By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

Rav Reuven Feinstein Shlita, the Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva of Staten Island, has just authored a sefer on Chumash called, “Nahar Shalom.” The first volume on Bereishis is now available covering Parshios Bereishis to Parshas Toldos, and it has 481 pages. The sefer is in English. Essentially, it is a collection of hashkafos, thoughts and pshatim on Chumash as well as unique pshatim that the Rosh HaYeshiva has taught throughout the years.

The Rosh yeshiva was at the helm of yeshiva of Staten Island since it had opened its doors in 1966. The Chumash material is culled from his shiurim, his va’adim and his drashos over those years.

The Sefer is written in a conversational style, in the manner that the material was delivered to Talmidim. In Parshas Vayeirah, for example, he starts with the nature of Avrohom Avinu’s midos that they are the source for Klal Yisroel’s traits of merciful, shy, and performers of acts of lovingkindness (Gomlei Chessed) [See Yevamos 79a]. Rav Feinstein explains how not only did Avrohom Avinu treat his wife in an exemplary manner, but everyone else as well. His quality of shyness never allowed him to stare down any one, for example. He asks a few questions about if Avrohom Avinu was the paragon of Chessed and hachnasas Orchim, why then did he not have food readily prepared? Why also did he give his guests cream and then meat? Rav Reuven answers with two parables about hachnasas orchim that capture the picture. Essentially, Avrohom Avinu was prepared with both emergency food for guests as well as how to best prepare fresh food.

In parshas Chayei Sarah, Rav Feinstein Shlita explains the chicanery of Efron – that it was much deeper than we might have originally thought. Efron knew that Avrohom Avinu would certainly pay for a Mitzvah. He, therefore, offered Avrohom Avinu both the surrounding land and the cave of Machpeilah together for free. The cave was worth much money, but the land was not. In creating this “package deal” Efron managed to get Avrohom Avinu to buy everything – the cave and the land at top cost.

Further in the Parsha, the Rosh Yeshiva asks how it was that Eliezer knew that Rivkah Imeinu offered him the water out of her quality of kindness? Perhaps it was because she was intimidated by the presence of Eliezer? He answers that if that were the case, she would not have offered to do more on her own accord. Also, he asks why did she offer to do chessed for someone who was completely able-bodied? The Rosh yeshiva answers that a true baal chessed does chessed for everyone – even a possible bully.

It is a unique sefer in which one can hear the Rosh Yeshiva talking to his Talmidim. Hopefully, they will be able to keep up with the parshios in terms of the printing schedule.
The author can be reached at [email protected]

The sefer can be obtained by calling 347-620-0351 or by emailing [email protected].