Challenge – Page 39 – Peninim on the Torah

וירא אלקים את האור כי טוב

And Elokim saw the light that it was good. (1:4)

The Talmud Yoma 38b states: “Rabbi Elazar says: it is worth for the world to be created even for (the benefit it derived from) one tzaddik, righteous person.” This is derived from the above pasuk, “And Elokim saw the light that it was good.” There is no “good” like a tzaddik. We also find in Mishlei 10:25, V’tzaddik yesod olam, “A righteous person is the foundation of the world.” We now have some inkling of the great merit that a tzaddik has in this world. One tzaddik – not a world of tzaddikim – only one, single, righteous person makes…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5775

איש על דגלו באתת לבית אבתם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Bamidbar

Each man by his banner according to the insignias of his father’s household. (2:2)

Each of the three-tribe formations was distinguished by a distinctively-colored banner which included the tribal colors of each of its three tribes. Horav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, zl, explains this pasuk homiletically. While it is undoubtedly important that a person follow in the footsteps of his forebears (concerning: nusach ha’tefillah, version of one’s prayer service; specific customs and traditions, and perspective on Jewish life), one should never be satisfied with just “following”; rather, he should be “a man” in his own right: forging his own path, developing his own perspective; innovating his own customs. It is our function to augment the…

Home -> 5776 -> Yisro

והודעת להם את הדרך ילכו בה ואת המעשה אשר יעשון

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Yisro, 5776

You shall make known to them the path in which they should go and the deeds that they should do. (18:20)

Haderech yeilchu bah, “The path in which they should go.” Yeilchu, “they should go,” is a reference to visiting the sick. By virtue of simply “going” to visit someone who is ill, even if he does nothing, the individual has already fulfilled the mitzvah. What is it about simply visiting that provides mitzvah fulfillment? Obviously, the optimum mitzvah is spending time, talking. Calming the patient– encouraging and engendering hope — is what the patient needs, but the mitzvah at its basic is fulfilled merely with a visit. Perhaps by understanding the immediate consequences of illness we can better comprehend why…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5776

ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה אשר ידעו ד' פנים אל פנים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, V'zos HaBrachah

Never again has there been in Yisrael a prophet like Moshe, whom Hashem had known face to face. (34:10)

Moshe Rabbeinu merited an outstanding epitaph: the greatest prophet; an individual who spoke panim el panim, face to face, with Hashem. Yet, despite these accolades, Moshe was considered the most humble person to walk the face of the earth. To maintain one’s humility in the face of such incredible, singular praise is in and of itself an uncommon virtue. Surely, Moshe was acutely aware of his eminence. How did he maintain such humility? Veritably, the question applies to so many of our gedolim, Torah giants. These were men of unusual brilliance, who achieved unprecedented heights in Torah achievement. Yet, they…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5776

ויקבר אתו בגי הארץ מואב מול בית פעור ולא ידע איש את קבורתו עד היום הזה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, V'zos HaBrachah

He buried him in the depression, in the land of Moav, opposite Bais-Peor, and no one knows his burial place to this day. (34:6)

Chazal teach that Moshe Rabbeinu’s grave had been ready for him since the six days of creation. Furthermore, his burial place has never been revealed. The fact that his burial place is one of the ten miraculous phenomena created during twilight on Erev Shabbos of the sixth day of creation endows it with a supernatural makeup. Thus, it has never been discovered. Rashi explains that Moshe was buried opposite Peor in order to atone for the incident of mass immorality which took place there. The sin committed with the pagan women of Moav undermines the very underpinnings of our faith….

Home -> 5776 -> Vayishlach

הצילני נא מיד אחי מיד עשו כי ירא אנכי אותו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5776

Rescue me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisav, because I fear him. (32:12)

Rashi explains the apparent redundancy continued in the pasuk: Miyad achi, miyad Eisav; “From the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisav.” Sometimes Eisav acts like my brother, showing love and friendship which conceal his true, nefarious intentions. Other times Eisav acts like the evil person that he is, challenging me and stirring up adversity for me to overcome. Both the Kedushas Levi and the Chozeh m’Lublin write that Yaakov Avinu prayed to Hashem to spare him the challenge of Eisav, the yetzer hora, evil inclination, who was coming at him in the form of Eisav, his “dear”…

Home -> Vayigash -> 5776

ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף להורות לפניו גשנה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Vayigash

He sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead of him in Goshen. (46:28)

Chazal teach that Yaakov Avinu sent Yehudah to Goshen for the purpose of establishing the first yeshivah, from whence Torah and its teachings would be disseminated. Why did Yaakov choose Yehudah over any of the other brothers – especially Yissachar, who was the paradigm of Torah study and scholarship? The Midrash Tanchuma teaches a novel idea to explain why Yaakov made this choice. Apparently, for years, ever since the disappearance of Yosef, when Yehudah was the one who presented Yosef’s bloodied tunic, the Patriarch had suspected Yehudah of culpability in (what he believed to be) Yosef’s death. Now that he…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5776

ומצאוהו רעות רבות וצרות ואמר ביום ההוא הלא על כי אין אלקי בקרבי מצאוני הרעות האלה. ואנכי הסתר אסתיר פני ביום ההוא על כל הרעה אשר עשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Vayeilech

And many evils and distresses will encounter it. It will say on that day, “Is it not because my G-d is not in my midst that these evils have come upon me?” But I will surely have concealed My face on that day because of all the evil that he did. (31:17,18)

If the People finally came to the realization that the source of their troubles was Hashem’s concealing Himself from them, why does Hashem continue the punishment by concealing Himself even more? Why add more punishment if the people already have become aware of the reason for their troubles? The point has been made; now, it is time to move on. Horav Shlomo Teichtal, zl, explains this with a parable. A person had tried for some time to meet with a government official to discuss a zoning variance. It was crucial for his business that the zoning laws be modified so…

Home -> 5776 -> Vayeira

וימל אברהם את יצחק בנו בן שמונת ימים כאשר צוה אתו אלקים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayeira, 5776

And Avraham circumcised his son, Yitzchak, when he was eight days old, as Hashem had commanded him. (21:4)

For the Jew, Bris Milah, circumcision, is much more than a rite of passage; it defines him. This applies to a halachic bris, performed by a bona fide mohel. It does not apply to the surgical procedure performed by one is who not of the Jewish faith – either by birth or by practice. The Jewish child that has been ritually circumcised shares an inextricable bond with the Almighty that transcends any form of physical ligature. In his commentary to Chumash, Horav Aryeh Leib Heyman, zl, very beautifully explains this relationship. He notes that the Torah does not mention Avraham…

Home -> 5776 -> Vayeira

ויאמר אברהם כי אמרתי רק אין יראת אלקים במקום הזה והרגוני על דבר אשתי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayeira, 5776

And Avraham said, “Because I said, “There is but no fear of G-d in this place and they will slay me because of my wife.” (20:11)

We can derive a powerful lesson from Avraham Avinu’s statement. Yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven, is the “be all” and “end all.” One who fears Hashem has hope that he will navigate through life’s journey without encountering challenges that are insurmountable – not because they will not occur, but because he has the one tool that gives him the ability to surmount and triumph over whatever the “satans” of life throw at him. Avraham felt that a lack of yiraas Shomayim on the part of the Plishtim could even lead to bloodshed. We see this on a regular basis. When…

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וירא אלקים את האור כי טוב

And Elokim saw the light that it was good. (1:4)

איש על דגלו באתת לבית אבתם

Each man by his banner according to the insignias of his father’s household. (2:2)

והודעת להם את הדרך ילכו בה ואת המעשה אשר יעשון

You shall make known to them the path in which they should go and the deeds that they should do. (18:20)

ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה אשר ידעו ד' פנים אל פנים

Never again has there been in Yisrael a prophet like Moshe, whom Hashem had known face to face. (34:10)

ויקבר אתו בגי הארץ מואב מול בית פעור ולא ידע איש את קבורתו עד היום הזה

He buried him in the depression, in the land of Moav, opposite Bais-Peor, and no one knows his burial place to this day. (34:6)

הצילני נא מיד אחי מיד עשו כי ירא אנכי אותו

Rescue me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisav, because I fear him. (32:12)

ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף להורות לפניו גשנה

He sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead of him in Goshen. (46:28)

ומצאוהו רעות רבות וצרות ואמר ביום ההוא הלא על כי אין אלקי בקרבי מצאוני הרעות האלה. ואנכי הסתר אסתיר פני ביום ההוא על כל הרעה אשר עשה

And many evils and distresses will encounter it. It will say on that day, “Is it not because my G-d is not in my midst that these evils have come upon me?” But I will surely have concealed My face on that day because of all the evil that he did. (31:17,18)

וימל אברהם את יצחק בנו בן שמונת ימים כאשר צוה אתו אלקים

And Avraham circumcised his son, Yitzchak, when he was eight days old, as Hashem had commanded him. (21:4)

ויאמר אברהם כי אמרתי רק אין יראת אלקים במקום הזה והרגוני על דבר אשתי

And Avraham said, “Because I said, “There is but no fear of G-d in this place and they will slay me because of my wife.” (20:11)

YEARS

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