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Home -> Behar -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5757, Behar

You shall not subjugate him through hard labor – you shall fear your G-d. (25:43)

The Torah admonishes us not to take undue advantage of the eved Ivri, Hebrew slave. He is reprehensible to demand that he perform difficult tasks that have no purpose other than destroying his self-respect. Rashi cites two such instances that do nothing more than destroy the slave’s body and spirit: ordering him to boil water when there is no need for it; ordering him to keep digging around a tree for a long period of time for no apparent purpose. The Rambam says that it is prohibited to require the slave to work just to keep him busy. While the…

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Home -> Bechukosai -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5757, Bechukosai

And I shall set my face against you and you shall be smitten before your enemies. They that hate you shall rule over you. (26:17)

Toras Kohanim delineates between chut and tbua in that the soneih is an enemy from within, while the oyeiv is an external enemy. We will fall prey to the bitter hatred of our internal enemies, those who despise the Torah way of life, who blame our nation’s sorry state of affairs upon those faithful to the Torah, rather than upon those who have totally defected from the Torah way of life. The schism created by these misguided Jews grows to the point that our external enemies use it as an opportunity for increased antagonism. It is hard to accept the…

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Home -> 5757 -> Balak

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Balak, 5757

Behold, a man of Bnei Yisrael came and brought a Midyanite woman near to his brothers. (25:6)

During a meeting of rabbonim held in Yerushalayim, an individual raised a question  to the august assemblage.  Suddenly an older man arose and addressed the group,  “My friends, I am beyond the age of seventy, and I can, therefore, assure you that I am beyond being tainted by the pursuit of honor.  I suggest that we render the following decision…”  He  went on to state his “humble” opinion.  Upon hearing this, Horav Leib Chasman, zl, who was one of the attendees at the meeting, stood up and emphatically said, “With all due respect, I must disagree with my colleague.  It…

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Home -> Ha'azinu -> 5756

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5756, Ha'azinu

“The Rock! Perfect in His work, for all His paths are justice. A G-d of faith without iniquity, righteous and fair is He.” (32:3,4)

Hashem’s judgement is perfect! The fact that we may not understand His ways does not in any manner affect the righteousness of His judgement. We must view every decree that Hashem issues as perfect.  The essence of emunah is our belief that Hashem in His infinite wisdom knows what is best for us.  We find this concept expressed in the Talmud Avodah Zarah 18b in an incident concerning Rabbi Chaninah ben Tradyon.  Together with his wife, he recited these pesukim as he was led to a most terrible and painful death. It is difficult for a human being with limited…

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Home -> 5756 -> Shoftim

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shoftim, 5756

“Our hands have not spilled this blood.” (21:7)

Chazal question how anyone could imagine that the elders of Klal Yisrael could be murderers. When they say, “Our hands have not spilled this blood,” they disclaim responsibility for not addressing the needs of the victim as he was leaving town. The Torah demands that leadership respond to the needs of every Jew. How far does this responsibility extend? At what point are the elders not held culpable for their lack of “sensitivity”? The Yerushalmi in the Talmud Sotah makes an interpretation of this pasuk which carries with it remarkable ramifications. They posit that “this blood” is a reference to…

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Home -> 5756 -> Eikev

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Eikev, 5756

“And I remained upon the mountain for forty days and forty nights – I neither ate bread nor drank water.” (9:9)

The Midrash Tanchuma remarks that Moshe’s mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice, for the Torah earned him the zchus that the Torah is called by his name, Toras Moshe. This means that Hashem Yisborach gave His Torah, Toras Hashem, to Moshe. What was Moshe’s kinyan, act of acquisition? His mesiras nefesh was the medium which catalyzed his proprietorship over the Torah. What, indeed, was Moshe’s act of mesiras nefesh? What remarkable  act of self-sacrifice did he exhibit that was so sublime to cause Hashem to “transfer” ownership to Moshe?  He did not eat or drink for forty days and nights when he went…

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Home -> 5756 -> Va'eschanan

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Va'eschanan, 5756

“And you shall not covet your fellow’s wife, you shall not desire your friend’s house… or anything that belongs to your fellow.” (5:18)

In the beginning of Parashas Kedoshim, the Ramban demonstrates how the Aseres Ha’dibros are parallel to the mitzvos presented at the beginning of Parashas Kedoshim. He cites the Midrash that equates the prohibition, “Do not covet,” with the positive command, “You shall love your fellow man as yourself.” This is a remarkable chiddush, novel idea. How is not coveting correlated to caring for one’s fellow man? One would think that coveting is a consequence of envy and insecurity. How is it analogous to lack of friendship? Horav Simcha Zissel Broide, Shlita, infers from here that the root of desiring that…

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Home -> Devarim -> 5756

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5756, Devarim

“All of you approached and said, “Let us send men ahead and let them spy out the land.” (1:22)

Chazal find a hidden message in the word ofkf, “all of you.” They contend that the manner in which they approached Moshe, the young showing disrespect towards their elders by pushing ahead, was the precursor of the disastrous outcome of their mission. We must endeavor to understand this statement. Is Moshe rebuking the people for their lack of derech eretz? Was not their sin a lack of faith in Hashem’s ability to bring them into the land? The mere fact that they requested spies in itself represented insurrection. How does their lack of proper manners correlate with their transgression? Horav…

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Home -> Masei -> 5756

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5756, Masei

“And the assembly shall return him to his city of refuge where he fled, he shall dwell in it until the death of the Kohen Gadol … (35:25,28)

In the Talmud Makos 11b Chazal rule that the unintentional murderer may not leave his city of refuge under any circumstance, even if he is a witness who is to testify in a case of capital punishment. They go so far as to say that even if all of Klal Yisrael were in dire need of his leadership, such as Yoav ben Tzruyah, he still may not leave. There he shall live, there he shall die, and there he is to be buried. This halachah is enigmatic! Is it not true that pikuach nefesh, a case which involves life and…

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Home -> 5756 -> Balak

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Balak, 5756

“Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them up unto Hashem in the face of the sun.” (25:4)

Many Jews accepted the invitation of the Midianite and Moavite women to join them in a sacrificial festival to their god, Baal–Peor. Although it was not the leaders of the tribes that sinned, they did not manage to prevent others from committing the gravest sins with the pagan women. Sforno comments that their sin progressed gradually. They began by exhibiting licentious behavior with the pagan women, followed by eating their sacrifices, until, ultimately, they began worshiping their idols. The apathy the leaders demonstrated by observing thousands succumbing to the wiles of the yetzer hora without themselves doing anything in protest,…

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