Chinuch – Page 10 – Peninim on the Torah

והיה כי יאמרו אליכם בניכם מה העבדה הזאת לכם

Roberto Szerer In Bo, 5778

And it shall be that when your children say to you, “What is this service to you?” (12:26)

The Torah addresses four “sons” – each one different from the other. One is wise; one is (called) wicked; one is simple; the last one is uninitiated, unable to ask. They all have one common denominator: they are sons. One deals differently with a son. One does not attempt to “best” a son; one seeks to teach a son, to enlighten, to help him understand, to inspire him. Thus, regardless of who the son is, how he acts, or how he presents his questions – remember, he is still your son. We do not seek to prevail, to triumph, over…

Home -> 5763 -> Bereishis

וירא אלקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5763

And G-d saw all that He had made and behold it was very good. (1:31)

Life is comprised of successes and failures. Some of us have a greater number of successes. Others look at failure more often than at success. This is not a perfect world, but our perspective on life and the world can make a “world” of difference. Hashem created the world that we know in Six Days of Creation. He made some subtle changes during Creation in order to offset some of the problems that arose. Hashem first created light. This was a powerful, intense and very spiritual light. In fact, it was so spiritually illuminating that the wicked would never be worthy…

Home -> 5757 -> Va'eschanan

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5757

And make known to your children and your children’s children – the day that you stood before Hashem at Choreiv. (4:9,10)

In the Talmud Kiddushin 30A Chazal infer from this pasuk’s command to teach Torah to one’s grandchildren that one who does so is considered as if he received the Torah from Har Sinai. This is derived from the juxtaposition of the revelation at Har Sinai to the mitzvah of talmud Torah. In a lecture in Hilchos chinuch, Horav Reuven Grosovsky, zl, explains that one who teaches Torah becomes a shaliach, agent, of Hashem to transmit Torah to future generations. He parallels Moshe Rabbeinu, the quintessential teacher and lawgiver, who transmitted the Torah to Bnei Yisrael. This unique relationship gives rise…

Home -> Vayikra -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5757, Vayikra

He called to Moshe. (1:1)

In this pasuk, the Torah spells Hashem’s summons to Moshe with a miniature aleph. The smaller size of this letter makes it stand out as if it were a word by itself. Horav Yosef Zundel Salant, zl, interprets the aleph’s size in a novel manner. He cites the Midrash in Sefer Eichah in which Chazal extol the significance of young children in the eyes of Hashem. They say that when the Sanhedrin was exiled from Yerushalayim, the Shechinah did not accompany them. Likewise, when the mishmaros, who were the various “watches” of Kohanim that served in the Bais Hamikdash, were…

Home -> 5757 -> Noach

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5757

“Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood.” (6:14)

The Torah recounts the construction of two “structures” the Ark and the Mishkan. In a lecture to a group of students, Horav Yitzchak Hutner, zl, commented that these two structures can serve as metaphors to describe the disparity between Jewish education during pre-World War II Europe and its parallel in contemporary society. The Mishkan was an edifice dedicated to spiritual ascendancy. All the people who resided in proximity of the Mishkan were “spiritually correct.” They were not exposed to harmful environmental influences which were antithetical to their faith in Hashem and His Torah. Their commitment to the Almighty was not…

Home -> Masei -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5757, Masei

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael, who went forth from the land of Egypt according to their legions. (33:1)

The Torah makes a synopsis of Bnei Yisrael’s forty-year journey through the desert. The forty-two encampments from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael are enumerated. Obviously, some places left stronger impressions than others. The summary alludes to the forty year history with its ups and downs. Is it really necessary to detail all forty-two places? Is it important to open up old wounds, to recall moments in our history that we would most seek to forget? Horav Nissan Alpert, zl, claims that one can and should make every effort to learn from his mistakes. Thus, he will be able to…

Home -> 5757 -> Eikev

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5757

You shall teach them to your children to discuss them. (11:19)

Rashi comments that Chazal have inferred from this pasuk that when a child begins to talk, his father should converse with him in lashon hakodesh, Hebrew, and should begin to teach him Torah. If he does not teach him Torah, it is viewed as if he had ______ buried him. This is implied by the juxtaposition to the next pasuk, in which the Torah states, “In order to prolong your days and the days of your children.” The mitzvah of limud haTorah takes on a new perspective when it applies to a father’s obligation to educate his children. A father…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5757, Bamidbar

And these are the generations of Aharon and Moshe…and these are the names of the sons of Aharon. (3:1,2)

The Torah declares that it is about to enumerate the generations of Aharon and Moshe. Yet, it only mentions Aharon’s sons. Rashi explains that this is consistent, since Moshe taught Torah to Aharon’s sons. Thus, we infer that whoever teaches his friend’s son Torah is considered as if he had fathered them. The Torah forges a bond between rebbe and talmid which is almost biological in nature. This means that the love that exists between a father and son should be nurtured between a rebbe and talmid. The bond between teacher and student is the subject of a talk which…

Home -> 5756 -> Va'eschanan

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5756

“Let me go over, please, and see the good land… the goodly mountain and the Levanon.” (3:25)

Rashi cites the Sifri who interprets the “mountain” as a reference to the Har Ha’Bayis, the mountain on which the Bais Ha’Mikdash stood. The Sifri also views Levanon as an analogy for the Bais Ha’Mikdash. The word Levanon is a derivative of lavan, which means white. The Bais Ha’Mikdash is that place which “whitens” — or provides atonement — for our sins. The Yalkut Shimoni differentiates among the words with which our ancestors referred to the Bais Ha’Mikdash. Avraham Avinu referred to it as “har,” mountain; Yitzchak called it a “sadeh,” field, while Yaakov viewed it as a “bayis,” house….

Home -> Matos -> 5756

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5756, Matos

“The children of Reuven and the children of Gad had abundant livestock… they approached him (Moshe) and they said, pens for the flock we shall build here for our livestock and cities for our children… and Moshe said to them… Build for yourselves cities for your small children and pens for your livestock.” (37:1,16,24)

Chazal teach us that Moshe criticized Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven for the prioritization of their values. They said they would build pens for their animals and cities for their children. They were implying that their livestock rated higher priority than their children. In Moshe Rabbeinu’s response, he implied that they should respond first to the needs of their children, and only then take the necessary steps to care for their livestock. It is difficult to comprehend that such great people would place their livestock before their children. This is not a question of priorities – it represents sheer stupidity!…

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והיה כי יאמרו אליכם בניכם מה העבדה הזאת לכם

And it shall be that when your children say to you, “What is this service to you?” (12:26)

וירא אלקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד

And G-d saw all that He had made and behold it was very good. (1:31)

And make known to your children and your children’s children – the day that you stood before Hashem at Choreiv. (4:9,10)

He called to Moshe. (1:1)

“Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood.” (6:14)

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael, who went forth from the land of Egypt according to their legions. (33:1)

You shall teach them to your children to discuss them. (11:19)

And these are the generations of Aharon and Moshe…and these are the names of the sons of Aharon. (3:1,2)

“Let me go over, please, and see the good land… the goodly mountain and the Levanon.” (3:25)

YEARS

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