Chinuch – Page 9 – Peninim on the Torah

כבד את אביך ואת אמך

Honor your father and your mother. (5:16)

The Luchos, Ten Commandments, are divided into two parts: bein adam la’Makom, between man and G-d; bein adam la’chaveiro, between man and fellowman. The fifth commandment, the mitzvah to honor one’s parents, almost appears misplaced, since it is included among the dibros bein adam la’Makom, when, in fact, one may argue that respect for parents, according them pleasure and satisfaction, belongs among the dibros bein adam la’chaveiro. Upon perusing the commentary of the Rishonim, we note that this is actually the case. The Sefer HaChinuch writes that among the shoroshei hamitzvah, root/origin of the mitzvah, is to teach a person…

Home -> 5778 -> Beha'alosecha

ויהי בנסוע הארון

Moshe Marcovich In Beha'alosecha, 5778

When the Aron would travel. (10:35)

The well-known pesukim, which are recited when the Torah is removed from the Aron Kodesh, are placed in our parsha and are separated from the rest of the parsha by two inverted nuns. Chazal (Shabbos 115b) teach, “Hashem placed a symbol before and following these pesukim in order to underscore that this is not the rightful place for these pesukim to be recorded in the Torah.” The more appropriate place is in Parashas Bamidbar where the Torah records the nation’s masaos, journeys. Why were they placed here? Chazal explain that the Torah seeks to differentiate the first puranios, punishments, from…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5778

כל יצא צבא בישראל תפקדו אתם לצבאתם אתה ואהרן

Moshe Marcovich In 5778, Bamidbar

Everyone who goes out to the legion in Yisrael – you shall count them according to their legions, you and Aharon. (1:3)

Tifkedu osam, count them. The root of tifkedu is pakod, which means to appoint. While it does have other connotations, its root (as explained by Ramban) usually has the implication of concern for something or taking cognizance of the individual under discussion. It can be used as “remember,” as in “Hashem remembered Sarah” (Bereishis 21:1) or U’b’yom pakdi u’pokaditi aleihem, “And on the day that I make My account, I shall bring their sin to account against them” (Shemos 32:34), following the sin of the Golden Calf. Ramban feels that in the context of the census, pakod implies that the…

Home -> Behar -> 5778

לא תעבד בו עבדת עבד

Moshe Marcovich In 5778, Behar

You shall not work with him slave labor. (25:39)

The eved Ivri, Jewish bondsman/slave, is not a slave in the generally accepted sense of the word. He is an indentured servant, who, for a specific period of time, neither is free to do as he wants, nor to resign his employment. Nonetheless, their masters must treat them with such delicacy and consideration that Chazal (Kiddushin 20a) say, “One who purchases a (Jewish) slave for himself buys himself a master.” The master is forbidden to assign him to perform degrading work that would be relegated only to a slave. He is to be assigned skilled, dignified labor like hired help….

Home -> Pekudei -> 5778

ביום החדש הראשון באחד לחדש תקים את משכן אהל מועד

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Pekudei

On the first day of the new moon, on the first day of the month, you shall set up the Mishkan of the Ohel Moed. (40:1,2)

Chazal (Yalkut Melachim 184) teach that the work of constructing the parts of the Mishkan actually concluded on Kislev 25, but Hashem delayed its completion until the month of Nissan – the month in which Yitzchak Avinu was born. What is the significance of the date of Kislev 25 as the date on which the Mishkan was ready? Why did they delay until Rosh Chodesh Nissan to use the Mishkan? Last, what role does Yitzchak play vis-à-vis the implementation of the Mishkan? The Zera Shimshon quotes Rabbeinu Bachya (Pikudei 21) who says that the construction of the Mishkan corresponded to…

Home -> 5778 -> Mishpatim

כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון

Roberto Szerer In Mishpatim, 5778

You shall not cause pain to any widow or orphan. (22:21)

The obligation to identify and care for the needs of the widow and orphan (and anyone who, likewise, has no one to care for him) extends beyond their physical and material needs. One must act toward them as a father acts towards his children, providing material, as well as spiritual, sustenance. We must endeavor to provide a Torah education for the orphaned child, just as we do for our own. This (I feel) applies as well (and possibly more so) to those children who can sadly be referred to as lebedik yesomim, living orphans, children whose parents are physically alive,…

Home -> Shemos -> 5778

ויצו פרעה לכל עמו לאמר כל הבן הילוד היארה תשליכהו וכל הבת תחיון

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Shemos

Pharaoh commanded his entire people, saying, “Every son that will be born – into the river you shall throw him! And every daughter shall you keep alive.” (1:22)

While Pharaoh had originally issued an edict for the Jewish midwives to kill the male Jewish babies and allow the females to live, he now wanted all of the boys – even Egyptians – drowned. This decree was the result of Pharaoh’s astrologers pinpointing the day that the Jewish savior would be born. They also foretold that his downfall would come through water. Thus, Pharaoh had all of the male children born on that day put to death through water. How small-minded they all were in thinking they could foil Hashem’s plan. Moshe Rabbeinu was raised in Pharaoh’s palace by none…

Home -> Vayechi -> 5778

ואני נתתי לך שכם אחד על אחיך אשר לקחתי...בחרבי ובקשתי

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayechi

And as for me, I have given you Shechem – one portion more than your brothers, which I took…with my sword and my bow. (48:22)

B’charbi u’b’kashti, with my sword and with my bow. Rashi interprets sword and bow as: sword – sharp wisdom; bow – prayer. Targum Onkelos translates it as tzalusi u’b’bausi; with my prayer is my supplication. Thus, Yaakov Avinu’s strength lies not in his physical prowess, but rather, in his spiritual potency. Yaakov’s prayer was much more effective than his physical strength. This is true for all of us. Our strength is in our spirituality. We vanquish the enemy with our supplications, not with our guns. Horav Shimon Pincus, zl, observes that during an eis tzarah, period of tribulation, when the numbers…

Home -> Vayigash -> 5778

ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף להורות לפניו גשנה

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayigash

He sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead of him in Goshen. (46:28)

Yaakov Avinu sent Yehudah ahead of the family to make the proper arrangements for their arrival. The Midrash focuses on the word l’horos, to prepare, which also means to teach. This implies that Yaakov sent Yehudah to Goshen to establish a yeshivah, a house of study. This set the priority for every Jewish community to first and foremost have a makom Torah, a place where Torah will be studied. A community that does not revolve around Torah is missing its soul. I think the word l’horos, to teach, imparts a lesson concerning the type of yeshivah that Yaakov wanted to…

Home -> 5778 -> Vayeira

והאלקים נסה את אברהם

Roberto Szerer In Vayeira, 5778

And G-d tested Avraham. (22:1)

Was it only Avraham Avinu’s nisayon, test? One would think that Yitzchak Avinu, the korban, sacrifice-elect, was playing a leading role in this nisayon. Why is our Patriarch Avraham singled out – as opposed to Yitzchak? Horav Moshe Neriyah, zl, offers an insightful explanation which underscores the significance of Torah chinuch, especially that which is taught at home from parent to child. Avraham taught his son, Yitzchak, to fear Hashem. He taught him well – to the point that our second Patriarch was prepared to become an olah, offering, to Hashem. Va’yeilchu shneihem yachdav; “And the two of them (father…

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כבד את אביך ואת אמך

Honor your father and your mother. (5:16)

ויהי בנסוע הארון

When the Aron would travel. (10:35)

כל יצא צבא בישראל תפקדו אתם לצבאתם אתה ואהרן

Everyone who goes out to the legion in Yisrael – you shall count them according to their legions, you and Aharon. (1:3)

לא תעבד בו עבדת עבד

You shall not work with him slave labor. (25:39)

ביום החדש הראשון באחד לחדש תקים את משכן אהל מועד

On the first day of the new moon, on the first day of the month, you shall set up the Mishkan of the Ohel Moed. (40:1,2)

כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון

You shall not cause pain to any widow or orphan. (22:21)

ויצו פרעה לכל עמו לאמר כל הבן הילוד היארה תשליכהו וכל הבת תחיון

Pharaoh commanded his entire people, saying, “Every son that will be born – into the river you shall throw him! And every daughter shall you keep alive.” (1:22)

ואני נתתי לך שכם אחד על אחיך אשר לקחתי...בחרבי ובקשתי

And as for me, I have given you Shechem – one portion more than your brothers, which I took…with my sword and my bow. (48:22)

ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף להורות לפניו גשנה

He sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead of him in Goshen. (46:28)

והאלקים נסה את אברהם

And G-d tested Avraham. (22:1)

YEARS

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