Emes – Page 18 – Peninim on the Torah

לא כן עבדי משה בכל ביתי נאמן הוא

Not so is my servant Moshe, in My entire household he is the trusted one. (12:7)

Moshe Rabbeinu is like a trusted member of Hashem’s Heavenly kingdom. The Torah alludes to Moshe’s unique qualities, especially in the area of nevuah, prophecy, in which he stood out above all prophets. He is referred to as avdi Moshe, My servant Moshe, who is trusted. The question that presents itself is obvious. Is it an accolade to state that Moshe was honest and, thus, to be trusted? To possess moral and ethical integrity is a basic quality which Hashem demands and expects of every person. What is novel about Moshe’s integrity and being trusted in Heaven? When one hires…

Home -> 5782 -> Naso

כה תברכו את בני ישראל...ושמו את שמי על בני ישראל ואני אברכם

Sruly Schnair In Naso, 5782

So shall you bless Bnei Yisrael. (6:23)…Let them place My Name upon Bnei Yisrael, and I will bless them. (6:27)

In the three pesukim of Bircas Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing, the Kohanim serve as the medium through which Hashem’s blessing reaches us. Hashem is the One Who blesses us via the conduit of the Kohen. Prior to offering the blessing, the Kohanim recite a berachah, “Who commands us to bless His People, Yisrael – b’ahavah, with love.” Thus, if the blessings are to achieve efficacy, the tenor of the relationship between kohen and congregation – and vice versa – must be one of love, no animus towards any member of the congregation for any reason. This applies to the flipside….

Home -> Behar -> 5782

וספרת לך שבע שבתת שנים ... וקדשתם את שנת החמשים שנה ... לא תזרעו ולא תקצרו

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Behar

You shall count for yourself seven cycles of Sabbatical years … You shall sanctify the fiftieth year … You shall not sow, you shall not harvest. (25:8,10,11)

Bitachon means trust. For a Jew, bitachon means trust in Hashem, because ein od Milvado, no one other than He exists. Without Hashem, nothing is possible; with Hashem, everything is achievable. It is as simple as that. Without the Almighty, we simply cannot function. The mitzvos of Shemittah and Yovel are the “poster” mitzvos which underscore the need for bitachon. After all, to close up shop for a year – and, during Yovel, for two years – demands super human trust in Hashem. One might think that living with bitachon is a specific characterization of one’s religious observance, as if…

Home -> 5782 -> Kedoshim

איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמרו אני ד'

Sruly Schnair In Kedoshim, 5782

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 -> Acharei Mos

אחרי מות שני בני אהרון... והיתה זאת לכם לחקת עולם לכפר על בני ישראל

Sruly Schnair In Acharei Mos, 5782

After the death of Aharon’s sons… This shall be to you an eternal decree to bring atonement upon Bnei Yisrael. (16:1,34)

The Yalkut Shemoni (Shmuel 2:155) teaches: “On the first of Nissan, the sons of Aharon (HaKohen) just died. Why does the Torah record their passing juxtaposed upon the laws of the Yom Kippur service? This teaches that just as Yom Kippur serves as an atonement, so, too, do the deaths of the righteous (expiate the sinful acts of Klal Yisrael). Why is the death of Miriam HaNeviyah juxtaposed upon the laws of Parah Adumah? This teaches that just as the ashes of Parah Adumah purify one from ritual contamination, so, too, does missas tzaddikim, the death of tzaddikim, atone.” What…

Home -> 5782 -> Tazria

וראה הכהן אחרי הכבס את הנגע והנה לא הפך הנגע את עינו

Sruly Schnair In Tazria, 5782

The Kohen shall look after the affliction has been washed and behold! The affliction has not changed its color. (13:55)

The Zohar Hakadosh notes that the words nega and oneg are comprised of the same Hebrew letters, but in different sequence: nun, gimmel, ayin – nega; ayin, nun, gimmel – oneg. The difference between them is where the ayin is placed – at the beginning of the word (as in oneg, pleasure) or the end of the word (nega, affliction). The metzora is to derive a powerful lesson therein. If he expiates his hurtful speech and changes his life, he transforms his present state of nega to oneg. As long as he is afflicted, however, it indicates that he has…

Home -> 5782 -> Shemini

ויקחו בני אהרן נדב ואביהו איש מחתתו... ויקריבו לפני ד' אש זרה אשר לא צוה אותם

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

The sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, each took his firepan… and they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them. (10:1)

Nadav and Avihu’s action was clearly in violation of the norm. These two tzaddikim, righteous persons, did not plan on sinning against Hashem. They were of the opinion that their initiative was appropriate and even commendable. Wherein lay the difference between their position and that of Moshe Rabbeinu? While the commentators enumerate a number of areas in which they could have been lacking (clearly relative to their exalted spiritual status), the Talmud (Eiruvin 63a) underscores two: they entered the Sanctuary while intoxicated with wine; they rendered a halachic decision in the presence of their Rebbe, Moshe. Both of these seeming…

Home -> 5782 -> Shemini

וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

Moshe heard, and he approved. (10:20)

We do not find disputes between Klal Yisrael’s leaders: Moshe Rabbeinu and his brother, Aharon HaKohen – except with regard to the sa’ir Rosh Chodesh, he-goat brought on Rosh Chodesh. They disagreed about whether an onein, mourner, was permitted to eat the sa’ir Rosh Chodesh on the day of the funeral. The question arose concerning kodshei doros, that which is sanctified for generations: a korban which will continually be offered; and kodshei shaah, a korban designated for that specific time. Three he-goats were offered that day – two of which were kodshei shah, and one of which was kodshei doros….

Home -> 5782 -> Shemini

להבדיל בין הטמא ובין הטהור ובין החיה הנאכלת ובין החיה אשר לא תאכל

Sruly Schnair In Shemini, 5782

To distinguish between the contaminated and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten. (11:47)

A Jew must know the Torah and its laws; otherwise, he is challenged to keep them. In order to carry out the will of Hashem, we must know what is His will and how to execute it properly. In most cases the distinction between “clean” and “unclean,” “pure” and “not pure,” what may be eaten and what may not be eaten, is evident and does not require a degree in higher Torah knowledge. It is, however, vital that we know how to distinguish between those categories that are similar to one another. For example, the slaughtering of an animal or…

Home -> Pekudei -> 5782

אלה פקודי המשכן

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Pekudei

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan. (38:21)

What appears to be a sad commentary on the nature of people is actually Hashem’s way of rewarding the righteous. The parsha begins with Moshe Rabbeinu’s accounting of all the precious metals and jewelry that Klal Yisrael donated for the construction of the Mishkan. Why did Moshe do such an accounting? Was he not trustworthy? Unquestionably, Hashem trusted Moshe, knowing that his integrity and devotion were impeccable. Some disturbed people in every community have nothing else to do but denigrate their leaders. This is, unfortunately, the product of envy which is espoused by insecure individuals who look at themselves and…

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לא כן עבדי משה בכל ביתי נאמן הוא

Not so is my servant Moshe, in My entire household he is the trusted one. (12:7)

כה תברכו את בני ישראל...ושמו את שמי על בני ישראל ואני אברכם

So shall you bless Bnei Yisrael. (6:23)…Let them place My Name upon Bnei Yisrael, and I will bless them. (6:27)

וספרת לך שבע שבתת שנים ... וקדשתם את שנת החמשים שנה ... לא תזרעו ולא תקצרו

You shall count for yourself seven cycles of Sabbatical years … You shall sanctify the fiftieth year … You shall not sow, you shall not harvest. (25:8,10,11)

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)

אחרי מות שני בני אהרון... והיתה זאת לכם לחקת עולם לכפר על בני ישראל

After the death of Aharon’s sons… This shall be to you an eternal decree to bring atonement upon Bnei Yisrael. (16:1,34)

וראה הכהן אחרי הכבס את הנגע והנה לא הפך הנגע את עינו

The Kohen shall look after the affliction has been washed and behold! The affliction has not changed its color. (13:55)

ויקחו בני אהרן נדב ואביהו איש מחתתו... ויקריבו לפני ד' אש זרה אשר לא צוה אותם

The sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, each took his firepan… and they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them. (10:1)

וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו

Moshe heard, and he approved. (10:20)

להבדיל בין הטמא ובין הטהור ובין החיה הנאכלת ובין החיה אשר לא תאכל

To distinguish between the contaminated and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten. (11:47)

אלה פקודי המשכן

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan. (38:21)

YEARS

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