Chesed – Page 16 – Peninim on the Torah

קנים תעשה את התבה

Sruly Schnair In Noach, 5779

Make the Ark with compartments. (6:14)

The simple explanation of this pasuk is that the Ark was built with various compartments to house its many “travelers.” Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 31:9) interpret kinnim as being derived from ken, a nest, referring to the birds which are offered by the metzora, spiritual leper, as penance for the sins that catalyzed the contraction of his disease. They comment, “As the ken metzora purifies the leper, so, too, does the Teivah, Ark, purify its passengers.” This is a reference to its human cargo, Noach and his family. Horav Reuven Karlinstein, zl, explains that the purification of the Teivah refers to…

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 -> 5756 -> Toldos

Sruly Schnair In Toldos, 5756

“These are the generations of Yitzchak, the son of Avraham, Avraham begat Yitzchak.” (25:19)

The commentators address the apparent redundancy of the pasuk. Obviously, if Yitzchak was the son of Avraham, then Avraham begat Yitzchak. In his commentary on Chumash, the Tzemach Tzedek offers an explanation rooted in Chasidus. Avraham Avinu is a figure who serves as a paradigm for avodas Hashem, service of Hashem, through love and chesed. In contrast, Yitzchak is the model of fear and stringency. These two divergent approaches to serving the Divine have two levels. The lower level of fear is represented by yiraas ha’onesh, fear of punishment. The higher, more sublime sense of fear, yiraas ha’rommemus, is described…

Home -> 5756 -> Bereishis

Sruly Schnair In Bereishis, 5756

“In the beginning, Hashem created.” (1:1)

In the Yalkut Shimoni, Chazal explain why the Torah begins with the letter “Bais.” The Midrash relates that when Hashem was about to create the world, each of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet came before Him and asked that the world be created specifically with its letter. The “Taf” felt it should be first since it begins the word “Torah.” This scenario continued, with each letter vying for the honor of being chosen for this most sublime “occasion.” At the end, the letter “Bais” entered and said it should be selected since the Bais is used for blessing…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5754

Sruly Schnair In 5754, V'zos HaBrachah

“And He buried him in Gai.” (34:6)

Rashi explains that Moshe was buried personally by Hashem. In the Talmud Sotah 14 Chazal remark how the final activity in the Torah is an act of chesed, loving-kindness. They reflect upon the fact that the Torah begins with an act of chesed, Hashem clothing Adam and Chavah, and closes with Hashem burying Moshe. This is why the Torah is referred to as Toras Chesed, the Torah of loving-kindness. The Maharsha explains that Chazal are describing the true nature of Torah as the ultimate source of chesed. Every commandment has its source in the development of chesed. The Me’il Tzedakkah…

Home -> 5754 -> Ki Seitzei

Sruly Schnair In Ki Seitzei, 5754

“An Amoni or Moavi may not enter Hashem’s marriage group even after the tenth generation… (This is) because they did not greet you with bread and wife water.” (23:4,5)

The spiritual fate of Amon and Moav was sealed not because of immorality, murder, or other vicious crimes, but because of their lack of chesed, kindness. An Egyptian who converts, even an Amalkite, is accepted into Hashem’s congregation after the third generation. This is not the case with an Amoni or Moavi. This exclusion is due to their apparent disdain of the middah, character trait of chesed. Klal Yisrael’s most vicious enemies, perpetrators of the most heinous acts of murder, can one day “make it.” In contrast, the one who rejects chesed can not. This is perplexing! What greater lack…

Home -> 5778 -> Va'eschanan

אנכי ד' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים

Moshe Marcovich In Va'eschanan, 5778

I am Hashem, your G-d, Who took you out of Egypt. (5:6)

In his Bais Elokim (Shaar Hayesodos 12), the Mabit observes that the first five Dibros/Commandments, which were on the right side of the Luchos, address mitzvos which are bein adam laMakom, between man and Hashem. The five commandments on the left side address mitzvos bein adam la’chaveiro, between man and fellow man. Interestingly, the commandments which relate to mitzvos between man and G-d are textually much longer than those which are bein adam la’chaveiro. Three of these are comprised of two words. He explains that, while each letter of the commandments has great cosmic significance [there are 620 letters in…

Home -> Behar -> 5778

לא תעבד בו עבדת עבד

Moshe Marcovich In 5778, Behar

You shall not work with him slave labor. (25:39)

The eved Ivri, Jewish bondsman/slave, is not a slave in the generally accepted sense of the word. He is an indentured servant, who, for a specific period of time, neither is free to do as he wants, nor to resign his employment. Nonetheless, their masters must treat them with such delicacy and consideration that Chazal (Kiddushin 20a) say, “One who purchases a (Jewish) slave for himself buys himself a master.” The master is forbidden to assign him to perform degrading work that would be relegated only to a slave. He is to be assigned skilled, dignified labor like hired help….

Home -> 5754 -> Vayeira

Moshe Marcovich In Vayeira, 5754

And Hashem appeared unto him (Avraham) in Elonei Mamre . . . and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold three men stood over him and he ran to meet them . . . and he took curd and milk and the calf which he prepared and set it before them. (18:1,2,8)

The Torah’s narrative elaborates Avraham’s unparalleled performance of hachnosas orchim, hospitality to wayfarers. Indeed, many halachos regarding the proper performance of chesed, kindness, are derived from this pasuk. Rabbi A. Pam, Shlita, makes a noteworthy observation. When Avraham noticed the three strangers, he was personally in the midst of receiving the Shechinah. He was completely withdrawn from any form of physical sensation. The world of gashmius, materialism, was theoretical. When the opportunity to perform kindness surfaced, however, he immediately turned to prepare food for the guests. Nothing was spared. A sumptuous meal with all of the trimmings was prepared. Suddenly,…

Home -> 5754 -> Noach

Moshe Marcovich In Noach, 5754

And the dove came to him in the evening and behold an olive leaf, freshly plucked, was in her mouth. (8:11)

Rashi cites the Talmud Eruvin 18b which notes that the bitter tasting leaf was unnatural for a Yonah, dove, to eat. By bringing it, the dove was essentially saying, “I would rather eat bitter food from the hand of Hashem than something as sweet as honey from the hand of flesh and blood.” It seems puzzling that the dove would “talk” this way to Noach. Chazal laud Noach’s exemplary display of chesed, kindness, in feeding all of the animals. He wasn’t satisfied to give them all the same food simultaneously. Instead, he fed each animal its preferred food at its…

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קנים תעשה את התבה

Make the Ark with compartments. (6:14)

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

“These are the generations of Yitzchak, the son of Avraham, Avraham begat Yitzchak.” (25:19)

“In the beginning, Hashem created.” (1:1)

“And He buried him in Gai.” (34:6)

“An Amoni or Moavi may not enter Hashem’s marriage group even after the tenth generation… (This is) because they did not greet you with bread and wife water.” (23:4,5)

אנכי ד' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים

I am Hashem, your G-d, Who took you out of Egypt. (5:6)

לא תעבד בו עבדת עבד

You shall not work with him slave labor. (25:39)

And Hashem appeared unto him (Avraham) in Elonei Mamre . . . and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold three men stood over him and he ran to meet them . . . and he took curd and milk and the calf which he prepared and set it before them. (18:1,2,8)

And the dove came to him in the evening and behold an olive leaf, freshly plucked, was in her mouth. (8:11)

YEARS

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