IN EVERY GENERATION, there are wonderful people who accentuate the performance of a particular mitzvah and bring its awareness to the Jewish public. Daf Yomi (Rav Meir Shapiro), Shemiras halashon (Rav Yehudah Zev Segal and Mr. Michael Rothschild), and emunah (Rav Sholom Arush and Rabbi David Ashear) are prime examples.

Today, Rabbi Shlomo Ressler has undertaken to bring our generation to an acute awareness of the mitzvah of Shnayim Mikra V’echad Targum. Chazal ( Berachos 8a) teach that “A person should aways complete the Torah portion [of the week] with the congregation, reading the Hebrew text twice and the Targum once.” (See also Orach Chaim , chap. 285). They further teach, “For whoever completes the [Torah] portion [of the week] with the congregation, [merits that] his days and years are prolonged.” From the aforementioned reward, we realize that the recitation of “ Shnayim Mikra ” has great importance, but why?

Perhaps the answer lies in the words we recite every night during Maariv, “ ימינו וארך חיינו הם כי — For they are our life and the length of our days. Our true life, our meaningful life, evolves only around the learning of Torah and our performance of Mitzvos, and that is what gives us prolonged life. The commentaries make it clear that the purpose of saying “ Shnayim Mikra ” is that one understands the entire parashah.

At the time of Chazal, Targum was the spoken language of the Jewish masses. Thus, it was Targum that was the suggested reading. Indeed, there are those (see O.C. 285:2 and Mishnah Berurah note 5 and 6) who hold that in xiv The Daily Aliyah our times, reading Rashi can be in lieu of Targum . Rav Moshe Feinstein (cited by his son Rav Dovid in sefer Yagel Yaakov , p. 208) held that read – ing Rashi ’s commentary in English also fulfills the “ Targum ” require – ment (see Dirshu Mishnah Berurah ibid. , note 14). Hence, anything that enhances our understanding of the weekly parashah is a great benefit to all of Klal Yisrael.

Rabbi Shlomo Ressler, with a clever, original idea, has opened up the weekly parashah in its entirety for people around the world. Unfortunately, many who study the weekly parashah don’t get to study more than half the week’s parashah in depth. However, by presenting us with a Torah insight for every aliyah and dividing it into the seven days of the week, he has allowed us to broaden our horizons. Rabbi Ressler cites notable Torah personalities such as Rav Shimon Schwab, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, and Rav Henoch Leibowitz, who each present us with innovative ideas throughout the parashah. The Kli Yakar asks ( Vayikra 23:16), when discussing the mitzvah of counting the Omer , why the Torah does not specify that Shavuos was the day of Kabbalas HaTorah . The Torah merely tells us to count a full seven weeks from Pesach to Shavuos, but nothing is written about the significance of the Torah’s reception on that day. He answers that we must know that every day of the year is a new Kabbalas HaTorah . There are chiddushim , new thoughts and concepts, to be found every day we learn Torah. Thus, it is not only Shavuos that is the day of Kabbalas HaTorah .

This sefer assures us that we can find new concepts in every parashah. The Daily Aliyah is for men, women, and children. It encourages all to learn Torah every day, as the entries are clear and concise. May Rabbi Ressler’s endeavor be a zechus for him and his family. We all will, b’ezras Hashem , gain from his toil for the sake of Klal Yisrael

Rabbi Paysach Krohn