Category: Weekly Parsha

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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum

ואם לא תאבה האשה ללכת אחריך וכו’ רק את בני לא תשב שמה (פרק כד פסוק ח)

In this week’s Parsha, Avraham sends his servant Eliezer to חרן, Avraham’s birthplace, to find a wife for Yitzchak. Before sending him, Avraham makes Eliezer swear that he will not take a wife from the land of כנען. Additionally, he instructs Eliezer that even if he does find a suitable wife for Yitzchak, she must be willing to return to Avraham’s house. He makes it very clear that under no circumstances should Eliezer bring Yitzchak to her. Obviously, when looking for a wife for the son who would continue his legacy, Avraham would be very particular about her character and quality as a person, as these are details of prime importance in Avraham’s house. And yet it seems that even if Eliezer were to find someone of proper caliber it still wouldn’t be worthwhile to bring Yitzchak to her, rather Eliezer would have to look for someone else, even for someone of inferior personal quality. R’ Moshe Feinstein explains that Avraham understood the importance of surrounding oneself with good people. That is why it was imperative for Yitzchak to live near his father’s home, the bastion of righteousness in a corrupt world. This was even more important than the level of righteousness of Yitzchak’s wife. The place that a person lives and the society that they are surrounded by can be defining factors in their life.

ויברך הגמלים…לעת ערב…ויאמר… הקרה נא לפני היום…וירץ העבד לקראתה וכו’ (פרק כד פסוק יא-יז)

Eliezer arrives in חרן in search of a wife for Yitzchak and begins his search by Davening to Hashem that He enable him to complete his mission. He also asks that he should be able to discern who the correct girl is through a sign involving the girl offering water to Eliezer and his camels. Immediately afterwards he spots Rivkah and quickly runs over to her. The פסוקים go on to describe how she hastily offers water to Eliezer and his camels, fulfilling the sign to perfection, and proving to Eliezer that she is the one designated by Hashem for Yitzchak. The Brisker Rav notes how the פסוקים repeatedly stress Eliezer’s haste in approaching Rivkah and Rivkah’s haste in fulfilling the sign. He explains that this can’t merely be the פסוקים expressing her enthusiasm to do חסד because Eliezer repeats this detail to Lavan and Besuel later in the פרשה and there is no reason why they should have to know about her excitement. Rather, explains the Brisker Rav, the reason for everything happening so quickly is because Eliezer asked in his original תפילה that Hashem send the correct girl “היום”- the very same day that he arrived at the well. Additionally, the פסוק points out that he arrived close to nightfall. Therefore, for Hashem to fully answer Eliezer’s ,תפילה everything had to happen quickly so that the sign is fulfilled on the same Halachic day (before nightfall) that Eliezer arrived. This also explains why Eliezer repeated this detail to Lavan and Besuel later. He was proving to them that it was the Divine Hand that had orchestrated Eliezer finding Rivkah. This was especially evident from Rivkah’s haste, which was necessary only to fulfill Eliezer’s precise request: that she fulfill the sign that very same day.

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

This week’s newsletter marks the completion of its second cycle. We extend our profound appreciation to Rav Shimon Sternfield for his years of dedication, to Ms. Chayala Blumberg who diligently and professionally prepares each issue with supreme dedication, and to Rav Shloimie Lindenbaum for writing a weekly dvar Torah.

In this week’s פרשה we are taught by חז”ל that our patriarch יצחק instituted תפילת מנחה, the “afternoon service”. It is the shortest of the three services. Why?

Each of the three daily prayers was originally instituted by one of the Patriarchs. This arrangement is explained by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi as follows (Kuzari III, V): “The hour of prayer is the climax, the flowering and the goal, of the day; all other hours are merely preliminary to it. The blessing of one prayer lasts until the next, just as the strength gained from one meal lasts till the one after. The longer the interval between one prayer and the next, the more man’s soul occupies itself with worldly pursuits – the more it is dulled by them. During the time of prayer, however, man purges his soul from all that has contaminated it. He prepares his soul for the future.”

However, the fact that the prayers are each tied to certain hours of the day, requires explanation. As יעב”ץ explains: “No other hours are better fitted to turn men towards G-d, than the hours of sunrise and sunset. At sunrise, Nature springs to life in rejuvenated splendor. Man, refreshed by new strength, enthusiasm, and vigor, takes up his appointed task once more. At sundown, when the veil of darkness is spread over man, all that breathes entrusts its fate in the Omnipotent Creator.” Thus the hours of morning and evening arouse differing moods in the heart of man.
“Human life then moves along the two different sectors; the day-sector, its events being the product of the free creative activity of man; and the night sector, where man appears as the passive object of cosmic influences. There man is the power and the world his material; here he is the material and the universe is the power that masters and molds him.” (Rav S.R. Hirsch)

The morning and evening services correspond to these two contrasting themes. The morning prayer bears the imprint of gratitude for liberation from the grasp of the night. In its first part we offer the blessings for the rejuvenation of body and soul (ברכות השחר); then glorifying the splendor of nature (פסוקי דזמרה); finally in the שמע and its ברכות culminating in the historical reflections of the thankfulness for the redemptions of Israel.

The paragraph אמת ויציב recited in the morning, has reference only to the mercy shown by G-d to our fathers in the past. The evening section אמת ואמונה points to future events, to the faith “that He will sustain our lives and let us overcome our enemies etc.” Thus חסד the Divine mercy is the main idea underlying the morning prayer. On the other hand אמונה, the faithfulness shown to us by G-d during all the “nights” of our lives, is the motif of the evening prayer.

According the view of the Kabbala, the day is the time of rule of the מדת חסד the Divine love, which bestows upon man the full possession of his liberty and might so that he may strive, by perfecting himself morally, to become a replica of the Divine. The night, however, exposes man unprotected to the influence of the elements. It is the time of the Divine judgement, מדת הדין. However, these considerations ignore the third prayer, the מנחה of the afternoon. We are taught, Abraham inaugurated the morning prayer, Isaac the Mincha, Jacob the evening prayer. Abraham’s life was like the rising sun, that waxes ever brighter. Blessed with abundant success in all his undertakings, he stood alone facing the entire world and summoning it to embrace monotheism. He was highly revered as נשיא אלוקים a prince of G-d.

During Isaac’s life the light began to dim. He was greeted only with envy by his contemporaries for the Divine blessings he received. Finally, with Jacob the shadows of night close in. His entire life was a concatenation of trials and tribulations. They left as their heritage the means of elevating ourselves to G-d from the most divergent times of life: when the rays of morning rouse all to life, when the waning of the sun turns us to earnest self-contemplation, and when the night summons us to rally our thoughts towards G-d. Isaac’s life was subjected to greater severity than Jacob. For, to have to descend from the heights we have climbed, is a harder blow to bear, than to begin life in suffering and struggle with the possibility of ultimately reaching the summit.
The days of Isaac’s life ended in blindness, in hopeless gloom. In like manner, the hour of sundown, the time when Isaac poured out his heart in prayer to G-d, leads on inevitably to night-time.

This too, is reflected in the composition of the Minchah service. All the exultant hymns of praise uttered in the morning are omitted. The worshipper stands silent before G-d engrossed in earnest self-examination. At this hour, the day draws to its close; man will soon be surrendered to the obscurity of the night. At this hour the question is answered – have man’s actions rendered him worthy to have the aspirations and hopes uttered in his Tefilla, realized or not. The Talmud lays great stress on the importance of the מנחה, for this prayer consists only of spiritual self-appraisal before G-d, the Judge. The night, however, the hour when Jacob approached G-d, already points to the morning. It bears assurance of the existence of a merciful G-d, who in faithful solicitude, watches over sleeping mankind.

One begins the day in the morning, his heart filled with gratitude for the vitality and the vigor which G-d’s חסד has restored to him. Just before the day dies, when his daily work is done, man stands again before G-d to render an account in prayer (דין). Finally when night closes in, he prays that the merciful G-d grant him protection until the morning (רחמים). The Divine governing principles, Love Justice and Mercy are thus like shining stars shading their light over the daily life of the Jew, making him turn his eyes heavenward, in joyous gratitude (שחרית), in earnest self-examination (מנחה) and in steadfast trust (מעריב).

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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum

ויאמר כי את שבע כבשות תקח מידי בעבור תהיה לי לעדה כי חפרתי את הבאר הזאת (פרק כא פסוק ל)

Our Parsha records a discussion between Avraham and Avimelech regarding the well of water that Avraham had dug which was subsequently seized by Avimelech’s servants. After they arrive at a peaceful conclusion and Avimelech admits to Avraham’s ownership, Avraham gives him seven sheep. He explains that these seven sheep will serve as a testimony to his ownership of the well. What is the meaning of this? How will these sheep be a proof of Avraham’s ownership? R’ Yaakov Kamenetsky answers based on a גמרא in חולין (דף ז) which tells us about the donkey of רבי פנחס בן יאיר that refused to eat טבל (untithed food). We see that the animals of צדיקים are sensitive towards forbidden foods. Therefore, by Avraham giving Avimelech the sheep they would cease drinking from Avraham’s well because that would be גזל. This would clearly indicate that Avraham owns the well. This was Avraham’s intention in creating a testimony through his gift of sheep.

ויאמר קח נא את בנך…את יצחק ולך לך אל ארץ המוריה והעלהו שם לעלה… (פרק כב פסוק ב)

The Parsha concludes with the monumental story of the עקידה. This was the tenth and final test that Hashem gave to Avraham. This allowed Avraham to declare to the world with finality his absolute devotion to Hashem and His Will even to the point of sacrificing his son. Rashi, based on the Gemara, points out that Hashem told Avraham to do this with an expression of “נא” which normally indicates a request. He explains that Hashem was beseeching Avraham to pass this test lest the nations of the world say that even the first tests “אין בהם ממש”- they were not substantial. This seems very surprising. After all, time and again, Avraham put himself through various hardships and difficulties because of his strong belief in Hashem. How could anyone claim that all of those tests, the work of Avraham’s lifetime, were insignificant merely because he didn’t pass Number Ten? R’ Shimon Schwab explains that of course the first nine tests would prove to the world Avraham’s tremendous level of righteousness. However, he says, there was a much bigger idea that Hashem was trying to display through the tests. Hashem was showing that Avraham’s devotion and self-sacrifice weren’t traits that merely elevated himself, rather Avraham was imbuing his progeny with these traits. This was the true goal of the ten tests. That is what Rashi means when he says that people will say about the first tests that “אין בהם ממש”- they do not have any lasting value. It is only by the עקידה that we find “וילכו שניהם יחדיו”- Avraham and his son Yitzchak went together i.e. with the same mindset and determination to do Hashem’s will. Now we see that this incredible level of self-sacrifice that is found by Avraham was passed on to the next generation. This was the test that proved to the world that when Avraham passed all of the tests he wasn’t just developing and evolving his own growth, he was creating a legacy for Klal Yisroel forever.

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

The Medrash states for 2,448 years the world existed due to the חסד, selfless dedication to all of אברהם אבינו, our patriarch Abraham, who was the paragon of kindness and taught the world by example.

Due to this dynamic, when he was commanded by Hashem to circumcise himself, he argued, “How can I? All those who I invite into my home won’t come! They will consider me as deranged, for if one truly believes that G-d created us, is it possible that He would command us to “cut off” part of our body? Therefore the existence of the world will be in jeopardy; this takes precedence to a mitzvah.” Hashem answered him that the mitzvah of ברית מילה will bring the Divine Presence to the lower world thereby ensuring its eternity. On the contrary, your elevated spiritual connection to Hashem will enable you to promote His existence on a greater level! And to emulate Hashem’s incessant giving!

In the beginning of this week’s portion we are taught by אברהם אבינו to what extent one’s life should be involved with חסד, chesed and true action of חסד.

Avrohom Avinu is weak from having circumcised himself, but nevertheless when seeing these travelers, he invites them into his home. “And Avrohom hastened to the tent of שרה, Sarah, and he said, quickly prepare – you only – without assistance – loaves of bread.”

“Don’t tarry, and with full vigor execute your responsibilities!” HaRav Yeruchim Levovitz explains that this is a monumental idea. While the action is important, what defines the person is one’s attitude. Every action is to be done as an agent designated agent of Hashem, with alacrity, promptness and exuberance. This is Avrohom Avinu; constantly desiring to execute Hashem’s will! To come a few minutes early to daven or learn is a manifestation of this idea, even earning a person more reward and “bless” than the actual mitzvah.

“Then Abraham ran to the castle, took a calf, tender and good and gave it to the youth (Yishmael) who hurried to prepare it. He took cream, milk and the calf which he had prepared… he stood over these beneath the tree and they ate.”

Chazal explain that the seemingly non-important or redundant adjectives “tender and good”, are teaching us that Avrohom Avinu took three calves, one for each guest. Why? Secondly it states he gave it to the youth to prepare, whereas the next verse states “which he prepared.” Who did prepare it?

The Alshich HaKodesh (1501 – 1593) teaches that the true, sensitive manner and to provide hospitality to a group of guests is to treat them as if everyone is a significant person. This is effectuated by serving each person a distinct, separate and whole portion. In order to dignify each visitor, Avraham Avinu decided to present each one with a calf’s tongue. If he would divide one tongue between them; they might feel they were only treated with tongue due to one of them whose more importance was the cause, thereby feeling inadequate.

What transpired was that Avrohom who was 99 years old at the time and weak due his circumcision asked the “lad”, Yishmael, to prepare two tongues while Avraham would prepare one. But, unfortunately, Yishmal was tardy and therefore in order not to keep the travelers hungry, he substituted the two tongues with cream and milk. He didn’t divide the tongue as we mentioned above, but rather ensured that all would enjoy their respective unique food. A lesson in how to validate with reverence every person.

Avrohom Avinu didn’t remonstrate his son, Yishmael, but rather by his action taught him a lesson; one always has to think of the needs of another and act with enthusiasm and vigor to complete their task with alacrity. A lesson in chinuch: It’s not what a parent says; it is the action they act in “the stage of parenting” which is the proper way to train a child!

The bread which Sarah prepared was not given to the visitors. Why not?

One idea offered by Rabbeinu Bachya is the following: Avrohom and Sarah had a very strict rule they abided by. It is termed אכילת חולין בטהרה, to only eat food that didn’t become spiritually defiled due to a factor that causes that. Sarah, miraculously, had returned to her youth, and had menstruated while preparing the bread. But why is that relevant, the visitors were idol worshippers!?
Rabbeinu Bachya explains that we are being taught an important lesson. If one would offer food they don’t eat to one who is not as strict as they, invariably their respect and reverence for the other would diminish and at the same time they would come to “gloat” due to their superior conduct. Every person is unique to Hashem and consequently one must conduct themselves in the same manner. When one contemplates their superiority, they develop a sense of competition and usually, unfortunately, negate their inner natural sense of importance – that one is an important creation of Hashem.

Avrohom Avinu, the paragon of kindness teaches us that if one always is cognizant and sensitive to another’s nobility and dignity,then the person will truly be a disciple of Hashem. It could be helping a destitute traveler, a child, a friend or humanity as a whole.

מגן אברהם, the Shield of Avrohom – the Vilna Gaon explains that Avrohom Avinu countless times put his life in danger to protect and promulgate the glory and dignity of Hashem. For these actions of selfless dedication and “chesed” to Hashem, he was shielded by Him. Chesed begets chesed!

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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum

ויאמר ה’ אל אברם לך לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך (פרק יב פסוק א)

Our Parsha begins with Hashem telling Avraham to leave his father’s house in חרן and travel to an undisclosed destination. This is regarded by Chazal as being one of the ten נסיונות that Avraham was tested with throughout his life. The commandment is phrased in an interesting way. When leaving a place of residence, one physically leaves their house first, then their community, and then their country. However, when Avraham was commanded to leave, Hashem told him first to leave his land, then his birthplace, and then his father’s house. Why was the order reversed? Additionally, why didn’t Hashem disclose his destination immediately? The Malbim explains that Avraham wasn’t just being told to leave his geographic location, rather Hashem was telling him to remove himself from the entire mindset and ideology of his upbringing and to leave it all behind. He was being commanded to rid himself entirely of the beliefs of his society. In this process Avraham began with “leaving” his land because the beliefs of the country were less ingrained in him and therefore easier to abandon. After that he went on to the more difficult steps of leaving behind the ideals of his birthplace and of his father’s house. It is for this reason that Hashem waited to tell Avraham that he will be going to Eretz Yisroel. Eretz Yisroel is a very holy place and in order to properly appreciate it one can’t be influenced by impure ideals. Therefore, Avraham had to first purify himself from the השקפה of his upbringing and only then could he prepare himself to live in the קדושה of Eretz Yisroel.

וירא ה’ אל אברם ויאמר…התהלך לפני והיה תמים (פרק יז פסוק א)

The end of the Parsha discusses in detail Hashem presenting the מצוה of מילה to Avraham. The introduction to this מצוה is Hashem telling Avraham התהלך לפני והיה תמים “to walk before me and to be complete”. Rashi explains this to mean that through Avraham obeying the commandment of מילה he will be whole and complete. This is a reference to the fact that so long as a person is uncircumcised, he is considered to be a בעל מום and therefore incomplete. Why is it that specifically with this מצוה we recognize that it brings a person to perfection? Doesn’t every מצוה add to a person’s spiritual wholeness? The Slonimer Rebbe in his Sefer Nesivos Shalom explains that while it’s true that every positive commandment perfects a person spiritually, מילה has a special attribute over other מצוות. He says that מילה doesn’t just raise the spirituality of one’s soul; it transforms his physical body into something holy. The differentiation between Jews and non-Jews is not just in our minds and hearts, rather the מצוה of מילה separates our physicality from a non-Jew’s. It is through this מצוה that we become “complete” on a whole new level- that our bodies themselves attain a wholeness different than the bodies of the rest of the world.

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

Every day in תפלת שחרית we quote the פסוק from נחמיה:

“ומצאת את לבבו נאמן לפניך, And You (Hashem) found his (Avrohom Avinu’s) heart faithful to You.”

HaRav Yeruchem Levovitz defines this trait of אברהם אבינו, our patriarch Avrohom as a “בר סמכא”, a person that one can always rely upon.

To further understand this specific trait, we are illuminated by the commentary of the Vilna Gaon in ישעיה, Isaiah 1:21. The פסוק reads, “איכה היתה לזונה קריה נאמנה”, “How was it (possible) that she became a prostitute – a faithful city that was full of justice?”

The מצודת דוד explains that ישעיה הנביא is moaning, how is it conceivable that a city of honesty could become one that is dishonest to Hashem, akin to a harlot that is dishonest to her husband? One can ask, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to say “to commit adultery” rather than prostitution?

The Vilna Gaon explains, “that the city was a place of truth בלב ונפש, in the heart (their inner essence) and נפש, their actions as it states “ומצאת את לבבו נאמן, And I found his heart to be faithful and now the opposite, akin to a woman who rather than be married, cohabitating indiscriminately with זרים, strangers. A prostitute is a woman who refrains from commiting herself to any man, so too, the city (כלל ישראל) exempted themselves from dependability, reliability, trustworthiness, and commitment.

In ישעיה, Isaiah 41:8, Hashem bestows on אברהם אבינו, our patriarch Avrohom, the title, “אהובי, My Beloved”.

Rashi explains, “that Avrohom Avinu didn’t come to recognize Hashem due to Torah study or teachings from his parents, but rather through love. He constantly appreciated Hashem’s infinite benefactions, his caring for His creation and with total acuity of this factor, reciprocated by totally attaching himself to Hashem. This in turn is the source for his unbridled, relentless dedication to Hashem, earning him the designation of נאמן, בר סמכא – one who genuinely acts in the context of complete subservience to one’s benefactor.

The מדרש, on the words, “ואהבת… בכל לבבך, And you shall love Hashem with all your heart(s)” explains that this refers to Avrohom Avinu, as it says אברהם אבינו. The ירושלמי ברכות סז says that he “made” his evil inclination (יצר הרע) good (טוב), whereas דוד המלך, Dovid HaMelech couldn’t resist and therefore “killed” the evil inclination in his heart. Due to Avrohom Avinu’s constant appreciation and love of Hashem, his relentless drive and passion to emulate Him by his constant search to help others; he transcended any iota of self-interest and desire. Rather his totality of focus was towards his creator – Hashem.

After the עקדה, Akeidah, Hashem says “עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלוקים אתה, Now I can show everyone that you stand in awe of Hashem.” When one stands truly in awe of Hashem’s gifts and caring, one subsequently praises Him. In turn, one becomes inseparable from Him with every thought and action determined with this relationship.

The aforementioned idea is mentioned by the Ramban, Maimonides, Hilchos Teshuva 10:2-3.

“One who serves [G-d] out of love occupies himself in the Torah and the mitzvot and walks in the paths of wisdom for no ulterior motive: not because of fear that evil will occur, nor in order to acquire benefit. Rather, he does what is true because it is true, and ultimately, good will come because of it. It is the level of our Patriarch, Abraham, whom G-d described as, “he who loved Me,” for his service was only motivated by love – G-d commanded us [to seek] this level as conveyed by Moshe Rabbeinu as it states: “Love G-d, Your Lord.” When a man will love G-d in the proper manner, he will immediately perform all of the mitzvot motivated by love.

What is the proper love? A person should love God with great and exceeding love until his soul is bound up in the love of God. Thus, he will always be captivated with this love as if he is “lovesick”. [A lovesick person’s] thoughts are never diverted from the love of that woman. He is always preoccupied with her; when he sits down, when he gets up, when he eats and drinks. With an even greater [love], the love for God should be [implanted] in the hearts of those who love Him and are obsessed with Him at all times. This concept was implied by שלמה המלך, King Solomon [Song of Songs 2:5] when he stated, as a metaphor: “I am lovesick.” [Indeed,] the totality of שיר השירים is a parable describing [this love].

The pasuk, “והיה ברכה, And you will be a blessing.” (יב:ב) The Medrash says והיה בריכה – you will be the “well” from which everything will evolve. Avrohom was to be the repository from which all boundless good and kindness will descend upon the world. There are many facets to the world; truth, justice, humility, correctness… but the foundation of all is the dynamic of חסד – gifting to others. When one views life as a constant opportunity to selflessly contribute, one is emulating the essence of Hashem; to give.

The אנשי סדום, Sodom were punished not due to theft and depraved behavior, but as the נביא יחזקאל states; due to their decision not to help those who are needy. Positive growth is totally dependent on one’s selfless, persistent desire to assist others.

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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum

אלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק…(פרק ו פסוק ט) ויחל נח איש האדמה… (פרק ט פסוק כ)
Our Parsha begins with referring to Noach as an איש צדיק – a righteous man, and towards the end describes him as being an איש האדמה – a man of the earth. This indicates that there was a change in Noach’s level in righteousness during the Parsha and by the end he wasn’t the same “צדיק that he was at the beginning. The Medrash contrasts this change with Pesukim that we find by Moshe Rabbeinu. Towards the beginning of Moshe’s life, the Torah describes him as an איש מצרי- an Egyptian man, but in the very last Parsha of the Torah he is described as an איש האלקים- a man of G-d. By Moshe also there was a change throughout his life- this time for the better. What is the Medrash trying to tell us by comparing these two transitions? The משך חכמה explains that we find two distinct ways of serving Hashem: 1- Those who designate their entire life to their own personal service of Hashem and to this end nearly remove themselves from society, 2- Those who forgo areas of their own personal growth and instead take responsibility for the growth of the ציבור . The natural assumption is that the one who devotes himself to his own spiritual needs will grow on a personal level, while the latter will regress in his own spirituality. This, says the משך חכמה, is exactly what the Medrash is teaching us- Noach forsook his duty of rebuking his generation and encouraging them to do Teshuvah for his own growth. This ironically resulted in a certain descent in his own level- he was degraded to an איש האדמה from being an איש צדיק. Moshe, however, devoted himself entirely to the needs of Bnei Yisroel and we this elevated his personal spiritual level to become an איש האלקים.

ויקח שם ויפת את השמלה… (פרק ט פסוק כג)
The Parsha discusses the incident of Cham disgracing his father Noach and Shem and Yefes trying to conceal his embarrassment. In the description of the story שם is mentioned as having had a bigger role in protecting his father’s honor. Rashi says that because of his extra effort in this מצוה his children received the מצוה of ציצית. Many ask on this that we find later in Parshas Lech Lecha that Avraham Avinu tells the King of Sedom that he refuses to take even a thread from the spoils of the war and חז”ל tell us that therefore we got the מצוה of ציצית. What was the cause for us to receive ציצית? Was it the זכות of Shem or of Avraham? Rabbi Elya Baruch Finkel ZTZ”L, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Mir, answers based on a Rashi inדף ט בבא קמא. Rashi there is discussing the מצוה of beautifying מצוות and he says that we are commanded to have a “טלית נאה וציצית נאה”- a beautiful garment to put the ציצית on and also beautiful ציצית. Rabbi Finkel deduces from this that the מצוה is not merely the strings with the garment serving as a vehicle for the מצוה, rather by putting ציצית on ones garment the garment itself becomes part and parcel of the מצוה. That is why the מצוה of הידור extends to the garment as well. Rabbi Finkel says that this explains the need for two sources for the מצוה of ציצית. Through the זכות of Shem using a garment to cover his father’s shame we received the garment of ציצית and through the זכות of Avraham refusing even a thread from the bounty we received the strings of ציצית.

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

In בראשית א’:כט-ל, Genesis Chapter 1:29-30, it states: Hashem said, “I have given you (humankind) all herbage yielding fruit… And to every beast… and bird… and all that moves on the earth… every green herb for food.”

The Ramban teaches, “Hashem did not permit Adam and his wife to kill any creature and eat its meat, but all alike were to eat herbs. But when the era of “the sons of Noach” came, He permitted them to eat meat, as it is said, “every moving thing that live shall be for food for you; as the green herb have I given you all; even as the green herb that I permitted to the first man, so do I permit you everything.” This is the opinion of Rashi. But this is not so. Rather, He gave to Adam and his wife every herb yielding seed and all fruit of the trees (as mentioned in Verse 29], and to the beasts of the earth and the fowl of the heaven He gave all green herb [as mentioned in Verse 30] but neither the fruit of the tree nor the seeds. The food of all of them was thus not the same.”
The opinion of the Ramban is that animals and humans ate distinctly different growth from the ground in order for humankind to understand their superiority to animals. This is due to their נשמה, soul; and for their intellectual ability, to articulate their thoughts.

The Ramban continues: “However, meat was not permitted to them until the time of the “sons of Noah,” as is the opinion of our Rabbis. The reason for this was that creatures possessing a moving soul have a certain superiority as regards their soul, resembling in a way those who possess the rational soul: they have the power of choice affecting their welfare and their food, and they flee from pain and death.”

Despite the fact that before the Flood it was prohibited for a human to eat meat of an animal, due to the similarity of instincts and understanding, thereby enabling the human to ennoble themselves due to their superior intellect; after the Flood it became permissible.

This idea of the distinction between the human and animal had to be inculcated in the human race. Let us examine why it was vital.

Rav Yosef Albo in his classic, “Sefer HaIkarim”, teaches that the first two born men, קין והבל, Cain and Abel, both promoted a philosophy – ideology – that humans and animals are equal in stature; both are creatures that possess qualities above the inanimate kingdom. They both believed that G-d created them but there was no interplay between G-d and His world. Consequently they developed an ideology that animals must be treated with the greatest respect. Cain was of the opinion that animals can’t be used by humans for any purpose whatsoever and therefore he would have to “till the ground”. Abel, on the other hand, had argued that though one can’t kill an animal for food; one can utilize the animal to enable one to facilitate the growth of the necessary food or to sacrifice an animal to G-d as an exercise of thanking Him for His beneficence.

Due to their belief, that G-d was not involved whatsoever with the world. Abel maintained that the human is in charge and therefore can utilize animals due to one’s superiority. Though Abel’s sacrifice is accepted by G-d, he is not protected when Cain, קין kills him. Why not? He had correctly thanked Hashem!

Rav Albo explains that a natural segue from domination of animals is to dominate fellow humans; for if one considers oneself the “center of the universe” and has dominion over animals, it will subsequently lead one to dominate others. Without one’s belief that Hashem is involved with the world, one’s opinions are totally self-centered.

The אזנים לתורה, Rav Zalman Sorotzkin זצ”ל explains this is why after the Flood, מבול, we were allowed to eat meat.

The terrible crimes and sins of the generations before the Flood – 1) adultery 2) abuse of women 3) idolatry and 4) theft – were all a direct consequence of losing one’s nobility due to equating humans with animals. This led to duplicating their actions; after all, if animals have no commitment to a “partner”, if they take from one another, we humans can also. To inculcate the human with the acute understanding of their superiority due to one’s נשמה, soul and in turn connection to Hashem, we were instructed to eat meat.

The Torah is very strict regarding the way one treats animals. צער בעלי חיים, the unnecessary affliction of an animal and the requirement to even spend money to ease the pain that an animal endures is a מצוה דאורייתא, a Torah law. It is for us to train ourselves to be merciful and tolerant – not to equate animals with humans!

Many world leaders, notably Hitler ימח שמו – promoted that the purpose of life is like הבל, Abel – to dominate and be superior to others. In Nazi Germany when rounding up the Jews to slaughter them; they would send trucks to make sure that their dogs were taken care of. A great rabbi visiting Germany in the 1920s sadly predicted that due to the reverence extended to animals that one day, humans would perish at the hands of others. To truly lead a life of human dignity and development necessitates that one constantly focus on the superiority of the human!

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

The Yom Tov of Sukkos affords us an opportunity for seven days to be enveloped in Hashem’s world, completely transcending the mundane existence. Despite the fact, “ארבעים שנה אקוט בדור, For forty years Hashem was angry with us in the time we traveled in the מדבר, wilderness” (Psalms 95), nevertheless we were embraced with Hashem’s love. Every day we merited to receive the miraculous food, מן, manna, water from a supernatural source, were enclosed and protected by the Clouds of Glory and always our clothing did not wear out. We relived this experience of placing our trust and belief in Hashem, that He loves and embraces His dear children, in the Sukkah.

In this week’s portion, we are introduced to the creation of humankind. The “creature” is described as a “צלם אלוקים, in the image of Hashem.”

The נפש החיים, Rav Chaim Volozhiner explains: “To understand why He specifically stated “in the image of God-Elohi”m” and not some other name, it is because the meaning of the name Elohi”m implies that He is the Master of All Powers.

He is called “Master of All Powers,” is because the attributes of the Holy One are not like those of flesh and blood. For man, when he builds a structure, the builder doesn’t create and materialize the wood from his own powers; rather, he takes pre-existing lumber and organizes it into a structure. After he completes arranging it according to his will, if he ceases his efforts and departs, the structure still persists.

According to this model, He created man and appointed him to rule over the multitude of powers and numberless worlds, and assigned them to him so that he should govern them via all the minute details of his actions, speech, thoughts, and the larger scale aspects of his behavior, whether for good, or for the opposite.

For via his positive actions, speech and thoughts he fulfills and invests strength in a number of supernal and holy powers and worlds, and adds holiness and light to them. In the words of the sages: (Berakhot 64a): “Call them ‘your builders’ rather than ‘your sons’ for they arrange the lofty worlds as a builder arranges his structure and invests it with great strength.

And the opposite [is also true, that] via his negative actions, speech or thoughts he destroys a number of powers, and the supernal, holy worlds without number and measure, or darken or lessen their light and holiness, and add power to their opposites in the realms of impurity.

This is what is meant by (Bereshit 1:27): “And God-Elohi”m created man with His image – for just as He is the Master of the powers found in the totality of all the worlds, and organizes and governs them each instant per His will, so too did His will rule that man should be the enabler and disabler via all of the detailed patterns of his large scale behavior, in every situation, literally in every instant and moment, as if he too is the master of their power.

And this is the law of man-each person in Israel should not say in his heart/mind: “What am I, what power do I have to effect anything in the world via my lowly actions?”

Truthfully, one should understand and know and fix in his heart/mind’s thoughts, that every detail of his actions, speech and thoughts, in each instant and moment, are not for naught. And how many are his actions and how great and exalted, that each one rises according to its root, to effect its result at the loftiest heights, in the worlds and highest levels of the heavenly lights.”

What an inspiring lesson. We, the human race, are designated and ennobled as partners in Hashem’s continuous governance of His world; which is a second to second dynamic. The Malbim explains this is the meaning of the verse (1,3) “אשר ברא אלוקים לעשות, that Hashem created to do.” Hashem created the world and gave it to humanity to “be in charge.”

We are not intellectual animals, we are not spiritual people but rather partners in effecting the future of the world.

Let us quote a passage from the מסילת ישרים, The Paths of the Just, near the end of Chapter 19.

On this our sages said: “who is a Chasid? He who is benevolent towards his Maker.” Behold, such a Chasid, besides the service which he does in performing his mitzvot with the proper intent, will certainly feel actual pain on the exile and the destruction of the Temple, because these cause a diminishing, of G-d’s honor. He will long for the Redemption because then the honor of G-d will be exulted.

If one will say: “who am I, and what importance am I that I should pray on the exile and Jerusalem? Will the exiles be ingathered and the salvation sprout because of my prayers?!

The answer is, as we learned: “Thus man was created alone, so that each person should say: ‘for my sake the world was created’ ” (Sanhedrin 37a). Already it brings gratification to G-d, that His children desire and pray for this. And even though their request may not be fulfilled, because the proper time has not yet come or for some other reason, nevertheless, they have done their part and the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices in this.

The רמח”ל, Ramchal is teaching us that due to every individual being unique, each with their own designated purpose it therefore follows that to Hashem we are everything, infinitely important, for if one person can entreat Hashem due to one’s total embracement by Him.

Three inspiring, elevating, exalting lessons:
1) Sukkos – Hashem has a relentless, infinite, constant love and caring for us, 2) Hashem appointed us to jointly administrate His world through our actions, 3) Every human has their unique task, plan and purpose.

Due to this it is logical that Hashem will assist us to succeed, for otherwise His world design is incomplete!

When one inculcates these ideas and acts accordingly; one has developed a state of resilience. If Hashem is my partner, then one has the zeal, enthusiasm to stay focused on what one can positively accomplish!

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

The Alter of Kelm addressed an issue that many have pondered. Why is it that residents of one country or one hemisphere are constantly travelling to another country or another hemisphere? After all there is much to investigate and enjoy in one’s own country, not to mention the patriotic feelings that will be engendered by “staying put”.

The Alter explained that all of life is a journey to search for G-d, to understand who created us, who we are, and what our unique mission is and to actualize it. This search for the unknown is a quest to define oneself, to define one’s essence – that being our נשמה, our soul. A name doesn’t define one’s essence, neither does one’s occupation or one’s size and looks; what defines one is one’s inner char­acter, that in turn being the essence of one’s development of the נשמה, soul. We search for G-d, for our נשמה is part and parcel of the Almighty; He having blown from Himself into Adam אדם הראשון, part of Himself; which we define as the נשמה. Life is a continuous journey of re­fining our נשמה, our distinct character and personality in consonance with actions that emulate the Almighty’s. The Alter explained that this inherent, incessant drive compels us to travel the world seeking actualization of one’s defini­tion by observing the cultures of others, due to our lack of understanding that we are truly seeking G-d. What is this journey of life? Are we to metaphorically travel on an express train that starts at birth and reaches its destination at the life’s end whereupon we meet our Creator or are we to make countless stops; at each and every destination re­acting to the place, encounter, or people we meet. So often for many of us life seems to be a blur – a never ending train ride that just “flies” by the countryside. We see panoply of colors, thousands of different trees and plants, meet count­less people and experience a myriad of events, but at the end it is all a “blur”. Why does this happen?

The Torah in פ’ מסעי, Numbers, chapter 33, recounts the travels of the Jewish people in the desert. All in all there were forty two places where they encamped. The Torah emphasizes “they traveled from “A”, they encamped at “B”, they traveled from “B” and encamped at “C” … why doesn’t it just say they went from A to B to C, isn’t it superfluous to say they went from A to B, from B to C?
The Torah is teaching us one of the most important lessons of successful living. Life is a series of countless journeys, each and every journey requires contemplation, enthusiasm to succeed, and discipline and responsibility to complete the task at hand.

Mark Twain said “When you live in Boston they ask you which university did you attend?”, in New York “How much money do you have?” and in Philadelphia, “What is your bloodline?” This is not by accident or coincidence. The Torah teaches us that each place possesses a dynamic that is endemic to that location, the dynamic being part of the world’s creation. Each place the Jewish people encamped in the dessert they had a spiritual and a counter-spiritual force unique to that location, challenging the Jew­ish people to sensitize and elevate themselves to a higher level of spiritual self development. By teaching us this idea the Torah is revealing the journey of success. Every situation we encounter, be it a place, a person, a business opportunity or a time related expe­rience, it is imperative that we responsibly appreciate in what manner we can develop. If we judiciously actualize the opportunity, we not only develop ourselves, but the pride of self-actualization is the impetus to strive for even greater goals, an aspiration born from the self-confidence of true and successful accomplishment.

Simultaneously, we must examine our “success” and self-introspect, asking “Did we accomplish as much as we could have?”, thereby dedicating ourselves to focus with more intent and dedication to the next task and challenge at hand. Life’s journey is analogous to climbing a ladder, every rung must be stepped upon to reach the final elevated destination; every rung must be constructed correctly. Though the climb to the top seems daunting and at times impossible, the success gained by the continuous upward flight emboldens one with the courage, determination and enthusiasm to continue.

As we embark on any life journey it is imperative to focus on what we want to accomplish, what we have to accomplish and in turn at its completion, to embark refreshed with new vigor to once again set out on a new adventure. The Jewish calendar is a journey through time each allotted time on the calendar represents a unique challenge and op­portunity. Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos are times when we are presented by Hashem with an.extraordinary opportunity to clearly define the journey of life we wish to embark upon. We are judged on Rosh Hashanah for the future; G-d looks into our hearts and minds and perceives what our true intentions are, if they are noble and selfless in their desire to achieve spiritual human greatness; He not only judges us favorably but becomes a facilitator in its actualization. The journey which starts with new clarity of thought and determination of will is enhanced by this gift from the Almighty. The shofar awakens us to the reality of life: G-d is in control and our journey takes place with His providential love and care. It is incumbent upon us to unequivocally choose with integrity, nobility and steadfastness, the path of human greatness, developed through the teachings of the Torah. On Sukkos, we through its mitzvos, integrate these ideas as part and parcel of our journey.