Chesed – Page 6 – Peninim on the Torah

לקח יעקב את כל אשר לאבינו ומאשר לאבינו עשה את כל הכבד הזה

Yaakov has taken all that which belonged to our father and from that he amassed all this wealth. (31:1)

Targum Onkelos translates kavod (usually translated as honor) as nichsaya, material possessions (u’midei l’avuna kana kol nichsaya ha’ilein). Why would Onkelos diverge from the usual translation? Horav Tzvi Elimelech Hertzberg, zl (Rav in Baltimore), explains that the word kavod is noticeably spelled missing the vav, which implies that the honor that they were addressing is (to us) not true honor; rather, it is kavod medumah, imaginary honor. What did Lavan’s sons value? Growing up in their father’s home, influenced by his love of money, his constant swindling, anything to make a buck. They were privy to a perverted sense of…

Home -> 5784 -> Chayei Sarah

ותמלא כדה ותעל

Sruly Schnair In Chayei Sarah, 5784

She filled her jug and ascended. (24:16)

Chazal interpret the “ascent” of this pasuk as a reference, not to Rivkah, but to the water – the water rose up to “meet” her. Her virtue was so great that a miracle occurred when she came to the well. Eliezer saw the water rise up to Rivkah – a miracle which clearly manifested her elevated spiritual plateau. Miracles do not occur for someone who is undeserving. If so, why did Eliezer require a sign that demonstrated that she excelled in the middah, attribute, of chesed, lovingkindness. Apparently (as expounded by the commentators), miracles do not define a person’s character….

Home -> 5784 -> Vayeira

כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ד' לעשות צדקה ומשפט

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5784

For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice. (18:19)

Chazal (Kesubos 8b) apply the above pasuk to Avraham Avinu’s devotion to the middah, character trait, of chesed, acts of lovingkindness. Chazal relate various statements made by Amoraim in an attempt to comfort Rav Chiya bar Abba on the loss of his son. [We will not examine how these statements are comforting, but rather, focus on the statement and its implied message.] Acheinu gomlei chassadim b’nei gomlei chassadim, “Our brothers, who bestow lovingkindness, sons of those who bestow lovingkindness, who embrace b’riso shel Avraham Avinu, the covenant of our Patriarch, Avraham Avinu, as it is stated, ‘For I know him,…

Home -> 5784 -> Vayeira

כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ד' לעשות צדקה ומשפט

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5784

For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice. (18:19)

Avraham Avinu is known as the amud, pillar, of chesed. He went beyond the call of duty in order to provide for the needs of those who were not as fortunate as he. It was this character trait which he introduced and inculcated into the psyche of his descendants. Chesed takes on many forms. It all depends on the attitude of the benefactor. For the most part, they see a need, and they immediately respond. Then there are those who innovate, who think before they act, who understand that chesed goes deeper than fulfilling a need. One must acknowledge the…

Home -> 5784 -> Vayeira

ויהי אחר הדברים האלה והאלקים נסה אברהם

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5784

And it happened after these things that G-d tested Avraham. (22:1)

The Akeidah, Binding of Yitzchak, is considered the seminal nisayon, trial, with which Hashem challenged Avraham Avinu. The question is obvious: All one has to do is peruse Jewish history to see that mesiras nefesh, for a Jew to sacrifice his life, has almost been a way of life, a culture with which we have been inculcated. Veritably, all instances of mesiras nefesh nurture their strength from Akeidas Yitzchak, but still, our ancestry did not always have Neviim, prophets, and Torah leaders who inspired and guided them concerning relinquishing their lives al Kiddush Hashem. Avraham Avinu received his mission from…

Home -> 5784 -> Lech Lecha

ויאמר אברם אל לוט אל נא תהי מריבה ביני ובינך ובין רעי ובין רעיך כי אנשים אחים אנחנו

Sruly Schnair In Lech Lecha, 5784

And Avram said to Lot, “Please let there not be a fight between me and you and between my shepherd and your shepherds, because we are brothers.” (13:8)

Klal Yisrael is destined to experience various galusim, exiles. The last exile is America, a country that has been good to us, despite its permissive and pervasive society. We are allowed to practice our religion, build mekomos HaTorah, institutes of Torah – schools, shuls which follow their unique Torah traditions. We need not fear a pogrom. While this does not mean that everything is great, it just shows that, in comparison to the previous exiles in our tumultuous history, America is by far the easiest. Yet, it is called galus, because we must contend with an almost constant attack on…

Home -> 5784 -> Noach

ותשחת הארץ לפני האלקים ותמלא הארץ חמס

Sruly Schnair In Noach, 5784

Now the earth had become corrupt before G-d, and the earth became filled with robbery. (6:11)

The Baal HaTurim writes that the gematria, numerical equivalent, of chamas (108) is the same as mei Noach, the waters of Noach – the Flood. The Aderes (commentary to the Baal HaTurim) asks: What relationship is there between chamas, theft, and the Flood? Where is the middah k’neged middah, measure for measure? (Hashem’s punishment has a distinct relationship to/similarity with the sin.) He quotes Chazal (Sanhedrin, Perek Chelek 108a) who teach, B’roschin kilkelu, with “heat” they created a spiritual blemish (sinned), with roschin, hot water (the Flood waters were unusually hot). Roschin alludes to their immoral behavior, falling prey to…

Home -> 5783 -> Ki Seitzei

לא יבא עמוני ומואבי בקהל ד'... על דבר אשר לא קדמו אתכם בלחם ובמים... ואשר שכר עליך בלעם בן בעור

Sruly Schnair In Ki Seitzei, 5783

Neither an Amoni nor a Moavi may enter the congregation of Hashem… because they did not greet you with bread and water… and because he hired Bilaam ben Beor. (23:4,5)

Even if an Amoni or Moavi converts to Judaism, he/she is still forever barred from marrying a Jewish woman. Our bloodlines may not become tainted by the males of these two nations. The Torah states two reasons, both of which, on the surface, seem not to fit the punishment. They did not greet us with bread and water when we traveled through the wilderness and came close to their land. While this may manifest a lack of mentchlichkeit, it is only a moral flaw. Should a deficiency in moral stature demand such punishment? Furthermore, we believe that, over time, if…

Home -> 5783 -> Re'eh

ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

Sruly Schnair In Re'eh, 5783

See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse. (11:26)

Noticeably, the pasuk begins with the singular re’eh, “see,” and continues with lifneichem, “before you,” in the plural. The Chasam Sofer cites Chazal (Kiddushin 40b) who teach: “Every person should view himself and the entire world as being half guilty and half meritorious. One mitzvah that he performs can tip the scale to the side of merit. If he commits a sin, however, he tips the scale (both personally and globally) to the side of guilt.” Thus, with every act, one must ask himself, “Do I really want to do this? With this act, I might be destroying myself and…

Home -> 5783 -> Eikev

זכר אל תשכח את אשר הקצפת את ד' אלקיך במדבר ... ממרים הייתם עם ד'

Sruly Schnair In Eikev, 5783

Remember, do not forget that you provoked Hashem, your G-d, in the wilderness… You have been rebels against Hashem. (9:7)

Moshe Rabbeinu lists some of the indiscretions and unacceptable behavior of Klal Yisrael during their wilderness journey. They are enjoined to remember, to never lose sight of these infractions. Their past sinful behavior must be expunged from their characters, lest it return to haunt them later. The only way to prevent recurrent problems is to ingrain in one’s mind the past, their deficiencies, and how they acted. Remembering the sin of the Golden Calf is on top of the list of iniquitous behavior which led to open rebellion. Thus, it is included among the Sheish Zechiros, Six Remembrances, incumbent upon…

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לקח יעקב את כל אשר לאבינו ומאשר לאבינו עשה את כל הכבד הזה

Yaakov has taken all that which belonged to our father and from that he amassed all this wealth. (31:1)

ותמלא כדה ותעל

She filled her jug and ascended. (24:16)

כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ד' לעשות צדקה ומשפט

For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice. (18:19)

כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ד' לעשות צדקה ומשפט

For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice. (18:19)

ויהי אחר הדברים האלה והאלקים נסה אברהם

And it happened after these things that G-d tested Avraham. (22:1)

ויאמר אברם אל לוט אל נא תהי מריבה ביני ובינך ובין רעי ובין רעיך כי אנשים אחים אנחנו

And Avram said to Lot, “Please let there not be a fight between me and you and between my shepherd and your shepherds, because we are brothers.” (13:8)

ותשחת הארץ לפני האלקים ותמלא הארץ חמס

Now the earth had become corrupt before G-d, and the earth became filled with robbery. (6:11)

לא יבא עמוני ומואבי בקהל ד'... על דבר אשר לא קדמו אתכם בלחם ובמים... ואשר שכר עליך בלעם בן בעור

Neither an Amoni nor a Moavi may enter the congregation of Hashem… because they did not greet you with bread and water… and because he hired Bilaam ben Beor. (23:4,5)

ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse. (11:26)

זכר אל תשכח את אשר הקצפת את ד' אלקיך במדבר ... ממרים הייתם עם ד'

Remember, do not forget that you provoked Hashem, your G-d, in the wilderness… You have been rebels against Hashem. (9:7)

YEARS

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