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Home -> 5784 -> Korach

העיני האנשים ההם תנקר לא נעלה

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5784

Even if you gouge out the eyes of those men, we shall not go up. (15:14)

Rashi explains that Dasan and Aviram replied to Moshe Rabbeinu’s request for a meeting, “Nothing you do – even if you blind us – will make us come.” Sforno explains their chutzpah as implying: “Do you think you can blind us to your failures?” We suggest an alternative explanation. Apparently, they specified eyes and blindness for a reason. They could have simply said, “There is nothing you can do; no punishment will convince us to listen to you.” I think it all boils down to how one views a person or a situation. If one’s vision is superficial, cursory, he…

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Home -> 5784 -> Beha'alosecha

והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Sruly Schnair
In Beha'alosecha, 5784

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

Moshe Rabbeinu was the paragon of humility, and he has gone down in history as the humblest man who ever walked the face of the earth. Does this mean that he was unaware of his remarkable, unprecedented and unparalleled achievements? Absolutely not! A humble person possesses a realistic awareness of his skills and achievements. He would otherwise be cognitively impaired. He just tends to downplay his achievements and abilities. He does not feel the need to flaunt, boast or even call attention to his successful exploits, knowing fully well what he is and what he is capable of achieving. He…

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Home -> 5784 -> Naso

כל ימי נזרו קדש הוא לד'... ועשה הכהן אחד לחטאת

Sruly Schnair
In Naso, 5784

All the days of his abstinence he is holy to Hashem… The Kohen shall make one as a sin-offering. (6:8,11)

On the surface, the term nezirus begs elucidation. Is the Nazir a tzaddik, a righteous person, or is he, on some level, a sinner? The Torah refers to him as a kadosh, holy, to Hashem. Yet, he must bring a Korban Chatas, sin-offering, at the end of his period of nezirus. Surely, someone who is considered kadosh should not have to bring a sin-offering. What sin did he commit? Various opinions are stated concerning the Nazir’s “breach” in holiness. He should not have achieved this pinnacle through the vehicle of abstinence from wine. A person should override his gravitation toward…

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Home -> 5784 -> Tzav

צו את אהרן ואת בניו לאמר

Sruly Schnair
In Tzav, 5784

Command Aharon and his sons, saying. (6:2)

The Torah begins the parshah with the laws concerning the Korban Olah, Elevation/Burnt Offering, in which the entire animal is burnt on the Altar. While the Torah introduces the laws of korbanos with the word v’amarta, “and you should say,” it introduces the Korban Olah with the more emphatic tzav, “command.” Rashi explains that this implies that the Torah is urging the Kohanim to be especially zealous in carrying out this service and to make a point to underscore this exhortation to future generations of Kohanim.  Rabbi Shimon (Kiddushin 29a) presents an additional caveat that this exhortation is especially relevant…

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Home -> Vayikra -> 5784

ויקרא אל משה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Vayikra

He called to Moshe. (1:1)

Ostensibly, the call to Moshe Rabbeinu emanated from Hashem. Was it only to Moshe? What about Klal Yisrael? Chazal teach (Tanchuma 2) that the call to Moshe came in a loud, thunderous voice, but only he heard it. Hashem’s voice is meant for those who are worthy of hearing it. Indeed, Hashem is constantly calling out to us with subtle messages, incidents which are meant to get our attention, to wake us up from our deep slumber and get our act together. We do not always recognize these incidents as being messages. We are so involved with our everyday, mundane…

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Home -> 5784 -> Tetzaveh

ונשא אהרן את שמות בני ישראל בחשן המשפט על לבו

Sruly Schnair
In Tetzaveh, 5784

Aharon shall bear the names of Bnei Yisrael on the Choshen Hamishpat (Breastplate of judgment) on his heart. (28:29)

Aharon HaKohen merited to wear the breastplate on his heart due to the manner in which he accepted Moshe Rabbeinu’s appointment as the leader of the Jewish People. Prior to Moshe’s entrance on the scene, Aharon had been the Navi and leader of the Jewish people. Suddenly, his position transformed from leader to assistant. Not only did Aharon not complain, but the Torah says V’roacha v’somach b’libo, “He will see you and he will rejoice in his heart” (Shemos 4:4). Aharon’s humility was such that he manifested no ego whatsoever when he lost his position to his younger brother. This…

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Home -> 5784 -> Beshalach

כי מחה אמחה את זכר עמלק מתחת השמים

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5784

That I shall surely erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. (17:14)

The most powerful tool against the yetzer hora, evil-inclination, is pride. When one maintains a sense of pride, when one believes in himself, the yetzer hora will have great difficulty in undermining his self-esteem. While on the surface this may seem counterintuitive to the middah, character trait, of humility, it is anything but. A truly humble person is well aware of who he is and of what he is capable of achieving. He just does not allow it to go to his head. He has been blessed with specific talents as part of his mission on this world. He is…

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Home -> Shemos -> 5784

ותיראן המילדות את האלקים ולא עשו כאשר דבר אליהן מלך מצרים

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Shemos

But the midwives feared Hashem, and they did not do as the king of Egypt spoke to them. (1:17)

Leadership has its challenges, and, unless one is strong and persistent, he will fail. Humility should be intrinsic to every leader’s character. When one assumes that he is infallible, he is unaware of his tragic flaw. One who is aware of his faults, who understands his imperfections, will work on them, seeking every avenue to correct his shortcomings. Nonetheless, a position of leadership demands tremendous self-confidence. In some instances, humility comes into play, especially when the leader feels inadequate for the position. Sometimes, one is compelled to adopt a role for which he may not feel entirely suited. This may…

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Home -> Vayechi -> 5784

ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים שבע עשרה שנה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Vayechi

Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. (47:28)

After (what seemed to be) a life of difficulty, Yaakov Avinu arrived in Egypt to spend the last seventeen years of his mortal existence. The tranquility, joy and harmony that he enjoyed in some way ameliorated what he had endured in the past. While there can be no tradeoff for the pain and sorrow that our Patriarch experienced, we do know that the last seventeen years of his life were reasonably calm and filled with nachas. Chazal (Talmud Yerushalmi, Kesubos 65b, Bereishis Rabbah 96:5) teach that Yaakov Avinu and Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi were intrinsically joined. This matter was not unknown…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5784

ואת יהודה שלח לפניו... להורות לפניו גשנה

Sruly Schnair
In 5784, Vayigash

He sent Yehudah ahead of him… to prepare ahead of him in Goshen. (46:28)

Yaakov Avinu sent Yehudah l’horos lefanav Goshnah, which Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 95:3) interpret to be Yehudah’s mission to set the foundation for a makom Torah, a yeshivah where everyone could study. From the very beginning, our Patriarch set forth his priorities for his children to know and incorporate into their lives. Torah is our number one priority. While not every Jewish community has a yeshivah gedolah, they all have a shul set aside for prayer and study. Without Torah, we are unable to serve Hashem and live properly as observant Jews. Judaism is a religion – not a culture –…

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