worthy cause:  Whoever is making the request is acting on behalf of an institution or a chesed that has Hashem’s henpeck, seal of approval.  Otherwise, he should not be soliciting our funds. Parashas Terumah may begin with the first fund-raising campaign, but it is far more than a construction appeal.  It represents the Torah’s foundational…

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Home -> 5786 -> Terumah

ועשית את הקרשים למשכן עצי שטים עמדים

Sruly Schnair
In Terumah, 5786

You shall make the planks of the Mishkan of atzei shittim, acacia wood, standing erect. (26:15)

The Mishkan’s walls were comprised of huge planks of acacia wood.  Rashi wonders why the Torah refers to the kerashim, planks, as ha’kerashim, the planks, with the hay ha’yediah, definite article, as though these were planks with which we were familiar (at the time).  He quotes Midrash Tanchuma (91) that, indeed, these were no ordinary planks.  They were the product of trees that Avraham Avinu originally planted. Yaakov Avinu was fully aware that he was descending into the Egyptian galus, exile.  He also knew that one day his descendants would be liberated, receive the Torah, followed by Hashem’s command that…

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Home -> 5786 -> Mishpatim

ורצע אדניו את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם

Sruly Schnair
In Mishpatim, 5786

And the master shall bore through his ear with the awl, and he shall serve him forever. (21:6)

Chazal (Kiddushin 22b) explain why the ear is the organ of the body that is pierced:  “It is the ear that heard on Har Sinai that Bnei Yisrael should be servants (only) to Me, and this man went and acquired a (new) master for himself.” The obvious question is: if the purpose of the piercing is to reprimand the eved, bondsman, for continuing his servitude, why was it not pierced when he originally sold himself to pay for his ill-begotten debts?  Why wait until the end of his tenure?  Furthermore, why is the master the one who bores the ear?…

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Home -> 5786 -> Mishpatim

ורפא ירפא

Sruly Schnair
In Mishpatim, 5786

He shall provide for healing. (21:18)

Horav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zl, asks why the closing b’rachah, Bircas Refa’einu, the blessing for healing, is Rofeh cholei Amo Yisrael; Hashem heals the Jewish people.  Does He not heal everyone?  If Hashem does not “agree” to the patient being healed, he will not be healed.  He explains, based upon a story that occurred when the Gaon, zl, m’Vilna, refused to turn to doctors for assistance in healing.  He was a firm believer (following Ramban, commentary to Vayikra 20:11) that one who fears and places his trust only in Hashem will be healed by the Divine Himself.  Nonetheless, during his…

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Home -> 5786 -> Mishpatim

כי תראה חמור שנאך רבץ תחת משאו וחדלת מעזב לו – עזב תעזב עמו

Sruly Schnair
In Mishpatim, 5786

If you see the donkey of someone you hate crouching under its burden, would you refrain from helping him? You shall help repeatedly with him. (23:5)

“Someone you hate.”  Jews are not supposed to hate.  V’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha; “Love your fellow as yourself” is a cornerstone of our faith.  Obviously, this is not the common hatred based on envy and other social flaws.  This must be a hate that falls under the rubric of permissibility, such as a fellow Jew who persistently commits sinful behavior – despite being warned and admonished repeatedly to desist from his spiritually egregious activities.  Until that time that he listens and repents, he may be the focus of our disdain and even loathing.  Such a person harms not only himself, but…

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Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ד' לישראל

Sruly Schnair
In Yisro, 5786

Yisro rejoiced over all the good that Hashem had done for Yisrael. (18:9)

Rashi translates va’yichad Yisro as va’yismach Yisro, as rejoicing over the salvation of Am Yisrael. The Brisker Rav, zl (cited by Horav Eliyahu Baruch Finkel, zl) explains Yisro’s b’rachah as a blessing of gomeil, gratitude to Hashem. We would normally think that the person who recites the blessing is none other than the direct beneficiary of Hashem’s favor. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 219:4), however, rules that one can fulfill his obligation to bless through the medium of his fellow’s blessing. This means that “Reuven” can bentch gomeil for “Shimon,” and Shimon will have properly discharged his religious duty to…

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Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר

Sruly Schnair
In Yisro, 5786

And Yisrael encamped there, opposite the mountain. (19:2)

Rashi notes that the verb, va’yichan, they encamped, is written in the singular, rather than in the plural, va’yachanu. This teaches us that the huge multitude of people, which comprised the nation that was about to receive the Torah, was camped k’ish echad, b’lev echad, like a single person with one heart. Klal Yisrael’s unity is critical to its survival as a Torah nation. Only when they were united in their goal of hearing and accepting the d’var Hashem, word of G-d, would they be ready to receive the Torah. A number of points concerning the concept of k’ish echad…

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Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך

Sruly Schnair
In Yisro, 5786

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be lengthened. (20:12)

We wonder why the Torah chooses to write yaarichun, they will lengthen, rather than aarich, I will lengthen. It is as if the Torah were saying that, by honoring your parents, you cause your children to lengthen your life. Horav Chaim Meir, zl, m’Vishnitz, answered this question after first relating an incident in which three sons/brothers sought his advice concerning their aged father’s care. Apparently, they felt it was difficult for them, and the question on the table was: Do they continue with home care with its various difficulties, or move him to a nursing home? The Rebbe (Imrei Chaim)…

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Home -> 5786 -> Beshalach

ולא נחם אלקים דרך ארץ פלשתים כי קרוב הוא

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5786

Hashem did not lead them by way of the land of Plishtim, because it was near. (13:17)

Our lives are filled with miracles.  Yet, we do not take the time or make the effort to study them and to employ them as a pathway for deepening our bitachon, trust, in Hashem.  When Klal Yisrael left Egypt, two paths were before them: the short and easy route through the land of Plishtim; the long circuitous route through the wilderness.  Rabbeinu Chananel (quoted by Rabbeinu Bachya) explains that Hashem chose the long way which, albeit took them through the wilderness, provided the opportunity for exposure to additional miracles.  A trip straight through Plishtim would not have availed them the…

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Home -> 5786 -> Beshalach

וישאו בני ישראל את עיניהם והנה מצרים נסע אחריהם. וייראו מאד ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5786

And Bnei Yisrael raised their eyes and behold! Egypt was journeying after them, and they were very frightened. Bnei Yisrael cried out to Hashem. (14:10)

The euphoria connected with the liberation and exodus from Egypt lasted until the nation saw Pharaoh and his army in pursuit.  Some prayed fervently to Hashem for salvation.  Prayer is our key to reaching Hashem and petitioning Him to annul whatever decree hangs over our heads.  Others were frozen in fear. They sadly complained that they would have settled for remaining in Egypt as long as their slavery would have ended.  Hashem responded that this was not a time for prayer, but rather for positive action, for mesiras nefesh, a display of their faith in Him and a willingness to…

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