Day: December 6, 2024

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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum

ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה (פרק כח פסוק י)

Our Parsha continues the story that began last week by telling us that Yaakov left באר שבע and went to חרן. The בית הלוי asks, why must we say where he left from? Usually when describing a person traveling, the Torah just tells us where they were heading? He answers that usually the significance of a trip is the destination, but in this instance, Yaakov had two reasons for traveling. His mother, Rivkah, had told him to leave to escape the wrath of Eisav, and his father, Yitzchak, had told him to go to the house of Lavan to find a wife. Therefore, the Torah tells us about his departure and his intended destination because they were both significant reasons for his trip. The בית הלוי continues by quoting a מדרש that Yaakov’s running to Lavan’s house was symbolic of our leaving ארץ ישראל to go into גלות, exile. He explains that in our גלות as well there are two purposes. Firstly, we had to leave ארץ ישראל. It is a holy place, a place that is not inhabitable by those who sin. If we would continue living there without properly serving Hashem, the repercussions would be a lot worse, because a holy land is much more sensitive to sin. Secondly, we needed to go live amongst the nations of the world and in that setting, Hashem would send us constant reminders to repent and come close to Him. When we are afflicted in גלות it is with the mindful purpose of purifying us and correcting our behavior. In that way our exile resembles that of Yaakov, we too have a dual purpose in גלות, to not contaminate the קדושה of the Land, and to purify and elevate ourselves.

וילך ראובן בימי קציר וימצא דודאים (פרק ל פסוק יד)

Reuven went during the days of harvest and brought dudaim, a type of herb, to his mother. The Gemara tells us that the Torah says that it was during harvest season to praise Reuven that although there was plenty of harvest, he did not steal, rather he only took cheap herbs that were ownerless. The Tolna Rebbe asks, what is the big deal? Of course he didn’t steal other people’s money? He answers that according to the סדר עולם Reuven at the time of this story was three years old. He wasn’t necessarily able to make his own decision at the time of what was right or wrong, rather what he did was because of his training at home. The only reason he didn’t steal would be because in his parents house it was such as basic and fundamental concept to not take other people’s money, that even as a young child he would not think of stealing. This is the praise of the Torah. (As heard from R’ Yehoshua Krasnow)

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By Rabbi Nafoly Bier

In our daily תפילות, prayers, we entreat Hashem,  “ויחד לבבינו לאהבה וליראה את שמך”, “and unify our hearts to love and fear Your Name.” (דוד המלך entreats the same in singular Psalms 86:11). Aren’t these two, to love and fear, diametrically opposite emotions? Many explain the attribute that משה רבינו gave to Hashem, designated as נורא (awesome) is the trait of רחמים, mercy. How do mercy and fear synthesize?

In the Amidah, it states, זוכר חסדי אבות… באהבה, “And He remembers the kind deeds of the patriarchs and therefore will bring the ultimate redemption with love.” Though we won’t be meritorious to merit the ultimate redemption, Hashem in His infinite mercy and compassion will redeem His people with unmitigated love. This idea corresponds to our Patriarch, Yaakov who represents the idea of mercy and truth.

In this week’s פרשה, Ch. 28:12-15, the Torah relates the dream that יעקב, our Patriarch Jacob, experienced. “And he dreamt and there was a ladder set earthward, and its top reached heavenward; and behold angels of G-d were ascending and descending on it.” At first glance, one would ask, shouldn’t the reverse be correct, that angels descend from Heaven and subsequently return there? (see Rashi, Ramban) The חזקוני (see Rav Hirsch) and similarly, דעת זקנים explain as follows:

The angels would first go to Hashem to get instructions and then would reside in this world; analogous to one who goes to an attic and then returns to the lower level, the true place of residence in a home. Yaakov Avinu exclaimed, “How awesome is this place, how fearing I must be, for this physical world is also the residence of Hashem Himself.” Yaakov Avinu, upon realizing that Hashem is directly involved with His “lowly creation”, expressed in awe; “His love, His dedication to us is so awesome that He actually ‘lowers’ Himself to be with us.”

His love is so infinite. An expression of His infinite love is His constant mercy, His connection to us is constant, eternal, inspiring, and invigorating. It’s awesome!

מה נורא , Yaakov Avinu realizing this relentless benefaction from Hashem, experienced fear and trepidation. Due to my unequivocal appreciation of His infinite dedication, I must continually selflessly follow His dictates, His Torah, with perfection and integrity!

“לאהבה וליראה , to love and fear” is the level that Yaakov Avinu inculcated in us. If we truly appreciate all that Hashem bestows upon us, we will naturally come to love Him and in turn always ask, “Am I doing His will?” Due to His “mercy” an affirmation of his boundless love, we dedicate ourselves to Him in awe.

Hashem benefacted us a gift, a vehicle through which we constantly experience His boundless love and in turn our obligations – עבודה, תפילה, prayer. He lets us speak to Him. He lets us know we’re important to Him. He actually brings Himself to us so we can speak to Him! But one can ask, why the expression תפילה, which the root explanation is to judge? Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch enlightens us with the following: (Genesis p. 454)

“התפלל means: to infuse every aspect of one’s being and existence with God’s truth, and thus attain for oneself harmonious integrity of all of life by the light of God’s Countenance. Jewish תפילה, then, is antithetical to the common conception of “prayer.” תפילה is not an outpouring from within, an expression of what the heart already feels. Rather, תפילה means infusing the heart with truths that come from outside oneself.

תפילה is עבודה שבלב; מתפלל means to work on refining one’s inner self, to elevate one’s mind and heart to the lofty heights of recognition of truth and desire for serving G-d. If this were not the case, if תפילה were but an outpouring of our emotions, it would make no sense to have fixed times and fixed texts for our prayers. How could we assume that all the members of the community would be imbued with the same thoughts and the same emotions at certain predetermined times?

Moreover, prayer that is merely an expression of feeling is superfluous. Thoughts and emotions that are already alive within us do not require expression, least of all expression in set phrases formulated by others than ourselves. It follows, then, that the whole purpose of our fixed prayers is to awaken the heart and to revive within it those timeless values that still require reinforcement and special care. One can truly say that the less we feel in the mood for prayer, the greater is our need to pray, and the greater is the redeeming power and sublime value of the work upon ourselves that we perform through תפילה.”

When we constantly, three times daily, in a timely way, truly inculcate in ourselves His Omnipresence, giving, love, graciousness, and mercy; we in turn will selflessly dedicate ourselves to His greatest gift to us, His Torah.

“When God preserves and blesses a person in the struggle for existence, He reveals Himself as ‘ה, in His מדת הרחמים, mercy and kindness, and there is no one who would not wish for such treatment from God. But only the Jew says: והיה ה‘ לי לאלוקים meaning: God, Who showered upon me the bounty of His love and goodness, will be to me a God Who not only gives and bestows but also demands that His Will be done with all that bounty. To accept upon yourself the yoke of the Lawgiver’s kingship, and not just thank Him for His munificent blessings; to direct all the inclinations of your heart, and to use every penny that you own, only in accordance with God’s Will – that is the meaning of והיה ה‘ לי לאלוקים . May Hashem enable us to use the gift of תפילה!