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Home -> 5778 -> Vayeira

וישב אברהם אל נעריו... וישב אברהם בבאר שבע

Roberto Szerer
In Vayeira, 5778

Avraham returned to his young men… and Avraham stayed at Be’er Sheva. (22:19)

Avraham Avinu returned home – with his two aides – but where was Yitzchak Avinu? Four people left for the mountain; three returned home. Yitzchak must have taken a different route. The Midrash Rabbah explains that Yitzchak took a detour to study Torah in the yeshivah of Shem (son of Noach). Targum Yonasan adds that Yitzchak studied there for three years, until he met Rivkah Imeinu. Was something wrong with Avraham’s yeshivah? It seems to have sufficed for thirty-seven years. Why did he change? Certainly Shem was not a better rebbe than Avraham. Horav Moshe Neriyah, zl, quotes the Rambam,…

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Home -> 5778 -> Lech Lecha

ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן

Roberto Szerer
In Lech Lecha, 5778

And the souls they made in Charan. (12:5)

Avraham Avinu was the amud ha’chesed, pillar of kindness. What was his greatest kindness? It was reaching out to people and teaching them about Hashem. To save a person from the clutches of idol worship and inculcate him with belief in monotheism is the greatest act of kindness, because this person has been saved – not only spiritually, but physically as well. We involve ourselves in all forms of chesed projects, but the most basic act of reaching out to our estranged brethren seems to elude us. This is especially true if the subject is in an environment that is…

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Home -> 5778 -> Noach

ויאמר ד' לנח בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התב

Roberto Szerer
In Noach, 5778

Then Hashem said to Noach, “Come to the Ark, you and all your household.” (7:1)

The Zohar HaKadosh asks, “Could Hashem not have secured Noach in a corner of the world, safe from the raging waters of the mabul, flood?” He could have transported Noach to Eretz Yisrael, which was left unscathed, and have him remain there throughout the deluge. Rabbi Shimon explains that Hashem wanted Noach to experience the flood, to see its massive destruction. Why did Hashem want Noach to be in the Ark, within the floodwaters, surrounded by death? Horav Chaim Zaitchick, zl, explains that it was important for Noach to see and feel, to see the dead and dying, to feel…

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Home -> 5778 -> Noach

בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התבה

Roberto Szerer
In Noach, 5778

Come to the Ark, you and all your household. (7:1)

A teivah is an Ark, a container, a box which holds an object within its confines. Teivah is also a word. The Chassidic Masters, notably the Baal Shem Tov, zl, render Hashem’s command to Noach to “Come into the Teivah” homiletically. Hashem is also saying: “Enter into the words of prayer and Torah study; there you will find a sanctuary of wisdom, meaning and holiness amidst the raging flood waters of life.” The various commentators expound on this play-on-word translation. Perhaps we can focus on the meaning of teivah/word as the reason for the disaster that befell that generation, and…

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Home -> 5778 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

Roberto Szerer
In Noach, 5778

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

We do not find another leader treated as negatively and judged as harshly as Noach. The Torah writes, Tamim hayah b’dorosav; “Perfect in his generations.” Chazal interpret, “in his generations” in two ways. Some maintain this to be praiseworthy. Noach was righteous and perfect, even though he lived in a generation that was so corrupt that it had to be wiped out. Others counter that this statement is far from laudatory. Indeed, it implies that Noach’s righteousness was viewed relative to his community. They were so evil that they made him look good! The issue is not whether Noach was…

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Home -> 5778 -> Bo

והיה כי יאמרו אליכם בניכם מה העבדה הזאת לכם

Roberto Szerer
In Bo, 5778

And it shall be that when your children say to you, “What is this service to you?” (12:26)

The Torah addresses four “sons” – each one different from the other. One is wise; one is (called) wicked; one is simple; the last one is uninitiated, unable to ask. They all have one common denominator: they are sons. One deals differently with a son. One does not attempt to “best” a son; one seeks to teach a son, to enlighten, to help him understand, to inspire him. Thus, regardless of who the son is, how he acts, or how he presents his questions – remember, he is still your son. We do not seek to prevail, to triumph, over…

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Home -> 5772 -> Bereishis

לפתח חטאת רבץ ואליך תשוקתו ואתה תמשל בו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bereishis, 5772

Sin rests at the door. Its desire is toward you, yet you can conquer it. (4:7)

Herein lies the folly of man. True, the yetzer hora, evil inclination, is constantly on guard, looking for ways to entice us into sin. Man, however, does not have to succumb to its blandishments. He can prevail – if he so wants to: Im tirtzeh tisgaber alav. In Rashi’s immortal words, “If you want, you will prevail over it.” It is all up to us. If we want, we will succeed; if our desire for success is lackadaisical, we will fall into its clutches. The following episode gives meaning to the idea that it is all up to us. We…

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Home -> 5772 -> Bereishis

ויבא קין מפרי האדמה מנחה לד'. והבל הביא גם הוא מבכורות צאנו ומחלביהן. וישע ד' אל הבל ואל מנחתו ואל קין ואל מנחתו לא שעה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bereishis, 5772

And Kayin brought an offering to Hashem of the fruit of the ground. As for Hevel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and from their choicest. Hashem turned to Hevel and his offering, but to Kayin and his offering He did not turn. (4:4,5)

The Torah informs us that Kayin brought of the fruit of the ground as an offering to Hashem. From the fact that the Torah underscores that Hevel’s sacrifice was derived from the choicest animals, we derive that Kayin’s offering was of a mediocre nature. Thus, Hashem turned to Hevel’s offering, rather than Kayin’s, because Hevel brought from the finest of his animals. This seems a bit difficult to accept. Since when is there a competition among “good,” “better,” and “best” before Hashem? The Almighty cares only about attitude, not product. The individual’s intentions determine the true nature of the sacrifice…

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Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5770

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5770, V'zos HaBrachah

The Torah that Moshe commands us is the heritage of the Congregation of Yaakov. (33:4)

Ramban interprets this well-known pasuk to be a declaration of our inherent right to the Torah – as our unassailable possession – to be transmitted from one generation to the next. The word morashah can also be read as me’orasah, married, inspiring Chazal in the Talmud Pesachim 49b to expound that the relationship between the Jewish People and the Torah is similar to that of a chassan and kallah, a groom and his bride. We are wed to the Torah. In his derashos, the Maharal comments that this refers to the entire nation. Every Jew, rich or poor, pedigreed or…

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Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5769

ולכל היד החזקה ולכל המורא הגדול אשר עשה משה לעיני כל ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5769, V'zos HaBrachah

And by all the strong hand and awesome power that Moshe performed before the eyes of all Yisrael. (34:12)

Rashi explains that the “strong hand” is a reference to Moshe Rabbeinu accepting the Luchos from Hashem in his hands. Although the Luchos were of extraordinary weight, Moshe was able to carry them. “Before the eyes of all Yisrael” refers to Moshe’s decision to break the Luchos in the presence of the entire nation. Hashem ratified his action, as Chazal say, Ye’yasher kochacha sheh’sheebarta’, Hashem thanked him for breaking the Luchos. We wonder if it had really been necessary for Moshe to break the Luchos. Why not simply put them away until such time that the people performed teshuvah, repented,…

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