Attitude – Page 6 – Peninim on the Torah

זכור ימות עולם בינו שנות דור ודור

Remember the days of yore, understand the years of generation after generation. (32:7)

Moshe Rabbeinu pleads with the Jewish nation to wake up from its self-imposed slumber and ponder the lessons to be gleaned from the past. A refusal to delve into the occurrences of the past and what preceded various adversities, a lack of perspective, has become the basis of much human error. We are blessed with gedolei Torah, Torah sages, whose perspective on the past is honed by a wisdom borne of penetrating analysis of Torah and the wisdom and Divine Assistance that results from such immersion in it. Furthermore, as has been noted by many, we have no Hebrew word…

Home -> 5784 -> Ki Savo

ולקחת מראשית פרי האדמה... והלכת אל המקום אשר יבחר ד' אלקיך שמו שם

Sruly Schnair In Ki Savo, 5784

And you shall take the first of every fruit of the ground… and go to the place that Hashem, your G-d, will choose to make His Name rest there. (26:2)

The mitzvah of Bikkurim, offering the first fruits, is a mitzvah which teaches us the importance of hakoras hatov, recognizing and paying gratitude to Hashem, and, by extension, to everyone and anyone from whom we have benefited. Parashas Ki Savo, which commences with the laws of Bikkurim, begins with the concept of gratitude to Hashem for the wonderful crop we have been fortunate to yield. We most often read this parshah on the Shabbos preceding the last week of the year, as a portent that Tichleh shanah v’kilelosehah v’tacheil shanah u’birkosehah, “Let the past year with its curses come to…

Home -> 5784 -> Ki Savo

ושמעת בקול ד' אלקיך ועשית את מצותיו ואת חקיו

Sruly Schnair In Ki Savo, 5784

You shall listen to the Voice of Hashem, your G-d, and you shall perform all His commandments and decrees. (27:10)

The command to listen to Hashem’s mitzvos follows on the heels of Moshe Rabbeinu’s declaration, Ha’yom nihiyeisa l’am, “Today you became a people.” Today you have indicated that you have reached the level of maturity critical for becoming a nation. Now that you are a card-carrying member of Am Hashem, the nation of G-d, Hashem expects you to act appropriately for someone of this caliber. Sadly, we are influenced by the society in which we live, and we often view ourselves through the lens of the secular, immoral society which surrounds us. As a result, we become victim to the…

Home -> 5784 -> Ki Savo

ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך

Sruly Schnair In Ki Savo, 5784

Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out. (28:6)

Chazal (Devarim Rabbah 7:5) interpret this pasuk as a guide to Jewish living. One should strive to leave this world (after 120) as pure and free of sin as when he entered this world as an infant. It is seemingly a tall order. Life is filled with challenges which can be viewed as impenetrable obstacles or as speedbumps which only slow us down. In any event, if one works at it, he can maintain the spiritual integrity of his life, thereby giving it meaning. The Ksav Sofer explains that this pasuk is based upon a well-known debate among the Tannaim,…

Home -> 5784 -> Ki Seitzei

כי תצא למלחמה על אויביך

Sruly Schnair In Ki Seitzei, 5784

When you will go out to war against your enemies. (21:10)

Rashi comments that the Torah is speaking about a milchemes reshus, discretionary war. With regard to milchemes mitzvah, a war which we are commanded to wage, such as against the sheva umos, seven pagan nations that inhabited Eretz Yisrael, we are enjoined not to take prisoners. Thus, the subsequent law regarding the yefas to’ar, beautiful captive, would not apply. The Baal Shem Tov also applies this pasuk as a metaphor for the never-ending battle we must wage against our internal enemy: the yetzer hora, evil inclination. We have no shortcuts in this battle. It is constant, so that it demands…

Home -> 5784 -> Eikev

לאהבה את ד' אלקיכם ולעבדו בכל לבבכם

Sruly Schnair In Eikev, 5784

To love Hashem, your G-d, and to serve Him with all your heart. (11:13)

The mitzvah of ahavas Hashem, loving the Almighty, is recorded in the Torah thirteen times. (Interestingly, the gematria, numerical equivalent, of ahavah, love, is 13. Another word that has such a gematria is echad, one. True love transforms two people into one. When we love Hashem, we abrogate ourselves, thus becoming completely attached to Him.) In the previous parashah, the Torah teaches that this love must extend to: b’chol levavcha, with all your heart; b’chol nafshecha, with all your soul (life); and b’chol me’odecha, with all your material assets. Chazal add their own interpretation to these three expressions of love….

Home -> Masei -> 5784

אלה מסעי בני ישראל אשר יצאו מארץ מצרים

Sruly Schnair In 5784, Masei

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael, who went forth from the land of Egypt. (33:1)

The Torah makes a point of detailing each and every one of the nation’s encampments in the Wilderness. Clearly, we must derive a lesson from this pasuk. Horav Yeruchem Levovitz, zl, explains (based on the commentaries of the Rishonim) that the idea of yetzias Mitzrayim, the Egyptian exodus, is based on the principle that it and all its accompanying miracles and wonders were revealed for anyone to see. No room existed for even the biggest fool or greatest agnostic to deny what took place. If one possessed a modicum of intelligence, he saw what was clearly Divine intervention in its…

Home -> 5784 -> Pinchas

ובני אליאב נמואל ודתן ואבירם הוא דתן ואבירם קרואי העדה אשר הצו על משה ועל אהרן

Sruly Schnair In Pinchas, 5784

And the sons of Eliav: Nemuel and Dasan and Aviram, the same Dasan and Aviram who were summoned by the Assembly, who contended against Moshe and Aharon. (26:9)

The Torah seems to find it necessary to once again introduce the reader to Moshe Rabbeinu’s arch nemeses, Dasan and Aviram. One would think that these two evildoers would be remembered for their continued evil throughout the nation’s nascency. Indeed, their first incursion took place in Egypt when they argued with Moshe and followed up by informing on him to Pharaoh. They told Pharaoh that the Jews had left Egypt, and they later broke the rule not to leave over the manna that descended from Heaven to the next day. They led the charge of Nitnah rosh v’nashuvah Mitzraimah, “Let…

Home -> 5784 -> Chukas

ויקחו אליך פרה אדומה תמימה

Sruly Schnair In Chukas, 5784

And they shall take a completely red cow which is without blemish. (19:2)

The Aderes Elyahu cites a yalkut that posits, Parah zu Yisrael; “Parah (Adumah), this is Yisrael.” Apparently, Chazal identify a metaphysical connection between the Parah Adumah and the Jewish People. Horav Mordechai Ilan, zl (Mikdash Mordechai), observes that Klal Yisrael demonstrated their spiritual mettle when they stood by Har Sinai and proclaimed, Naaseh v’nishma; “We will do and we will listen.” Hashem offered the Torah, with all of its qualities and demands, to which we committed ourselves without question. Hashem had previously offered this gift to the other nations, who had rejected it. They felt that the Torah’s demands did…

Home -> 5784 -> Korach

אם כמות כל האדם ימותון אלה ופקודת כל האדם יפקד עליהם לא ד' שלחני

Sruly Schnair In Korach, 5784

If these die like the death of all men and the destiny of all men is visited upon them, then it is not Hashem Who has sent me. (16:29)

Korach and his henchmen impugned the integrity of Moshe Rabbeinu’s leadership. This was a mutiny against our quintessential leader and what he represented – Hashem and His Torah. This was unmitigated chutzpah at its nadir. We have unfortunately had despots throughout our nation’s history who have raised their fists against Torah leadership and have denounced our nation’s bond with the Torah. Korach, however, was the first to breach the peaceful coexistence of our people and disparage its leadership. His punishment was equally unparalleled: He went to his grave – alive. The entire Korach debacle begs elucidation. First, the Torah has…

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זכור ימות עולם בינו שנות דור ודור

Remember the days of yore, understand the years of generation after generation. (32:7)

ולקחת מראשית פרי האדמה... והלכת אל המקום אשר יבחר ד' אלקיך שמו שם

And you shall take the first of every fruit of the ground… and go to the place that Hashem, your G-d, will choose to make His Name rest there. (26:2)

ושמעת בקול ד' אלקיך ועשית את מצותיו ואת חקיו

You shall listen to the Voice of Hashem, your G-d, and you shall perform all His commandments and decrees. (27:10)

ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך

Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out. (28:6)

כי תצא למלחמה על אויביך

When you will go out to war against your enemies. (21:10)

לאהבה את ד' אלקיכם ולעבדו בכל לבבכם

To love Hashem, your G-d, and to serve Him with all your heart. (11:13)

אלה מסעי בני ישראל אשר יצאו מארץ מצרים

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael, who went forth from the land of Egypt. (33:1)

ובני אליאב נמואל ודתן ואבירם הוא דתן ואבירם קרואי העדה אשר הצו על משה ועל אהרן

And the sons of Eliav: Nemuel and Dasan and Aviram, the same Dasan and Aviram who were summoned by the Assembly, who contended against Moshe and Aharon. (26:9)

ויקחו אליך פרה אדומה תמימה

And they shall take a completely red cow which is without blemish. (19:2)

אם כמות כל האדם ימותון אלה ופקודת כל האדם יפקד עליהם לא ד' שלחני

If these die like the death of all men and the destiny of all men is visited upon them, then it is not Hashem Who has sent me. (16:29)

YEARS

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