Humility – Page 6 – Peninim on the Torah

ואעשך לגוי גדול ואברכך ואגדלה שמך והיה ברכה

And I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (12:2)

Rashi explains the three terms/blessings of this pasuk; “And I will make you a great nation”: we refer to this when we say in Shemoneh Esrai – Elokai Avraham, G-d of Avraham; “And I will bless you” – refers to Elokai Yitzchak, “And I will make your name great,” alludes to Elokai Yaakov. Rashi adds, “One might think that they conclude the blessing with all of them, i.e., Elokai Avraham, Yitzchak, v’Yaakov.” To teach otherwise, the pasuk says, V’he’yeih brachah, “And you will be a blessing.” B’cha chosmin v’lo ba’haem, “With you, Avraham, they conclude the blessing and not with…

Home -> 5784 -> Bereishis

בראשית ברא אלקים

Sruly Schnair In Bereishis, 5784

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

Horav Yehudah Leib/Leibele Eiger, zl, grandson of Horav Akiva Eiger and son of Horav Shlomo Eiger, was drawn to chassidus (in contrast to the way in which he was raised). This was a time in which chassidim and misnagdim, those in opposition, were, to say the least, not on amicable terms. Rav Leibele went to Horav Menachem Mendel, zl, of Kotzk, the famous Kotzker Rebbe. Kotzk was a chassidus devoted to strict adherence to unvarnished truth. The Rebbe did not have a large following, because he had no tolerance for anything that was less than the truth. He did not…

Home -> 5784 -> Bereishis

נעשה אדם בצלמינו כדמותינו

Sruly Schnair In Bereishis, 5784

Let us make Man in Our image, after Our likeness. (1:26)

Chazal relate that, when Moshe Rabbeinu came to the above pasuk which records Hashem speaking in the plural, as if to say to His Ministering Angels, “Let Us” – together Hashem and the Angels – create man, he asked, “Why do You furnish a pretext for the heretics to maintain (as they do) that there is a plural of divinities?” Hashem responded, “Write: whoever wishes to err will err. Let them instead learn from their Creator Who created all, yet, when He was about to create man, He took counsel with the Angels.” Rashi adds that Hashem’s humility is demonstrated…

Home -> 5783 -> Korach

לא חמור אחד מהם נשאתי ולא הרעתי את אחד מהם

Sruly Schnair In Korach, 5783

I have not taken even a donkey of theirs, nor have I wronged one of them. (16:15)

This is the sordid path of controversy. It begins with a simple dispute concerning a communal or congregational issue and quickly expands and erupts into character assassination. Moshe Rabbeinu says, “I took nothing from them. Even when I transported my wife and sons from Midyan, I neither expected nor received reimbursement.” He was traveling for the nation. His expenses should have been paid. He wanted nothing, understanding that, when a community seeks to impugn its leadership, its first salvo will be concerning money. He uses their hard-earned funds for his own personal benefit, etc. Moshe declares emphatically, “I took nothing…

Home -> 5783 -> Beha'alosecha

והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

Sruly Schnair In Beha'alosecha, 5783

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

How should we understand the concept of anivus, humility? Should a person ignore his positive attributes? Should he hide his successes? The Baalei Mussar, Ethicists, explain that one who ignores the reality of his wisdom, scholarship, positive character traits, is sorely lacking in the commodity of seichel, common sense. It is similar to a body builder, strong man, ignoring the fact that he can bench press four-hundred pounds. Reality is reality. Horav Shimshon Pincus, zl, offers a powerful insight into how one should relate to his strengths, while concomitantly not having a deleterious effect on his humility. He should view…

Home -> Behar -> 5783

ולא תונו איש את עמיתו

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Behar

Each of you shall not wrong his fellow Jew. (25:17)

The Chafetz Chaim observes the famous maxim: The world thinks that the fool is a fool only with regard to other people’s interests. However, Ven es kumpt tzu zich, “When it involves himself, his own interests, he suddenly becomes quite clever.” Conversely, when it comes to one’s personal vested interests, the otherwise clever man may act foolishly. When one allows his petty prejudices and self-serving opinions to drive his actions and control his life – he is a fool. The sage expounds on our pasuk, noting the added word, V’lo sonu Ish es amiso: The word es is extra. He…

Home -> Vayakhel -> 5783

ויעש בצלאל את הארון עצי שיטים ... ויצפהו זהב טהור מבית ומחוץ

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayakhel

Betzalel made the Aron of Shittim/Acacia wood … He covered it with gold within and without. (37:1,2)

The Aron Hakodesh represents Torah and its disseminators. Torah is the lifeblood of our people. Thus, the Aron received special status within the framework of the Mishkan. It was a box constructed of wood, which was covered inside and outside with gold. All one saw was the gold. While the Torah scholar receives enormous esteem (or should) from the ha’mon am, general community, the wood is a reminder to him not to allow the accolades to make him lose sight of his inner essence. Humility should prevail over external praise. Rabbeinu Chananel views the arrangement of gold on wood as…

Home -> 5783 -> Yisro

אנכי ד' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים

Sruly Schnair In Yisro, 5783

I am Hashem, Your G-d, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. (20:2)

Kabbalas haTorah, the Giving/Receiving of the Torah, was the crown of Creation. As the Abir Yaakov (Horav Yaakov Abuchatzeira, zl) writes, the purpose of Creation is to recognize Hashem’s Monarchy. It is understandable that the world cannot exist without Torah, which guides us how to serve Hashem. In this sense, the world was not completed until Klal Yisrael received/accepted the Torah on Har Sinai. With this in mind, the Abir Yaakov explains the first pesukim of the Torah: Bereishis bara Elokim, “In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth…darkness was on the face of the depths, and the…

Home -> 5783 -> Chayei Sarah

ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים

Sruly Schnair In Chayei Sarah, 5783

Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years. (23:1)

Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 58:3) relate an intriguing story. Rabbi Akiva was giving a profound, intricate shiur, lecture. He noticed that his students were drifting off. In order to arouse them from their “slumber,” he presented them with a question (more like a riddle): Why did Esther merit to reign over 127 countries? He answered: She was a descendant of Sarah Imeinu who had lived 127 years. The question is rhetorical; the answer is beguiling. What does one have to do with the other? It is not as if Esther actually reigned over 127 countries. She was married to King Achashveirosh…

Home -> 5783 -> Bereishis

ויקרא ד' אלקים אל האדם ויאמר לו איכה

Sruly Schnair In Bereishis, 5783

Hashem Elokim called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (3:9)

Hashem certainly knew the location of Adam’s hiding place; rather, He wanted to determine if Adam knew where he (himself) was. One must know where he is with regard to fulfilling his potential. We often sell ourselves short, settling for mediocre success, because we (or others) have convinced (us) ourselves that this is all that we are capable of achieving. One day, we will stand before the Heavenly Tribunal and will be presented with a Heavenly image of who we could have been. Hashem asked Adam, Ayeca, “Where are you,” in comparison to where you should be? This is a…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Lech Lecha ->

ואעשך לגוי גדול ואברכך ואגדלה שמך והיה ברכה

And I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (12:2)

בראשית ברא אלקים

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

נעשה אדם בצלמינו כדמותינו

Let us make Man in Our image, after Our likeness. (1:26)

לא חמור אחד מהם נשאתי ולא הרעתי את אחד מהם

I have not taken even a donkey of theirs, nor have I wronged one of them. (16:15)

והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה

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

ולא תונו איש את עמיתו

Each of you shall not wrong his fellow Jew. (25:17)

ויעש בצלאל את הארון עצי שיטים ... ויצפהו זהב טהור מבית ומחוץ

Betzalel made the Aron of Shittim/Acacia wood … He covered it with gold within and without. (37:1,2)

אנכי ד' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים

I am Hashem, Your G-d, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. (20:2)

ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים

Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years. (23:1)

ויקרא ד' אלקים אל האדם ויאמר לו איכה

Hashem Elokim called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (3:9)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!