Chinuch – Page 16 – Peninim on the Torah

הנסתרות לד' אלקינו והנגלות לנו ולבנינו עד עולם לעשות את כל דברי התורה הזאת

The hidden (sins) are for Hashem, our G-d, but the revealed (sins) are for us and our children forever, to carry out all the words of the Torah. (29:28)

An abundance of commentary is available to explain the application of the nekudos, dots, above u’l’vaneinu, “And for our children.” We will address the commentary of the Chafetz Chaim, zl, because of its depth – despite its apparent simplicity. When a person writes a note, pens a statement, and he wants to make a point, underscore a certain idea, he will underline, bold, or highlight it in some noticeable manner. Hashem sought to teach Moshe Rabbeinu an important lesson, one that he should impart to the Jewish People, one that He wanted them to underscore in building their future: it…

Home -> 5775 -> Eikev

כאשר ייסר איש את בנו ד' אלקיך מיסרך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5775

Just as a father will chastise his son, so Hashem, Your G-d, chastises you. (8:5)

Hashem’s discipline is likened to that of a loving father who is compelled to impose order in the life of his child. Discipline is a form of instruction which is vital and critical to a child’s development. The following are excerpts from a series of lectures given by the venerable Mashgiach of Beth Medrash Gavohah, Horav Matisyahu Solomon, Shlita. The Torah unequivocally forbids berating or embarrassing anyone, regardless of his wrongdoing. Chavalah, hitting, and onaah, persecution, are specifically prohibited. Just because someone is guilty of committing a sin does not give us license to humiliate or hit him. Concerning chinuch,…

Home -> 5775 -> Bo

ולמען תספר באזני בנך ובן בנך את אשר התעללתי במצרים... וידעתם כי אני ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5775

So that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt… that you may know that I am Hashem. (10:2)

The Revelation of the Divine Presence witnessed by the Jewish People in Egypt was unparalleled. They saw how Hashem manipulated the “laws of nature” to serve the needs of His People, as he meted out justice to the evil Egyptians. This year of Revelation led up to their liberation from Egypt, followed by the Splitting of the Red Sea, which was the precursor to the seminal event in Jewish history: the Giving of the Torah. It would all be for naught, however, had it not been transmitted to future generations. The Torah invokes us to relate this experience to our…

Home -> 5775 -> Balak

וישב ישראל בשיטים ויחל העם לזנות את בנות מואב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5775

And (the) Yisrael dwelled in Shittim, and began to sin with the daughters of Moav. (Bamidbar 25:1)

One of society’s more difficult anomalies is interfaith marriage. We live in a time when even marriages which seem perfect on paper fail dismally. Why would anyone in his right mind start married life with someone who is of an opposing faith? I use the word opposing by design, since, for the most part, the Jews have been the world’s sacrificial lamb, having been abused, persecuted, tortured, hounded and murdered by anyone who felt they had the right to lord over them. Why would anyone marry into a religion whose elders and doctrine revile us? They say love conquers all…

Home -> Vayigash -> 5776

ויזבח זבחים לאלקי אביו יצחק

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Vayigash

He slaughtered sacrifices to the G-d of his father, Yitzchak. (46:1)

Yaakov Avinu was moving to Egypt. Although he knew quite well that his ultimate home would be Eretz Yisrael and that Egypt was a galus, exile, which he would have to endure – the move to Egypt was not an easy one. Galus has a transformative effect on a person. Some feel the need to adapt, to eschew past practices and beliefs. Otherwise, how can they survive in an environment that is foreign to them? Yaakov taught his children to remain focused on the future, on their return to the Holy Land, on their eventual redemption. With hope, one can…

Home -> 5762 -> Ki Seitzei

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5762

“If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son.” (21:18)

The incident of the ben sorer u’moreh, wayward and rebellious son, is one of the most serious tragedies related in the Torah. A boy who rejects his parents and everything they have taught him, a boy who rejects everything his parents stand for, truly represents a tragedy of unparalleled proportion. Being a Jewish parent is an awesome responsibility. Parents are the link between the Jewish generations that precede us and those who will follow in the future. Ours is the privilege to maintain the faith of the past, to give meaning and value to the present, and to ensure that there…

Home -> 5762 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chukas, 5762

“Miriam died there, and she was buried there. There was no water for the assembly.” (20:1-2)

The Kli Yakar explains that there is a distinct connection between Miriam’s death and Klal Yisrael’s lack of water. The Torah does not record that the assembly wept at Miriam’s death, as they did for Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon. She was not eulogized properly, because they did not appreciate what they had received due to her merit. They knew that Moshe was the intermediary through which they received the Torah from Hashem. Aharon engendered harmony and unity among the people. Miriam had “long ago” helped save Jewish infants in Egypt, but no one remembered, it was “ancient history.” Therefore, Hashem dried…

Home -> 5762 -> Beha'alosecha

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Beha'alosecha, 5762

“Why have You done evil to Your servant… that You place the burden of this entire people upon me? Did I conceive this entire people… that You say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom.’” (11:11-12)

Moshe Rabbeinu despairs of the responsibility of leadership imposed upon him. Sforno explains Moshe’s complaint in the following manner: Parents often have children with whom they are in dispute. Yet, despite the existing conflict, a basic feeling of trust exists deep within the children, asserting that their parents truly love them and will do them no harm. This nation, however, had not demonstrated such trust in Moshe, and they were constantly testing to see how he would react to them. Moshe’s grievance still needs to be understood. Imagine if a great rav or rosh yeshiva would lament, “Why do I not…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5762

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, Bamidbar

“Those who encamped before the Mishkan to the front, before the Ohel Moed to the east, were Moshe and Aharon and his sons.” (3:38)

Rashi cites the Midrash Tanchuma which declares, “Fortunate is a tzaddik and fortunate is his neighbor.” Because the tribes of Yehudah, Yissachar and Zevulun encamped on the east near Moshe Rabbeinu, who was constantly engaged in Torah study, they themselves became great in Torah. A tzaddik has the ability to leave an indelible impression upon those who are in his proximity. Chazal address the concept of a neighbor with whom one spends quite some time, one who, while in a tzaddik’s presence, falls under the impression and influence of a tzaddik. This is a phenomenon that occurs even during a short…

Home -> 5762 -> Emor

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5762

“You shall not desecrate My holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the Bnei Yisrael.” (22:32)

The sanctification of Hashem’s Name is a Jew’s primary privilege and responsibility. This obligation is all encompassing. To desecrate Hashem’s Name is a transgression of epic proportion. It is a sin that, regrettably, can occur with very little “effort” on our part. Indeed, if one sins merely because Hashem’s will has very little bearing on his actions, then he has desecrated Hashem’s Name. If this is done in public, in the presence of ten Jews, the sin is magnified. The fundamental principles are one’s fear of Hashem and his respect for the Divine word. Sefer Yereim says that chillul Hashem is…

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הנסתרות לד' אלקינו והנגלות לנו ולבנינו עד עולם לעשות את כל דברי התורה הזאת

The hidden (sins) are for Hashem, our G-d, but the revealed (sins) are for us and our children forever, to carry out all the words of the Torah. (29:28)

כאשר ייסר איש את בנו ד' אלקיך מיסרך

Just as a father will chastise his son, so Hashem, Your G-d, chastises you. (8:5)

ולמען תספר באזני בנך ובן בנך את אשר התעללתי במצרים... וידעתם כי אני ד'

So that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt… that you may know that I am Hashem. (10:2)

וישב ישראל בשיטים ויחל העם לזנות את בנות מואב

And (the) Yisrael dwelled in Shittim, and began to sin with the daughters of Moav. (Bamidbar 25:1)

ויזבח זבחים לאלקי אביו יצחק

He slaughtered sacrifices to the G-d of his father, Yitzchak. (46:1)

“If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son.” (21:18)

“Miriam died there, and she was buried there. There was no water for the assembly.” (20:1-2)

“Why have You done evil to Your servant… that You place the burden of this entire people upon me? Did I conceive this entire people… that You say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom.’” (11:11-12)

“Those who encamped before the Mishkan to the front, before the Ohel Moed to the east, were Moshe and Aharon and his sons.” (3:38)

“You shall not desecrate My holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the Bnei Yisrael.” (22:32)

YEARS

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