Category Archives: Vayera

5784, Abraham, AI art, Genesis, Parsha, Vayera

A Fertility Strategy (Vayera)

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PDF version for print: Kli Yakar Vayera

A Fertility Strategy (Vayera)

 Every charitable act is a stepping stone toward heaven. -Henry Ward Beecher

Abraham Welcoming

Three travelers, who turn out to be angels, stop by Abraham who is just recovering from having circumcised himself at the age of 99 years old. Abraham rushes to greet them and give them water and food, as well as shade from the hot Canaanite sun. One of the travelers prophetically declares:

‘I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.’ Genesis 18:10

Abraham and Sarah are the classic biblical example of an infertile couple. After years of trying, after tearful prayers, after attempting every conceivable and even some unusual strategies, they frankly give up. When they reach advanced ages, it is naturally impossible for Sarah to conceive and unlikely for Abraham.

There are various rabbinic explanations given as to why they were tested in this fashion and why it took so long. Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim of Prague, the Kli Yakar (1550-1619) on Genesis 18:6 explains why they finally had a child.

He compares the case to another hauntingly parallel story in the Bible.  The prophet Elisha is given extravagant (for those days) hospitality by an older woman of Shunam who recognizes Elisha as a man of God (see II Kings 4:8-17 for the story). Though past child-bearing age, she is blessed with a son, in almost the same language and words as the prophetic announcement of Sarah’s birth to Isaac:

‘At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shall embrace a son.’ II Kings 4:16

The Kli Yakar explains that a possible reason for their blessing and miraculous births was simply because of their great hospitality.

May our acts of hospitality give birth to many blessings.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

On the marriage of Atara Razin and Baruch Katz. Mazal Tov!

5783, Bat Ayin, Genesis, Parsha, Vayera

Questioning Certainty (Vayera)

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Questioning Certainty (Vayera)

It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question. -Eugene Ionesco

God commands Abraham to circumcise himself. There is a Midrash that recounts how Abraham asked his friends, Eshkol, Aner and Mamre for their opinion on the matter. Without getting into what their answers were, the Bat Ayin on Genesis 20:1 wonders as to the question itself.

Abraham had received a direct command from God. We have seen, both before this command and after it, that Abraham performed all of God’s commands without question or hesitation. Whether it was to leave his homeland and his family, or to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham is the model of enthusiastic and unquestioning divine obedience. So why does Abraham ask the opinion of his friends regarding this command?

The Bat Ayin answers that Abraham had no doubts regarding performing this command. His intention was to fully and immediately fulfill God’s command. However, there’s an added benefit of asking others, even when there is no question or doubt as to what the answer is. The Bat Ayin explains that by asking others a question, even if the answer is clear and obvious, Abraham is involving them in the process and in the answer. By inquiring of others what one should do regarding performing God’s will, one is thereby also involving them in God’s will. They need to pause and think about it. They must consider what it means to be involved in that divine connection. Though the answer may be clear, there’s value in giving it further consideration, of spending more time on thoughts of the divine.

Abraham could have just gone ahead and performed the circumcision without discussing or consulting with anyone. By asking his friends, he involved them in the divine service. He brought them closer to God and to God’s way of thinking; all of that with a simple, obvious question.

May we learn to use questions in our divine service, whether we know the answers or not.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the Beit Yosef community of Las Vegas.

5782, Chidushei HaRim, Genesis, Parsha, Vayera

Naturally Beyond Nature (Vayera)

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Naturally Beyond Nature (Vayera)

 The subtlety of nature is greater many times over than the subtlety of the senses and understanding. -Francis Bacon

When Abraham reached the age of 99, God commands him to circumcise himself. Abraham obeys God’s will. According to the Midrash, before the actual circumcision, he consults with his friends, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. Mamre is the only one who enthusiastically advises Abraham that he should, of course, follow God’s instructions.

According to the Chidushei HaRim on Genesis 18:1, Abraham faced a dilemma regarding the circumcision. He was concerned that by circumcising himself he would be separating himself from the rest of mankind, which might make it harder for him to connect with other people, for other people to connect with him and for him to be effective in his life’s work of bringing people to greater kindness, awareness and greater proximity to God. It was already a tremendous effort for Abraham to descend from his exalted spiritual level to connect with the idolaters of his day. But at least they were on the same physical plane. If he would be circumcised, he would no longer be of the same nature as the rest of men, in a sense, he would be beyond nature.

Part of Abraham’s motivation in asking his friends for their opinion is that by involving them in his decision, they would remain attached to him, even after his circumcision.

The Chidushei HaRim expands on Mamre’s recommendation to circumcise. Mamre tells Abraham that it is man’s obligation to attempt (where appropriate) to perform feats that are beyond nature. Because God bends the rules of nature when dealing with Abraham, it is Abraham’s duty to reciprocate and reach beyond nature in serving God.

Furthermore, reaching beyond nature draws life and sanctity directly from God and spreads it to all of nature and the entire world. Going beyond nature is the catalyst for the operation of nature. It is the hidden engine of the natural order.

Because of Mamre’s insight, support and enthusiasm, he merited that the events of Abraham’s circumcision should occur and be attributed to his location, “Elonei Mamre,” and be perpetually remembered. He also drew from the sanctity of the event and was blessed. He was one of the first beneficiaries of God’s promise to Abraham that “those who bless you shall be blessed.”

May we see and reach beyond nature and always be a catalyst of blessings.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the incalculable hospitality of the Vider family.

5781, Abraham, Bechor Shor, Genesis, Parsha, Vayera

Sacrifice (Vayera)

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Sacrifice (Vayera)

For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice — no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service. -John Burroughs

In the middle of the synagogue service, a man quietly walks up to his Rabbi who is sitting at the front of the synagogue and admits to having committed a horrible, highly embarrassing sin, and that he is now seeking to repent. The Rabbi looks at him, thinks, and then tells him to go to the middle of the synagogue, bang on the table, and publicly declare to the entire congregation his sin.

“Here? Now?” the man asks, his face ashen.

“Yes,” the Rabbi declares firmly. “It’s the only way to repent.”

The man looks incredulous, but he trusts his Rabbi and he deeply needs to repent. He walks to the middle of the synagogue as if it were a death sentence. He is about to bang on the table when a hand grabs his shoulder. It’s the Rabbi.

“That’s far enough,” the Rabbi tells the man. “That’s all you need to do. You needed to demonstrate that you were willing. That’s your repentance.”

For me, one of the more theologically challenging narratives in the Bible is God’s apparent command to Abraham to bring his son Isaac as a sacrifice. The Sages throughout history have praised Abraham’s complete devotion to God and willingness to sacrifice his long-sought and beloved son.

Nonetheless, there remain troubling aspects. Did God truly desire Abraham to kill Isaac? It doesn’t seem likely. Did Abraham misunderstand such a significant divine communication from God? Also, hard to imagine. Did God never intend for Abraham to carry through with the sacrifice but purposely mislead Abraham? It’s not clear from the plain text.

The Bechor Shor on Genesis 22:12 suggests that there was some level of purposeful misdirection on God’s part. He explains that God knows the heart of every person and He knew very well that Abraham was so completely devoted to God, that he would even sacrifice his son, the very son God had promised him, if that was God’s command. But it seems that not only did God want Abraham, Isaac, and us, their descendants to see that he was willing to make such a sacrifice to God, but He also wanted the nations of the world to realize Abraham’s commitment to God.

The misdirection comes in the Hebrew word that God used here for “sacrifice” – Olah. In the common language of sacrifices, an Olah, translated as an Elevation Sacrifice, is an animal sacrifice which is completely consumed by the fire of the Altar. However, in its simplest meaning, Olah means to elevate. The Bechor Shor suggests that God never intended Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, but He did want him to think that He wanted him to sacrifice Isaac. It was a test that Abraham passed with flying colors. God wanted Abraham to elevate Isaac, to bring him up to the altar he built on Mount Moriah without harming him, but He also wanted Abraham to demonstrate his willingness to follow God’s directive, as excruciating, as incomprehensible, and as sacrificial as it might seem.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

On the engagement of our son, Elchanan, to Zavi Lava. Mazal Tov!

5780, Genesis, Meshech Chochma, Parsha, Vayera

The Cost of Missed Opportunities (Vayera)

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The Cost of Missed Opportunities (Vayera)

Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity. -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

God decides he’s going to destroy the evil city of Sodom and its four other sister cities. However, He feels he needs to inform Abraham about it before He does so. What ensues is one of the most bizarre biblical bargaining sessions that were ever conducted. Abraham questions God and then suggests God should spare the cities if He finds 50 righteous people there (ten per city). God agrees. Immediately, Abraham, perhaps sensing that God knows there aren’t 50 righteous people, asks God to spare the cities if he finds just 45 people (nine per city). God agrees. Abraham pushes again and asks for 40 people to be the measure. God agrees. Abraham, on a roll, asks for 30 people. God agrees again. Abraham asks for 20 and God agrees. Finally, Abraham asks for ten, God agrees, but perhaps sensing that he can’t push his luck any further, Abraham stops.

In the end, there are less than ten righteous people in the entire Sodomite metropolis. God sends angels to extricate Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family from Sodom and proceeds to rain fire and brimstone upon Sodom in one of the more dramatic and apocalyptic scenes of the Torah.

The Meshech Chochma points out an interesting inconsistency in the progression of the bargaining. When God agrees to spare Sodom if there are 45 righteous, He says “I won’t destroy.” When he refers to the 40 and 30, He says “I won’t do.” When he refers to the 20 and 10, He reverts back to saying “I won’t destroy.”

The Meshech Chochma understands that when God says He “won’t destroy,” it means he won’t destroy, but He will punish. That makes sense for a city or a metropolis which lays claims to only 10 or 20 righteous people. When God says He “won’t do,” it means he won’t even punish, if the cities have a more substantive cadre of 30 or 40 righteous. But why does God opt for the harsher option of “won’t destroy,” meaning He will punish if there’s a more substantial 45 righteous?

The Meshech Chochma explains that the harsher punishment is because they were so close to salvation, they just needed one person for each of the five cities to complete the count of ten righteous people per city. Just one person. If one person would have decided to do the right thing, they all would have been saved. Because one person missed the opportunity, God punishes not only for the general evil and sin they’re guilty of but also for the missed opportunity.

The Meshech Chochma teaches that God doesn’t only punish for our sins. He also punishes for missing out on the positive things we could have done, spoken or even thought instead of the sin.

May we always grab and create opportunities to think, speak and do well.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the people of Israel under fire. May this pass quickly and may we finally end these attacks.

5779, Berdichever, Genesis, Parsha, The Times of Israel, Vayera

Two Types of Joys of Wealth (Vayera)

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Two Types of Joys of Wealth (Vayera)

This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

At the ripe old age of ninety years old, our matriarch Sarah gives birth to Isaac. The name Isaac in Hebrew is Yitzchak and means “will laugh.” Sarah is basically saying God has made me laugh (though there are numerous other interpretations as to what she means).

The Berdichever on the verse takes the opportunity to expound on bounty, joy and God’s blessings in our life. His first point is that whatever comes easy, we have little appreciation for. Had Sarah been blessed with a child in the normal fashion and at the normal age, her level of joy would not have come close to what she experienced in her old age. In general, when God sends us challenges (and make no mistake, they are from God) and then saves us from those very same problems, we then understand, or have the hope of better understanding, that it’s all from God.

Were the very thing we wanted and hoped for have come right away, we would be less likely to discern God’s hand behind the scenes. We would take it for granted that such blessings are natural, the way of the world; that there is no intelligence or cognizance in the events in our life. That it was happenstance, luck or the direct and exclusive results of our own efforts.

The Berdichever further elaborates that even when we understand and believe that everything is from God, there are two very different levels of appreciating the bounty He bestows upon us.

The first, basic level of joy over wealth is simply to enjoy it. We make ourselves happy with the bounty itself. It makes us happy to be so blessed whether it’s in health, material possessions, family, career or any of the other meaningful things in our lives.

However, the second, the more refined and elevated level of joy over wealth, is reserved for the wise and insightful who understand the truth behind any blessings that we receive. They comprehend and intuit that everything is truly from God; and when God bestows a blessing upon us, it is God who is taking an interest, an involvement in the most minute aspects of our lives and demonstrating a great love for us. There is no greater joy than to realize that we are the beneficiaries of God’s divine love and detailed attention and providence.

This joyous realization in turn, creates an obligation on our part. Just as God’s providence is over us continually, every moment of every day of our lives, without leaving us even for a second, so too, our commitment to God, our willingness to serve Him likewise should be continuous, without abandoning God even for a moment.

May He continue to rain upon us all the blessings in the world and may we continuously realize it’s from Him and strengthen our ongoing relationship with Him.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To my mother on her big birthday! Mazal Tov!

5778, Genesis, Paintings, Parsha, Rabbeinu Bechaye, The Times of Israel, Vayera

Punishment for Undue Credit

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Punishment for Undue Credit

A man’s pride will humiliate him, but a humble man will obtain honor. -Proverbs 29:23

Anonymous – Camille Flammarion, L’Atmosphère: Météorologie Populaire (Paris, 1888), pp. 163

Many of us may have experienced the annoyance of a friend, a sibling or a colleague, taking credit for something we did, a brilliant idea that we actually suggested first, a beneficial act that we initiated or some other effort where we should really have gotten credit. Conversely, we may have inadvertently taken credit ourselves in such cases, when in truth it was somebody else who was responsible.

Rabbeinu Bechaye in Genesis 19:13 suggests that such crimes stem from undue pride and arrogance, that God doesn’t take kindly to the stealing of “credit,” and that he will punish such wrongdoers by humbling them and thereby teach them some needed humility.

Perhaps surprisingly, he learns this lesson from a poorly phrased comment by God’s angels. The angels were coming to destroy Sodom. They stated “we’re destroying;” when they should have said “God is destroying.” Their initial punishment was that they were not able to leave the place until they admitted that “God sent us to destroy.” Their further punishment was that they were banished from God’s presence for 138 years, for we only see these angels again generations later with the patriarch Jacob.

Even the greatest personalities were guilty of such missteps of arrogance, including Moses, Samuel and Deborah:

  • Moses said: “Whatever is too hard for you to judge, you’ll bring to me.” Punishment: Didn’t know answer to question of the daughters of Zlofhad.
  • Samuel said: “I’m the seer.” Punishment: When came time to anoint the next king, he thought it was Eliav (David’s brother); God reprimands him, saying he’s wrong, that man “sees the eyes, but God sees the heart.”
  • Deborah said: “Until I, Deborah, arose.” Punishment: The divine spirit left her.

Rabbeinu Bechaye concludes that there is a particular danger for anyone who attributes any divine credit and honor to themselves. When we delude ourselves into thinking that we are due honor, when in fact it is God moving the pieces behind the scenes, we are liable to set ourselves up to being humbled in order to correct our mistaken notions.

May we retain our humility and always give credit where credit is due.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To Yoni Tocker on his Bar-Mitzvah and all those who deserve the credit for such a beautiful event.

 

 

5777, Abraham, Genesis, Hirsch, Parsha, The Times of Israel, Vayera

Bad Examples

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Bad Examples

We are too quick to imitate depraved examples. –Juvenal

john_martin_-_sodom_and_gomorrah

The ancient biblical city of Sodom was considered particularly evil. God eventually decides to destroy the city and almost all of its inhabitants. However, before He does so, He notifies our patriarch Abraham. What then ensues is a surreal haggling between God and Abraham as to how many righteous people in Sodom it would take to save the city.

Abraham starts the bidding at fifty people and God agrees. Abraham quickly lowers the bid to forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty and finally ten. God agrees to each of Abraham’s offers. Abraham stops at ten, apparently understanding that he can’t ask for less than ten righteous people to save Sodom. It turns out there aren’t even ten. Sodom is subsequently destroyed in a dramatic telling in Genesis Chapters 18 and 19.

Rabbi Hirsch on Genesis 18:1 wonders as to why God informs Abraham of His plans and enters into the bizarre negotiation. Rabbi Hirsch explains that God wanted Abraham to understand and be aware of the evil of Sodom so that Abraham’s descendents should never become like the people of Sodom. They should beware of the horrendous example of those people.

However, the episode also demonstrates Abraham’s love of humanity. It didn’t matter to him how despicable the Sodomites were. They were human beings created in the image of God and he would make every reasonable effort he could, even arguing with God, to save them. Abraham was not an isolationist looking out exclusively for his own interests. He did look out for his family and allies first, but he did not turn a blind eye to the suffering of others.

May we surround ourselves with and look up to good examples.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the memory of Leonard Cohen. His music reached and inspired many.

 

5776, Genesis, Parsha, Sfat Emet, The Times of Israel, Vayera

The Paradox of Happiness

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 Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. -Joseph Addison 

laughing

Based on the biblical accounts, it is easy to imagine the patriarch Isaac as a somber man. This is a great irony, given that his name in Hebrew, Yitzchak, translates as “will laugh.” Isaac’s life is filled with trials: his father is prepared to sacrifice him; he struggles against the farmers of Gerar for possession of wells he dug; his wife and son deceive him, taking advantage of his blindness to steal a blessing; he is disappointed by the wives of one son and sends the other son into exile to search for better wives.

The Sfat Emet in his comments during the year 5643 (1883) digs deeper into the subject of laughter and happiness. He explains that there are two types of laughter and happiness. There is frivolous laughter that is the side-effect of what is at best a superficial happiness or pleasure. Then there is the laughter and happiness of the man who fears God, as Isaac did. When a man fears God exclusively and follows His commands, he fears no man or mortal agency. His laughter is pure and his happiness complete.

May we achieve improved and more meaningful levels of laughter and happiness.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To my mom, Tamara and Tiferet –  the birthday girls.

 

5775, Abraham, Baal Haturim, Genesis, Parsha, The Times of Israel, Vayera

Sacred Guests

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First posted on The Times of Israel at: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayera-sacred-guests/

Baal Haturim Genesis: Vayera

Sacred Guests

A guest never forgets the host who had treated him kindly. -Homer

In some ancient cultures, guests held a sacred and honored role. Once a person entered the tent or home of a host, they were under the host’s protection and cared for in every way.

We see this quite dramatically with Abraham’s wayward nephew, Lot. Lot, apparently attracted to the avarice of the Sodomites, settles his family next to the infamous city. However, he learned at least one thing from Abraham: Hospitality.

When the two disguised angels arrive in Sodom, Lot rushes to greet them and basically forces them to come as guests to his house.

The Baal Haturim on Genesis 18:5 explains that Lot was actually pained when he did not have guests and that the opportunity to host someone gave him great joy.

We see afterwards that Lot takes his hosting responsibility to such an extreme that he is willing to allow his own daughters to be harmed by a mob rather than permit anyone to touch his guests.

I don’t know if we need go to such lengths to make our guests feel comfortable, but there is something special in the bond that is created when people break bread together.

May we have occasion to enjoy both hosting and being hosted by members of our communities.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To Adrian Weiszman for spearheading the initiative of organized regular Shabbat meal hosting in our community. For more information contact proyectoshabatuy@gmail.com