Bracha – Page 40 – Peninim on the Torah

“And it shall come to pass if you listen more seriously to the voice of Hashem your G-d… conscientiously to do all the mitzvos… and all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you listen to the voice of Hashem, your G-d.” (28:1-2)

The above pasuk characterizes the observance of Hashem’s mitzvos as the primary vehicle of demonstrating our obedience to Him. We are to listen to Hashem’s voice for the sole purpose of fulfilling His law. In return for this life of service to Him, we have been promised an abundance of material blessing wherever we go. Wherever we may be, we will be accompanied by Hashem’s blessing. One simple criterion must be met: “To obey Hashem in order to fulfill His laws.” Material wealth should serve as a means, but never as the goal, for the Jewish people. We will…

Home -> 5752 -> Re'eh

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Re'eh, 5752

“The blessing: that you listen to the commands of Hashem your G-d … And the curse if you will not listen to the commands of Hashem your G-d.” (11:27-28)

Significantly, in reference to the blessing the Torah does not state “if you will listen,” but “that you will listen.” Hashem does not promise us earthly blessings because we have fulfilled His precepts. On the contrary, He wants us to fulfill His precepts in order that we be motivated towards an even higher level of adherence to Torah and mitzvos. In fact, greater material abundance strengthens our ability to translate Hashem’s laws into concrete practice. Indeed, fulfilling the mitzvah of “tzitzis” obviously requires the possessions of a garment, while the mitzvah of mezuzah requires one to maintain a form of…

Home -> Devarim -> 5752

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5752, Devarim

“And Di Zahav.” (1:1)

Rashi interprets the place of Di Zahav etymologically to refer to the “excess gold” that Bnei Yisrael acquired upon leaving Egypt. Unfortunately they submitted to their cravings and created the Golden Calf from this abundant gold. Boredom coupled with affluence can create a highly volatile situation. If Moshe’s goal was to rebuke Bnei Yisrael for the Golden Calf, why did he provide them with a defense for this deed? Excess gold may, indeed, have been the reason for the sun of the Golden Calf. Horav Dovid Feinstein Shlita explains that there are two distinct possible orientations towards newly…

Home -> 5752 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chukas, 5752

“Why did you bring us up from Egypt, to die in the desert? For there is no bread and no water, and our soul is sick of the unsubstantial food.” (21:5)

With this pasuk we are introduced to a rare form of ingratitude. Horav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch Z”l points out that Bnei Yisrael’s discontent turned directly against Hashem. They did not doubt the authenticity of Moshe’s mission, but rather they felt that Hashem’s guidance was inadequate. In complaining about the manna, the miracle food from heaven, they were undoubtedly not complaining about a lack of nourishment. Their grievance lay in the fact that they weren’t eating “natural” food in the ordinary human way. The effortless, albeit miraculous, way of receiving bodily sustenance had become monotonous and tiresome. Instead of appreciating…

Home -> 5752 -> Korach

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5752

“And Korach, the son of Yitzar, the son of Kehas, took.” (16:1)

Korach was truly blessed. In fact, he possessed all those characteristics which should have destined him to be a great leader of Klal Yisrael. He was astute and erudite in Torah knowledge. He descended from a distinguished lineage. Why then did he so tragically fail? Horav Simcha Bunim of Pshischa, cites Korach’s inability to wait for the crown of leadership to be conferred upon him as the reason for his downfall. As the Torah clearly states “and Korach took” , he attempted to assume leadership by force. The mantle of leadership over the Jewish people is one that is earned…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5752

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5752, Bamidbar

“All that were numbered of the Leviim, whom Moshe and Aharon numbered… All the males from a month old and upward, were twenty two thousand.” (3:39)

Ramban takes note of the fact that the members of the tribe of Levi were fewer than the other tribes in number. Although they had been counted from the age of a month old and above (unlike the other tribes who were counted only from the age of twenty years and over), they still numbered only twenty two thousand. It is astonishing that Hashem’s servants and pious devotees should not be blessed to the extreme that the rest of the people were. Ramban suggests that this is a confirmation of Chazal’s statement in Midrash Tanchuma that the tribe of Levi…

Home -> Bechukosai -> 5752

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5752, Bechukosai

If in My statutes you shall walk, and My commandments you shall keep, and do them.” (26:3)

Rashi interprets the Torah’s imperative to “walk” in Hashem’s statutes as meaning to toil laboriously in the study of Torah. It seems peculiar that Torah study, which is an intellectual pursuit of knowledge, should be characterized by the term “chok” – which denotes a statute whose rationale is not necessarily comprehensible by human intelligence. Horav Simcha Zisel Shlita explains that the Torah is teaching us the proper perspective with which one should view Torah study. Torah study should be more than an exercise in mental gymnastics; rather, it should be a total immersion of one’s essence in the…

Home -> Bechukosai -> 5752

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5752, Bechukosai

“If in My statutes, you shall walk.” (26:3)

What is the meaning of “walking” in Hashem’s statutes? This idea can be elucidated allegorically with the following parable: A group of people are sitting together around a large table. As long as they sit together, eating and drinking, there are no noticeable characteristics distinguishing any individual among them. This situation changes at the end of the meal, when they rise to go. All but one individual leave and go on their way. Only one person remains sitting in his place, as if paralyzed in his position. This riddle is solved only after careful inquiry. Due to a serious physical…

Home -> Behar -> 5752

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5752, Behar

“When you will come into the land… and the land shall rest, a Shabbos to ‘в. Six years you shall sow your field… but in the seventh year a Shabbos of solemn rest shall be for the land.” – “And if you shall ask, what shall we eat in the seventh year? Behold we may not sow or gather our crops. And I will command My blessing upon you in the sixth year. And it shall bring forth produce for the three years.” (25:20-21)

Studying the above pesukim, one is confronted with two simple, but striking questions. First, why was it necessary to state that we must first sow the land for six years? Is it not obvious that one must first “work” the land, so that it may later “rest”? It would have been sufficient simply to state “At the end of the six years you shall make shmittah”? Second, these pesukim provide the rationale for the question, “What will we eat during the seventh year?” Is it not customary to eat during the seventh year that which grew during the previous year?…

Home -> 5752 -> Shemini

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5752

“And Moshe and Aharon went into the Ohel Moed and came out and blessed the people. And the glory of Hashem appeared unto all the people.” (9:23)

Rashi cites the Safra who gives the following reason for Moshe’s accompanying Aharon into the Ohel Moed. Aharon noted that all the sacrifices had been offered and all the services had been performed. He was grieved that the Divine Presence had not yet come down to Klal Yisrael. He blamed himself for Hashem’s apparent rejection of the Jewish people’s offerings and supplications. He even felt that Moshe had put him to shame by asking him to enter the Ohel Moed alone. Therefore, Moshe immediately entered with Aharon, and together they entreated Hashem for mercy. This act of cooperation caused the…

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“And it shall come to pass if you listen more seriously to the voice of Hashem your G-d… conscientiously to do all the mitzvos… and all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you listen to the voice of Hashem, your G-d.” (28:1-2)

“The blessing: that you listen to the commands of Hashem your G-d … And the curse if you will not listen to the commands of Hashem your G-d.” (11:27-28)

“And Di Zahav.” (1:1)

“Why did you bring us up from Egypt, to die in the desert? For there is no bread and no water, and our soul is sick of the unsubstantial food.” (21:5)

“And Korach, the son of Yitzar, the son of Kehas, took.” (16:1)

“All that were numbered of the Leviim, whom Moshe and Aharon numbered… All the males from a month old and upward, were twenty two thousand.” (3:39)

If in My statutes you shall walk, and My commandments you shall keep, and do them.” (26:3)

“If in My statutes, you shall walk.” (26:3)

“And Moshe and Aharon went into the Ohel Moed and came out and blessed the people. And the glory of Hashem appeared unto all the people.” (9:23)

YEARS

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