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Home -> Vayikra -> 5786

אשר נשיא יחטא

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Vayikra

When a ruler sins. (4:22)

Asher is translated as “when,” alluding to the fact that it happens that even the high and mighty leader sins.  Chazal further translate it as being connected to ashrei, fortunate. This motivates Chazal to assert that a generation whose leader seeks atonement for his unintentional sins is fortunate, because this means that he will surely repent his intentional sins.  Chazal underscore the good fortune of a nation whose leader concedes and seeks atonement for his fallibility.  On the one hand, this is an enviable character trait – one to which more leaders should ascribe – but, at the end of…

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Home -> Pekudei -> 5786

אלה פקודי המשכן, משכן העדות

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Pekudei

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

We were blessed with the presence of a Sanctuary in our midst during three periods in Jewish history.  The period of the Mishkan lasted until the first Bais HaMikdash.  The first Bais HaMikdash was followed seventy years later by the second Bais HaMikdash.  While the two Batei Mikdash were eventually destroyed, the Mishkan remained eternal. Just because it is not in our immediate environs does not mean it is not secure in a Heavenly sphere.  Furthermore, as noted by Chazal (Shabbos 21B), it is prohibited to derive pleasure from the neiros, lights.  In his commentary to the Gemora, the Rav…

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Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5786

כי תשא את ראש בני ישראל

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Ki Sisa

When you take a census of Bnei Yisrael. (30:12)

Midrash Tanchuma (Parshas Ki Sissa) sets forth the notion that the machatzis ha’shekel, coin which every Jew had to donate, was to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf.  The Midrash says that the nations of the world declared, “A nation that heard at Sinai: A) I am Hashem, your G-d, followed by B) You shall not recognize the gods of others.” In spite of this, after only forty days, the people created the Golden Calf.  How could Hashem welcome them back?  This was no ordinary sin, but a grievous, flagrant act of unfaithfulness.  Chazal liken this to a…

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Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5786

הודיעני נא את דרכך

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Ki Sisa

Make Your ways known to me. (33:13)

Moshe Rabbeinu requested that the ways in which Hashem conducts the world be revealed to him.  Chazal (Berachos 7A) explain that he had a specific question which was pressing him, a question that has stumped every human: “Why is it that the righteous (will at times) suffer and the wicked (will at times) prosper?”  Veritably, this is a question that only plagues mortals.  Those whose neshamos have departed this world are privy to a supernal light which illuminates all that troubles us in this world.  Thus, they have no questions.  Hashem replied to Moshe, Lo Yiraani adam v’chai, “No human…

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Home -> 5786 -> Tetzaveh

ועשית בגדי קדש לאהרן אחיך לכבוד ולתפארת

Sruly Schnair
In Tetzaveh, 5786

You shall fill it with stone mounting, four rows of stone … and the fourth row, tarshish, shoham and yashfeh. (28:17, 20)

You shall make bigdei kodesh, vestments of sanctity.  Were they used for sanctity or did they become holy when Aharon wore them to perform the Priestly service, or did the artisans craft them with the intention of making them holy?  Perhaps it was their designation for the Kohen Gadol who would perform the Divine Service in the Sanctuary that lent holiness to these vestments.  Clothing on its own is not intrinsically holy. When it is worn by a saintly person in the course of his performing a holy function, however, it transforms from garment to holy vestment.  Once the garments…

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Home -> 5786 -> Yisro

ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר

Sruly Schnair
In Yisro, 5786

And Yisrael encamped there, opposite the mountain. (19:2)

Rashi notes that the verb, va’yichan, they encamped, is written in the singular, rather than in the plural, va’yachanu. This teaches us that the huge multitude of people, which comprised the nation that was about to receive the Torah, was camped k’ish echad, b’lev echad, like a single person with one heart. Klal Yisrael’s unity is critical to its survival as a Torah nation. Only when they were united in their goal of hearing and accepting the d’var Hashem, word of G-d, would they be ready to receive the Torah. A number of points concerning the concept of k’ish echad…

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Home -> 5786 -> Bo

זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5786

Remember this day on which you departed from Egypt. (13:3)

Memory and the joy of remembering seminal moments in our history are among the cornerstones of Jewish life.  As such, we are a nation who, although we live in the present, we neither forget nor take for granted the lessons of the past.  As Klal Yisrael is about to prepare for its liberation from the Egyptian exile, they were repeatedly exhorted to remember that they were once slaves, and Hashem in His infinite kindness redeemed them from bondage.  In the Haggadah, we underscore this obligation with, B’chol dor vador chayiv adam liros es atzmo k’ilu hu yatza mi’Mitzrayim, “In every…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5786

ובני בנימין

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Vayigash

And the sons of Binyamin. (46:21)

The Torah goes on to record the names of Binyamin’s ten sons.  Rashi (ibid 43:30) quotes Chazal that Binyamin named each of his sons for some element of Yosef’s tragedy. For example: Bela, because Yosef was Nivla, swallowed among the nations; Becher, related to be’chor, first born, which Yosef was to Rachel Imeinu; Shavui, because he was taken captive.  In this unique manner, Binyamin immortalized Yosef’s memory.  Thus, he ensured that every time he called his children, Yosef’s character, his ordeal, and his greatness would come to mind. A vital truth is underscored herein.  A person dies twice:  Once when…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5786

רק אדמת הכהנים לא קנה כי חוק לכהנים מאת פרעה ואכלו את חוקם

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Vayigash

Only the land of the priests did he not buy, since the priests had a stipend from Pharaoh. (47:22)

Rashi explains a set decree which Pharaoh established, that the priests should receive a daily stipend of bread – regardless of the country’s economic condition.  Thus, it was unnecessary for them to sell their land for food.  Targum Yonasan disagrees, explaining that Yosef established this rule out of a sense of gratitude to the priests for saving his life.  Potifar was a priest, whose wife claimed that Yosef had made advances toward her.  Understandably, for a lowly slave to act in such a reprehensible manner warranted the death penalty.  Potifar sought the advice of his colleagues – both as verification…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5786

וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען

Sruly Schnair
In 5786, Vayeishev

Yaakov settled in the land of his father’s sojournings in the land of Canaan. (37:1)

Chazal teach that Yaakov Avinu sought to settle, to relax from the many struggles that had heretofore been a part of his life.  Hashem responded with the mechiras Yosef.  The message is clear: Tzaddikim are not on this world for a tranquil walk in the park.  Their tranquility will be their reward in Olam Habba, which they earn in this world.  Clearly, Yaakov’s idea of shalvah, serenity, was on a spiritual plane, during which he could spend every waking moment immersed in Torah. Life is about overcoming and living with challenge.  Everything that we receive from Hashem comes with a…

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