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Home -> 5776 -> Metzora

וטבל אותם ואת הצפור החיה בדם הצפור השחוטה... וטהרו ושלח את הצפור החיה על פני השדה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5776

And he shall dip them and the live bird into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered… he shall purify him and he shall set the live bird free upon the open field. (14:6,7)

What else should he do with the live bird? It makes sense that if one bird dies and the other bird lives, the live bird be turned loose to live out its life. Simply, the reason the Torah underscores the freedom of the live bird is that originally it had been designated as a sacrifice. In the end, it worked out that it was not used for this purpose. I might think that once the term korban, sacrifice, has been designated on a bird, it has been spiritually elevated, thus prohibited for mundane use. The Torah is teaching us that,…

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Home -> 5776 -> Korach

ויקח קרח

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Korach, 5776

Korach took/separated himself. (16:1)

Korach had it all, but it was not enough for him. If someone else had something that he did not have, it angered him to the point of obsession. He, too, had to have it. When Elitzaphan ben Uziel was placed in charge of the family of Kehas, Korach became irrational. Why should his cousin have a role that placed him in the position of  Korach’s superior? Korach was a rodef achar ha’kavod, one who pursued honor, craved recognition, was obsessed with being in the limelight. This is the most corrosive desire that one can have. Ramchal (Mesillas Yesharim, end…

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Home -> Ki Sisa -> 5776

לחשב מחשבות לעשות בזהב בכסף ובנחשת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5776, Ki Sisa

To weave designs, to work with gold, silver and copper. (31:4)

The Jewish mind has throughout time proven itself to be extraordinary. While we have a reputation for being gifted with an inordinate level of acumen in proportion with the size of our own nation, it is specifically in the area of commerce, i.e. making money, that our worldly reputation seems to soar and take on a life all of its own. While the Jewish mind shines in all areas of human endeavor — from our primary vocation, Torah study, to the various disciplines of science, mathematics, medicine, law, social services, etc.– one thing all Jews have in common is the…

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Home -> 5776 -> Chayei Sarah

אשר לא תקח אשה לבני מבנות הכנעני אשר אנכי יושב בקרבו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chayei Sarah, 5776

That you not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among who I dwell. (24:3)

Avraham Avinu was adamant in insisting that Eliezer not take a wife for Yitzchak (Avinu) from the daughters of Canaan. He would rather that Eliezer travel to Charan, Avraham’s birthplace, to seek a wife for Yitzchak. Being the ben yachid, only son, of Avraham and Sarah Imeinu, Yitzchak carried a tremendous legacy on his shoulders. The next generation which he, together with his future wife, would progenate must be able to carry on the Abrahamitic way of life and its commitment to serving Hashem. To ensure this, Yitzchak could not marry just anyone. Avraham felt that the girls of Canaan…

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Home -> 5776 -> Beha'alosecha

והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Beha'alosecha, 5776

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

To some, humility is on a parallel line with obsequiousness. We see from Moshe Rabbeinu, the most humble man to walk the face of the earth, that this is not true. Our leader took a stand when necessary. Certainly, he was aware that speaking with Hashem was not something to which the average man is accustomed. Yet, he was humble, because humility is an awareness of oneself. Despite one’s achievements, in the eyes of the humble person they are merely activities which are expected of him. He is doing what he is supposed to be doing. The Alter, zl, m’Kelm,…

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Home -> 5776 -> Balak

וירא בלק בן צפור את אשר עשה ישראל לאמורי... ובלק בן צפור מלך למואב בעת ההיא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Balak, 5776

Balak ben Tzipor saw all that Yisrael had done to the Emori… Balak ben Tzipor was King of Moav at the time. (22:2,4)

The sequence of the pasuk is enigmatic. Why does the Torah mention Balak’s position as King of Moav only after relating what he saw concerning the Jewish People’s destruction of the Emori? Would it not be more realistic to state, that “Balak, King of Moav, saw all that Yisrael had done to the Emori”? The Alter, zl, m’Kelm, explains that the answer to our question lies in the words, “Balak ben Tzipor was King of Moav”. Why was he appointed king? It is not as if his lineage warranted his succession to the throne. Balak was a nobody. Yet, he…

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Home -> 5777 -> Yisro

משה ידבר והאלקים יעננו בקול

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Yisro, 5777

Moshe would speak, and G-d would respond to him with a voice. (19:19)

The pasuk refers to the Giving of the Aseres HaDibros, Ten Commandments. The people heard the first two Dibros from Hashem. The next eight were transmitted by Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu, who would then repeat them to Klal Yisrael. Millions of people were gathered there. How could Moshe’s voice possibly extend to everyone? How could such a multitude hear his voice? Rashi explains that Moshe spoke and, in order to make it possible for his voice to be heard, Hashem responded by granting him a (loud) voice. Hashem magnified Moshe’s voice. The Yalkut Shimoni (Shmuel 162) asks: We are taught…

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Home -> 5777 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Noach, 5777

Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

The Talmud Avodah Zarah (6a) distinguishes between the appellations tzaddik, righteous man, and tamim, perfect, in that tamim is applied to derachav, ways/demeanor, while tzaddik is used to describe maasav, deeds. Rashi supplements this, explaining that tamim b’derachav means that one is anav u’shefal ruach, low, meek, humble, while tzaddik b’maasav means that he distances himself from any form of chamas, theft. From Rashi, we derive that tzaddik is a term used to describe one who takes great pains to be careful with other people’s money. Heaven forbid that he make use of another person’s money without his permission or…

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Home -> Mikeitz -> 5777

וירא יעקב כי יש שבר במצרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5777, Mikeitz

Yaakov perceived that there were provisions in Egypt. (42:1)

When the Baal HaTanya, zl, was taken to prison in St. Petersburg, he asked one of his Chassidim to take a kvittel, written petition asking for a blessing, to his mechutan (father of child’s spouse) and close friend, Horav Levi Yitzchak Berdichever, zl. The Berditchever asked the messenger for Rav Shneur Zalman’s mother’s name. The chasid did not know. Rav Levi Yitzchak took out a Chumash and made a goral, lot, a means of turning pages in such a manner that the last page will have a pasuk which reveals the answer to one’s question. Obviously, only a Torah scholar…

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Home -> 5765 -> Bereishis

בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Bereishis, 5765

In the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and the earth. (1:1)

Sefer Bereishis is aptly given its name since it is the “first” of theChumashim. The Talmud in Avodah Zarah 25a has another name forSefer Bereishis: Sefer HaYashar or Sefer Yesharim, the Book ofRighteousness. Yashar means more than righteousness. It means straightforwardness,integrity, mentchlichkeit, human decency. Sefer Bereishischronicles the lives of the Avos, Patriarchs, men who exemplifiedrighteousness to G-d and mentchlichkeit to all human beings. In the prefaceto his commentary on Sefer Bereishis, the Netziv, zl, expands on this idea.The Patriarchs distinguished themselves not only in their relationships withHashem, which was on the highest spiritual plane, but also in their dailydealings with…

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