Chinuch – Page 8 – Peninim on the Torah

ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן

And the souls they made in Charan. (12:5)

Avraham Avinu made souls – so did Sarah Imeinu – each focusing on members of his or her own specific gender. Developing the spiritual qualities of their students and leading them to belief in the Almighty was much more than spiritual refinement. It was a process by which Avraham and Sarah transformed their students, actually made them anew. They developed the potential of each student, bringing it to the surface. They accomplished this through the medium of mitzvah performance, which teaches us that every act of mitzvah performance is transformative, capable of altering a Jew’s overall essence. In Pirkei Avos…

Home -> Ha'azinu -> 5778

כי דור תהפכת המה בנים לא אמן בם

Sruly Schnair In 5778, Ha'azinu

For they are a generation of reversals, children whose upbringing is not in them. (32:20)

When we note that a generation has reversed Hashem’s “mood” from benevolence to anger, we observe that Hashem has raised them to be good, but they have spurned His upbringing – something which is quite apparent in the manner in which they act. Moshe Rabbeinu rebukes the nation for rejecting the Torah, whose purpose it is to teach/educate them. From their actions, it is obvious that they are far from achieving this goal. This is difficult to understand, considering that the Torah is chinuch, educative, from beginning to end. How is it that the Torah did not achieve its mission?…

Home -> 5778 -> Ki Savo

והיית ממשש בצהרים כאשר ימשש העור באפלה

Sruly Schnair In Ki Savo, 5778

You shall grope at noon, as the blind man gropes in the darkness. (28:29)

The Yalkut (also Talmud Megillah 24b) questions the implication of this curse. Does it matter to the blind person whether it is dark or not? He does not see anyway. Rabbi Yosi explains that he once had an experience which provided an answer for him. It was late one night when he saw a blind man walking down the dark street with a torch in his hand. “I questioned him, ‘What is the torch to you?’ He replied, ‘When the torch is in my hand people see me and prevent me from falling into pits.’” What a powerful lesson for…

Home -> 5756 -> Vaeira

Sruly Schnair In Vaeira, 5756

“Say unto Aharon, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the land, it shall become lice.'” (8:12)

Similar to the two previous plagues of blood and frogs, it is Aharon who brought about the plague of lice. Aharon had this responsibility because Moshe was not permitted to strike the water or the dust. The water had protected him when he was an infant, and the dust concealed the Egyptian who Moshe had killed. It would have shown ingratitude for Moshe to strike either the water or the ground. Imagine, Moshe and Aharon were involved in the most sublime endeavor of their lives — taking Klal Yisrael out of Egypt. The overriding concern, however, was not to “offend”…

Home -> 5756 -> Bereishis

Sruly Schnair In Bereishis, 5756

“And Kayin knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Chanoch, he became a city builder and named the city after his son, Chanoch.” (4:l7)

A name carries a great deal of meaning. What is the significance of Chanoch’s name that Kayin selected it over any number of similarly appropriate names? Also, why did he use the same name that he gave to his son for his first city? The Koheles Yitzchak relates a novel explanation for the use of this name, in the name of a Gadol Echod. In retrospect, Kayin was distressed over his reprehensible act of killing Hevel. He asked himself how someone of his stature and nobility could kill his brother in cold blood? Where did he get that burning passion…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Vayeilech

When all Yisrael comes to appear before Hashem…in the place He will choose. You shall read this Torah in their ears… Gather together the people…so that they will hear so that they will learn…and be careful to perform all the words of this Torah. (31:11,12)

Once every seven years, on the first day of Chol Hamoed that followed the Shemittah year, all of Klal Yisrael was enjoined to gather together at the Bais Hamikdash to listen to the king read from Sefer Devarim. He would read pesukim that dealt with our allegiance to Hashem, the Covenant, and reward and punishment. The primary doctrine of Jewish life is the Torah. Without it, we are nothing. With it, we have the capacity for attaining the greatest spiritual rewards. Consequently, it is only proper that all Jews stand in affirmation of the Torah. Chazal infer from the Torah‘s…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5754

Sruly Schnair In 5754, Vayeilech

“Assemble the people, the men, and the women, and the children.” (31:12)

The above pasuk relates the mitzvah of Hakheil. This was the time, during Succos immediately following the Shemittah year, in which all of the people were to assemble in the Bais Ha’Mikdash to listen to the Melech Yisrael, Jewish king, read Sefer Devarim. Rashi comments that, although the young children were not able to comprehend the meaning of the event, they were to be brought ovhthcnk rfa i,hk, “to give reward to those that brought them,” their parents. Rashi is citing the words of the Talmud in Chagiga 3a which attributes this interpretation to R’ Elazar ben Azaria. Indeed, the…

Home -> 5754 -> Va'eschanan

Sruly Schnair In Va'eschanan, 5754

“And you should teach them diligently to your children.” (6:7)

We are enjoined to transmit Torah to the next generation. Rashi adds that “your children” also refers to one’s students. Indeed, teaching Torah to one’s students is a form of spiritual creation. Various interpretations cite the importance of either personally teaching or caring for the Torah education of one’s children. Horav Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld z.l. cites the Talmud in Brachos 14 which states that one who recites krias shema but does not wear tefillin, is viewed as a false witness. In the parsha of krias shema, one mentions the imperative to wear tefillin. To accept the mitzvah of krias shema,…

Home -> 5754 -> Bo

Sruly Schnair In Bo, 5754

“And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come saying: what is this? You shall say to him, with a strong hand Hashem has brought us out of Egypt.” (13:14)

In this parsha, Rashi attributes this question to the she’eino yodeah lish’ol, the son who is not even able to ask. This response is given to the wicked son in the Hagaddah! What relationship is there between one who knows not to question and one who is wicked? We may suggest that in Torah chinuch, education, there is no room for compromise. If one receives the wrong education it is tantamount to receiving no education. One who is devoid of Torah will ultimately be satisfied with misleading ideas and thoughts. The foundation of the pedagogic process is the ability to motivate…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5754

Sruly Schnair In 5754, Mikeitz

“Did I not speak unto you saying: Do not sin against the child.” (42:22)

The Gerer Rebbe (Bais Yisrael) suggests that the words, “Do not sin against the child,” allude to another form of “sin” against a child. He is referring to a parents’ responsibility to provide their children with a quality Torah education. Parents who neglect to give their children the opportunity to have a Torah chinuch are placing them at a disadvantage. They are themselves sinful. As parents, it is our moral obligation to transcend our personal prejudices and vested interests in order to provide for our children’s eternity. There is an interesting story regarding the Bais Ha’Levi, who was confronted with…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Lech Lecha ->

ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן

And the souls they made in Charan. (12:5)

כי דור תהפכת המה בנים לא אמן בם

For they are a generation of reversals, children whose upbringing is not in them. (32:20)

והיית ממשש בצהרים כאשר ימשש העור באפלה

You shall grope at noon, as the blind man gropes in the darkness. (28:29)

“Say unto Aharon, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the land, it shall become lice.'” (8:12)

“And Kayin knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Chanoch, he became a city builder and named the city after his son, Chanoch.” (4:l7)

When all Yisrael comes to appear before Hashem…in the place He will choose. You shall read this Torah in their ears… Gather together the people…so that they will hear so that they will learn…and be careful to perform all the words of this Torah. (31:11,12)

“Assemble the people, the men, and the women, and the children.” (31:12)

“And you should teach them diligently to your children.” (6:7)

“And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come saying: what is this? You shall say to him, with a strong hand Hashem has brought us out of Egypt.” (13:14)

“Did I not speak unto you saying: Do not sin against the child.” (42:22)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!