Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

  • Reset
Category

Back to Home -> Shelach ->


Home -> 5775 -> Shelach

ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5775

Moshe called Hoshea bin Nun Yehoshua. (13:16)

Rashi explains that Moshe Rabbeinu added the letter yud to Hoshea’s name, thereby transforming it to Yehoshua, so that his name would begin with Yud-Kay, the letters of G-d’s Name. The Hebrew name, Yehoshua, means, “G-d will save.” Moshe was praying that Hashem would spare his primary student, Yehoshua, from falling under the mutinous influence of the spies. Chazal give a number of reasons that Moshe singled out Yehoshua over Calev. Surely, it was not favoritism. Moshe was concerned that Yehoshua’s extreme humility would get the better of him and not permit him to stand up to the meraglim. Alternatively,…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Shelach

שלח לך אנשים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5775

Send forth men, if you please. (13:2)

The Baal HaTurim makes an interesting observation which gives the reader an opportunity to pause and question. The letters at the end of the three words: shlach, lecha, anashim are ches, chof and mem, which spell the word chacham, wise man. This spurs the Baal HaTurim to say that there was Heavenly instruction concerning the quality of the person Moshe Rabbeinu would select to be among the meraglim, spies. He was to be a chacham, wise man. These men were Nesiim, Princes, of each shevet, tribe. It, thus, makes sense that they were individuals not lacking in wisdom, and they…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Noach

והיתה לי ולזרעו אחריו ברית כהונת עולם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Noach, 5775

And it shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal Priesthood. (25:13)

Up until that time, only Aharon HaKohen and his sons had been inducted into the Priesthood. Any additional offspring who would be born into the family would be “born Kohanim.” Pinchas was already born; thus, he was not to be included in the Priesthood. As a result of his decisive act of zealousness, he was granted a place in the Priesthood, a place for himself and his offspring. The Zohar HaKadosh questions Pinchas’ induction into the Priesthood, since he had just killed a Jew. We have a rule that a Kohen who takes a life is not permitted to serve….

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Naso

ולקח הכהן מים קדשים בכלי חרש ומן העפר אשר יהיה בקרקע המשכן יקח הכהן ונתן אל המים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Naso, 5775

The Kohen shall take sacred water in an earthenware vessel, and the Kohen shall take from the earth that is on the floor of the Mishkan and put it in the water. (5:17)

The “bitter waters,” which the sotah, wayward wife, must drink, are the instrument of an ordeal which can have either negative or positive results. On the negative side, if the woman has, as accused, been involved in an extra-marital relationship, she will die a bitter death. On the positive side, if she has been wrongly accused, she stands to benefit considerably. She will be blessed with healthy children. The process begins with the Kohen reading the curses contained in Parashas Sotah on a piece of parchment. The verses of the Torah in which these curses are written are then erased…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Korach

ודתן ואבירם יצאו נצבים פתח אהליהם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Korach, 5775

And Dasan and Aviram came out and stood at the door of their tents. (16:27)

Rashi explains that these two reshaim, miscreants, who acted as Moshe Rabbeinu’s nemeses, going back to Egypt, were here again to do what they were good at: harassing and undermining our nation’s leader. When Moshe came by, they remained firm and resolute in their commitment to degrade and humiliate Moshe in every way. One wonders how these individuals survived so long. Eighty percent of the Jewish People who were in Egypt died during the three days of the plague of darkness. Dasan and Aviram did not. They continued their subversive activities at every juncture of Klal Yisrael’s journey. Yet, they…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Ki Seitzei

זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק... ואתה עיף ויגע ולא ירא אלקים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Seitzei, 5775

Remember what Amalek did to you… when you were faint and exhausted, and he did not fear G-d. (25:17,19)

Amalek was not the only nation that attacked the Jews. The Canaanites, Sichon and Og also acted in much the same reprehensible manner. Yet, Amalek is the only one about whom the Torah attests was V’lo yarei Elokim, “And he did not fear G-d.” Why is Amalek singled out more than any other one of our enemies, in terms of being unafraid of G-d? The Brisker Rav, zl, explains this, basing his thesis on a statement of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai in the Talmud Bava Kamma 79b. The students of the great Tanna asked him why the Torah is more…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Ki Seitzei

כי יהיה ריב בין אנשים ונגשו אל המשפט

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Seitzei, 5775

When there will be a dispute between people, and they have recourse to judgment. (25:1)

Rashi explains that, when there is a dispute, their end will be to have to recourse to judgment. On the basis of this pasuk, you should say/deduce that peace does not emerge from dispute. Maharal explains that the Torah could have simply written, “When men will have recourse to judgment.” “When there will be a dispute” is seemingly superfluous. Thus, we derive that the natural outcome of a dispute is a din Torah, recourse to judgment. The disputants will not come to an agreement on their own. Rashi adds, “What caused Lot to separate from the righteous Avraham Avinu, his…

Continue Reading

Home -> Devarim -> 5775

הבו לכם אנשים חכמים ונבנים וידועים לשבטיכם ואשימם בראשיכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5775, Devarim

“Designate for yourselves men who are wise, understanding and well-known to your tribes, and I shall appoint them as your leaders.” (1:13)

Rashi explains that the tribes among whom the leaders grew up and lived would know them better than Moshe Rabbeinu did. Moshe said, “If each of them were to come before me wrapped in his Tallis, I would not know who he is, from which tribe he has descended, and if he is worthy.” In other words, apparently Moshe had difficulty discerning the pedigree and true nature of each judicial candidate. This seems inconsistent with the pasuk in Sefer Shemos 18:21, in which Moshe is told to “seek out men of ability, G-d-fearing men of truth who hate improper gain.”…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Chukas

ויקחו אליך פרה אדומה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5775

And they shall take to you a Red Cow. (19:2)

The Parah Adumah, Red Cow (heifer), is considered the quintessential chok, mitzvah whose reason defies human rationale. There is an aspect to this mitzvah, which although paradoxical in nature, is symbolically perceivable. Indeed, at first glance, the Parah Adumah incorporates two opposites. On the one hand, it must be totally red: even two black hairs render it invalid. This is puzzling, since the color red is usually identified with sin. Red is the symbol of blood. The Navi Yeshayahu (1:18) says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are as red as…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5775 -> Bo

והיה לאות על ידכה ולטוטפות בין עיניך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bo, 5775

And it shall be a sign upon your arm, and an ornament between your eyes. (13:16)

The four Scriptural passages contained in the Tefillin are basic to Judaism. They address the concepts of the Oneness of G-d, reward and punishment, and the obligation of a Jew to observe all of the mitzvos of the Torah. Also contained therein is a reminder of the Exodus which catalyzed our freedom from tyranny, leading up to our acceptance of the Torah and eventual initiation as Hashem’s People. Thus, wearing Tefillin daily is an affirmation of our belief in all of the above. A Jew who does not put on Tefillin is referred to as a poshei Yisrael b’gufo, Jewish…

Continue Reading

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

You have Successfully Subscribed!