Achievement – Peninim on the Torah

ביום השני הקריב נתנאל בן צוער נשיא יששכר

Sruly Schnair In Naso, 5786

On the second day, the sacrifice was brought by Nesanel ben Tzuar, the Prince of Yissachar. (7:18)

The sequence of the offerings did not follow the relative ages of the Nesiim; rather, it apparently went according to distinction. Nachshon ben Aminadov, Nasi of Shevet Yehudah, the tribe that represented malchus, royalty, offered the first korbanos. Shevet Yehudah deserved this distinction. Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 72:5) explain that Yissachar was second in line, because he represented the lomeid Torah, the talmid chacham whose nights and days were spent engrossed in Torah. Zevulun, who supported Yissachar, was up next, indicating how much Hashem values and loves the machzik Torah, supporter of Torah. Veritably, it all boils down to how much…

Home -> Pekudei -> 5786

Moshe saw the entire work, and Moshe blessed them. (39:43)

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Pekudei

וירא משה את כל המלאכה … ויברך אתם משה

What did Moshe Rabbeinu say to them? What b’rachah, blessing, did he give them? Yehi ratzon she’tishreh Shechinah, b’maaseh ye’deichem; “May it be the will of Hashem that the Shechinah rest upon your handiwork.” This blessing begs elucidation. A blessing adds benefit; it elevates; it aspires for more. The Mishkan was built already, the work of Bnei Yisrael complete. Its entire purpose was for the Shechinah to rest on it. What is the purpose of the b’rachah? Horav Boruch Dov Povarsky, Shlita, explains that the Mishkan was a spiritual edifice. It manifested itself in material/physical components, but its essence was…

Home -> 5786 -> Vayishlach

עם לבן גרתי

Sruly Schnair In Vayishlach, 5786

I have sojourned with Lavan. (32:5)

Yaakov Avinu’s message to Eisav, Im Lavan garti, is the focus of much commentary. After all, does Eisav really care about Yaakov’s past lodging? He is interested in only one thing: exacting revenge against his brother for cheating him out of his rightful blessings. This was Eisav’s perception. Yaakov’s message does not seem to align with Eisav’s complaint and mission focused on revenge. Rashi cites Chazal who render garti, I sojourned/lodged, in two different ways: “I have not become the great prince which you perceive was the intent of the blessings. I am still Yaakov, merely a ger, alien. You…

Home -> 5785 -> Re'eh

כי יסיתך אחיך ... לאמר נלכה ונעבדה אלהים אחרים... לא תאבה לו, ולא תשמע אליו, ולא תחוס עינך עליו, ולא תחמל, ולא תכסה עליו.

Sruly Schnair In Re'eh, 5785

let us go and worship the gods of(If your brother will entice you secretly… saying “others” … you shall not accede to him, and not hearken to him, and your eye shall not take pity on him, you shall not compromise nor conceal him. (13:7–9)

The Torah singles out the meisis – person who entices others to idolatrous worship – for particularly severe treatment, as befits a sin of this egregious nature. Such a person poses a profound threat to the spiritual fabric of Klal Yisrael. His actions are much more than a personal transgression, but rather, an unpardonable assault on the collective faith and identity of the Jewish people. The punishment meted out to the meisis underscores the importance of maintaining the purity of faith within the Jewish community and how we abhor anyone who would dare undermine the status quo. The laws that…

Home -> Matos -> 5785

ומקנה רב היה לבני ראובן ולבני גד

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Matos

The Tribes Reuven and Gad had an extremely large amount of cattle. (32:1)

Chazal (Bamidbar Rabbah 22:6) underscore the good fortune of one who acquires any one of these G-d-given precious gifts: wisdom, strength and/or wealth. This idea, say Chazal, applies only if one receives these gifts from Hashem. If, however, he receives these gifts from human beings – they have no value. Chazal continue: two wise people – one Jewish, one gentile, Achitofel and Bilaam –were both lost; two well-known strong men who did not endure – Shimshon and Golias – one Jewish, one gentile. Two men of great wealth — Korach and Haman – neither made it. Why were these men…

Home -> Masei -> 5785

אלה שמות האנשים אשר ינחלו לכם את הארץ

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Masei

These are the names of the men who are to take possession of the Land for you. (34:17)

Each nasi, leader of his respective tribe, took title to a province on behalf of his entire tribe. He would later apportion the land to be distributed among the members of his shevet, tribe. Noticeably, preceding each tribal leader, the word nasi is written, except for the first three the Torah mentions: Yehuda (Calev ben Yefuneh); Shimon (Shmuel ben Amihud); Binyamin (Elidad ben Kislon). Why is the title nasi omitted from their names? Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, zl, explains that all the nesiim achieved distinction as a result of being selected to lead their respective shevet. Their position distinguished them…

Home -> 5785 -> Balak

וירא את הקיני... ויאמר איתן מישבך

Sruly Schnair In Balak, 5785

He saw the Keini… and said, “Strong is your dwelling.” (24:21)

Rashi explains that Bilaam saw the future sons of Yisro (one of Yisro’s seven names was Keini) and was surprised at the distinction they had earned. He intimated (Midrash Tanchuma), “I wonder from where you (Yisro) became worthy of this (extraordinary honor and spiritual nachas). Were you not with me at the time we (Bilaam, Yisro, Iyov) gave advice to Pharaoh (on how to address the ‘Jewish problem’)? Yet, you have settled in the stronghold and citadel of Yisrael.” Apparently, Bilaam conveniently forgot that when he advised Pharaoh to kill the Jews, Yisro picked himself up and fled Egypt. Later…

Home -> 5785 -> Chukas

זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל

Sruly Schnair In Chukas, 5785

This is the teaching regarding a man who would die in a tent. (19:14)

Chazal famously derive a deeper, homiletic l miskayeim esson from this pasuk. The Gemorah (Berachos 63b), states: Ein divrei Torah ela b’mi she’meimis atzmo aleha, “The words of Torah are upheld only by one who ‘kills’ himself over it.” This metaphor refers to the self-sacrifice one must be willing to expend for the sake of Torah study. Meimis atzmo aleha means dedication, diligence, abnegating comforts and worldly pleasures, all for the purpose of Torah study, its understanding and internalization. True growth requires a form of self-sacrifice, whereby one “kills” his personal desires in pursuit of spiritual achievement. Famous Torah scholars…

Home -> 5785 -> Chukas

קח את אהרן ואת אלעזר בנו והעל אתם הר ההר

Sruly Schnair In Chukas, 5785

Take Aharon and Elazar, his son, and bring the up to Har HaHor. (20:25)

How is Moshe to “take” Aharon on his last journey? True, his time to return his lofty soul to its Heavenly Source had come. Aharon was not a person who lived in this world. He was a Himmel mentch, one who lived in the Heavens Above, one who was very comfortable in his ruchniyos, spirituality. To him, death was truly traversing the gesher ha’chaim, bridge of life, from this world to life in the Heavenly sphere. Yet, Moshe had to convince/comfort him with words. Rashi says b’divrei nichumim, comforting words. What were these words? What could Moshe convey to Aharon…

Home -> 5785 -> Beha'alosecha

ויאמרו האנשים ההמה אליו אנחנו טמאים לנפש אדם למה נגרע לבלתי הקריב את קרבן ד' במועדו

Sruly Schnair In Beha'alosecha, 5785

Those men said to him, “We are contaminated through a human corpse. Why should we be diminished by not offering Hashem’s korban in its appointed time?” (9:7)

These men had become ritually contaminated, a status which precludes them from participating in the Korban Pesach. This was an epic spiritual experience from which they did not want to be excluded. So intense was their desire to participate, they petitioned Moshe Rabbeinu to somehow include them. In recognition of their nobility and unparalleled sheifah, aspiration/yearning for this mitzvah, Hashem appointed them to be the medium through whom He would reveal the new mitzvah of Pesach Sheini, which would be offered one month after the appointed time for Pesach. The normal course of the Torah was to issue mitzvos through…

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ביום השני הקריב נתנאל בן צוער נשיא יששכר

On the second day, the sacrifice was brought by Nesanel ben Tzuar, the Prince of Yissachar. (7:18)

Moshe saw the entire work, and Moshe blessed them. (39:43)

וירא משה את כל המלאכה … ויברך אתם משה

עם לבן גרתי

I have sojourned with Lavan. (32:5)

כי יסיתך אחיך ... לאמר נלכה ונעבדה אלהים אחרים... לא תאבה לו, ולא תשמע אליו, ולא תחוס עינך עליו, ולא תחמל, ולא תכסה עליו.

let us go and worship the gods of(If your brother will entice you secretly… saying “others” … you shall not accede to him, and not hearken to him, and your eye shall not take pity on him, you shall not compromise nor conceal him. (13:7–9)

ומקנה רב היה לבני ראובן ולבני גד

The Tribes Reuven and Gad had an extremely large amount of cattle. (32:1)

אלה שמות האנשים אשר ינחלו לכם את הארץ

These are the names of the men who are to take possession of the Land for you. (34:17)

וירא את הקיני... ויאמר איתן מישבך

He saw the Keini… and said, “Strong is your dwelling.” (24:21)

זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל

This is the teaching regarding a man who would die in a tent. (19:14)

קח את אהרן ואת אלעזר בנו והעל אתם הר ההר

Take Aharon and Elazar, his son, and bring the up to Har HaHor. (20:25)

ויאמרו האנשים ההמה אליו אנחנו טמאים לנפש אדם למה נגרע לבלתי הקריב את קרבן ד' במועדו

Those men said to him, “We are contaminated through a human corpse. Why should we be diminished by not offering Hashem’s korban in its appointed time?” (9:7)

YEARS

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