Humility – Peninim on the Torah

ויהי אנשים אשר היו טמאים לנפש אדם ...למה נגרע לבלתי הקריב את אדם קרבן ד' במועדו

These were men who were contaminated by a human corpse…Why should we be diminished by not offering Hashem’s offering in its appointed time?” (9:6,7)

Some men were ritually impure due to contact with a human corpse, and they could not sacrifice the Pesach-offering on that day … These men said, “We are ritually impure through contact with a human corpse. Why should we be diminished, so as not to bring the offering of Hashem on its appointed time?” (9:6) One must be ritually pure in order to offer the Korban Pesach (or any Korban for that matter). These men were tamei meis, ritually impure, due to their contact with a human corpse. Confronted with the circumstance, they came to Moshe Rabbeinu and offered their…

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והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Sruly Schnair In Beha'alosecha, 5786

Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth. (12:3)

The Torah describes Moshe Rabbeinu as the humblest of all men. This does not mean that he was unaware of his unparalleled greatness, his extraordinary achievements, or his role as Klal Yisrael’s quintessential rebbe and leader. On the contrary, Moshe understood exactly who he was. Yet, his humility lay in how he perceived the source of his greatness. He felt that he had been granted opportunities that no one else had received. Had others stood at Har Sinai, had they learned Torah directly from Hashem, they, too, could have risen to his level of leadership. Chazal teach that the Torah…

Home -> 5786 -> Emor

ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל

Sruly Schnair In Emor, 5786

You shall not desecrate My Holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael. (22:32)

A passage in the Talmud (Yoma 86A) illuminates the concept of Kiddush Hashem, but also insinuates that we can view dereliction as a chillul Hashem, desecration of Hashem’s Name. “What do people say about an individual who reads, learns and serves talmidei chachamim, Torah scholars, and handles all his relations (business, etc.) with his fellow man with emunah, faith, and makes sure his manner of speech is b’nachas, soft and pleasant? Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah/Fortunate is his Rebbe who taught him Torah. Look at so and so who studied Torah, and (as a result) his demeanor…

Home -> 5786 -> Acharei Mos

אחרי מות שני בני אהרן בקרבתם לפני ד' וימותו

Sruly Schnair In Acharei Mos, 5786

After the deaths of two of Aharon’s sons, when they drew near before Hashem and died. (16:1)

The tragic deaths of Nadav and Avihu, Aharon HaKohen’s eldest sons, on the day which would have been the most auspicious of their lives, leaves the reader with serious questions. The answers to these questions are elusive. Chazal detail a list of “sins” attributed to these two tzaddikim – infractions which are endemic to the exalted spiritual level which they had achieved. Nonetheless, we seek some kind of explanation. We will focus on one such sin and apply its explanation to their behavior, which will result in enlightening us concerning the rest of the “shortcomings” attributed to them. Chazal…

Home -> 5786 -> Tzav

אם על תודה יקריבנו

Sruly Schnair In Tzav, 5786

If he shall offer it for a thanksgiving offering. (7:12)

A KorbanTorah, thanksgiving offering, is brought by the beneficiary/survivor of a life-threatening crisis. Chazal (Berachos 54b) break this obligation down into four categories: yordei ha’yam, those who have crossed the sea; holchei midbaros, those who have traveled the wilderness; choleh she’ nisrapeh, those who have been healed from serious illness; and chavush she’yotzei mi’bais ha’assurim, those who have been released from captivity. Obviously, the obligation for gratitude exceeds these four cases, but they serve as primary examples. On a practical level, the Torah instructs the individual who brings the korban to prepare a large, festive meal, and invite all of…

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אם על תודה יקריבנו

Sruly Schnair In Tzav, 5786

If he shall offer it for a thanksgiving offering. (7:12)

Chazal teach that one who has been saved from danger is obligated to bring a korban todah. Unlike most korbanos, the todah was accompanied by forty loaves of bread which had to be eaten within a single day and night. The abundance of food and the compressed time frame virtually required that others be invited to share in the meal. The Torah, in effect, mandated publicity. Some people enjoy the attention they receive when everyone is patting them on the back and wishing them well. Others are private people who shun the public limelight and view attention-grabbing as showboating, grandstanding….

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ויקרא אל משה

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayikra

Hashem called to Moshe. (1:1)

The Midrash underscores the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu had ten names. Hashem called to Moshe, summoning him by the name which Bisyah bas Pharaoh had given to him. This is not the first time that the Torah mentions his name. Why does the Midrash choose Vayikra el Moshe as the place for commenting about Moshe’s name? Perhaps it is the textual relationship – Vayikra, He called, with the naming of Moshe by Bisyah, Vatikra shemo Moshe (Shemos 2:10). The kriah, calling out by Hashem, could be viewed as official confirmation of Bisyah’s kriah in naming him. In any event, the…

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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…

Home -> 5786 -> Tetzaveh

ומלאת בו מלאת אבן ארבעה טורים אבן... והטור הרביעי תרשיש, ושהם, וישפה

Sruly Schnair In Tetzaveh, 5786

You shall make vestments of sanctity for Aharon, your brother, for glory and splendor. (28:2)

Lashon Kodesh contains layers of nuance whereby various words translated similarly actually present subtle differences. In Sheimos HaNirdafin, Horav Shlomo Wertheimer, zl, devotes an entire sefer to distinguishing between these synonyms. With regard to friendship, the Torah breaks it down to three primary terms: chaver; rei’a; and yedid. Each expresses a different dimension of human connection which gives us an insight into the true meaning of friendship. The most common term is chaver, which is a friend by chibur, attachment. This means that the relationship is not one of emotion, but rather, of commitment. A chavrusa is a study partner…

Home -> 5786 -> Vaeira

אמר אל אהרן קח מטך ונטה ידך על מימי מצרים

Sruly Schnair In Vaeira, 5786

Say to Aharon, “Take your staff and stretch out your hand on the waters of Egypt.” (7:19)

Rashi comments that, concerning the plagues of blood and frogs, Aharon HaKohen was the one who struck the water. Moshe Rabbeinu owed a debt of gratitude to the natural resource because it was the Nile that protected him as a newborn infant. The obvious question is: Does water have a mind? Does water have feelings? It is inanimate. Why does one have to maintain a sense of gratitude to it? Indeed, Chazal teach, Bira d’shasis bei maya al tizrok bo even, “The well from which you drink, do not throw a stone into it.” It would seem that this is…

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ויהי אנשים אשר היו טמאים לנפש אדם ...למה נגרע לבלתי הקריב את אדם קרבן ד' במועדו

These were men who were contaminated by a human corpse…Why should we be diminished by not offering Hashem’s offering in its appointed time?” (9:6,7)

והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth. (12:3)

ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל

You shall not desecrate My Holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael. (22:32)

אחרי מות שני בני אהרן בקרבתם לפני ד' וימותו

After the deaths of two of Aharon’s sons, when they drew near before Hashem and died. (16:1)

אם על תודה יקריבנו

If he shall offer it for a thanksgiving offering. (7:12)

אם על תודה יקריבנו

If he shall offer it for a thanksgiving offering. (7:12)

ויקרא אל משה

Hashem called to Moshe. (1:1)

אשר נשיא יחטא

When a ruler sins. (4:22)

ומלאת בו מלאת אבן ארבעה טורים אבן... והטור הרביעי תרשיש, ושהם, וישפה

You shall make vestments of sanctity for Aharon, your brother, for glory and splendor. (28:2)

אמר אל אהרן קח מטך ונטה ידך על מימי מצרים

Say to Aharon, “Take your staff and stretch out your hand on the waters of Egypt.” (7:19)

YEARS

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