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ולמען תספר באזני בנך ובן בנך את אשר התעללתי במצרים... וידעתם כי אני ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bo, 5775

So that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt… that you may know that I am Hashem. (10:2)

The Revelation of the Divine Presence witnessed by the Jewish People in Egypt was unparalleled. They saw how Hashem manipulated the “laws of nature” to serve the needs of His People, as he meted out justice to the evil Egyptians. This year of Revelation led up to their liberation from Egypt, followed by the Splitting of the Red Sea, which was the precursor to the seminal event in Jewish history: the Giving of the Torah. It would all be for naught, however, had it not been transmitted to future generations. The Torah invokes us to relate this experience to our…

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Home -> 5775 -> Beshalach

וחמושים עלו בני ישראל מארץ מצרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beshalach, 5775

Bnei Yisrael were armed when they went up from Egypt. (13:18)

Rashi defines chamushim as armed. Taking a journey through the wilderness is not like a walk in the park. One can encounter pernicious challenges at almost every step of the way. Additionally, the pagan nations inhabiting Eretz Yisrael would certainly not take kindly to the idea of being displaced by the Jewish People. The fact that G-d promised the Land to the Jews had very little bearing on the pagan mindset. On the other hand, the Jews were not a warrior nation. For the past 210 years, their primary vocation had been slavery. Thus, the people took along weapons as…

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Home -> Behar -> 5775

ולא תונו איש את עמיתו ויראת מאלקיך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5775, Behar

Each of you shall not aggrieve his fellow, and you shall fear your G-d. (25:17)

Hurting another Jew is an egregious sin. What makes it most serious is the fact that one does not always observe the damage that he has wrought. Embarrassing someone, reminding him of an inappropriate episode in his life, can cause grave emotional trauma, which is concealed beneath the surface of the man’s demeanor. It hurts no less; since it is covert, the pain may be even greater. Talking about something that bothers a person is in itself a form of therapy. Onaah, aggrieving, applies to cheating in commerce, while onaas devarim refers to aggrieving with words, such as reminding people…

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Home -> 5775 -> Bereishis

וירא אלקים את האור כי טוב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bereishis, 5775

And Elokim saw the light that it was good. (1:4)

The Talmud Yoma 38b states: “Rabbi Elazar says: it is worth for the world to be created even for (the benefit it derived from) one tzaddik, righteous person.” This is derived from the above pasuk, “And Elokim saw the light that it was good.” There is no “good” like a tzaddik. We also find in Mishlei 10:25, V’tzaddik yesod olam, “A righteous person is the foundation of the world.” We now have some inkling of the great merit that a tzaddik has in this world. One tzaddik – not a world of tzaddikim – only one, single, righteous person makes…

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Home -> 5775 -> Beha'alosecha

ויסעו מהר ד' דרך שלשת ימים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beha'alosecha, 5775

They journeyed from the Mountain of Hashem a three-day distance. (10:33)

In his commentary to pasuk 35, Va’yehi binsoa haAron “When the Ark would journey,” Ramban cites a Midrash which takes a dim view of Klal Yisrael’s first journey away from Har Sinai. The Midrash states that the nation left the mountain, K’tinok ha’boreiach mi’bais ha’sefer, “Like a child running away from school,” happy to leave that holy place – in case Hashem had plans for giving them more mitzvos to perform. While they followed Hashem’s instructions concerning their journey, their attitude in leaving apparently left something to be desired. Horav Aizik Sher, zl, wonders what part of Chazal’s statement underscores…

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Home -> Bamidbar -> 5775

אך את מטה לוי לא תפקוד ואת ראשם לא תשא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5775, Bamidbar

But you shall not count the tribe of Levi, and you shall not take a census of them. (1:49)

Shevet Levi, the tribe of Levi, had proven their fidelity to Hashem during– and after– the sin of the Golden Calf. This earned them the appellation ligyono shel Melech, the legion of the King/Hashem, which was an elevated status. This new status warranted them being counted separately and differently from the rest of the nation. While the rest of the nation was counted from the age of twenty-years old, Shevet Levi was counted as infants, thirty days and older. In commenting on Rashi’s statement: “It is appropriate that the King’s legion be counted alone,” Sifsei Chachamim writes that this is…

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Home -> 5775 -> Balak

ועתה לכה נא ארה לי את העם הזה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Balak, 5775

So now – please come and curse this people for me. (22:6)

Humility is much more than a positive character trait. It is a characteristic which is absolutely vital to one’s success in life. It is an indicator of adherence to the truth. One who is arrogant is simply not a truthful person. Indeed, life is one long lesson in humility, without which life would be a sham, with the greatest fool being the one who lords himself over others. At the end of the day, he knows that he is only fooling himself. Having said this, we turn to the Haftorah in Parashas Balak, which recalls Balak’s attempt to curse the…

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Home -> 5776 -> Yisro

ברוך ד' אשר הציל אתכם מיד מצרים ומיד פרעה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Yisro, 5776

Blessed is Hashem Who has rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh. (18:10)

The Talmud Sanhedrin 94a makes a striking statement: “It was taught in the name of Rabbi Papyas, g’nai hu l’Moshe, it is a shame for Moshe and the 600,000 Jews that they had never uttered, Baruch (Hashem), until Yisro came and said, Baruch Hashem asher hitzil eschem.’” This is a strong statement which begs elucidation. Clearly, Klal Yisrael had praised Hashem when they sang the Shirah amid great joy, praising Hashem for the spectacular miracles and wonders which He had wrought. They did not say the words, “Baruch Hashem.” Does that warrant that their inaction be termed a g’nai, shame?…

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Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5776

ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה אשר ידעו ד' פנים אל פנים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5776, V'zos HaBrachah

Never again has there been in Yisrael a prophet like Moshe, whom Hashem had known face to face. (34:10)

Moshe Rabbeinu merited an outstanding epitaph: the greatest prophet; an individual who spoke panim el panim, face to face, with Hashem. Yet, despite these accolades, Moshe was considered the most humble person to walk the face of the earth. To maintain one’s humility in the face of such incredible, singular praise is in and of itself an uncommon virtue. Surely, Moshe was acutely aware of his eminence. How did he maintain such humility? Veritably, the question applies to so many of our gedolim, Torah giants. These were men of unusual brilliance, who achieved unprecedented heights in Torah achievement. Yet, they…

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Home -> 5776 -> Vayishlach

ותצא דינה בת לאה... לראות בבנות הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Vayishlach, 5776

And Dinah – the daughter of Leah… went out… to look over the daughters of the land. (34:1)

The Midrash Tanchuma makes a startling statement concerning Dinah’s journey to observe the girls of the land. Poretz geder yishchenu nachash, “One who breaches the fence will/should be bitten by a snake.” (This term is used in the Talmud Avodah Zarah 27b and is based upon a pasuk in Koheles 10:8, “He who breaks down a wall will be bitten by a snake.”) This is strong terminology to be applied to Dinah. Chazal continue: “Her father and brothers were sitting in the bais hamedrash studying Torah, and she went out to observe the girls of the land. As a result,…

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