Bracha – Page 13 – Peninim on the Torah

ואהבת לרעך כמוך אני ד'

You shall love your fellow as yourself – I am Hashem. (19:18)

Rabbi Akiva teaches (Yerushalmi Nedarim 30b), V’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha – Zeh klal gadol baTorah; “Love your fellow as yourself. This is the all-encompassing principle of Torah.” In other words, an unbreakable bond exists between ahavas Yisrael, love of Jews, and ahavas Hashem, love of the Almighty. A general principle is one which contains all the detailed principles within it. Thus, ahavas Yisrael is the rubric under which all mitzvos fall. Loving a fellow Jew is an integral component of every mitzvah. Thus, when I shake the lulav; observe Shabbos, put on Tefillin, I am/should be enhancing my ahavas Yisrael. If…

Home -> 5782 -> Shemini

ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

Do not contaminate yourselves through them lest you become contaminated through them. (11:43)

Noticeably, the aleph of v’nitamtem /v’nitmeisem is missing. We translate v’nitmeisem as, “and you have become contaminated through them.” In contrast, we read v’nitamtem as “and you become dulled by them.” Consuming forbidden foods will cause the mind to become dense (with regard to learning Torah, which he will have difficulty grasping) and ultimately blunt his spirituality. The following story is frightening and gives us all something to ponder. A devout family was blessed that all of their sons were accomplished talmidei chachamim, Torah scholars, except for their youngest child, who could not comprehend the simplest, most basic line of…

Home -> Pekudei -> 5782

ויכס הענן את אהל מועד... ולא יכל משה לבא אל אהל מועד כי שכן עליו הענן וכבוד ד' מלא את המשכן

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Pekudei

And the cloud covered the Ohel Moed… and Moshe was unable to enter the Ohel Moed because the cloud resided there, and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan. (40:34,35)

Sefer Shemos concludes with a description of Hashem’s Shechinah, Divine Presence, entering the Mishkan. All of the work of Klal Yisrael in planning, gathering the materials and building the Mishkan achieved fruition at that moment. They had succeeded in building a “home/Sanctuary” for Hashem in this world. The first pasuk of Sefer Vayikra begins with Hashem calling/summoning Moshe Rabbeinu from within the Ohel Moed. Our quintessential leader, who was involved in every aspect of the creation of the Mishkan, remained outside its environs. He would not yet enter. Chazal (Vayikra Rabbah 1:15) explain that juxtaposition of the closing words of…

Home -> Vayakhel -> 5782

ראו קרא ד' בשם בצלאל בן אורי בן חור

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Vayakhel

See, Hashem has proclaimed by name, Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur. (25:30)

As the result of his attempt to prevent the nation from their treasonous act of creating and worshipping the Golden Calf, Chur, son of Miriam and grandfather of Betzalel, the worshippers of the Golden Calf murdered him. For his unequivocal act of mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice, Chur received a posthumous reward to see his grandson be chosen as the architect of the Mishkan – which incidentally atoned for the sin of the Golden Calf. This explains why Hashem selected Chur, but why was Moshe Rabbeinu not selected to oversee the building of the Mishkan? Moshe had toiled for forty days and…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5782

ונתנו איש כפר נפשו

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Ki Sisa

Every man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul. (30:12)

The Baal HaTurim observes that the word, v’nasnu: vov, nun, saf, nun, vov, is a palindrome (in this instance, a word which reads the same backward as forward). This prompts him to posit that one who gives to tzedakah, charity, does not lose his contribution; rather, he receives it back. Hashem sees to it that one’s good deeds are not forgotten. What he gives to others will eventually be returned to him. Horav Mordechai Ilan, zl, notes another palindrome in the Torah: V’hikeihu, “And he will strike him” (Bereishis 32:9), which refers to Eisav’s striking one of Yaakov Avinu’s camps….

Home -> 5782 -> Terumah

דבר אל בני ישראל ויקחו לי תרומה

Sruly Schnair In Terumah, 5782

Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them take for Me a portion. (25:2)

When one contributes to a project, he assumes that he is the one who is giving. If so, why does the Torah refer to the donors to the Mishkan with the term v’yikchu li, “they shall take for Me”? What are they taking? The answer, which is reiterated by the commentators, is that spiritual entities play by different rules. When one contributes to the spiritual sphere, he is taking — in the sense that whatever he gives will be stored away in his merit. Some people cannot deal with the concept of giving. They feel that they have worked hard…

Home -> 5782 -> Mishpatim

כי תקנה עבד עברי

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5782

When you acquire a Hebrew bondsman. (21:2)

The Torah selected the laws concerning the purchase of an eved Ivri and the master/servant relationship between the master and his Hebrew bondsman to be the opening mitzvah following the nation’s receiving the Torah at Har Sinai. This Revelation and Giving of the Torah culminated their redemption from Egypt and their becoming Hashem’s select people. In order to understand the preeminence of this mitzvah and its overarching significance for molding the national character of Klal Yisrael, I cite the commentary of the Sefer Chinuch. The mitzvah of eved Ivri is the adjudication of the law concerning the Hebrew bondsman: to…

Home -> 5782 -> Mishpatim

ויבא משה ויספר לעם את כל דברי ד'... ויען כל העם ויאמרו כל הדברים אשר דבר ד' נעשה קול אחד

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5782

Moshe came and told the people all the words of Hashem… and the entire people responded with one voice and they said, “All the words that Hashem has spoken, we will do.” (24:3)

There is a debate among the Rishonim concerning this parsha, which records Hashem’s instructions to Moshe Rabbeinu vis-à-vis the Torah and the nation’s affirmative response. Rashi contends that the events mentioned in this parsha actually preceded the Revelation and the Giving of the Torah – which is recorded in Parashas Yisro. As far as sequence is concerned, we apply the principle: Torah is not necessarily written in chronological order. Other Rishonim, among them Ramban and Ibn Ezra, feel that these events occurred following the Giving of the Torah. In any event, we will digress and focus on the actual Giving…

Home -> 5782 -> Beshalach

כי אני ה' רפאך

Sruly Schnair In Beshalach, 5782

For I am Hashem Your healer. (15:26)

We are enjoined to seek medical help when circumstances arise that dictate such action. The Torah, likewise, commands the physician to heal those who are in need of a refuah. Nonetheless, one should never lose sight of the fact that the true and only effective Healer is Hashem. The physician and all who participate in the patient’s care are merely agents of Hashem who have been Heavenly sent to address his physical concerns by employing conventional therapeutic means. Hashem determines the success of the physician. Horav Mordechai, zl, m’Neshchiz, was known for the efficacy of his blessings. The ill and…

Home -> 5782 -> Bo

קדש לי כל בכור פטר כל רחם בבני ישראל באדם ובבהמה לי הוא

Sruly Schnair In Bo, 5782

Sanctify for Me every firstborn of Bnei Yisrael, of man and animal, they are Mine. (13:2)

The mitzvah of Pidyon HaBen, redeeming the firstborn, is directly connected to yetzias Mitzrayim, the Egyptian exodus. Hashem refers to the bechorim, first born: Li hu, “They are Mine.” Rashi explains that Hashem smote the Egyptian firstborn and spared their Jewish counterparts. He acquired the Jewish firstborn. The decree was solely directed towards the Egyptian firstborn; makas bechoros, the plague of the smiting of the firstborn, was the coupe de grace of the ten makkos, plagues, with which Hashem struck the Egyptians. What does it have to do with the Jews? Horav Shlomo Wolbe, zl, cites a Novoradok (Yeshivas Bais…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Kedoshim ->

ואהבת לרעך כמוך אני ד'

You shall love your fellow as yourself – I am Hashem. (19:18)

ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם

Do not contaminate yourselves through them lest you become contaminated through them. (11:43)

ויכס הענן את אהל מועד... ולא יכל משה לבא אל אהל מועד כי שכן עליו הענן וכבוד ד' מלא את המשכן

And the cloud covered the Ohel Moed… and Moshe was unable to enter the Ohel Moed because the cloud resided there, and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan. (40:34,35)

ראו קרא ד' בשם בצלאל בן אורי בן חור

See, Hashem has proclaimed by name, Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur. (25:30)

ונתנו איש כפר נפשו

Every man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul. (30:12)

דבר אל בני ישראל ויקחו לי תרומה

Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them take for Me a portion. (25:2)

כי תקנה עבד עברי

When you acquire a Hebrew bondsman. (21:2)

ויבא משה ויספר לעם את כל דברי ד'... ויען כל העם ויאמרו כל הדברים אשר דבר ד' נעשה קול אחד

Moshe came and told the people all the words of Hashem… and the entire people responded with one voice and they said, “All the words that Hashem has spoken, we will do.” (24:3)

כי אני ה' רפאך

For I am Hashem Your healer. (15:26)

קדש לי כל בכור פטר כל רחם בבני ישראל באדם ובבהמה לי הוא

Sanctify for Me every firstborn of Bnei Yisrael, of man and animal, they are Mine. (13:2)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!