Chesed – Page 33 – Peninim on the Torah

וילך ויפגשהו בהר האלקים וישק לו

And he (Aharon) went and encountered him (Moshe) at the mountain of G-d, and he kissed him. (4:27)

According to Rambam, Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen met at Har Sinai. What seems to be a simple meeting of two brothers is described by Chazal as an encounter of two individuals with complementary character traits. “This is what is written, Chesed v’emes nifgashu, tzedek v’shalom nashaku, ‘Kindness and truth met, righteous and peace kissed’” (Tehillim 85:11). Kindness” refers to Aharon, and “truth” refers to Moshe. This is what is meant by “kindness” and “truth” met – “And he (Aharon) met him (Moshe) at the mountain of G-d.” “Righteous” refers to Moshe and “peace” refers to Aharon. Thus, “kiss” corresponds…

Home -> Shemos -> 5776

ויגדל משה ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Shemos

Moshe grew up, and went out to his brethren and observed their burdens. (2:11)

“Moshe grew up”. The Torah teaches us that the definition of “growing up” is assuming responsibility. It has nothing to do with age. Personally identifying with the plight of the Jews; viewing them as his brothers – despite the fact that he had been raised amid royalty and wealth – was a sign of Moshe’s maturation. The next step in his growth process was actually leaving the royal palace and joining together with his brothers in their labor. Last, as the well-known Rashi expounds – Nosan eino v’libo liheyos meitzar aleihem; “He applied his eyes and heart to see their…

Home -> 5776 -> Shemini

את זה תאכלו מכל אשר במים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5776

This may you eat from everything that is in the water. (11:9)

Mikol asher ba’mayim, “from all that is in the water,” implies that an amphibian which has simanei taharah, signs of purity/kashrus, may be eaten. “A fish is a fish”; the question is only whether it is a kosher fish. Its status as amphibian is not relevant. The Mishnah in Meseches Keilim 17:13 appends this idea when it says anything in the water (utensils made from amphibious creatures) are tahor (utensils are considered tahor, ritually pure) except for the kelev ha’yam, sea dog (possibly the otter), since it flees to dry land.” In other words, a sea dog maintains the status…

Home -> 5776 -> Noach

וישאר אך נח ואשר אתו בתבה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5776

Only Noach survived, and those with him in the Ark. (7:23)

Rashi quotes Chazal, who teach that Noach survived, but was physically spent. Alternatively, he was injured by the lion. Apparently, each animal had its individual feeding time. Noach was once late in feeding the lion, who did not take kindly to having to wait for his dinner. When Noach arrived late, the lion took out its anxiety on him with a powerful slap of the paw. Life was not easy for the human beings who comprised Noach’s passenger list. Their involvement with providing chesed, kindness, to the animals led Avraham Avinu to realize the significance of such acts of chesed….

Home -> 5762 -> Shoftim

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shoftim, 5762

“Judges and officers shall you appoint.” (16:18)

Whichever title we choose to apply – judge, leader, rav – the spiritual leader and arbiter of Jewish Law has to fulfill certain criteria. Thorough knowledge of the law is only one; it’s the beginning of the many attributes he must possess. The Yerushalmi in Meseches Sanhedrin 1:4 details some of the other virtues inherent in a dayan who sits on the Bais Din situated on Har HaBayis: chacham, wise; anav, humble; shafui, modest, deferring to those greater than he; ayin tovah, benevolent eye; nefesh shfalah, humble spirited; ruach nemuchah, lowly/humble spirit – patient; lev tov, good heart; yetzer tov, good…

Home -> Matos -> 5762

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Matos

They approached him and said, “Pens for the flock shall we build here for our livestock and cities for our small children”… Moshe said to them… “Build for yourselves cities for your small children and pens for your flock.” (32:16,20,24)

The halachah regarding reciting a brachah over two fruits that are not from the seven species of fruit with which Eretz Yisrael is blessed is clear: One first makes the brachah upon the fruit which one likes more. What if he likes one more, but the second fruit has more therapeutic value, more vitamins in it? Horav Avigdor HaLevi Nebentzhal, Shlita, contends that the fruit which is qualitatively better for the person is the one that takes precedence in regard to the blessing. The source for this halachah can be derived from Moshe Rabbeinu’s dialogue with Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven….

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5762

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Bamidbar

“Each man by his banner according to the insignias of their fathers’ household shall Bnei Yisrael encamp, at a distance surrounding the Ohel Moed shall they encamp.” (2:2)

After Klal Yisrael was counted, Hashem instructed Moshe Rabbeinu concerning their order of encampment, each tribe in a specific place with its own individual banner. This order was not merely good advice; it was a Divine edict that no member of the tribe of Zevulun reside next to the tribe of Yissaschar, etc. Hashem determined who should be neighbors with whom. Afterwards, Hashem made known where the ligyono shel Melech, King’s legion, Shevet Levi, should camp. The three Levite families are listed according to the place of their encampment – one directly to the north of the Mishkan; one to the…

Home -> Behar -> 5762

ואיש כי לא יהיה לו גאל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Behar

“If a man will have no redeemer.” (25:26)

What a terrible feeling – not to have anyone. It is our obligation to see to it that no Jew is alone or feels alone. Some individuals make it their business to see to the physical and emotional needs of their brethren, realizing how important this is. One individual who was a towering example of chesed at its zenith was the Skverer Rebbe, Horav Yaakov Yosef Twersky, z.l. After World War II, he took a small apartment in Bucharest, Romania. During the three years that he spent there, this tiny apartment served the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of thousands…

Home -> 5762 -> Shemini

ואת אלה תשקצו מן העוף לא יאכלו... ואת החסידה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5762

“These shall you abominate from among the birds, they may not be eaten…the chasidah.” (11:13,19)

What a beautiful name – chasidah! Rashi says that the chasidah truly was a bird that performed chesed, kindness – with members of its own specie. This is not an admirable trait. We Jews do not believe in selective, discriminatory, chesed. Rashi’s use of the word chavrosehah, its “friends”, seems to lend itself to a deeper thought. The term chaver/chibur means connection. When two people are connected with each other, they are considered chaveirim. The connection is of an equal and positive nature. There is something in common between the two. A reyah is a stronger form of friendship. In any…

Home -> Vayakhel -> 5762

כל איש ואשה אשר נדב לבם אתם להביא לכל המלאכה... הביאו בני ישראל נדבה לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Vayakhel

“Every man and woman whose heart motivated them to bring for any of the work… Bnei Yisrael brought a free-willed offering to Hashem.” (35:29)

The pasuk begins by pointing out how every man and every woman brought his/her offerings to the Mishkan. Why, then, does it seemingly reiterate its previous statement by saying, “Bnei Yisrael brought a free-willed offering to Hashem”? Horav Mordechai Rogov, z.l., explains that those who give of themselves and their possessions possess a pure and benevolent spirit of generosity which was imbued in them by those who educated them. Chesed, kindness, is taught. It is infused in a person by his rebbeim, teachers, who, along with the scholarly knowledge which they impart, also inculcate their students with ethics and responsibility to…

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וילך ויפגשהו בהר האלקים וישק לו

And he (Aharon) went and encountered him (Moshe) at the mountain of G-d, and he kissed him. (4:27)

ויגדל משה ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם

Moshe grew up, and went out to his brethren and observed their burdens. (2:11)

את זה תאכלו מכל אשר במים

This may you eat from everything that is in the water. (11:9)

וישאר אך נח ואשר אתו בתבה

Only Noach survived, and those with him in the Ark. (7:23)

“Judges and officers shall you appoint.” (16:18)

They approached him and said, “Pens for the flock shall we build here for our livestock and cities for our small children”… Moshe said to them… “Build for yourselves cities for your small children and pens for your flock.” (32:16,20,24)

“Each man by his banner according to the insignias of their fathers’ household shall Bnei Yisrael encamp, at a distance surrounding the Ohel Moed shall they encamp.” (2:2)

ואיש כי לא יהיה לו גאל

“If a man will have no redeemer.” (25:26)

ואת אלה תשקצו מן העוף לא יאכלו... ואת החסידה

“These shall you abominate from among the birds, they may not be eaten…the chasidah.” (11:13,19)

כל איש ואשה אשר נדב לבם אתם להביא לכל המלאכה... הביאו בני ישראל נדבה לד'

“Every man and woman whose heart motivated them to bring for any of the work… Bnei Yisrael brought a free-willed offering to Hashem.” (35:29)

YEARS

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