Derech Eretz – Page 29 – Peninim on the Torah

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)

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 -> Mikeitz -> 5778

כולנו בני איש אחד נחנו

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Mikeitz

All of us, sons of one man are we. (42:11)

The Egyptian viceroy (Yosef) had a hard time believing that ten brothers, an entire family, were required to come down to Egypt to purchase food. If it was a question of assistance, one or two brothers could have gone with a few servants. Why did all of the brothers leave their individual families if the job could have been carried out by a few brothers? Ramban explains that, being brothers, their father, Yaakov Avinu, wanted them to remain together. It was not a matter of strength in numbers; it was just that Yaakov did not want the members of his…

Home -> 5778 -> Vayeitzei

כי אתה ידעת את עבדתי אשר עבדתיך

Roberto Szerer In Vayeitzei, 5778

For you are aware of my service that I labored for you. 30:26)

Imagine in today’s day and age, a man working for fourteen years – day and night – exposed to the elements – not for money to provide his family – but for the right to have a family! Yaakov Avinu slaved for fourteen years – not to provide for his family – but just so that he could marry Lavan’s two daughters, who came to the table without any dowry. Horav S.R. Hirsch, zl, observes that those fourteen years serve as the bedrock, the foundation, upon which the national existence and family life of the House of Yaakov are rooted….

Home -> 5778 -> Vayeitzei

וישא את קלו ויבך

Roberto Szerer In Vayeitzei, 5778

And he raised his voice and wept. (29:11)

Yaakov Avinu wept when he met Rachel Imeinu. He meets the girl that he is going to marry, the wife with whom he is destined to build Klal Yisrael, and he cries. One would expect a somewhat different reaction. Rashi offers two reasons for our Patriarch’s anomalous reaction. First, Yaakov saw b’Ruach ha’Kodesh, through Divine Inspiration, that Rachel would not be buried near him. Why was Yaakov Divinely inspired at this moment? Was there no other time for Yaakov to see b’ruach ha’kodesh that he would not be buried with Rachel? Second, Rashi offers a reason for Rachel’s loss of…

Home -> 5778 -> Chayei Sarah

ויקח האיש נזם זהב בקע משקלו ושני צמידים על ידיה עשרה זהב משקלם

Roberto Szerer In Chayei Sarah, 5778

The man took a gold nose ring, its weight was a beka and two bracelets on her arms, ten gold shekels was their weight. (24:22)

The gifts which Eliezer gave Rivkah Imeinu were not ordinary jewelry. They symbolized something important, a message to her concerning the destiny of her future progeny. The beka is a half-shekel, which symbolized the amount that every Jew was mandated to contribute annually towards the Bais Hamikdash. The two bracelets symbolized the two Tablets of Law, and the ten-shekel weight alluded to the Ten Commandments. The machatzis hashekel, half-shekel, contributed by all Jews, is certainly an important mitzvah, but is it on par with the Aseres HaDibros, Ten Commandment? Why did Eliezer use the half-shekel as the gift that would…

Home -> 5778 -> Lech Lecha

ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן

Roberto Szerer In Lech Lecha, 5778

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

Avraham Avinu was the amud ha’chesed, pillar of kindness. What was his greatest kindness? It was reaching out to people and teaching them about Hashem. To save a person from the clutches of idol worship and inculcate him with belief in monotheism is the greatest act of kindness, because this person has been saved – not only spiritually, but physically as well. We involve ourselves in all forms of chesed projects, but the most basic act of reaching out to our estranged brethren seems to elude us. This is especially true if the subject is in an environment that is…

Home -> 5778 -> Noach

בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התבה

Roberto Szerer In Noach, 5778

Come to the Ark, you and all your household. (7:1)

A teivah is an Ark, a container, a box which holds an object within its confines. Teivah is also a word. The Chassidic Masters, notably the Baal Shem Tov, zl, render Hashem’s command to Noach to “Come into the Teivah” homiletically. Hashem is also saying: “Enter into the words of prayer and Torah study; there you will find a sanctuary of wisdom, meaning and holiness amidst the raging flood waters of life.” The various commentators expound on this play-on-word translation. Perhaps we can focus on the meaning of teivah/word as the reason for the disaster that befell that generation, and…

Home -> 5772 -> Bereishis

ויקרא ד' אלקים אל האדם ויאמר לו איכה...ויאמר האשה אשר נתתה עמדי היא נתנה לי מן העץ...ותאמר האשה הנחש השיאני

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5772

Hashem Elokim called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”… The woman whom You gave to be with me – she gave me of the tree… The woman said, “The serpent deceived me.” (3:9,12,13)

What really was the nature of Adam and Chavah’s sin, such that it necessitated their expulsion from Gan Eden? Ostensibly, it is because they ate of the Eitz HaDaas, Tree of Knowledge. This is what, at first glance, is gleaned from the pesukim. Hashem did not, however, banish them until after He had had a dialogue with them. Something in that conversation was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Something ensued from that conversation that made it evident to Hashem that they had to go. Hashem “searched” for Adam and He called out, “Ayeca?” Where are you? Clearly,…

Home -> 5772 -> Bereishis

והארץ היתה תהו ובהו וחשך על פני תהום. ויאמר אלקים יהי אור ויהי אור...ויבדל אלקים בין האור ובין החשך.

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5772

When the earth was astonishingly empty, with darkness upon the surface of the deep… G-d said, “Let there be light,” and there was light… And G-d separated between the light and the darkness. (1:2,3,4)

Contrary to popular belief, the darkness of which the Torah speaks is not merely the absence of light. It is a specific creation, as it is clearly stated in Yeshayahu 45:7, Yotzeir ohr u’borei choshech – oseh shalom u’borei ra. “(I am the One) Who forms light and creates darkness, Who makes peace and creates evil.” The Midrash comments, “Great is peace, for Hashem did not commence His creation of the world with anything other than something which represents peace. What is this? It is light.” The Midrash goes on to cite the pasuk in Yeshayahu. We must endeavor to…

Home -> V'zos HaBrachah -> 5770

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5770, V'zos HaBrachah

Bnei Yisrael bewailed Moshe. (34:8)

Rashi notes that only the men wept for Moshe. This is indicated by the term Bnei Yisrael, sons of Yisrael, implying the male population. In recording the death of Aharon HaKohen, however, the Torah writes, “the entire House of Yisrael [wept]” (Bamidbar 20:29), which includes both men and women. Rashi explains that Aharon loved and pursued peace, creating harmony between husband and wife and man and his fellowman. Aharon’s relationship with the common man was more “common.” He was constantly with them, promoting peace. As the king, leader and quintessential rebbe of the entire Jewish People, the relationship of Moshe…

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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)

כולנו בני איש אחד נחנו

All of us, sons of one man are we. (42:11)

כי אתה ידעת את עבדתי אשר עבדתיך

For you are aware of my service that I labored for you. 30:26)

וישא את קלו ויבך

And he raised his voice and wept. (29:11)

ויקח האיש נזם זהב בקע משקלו ושני צמידים על ידיה עשרה זהב משקלם

The man took a gold nose ring, its weight was a beka and two bracelets on her arms, ten gold shekels was their weight. (24:22)

ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן

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

בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התבה

Come to the Ark, you and all your household. (7:1)

ויקרא ד' אלקים אל האדם ויאמר לו איכה...ויאמר האשה אשר נתתה עמדי היא נתנה לי מן העץ...ותאמר האשה הנחש השיאני

Hashem Elokim called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”… The woman whom You gave to be with me – she gave me of the tree… The woman said, “The serpent deceived me.” (3:9,12,13)

והארץ היתה תהו ובהו וחשך על פני תהום. ויאמר אלקים יהי אור ויהי אור...ויבדל אלקים בין האור ובין החשך.

When the earth was astonishingly empty, with darkness upon the surface of the deep… G-d said, “Let there be light,” and there was light… And G-d separated between the light and the darkness. (1:2,3,4)

Bnei Yisrael bewailed Moshe. (34:8)

YEARS

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