Derech Eretz – Page 15 – Peninim on the Torah

איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמרו אני ד'

Every man shall fear his mother and father, and you shall keep My Shabbosos; I am Hashem. (19:3)

Shemiras Shabbos, Kibbud Av V’eim: Shabbos observance is juxtaposed upon the mitzvah to honor one’s parents, concluding with Hashem reminding the people that He is G-d and everyone – he and his father and mother – must obey Hashem. We are to honor and even fear our parents, but they do not supplant the Almighty. Thus, if a parent’s command is contrary to a mitzvah in the Torah, the son/daughter should respectfully refuse, because Hashem’s command supersedes everything else. Three imperatives of such import in one pasuk (Shemiras Shabbos, Kibbud Av V’eim, and fear of Hashem and adherence to His…

Home -> 5782 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצרע

Sruly Schnair In Metzora, 5782

This shall be the law of the metzora. (14:2)

The metzora is one who is ritually contaminated due to a physical manifestation of a spiritually-induced disease, sort of a spiritual leprosy. The term metzora is an acronym for motzi shem ra, “one who brings forth a bad name” (Arachin 15), engages in evil, slanderous, vulgar speech. It is a broad term which applies to one who uses his mouth to disparage and hurt others. It is not, however, always about vulgarity and disparaging; it is about decency and sanctity, recognizing that the power of speech is a gift from G-d, which is meant to distinguish us from animals. Speech…

Home -> 5782 -> Tazria

והובא אל אהרן הכהן או אל אחד מבניו הכהנים

Sruly Schnair In Tazria, 5782

He shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen, or to one of his sons the Kohanim. (13:2)

Aharon HaKohen was destined to live another forty years at the most. The chances are that in the future the metzora will present himself to one of Aharon’s descendants. Why is Aharon mentioned here for posterity, when, in fact, his tenure was short? The Tiferes Shlomo explains that the achievements of tzaddikim inspire for generations to come – long after they have left this world. He relates an incident that occurred concerning the Arizal, one time when he was sitting surrounded by his students. In came Horav Shmuel DiOzida, zl, author of the Midrash Shmuel, who was a young man…

Home -> 5782 -> Shemini

ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

Do not contaminate yourselves through them lest you become contaminated through them. (11:43)

Noticeably, the aleph of v’nitamtem /v’nitmeisem is missing. We translate v’nitmeisem as, “and you have become contaminated through them.” In contrast, we read v’nitamtem as “and you become dulled by them.” Consuming forbidden foods will cause the mind to become dense (with regard to learning Torah, which he will have difficulty grasping) and ultimately blunt his spirituality. The following story is frightening and gives us all something to ponder. A devout family was blessed that all of their sons were accomplished talmidei chachamim, Torah scholars, except for their youngest child, who could not comprehend the simplest, most basic line of…

Home -> 5782 -> Tzav

אם על תודה יקריבנו

Sruly Schnair In Tzav, 5782

If he shall offer it for a thanksgiving offering. (7:12)

Horav Mordechai Schwab, zl, distinguishes between the secular concept of hakoras hatov, gratitude/appreciation, and that of the Torah. Truthfully, this differential applies to all middos, character traits, because, first and foremost, we execute them in response to the Torah’s command that we do so. Derech eretz kodmah l’Torah; human decency/ethical character, refinement, precedes Torah knowledge. One whose middos are flawed will not approach Torah as divrei Elokim Chaim, words of the Living G-d, but as a secular, mundane discipline. As such, Torah will do very little to nothing in terms of transforming him into a ben Torah. Hakoras hatov is…

Home -> Pekudei -> 5782

ויכס הענן את אהל מועד... ולא יכל משה לבא אל אהל מועד כי שכן עליו הענן וכבוד ד' מלא את המשכן

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Pekudei

And the cloud covered the Ohel Moed… and Moshe was unable to enter the Ohel Moed because the cloud resided there, and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan. (40:34,35)

Sefer Shemos concludes with a description of Hashem’s Shechinah, Divine Presence, entering the Mishkan. All of the work of Klal Yisrael in planning, gathering the materials and building the Mishkan achieved fruition at that moment. They had succeeded in building a “home/Sanctuary” for Hashem in this world. The first pasuk of Sefer Vayikra begins with Hashem calling/summoning Moshe Rabbeinu from within the Ohel Moed. Our quintessential leader, who was involved in every aspect of the creation of the Mishkan, remained outside its environs. He would not yet enter. Chazal (Vayikra Rabbah 1:15) explain that juxtaposition of the closing words of…

Home -> 5782 -> Tetzaveh

ואתה תצוה את בני ישראל

Sruly Schnair In Tetzaveh, 5782

Now you shall command Bnei Yisrael. (27:20)

The Baal HaTurim cites the Zohar HaKadosh who observes that the Torah does not mention Moshe Rabbeinu’s name in this parsha. Indeed, from Moshe’s birth in Sefer Shemos, no other parsha excludes the name of our quintessential leader and Rabban Shel Kol Yisrael. The absence of Moshe’s name in this parsha is due to his reaction to Hashem’s desire to enact the ultimate punishment against the Jewish People. Their initiation of – and participation in – erecting the Golden Calf was a spiritual descent that rendered them undeserving of the privilege of being Hashem’s chosen people. Moshe responded, “If you…

Home -> 5782 -> Tetzaveh

ועשית בגדי קדש לאהרן אחיך לכבוד ולתפארת

Sruly Schnair In Tetzaveh, 5782

And you shall make holy vestments for Aharon, your brother, for honor and for glory. (28:2)

The Kohen Gadol’s vestments were unique in that they atoned for various communal sins. The Talmud (Zevachim 88b) teaches that: the Robe worn by the High Priest atoned for bloodshed; the Breeches atoned for lewdness, the Turban atoned for arrogance; the Belt atoned for impure meditations of the heart; the Breastplate atoned for neglect of civil laws; the Apron atoned for idolatry; the Cloak atoned for slander; and the Crown worn on the forehead atoned for brazenness. In other words, when the Kohen Gadol walked, he was a walking source of absolution. Apparently, when the Kohen wore his vestments, which…

Home -> 5782 -> Tetzaveh

ונתת אל חשן המשפט את האורים ואת התמים

Sruly Schnair In Tetzaveh, 5782

Into the Choshen HaMishpat, shall you place the Urim and Tumim. (28:30)

Rashi explains: “The Shem HaMeforash (Hashem’s 42 or 72 letter Name) was placed inside the folds of the Choshen, where, by means of the Urim and Tumim, the Choshen would illuminate its words and bring perfection to its words.” [Urim literally means “lights”; Tumim means “perfection.”] While the illumination is understandable, what does Rashi mean that the Tumim brought perfection to its words? Horav Moshe Shternbuch, Shlita, explains that in order for one to present a query to the Urim V’Tumim successfully, the questioner must believe unequivocally that the answer which he will receive is emes l’amito, absolute, unimpeachable truth….

Home -> 5782 -> Beshalach

ואתה הרם את מטך ונטה את ידך על הים ובקעהו

Sruly Schnair In Beshalach, 5782

And you – lift up your staff and stretch out your arm over the water and split it. (14:16)

I have heard a legend. (I use the word legend, because the veracity of this story has been questioned, as we have no definitive sources that support it.) The story is told that the curators of a Russian museum had obtained a precious stone/mineral that had unique, remarkable powers. The Russian scientists could not fathom the secret of this stone. They did not even know what kind of stone it was. They decided that since German scientists were more advanced technologically, they would send them the stone. The German scientists were, likewise, stupefied by this stone. Among the group of…

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איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמרו אני ד'

Every man shall fear his mother and father, and you shall keep My Shabbosos; I am Hashem. (19:3)

זאת תהיה תורת המצרע

This shall be the law of the metzora. (14:2)

והובא אל אהרן הכהן או אל אחד מבניו הכהנים

He shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen, or to one of his sons the Kohanim. (13:2)

ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם

Do not contaminate yourselves through them lest you become contaminated through them. (11:43)

אם על תודה יקריבנו

If he shall offer it for a thanksgiving offering. (7:12)

ויכס הענן את אהל מועד... ולא יכל משה לבא אל אהל מועד כי שכן עליו הענן וכבוד ד' מלא את המשכן

And the cloud covered the Ohel Moed… and Moshe was unable to enter the Ohel Moed because the cloud resided there, and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan. (40:34,35)

ואתה תצוה את בני ישראל

Now you shall command Bnei Yisrael. (27:20)

ועשית בגדי קדש לאהרן אחיך לכבוד ולתפארת

And you shall make holy vestments for Aharon, your brother, for honor and for glory. (28:2)

ונתת אל חשן המשפט את האורים ואת התמים

Into the Choshen HaMishpat, shall you place the Urim and Tumim. (28:30)

ואתה הרם את מטך ונטה את ידך על הים ובקעהו

And you – lift up your staff and stretch out your arm over the water and split it. (14:16)

YEARS

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