Attitude – Page 23 – Peninim on the Torah

ותמנע היתה פילגש לאליפז בן עשו

And Timna was a concubine for Elifaz, the son of Eisav. (36:12)

Timna did not have an easy time carrying out her request to join the family of Avraham Avinu. Chazal teach that Timna, sister of Lotan, daughter of Seir, aluf of Eisav, king of the Chorim, was a princess who had it all – luxury, honor, material satisfaction. Yet, she rejected her pagan upbringing, choosing instead the G-d of Avraham. They (the descendants of Avraham) refused to accept her, due to her Canaanite lineage. The bloodlines are very important to us, and Canaan just was not a nation to which we wanted to attach ourselves. (They certainly saw negative traits in…

Home -> 5781 -> Vayeitzei

וידר יעקב נדר לאמר אם יהיה אלקים עמדי ... וכל אשר תתן לי עשר אעשרנו לך

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5781

Then Yaakov took a vow, saying, “If G-d will be with me…and whatever You will give me, I shall repeatedly tithe to You.” (28:20,22)

The word leimor, saying, is an implication to future generations, that they, too, shall vow in times of distress. Chazal (Midrash Rabbah, Bereishis 70) say, “Yaakov was the first to vow, thus all those who vow in the future should attach their vow to him.” Yaakov Avinu merited that all sincere vows be connected and attributed to his vow. He paved the way for people to vow to Hashem. Thus, when anyone commences a mitzvah, a project, an endeavor that will help others or increase service to Hashem, the merit all reverts to he who took the first plunge, who…

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ותאמר אל יעקב הבה לי בנים ... ויחר אף יעקב ברחל ויאמר התחת אלקים אנכי

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5781

She said to Yaakov … “Give me children” … Yaakov’s anger flared up at Rachel and he said, “Am I in the place of G-d?” (30:1,2)

Rachel Imeinu pleaded with Yaakov Avinu to grant her children. Chazal (Midrash Rabbah 71:7) explain that she was asking that he pray on her behalf as his father, Yitzchak Avinu, had prayed on behalf of his mother, Rivkah Imeinu. Yaakov was brought to anger by virtue of her implication that he had the ability to give or withhold children. Then he added what appears to be a callous statement: “You say I should be like my father. He had to pray for my mother, because she, too, had no children. (If she would not have conceived, he would also have…

Home -> 5781 -> Vayeitzei

ויהי בבוקר והנה היא לאה

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5781

And it was, in the morning, that behold it was Leah. (29:25)

Yaakov Avinu was acutely aware of Lavan’s corrupt nature. He made it a point to spell out clearly, b’Rachel bitcha ha’ketanah, he wanted to marry Rachel, Lavan’s younger daughter. Not trusting Lavan to adhere to his word, Yaakov made up simanim, signs, which would signal to him whether Lavan had, in fact, made a switch. Rachel, however, was uncomfortable with the notion that her sister would be humiliated. So, she shared the simanim with her. She was certain that Yaakov would agree that it was wrong to allow Leah to be so shamelessly treated. Therefore, she did not ask, she…

Home -> 5781 -> Chayei Sarah

אנכי בדרך נחני ד'

Sruly Schnair In Chayei Sarah, 5781

As for me, Hashem has guided me on the way. (24:27)

How often do we become frustrated with a situation or a person, to the point that we wonder what is it that Hashem is asking of us? Eliezer was sent on a mission, an impossible mission: to find a suitable mate for Yitzchak (Avinu). Yitzchak was raised by Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu. He was the Olah Temimah, perfect sacrifice. The world “out there” was pagan-oriented, with no moral/ethical compass and even less of a spiritual focus. If Avraham sends, Eliezer goes. The lodestar that guided and maintained him was, Anochi baderech nachani Hashem;“As for me, Hashem has guided me…

Home -> 5781 -> Vayeira

כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5781

For I have loved him because he commands his children and his household after him. (18:19)

Chinuch ha’banim, educating our children, inculcating them with the moral/ethical values of our Torah expounded by Chazal, is the primary role with which parents are charged. Hashem says that He loves Avraham Avinu because he places education uppermost in his mind. Everything that Avraham did contained an educational aspect. He lived to serve Hashem. We can perform no greater service to the Almighty than one which imbues others and brings them closer to serving Hashem. We can derive a number of lessons from this pasuk. First, one is not included under the rubric of a yarei Hashem, G-d-fearing Jew, unless…

Home -> 5781 -> Lech Lecha

וילך אברם כאשר דבר אליו ד' וילך אתו לוט

Sruly Schnair In Lech Lecha, 5781

So Avram went as Hashem had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. (12:4)

Lot was Avraham Avinu’s nephew, whom the Patriarch took in and supported following the untimely death of his brother, Haran, at the hands of Nimrod. Nimrod had his followers throw Avraham into a fiery furnace. He challenged Haran to choose between Nimrod and Avraham. Haran wanted to “hedge” his bets, first waiting to see what would happen to Avraham before he made his choice. If Avraham would emerge from the furnace unscathed, then Haran would support him. If Avraham would suffer a tragic death, then Haran was not interested in adding to the toll. He would then support Nimrod. When…

Home -> Ha'azinu -> 5781

עם נבל ולא חכם

Moshe Marcovich In 5781, Ha'azinu

O’ base and unwise people. (32:6)

The Torah is criticizing Klal Yisrael for being an am naval, base people, and v’lo chacham, unwise. Ramban quotes Rashi who comments that they forgot the good that Hashem had done for them. They were unwise in realizing the good and bad, the consequences of their ingratitude. He then quotes Targum Onkeles who renders the phrase (critique) in a manner which begs elucidation. Naval – ama d’kablu Oraisa, “A nation that received the Torah.” Ramban explains that Onkeles translates naval as being related to navol tibul, “You will surely become weary” (Shemos 18:18). Thus, the Torah is intimating that Klal…

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קל אמונה ואין עול

Moshe Marcovich In 5781, Ha'azinu

G-d of faith without iniquity. (32:4)

Rashi explains that Hashem’s judgment is exact and fair. Everyone receives his due reward – the righteous might wait a bit, but it will arrive in due time; the wicked who have acted meritoriously will also be rewarded in kind. Life is a harmonious whole, which we, as mere mortals with limited perception, are unable to perceive. Nonetheless, we believe that it all comes together: good fortune with failure; joy in contrast to sadness, celebrating milestones, both joyous and tragic. A human being cannot fathom how the pieces of the human puzzle of life fit together, but they do. Shortly…

Home -> 5780 -> Nitzavim

ושבת עד ד' אלקיך

Moshe Marcovich In Nitzavim, 5780

And you will return unto Hashem. (30:2)

Teshuvah means return. One returns to his source, his beginning, from where it all began, so that he can start over again and repair what requires restoration. This is not consistent with the objective of society, which focuses on the future, ignoring the past. What happened, happened. Forget about it. Move on. What society ignores is the dross which envelopes us. Unless we expunge it, it accompanies us wherever we go. Focus on “Why? “Where? How did it all start?” A pathologist searches for the sources, the etiology. Teshuvah is a pathology, searching for the beginning, “Why? How? Where did…

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ותמנע היתה פילגש לאליפז בן עשו

And Timna was a concubine for Elifaz, the son of Eisav. (36:12)

וידר יעקב נדר לאמר אם יהיה אלקים עמדי ... וכל אשר תתן לי עשר אעשרנו לך

Then Yaakov took a vow, saying, “If G-d will be with me…and whatever You will give me, I shall repeatedly tithe to You.” (28:20,22)

ותאמר אל יעקב הבה לי בנים ... ויחר אף יעקב ברחל ויאמר התחת אלקים אנכי

She said to Yaakov … “Give me children” … Yaakov’s anger flared up at Rachel and he said, “Am I in the place of G-d?” (30:1,2)

ויהי בבוקר והנה היא לאה

And it was, in the morning, that behold it was Leah. (29:25)

אנכי בדרך נחני ד'

As for me, Hashem has guided me on the way. (24:27)

כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו

For I have loved him because he commands his children and his household after him. (18:19)

וילך אברם כאשר דבר אליו ד' וילך אתו לוט

So Avram went as Hashem had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. (12:4)

עם נבל ולא חכם

O’ base and unwise people. (32:6)

קל אמונה ואין עול

G-d of faith without iniquity. (32:4)

ושבת עד ד' אלקיך

And you will return unto Hashem. (30:2)

YEARS

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