Emes – Page 41 – Peninim on the Torah

Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and inherit the land. (16:20)

Emes, truth, is one of the most essential human character traits. Indeed, the Torah tells us to pursue truth. Hashem’s seal is emes. An individual who desires to be close and cling to Hashem must cleave to the attribute of truth. One who merits to be the paragon of integrity, to have emes permeate his entire essence, is already close to Hashem. Interestingly, we do not find a fence placed around any other middah, character trait, to the extent that we see occurring with sheker, falsehood. The Torah admonishes us, “Midvar sheker tirchak” – “Distance yourself from falsehood.” (Shemos 23,7) …

Home -> Shemos -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5757, Shemos

And they appointed taskmasters over it in order to afflict it with their burdens. (1:11)

By inflicting hard labor upon the Jews, the Egyptians’ goal was simply to destroy their dignity, to hurt them emotionally as well as physically. Horav Shimon Schwab, z”l, comments that the purpose of placing taskmasters over the Jews was to degrade and humiliate them, to convey to them that they could not be trusted to perform their job adequately without supervision. They were telling the Jews that they were crude and undignified; their integrity was lacking and their work ethic unsuitable. Is there anything worse than such a loathsome form of emotional abuse? Indeed, the intention of the Egyptians was…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5757, Shemos

Come let us outsmart it lest it become numerous….and it too, may join our enemies. (1:10)

Chazal tell us that Pharaoh had a council composed of three advisors, Bilaam, Iyov, and Yisro. Bilaam was the one who suggested the diabolical scheme to enslave the Jews. Iyov remained silent; he was later punished for his silence with ordeals of terrible pain and anguish. Yisro fled Egypt, rather than acquiesce to the evil advice. He was rewarded with the promise that his descendants would one day sit in the Sanhedrin. This well-known Midrash assumes a new meaning when one considers the nature of each of the three advisors and the inconsistency of their advice with his own personal…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5757

And Moshe spoke to Aharon: Approach the Altar and offer your (korban) Chatas and your (korban) Olah. (9:7)

Chazal explain why it was necessary for Moshe to speak emphatically to Aharon saying, “Approach the Mizbayach.” Aharon was “shy,” afraid to approach the Mizbayach. He saw the likeness of an ox with its horns in the Mizbayach, and he was afraid. Moshe told him, “Take courage and approach the Mizbayach.” Aharon was anxious, reflecting a fear that ought to take hold of any conscientious leader who assumes his position. He understood the heavy responsibility of his position and the lofty mission of being leader, teacher, and interpreter of d’var Hashem. His fear, however, had an additional aspect. The image…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5757

And you shall look at it, and remember all the commandments of Hashem. (15:39)

The tzitzis stand as a constant reminder of the Jew’s duties to Hashem and of his special relationship with Him. Chazal teach us that the techeiles, blue thread, in the tzitzis symbolizes the sea. In turn, the sea represents the Heavens, and the Heavens allude to Hashem’s Throne. Thus, when a Jew gazes at the tzitzis he should think of Hashem and, consequently, feel an affinity with His mitzvos. We infer from here what it means to “see,” what visual perception stimulates. One can look at an object and see a plain, inanimate form before him. Alternatively, he can…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5757

Send forth men, if you wish, and let them spy out the land…see the land – how is it? And the people that dwells in it – is it strong or weak? And how is the land in which it dwells – is it good or is it bad? And how are the cities – are they open or are they fortified? And how is the land – is it fertile or is it lean? Are there trees in it or not?…But the people that dwells in the land is very powerful…we cannot ascend to that people. (13:2, 18,19,20,28,31)

One of the most tragic incidents in Jewish history, the cheit ha’meraglim, the sin of the spies, played a prominent role in altering the course of history. The fact that the spies were virtuous men, leaders of the nation, when they left on their ill-fated mission magnified this tragedy. In the end, this incident effected ruin upon the entire nation. When all is said and done, a number of issues should be addressed regarding their sin. First, what really was their sin? They were sent on a mission to determine the land’s strengths and weaknesses – which they did. They…

Home -> 5757 -> Pinchas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Pinchas, 5757

Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon Ha’kohen turned back My wrath from upon the Bnei Yisrael when he zealously avenged Me among them…Behold! I give him My covenant of Peace…And it shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal priesthood. (25: 11,12, 13)

Pinchas receives the ultimate reward–Kehunas olam–eternal priesthood. This blessing of everlasting priesthood was not bestowed upon anyone else. It was not bestowed neither upon Moshe the lawgiver, nor Aharon the Kohen, who was the paradigmatic peacemaker. Horav Moshe Swift, zl, notes that the blessing of continuity, the concept of uninterrupted service to Hashem, was neither a product of the service in the Mikdash nor the teaching in the Bais Ha’midrash. While these contribute to future development, they do not actually forge the links in the chain of continuity. They do not create a “lo ul’zaro acharav” for him and his…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5757

And the land was filled with corruption. (6:11)

In the Midrash, Chazal teach that “corruption” refers to idolatry. We may wonder why idolatry stands out as the primary sin of that generation. What is there about “chamas,” corruption, that infers idolatry? Horav Yaakov Kaminetzky, zl, responds by first defining the essence of idolatry. We are taught that if a certain city has decided to reject one ritual of the taryag, 613 mitzvos, regardless of the type of mitzvah, that city is declared an “Ir Hanidachas,” a city that went astray and is to be totally destroyed. Accordingly, asks Rav Yaakov, why should the fate of the generation of…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5757, Vayeilech

My anger will flare against it…And many evils and distress will encounter it…It will say on that day, “Is it not because my G-d is not in my midst that these evils have come upon me?” (31:17)

Klal Yisrael’s sins incurred Hashem’s wrath, as well as His consequent concealment of Himself from them. The pasuk goes on to state that even after Klal Yisrael acknowledged that they were suffering as a result of Hashem’s removal of His Presence from their midst, Hashem continued to conceal Himself from them. While this may be a particularly severe punishment, we are told later that regardless of our sins, the Torah will never be forgotten from our People. If we have the Torah, we still can maintain hope for ultimate reconciliation after we have fully repented. In addressing the meaning of…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Nitzavim, 5757

Then Hashem, your G-d, will bring back your captivity and have mercy upon you, and He will gather you in. (30:3)

Once Klal Yisrael repents, they are assured of the ingathering of the exiles, regardless of where they are located among the nations of the world. The Rambam infers from this pasuk that one must believe in the coming of Moshiach. Indeed, the Rambam writes, “And he who does not believe in him (Moshiach), or he who does not await his coming, does not only repudiate the (prophecies of) Nevi’im, but also denies the Torah and Moshe Rabbeinu.” The Brisker Rav, zl, inferred from the Rambam that he who denies the Geulah, Redemption, is a kofer, non-believer. Even he who does…

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Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and inherit the land. (16:20)

And they appointed taskmasters over it in order to afflict it with their burdens. (1:11)

Come let us outsmart it lest it become numerous….and it too, may join our enemies. (1:10)

And Moshe spoke to Aharon: Approach the Altar and offer your (korban) Chatas and your (korban) Olah. (9:7)

And you shall look at it, and remember all the commandments of Hashem. (15:39)

Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon Ha’kohen turned back My wrath from upon the Bnei Yisrael when he zealously avenged Me among them…Behold! I give him My covenant of Peace…And it shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal priesthood. (25: 11,12, 13)

And the land was filled with corruption. (6:11)

My anger will flare against it…And many evils and distress will encounter it…It will say on that day, “Is it not because my G-d is not in my midst that these evils have come upon me?” (31:17)

Then Hashem, your G-d, will bring back your captivity and have mercy upon you, and He will gather you in. (30:3)

YEARS

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