Challenge – Page 2 – Peninim on the Torah

ורצע אדניו את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם

And the master shall bore through his ear with the awl, and he shall serve him forever. (21:6)

Chazal (Kiddushin 22b) explain why the ear is the organ of the body that is pierced: “It is the ear that heard on Har Sinai that Bnei Yisrael should be servants (only) to Me, and this man went and acquired a (new) master for himself.” The obvious question is: if the purpose of the piercing is to reprimand the eved, bondsman, for continuing his servitude, why was it not pierced when he originally sold himself to pay for his ill-begotten debts? Why wait until the end of his tenure? Furthermore, why is the master the one who bores the ear?…

Home -> 5786 -> Mishpatim

כי תראה חמור שנאך רבץ תחת משאו וחדלת מעזב לו – עזב תעזב עמו

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5786

If you see the donkey of someone you hate crouching under its burden, would you refrain from helping him? You shall help repeatedly with him. (23:5)

“Someone you hate.” Jews are not supposed to hate. V’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha; “Love your fellow as yourself” is a cornerstone of our faith. Obviously, this is not the common hatred based on envy and other social flaws. This must be a hate that falls under the rubric of permissibility, such as a fellow Jew who persistently commits sinful behavior – despite being warned and admonished repeatedly to desist from his spiritually egregious activities. Until that time that he listens and repents, he may be the focus of our disdain and even loathing. Such a person harms not only himself, but…

Home -> 5786 -> Beshalach

ולא יכלו לשתות מים ממרה כי מרים הם ... ויצעק אל ד' ויורהו ד' עץ וישלך אל המים וימתקו המים

Sruly Schnair In Beshalach, 5786

But they could not drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter … He cried out to Hashem, and He showed him a tree, he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. (15:23,25)

Horav Yechezkel Abramsky, zl, related the following homiletic rendering of these pesukim. (Apparently, he had heard the exposition from a Chassidic Jew.) On the surface, the pesukim relate that, when Klal Yisrael came to a place which was (later) called Marah, bitter, they found the drinking water to be bitter. As a result, they were unable to drink, and they questioned the choice of rest area. Moshe Rabbeinu prayed to Hashem, Who instructed him to throw a certain tree into the water, and it became sweet. Water is a metaphor for Torah. Be’er chafaruah sarim, “Well that the princes dug”…

Home -> 5786 -> Bo

עד מתי מאנת לענות מפני

Sruly Schnair In Bo, 5786

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? (10:3)

Horav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zl, asks, if we were to bring Pharaoh to trial before the International Court in The Hague — what would this evil man be convicted of? Pharaoh’s sins were monstrous, even by the standards of the most brutal, sadistic tyrants of history. Mass murder, enslavement, cruelty beyond imagination – all crimes against humanity, deserving of the most painful punishment. Yet, the Torah does not list these atrocities as an indictment against Pharaoh. The only thing the Torah writes is: “You refused!” Pharaoh refused to acknowledge Hashem as the One behind the punishment. He ignored the obvious…

Home -> 5786 -> Vaeira

וגם אני שמעתי את נאקת בני ישראל אשר מצרים מעבדים אותם ואזכור את בריתי

Sruly Schnair In Vaeira, 5786

And I, too, have heard the wail of Bnei Yisrael whom Egypt enslaves, and I have remembered My covenant. (6:5)

What is the meaning of the added “I, too,” as if Hashem is also listening, when, in fact, Who else but Hashem listens? Hashem heard the cries emanating from the Jewish slaves. Why is this referred to as “also”? The Chasam Sofer explains that, “I, too,” teaches us that, indeed, Hashem is not the only one listening. In Egypt, each and every Yid listened to the painful cries of his neighbor and, as a result, they commiserated with one another. They did not think only of their pain, but also of the pain of other Yidden who were suffering. When…

Home -> 5786 -> Vaeira

ושמתי פדות בין עמי ובין עמך למחר יהיה האות הזה

Sruly Schnair In Vaeira, 5786

I shall make a distinction between My people and your people – tomorrow this sign will come about. (8:19)

Simply speaking, Moshe Rabbeinu informed Pharaoh when each plague would begin. This was meant to underscore the miraculous nature of the plague. Horav Shalom Bentzion Felman, zl, explains this pasuk homiletically: “I will make a distinction between My people and your people.” What is this distinction? In which area of belief do we see a separation between Jew and non-Jew? Tomorrow, this sign will come about. It is with regard to the concept of “tomorrow” that we differ. The Jew who believes in Hashem lives with a constant awareness of “tomorrow.” Even if today appears bleak and filled with hardship,…

Home -> Vayigash -> 5786

ויבאו מצרימה יעקב וכל זרעו אתו ... בניו ובני בניו אתו בנתיו ובנות בניו וכל זרעו הביא אתו מצרימה

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayigash

And they came to Egypt… Yaakov and all his offspring with him … His sons and grandsons with him, his daughters and granddaughters and all his offspring he brought with him. (46:6,7)

The Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh comments concerning the redundancy of the text. It previously said that Yaakov v’chol zaro, with all his offspring, came to Egypt. Why does the Torah reiterate that his sons and grandsons came? Were they not part of his offspring? The Torah goes on to mention daughters and granddaughters, following the word ito, with him. First, why are they separated from the rest of the offspring? And why is the extra word ito added as a separation between sons/grandsons and daughters/granddaughters. The Ohr HaChaim explains that, indeed, with regard to their attitude, the different groups were not…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5786

ויהי מקץ שנתיים ימים ופרעה חולם

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Mikeitz

It happened two years to the day, Pharaoh was dreaming. (41:1)

At the end of Parashas Vayeishev (Bereishis 40:23), Rashi cites Midrash Rabbah (Bereishis 89:3), which teaches that Yosef placed his trust in the chamberlain to put in a few good words about him to Pharaoh. Perhaps this would secure his release from prison. For someone of Yosef HaTzadik’s elevated spiritual level, relying on people was beneath him. Thus, Yosef’s sentence was changed, and two more years were added. His request implied a subtle lack of bitachon, trust. Not that Yosef should have avoided exerting his hishtadlus, effort, which is crucial, but his heart relied too heavily on human intervention, rather…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5786

ויקרא יוסף את שם הבכור מנשה כי נשני אלקים את כל עמלי ואת כל בית אב

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Mikeitz

Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menashe for Hashem has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household. (41:51)

Clearly, Yosef could not have been so crass as to praise the fact that Hashem had allowed him to forget the tzaros, troubles, that had plagued him in his father’s home. While forgetting troubles, pain and anxiety is a good thing, what about his home did he want to forget? He was the son of Yaakov Avinu, not just any son, but his ben zekunim, son born to him in his old age, the son of Rachel Imeinu. He was the favorite son. Was all of this something he wanted to forget? On the other hand, unquestionably, life for Yosef…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5786

וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayeishev

Yaakov settled in the land of his father’s sojournings in the land of Canaan. (37:1)

Chazal teach that Yaakov Avinu sought to settle, to relax from the many struggles that had heretofore been a part of his life. Hashem responded with the mechiras Yosef. The message is clear: Tzaddikim are not on this world for a tranquil walk in the park. Their tranquility will be their reward in Olam Habba, which they earn in this world. Clearly, Yaakov’s idea of shalvah, serenity, was on a spiritual plane, during which he could spend every waking moment immersed in Torah. Life is about overcoming and living with challenge. Everything that we receive from Hashem comes with a…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Mishpatim ->

ורצע אדניו את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם

And the master shall bore through his ear with the awl, and he shall serve him forever. (21:6)

כי תראה חמור שנאך רבץ תחת משאו וחדלת מעזב לו – עזב תעזב עמו

If you see the donkey of someone you hate crouching under its burden, would you refrain from helping him? You shall help repeatedly with him. (23:5)

ולא יכלו לשתות מים ממרה כי מרים הם ... ויצעק אל ד' ויורהו ד' עץ וישלך אל המים וימתקו המים

But they could not drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter … He cried out to Hashem, and He showed him a tree, he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. (15:23,25)

עד מתי מאנת לענות מפני

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? (10:3)

וגם אני שמעתי את נאקת בני ישראל אשר מצרים מעבדים אותם ואזכור את בריתי

And I, too, have heard the wail of Bnei Yisrael whom Egypt enslaves, and I have remembered My covenant. (6:5)

ושמתי פדות בין עמי ובין עמך למחר יהיה האות הזה

I shall make a distinction between My people and your people – tomorrow this sign will come about. (8:19)

ויבאו מצרימה יעקב וכל זרעו אתו ... בניו ובני בניו אתו בנתיו ובנות בניו וכל זרעו הביא אתו מצרימה

And they came to Egypt… Yaakov and all his offspring with him … His sons and grandsons with him, his daughters and granddaughters and all his offspring he brought with him. (46:6,7)

ויהי מקץ שנתיים ימים ופרעה חולם

It happened two years to the day, Pharaoh was dreaming. (41:1)

ויקרא יוסף את שם הבכור מנשה כי נשני אלקים את כל עמלי ואת כל בית אב

Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menashe for Hashem has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household. (41:51)

וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען

Yaakov settled in the land of his father’s sojournings in the land of Canaan. (37:1)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!