Derech Eretz – Peninim on the Torah

והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth. (12:3)

The Torah describes Moshe Rabbeinu as the humblest of all men. This does not mean that he was unaware of his unparalleled greatness, his extraordinary achievements, or his role as Klal Yisrael’s quintessential rebbe and leader. On the contrary, Moshe understood exactly who he was. Yet, his humility lay in how he perceived the source of his greatness. He felt that he had been granted opportunities that no one else had received. Had others stood at Har Sinai, had they learned Torah directly from Hashem, they, too, could have risen to his level of leadership. Chazal teach that the Torah…

Home -> Bamidbar -> 5786

ואלה תולדות אהרן ומשה ... ואלה שמות בני אהרן

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Bamidbar

These are the offspring of Aharon and Moshe … These are the names of Aharon’s sons. (3:1,2)

The pasuk commences by stating that the following are the offspring of Aharon and Moshe, but goes on to list only Aharon’s sons. What happened to Moshe’s sons? Is Moshe considered a “father” to Aharon’s sons? Chazal (Sanhedrin 19B) infer from here that, Kol ha’melameid es ben chaveiro Torah maaleh alav ha’kasuv k’ilu yoldo, “Whoever teaches Torah to his friend’s child, the Torah regards it as if he had begotten him.” Thus, Moshe Rabbeinu became Aharon’s sons’ spiritual progenitor, because he taught them Torah. This statement is not poetic embellishment. Chazal do not exaggerate. As such, the commentators offer their…

Home -> Bechukosai -> 5786

ורדף אתם קול עלה נדף ונסו מנסת חרב ונפלו ואין רדף

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Bechukosai

The sound of a rustling leaf will pursue them, they will flee as one flees the sword, and they will fall – but without a pursuer. (26:36)

Being that this curse is toward the conclusion of the curses, it is apparent that it is more frightening than its predecessors, such as: hunger, privation, and death. Veritably, this curse may refer to one who is in no danger. There is no enemy – yet his heart is racing, the anxiety is gripping him. There is no threat; yet, he is filled with panic. The curse is not the enemy outside, but the fear from within. Such a person is not afraid of anything, other than fear itself. Once fear becomes the reigning force in one’s mind, he no…

Home -> 5786 -> Emor

ובת איש כהן כי תחל לזנות את אביה היא מחללת באש תשרף

Sruly Schnair In Emor, 5786

The daughter of a Kohen who prepares herself through immorality desecrates her father; she is punished by fire. (21:9)

The above pasuk is chilling –describing tragedy upon tragedy. A young woman ostensibly raised in a refined, hallowed Torah home goes off the derech, acting out her rebellion with acts of moral turpitude. How does such a moral collapse occur – especially in such a family? If I may use my writer’s license, I suggest a homiletic rendering of this pasuk/incident. Several questions surface upon reading the text. First, why does the Torah state that she desecrates her father? It is the sacred institution of Kehunah that she profanes. She is dragging the Priesthood through the mud – not her…

Home -> 5786 -> Emor

ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל

Sruly Schnair In Emor, 5786

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

A passage in the Talmud (Yoma 86A) illuminates the concept of Kiddush Hashem, but also insinuates that we can view dereliction as a chillul Hashem, desecration of Hashem’s Name. “What do people say about an individual who reads, learns and serves talmidei chachamim, Torah scholars, and handles all his relations (business, etc.) with his fellow man with emunah, faith, and makes sure his manner of speech is b’nachas, soft and pleasant? Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah/Fortunate is his Rebbe who taught him Torah. Look at so and so who studied Torah, and (as a result) his demeanor…

Home -> 5786 -> Kedoshim

ואהבת לרעך כמך

Sruly Schnair In Kedoshim, 5786

Love your fellow as (you love) yourself. (19:19)

To love one’s fellow as if he were loving oneself is much more than a guideline/criterion for governing interpersonal relationships. It is, in fact, the Torah’s definition of true love. Conditional love, selective love, self-serving love, is not love. It may resemble affection, but it is a far cry from satisfying the Torah’s criteria. It is only when one achieves love that is kamocha mamish, truly as oneself, with the same sensitivity, concern and respect that one accords his own needs, does the term ahavah have true meaning. Anything less, simply misses the target, as it is a pale imitation…

Home -> 5786 -> Shemini

וידם אהרן

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5786

And Aharon was silent. (10:3)

The Torah praises Aharon HaKohen’s silence in the face of tragedy. What distinguishes silence from speech? Should Aharon not have eulogized his two sons for all the exemplary qualities they possessed? Should he not have wept copious tears over the terrible personal and communal loss of two such shining stars? Horav Aviezer Piltz, shlita (Rosh Yeshivas Tifrach), explains that, when Moshe Rabbeinu said, B’keruvai Ekadesh v’al pnei kol ha’am Eichabed; “I will be sanctified through those who are nearest to Me, thus, I will be honored before the entire people” (ibid 10:3), Moshe responded, “I knew that the Mishkan would…

Home -> Vayikra -> 5786

אשר נשיא יחטא

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayikra

When a ruler sins. (4:22)

Asher is translated as “when,” alluding to the fact that it happens that even the high and mighty leader sins. Chazal further translate it as being connected to ashrei, fortunate. This motivates Chazal to assert that a generation whose leader seeks atonement for his unintentional sins is fortunate, because this means that he will surely repent his intentional sins. Chazal underscore the good fortune of a nation whose leader concedes and seeks atonement for his fallibility. On the one hand, this is an enviable character trait – one to which more leaders should ascribe – but, at the end of…

Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ד' לישראל

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5786

Yisro rejoiced over all the good that Hashem had done for Yisrael. (18:9)

Rashi translates va’yichad Yisro as va’yismach Yisro, as rejoicing over the salvation of Am Yisrael. The Brisker Rav, zl (cited by Horav Eliyahu Baruch Finkel, zl) explains Yisro’s b’rachah as a blessing of gomeil, gratitude to Hashem. We would normally think that the person who recites the blessing is none other than the direct beneficiary of Hashem’s favor. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 219:4), however, rules that one can fulfill his obligation to bless through the medium of his fellow’s blessing. This means that “Reuven” can bentch gomeil for “Shimon,” and Shimon will have properly discharged his religious duty to…

Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5786

And Yisrael encamped there, opposite the mountain. (19:2)

Rashi notes that the verb, va’yichan, they encamped, is written in the singular, rather than in the plural, va’yachanu. This teaches us that the huge multitude of people, which comprised the nation that was about to receive the Torah, was camped k’ish echad, b’lev echad, like a single person with one heart. Klal Yisrael’s unity is critical to its survival as a Torah nation. Only when they were united in their goal of hearing and accepting the d’var Hashem, word of G-d, would they be ready to receive the Torah. A number of points concerning the concept of k’ish echad…

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והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth. (12:3)

ואלה תולדות אהרן ומשה ... ואלה שמות בני אהרן

These are the offspring of Aharon and Moshe … These are the names of Aharon’s sons. (3:1,2)

ורדף אתם קול עלה נדף ונסו מנסת חרב ונפלו ואין רדף

The sound of a rustling leaf will pursue them, they will flee as one flees the sword, and they will fall – but without a pursuer. (26:36)

ובת איש כהן כי תחל לזנות את אביה היא מחללת באש תשרף

The daughter of a Kohen who prepares herself through immorality desecrates her father; she is punished by fire. (21:9)

ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל

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

ואהבת לרעך כמך

Love your fellow as (you love) yourself. (19:19)

וידם אהרן

And Aharon was silent. (10:3)

אשר נשיא יחטא

When a ruler sins. (4:22)

ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ד' לישראל

Yisro rejoiced over all the good that Hashem had done for Yisrael. (18:9)

ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר

And Yisrael encamped there, opposite the mountain. (19:2)

YEARS

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