Emes – Page 49 – Peninim on the Torah

Moshe Marcovich In Bo, 5758

And there was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for a three-day period. (10:22)

Rashi cites the Midrash that suggests one of the reasons for the three-day darkness. He posits that it occurred so that the Jews who were too assimilated into the Egyptian culture would die. As a result of the darkness the Egyptians did not see their deaths. Therefore, they could not assert that the plagues affected the Jews as well as the Egyptians. We may question the need for a complete change in nature just to purge Klal Yisrael of an element so alienated that it had no hope of ever returning to the Covenant. If the purpose was that…

Home -> 5758 -> Beshalach

Moshe Marcovich In Beshalach, 5758

And the people revered Hashem, and they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant. (14:31)

A Jew should strive to attain such a sublime level of emunah in Hashem that he truly believes with a clarity of vision. Let us explain. People accept the notion that “seeing is believing.” This means that in order to really believe, one must actually see the phenomenon. Hence, belief in a given concept is a step lower than actually seeing it. This is not the Torah perspective. The Chidushei Ha’Rim asserts that as Bnei Yisrael stood at the shores of the Red Sea and experienced unprecedented miracles, they were privy to a revelation of Hashem which was unparalleled. The…

Home -> 5758 -> Bereishis

Moshe Marcovich In Bereishis, 5758

And Kayin said to Hevel his brother. (4:6)

We have no record of that conversation. We have no idea what they spoke about and what catalyzed the first murder. Targum Yonasan records a lengthy theological debate between Kayin and Hevel. Kayin offered strong criticism of Hevel’s way of life and of his belief in the Almighty. It went so far that Kayin exclaimed, “Les din v’les Dayan,” “There is no law and there is no Judge.” He rejected the Ribbono Shel Olam! The question that begs elucidation is simple: Why was Kayin so jealous of Hevel’s communion with some non-existent Deity? If Kayin believed in nothing, then he…

Home -> 5758 -> Beha'alosecha

Moshe Marcovich In Beha'alosecha, 5758

They journeyed from the mountain of Hashem a three day journey and the Aron of the covenant journeyed before them…to search out for them a resting place. (10:33)

Rashi contends that the “Aron Bris Hashem” — which was taken out with Bnei Yisrael when they went to battle — contained the broken Luchos. The “Shivrei Luchos” retained a unique power which served as a protective armor when Bnei Yisrael were in a difficult predicament. We must endeavor to understand why the Aron that contained the broken Luchos accompanied Bnei Yisrael in time of war. What was the significance of the Shivrei Luchos? What influence did they maintain over the people? We suggest that the broken Luchos represent the integrity of Torah and each Jew’s mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice, to…

Home -> 5758 -> Beha'alosecha

Moshe Marcovich In Beha'alosecha, 5758

This is the workmanship of the Menorah…according to the vision that Hashem showed Moshe, so did he make the Menorah. (8:4)

Chazal tell us that Moshe had difficulty in forging the Menorah. They say that Hashem “showed” Moshe by pointing a “finger” and describing the exact image of the Menorah. In the end, according to one statement of Chazal, Moshe threw the talent of gold into the fire and a finished Menorah emerged. A number of explanations address Moshe’s difficulty in perceiving the image of the Menorah. Horav Nissan Alpert, zl, views this from an homiletic point of view. He suggests an analogy between the fabrication of the Menorah and two people who were given the necessary materials for building a…

Home -> 5758 -> Balak

Moshe Marcovich In Balak, 5758

Hashem opened the mouth of the she-donkey and it said to Bilaam, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?” (22:28)

Chazal note that the Torah does not use the word “pe’omim,” which means “times.” Rather, the Torah uses the word “regalim” which is an allusion to the Shalosh Regalim, Three Festivals — when Klal Yisrael went on Pilgrimage to Yerushalayim — and to the Bais Hamikdash. Bilaam wished to harm a nation whose devotion to Hashem was so strong, whose commitment so intense, that they left their fields and homes three times each year to serve Hashem in Yerushalayim. How could Bilaam think that the Almighty would permit him to harm such a dedicated nation? It is interesting to note…

Home -> 5758 -> Acharei Mos

Moshe Marcovich In Acharei Mos, 5758

He shall don a sacred linen tunic; linen breeches shall be upon his flesh. (16:4)

The Kohen Gadol performed all of the daily rituals, as well as part of the Yom Kippur service, while wearing his golden vestments. When the Kohen Gadol entered the Kodesh Hakodoshim, the Holy of Holies, to seek penance for Klal Yisrael, he changed into the simple linen vestments. Since the Jewish People had sinned by worshipping the Golden Calf, it would have been inappropriate to seek penance wearing gold. The material of gold acts as a prosecuting agent against the Jewish People. Hence, gold vestments are not the appropriate attire for effecting a positive response for forgiveness. We infer from…

Home -> Vayikra -> 5777

אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayikra

When a man among you brings an offering to Hashem. (1:2)

I recently came across an article penned by a secular Jew, decrying our yearning for the rebuilding of the Bais HaMikdash. In one of his gripes, he declared that he found the notion of korbanos, sacrifices, primitive, archaic, and a form of service no longer necessary. While to the ancients it was natural to offer a korban, offering, to Hashem, this modern man eschews such form of worship. Obviously, he is clueless with regard to the underlying concepts of korbanos and the spiritual elevation they engender in the person who offers them. A korban is a way of coming closer…

Home -> Pekudei -> 5777

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדת אשר פקד על פי משה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Pekudei

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony, which were reckoned at Moshe’s bidding. (38:21)

Was there no one other than Moshe Rabbeinu, Rabban Shel Kol Yisrael, capable of doing an accounting of the Mishkan? An accounting is a vital function in any endeavor, especially one as spiritually significant as building the Mishkan. Surely, there were others, possibly more proficient in mathematics, who could have performed this service. Horav Moshe Bick, zl, derives an important principle from here. When one builds a makom kadosh, holy edifice, when he undertakes a holy endeavor, one would think that all halachic questions and issues should be decided by the talmid chacham, Torah scholar. The monetary and financial issues…

Home -> 5777 -> Va'eschanan

כבד את אביך ואת ואמך כאשר צוך ד' אלקיך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Va'eschanan, 5777

Honor your father and mother, as Hashem, your God, commanded you. (5:16)

One would think that honoring parents is a logical mitzvah which requires no specific command from Hashem. It should be the result of overwhelming gratitude to parents for all that they do to nurture and support their children. In his Haaemek Davar commentary to the Torah, the Netziv, zl, notes that there are circumstances (including difficult children) in which hakoras hatov, gratitude, is sadly not a primary focus in life, when a child feels that respecting parents is a stretch beyond which they can tolerate. Let us face it: not all parents are perfect; neither are all children; not all…

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And there was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for a three-day period. (10:22)

And the people revered Hashem, and they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant. (14:31)

And Kayin said to Hevel his brother. (4:6)

They journeyed from the mountain of Hashem a three day journey and the Aron of the covenant journeyed before them…to search out for them a resting place. (10:33)

This is the workmanship of the Menorah…according to the vision that Hashem showed Moshe, so did he make the Menorah. (8:4)

Hashem opened the mouth of the she-donkey and it said to Bilaam, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?” (22:28)

He shall don a sacred linen tunic; linen breeches shall be upon his flesh. (16:4)

אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לד'

When a man among you brings an offering to Hashem. (1:2)

אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדת אשר פקד על פי משה

These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony, which were reckoned at Moshe’s bidding. (38:21)

כבד את אביך ואת ואמך כאשר צוך ד' אלקיך

Honor your father and mother, as Hashem, your God, commanded you. (5:16)

YEARS

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