Commitment – Page 44 – Peninim on the Torah

ויחפש בגדול החל ובקטן כלה וימצא הגביע באמתחת בנימין

He searched; he began with the eldest and finished with the youngest. And the goblet was found in Binyamin’s pack. (44:12)

In the Talmud Pesachim 7b, Chazal state that Bedikas Chametz, searching for chametz, should be performed by the light of a candle. This is supported by the process of derivation whereby the metziah, finding of chametz, is derived from another instance of metziah, which is connected to the word chipush, searching, which is derived from another instance of chipush, which is – in turn – connected to neiros, candles. Thus, finding is achieved via searching, and searching is executed through the medium of candles. The pasuk used to derive metziah, finding, from chipush, searching, is the above pasuk that describes…

Home -> 5773 -> Korach

ויחר למשה מאד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5773

This distressed Moshe greatly. (16:15)

Moshe Rabbeinu had just experienced the nadir of chutzpah: Korach and his rebels had openly defied his authority. When Klal Yisrael’s leader, the individual who had led the nation out of bondage, asked them to appear before him with their grievances, they flatly refused. That was, however, not all. They read off a list of concocted complaints which were blatantly false. Talk about chutzpah. They referred to Egypt, the country that had enslaved them for over two centuries as, “the land of milk and honey.” Egypt – not Eretz Yisrael! They laced into Moshe for the sin of the meraglim,…

Home -> 5773 -> Bo

ויהי בעצם היום הזה יצאו כל צבאות ד' מארץ מצרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5773

It was on this very day that all the legions of Hashem left the land of Egypt. (12:41)

Yetzias Mitzrayim, the exodus from Egypt, was the seminal event that commenced our journey toward nationhood, with its conclusion at Har Sinai, where we accepted the Torah and became Hashem’s People. The Torah is the contract that binds us to the Almighty, but it all started with yetzias Mitzrayim. Had we not been liberated, then we could never have achieved nationhood. Indeed, zechiras Yetzias Mitzrayim, remembering the Exodus, is part and parcel of Jewish tradition. Our national motif is included within the heritage of every Jewish Festival, as a constant reminder that the event we are presently celebrating would not…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5773

איש על דגלו באתת לבית אבותם יחנו בני ישראל מנגד סביב לאהל מועד יחנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Bamidbar

Bnei Yisrael shall encamp, each man by his banner, according to the insignias of their fathers’ household, at a distance surrounding the Ohel Moed shall they encamp. (2:2)

The words mineged, which is usually defined as “opposite,” and saviv, which means “surrounding,” contrast one another. Were the Jews opposite the Ohel Moed, or were they camped surrounding it? Veritably, these terms complement one another, as explained by Horav Chaim Toyto, Shlita, with the following story. An observant physician from Germany decided that he wanted to visit the blossoming Torah world of Lithuanian Jewry. After all, he was a frum, observant, doctor who meticulously adhered to all the mitzvos. He wanted to see what about Lithuanian yeshivah life differed from his lifestyle. One can imagine the culture shock when…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5773

ואתכם יהיו איש איש למטה איש ראש לבית אבתיו הוא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Bamidbar

And with you shall be one man from each tribe; a man who is a leader of his father’s household. (1:4)

The Kli Yakar sees a redundancy in this pasuk: “One man from each tribe; a leader of his father’s household.” Being the appointed one of each tribe is quite a distinctive position. Why is it necessary to add that he be a leader of his father’s household? In his Toras Chaim, Horav Chaim Toyto, Shlita, explains this in his inimitable manner – with two stories. It is related that when the venerable Kotzker Rebbe, Horav Menachem Mendel, zl, was a young boy, a fire broke out in his hometown. In those days, houses were made of wood; thus, they were…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5773

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Bamidbar

Bnei Yisrael shall encamp, each man by his banner, according to the insignias of their fathers’ household, at a distance surrounding the Ohel Moed shall they encamp. (2:2)

The words mineged, which is usually defined as “opposite,” and saviv, which means “surrounding,” contrast one another. Were the Jews opposite the Ohel Moed, or were they camped surrounding it? Veritably, these terms complement one another, as explained by Horav Chaim Toyto, Shlita, with the following story. An observant physician from Germany decided that he wanted to visit the blossoming Torah world of Lithuanian Jewry. After all, he was a frum, observant, doctor who meticulously adhered to all the mitzvos. He wanted to see what about Lithuanian yeshivah life differed from his lifestyle. One can imagine the culture shock when…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5773

ואתכם יהיו איש איש למטה איש ראש לבית אבתיו הוא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Bamidbar

And with you shall be one man from each tribe; a man who is a leader of his father’s household. (1:4)

The Kli Yakar sees a redundancy in this pasuk: “One man from each tribe; a leader of his father’s household.” Being the appointed one of each tribe is quite a distinctive position. Why is it necessary to add that he be a leader of his father’s household? In his Toras Chaim, Horav Chaim Toyto, Shlita, explains this in his inimitable manner – with two stories. It is related that when the venerable Kotzker Rebbe, Horav Menachem Mendel, zl, was a young boy, a fire broke out in his hometown. In those days, houses were made of wood; thus, they were…

Home -> 5753 -> Re'eh

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Re'eh, 5753

“And (you) will turn aside from the path which I have commanded you this day.” (11:28)

Rashi derives from this pasuk that one who worships idols is in reality turning away from the entire Torah. Rashi’s words seem superfluous. Obviously one who is an idol worshiper has no relationship with the Torah! Horav Y.D. Soloveitchik, z.l., explains this pasuk in the following manner. Some individual Jews who, despite their commitment to Torah observance, still believe in various forms of idol worship. Indeed, the Navi Sheker, the false prophet, uses Hashem’s Name in an effort to promulgate idolatry! This is a grave mistake. To believe in Hashem is to believe in nothing else. Hashem is the sole…

Home -> Matos -> 5753

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5753, Matos

“Of every tribe a thousand, of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Yisrael you shall send to the war.” (31:4)

Rashi explains that the phrase “throughout all the tribes of Yisrael” includes the tribe of Levi with the other tribes. The commentators find this statement difficult to understand. In the next pasuk, the Torah clearly states that only twelve thousand men, representing twelve tribes, went forth as soldiers. “And there were delivered out of the thousands of Yisrael, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.” If the tribe of Levi was included among the soldiers, there should have been thirteen thousand! Rav Avrahom Mordechai M’Gur, z.l., suggests the following explanation. As stated in this parsha, Moshe’s imminent…

Home -> 5753 -> Pinchas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Pinchas, 5753

“And Hashem said to Moshe, take Yehoshua ben Nun, a man of spirit.” (27:18)

The relationship between Yehoshua, the disciple, and Moshe, the rebbe, serves as the paradigm of a rebbe-talmid relationship. Yehoshua’s constant attachment to his Rebbe, symbolized by the fact that he never allowed even one word of Torah to escape unheard, was a basic reason for his advancement to Am Yisrael’s leadership. His faithfulness and devotion were exemplary; his commitment and diligence were unprecedented. The Talmud in Bava Basra 75a relates that when Yehoshua succeeded Moshe, the elders of the generation remarked, “The face of Moshe was like the sun, while the face of Yehoshua was like the moon.” Most commentators…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> 5773 ->

ויחפש בגדול החל ובקטן כלה וימצא הגביע באמתחת בנימין

He searched; he began with the eldest and finished with the youngest. And the goblet was found in Binyamin’s pack. (44:12)

ויחר למשה מאד

This distressed Moshe greatly. (16:15)

ויהי בעצם היום הזה יצאו כל צבאות ד' מארץ מצרים

It was on this very day that all the legions of Hashem left the land of Egypt. (12:41)

איש על דגלו באתת לבית אבותם יחנו בני ישראל מנגד סביב לאהל מועד יחנו

Bnei Yisrael shall encamp, each man by his banner, according to the insignias of their fathers’ household, at a distance surrounding the Ohel Moed shall they encamp. (2:2)

ואתכם יהיו איש איש למטה איש ראש לבית אבתיו הוא

And with you shall be one man from each tribe; a man who is a leader of his father’s household. (1:4)

Bnei Yisrael shall encamp, each man by his banner, according to the insignias of their fathers’ household, at a distance surrounding the Ohel Moed shall they encamp. (2:2)

ואתכם יהיו איש איש למטה איש ראש לבית אבתיו הוא

And with you shall be one man from each tribe; a man who is a leader of his father’s household. (1:4)

“And (you) will turn aside from the path which I have commanded you this day.” (11:28)

“Of every tribe a thousand, of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Yisrael you shall send to the war.” (31:4)

“And Hashem said to Moshe, take Yehoshua ben Nun, a man of spirit.” (27:18)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!