Challenge – Page 17 – Peninim on the Torah

ואמר אל אדני אלי לא תלך האשה אחרי

And I said to my master, “Perhaps the woman will not follow me?” (24:39)

Life is not always a bed of roses. Disappointments are part of the Heavenly-designed world in which we live. How one reacts and responds to disappointments is the barometer of his acknowledgement that it is Hashem – not he – who runs the world. Accepting disappointment — and, in fact, growing from it — is the mark of a great person. When Avraham Avinu sent his trusted student/servant, Eliezer, on a mission to find a suitable mate for his son, Yitzchak (Avinu), he set forth one critical criterion which was non-negotiable: Under no circumstances was Yitzchak permitted to live with…

Home -> 5779 -> Vayeira

וישלח אברהם את ידו ויקח את המאכלת לשחט את בנו

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5779

Avraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slaughter his son. (22:10)

A dear friend who became observant late in life, after raising his children to be devoutly secular Jews with little or no Jewish identity, was told by his daughter, “What bothers me most about your commitment to Orthodoxy is that you care more about G-d than you do about me!” A powerful accusation – if one is not Orthodox. One whose life is wholly regulated by the Torah understands that it is all about G-d. He comes first. This does not in any way suggest that frum people do not have feelings for family. If anything, they place a higher…

Home -> 5779 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Sruly Schnair In Noach, 5779

Noach was a righteous person, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

One of the more well-known debates among Chazal concerns the nature of Noach’s righteousness: Was it the real thing, or was it relative to the evildoers of his generation? Some sages maintain that it is in his praise: Noach was righteous even in his generation, which was corrupt. How much more so would he have been righteous in the generation of Avraham Avinu, which did not suffer from such an ignominious population? Others feel that b’dorosav, in his generations, is a critique of Noach, suggesting that only in his generation, which was extremely wicked, could he have earned such a…

Home -> 5779 -> Bereishis

זה ספר תולדות אדם

Sruly Schnair In Bereishis, 5779

This is the account of the descendants of Adam. (5:1)

The Midrash (cited by Yalkut Shemoni Bereishis 5:41) relates that Hashem passed all forthcoming generations before Adam HaRishon. When Adam saw that David Hamelech had been allotted only three hours of life, he asked, “Hashem, is there no remedy for this? (Is there not some way to lengthen David’s life?)” Hashem replied, “This is, indeed, what I had in mind (accept the three hours without question). Adam then asked, “How many years of life have I been allotted?” Hashem replied, “One thousand years.” Adam asked, “May I give a gift?” Hashem said, “Yes.” Adam then bequeathed seventy years of his…

Home -> Vayakhel -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Vayakhel

“He filled him with G-dly spirit, with wisdom, insight and knowledge… He gave him the ability to teach.” (35:31,34)

In his commentary on this pasuk, the Ibn Ezra places great emphasis upon Betzalel’s unique ability to teach and train others in the skills required for creating the Mishkan, its holy vessels, and the priestly vestments. Many great scholars are replete with wisdom and understanding, but they lack the ability to properly convey their remarkable scholarship to others. Rather than viewing the teaching profession as a vocation which borders on mediocrity, Ibn Ezra extolls the virtue of those who are able to teach and do so. Horav A.H. Leibovitz, Shlita, notes that Betzalel is lauded for conveying mundane knowledge to…

Home -> Vayigash -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Vayigash

“And he (Yaakov) sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead of him in Goshen.” (46:28)

In citing the Midrash which interprets the word, ruvk as “to teach,” Rashi uses a word which lends ambiguity to his statement. He says “to prepare for him a House of Study.” Why does Rashi add the word “for him?” He should have simply said to make a House of Study. Why is it necessary to emphasize that it was “for him”? When Horav Eliyahu Meir Bloch, z.l., came to these shores together with Horav Chaim Mordechai Katz, z.l., to rebuild Yeshivas Telz, he used this Rashi as the source for maintaining the yeshivah in the same character and form…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Mikeitz

“Now let Pharaoh seek out a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.” (41:33)

After successfully interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, Yosef offered his unsolicited advice. He counseled Pharaoh to appoint a unique individual who possessed an acute mind and an uncanny ability to organize the entire country during the seven years of plenty. Horav Eliyahu Lopian, z.l., questions the need to appoint someone who is unusually perceptive. This is an undertaking for an individual who is endowed with excellent organizational and administrative skills, not someone who is astute. He responds that it takes one who is especially gifted to “see” the years of hunger at the very moment that he and everyone else are enjoying…

Home -> 5756 -> Vayishlach

Sruly Schnair In Vayishlach, 5756

“So you shall say unto my master Eisav, ‘So says your servant Yaakov, I have sojourned with Lavan and stayed until now.” (32:5)

Rashi explains that the numerical equivalent of the word h,rd is 613, which corresponds to the number of mitzvos in the Torah. Yaakov was proudly relating to Eisav that during his stay with Lavan he kept the entire Torah. His sojourn in the harmful environment of the crooked Lavan had no adverse spiritual effect upon him. A number of issues regarding Yaakov’s dialogue with Eisav should be addressed. First, what did Yaakov imply with his assertion, “And (I) stayed until now”? Did he owe Eisav an excuse for returning so late? Is Eisav his “brother’s keeper” that he must be…

Home -> -> 5754

Sruly Schnair In 5754

“And there came the fugitive and told Avram, the Ivri.” (14:13)

The Radak explains that Avram was called “Ivri,” since he was the descendant of Ever. Presenting an alternative approach, the Midrash contends that he was called Ivri in recognition of his position vis-a-vis the rest of the world. The word “rcg” means “the other side.” This suggests that Avraham was on one side of the moral/spiritual divide, while the rest of the world was on the other side. Although Avraham had many disciples, he remained essentially alone. His beliefs and moral rectitude precluded his integration into the pagan society which reigned at the time. The concept of “being alone” in…

Home -> 5754 -> Ki Seitzei

Sruly Schnair In Ki Seitzei, 5754

“You shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.” (25:19)

What is the meaning of the “remembrance of Amalek”? Is it not sufficient simply to destroy Amalek? Horav S.R. Hirsch z.l. explains that it is not Amalek who is so threatening to the future of humanity. Rather, “zecher Amalek,” the remembrance of Amalek, the glorifying of Amalek’s memory, is the prime danger. As long as in the annals of history the murderers and plunderers are venerated as heroes, as long as these heinous criminals are not buried into oblivion, their names will gradually be “cleansed.” With each successive generation individuals will arise who seek to glorify these “great warriors.” These…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Chayei Sarah ->

ואמר אל אדני אלי לא תלך האשה אחרי

And I said to my master, “Perhaps the woman will not follow me?” (24:39)

וישלח אברהם את ידו ויקח את המאכלת לשחט את בנו

Avraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slaughter his son. (22:10)

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Noach was a righteous person, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

זה ספר תולדות אדם

This is the account of the descendants of Adam. (5:1)

“He filled him with G-dly spirit, with wisdom, insight and knowledge… He gave him the ability to teach.” (35:31,34)

“And he (Yaakov) sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead of him in Goshen.” (46:28)

“Now let Pharaoh seek out a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.” (41:33)

“So you shall say unto my master Eisav, ‘So says your servant Yaakov, I have sojourned with Lavan and stayed until now.” (32:5)

“And there came the fugitive and told Avram, the Ivri.” (14:13)

“You shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.” (25:19)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!