Attitude – Page 2 – Peninim on the Torah

ונועדתי שמה לבני ישראל ... ושכנתי בתוך בני ישראל

I shall set My meeting there with Bnei Yisrael … I shall rest My Presence among Bnei Yisrael. (29:43,45)

Midrash Rabbah (Shemos 33) “quotes” Hashem as saying, “I sold/gave you My Torah – I sold Myself with it.” This may be compared to a king who had one single daughter whom he loved very much. Another king betrothed her and now asked permission to take his new wife to his country. The father replied, “She is my only daughter. On the one hand, I cannot divest myself of her. On the other hand, she is your wife and must follow her husband. I ask only that, wherever you set up your home, you construct a small room for me,…

Home -> 5786 -> Terumah

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם

Sruly Schnair In Terumah, 5786

Let them take for Me a portion from every man whose heart motivates him… They shall make a Sanctuary for Me – so that I may dwell among them. (25:2,9)

Parashas Terumah focuses on the construction of the Mishkan, the Sanctuary in which the Shechinah, Divine Presence, would repose among Klal Yisrael. One question requires elucidation. The parshah is unquestionably all about the construction of a holy place for the Shechinah – the Mishkan. Why, then, is the parshah called Terumah, contribution, and not Mishkan, Sanctuary? Perhaps the Torah seeks to convey a profound message: Holiness is not merely found in the structure itself, but in the willingness and predisposition of the people to give of themselves to create it. While the MIshkan was designated as the place where the…

Home -> 5786 -> Vaeira

ושמתי פדות בין עמי ובין עמך למחר יהיה האות הזה

Sruly Schnair In Vaeira, 5786

I shall make a distinction between My people and your people – tomorrow this sign will come about. (8:19)

Simply speaking, Moshe Rabbeinu informed Pharaoh when each plague would begin. This was meant to underscore the miraculous nature of the plague. Horav Shalom Bentzion Felman, zl, explains this pasuk homiletically: “I will make a distinction between My people and your people.” What is this distinction? In which area of belief do we see a separation between Jew and non-Jew? Tomorrow, this sign will come about. It is with regard to the concept of “tomorrow” that we differ. The Jew who believes in Hashem lives with a constant awareness of “tomorrow.” Even if today appears bleak and filled with hardship,…

Home -> Vayechi -> 5786

גור אריה יהודה ... כרע רבץ כאריה וכלביא מי יקימנו

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayechi

A lion cub is Yehudah … He crouches, lies down like a lion, and like an awesome lion, who dares rouse him. (49:9)

The Torah compares five of Yaakov Avinu’s sons to animals: Yehudah – a lion; Binyamin – a wolf; Dan – a snake; Yissachar – a donkey; Naftali – a deer. While four of them are identified directly with the animal, Yehudah stands out as being compared both to a lion cub and a full-grown lion. Chazal address the singular distinction accorded to Yehudah. They explain that, because of his future leadership and monarchial obligations, he was given both the might of a lion and the brazenness of a young cub. As Horav S.R. Hirsch, zl, observes, Yehudah was to combine…

Home -> Vayigash -> 5786

ויבאו מצרימה יעקב וכל זרעו אתו ... בניו ובני בניו אתו בנתיו ובנות בניו וכל זרעו הביא אתו מצרימה

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayigash

And they came to Egypt… Yaakov and all his offspring with him … His sons and grandsons with him, his daughters and granddaughters and all his offspring he brought with him. (46:6,7)

The Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh comments concerning the redundancy of the text. It previously said that Yaakov v’chol zaro, with all his offspring, came to Egypt. Why does the Torah reiterate that his sons and grandsons came? Were they not part of his offspring? The Torah goes on to mention daughters and granddaughters, following the word ito, with him. First, why are they separated from the rest of the offspring? And why is the extra word ito added as a separation between sons/grandsons and daughters/granddaughters. The Ohr HaChaim explains that, indeed, with regard to their attitude, the different groups were not…

Home -> 5786 -> Vayishlach

ויאמר שלחני כי עלה השחר. ואמר לא אשלחך כי אם ברכתני

Sruly Schnair In Vayishlach, 5786

Then he said, “Let me go for dawn has broken.” And he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (32:27)

The dialogue between Yaakov Avinu and Eisav’s angel begs elucidation. It appears that Yaakov sought to secure the angel’s approval to validate his receipt of the blessings. This would teach us that consent and approval carry weight; they can elevate or diminish the value of one’s deeds. Since when does Eisav’s or his angels’ approval determine the appropriateness of Yaakov’s actions? Who cares if they scream “foul”? Horav Yeruchem Levovitz, zl, explains that man is often misled by certain actions and activities, because externally they bespeak compassion, mercy and observance. Appearances, however, are deceiving. It may look good; it may…

Home -> 5786 -> Toldos

אלה תולדות יצחק בן אברהם, אברהם הולד את יצחק

Sruly Schnair In Toldos, 5786

And these are the offspring of Yitzchak ben Avraham, Avraham begot Yitzchak. (25:19)

The opening pasuk of the parsha seems redundant. If Yitzchak was Avraham’s son, then obviously Avraham was his biological father. Rashi explains that the redundancy is deliberate, to attest that Yitzchak was unmistakably Avraham Avinu’s son both biologically and spiritually. Apparently, the leitzanim, cynics, were spreading the lie that Sarah had conceived through relations with Avimelech when she was in Gerar. They claimed that, at his advanced age, Avraham could no longer have children. [They ignored Yishmael’s birth.] In order to set the record straight, Hashem formed Yitzchak’s countenance to be exactly the same as that of Avraham. No question…

Home -> 5786 -> Toldos

ויאהב יצחק את עשו כי ציד בפיו ורבקה אהבת את יעקב

Sruly Schnair In Toldos, 5786

Yitzchak loved Eisav for game was in his mouth, but Rivkah loved Yaakov. (25:28)

Rashi explains tzayid b’fiv as “cunning in his mouth.” Eisav was extremely smooth and able to articulate halachic questions, thereby giving the ruse that he was meticulous in his observance – which he was not. The obvious question is: How did Eisav pull one over Yitzchak Avinu? To suggest that, due to his immense level of kedushah, our Patriarch was slightly “naïve” in the evil ways of the world demeans the greatness of Yitzchak. Being holy does not mean being naïve. Indeed, Torah study makes one wiser and equips him with greater acuity. We have no question that Yitzchak knew…

Home -> 5786 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Sruly Schnair In Noach, 5786

Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

The Torah introduces Noach as a person who was the paragon of righteousness and moral/ethical perfection. These attributes are especially laudable, given that he lived in the most depraved generation in history. Indeed, that is why the society in which he lived was wiped from the world. At this critical time, Hashem chose Noach to be the progenitor of the future human race. Having said this, we turn to Chazal (Tanchuma 5) who famously debate Noach’s true level of righteousness. Was it relative to the evildoers of his generation? Had he lived in Avraham Avinu’s generation, would his standard of…

Home -> 5786 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק

Sruly Schnair In Noach, 5786

Noach was a righteous man. (6:9)

Can one be considered righteous if his righteousness is due to his seclusion from the world for six centuries? Apparently, the Torah refers to Noach as righteous, despite the fact that he had no influence on the members of the society in which he lived. He really had no alternative. The evil of his generation was so pervasive that had he attempted to reach out, not only would he have been rebuffed, he himself might have become a victim. The Zohar HaKadosh observes that the waters of the flood are called mei Noach (Yeshayah 54:9), waters of Noach, as if…

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ונועדתי שמה לבני ישראל ... ושכנתי בתוך בני ישראל

I shall set My meeting there with Bnei Yisrael … I shall rest My Presence among Bnei Yisrael. (29:43,45)

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם

Let them take for Me a portion from every man whose heart motivates him… They shall make a Sanctuary for Me – so that I may dwell among them. (25:2,9)

ושמתי פדות בין עמי ובין עמך למחר יהיה האות הזה

I shall make a distinction between My people and your people – tomorrow this sign will come about. (8:19)

גור אריה יהודה ... כרע רבץ כאריה וכלביא מי יקימנו

A lion cub is Yehudah … He crouches, lies down like a lion, and like an awesome lion, who dares rouse him. (49:9)

ויבאו מצרימה יעקב וכל זרעו אתו ... בניו ובני בניו אתו בנתיו ובנות בניו וכל זרעו הביא אתו מצרימה

And they came to Egypt… Yaakov and all his offspring with him … His sons and grandsons with him, his daughters and granddaughters and all his offspring he brought with him. (46:6,7)

ויאמר שלחני כי עלה השחר. ואמר לא אשלחך כי אם ברכתני

Then he said, “Let me go for dawn has broken.” And he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (32:27)

אלה תולדות יצחק בן אברהם, אברהם הולד את יצחק

And these are the offspring of Yitzchak ben Avraham, Avraham begot Yitzchak. (25:19)

ויאהב יצחק את עשו כי ציד בפיו ורבקה אהבת את יעקב

Yitzchak loved Eisav for game was in his mouth, but Rivkah loved Yaakov. (25:28)

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

נח איש צדיק

Noach was a righteous man. (6:9)

YEARS

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