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Home -> 5771 -> Nitzavim

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Nitzavim, 5771

You are all standing today, before Hashem, your G-d. (29:9)

Much has been written today concerning the meaning of the above pasuk. What is the significance of the nation’s “standing” before Hashem? Also, why enumerate them according to class: leaders, elders, officers, men, women, children, and converts? Horav Karlinstein quotes the halachah that during those parts of the davening when one must stand, he must stand freely. This means that if he leans against something, such as a shtender, lectern, to the point that if it were to be removed he would fall over, it is not considered standing. This is considered leaning. Rav Karlinstein derives an important lesson concerning…

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Home -> 5771 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5771

You will grope at noontime as a blind man gropes in darkness. (28:29)

The Talmud Megillah 24b quotes Rabbi Yosi who asks: What difference does it make to the blind man whether he is groping around in the afternoon or in the evening? Regardless of the external light, the blind man’s world remains dark. Rabbi Yosi says that he was troubled by this question for some time, until once he was walking through the streets on a very dark night. As he walked, he noticed a blind man groping his way down the street. What was unusual about the blind man was that he was carrying a torch in his hands. “Why carry…

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Home -> 5771 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5771

All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you hearken to the voice of Hashem, your G-d. (28:2)

The word v’he’sigucha, “will overtake you,” is enigmatic. Are we running from blessing, that it must overtake us? If that is the case, let us stop running! The answer is simple. At times, a person thinks he is chasing blessing, when, in truth, what he is pursuing is far from a blessing. What he thinks is beneficial and fortuitous could actually catalyze his downfall. Thus, the Torah tells us that the blessing, the real blessing – the one which we mistakenly thought was not a blessing – will overtake us, even though we have done everything to prevent it from…

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Home -> 5771 -> Ki Seitzei

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Seitzei, 5771

When you will go out to war against your enemies, and Hashem, your G-d, will deliver them into your hands and you will capture its captivity. (21:10)

The Baal Shem Tov HaKadosh says that the war to which the Torah alludes is none other  than  the  war  of  our  lives  –  the  daily  battle  which  we  wage  against  the blandishments of the yetzer hara, evil-inclination. The Torah is teaching us v’shavisa shivyo, “And you will capture its captivity,” essentially, we should grab the yetzer hara, take it captive, and learn from its strategy. Let one study the yetzer hara’s guile, how it ensnares us to sin, disregarding the type or severity of the sin. Who cares? As long as one sins, he is ensnared in the trap…

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Home -> 5771 -> Re'eh

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Re'eh, 5771

See/Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse. (11:26)

One of the basic tenets of Judaism is that man is equipped with the ability to discern between good and bad, right and wrong. He is also equipped with the capacity to choose right over wrong, good over evil. Contrary to popular opinion, man is not destined to do bad, to veer to the wrong side of the truth. If he does so, it is purely of his own volition, and not due to a predetermined GPS within his psyche that always steers him to do evil. The Torah says, “See/Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” Towards…

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Home -> 5771 -> Eikev

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Eikev, 5771

You shall teach them to your children to discuss them. (11:19)

The words, l’daber bam, “to discuss/speak in them,” are a key to understanding the essence of a father’s obligation of limud haTorah to his son. In the Talmud Bava Basra 60b, Chazal relate the story of two litigants that came before Rabbi Yanai – with a halachic dispute. One litigant insisted that Rabbi Yanai require his disputant to cut the branches of his tree which were encroaching on his property. The sage heard their arguments and asked them to return the next day for his rendering of judgment. As soon as they left, Rabbi Yanai quickly ran home to cut the…

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Home -> 5771 -> Va'eschanan

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Va'eschanan, 5771

You shall love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart… And these words… shall be upon your heart. (6:5,6)

The pasuk tells us that one should love Hashem with all of his heart. This is followed by the  admonition  to  place  “these  words”  on one’s  heart.  A connection  must  exist between the two “hearts” mentioned. The Sifri asks how does one manifest his love for Hashem? The Almighty is not a mortal. He has no corporeality. How does one experience this sense of love? Chazal answer that the key lies in the words, V’hayu ha’devarim ha’eileh… al l’vavecha, “And these words … shall be upon your heart.” By inscribing Hashem’s words on our heart, we come to recognize, acknowledge…

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Home -> Devarim -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5771, Devarim

For as an inheritance to Eisav have I given Mount Seir. (2:5)

The old cliché goes; Es is shver tzu zein a Yid, “It is difficult to be a Jew.” While this is a wrong attitude for a Jew to have, from a practical point of view, it may be considered true. Living an observant lifestyle takes a certain amount of conviction, resolution and forbearance. What we fail to acknowledge is that the cliché might have some validity – there may be a good explanation for the manifold challenges that a Jew confronts in life. Horav Aharon Bakst, zl, explains this as a reason for the distinction between Yaakov Avinu and Eisav…

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Home -> Devarim -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5771, Devarim

These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael. (1:1)

Chazal teach that Moshe Rabbeinu’s “words” were actually words of rebuke, veiled in a manner not to embarrass Klal Yisrael. Tochachah, rebuke, is a mitzvah. The Torah teaches in Vayikra 19:17, Ho’cheiaich tochiach es amisecha, “You shall reprove your fellow.” This is part of caring about and loving our fellowman. Regrettably, some people get carried away with their performance of this mitzvah. While administering rebuke is a mitzvah, it is not one that applies to everyone. In other words, not all of us are capable of – or fit the criteria – for an individual who may express reproof to…

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Home -> Masei -> 5771

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5771, Masei

He shall dwell in it until the death of the Kohen Gadol, whom he had anointed with the sacred oil. (35:25)

What did the Kohen Gadol, High Priest, do to deserve such a “relationship” with the unintentional murderer? It is almost as if the Kohen Gadol shares punitively with the rotzeiach b’shogeig. Rashi explains that the Kohen Gadol serves as the nation’s spiritual leader. As such, he has a responsibility to pray for his people – pray that no one sustains a fatal accident at the hands of another Jew. Apparently, he either did not pray, or he did not pray with sufficient intensity. In any event, a man was killed unintentionally. The Kohen Gadol must assume some of this responsibility….

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