Torah Portion of Vayeitzei
Excerpted and Translated from the the Teachings of Rabbi Gershon Steinberg ztz"l
L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben Chaim ztz"l
The Torah Portion of Vayeitzei begins as a "Parsha Stuma" (in English: "a closed Torah Portion")
[Note: When the end of a Torah Portion is marked by three Hebrew letters of Samech, and the new Torah Portion begins on the same line, this is known as a "Parsha Stuma".] The reason the Torah Portion of Vayeitzei begins as a "Parsha Stuma" ("a closed Torah Portion") is because Yaakov fled from Lavan in a closed, hidden way. And also all the existence of the congregation of Israel is closed and hidden; that is to say, how it can be that after so many years of exile they are still living and existing -- and the reason for this is only because the Holy One Blessed Be He saves us from the hands of those who wish to destroy us.
"And Yaakov went out..." (Bereisheet 28:10)
Rashi explains "its brilliance went away, its splendor went away, its majesty went away". And it can be asked, why is it not written with regards to Avraham and Yitzchak when they went away that "its brilliance went away..."? The answer is that Avraham and Yitzchak were very wealthy and they had servants, and certainly when they left, everyone felt the effects of their departure immediately. But regarding Yaakov who was sitting inside tents (to learn Torah), apparently it should not have been recognizable when he left. Nonetheless, the brilliance and majesty of the place went away, and his departure from the place made a great impression.
"...and he took from the stones of the place..." (Bereisheet 28:11)
It is written in the beginning that "he took from the stones of the place", in the plural, and afterwards it is written "..and he took the stone.." (Bereisheet 28:18) in the singular. The reason for this is that the stones began to argue with one another; one said "on me the Tzaddik (Righteous Man) will lay his head", and another one said "on me he will lay it". Immediately the Holy One Blessed Be He made them all into one stone. And the difficulty with this explanation is that also now the head of the Tzaddik would be resting on only one place, and if so, what is the benefit if they are all made into one stone? But the answer is, that if they are united together and there are no arguments, then there will not be any complaints from anyone at all.
"And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set down on the earth and the top of it reaching to Heaven..." (Bereisheet 28:12)
The Hebrew word "Sulam" ("ladder") has the same Gematria (numerical values of the letters) as the Hebrew word "Mamon" ("financial wealth"). Thus we see that there is some equivalence between a Sulam and Mamon based on the Gematria. If one merits, the top of it (i.e., the financial wealth) reaches to Heaven, when one does with it Tzedakah (charity) and Chesed (kindness). And if one doesn't give Tzedakah (charity), its feet are set down on the earth and the money goes down to get lost in the depths, G-d forbid.
"And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set down on the earth and the top of it reaching to Heaven..." (Bereisheet 28:12)
Only when a ladder is bent at an angle is it possible to use it. Thus, someone who wants to go up in the heights of the Torah and fear of Hashem needs to be submissive and bend himself down like a ladder.
"And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set down on the earth and the top of it reaching to Heaven..." (Bereisheet 28:12)
The three letters of the word "Sulam" are Samech, Lamed, Mem, and these are the Roshei Teivot (in English: "initial letters") of the "Seudah Livui Malka" (in English: "Meal of Escorting the Queen", that is to say, the meal we eat after Shabbat ends, which is commonly known as a "Melaveh Malka"). Its feet are set down on the earth, and there are people who are careless about it (that is, about the Melaveh Malka meal), but the top of it reaches to Heaven. It is told about the wife of the Gr"a ztz"l that one time she wanted to fast a whole week from Shabbat to Shabbat. After Havdalah (the blessing at the end of Shabbat said over wine, spices and candle) the Gr"a asked where his wife was, and they told him that she already went to sleep. He commanded to wake her, and told her that if she would miss the meal of Melaveh Malka her fasting for the entire week wouldn't be worth anything. It is told that one time the Gr"a was sick on Motzei Shabbat (the nighttime after Shabbat is over), and before the beginning of daybreak he requested from his family to put into his mouth a Kazayit Pat(Halachic minimal amount of bread for a meal) in oder to fulfill the Mitzvah of Melaveh Malka.
The Melaveh Malka Meal
Its written in Seforim (Holy Books) that the three meals of Shabbat are connected to the three Avot (the Fathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov), and the Melaveh Malka meal is connected to David HaMelech o"h. And why did David merit to be the fourth foot of the Throne of Glory? It was because when he fled from Avshalom, Shimi ben Geira cursed him on the way with a very severe cursing and Avishai ben Tzruya therefore wanted to kill Shimi. But David didn't give him permission to do so and he said that Hashem told Shimi to curse and that everything was from Heaven. Therefore David merited to be the fourth foot of the Chariot. And generally during all the three meals of Shabbat people sit in a manner which is honorable and nice, but at the meal of the Melaveh Malka there are those who are careless about it. And it is written in the Shulchan Aruch that are man should always arrange his table on Motzei Shabbat, even if he doesn't need to eat more than one Kazayit (Halachic minimal amount of bread for a meal). And behold, it is written in Tehillim Chapter 39 verse 13: "For a stranger I am with you, a sojourner like all my fathers". In Hebrew, this verse begins "Ki Ger Anochi". "Ki Ger" (which means "for a stranger" in English), has the same Gematria (numerical value of the letters) as "Regel" (in English: "Foot"). "Anochi" (which means "I am" in English) hs the same Gematria as "Kisa" (in Englsih: "Throne"). The hint here in this Tehillima is that David is complaining that "I am the fourth foot", and why don't people sit down at my meal "like all my fathers", like at all the meals of Shabbat that are intended to be connected to the Fathers (Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov).
"...and He will guard me on this way..." (Bereisheet 28:20)
The Sages say that Yaakov requested from the Holy One Blessed Be He that he should not stumble in the sin of Lashon Hara (forbidden speech). And see the Introduction to the book "Chafetz Chaim", that by sinning in Lashon Hara it is possible to transgress 17 negative commandments, 14 positive commandments, and 3 curses.
"...and she said 'This time I will give thanks to Hashem'; therefore she called his name Yehudah..." (Bereisheet 29:35)
The Sages say that from the Creation of the World there wasn't anyone who thanked Hashem like Leah. And it has been asked, weren't there many Tzaddikim (Righteous People) before her, and certainly they gave thanks to Hashem? The explanation is that Leah wanted to give thanks constantly, and therefore called her son Yehudah, which can be explained as thankfulness without interruption. (Translator's note: The name Yehudah is related to the word for thankfulness in Hebrew.) When she saw Yehudah she immediately began to thank Hashem, and at every time that Yehudah would come and go, and eat and sleep, she would always give thanks.
"...therefore she called his name Yehudah, and she stopped giving birth." (Bereisheet 29:35)
It has been asked, isn't thankfulness a good thing, yet in this verse the meaning seems to be that because she gave thanks to Hashem, she ceased to give birth? The explanation is that everyone needs to give thanks about the past and to pray about the future. Therefore when a man is asked "How are you?", he answers "Baruch Hashem V'yeracham Hashem" (Bless Hashem and may Hashem have mercy). But Leah only gave thanks about the past and didn't request on the future, and therefore she stopped giving birth.
What did Yaakov do in the house of Lavan for 20 years?
The Sages ask, what did Yaakov do in the house of Lavan for 20 years? One says that he said all the entire book of Tehillim (Psalms), and another says that he said all the Shir HaMaalot (15 chapters of Tehillim from chapters 120 through 134). We see from this the great elevation of saying Tehillim. (from Midrash Vayeitzei)
WORDS OF CHIZUK (Words of Strengthening and Encouragement)
"One who removes his ears from hearing Torah, also his Prayer is repugnant." (Mishlei 28:9)
It is written in Mishlei (Proverbs) Chapter 28 Verse 9: "One who removes his ears from hearing Torah, also his Prayer is repugnant". Why isn't it written "from learning Torah"? The simple explanation is that when someone tells someone a Dvar Torah (a lesson from the Torah) and he says "I already heard", then the Holy One Blessed Be He says to him, also "I already heard" the prayer that you said yesterday, and why are you requesting another time? (from Masters of Mussar)
"How beautiful are your steps in shoes..." (Shir Hashirim 7:2)
In the Sefer Razin D'oraita it is brought that it is written in the "Midrash P'liah", that Israel doesn't know the reward that they receive for cleaning their shoes on Erev Shabbat (on the day before the Sabbath), as it is stated in Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs): "How beautiful are your steps in shoes...". This verse is connected to the verse (in Yeshayahu 22:12): "On that day there will be crying and mourning and tearing of hair and wearing of sackcloth". The Rav HaKodesh M'Apta explains, that when a man will come after his passing to the Heavenly Courts and he doesn't have any Mitzvot in his hand except for the small Mitzvah that he cleaned his shoes in honor of the Sabbath, and he sees how he is getting so much reward for that, then in bitterness his soul will weep because he neglected the rest of the Mitzvot, both big ones and small ones, and missed out on receiving a reward for them. And that is the intention of the Midrash, "How beautiful are your steps in shoes" -- when they see the reward for that, then "On that day there will be crying and mourning and tearing of hair and wearing of sackcloth."
The Torah Portion of Vayeitzei has 148 verses. Haftora: "Vayivrach Yaakov" (Hoshea 12).
We say Borchi Nafshi.
May you all have a light-filled and happy Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom.
L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben R' Chaim ztz"l, Nilkach L'Bait Olamo Yud Gimmel Tishrei 5772
The Torah Portion of Toldot
Excerpted and Translated from the the Teachings of Rabbi Gershon Steinberg ztz"l
L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben Chaim ztz"l
"And these are the generations of Yitzchak, Avraham's son -- Avraham begot Yitzchak." (Bereisheet 25:19)
Why is it necessary to say "Avraham begot Yitzchak", since it was already stated that "these are the generations of Yitzchak, Avraham's son"? Rashi explains that Yitzchak was similar to Avraham in his facial features. And the Abarbanel explains that everything that happened to Avraham happened also to Yitzchak. Both of them took a wife from within their families. Avraham and Yitzchak both suffered with problems of infertility. They both had two children, one of whom was righteous and one of whom was wicked. In both of their times there was a famine, as a result of which Yitzchak went in exile to Gerar and Avraham went in exile to Mitzrayim (Egypt). Both of them said about their wives "she is my sister". Both of them were blessed with many cattle. Both of them dug wells which the Philishtim plugged up.
"And Yitzchak entreated Hashem...and Hashem let himself be entreated by him" (Bereisheet 25:21)
Why is it written "entreated" and not "prayed"? Rashi writes that he "engaged much and urgently in prayer". And when it says "...and Hashem let himself be entreated by him", Rashi writes that "He let himself be urged, conciliated, and persuaded by him". Why was it necessary for him to pray with so much effort? The Meforshim (those who expound the Torah) explain that if Eisav would have been born before that, Avraham would have had to die sooner. For behold, when Eisav was 15 years old, Avraham died so that he would not see Eisav going out to do uncivilized, evil acts. Therefore Yitzchak needed to pray a lot because it was a decree from Heaven to delay the birth of Eisav, so that Avraham would not need to die many years before his time. And the Gaon R' Yosef Chaim Zonenfeld ztz"l adds that the Gematria (numerical value of the Hebrew letters) for "and Hashem let himself be entreated by him" (in Hebrew: V'yei'ater Lo Hashem), which is 748, is equal to the Gematria for "five years" (in Hebrew: "Chameish Shanim"), since Avraham needed to live for 180 years like Yitzchak, and died 5 years before his time.
"And the children struggled together within her and she said 'If so, why is it that I am?'..." (Bereisheet 25:22)
Rashi explains that when she would pass by the entrances of places of Torah study, Yaakov would struggle to come out, and when she would pass by the entrances of places of idol worship, Eisav would struggle to come out. And the Meforshim (those who expound the Torah) ask, perhaps in the case of Eisav it is understandable that he wanted to go out to idol worship and not to learn with the angel (which teaches Torah to the baby before birth), but why did Yaakov want to go out, for behold, he was learning with the angel before he was born? And the explanation is that it was better for him to go out to the world, even if he needed to give up on the possibility of learning with the angel, than to be together with Eisav in one place.
"...And they called his name Eisav." (Bereisheet 25:25)
The Baal HaTurim says that the name "Eisav" has the same Gematria (numerical values of the Hebrew letters) as the word "Shalom" (in English: "Peace"). [Translator's note: the numerical values of the Hebrew letters of "Eisav" are Ayin = 70, Shin = 300, and Vuv = 6, which adds up to a total of 376. The numerical values of the Hebrew letters of "Shalom" are Shin = 300, Lamed = 30, Vuv = 6, and Mem = 40, which also adds up to a total of 376.] If his Gematria had not been "Shalom" ("Peace") he would have destroyed the whole world.
"...and he called his name Yaakov..." (Bereisheet 25:26)
The letters of Yaakov's name are Yud, Ayin, Kuf, and Beit. The Daat Zekainim says that the letters of Yaakov's name are hints, as follows: Yud, which has a Gematria (numerical value) of 10, hints at the 10 Commandments. Ayin, which has a Gematria of 70, hints at the 70 Elders (who assisted Moshe Rabbeinu in leading the Jewish people in the desert.) Kuf, which has a Gematria of 100, hints at the Beit HaMikdash (the Temple) which stood at a height of 100 Amot. Beit, which has a Gematria of Two, hints at the Two Tablets of the Covenant (upon which were written the 10 Commandments.)
"...And Yaakov was a man of simplicity (or wholesomeness)..." ( Bereisheet 25:27)
Rashi says that someone who doesn't know how to deceive is called simple (or wholesome). (Translator's note: the word in Hebrew "Tam" can be translated as either simple or wholesome.) Apparently, however, we see that when he was with Lavan, Yaakov knew how to deceive. Rather, Rashi's intention is that someone who doesn't know how to deceive is called simple. In contrast, Yaakov was not "simple", but rather, a man of simplicity (or wholesomeness), who ruled over his simplicity and knew when to be straightforward and when not to. The Masters of Mussar (Ethics) say that Yaakov represents the aspect of Truthfulness, as it is said "Give Truth to Yaakov..." (Micah 7:20), yet we see that several times he acted in a cunning manner: 1) he took the birthright of the firstborn son, 2) he took the blessings, and 3) with Lavan, he used the sticks (to increase his flocks). For we don't know what is "Truthfulness", but the Tzaddik (Righteous Man) knows when to act in a straightforward manner and when to act cunningly.
"And Yitzchak loved Eisav..." (Bereisheet 25:28)
The Gaon R' Yosef Chaim Zonenfeld ztz"l explains why Yaakov is called the "select one of the Patriarchs", in connection to the verse "and Yitzchak loved Eisav". If the Torah writes this verse, that means that the love of Yitzchak for Eisav was a true and recognizable love. In spite of that, when Yaakov and Eisav were going out in the morning, each one went on his path; Yaakov went to serve Hashem by making an effort in Torah and prayer while Eisav went to do evil deeds. In the evening when they returned Yitzchak showed love to Eisav and didn't pay any attention at all to Yaakov, and so it was for the duration of a long period of time. And because of this, Yaakov of necessity would have thought that certainly since Yitzchak was the greatest person of the generation and he gave emotional support only to Eisav, perhaps his (Yaakov's) way of serving Hashem wasn't appropriate. But in any event, he didn't pay attention to that and stayed with strength and persistency on his path, even though he saw that Yitzchak related only to Eisav. Therefore he is called "the select one of the Patriarchs", since he was in a constant state of living with a very difficult challenge, and in spite of it all, he remained steadfast in his wholesomeness.
"..and in that year he reaped a hundredfold, and Hashem blessed him." (Bereisheet 26:12)
What is the meaning of the ending of this verse, "and Hashem blessed him"? Wasn't it already written that he reaped "a hundredfold" before that? The Seforno explains that even though a lot of produce grew and it would have been appropriate for the produce to be sold cheaply because of the increased output, in any event he was able to still sell it for a high price, and that is what it meant by "and Hashem blessed him".
"And Yitzchak returned and he dug the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Avraham his faher...and he called them by the same names that his father had called them." (Bereisheet 26:18)
Rabbeinu Bachya explains that from here we see a proof that one shouldn't change from the ways of his fathers, and that is the explanation of "the same names that his father had called them", that one should act according to the traditions of his fathers.
"And the servants of Yitzchak dug...and he called the name of the well Eisek ...Then they dug another well...and he called its name Sitnah...and he dug another well...and he called the name of it Rehovot and he said 'For now Hashem has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land'." (Bereisheet 26:19-22)
Three wells were dug by the servants of Yitzchak. The first well is symbolic of the First Temple and it was destroyed, and therefore it was called "Eisek" (a name which means "contention"). The second well is symbolic of the Second Temple, and it was therefore called "Sitnah" (a name which means "enmity"). The third well is symbolic of the Third Temple, and it is therefore called "Rehovot (a name which means "expansiveness"), and regarding that well it is written,"and we shall be fruitful in the land". (from the Ramban)
"And the servants of Yitzchak dug...and he called the name of the well Eisek ...Then they dug another well...and he called its name Sitnah...and he dug another well...and he called the name of it Rehovot and he said 'For now Hashem has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land'." (Bereisheet 26:19-22)
In the case of the first two wells, it is written "And the servants of Yitzchak dug...", and regarding the third well, it is written "and he dug", meaning that only Yitzchak dug. And the reason for this is that in the beginning Yitzchak's servants dug and there was no blessing from that, and therefore afterwards Yitzchak dug by himself and then they saw blessing.
"And the servants of Yitzchak dug...and he called the name of the well Eisek ...Then they dug another well...and he called its name Sitnah...and he dug another well...and he called the name of it Rehovot and he said 'For now Hashem has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land'." (Bereisheet 26:19-22)
The Chafetz Chaim says that from the wells one can learn the way to serve Hashem, for in the beginning they dug and didn't succeed and the its name was called "Eisek" ("contention"). And the second time they also didn't succeed and its name was called "Sitnah" ("enmity"). Only after that they dug and then it was called "Rechovot" ("expansiveness") and it was stated, "we shall be fruitful in the land". Similarly, regarding a student who comes to learn Torah and even though in the beginning he doesn't see any success, he should never despair, and then in the end he will truly succeed.
"...I am sick of my life on account of the daughers of Chait, if Yaakov takes a wife from the daughters of Chait like these, from the daughters of the land, why do I need life?" (Bereisheet 27:46)
Why didn't she say to Yitzchak that Eisav wants to kill Yaakov, like she said to Yaakov? The Ohr HaChaim HaKodesh says that because of the prohibition of Rechilut (Gossip) she gave another reason to Yitzchak, but by revealing it to Yaakov, she fulfilled a Mitzvah (from Vayikra 19:16) of "do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor".
"...mother of Yaakov and Eisav." (Bereisheet 28:5)
Rashi says, "I don't know what this teaches us". There are early commentators who explain that it was necessary to write this so that one wouldn't wonder how an evil person like Eisav would come out from two Tzaddikim (righteous people) like Yitzchak and Rivkah. Therefore it states "...to Lavan the son of Betuel the Aramean, the brother of Rivkah, mother of Yaakov and Eisav" (Bereisheet 28:5), to tell you that since most of the sons are similar to the brothers of the mother, therefore Eisav was similar to Lavan the Aramean.
"...to Lavan the son of Betuel the Aramean, the brother of Rivkah, mother of Yaakov and Eisav" (Bereisheet 28:5)
According to Rabbenu Bacchya, this verse comes to explain to us how it could be that Yaakov went to seek a marriage partnership which would connect him with an evil person who was the son of an evil person, that is to say with "Lavan the son of Betuel the Aramean". The explanation is that he (Lavan) was "the brother of Rivkah". He was the brother of a righteous woman (Rivkah) and it was likely that his daughters would be similar to his sister. Afterwards, the verse continues with a praise of Rivkah, that she was the "mother of Yaakov and Eisav", and it would have been expected for her to love both of them equally since she was the mother of both of them, and if anything we would expect her to love Eisav more than Yaakov, for it is the nature of mothers is to love their firstborn son. And nevertheless, Rivkah's love was directed mainly toward Yaakov, because she saw the beauty of his character traits.
"And Yaakov listened to his father and to his mother..." (Bereisheet 28:7)
It is necessary to understand, what is the meaning of "to his father and to his mother"? The explanation is, that there were two different commands. His father told him to take a wife from Charan, and Rivkah told him to get up and flee from Eisav to Charan. And that is why it is written that "Yaakov listened to his father", regarding taking a wife, "and to his mother", to flee to Charan.
The Torah Portion of Toldot has 106 verses. Haftora: Machar Chodesh" (Shmuel Aleph, 20:18-42).
This is Shabbat Mevorchim for the Month of Kislev.
Rosh Chodesh Kislev is on Sunday.
The Molad is on Yom Shabbat Kosesh (Shabbat in the daytime) at 9:46 with 17 Chalakim.
We say Borchi Nafshi.
May you all have a light-filled and happy Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom.
L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben R' Chaim ztz"l, Nilkach L'Bait Olamo Yud Gimmel Tishrei 5772
The Torah Portion of Chayei Sarah
Excerpted and Translated from the the Teachings of Rabbi Gershon Steinberg ztz"l
L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben Chaim ztz"l
"And it was that the lifetime of Sarah..." (In Hebrew: "Vayihu'yu Chayei Sarah..."-- Bereisheet 23:1)
The first word of this verse in Hebrew is "Vayih'yu". The word Vayih'yu is a palindrome; that is it is spelled the same way backwards and forwards, with the Hebrew letters Vuv Yud Hey Yud Vuv. So "Vayih'yu" when it is read backwards also is "Vayih'yu". This comes to hint that if a man does Mitzvot and good deeds, the day that has passed isn't thought of to be in the past, for even though the day has already gone by, the Mitzvot that he did continue to exist and stand before him always. And that is why it says "Vayih'yu Chayei Sarah", with the word "Vayih'yu" which is read backwards also "Vayih'yu", to tell us that because she was a righteous woman, even when looking backwards, that is at the days which have already passed, these days are still thought of as the lifetime of Sarah (i.e., as if she is still alive) because of the good deeds which she did.
"And it was that the lifetime of Sarah..." (In Hebrew: "Vayihu'yu Chayei Sarah..."-- Bereisheet 23:1)
The first word of this verse in Hebrew, "Vayih'yu", has the Gematria (numerical value of its letters) of 37. (Note: The Hebrew letters of Vayh'yu are Vuv Yud Hey Yud Vuv. The numerical value of Vuv = 6, Yud = 10, Hey = 5, Yud = 10, and Vuv = 5. The sum of 6 + 10 + 5 + 10 + 6 = 37.) This is a hint that 37 years were the most important, best years of Sarah Imenu's life, because from the time that Yitzchak was born until Sarah passed away there were 37 years.
"when she was 100 years old she was like 20 years old" (Rashi on Bereisheet 23:1)
There are those that explain that thus are the ways of man, in the days of his youth he is connected in his nature to the desires of this world but on the other hand he is strong in the trait of being alacritous (to do Mitzvot), but an elderly man is the oppposite way -- he is weak in the trait of alacrity but on the other hand he is not as connected to the desires of this world as he was during his youth. And this verse comes to tell us that Sarah had both of these good traits together. All her days she was like a 20 year old regarding the matter of being alacritous to do Mitzvot, and also she was like a 100 year old, distant from the desires of this world all of her days.
"when she was 100 years old she was like 20 years old" (Rashi on Bereisheet 23:1)
Tehillim Chapter 100 is "Mizmor L'Todah" (in English: "A Psalm of thanksgiving") , and Tehillim Chapter 20 is "Ya'ancha Hashem B'yom Tzarah" (in English: "May Hashem answer you on the day of distress"). In all situations one needs to thank Hashem, also on a day of distress. In addition, the custom is to say the Tehillim "Ya''ancha Hashem" aloud and slowly (that is, with deliberation and enunciation of each word), and also the Tehillim "Mizmor L'Todah" needs to be said that way. In the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim (Siman 51) it's written that "Mizmor L'Todah" needs to said with a melody.
"...the years of Sarah's life." (Bereisheet 23:1)
Rashi explains that "they were all equal in goodness". And behold, in truth Sarah had much anguish and suffering in her life. Until the aged of 90 she didn't have children, and she was also taken into the house of Pharoah and the house of Avimelech, and she also suffered from famine. And in spite of all that, she accepted everything with love, and that is the explanation of what Rashi said that "they were all equal in goodness". Even the difficult days were thought of in her eyes as good.
"...to eulogize Sarah and to weep for her." (Bereisheet 23:2)
Why is it written first "to eulogize" and afterwards "to weep"? This is not the usual way of mourners, who at the beginning weep and afterwards eulogize, as it is written in the Gemara (Moed Katan 27b): three days for weeping and seven days for eulogizing. And the Rishonim explain that when Avraham came he found the people in his household eulogizing her because three days had already elapsed from the time of her passing, so Avraham made eulogies with them, and afterwards he wept for her. And the Kli Yakar explains that in general, for everyone who passes away the mourning gradually decreases, because with the passage of time everything is forgotten. But in the case of this righteous woman, on each and every day the people of her generation increasingly felt her absence, because of the absence of her Torah and good deeds, which were lost from her generation. Therefore, the eulogizing came before the weeping.
"... and to weep for her." (in Hebrew: "V'livkotah", Bereisheet 23:2)
The Hebrew word "V'livkotah", which means "and to weep for her", is spelled Vuv Lamed Vait Kaf Tav Heh, and the letter Kaf is written smaller than the other letters. Why is the letter Kaf smaller? The Baal HaTurim says that he wept only a little bit because she was already old. There is another explanation, that Avraham only wept a little bit so that people wouldn't say that he regretted the Akeida (binding of Yitzchak), because Sarah passed away as a result of being told about the Akeida. And there is another explanation, that it appears as if the word is written "and for her daughter" (in Hebrew: "V'l'bitah" ,without the Kaf since it written smaller than the other letters), because at the same time the daughter of Avraham also passed away.
"...Chayei Sarah..." (Bereisheet 23:1) and "Vayechi..." (Bereisheet 47:28)
There are two Torah Portions in which matters of death are discussed and yet, the names of the Torah Portions are based linguistically on the word for life in Hebrew, "Chaim" ("Chayei" in this week's Torah Portion, and "Vayechi" in the Torah Portion of Vayechi). In the Torah Portion of Chayei Sarah, the deaths of Sarah and Avraham are discussed, and in the Torah Portion of Vayechi, the deaths of Yaakov and Yosef are discussed and yet it begins with the words "Vayechi Yaakov" (in English: "And Yaakov lived"). The reason for this is that Tzaddikim (Righteous People) are also called "Chaim" (alive) even when they have died.
"And Avraham was old, coming with days..." (Bereisheet 24:1)
The commentators on the Torah say that he filled all the days of his life with Torah and with Mitzvot, and that Avraham came to the Next World with all the days (of his life), for there was no defect in any of them.
"...and Hashem had blessed Avraham with everything." (Bereisheet 24:1)
Rashi explains that the Hebrew word for "with everything", "BaKol", has the same Gematria (numerical value) as the Hebrew word for "son" (in Hebrew: "Ben"). (Note: The letters of the Hebrew word "BaKol" are Beit, Kaf, and Lamed. The numerical value of Beit = 2, Kaf = 20, and Lamed = 30. The sum of 2 + 20 + 30 is equal to 52. The Hebrew letters of the word "Ben" are Beit and Nun. The numerical value of Beit = 2, and Nun = 50. The sum of 2 + 50 also is equal to 52. So the Gematria of "BaKol" is the same as the Gematria of "Ben".) And there are those that say that he had a daughter and her name was "BaKol".
"BaKol" (in English "with everything") has the same Gematria as "Ben" (in English: "son")
There are those that ask, why did this need to be stated indirectly, by means of Gematria? Why couldn't it just be written in the verse "and Hashem had blessed Avraham with a son"? And the explanation is that someone who has a righteous son like Yitzchak Avinu already has everything, and that is the explanation of "BaKol" (in English: "with everything").
"...and Hashem had blessed Avraham with everything." (Bereisheet 24:1)
What is the blessing to Avraham "with everything"? If it's good for everyone and not just for himself, that was regarded as a blessing by him. (from Mayana Shel Torah)
"And he said, Hashem, G-d of my master Avraham.." (Bereisheet 24:12)
The cantillation mark that is written for the Hebrew word "Vayomar" in this verse (in English: "And he said") is a Shalshelet. The Masters of Mussar (Ethics) explain that the way of the Evil Inclination is that it doesn't come in the beginning with enormous transgressions, such as telling you to go serve idols and the like, but rather it starts with small things. And therefore it is written regarding Lot, "And he delayed" (Bereisheet 19:16), with a Shalshelet, for the Evil Inclination made him lazy and weak with regard to fulling a Mitzvah (to leave Sodom) and he delayed and didn't hurry. And after that, the Shalshelet appears in the current verse (Bereisheet 24:12) on the Hebrew word for "And he said"; the Evil Inclination enters into a conversation with him and entices him. And after that, it's already written "And he refused" (Bereisheet 39:8) with a Shalshelet, because he already doesn't want to learn Torah, and after that it's written in the Torah Portion of Tzav "And he slaughtered" (Vayikra 8:23) with a Shalshelet, for the Evil Inclination has already conquered him entirely. And there are those who explain this sequence of verses containing a Shalshelet with a good ending, that "And he refused" (Bereisheet 39:8) means that he doesn't want to listen to the Evil Inclination, and that "And he slaughtered" (Vayikra 8:23) means that he conquered the Evil Inclination.
The Sages say that three asked inappropriately.
Eliezer said "the girl...who says drink and I will also give water to your camels..." (Bereisheet 24:14), and this was inappropriate, for perhaps a crippled girl would come out. Shaul HaMelech said that whoever would kill Goliath, he would give him his daughter. And that was not appropriate, because perhaps the person who would succeed in that goal would have a defect. But Yiftach asked inappropriately and didn't succeed, because he was forced to offer up his daughter as an offering. And all three of these are hinted at by the cantillation mark of the Shalshelet on the word "Vayomer" (Bereisheet 24:12 -- in English: "And he said"), because the Shalshelet contains three "waves" of musical notes of rising and falling pitch.
"And the servant ran...and she hastened...and she ran" (Bereisheet 24:17 - 20)
It's necessary to understand why it is mentioned here several times the concept of alacrity and swiftness. On a simple level, it's possible to say that this is to teach us that all the deeds of righteous people are done with alacrity. And the Gaon HaRav Yitzchak Zev HaLevi Soloveitchek of Brisk ztzvk"l explained that Eliezer said "may it happen before me today" (Bereisheet 24:12), that is, that the sign was that it would happen on that very day, and since it was approaching evening, therefore everything needed to occur quickly in order for all of it to happen before the sunset, so that all of it would be on that very day.
"...drink and I will also give water to your camels..." (Bereisheet 24:14)
The commentators on the Torah ask, what was so special about that? Behold, also today we see that the daughters of Israel do much kindness similar to that. The explanation is that Eliezer arrived with many servants and Rivkah could have thought to herself that kindness is something that one should do only if it's needed, but in this instance Eleazer, who was very wealthy and also had a lot of servants, why should he bother a small girl of three years old? And even so, Rivkah didn't make any calculations like that and immediately acted kindly. And this is called an act of kindness without any excuses or calculations, because if an opportunity to perform a Mitzvah comes to your hands you shouldn't miss the opportunity because of various answers and excuses. And this is similar to someone who sees a diamond on the ground, that he shouldn't tell someone else to pick it up.
"And she finished giving him to drink, and she said" (Bereisheet 24:19)
The Seforno explains that Rivkah waited to speak until he finished drinking, just as the Sages say (Taanit 5b) "One shouldn't speak at the time of eating and drinking lest something goes down into the trachea (tube in the throat for breathing) instead of the esophagus (tube in the throat for swallowing) and the person's life can become endangered".
"And he (Eliezer) said 'I will not eat until I have spoken my words', and he (Lavan) said 'speak'. And he (Eliezer) said 'I am a servant of Avraham'..." (Bereisheet 24:33-34)
The Baalei HaTurim says that Eliezer told them, I need to say beforehand the blessing on washing the hands, and the blessing on the bread. And when Lavan said "speak', he meant, so say it already, and his intention was that he should say the blessings quickly without enunciating the words carefully and slowly. And when Eliezer said "I am a servant of Avraham", his intention was to say, that since I am a servant of Avraham, I don't do that in a rush. I pray and say blessings with intention and slowly, with careful enunciation of the words. And because of that Eliezer was saved from the death (by poisoning of the food) that they were plotting against him.
"And they blessed Rivkah and said to her, 'Our sister, may you come to be thousands of myriads...' " (Bereisheet 24:60)
The Sages say that because of this blessing, Rivkah was infertile, so that people wouldn't say that Rivkah had been blessed by this blessing. It can be asked, haven't the Sages said "Don't let the blessing of an ordinary person be a light manner in your eyes, and even the blessing of a gentile", such as the blessings of Aravna and Darius? And the explanation is that they (Aravna and Darius) blessed in the name of Hashem. Aravna said to David HaMelech, "Hashem Elokim should be pleased with you" (Shmuel Beit 24:23). Darius said to Daniel "May your G-d, Whom you serve regularly, save you" (Daniel 6:17). But Lavan and his mother blessed Rivkah without mentioning Hashem, and therefore this is not considered to fall into the category of a blessing by an ordinary person.
Why did Avraham command Eliezer to take a bride for Yitzchak from his family?
It has been asked by the Meforshim (those who explain the Torah), why did Avraham command Eliezer to take a bride for Yitzchak from his family, who were idol worshippers? The explanation is that even though they (his family) had corrupt opinions, in any event the Canaanites had corrupt character traits and that was worse, because character traits can be passed on through inheritance but opinions are possible to change. (from Drashot HaRan, Avnei Nezer)
The Torah Portion of Chayei Sarah has 105 verses. Haftora: "V'hamelech David" (Melachim 1:1).
We say Borchi Nafshi.
May you all have a light-filled and happy Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom.
L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben R' Chaim ztz"l, Nilkach L'Bait Olamo Yud Gimmel Tishrei 5772
The Torah Portion of Vayeira
Excerpted and Translated from the the Teachings of Rabbi Gershon Steinberg ztz"l
L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben Chaim ztz"l
"...in the plains of Mamre..." (Bereisheet 18:1)
The Sages say that Avraham asked Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre about Brit Mila (Circumcision). Aner said to him that circumcision was difficult for him because he was old. The Hebrew letters of the name Aner (Ayin, Nun, Reish) are the Roshei Teivot (initial letters) of the Hebrew phrase "Inui Nefesh Ra", which in English means that "Causing the soul to suffer is bad". Eshkol said to him, after you killed the four kings you have many enemies, and if so, it's possible that circumcision will instigate new hatred against you. The Hebrew letters of the name Eshkol (Aleph, Shin, Kaf, Lamed) are the Roshei Teivot (initial letters) of the Hebrew phrase "Avraham Sonim Kabirim Lecha", which in English means "Avraham, you have powerful enemies". And Mamre told him to circumcise. The Hebrew letters of the name Mamre (Mem, Mem, Reish, Aleph) are the Roshei Teivot (initial letters) of the Hebrew phrase, "Maheir Malei Rotzon Avicha ", which in English means, "Quickly fulfill the will of your Father". The Rebbe told to his students that in Yiddish, the letters of the name Mamre are the Roshei Teivot (initial letters) of the phrase "Mimuz Malen Reb Avraham", which in English means "You must circumcize, Mr. Avraham".
"...Mamre..." (Bereisheet 18:1)
The letters of the name Mamre (Mem, Mem, Reish, Aleph) are the Roshei Teivot (initial letters) of the difficult events which had happened to Avraham Avinu. Mem stands for "Mitzrayim" (in English: Egypt), where Pharoah took Sarah. Another Mem stands for "Malachim" (in English: Kings); this refers to the war with the four kings. "Reish" stands for "Ra'av" (in English: famine), referring to the fact that there had been a famine in the Land of Israel. "Aleph" stands for "Aish (in English: fire); referring to the incident in which Avraham was cast into a burning furnace in Ur Kasdim. And this is what "Mamre" was hinting to Avraham, that after the Holy One Blessed Be He saved you from all of those difficult straits, it's appropriate that you should fulfill his will and circumcise yourself.
"...and he was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day." (Bereisheet 18:1)
The Sages say that Avraham sits next to the opening of Gehinom and doesn't allow anyone to enter that is circumcized, and that is what is hinted at in the verse by "sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day". The "heat of the day" is referring to Gehinom which burns like fire.
"...and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent..." (Bereisheet 18:2)
Why did he already start running from the entrance of the tent? The explanation is that according to the Halacha, someone who is going to do a Mitzvah needs to run, and someone who is returning from doing a Mitzvah needs to walk slowly. And if he returns from doing one Mitzvah and is going to do a different Mitzvah, if the two Mitzvot are of equal value, then the first half of the way he needs to walk slowly and afterwards he needs to hurry. But if the second Mitzvah is greater and more important, then he needs to hurry from the start. Therefore, since the Mitzvah of Hachnassat Orchim (hospitality -- receiving guests) is greater and more important than receiving the face of the Shechina (the Divine Presence), he needed to run already as soon as he started going to do the Mitzvah, and that was "from the entrance of the tent".
"...please do not pass by from before your servant." (Bereisheet 18:3)
It is written "please", and this is a word indicating a request, because Avraham implored them and requested them to come to his house. From this we see what it means to love Chesed (in English: kindness) and to pursue Tzedakah (in English: charity or righteousness) and Chesed.
"Let a little bit water be brought, please..." (Bereisheet 18:4)
Why did he request only a little bit? The Masters of Mussar (Ethics) say that it's forbidden to be a Tzaddik (Righteous Man) at someone else's expense, and since he was requesting that the water be brought by a Shaliach (someone else who was acting as his agent), he only requested a little bit.
"Let a little bit of water be brought, please...And Avraham ran to the cattle" (Bereisheet 18:4-7)
The Sages say that regarding what Avraham did for the angels directly by himself and not by means of a Shaliach (someone else who was acting as his agent), also Hashem paid for it (by giving something similar) to his descendants afterwards in the desert directly by himself and not be means of a Shaliach -- and that was the Mannah and the Quails. And what that Avraham gave by means of a Shaliach, Hashem gave to the children of Israel by means of a Shaliach -- and that was the water which was by means of Moshe who hit the rock in Chorev. And there are those that ask, behold, wasn't Avraham 99 years old and certainly this wasn't the only time that he gave food and drink to guests? And if so, why is it only because of this occasion of receiving guests that his descendants merited this, since all his days he occupied himself with the Mitzvah of Hachnassat Orchim (receiving guests)? And the explanation is that to give food and drink to the people of Israel in the desert is beyond the ways of nature, and therefore only the merit of Avraham at the time of his old age and in the days of his sickness on the third day after his circumcision, when he not only gave them food, but ran after them and exerted himself to fulfill all their needs in the best way possible (which was going beyond the ways of nature), only this merit was what stood by the children of Israel in the desert so that they could also receive their food in a way that was beyond the ways of nature. (Based on Be'er Yosef)
"Let a little bit of water be brought, please...And Avraham ran to the cattle" (Bereisheet 18:4-7)
The Masters of Mussar (Ethics) would explain the lesson that we need to learn from this, that the smallest act has an effect for generations on one's descendants afterwards. And we see this from the story of the Hachnassat Orchim (receiving guests) of Avraham Avinu o"h. Because he brought the water by means of a Shaliach (an agent acting on his behalf), therefore the children of Israel needed to receive water by means of a Shaliach, and because of this it came about that Moshe hit the rock at the end of 40 years, and from that it was decreed that he would not enter the Land of Israel. And if Moshe had entered the Land of Israel, it is brought by the Sages that the Bait HaMikdash (Temple) would not have been destroyed and we would not have been exiled from the Land of Israel.
"...Shall I hide from Avraham that which I am doing...For I have known him, because he commands his children and his household after him" (Bereisheet 18:17-19)
Hashem revealed to Avraham that he wanted to overthrow Sodom, and we need to understand the connection between Hashem's need to notify Avraham about the destruction of Sodom and Hashem's knowledge that Avraham "commands his children". Those who explain the Torah say that this can be understood by means of a parable. When an old man enters a store to buy himself a garment, he tries on a lot of clothes until he finds a garment that fits him. In contrast, a father of a large family doesn't check the size of the clothes, but rather takes everything that looks suitable because in any event he won't lose out. If a garment doesn't fit one of his bigger children it will fit one of his smaller children. Similarly, when the Holy One Blessed Be He wanted to overthrow Sodom, he wanted Avraham to pray for them. And even though the prayers would not be effective for the men of Sodom, who were very evil, and those people would be removed from the world, in any event the prayers of Avraham Avinu would not be wasted. They would be a merit for his children and for the generations after him, and that is the explanation of "he commands his children and his household after him".
"For I have known him..." (Bereisheet 18:19)
Avraham passed many tests, and despite all that, the Holy One Blessed Be He said "For I have known him...", meaning that "I love him because he educates his son in accord with the way of the Torah". From here we see a proof that this is worth more than all the tests that Avraham Avinu passed. (from HaRav Sh. Taplinski ztsvk"l)
"And I am dust and ashes" (Bereisheet 18:27)
Dust has a certain amount of importance in terms of the future, because plants can be grown on it. Ashes have a certain amount of importance in terms of the past, because (prior to being burnt) they used to be a utensil, vessel, tool or some other useful object. Avraham said about himself, that he doesn't have any importance, not from the point of view of the past and not from the point of view of the future. And therefore, Avraham merited that the generations to come after him would have the Mitvah of the Dust of the Sotah (suspected adulteress), which has the purpose of clarifying about the past, and the Mitzvah of the Ashes of the Parah (cow), which is used to purify people in the future.
"And Hashem remembered Sarah..." (Bereisheet 21:1)
Rashi says that someone who prays for his friend, and he needs the same thing (for which he is praying on behalf of his friend), the one who is praying is answered first (i.e., his needs are fulfilled before his friend's needs are fulfilled). It is told that someone came to complain before a particular Tzaddik (Righteous Man), that his friend had opened a store next to his own store and was selling the same type of merchandise. The Tzaddik answered him, pray that customers will come to your friend and in any event, you too will be blessed because of your prayer.
"On the third day...And he said, here are the fire and the wood, and where is the sheep for the offering?" (Bereisheet 22:4-7)
One time while the Gaon HaRav Avramski ztzk"l was speaking in learning with his student the Gaon HaRav M.M. Schezingler ztz"l, he said to him, you should know that if you are asking a question of someone and it is your will to receive his answer, you need to consider carefully if there isn't someone present in the place whose presence is likely to prevent him from answering. And I learned this matter from Yitzchak Avinu. For it presents a difficulty that Yitzchak asked "where is the sheep for the offering?" on the third day and not the first day. But the truth is that Yitzchak already wanted to ask Avraham that on the first day, but he thought in his heart that the presence of the young men, Eliezer and Yishmael, might disturb Avraham from answering. And therefore on the third day after Avraham told the young men "Stay here by yourselves with the donkey" (Bereisheet 22:4) and Avraham and Yitzchak were walking by themselves, only then did Yitzchak ask Avraham his father "here are the fire and the wood, and where is the sheep for the offering?" (from Mishmar HaLevi Al HaTorah)
"And an angel of Hashem called to him from the Heavens..." (Bereisheet 22:11)
The Meforshim (those who write commentaries on the Torah) ask, why was the command about the Akeida (the binding of Yitzchak), given directly by the Holy One Blessed Be He, as it is written: "...please take your son..." (Bereisheet 22:2), but to remove Yitzchak from the sacrificial altar it was sufficient for this to be a commandment given indirectly, by means of an angel serving as a messenger? And the explanation is, that to slaughter a Jew, only the Holy One Blessed Be He can command that, but to save a Jew, also an angel is able do it.
"...in the thicket by its horns..." (Bereisheet 22:13)
Rashi says that it (the ram) was running towards Avraham and the Satan entangled it and confused it among the trees in order to hold it back. And the Gaon HaRav Eliezer Menachem Shach ztzvk"l asked, what was in the mind of the Satan? Isn't it obvious that if Avraham goes to bind his son at the Akeida, and throws himself into the burning furnace, Kal V'Chomer (in English: "all the moreso") some small thing like this won't hold him back (from doing a Mitzvah)? And Rav Shach's answer is that by the Satan, there are no calculations and no logical reasoning such as Kal V'Chomer ("all the moreso"). He tries all the possibilities to prevent a Mitzvah, whether it's a small thing or a big thing. And he added that, with regards to the snake (in the Garden of Eden) who is the Satan, it's written "...and you will bruise his heel" (Bereisheet 3:15), that he will cause a person to stumble also in a small matter.
The Reward for a Mitzvah
The Sages say that there is no reward for a Mitzvah in this world. The Gr"a says, regarding the reward for the Mitzvah itself there is no reward in this world, but for the Tircha (in English: "bother") that a person puts in at the time that he performs the Mitzvah, he does receive a reward also in this world. Avraham Avinu went to the Akeida (binding of Yitzchak) for three days. The first two days are the Tircha ("bother") associated with that Mitzvah, but the third day was the day of the Mitzvah itself, and the reward for that is only in the World to Come. And this is what is hinted at by the verse (Hoshea 6:2): "He will revive us from the two days, on the third day He will set us up, and we will live before Him." The fact that we are surviving is because of the Tircha ("bother") of the Mitzvah of the Akeida on the first two days, but the reward from the third day of the Akeida will only be in the future to come.
The Torah Portion of Vayeira has 147 verses. Haftora: "Va'isha Achat Min'shei V'nei HaN'vi'im" (Melachim 2:4). We say Borchi Nafshi
May you all have a light-filled and happy Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom.
L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben R' Chaim ztz"l, Nilkach L'Bait Olamo Yud Gimmel Tishrei 5772
