Derech Eretz – Page 52 – Peninim on the Torah

ויקח עמרם את יוכבד דודתו לו לאשה

Amram took his aunt, Yocheved, as a wife. (6:20)

As a general rule, we do not find many women’s names mentioned in the Torah. Mentioning Yocheved’s name is, therefore, unanticipated and gives us food for thought. Yocheved gave birth to three pillars of Judaism, leaders who nurtured our nation during its forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, but is this the primary source of her distinction? Horav Arye Leib Heyman, zl, posits that Levi ben Yaakov Avinu named his daughter – as well as his sons – with names that correlated to the mechiras Yosef, the sale of Yosef. He felt a greater sense of guilt and responsibility, since his…

Home -> 5774 -> Terumah

והבריח התיכן בתוך הקרשים מבריח מן הקצה אל הקצה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5774

The middle bar inside the planks shall extend from end to end. (26:28)

The Briach HaTichon was an amazing component of the Mishkan. It basically kept the walls together, thus stabilizing the Mishkan structure. The Targum Yonasan ben Uziel explains how this pillar functioned. Avraham Avinu planted a tree in Beer Sheva. When Klal Yisrael walked through the miraculously split Red Sea, the angels uprooted the tree and flung it into the sea. The tree floated on top of the water. At that point, an angel proclaimed, “This tree was originally planted by the Patriarch Avraham; it was at this tree that the Patriarch would pray and call out to others in the…

Home -> 5774 -> Terumah

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את תרומתי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5774

And let them take for Me a portion, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My portion. (25:2)

The Yerushalmi Terumos 1:5:5 states that five individuals are excluded from giving Terumah, the designated tithe of grain given to the Kohen. They are a: cheresh, deaf – who speaks but does not hear; shoteh– imbecile; katan – young child; toreim es she’eino shelo – one who contributes from funds that are not his; oveid kochavim – idol worshipper/gentile, even if he is giving money which belongs to a Jew. I was perusing through some old seforim and came across a volume of drashos, homilies, from rabbanim written some fifty years ago. From a homiletic perspective, they were quite good….

Home -> Shemos -> 5774

ויאמר משה אל ד'... לא איש דברים אנכי גם מתמול גם משלשם גם מאז דברך אל עבדך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Shemos

Moshe replied to Hashem… I am not a man of words, not since yesterday, not since the day before yesterday, nor since You first spoke to your servant. (4:10)

Rashi notes that this was the seventh day of Moshe Rabbeinu’s dialogue with Hashem. Moshe’s reluctance to assume the leadership of Klal Yisrael was because he did not want to arrogate himself over his older brother, Aharon, who was a Navi, Prophet, and the present leader of the people. The Yalkut Shimoni quotes Moshe, “Until I stood here, my brother, Aharon, had been prophesizing for the last eighty years. Now I should come into his perimeter? I should be his adversary and cause him pain?” Hashem replied, “You will neither be his adversary, nor will you cause him pain. Indeed,…

Home -> 5774 -> Shelach

ונהי בעינינו כחגבים וכן היינו בעיניהם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5774

We were like grasshoppers in our eyes, also we were in their eyes. (13:33)

Probably the most common catalyst for sinful behavior is low self-esteem, which is often the precursor of depression. While depression alone is not a sin, it leads one to commit the most egregious transgressions. When one thinks ill of himself, he has little reason to act positively. After all, who cares? This, explains the Kotzker Rebbe, zl, was the motivation for the sin perpetrated by the meraglim, spies. They felt worthless; they had no chance of overcoming such a strong nation. Their negativity was infectious, causing the entire nation to feel bereft of their leadership. They all began to cry….

Home -> 5774 -> Pinchas

בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Pinchas, 5774

When he zealously avenged Me among them. (25:11)

Kanaus, for the most part, is a frightening word. It refers either to someone who is a great tzaddik, whose love for Hashem is so intense that it impels him to act in a manner which some individuals consider extreme; or an extremist, who is always on the lookout for a good fight. There is a fine line which separates the two. This is why it is frightening. Some think that kanaus is a rite of passage, a segway for achieving gadlus baTorah, distinction in the field of Torah. They feel that, unless they have taken down a few misguided…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5774

ובלעדך לא ירים איש את ידו ואת רגלו בכל ארץ מצרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Mikeitz

And, without you, no man may lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. (41:44)

Pharaoh handed exemplary powers of monarchy to Yosef. He retained for himself the power associated with the crown, meaning that he, Pharaoh, granted these powers to Yosef. What Yosef achieved was by his grace. Thus, Yosef, and by extension, the people, would never forget that the true Egyptian monarch was none other than Pharaoh. Nonetheless, this was an incredible step for Pharaoh. The Egyptians did not hold the Jews in the highest esteem. In fact, they reviled the Jews, as evidenced by the chamberlain’s description of Yosef. Yet, Pharaoh was not like that: he recognized greatness; he appreciated wisdom; he…

Home -> 5774 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצורע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Metzora, 5774

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

The tongue has no mind. It expresses the feelings that the individual has in his heart. A positive person, whose outlook on life and people is positive, invariably speaks only good – because this is what he sees. This is what he feels in his heart. A negative person, whose view on life and people is jaundiced, speaks lashon hora, evil speech, because this is all that he knows. In other words, the best protection against lashon hora is a positive outlook. A primary component for maintaining a positive view on people is to respect others. This is increasingly difficult…

Home -> 5774 -> Lech Lecha

ויבא אל הגר ותהר ותרא כי הרתה ותקל גברתה בעיניה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5774

He consorted with Hagar and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was lowered in her esteem. (16:7)

It happens all of the time: one strikes it rich and suddenly it is all about him; he is the worthy; he is righteous and worthy of blessing. Horav Gamliel Rabinowitz, Shlita, explains that such a person follows in the footsteps of Hagar. As soon as she conceived, she began to boast brazenly, “Since so many years have passed without my mistress having children, she obviously is not as righteous as she seems. I conceived immediately!” Herein is revealed the difference between Jew and gentile. When Hagar saw that Hashem had showered her with His benevolence, her attitude should have…

Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5774

והיה כצאת משה אל האהל יקומו כל העם ונצבו איש פתח אהלו והביטו אחרי משה עד באו האהלה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Ki Sisa

Whenever Moshe would go out to the Ohel, the entire people would stand up and remain standing, everyone at the entrance of his tent, and they would gaze after Moshe until he arrived at the tent. (33:8)

Chazal (Midrash Tanchuma) derive from here the reverence one must accord to a Torah scholar. “One must stand in the presence of an elderly Jew, a Torah scholar, an Av Bais Din, Head of the Rabbinical court, and a king.” Moshe Rabbeinu was the nation’s quintessential leader; it would make sense that he be demonstrated such respect due to his position as leader – no different than a distinguished political leader, king, etc. Chazal do not say this explicitly. The fact that they mandate kavod talmid chacham, the respect one must show to a Torah scholar, indicates that Moshe Rabbeinu…

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ויקח עמרם את יוכבד דודתו לו לאשה

Amram took his aunt, Yocheved, as a wife. (6:20)

והבריח התיכן בתוך הקרשים מבריח מן הקצה אל הקצה

The middle bar inside the planks shall extend from end to end. (26:28)

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את תרומתי

And let them take for Me a portion, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My portion. (25:2)

ויאמר משה אל ד'... לא איש דברים אנכי גם מתמול גם משלשם גם מאז דברך אל עבדך

Moshe replied to Hashem… I am not a man of words, not since yesterday, not since the day before yesterday, nor since You first spoke to your servant. (4:10)

ונהי בעינינו כחגבים וכן היינו בעיניהם

We were like grasshoppers in our eyes, also we were in their eyes. (13:33)

בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם

When he zealously avenged Me among them. (25:11)

ובלעדך לא ירים איש את ידו ואת רגלו בכל ארץ מצרים

And, without you, no man may lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. (41:44)

זאת תהיה תורת המצורע

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

ויבא אל הגר ותהר ותרא כי הרתה ותקל גברתה בעיניה

He consorted with Hagar and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was lowered in her esteem. (16:7)

והיה כצאת משה אל האהל יקומו כל העם ונצבו איש פתח אהלו והביטו אחרי משה עד באו האהלה

Whenever Moshe would go out to the Ohel, the entire people would stand up and remain standing, everyone at the entrance of his tent, and they would gaze after Moshe until he arrived at the tent. (33:8)

YEARS

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