PHILOTORAH



May HaShem protect our soldiers and the hostages; may He send 
Refu'ah Sh'leima to the many injured; may He console the bereaved
families and all of Israel, may He end this war with success and
peace for Medinat Yisrael and Klal Yisrael wherever they are.



Rosh Chodesh Benching & Machar Chodesh



YERUSHALAYIM in/out times for TO-L'DOT

29 Marcheshvan 5785 <> Nov 29-30 '24

4:00PM <> PLAG 3:31PM  <>  5:15PM <> R' Tam 5:47PM


Use the Z'MANIM link for other locales and other times



CALnotes

Rosh Chodesh Benching

Rosh Chodesh Kislev will be on Sunday and Monday, December 1st and 2nd.

Rosh Chodesh Kislev is two days this year because Marcheshvan 5785 has 30 days - the year is SHALEIM.

The molad of Kislev is on Sunday (Dec 1) 4 hours, 49 minutes, 15 chalakim (pars of a minute - 1 cheilek = three and a third seconds)

In Rambam notation - ALEF YUD:TAV-TAV-TZADI-ZAYIN

[ALEF for Sunday; YUD for hours (Rambam counts hours from 6:00pm rather than from midnight, so four hrs in the morning becomes ten); and 897 chalakim (Rambam does not use minutes - just hours and chalakim, an hour containing 1080 chalakim.]

The actual (astronomical) molad (a.k.a. New Moon) is 8:21am on Sun.

And Kislev?

Kislev regularly has 30 days (in K'SEDER and SHALEIM years) and loses its 30th day only in a CHASEIR year.

Review:

K'SEDER (in order) years have 354 or 384 days (depending upon how many Adars the year has), with Marcheshvan having 29 days and Kislev having 30 days.

CHASEIR (missing) years have 353 or 383 days (one or two Adars), with both Marcheshvan and Kislev having 29 days.

SHALEIM (full) years (like our current 5785) have 355 or 385 days (depending as above), with both Marcheshvan and Kislev having 30 days.

FYI - The most common length of a year (of the six possibilities) is 355 days. The gimatriya of the word SHANA is 300+50+5 = 355.

Our six year-lengths are 353, 354, 355, 383, 384, 385 days - these are the lunar year-lengths of 12 or 13 months.

They average 365.2432 days per year. The Solar year averages 365.2425 days. The closeness of these two numbers reflects the success of the adjustment of the Jewish Calendar - of adding an extra Adar in seven of every 19 years, to keep Pesach in the Spring (and Sukkot in the Fall).

Also FYI - Rosh Chodesh Kislev can fall on every day of the week - except for Shabbat.



TO-L'DOT

6th of the 54 sedras; 6th of 12 in B'reishit

Written on 172.7 lines, ranks 36th

4 Parshiyot; 2 open, 2 closed

106 p'sukim, ranks 29 (9th in B'reishit) Tied with Vayigash and Bo; shorter than each in words & letters and length

1432 words, ranks 34 (10th in B'reishit)

5426 letters, ranks 33 (10th in B'reishit) Its p'sukim are below average in length



MITZVOT

None of the 613 mitzvot are in To-l'dot, however, as we mention often, there are Midot and values and other lessons to be learned.



Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary

[P>] and [S>] indicate start of a parsha p'tucha or s'tuma. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the parsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in the parsha



Kohen - First Aliya - 21 p'sukim - 25:19-26:5

[P> 25:19 (16)] This is the history of Yitzchak b. Avraham; Avraham fathered Yitzchak.

SDT: Rashi quotes the Gemara that tells that when Yitzchak was born, scoffers said that Avraham and Sara, who were old and childless for so long, had found a baby and claimed it as their own. Avraham invited the leaders of the nations, their wives and infants, and Sara miraculously was able to wet-nurse all the babies - not just her son Yitzchak. (The Gemara points to the plural BANIM in 21:7.) Then the scoffers accepted that Sara bore Yitzchak, but chided Avraham that Avimelech was the father (since Yitzchak's birth followed Sara's abduction). A miracle occurred and baby Yitzchak was the very image of his father Avraham, until the scoffers proclaimed, "Avraham sired Yitzchak."

A note on proper pronunciation. We go out of our way to write TO-L'DOT (in English) because of how common it is in the yeshiva world and among Anglos, to mispronounce the name of this week's sedra, twice. First, the word should be accented on the last syllable MILRA), not on the next-to-the-last syllable (MIL'EIL) as is very common in certain circles. This mis-accenting is very common with people's names as well as the names of the sedras. Israelis and S'faradim don't have this problem. The Moshes they know, they call mo-SHEH. We (the aforementioned Anglos) most often say MO-sheh. And so on. Last week's sedra was cha-YEI sa-RA, not CHAyei SA-ra, as we tend to say.

Which syllable to accent aside, the other problem with the pronunciation of this week's sedra is the SH'VA under the LAMED. Most common mispronunciation is TOL-dot (or TOL-dos). That treats the SH'VA as a syllable-closing SH'VA NACH - which it is not. Rather, the first syllable is TO (like the English word, toe). The LAMED has a SH'VA NA under it and it attaches itself to the DOT (like the English word, dote) syllable. So the two syllables are TO and L'DOT, which is why we often write it the way we do. sho-F'TIM is the other sedra so plagued. The wrong syllable accented goes for a majority of the sedras. BO and TZAV we get right. But not Mikeitz or B'shalach... and most of them.

It isn't the end of the world to say TOL-dot; it's just not correct.

Yitzchak is 40 years old when he marries Rivka (3 years after the Akeida). The Torah emphasizes Rivka's family background.

SDT: Safe to say that most of us learned from way back that Rivka was 3 years old when she married Yitzchak. This notion is based on the Torah's telling us of the birth of Rivka right after the portion of the Akeida. Yitzchak was 37 at the time of the Akeida and the death of Sara Imeinu. He married at 40, hence Rivka was 3 at the time.

However, Chizkuni (an early commentary of Torah and of Rashi) argues that if Rivka was only 3, there would be a discrepancy in the chronology of the rest of her life. We have sources that indicate she was 133 at the time of her death. Working backwards with various events, we find that she was 14 when she married Yitzchak. The account of Nachor's family - including Rivka, does not have to  mean that she was just born at the time of the Akeida. The Torah is just introducing us to Rivka in order to bring her into the picture, so to speak, as Yitzchak is about to take over the mantle of Patriarch-hood from Avraham Avinu.

After 20 years of childlessness (10 until Rivka was of child-bearing age - based on the 3 year old opinion - plus an additional 10 years without a child), Yitzchak and Rivka pray to G-d. G-d hears their (actually his) prayer and Rivka becomes pregnant. She is having a "rough time" and goes to Shem b. No'ach (who died at age 600, outliving Avraham) who tells her G-d's message, that she will give birth to twins who will go in very different ways and become great adversarial nations.

SDT: Commentaries say that Rivka was unaware that she was carrying twins; she thought the turmoil within her existed in a single baby - THIS had her very upset; she was somewhat calmed by the Divine message of her carrying twins. Another commentator suggests that Rivka knew she'd have twins but did not see the benefit of bringing a Yaakov into this world if it meant also having an Eisav. Part of the reply to her question "why do I need this?" is that her conclusion was wrong.

Eisav and Yaakov are born, Yaakov clutching the heel of Eisav. The boys grow and develop different personalities - Eisav is the hunter and outdoorsman; Yaakov, the mild, studious "tent-dweller". Yitzchak loves Eisav; Rivka loves Yaakov.

SDT: There are many different commentaries on these relationships. Note that Yitzchak's love is based on Eisav's providing food for him (or deceiving him - based on various drashot). Rivka's love is unconditional. Pirkei Avot says that only an unconditional love will endure forever.

Yaakov is preparing a lentil stew for his father. (The Gemara tell us that this was the day that Avraham died; Yaakov was preparing a traditional mourner's meal for Yitzchak.)

Eisav returns from the field in a state of exhaustion. He asks Yaakov for some of the food. In exchange for the food (AND monetary compensation, according to some m'forshim), Yaakov acquires the birthright, which is insignificant in Eisav's eyes, but meaningful to Yaakov.

SDT: The Vilna Gaon says, G-d forbid our father Yaakov should have taken advantage of Eisav's exhaustion to buy the B'chora for a mere portion of lentil stew and a piece of bread. Based on textual indications and the midrash in Bamidbar Rabba, the GR"A says that what happened in the text was the commitment by Eisav to sell the Birthright and the deal was completed later with Yaakov's paying money to Eisav.

[P> 26:1 (33)] A famine hits the Land (like the one in Avraham's time - this is one of the many similarities between the lives of Avraham and Yitzchak) and Yitzchak goes to Avimelech in Gerar. G-d appears to Yitzchak and reminds him that he must not leave the Land. G-d also repeats his promises of the Land and of the large nation that will descend from him.



Levi - Second Aliya - 7 p'sukim - 26:6-12

Yitzchak dwells in Gerar.

Yitzchak and Rivka pose as brother and sister (as did Avraham and Sara, and for the same reason). After a while, Avimelech discovers that they are actually husband and wife and complains to Yitzchak about the deception. Avimelech orders his people to leave Yitzchak and Rivka alone. Yitzchak and family flourish in Gerar and G-d blesses them.



Shlishi - Third Aliya - 10 p'sukim - 26:13-22

Yitzchak thrives in Gerar, which creates jealousy among the locals who fill in the wells that Yitzchak has dug. 

(There is great symbolism in the Torah's account of the wells, their names, their failures, and then their successes.) Yitzchak is driven away from Gerar. A new well that Yitzchak digs (Eisek) is taken over by the shepherds of Gerar, as is yet another well (Sitna). Only the third well (Rechovot) permits Yitzchak to live in relative peace.

SDT: Some see this as a hidden reference to the 1st and 2nd Beit HaMikdash, which fell, and the 3rd which will stand forever. May we see it soon in our time.



R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya - 7 p'sukim - 26:23-29

Yitzchak sets himself up in Be'er Sheva. G-d appears to him and reiterates the promises for prosperity made to Avraham. Yitzchak builds an altar to G-d and continues to prosper. Avimelech, realizing that his own prosperity was due to the presence of Yitzchak, comes with a delegation to Yitzchak in order to enter into a covenant with him.

Not a rare experience through the centuries - Jews expelled from a country, which subsequently regrets its actions because of the decline they experienced without them. And we, somehow, kept going back.



Chamishi - 5th Aliya - 33 p'sukim - 26:30-27:27

Yitzchak and Avimelech partake of a meal and exchange oaths. Be'er Sheva is reaffirmed as "the city of the Avot" by Yitzchak's actions. Another example of the similarity between Yitzchak's life and Avraham's.

[S> 26:34 (2)] Eisav marries at 40 years of age - a (sub)conscious attempt to emulate his father. However wicked Eisav is, he is genuinely respectful and loving of his father. On the other hand, Eisav's choice of a wife disgusts both Yitzchak and Rivka.

[S> 27:1 (55)] Yitzchak is old and blind and calls Eisav to prepare for him a special meal and then receive a special blessing. While Eisav is in the fields doing his father's bidding, Rivka prepares Yaakov to receive the blessing instead of Eisav. She tells Yaakov to bring her two goats and she will prepare the dishes that Yitzchak loves. Yaakov hesitates for fear that Yitzchak will feel his smooth skin and realize that Yaakov has come to deceive him. Rivka dresses Yaakov in Eisav's garments and places a goat-skin on his neck to give it a rough feel. She gives Yaakov the food to bring to his father.

SDT: It seems obvious that Yaakov was punished measure for measure for his deception of Yitzchak. The Brothers not only deceived Yaakov concerning the fate of Yosef, but they used a goat and a garment (exactly the two items that Yaakov used to deceive his father) to bring about their deception. If we accept the idea that Yaakov was supposed to get the bracha that Yitzchak thought he was going to give to Eisav, that it was G-d's will, and even G-d's command, according to Onkeles, to Rivka to "set it up", then why was Yaakov punished so severely? 

An answer might be suggested in the form of an analogy. When one has to take drastic, life-saving treatments - "serious" medication, radiation, etc., what is done might be absolutely necessary, but there are often harsh side-effects.

SDT: When the Torah tells us that Yaakov gave his father wine to drink, the TROP note under the word LO (to him) is a MEIRCHA CH'FULA, double meircha. This rare note (only 5 times in the Torah), suggests the Meshech Chochma, reminds us of the proper way to drink a cup of wine - not gulping it down in one shot, but rather finishing it in two "installments". It's more polite that way.



Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 23 p'sukim - 27:28-28:4

The blessing invoked by Yitzchak upon Yaakov, for bountiful produce and respected status among nations, has been borrowed by us to be recited on Motza'ei Shabbat -

V'YITEN L'CHA HA-ELOKIM... 'May G-d grant you the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth, much grain and wine. Nations will serve you; governments will bow down to you. You shall be like a lord over your brother; your mother's children will prostrate themselves to you. Those who curse you are cursed, and those who bless you are blessed.'

As Yitzchak finishes blessing Yaakov, Eisav returns from the hunt. He prepares food for his father and presents it with a request (demand) of the blessing. Yitzchak trembles greatly when he realizes that the bracha went to Yaakov. When Yitzchak explains to Eisav that Yaakov received (rightly so) the blessing, Eisav bitterly cries out and asks his father for a blessing too. Yitzchak gives Eisav a blessing (not as exalted as Yaakov's). Eisav plans to kill Yaakov for this, the second time he has taken something away from him. Rivka hears (how? Ru'ach HaKodesh, says Rashi) of Eisav's plans and encourages Yaakov to flee to Rivka's hometown until Eisav's wrath subsides. Rivka suggests to Yitzchak that he send Yaakov away to find a proper wife.

Note that Rivka did NOT tell Yitzchak that Eisav wanted to kill Yaakov. Perhaps she felt that it would pain him too much to learn of Eisav's true character. Perhaps, Yitzchak would have refused to believe that his Eisav would contemplate such a thing. Instead, Rivka expresses another (legitimate) concern as her reason for wanting Yitzchak to send Yaakov away. 

Yitzchak calls for Yaakov and blesses him again and sends him off to Padan Aram to find a wife from Rivka's family. He gives Yaakov "the blessing of Avraham", thus providing for the continuity of what becomes The Jewish People.

SDT: Once again, we see that it is the IMA who understands what is going on, and the ABBA who is 'blinded' by his love. 

Avraham loved his son Yishmael and balked at Sara's demand that he banish Yishmael and Hagar because of the potential negative influence on Yitzchak and because of actual misdeeds by Yishmael to Yitzchak.

Now it is Yitzchak who is 'blinded' by his love of Eisav, to Eisav's real character. Rivka Imeinu is the one - guided by G-d - who acts to secure the b'racha for Yaakov.

And it doesn't end here. It happens in the next generation, and beyond. Stay tuned for further details as we proceed from sedra to sedra.



Sh'VII - Seventh Aliya - 5 p'sukim - 28:5-9

Yitzchak sends Yaakov off to Padan Aram to Lavan b. B'tu'el, the brother of Rivka who is the mother of Yaakov and Eisav. (Unusual ID.) Eisav sees that their father has sent Yaakov to find a wife, because he does not want him to take a Canaanite wife. Yaakov goes on his way and Eisav takes as another wife, the daughter of Yishmael, Machalat b. Yishmael... 

Talmud Yerushalmi explains that this is ba-S'MAT (not BAS-mat - another to-L'DOT example or incorrect pronunciation), and asks why her name was changed. The astonishing answer is that all Eisav's sins were forgiven when he took a wife intended to please his parents. The Talmud generalizes and gives this as the source that the sins of a CHATAN (and KALLA) are forgiven when they marry. Strange source for a significant concept.



Haftara - 25 p'sukim -  Shmuel Alef - 20:18-42

Shabbat being erev Rosh Chodesh, has the haftara of the sedra being pre-empted by the MACHAR CHODESH haftara. 

See the When Erev Rosh Chodesh is Shabbat link on PhiloTorah for the whole story.

The connection between the Haftara and Erev Rosh Chodesh is obvious. The opening words are: And Yonatan said to him, tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh... 

The real question is why the Sages decided on a special Haftara for Erev R"Ch in the first place. No other EREV gets a special reading. 

Perhaps it is because R"Ch is so understated and often ignored. This became a way - in addition to Rosh Chodesh benching - to say: Hear ye hear ye, tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh. Yom Tov, on the other hand, needs no reminder.

From this reading we see that Rosh Chodesh was celebrated with a special meal... Many have the custom today of marking Rosh Chodesh with a special meal - or at least, a special food item, dessert, ice cream, peanut butter cookies... (be creative). 

The Haftara also serves as a source of the minhag of abstaining or reducing one's work on R"Ch... 

With Israel's history resembling the waxing and waning of the Moon, we see Machar Chodesh as a hope-filled message of a brighter tomorrow. The cycle continues until the Complete Redemption, when the Moon (and Klal Yisrael) will be completely restored.



Bringing the Prophets to Life

Weekly insights into the Haftara

by Rabbi Nachman (Neil) Winkler

Author of Bringing the Prophets to Life (Gefen Publ.)



MACHAR CHODESH - 25 p'sukim -  Shmuel Alef 20:18-42



AL TASHLICHEINI MIL'FANECHA

Once again, we have the privilege of reading the episode of David and Yonatan from Shmuel Alef (21) for our haftara. Of course, I use the term "once again" because it is a selection that we read whenever Erev Rosh Chodesh coincides with Shabbat, something that generally occurs more than once each year.

See the When Erev Rosh Chodesh is Shabbat link on PhiloTorah for the whole story of Machar Chodesh

The very opening words of the haftara, MACHAR CHODESH, declare the unique character of this Shabbat and also give us the reason why it is read on this Shabbat, and how it is connected to the date and not to the parasha itself.

Over the years we have reviewed the events that take place in the reading: the jealousy of Sha'ul that leads him to plot David's death, Yonatan's plan to alert David of his father's true intentions and Yonatan's actions that signal David to quickly escape Sha'ul's wrath. The story is well-known. But perhaps we will be able to better understand the entire episode if we study the events that preceded this story.

The relationship between Sha'ul and David actually began following Israel's war against Amalek, the battle that Hashem commanded Sha'ul to wage in order to destroy the nation that was a source of evil in the world. David was not involved in the war at all and Sha'ul had no idea who he was. But it was after that battle that G-d told King Sha'ul that, due to his failure to follow Hashem's command to destroy all of the Amalekite property, Hashem had "regretted" having chosen Sha'ul and that He would now find another, better than he. In the very next chapter, G-d chooses David. But it was at the moment that Hashem told Sha'ul that He would choose another that Sha'ul began to suspect any possible "usurper" to his throne. Hence, the "relationship" begins then.

To further underscore this connection, the Tanach tells of the secret anointing of David in Beit Lechem and adds: VATITZLACH RU'ACH HASHEM EL DAVID, "The spirit of Hashem passed over David", and in the very following pasuk it states: V'RU'ACH HASHEM SARA MEI'IM SHA'UL, "Hashem's spirit departed from Sha'ul." This is no coincidence. The text makes it quite clear that as David became more and more popular and successful, Sha'ul became less so. The result, especially after David's heroic defeat of Golyat (Goliath) and his repeated military victories, and after hearing the people cheering that Sha'ul has defeated thousands but David has defeated tens of thousands, the King knew full well that David had been designated by G-d to be his successor.

Given this background, and given the textual admission that "an evil spirit (of melancholy) descended upon Sha'ul", we should not be surprised at the King's repeated attempts to kill David. To be fair, Sha'ul, who saw David as a threat to the throne, could have legally judges him as a MOREID B'MALCHUT, a traitor who threatened his reign, as, therefore, deserving of death. But given Sha'ul's knowledge that David would replace him as king, a fact he himself admitted to David (Shmuel Alef 24:20) and one he knew was decreed by G-d, Sha'ul's pursuit of David was nothing less than a refusal to accept G-d's decision and, therefore, an act of defiance, undoubtedly brought upon by the "evil spirit", the emotional instability he suffered when he was abandoned by Hashem.

In retrospect, Sha'ul's willful defiance of G-d's command when battling Amalek led to his almost unwitting act of ignoring of G-d's will when dealing with David.

The story of Sha'ul is a tragic one. He who was described as "head and shoulders" above the people, who was called Sha'ul HaTzadik by Chazal, ends his career and his life in ignominy, pursued by his implacable enemy and unable to hear from G-d. And all for one reason alone: G-d's divine spirit had abandoned him.

We pray to HaKadosh Baruch Hu for many things throughout our lives. Yet, perhaps the simplest thing to request is AL TASHLICHEINI - do not abandon me, G-d. For when we walk with G-d, when He is by our side, we have everything we need. 



ParshaPix explanations

The fun way to go over the weekly sedra with your children, grandchildren, Shabbat guests

Chayei Sara

<> there are two logos, one of a place and one of an organization - yours to figure out 

<> two Unexplained pics

Which will remain mostly Unexplained

Give you one of them. The Megila is for the common number in the sedra and Megilat Esther - 127.

TO-L'DOT


<> Yaakov with lentil stew <> one of Yitzchak's workers digging wells <> a water drill - Yitzchak getting serious <> Seder plate - Rashi tells us that it was the first night of (the future) Pesach that Yaakov presented himself to Yitzchak for the bracha, explaining the two goats that Rivka prepared as the main dish and the Korban Pesach (which is why Yitzchak couldn't eat Eisav's food) <> symbol for Gemini, as in twins, as in Y&E <> a king on his father's back. The arrow is pointing to the father, who would be AVIMELECH <> Playmobil tow truck for G'RAR - that's Yitzchak sitting in the tow truck - VAYEISHEV YITZCHAK BIGRAR <> the picture of a real tow truck has the logo of the Nachal brigade, making it Nachal G'rar, the place where Yitzchak settled after Avimelech kicked him out of Gerar <> the lion cub (Simba) on the map of Israel is GUR BAARETZ HAZOT - What G-d said to Yitzchak and what G-d says to every Jew - Live in this Land! <> Rechovot, in the sedra, the name of the third well, the one that succeeded; find the four pictograms that represent Rehovot <> there are 5 Yitzchaks - sort of. Figure them out <> the C with the gate is for Me'ah She'arim, which Yitzchak planted. That Yitzchak established Me'ah She'arim is consistent with the fact that he is recorded as being the first Charedi, as in VAYECHERAD YITZCHAK CHARADA G'DOLA AD M'OD - he was very charedi (play on words <> the pygmy marmoset is the smallest primate, here representing the small KUF (KOF-KUF, get it?) of KATZTI, said by Rivka <> a window through which AviMelech looked <> the increasing numbers in size and value stands for the Torah's statement that Yitzchak grew greatly <> emblem of Be'er Sheva <> the logo of Ben Gurion University, in Be'er Sheva <> a clipart of Yaakov the ISH TAM, scholar, and Eisav the ISH SADEH, the hunter <> Goats are significant in more than one context. In Toldot, Rivka has Yaakov bring her two goats so she can prepare a sumptuous meal for Yitzchak. She also wraps goat skin around Yaakov's arms and on his neck. Later, Yosef's brothers slaughter a goat and dip his K'tonet Pasim in its blood to show Yaakov, who would conclude that Yosef had been killed by a predator. Yehuda sends a goat to Tamar. Two identical goats are an important part of the Avoda on Yom Kippur in the Mikdash <> seven bears, for Bear Sheva <> Elmer's glue is DEVEK, gimatriya 106 - number of p'sukim in To-l'dot <> Jay-cub and E-saw <> Eisav said in his heart <> Rick Hunter <> Twins baseball cap<> Unexplaineds

In Memory of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l

The Tragedy of Good Intentions

TO-L'DOT

It is the deep, reverberating question at the heart of Toldot. Why did Rivka tell Yaakov to deceive Yitzchak and take Eisav's blessing? Her instruction is brisk and peremptory:

"Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies" (B'reishit 27:8-10).

Rivka's swift action is extraordinary. The situation had only just arisen - she could not have known in advance that Yitzchak was about to bless Eisav, or that he would request some venison first - yet her plan was immediate, detailed and complete. She had no doubts or hesitations. She was determined to seize the moment. When Yaakov raised concerns (What if Yitzchak is not deceived? What if he touches my skin and knows immediately that I am not Eisav?) her reply is brief and blunt.

"My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me" (27:13).

Our question tends to be, how could Yaakov deceive his father? Yet the real question is about Rivka. It was her plan, not his. How did she consider it permissible 

[1] to deceive her husband, 

[2] to deprive Eisav of his father's blessing,

and [3] to order Yaakov to commit an act of dishonesty? 

Yaakov on his own would not have conceived such a plan. He was an ISH TAM, meaning "a simple, straightforward, plain, quiet, innocent man, a man of integrity" (25:27)? How then did Rivka come to do what she did?

There are three possible answers. The first: she loved Yaakov (25:28). She preferred him to Eisav, but she knew Yitzchak felt otherwise. So she was driven by maternal instinct. She wanted her beloved son to be blessed.

This is an unlikely answer. The patriarchs and matriarchs are role-models. They were not driven by mere instinct or vicarious ambition. Rivka was not Lady Macbeth. Nor was she Batsheva, engaging in court politics to ensure that her son, Shlomo, would inherit David's throne (see Melachim Alef 1). It would be a serious misreading to interpret the narrative this way.

The second possibility is that she believed strongly that Eisav was the wrong person to inherit the blessing. She had already seen how readily he had sold his birthright and "despised" it (25:31-34). She did not believe a "hunter" and "a man of the field" fitted the template of the Abrahamic covenant. She knew that this was one of the reasons why God chose Yitzchak not Yishmael, because Yishmael was destined to be "a wild ass of a man" (16:12). She knew that Yitzchak loved Eisav but - for various reasons, depending on which commentary one follows - he was blind to his son's faults. It was vital to the future of the covenant that it be entrusted to the child who had the right qualities to live by its high demands.

The third possibility is simply that she was guided by the oracle she had received prior to the twins' birth:

"Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger" (25:23).

Yaakov was the younger. Therefore, Rivka must have assumed, he was destined to receive the blessing.

Possibilities two and three make sense, but only at the cost of raising a more fundamental question. Did Rivka share her thoughts with Yitzchak? If she did, then why did Yitzchak persist in seeking to bless Eisav? If she did not, then why not?

It is here that we must turn to a fundamental insight of the Netziv (R. Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, 1816-1893). What is fascinating is that Netziv makes his comment, not on this week's parsha, but on last week's - the first time Rivka set eyes on her husband-to-be. Recall that Yitzchak did not choose his wife. Avraham entrusted that task to his servant. Servant and bride-to-be are travelling back by camel, and as they approach Avraham's tents, Rivka sees a figure in the distance -

Now Yitzchak had come from Be'er Lachai Ro'i, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rivka also looked up and saw Yitzchak. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?" "He is my master", the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself (24:62-65).

On this, Netziv comments,

"She covered herself out of awe and a sense of inadequacy as if she felt she was unworthy to be his wife, and from then on this trepidation was fixed in her mind. Her relationship with Yitzchak was not the same as that between Sara and Avraham or Rachel and Yaakov. When they had a problem they were not afraid to speak about it. Not so with Rivka." (commentary to B'reishit 24:65)

The Netziv understood that in this description of the first encounter between Rivka and Yitzchak, nothing is incidental. The text emphasises distance in every sense. Yitzchak is physically far away when Rivka spots him. He is also mentally far away: meditating, deep in thought and prayer. Rivka imposes her own distance by covering herself with a veil.

The distance goes deeper still. Yitzchak is the most withdrawn of the patriarchs. Rarely do we see him as the initiator of a course of action. The events of his life seem to mirror those of his father. The Torah associates him with PACHAD, "fear" (31:42). Jewish mysticism connected him with GEVURAH, best understood as "self-restraint". This is the man who had been bound as a sacrifice on an altar, whose life had been reprieved only at the last moment. Yitzchak, whether because of the trauma of that moment or because of the inhibiting effect of having a strong father, is a man whose emotions often lie too deep for words.

No wonder, then, that he loves Rivka on the one hand, Eisav on the other. What these two very different people have in common is that they are so unlike him. They are both brisk and action-oriented. Their "native hue of resolution" is not "sicklied o'er by the pale cast of thought".  No wonder, too, that Rivka hesitates before speaking to him.

Just before the episode of the blessing, another scene takes place, apparently unrelated to what follows. There is a famine in the land. Yitzchak and Rivka are forced into temporary exile, as Avraham and Sara had been twice before. On God's instructions, they go to Gerar. There, just as Avraham had done, Yitzchak passes off his wife as his sister, afraid that he might be killed so that his wife could be taken into the royal harem. Something happens, however, to disclose the truth:

"When Yitzchak had been there a long time, Avimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Yitzchak caressing [M'TZACHEK] his wife Rivka (26:8).

We tend to miss the significance of this scene. It is the only one in which Yitzchak is the subject of the verb TZADI-CHET-KUF. Yet this is the root of Yitzchak's name - meaning "he will laugh". It is the one scene of intimacy between Yitzchak and Rivka. It is the only episode in which Yitzchak, as it were, is true to his name. Yet it nearly brings disaster. Avimelech is furious that Yitzchak has been economical with the truth. It is the first of a series of disputes with the Philistines.

Did this reinforce Yitzchak's belief that he could never relax? Did it confirm Rivka's belief that she could never be unequivocally intimate with her husband? Perhaps so, perhaps not. But the Netziv's point remains. Rikva felt unable to share with Yitzchak the oracle she had received before the twins' birth and the doubts she had about Eisav's suitability for the blessing. Her inability to communicate led to the deception, which brought a whole series of tragedies in its wake, among them the fact that Yaakov was forced to flee for his life, as well as the counter-deception perpetrated against him by his father-in-law Lavan.

It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the Torah is telling us that communication is vital, however hard it is. Rivka acts at all times out of the highest of motives. She holds back from troubling Yitzchak out of respect for his inwardness and privacy. She does not want to disillusion him about Eisav, the son he loves. She does not want to trouble him with her oracle, suggesting as it did that the two boys would be locked into a lifelong struggle. Yet the alternative - deception - is worse.

We have here a story of the tragedy of good intentions. Honesty and openness are at the heart of strong relationships. Whatever our fears and trepidations, it is better to speak the truth than practice even the most noble deception.

Around the Shabbat Table:

Do you believe there are times when lying is acceptable?

Where else in the Tanach has someone lied - or deceived - for the sake of good?

If you were Rivka, what might you have done differently in this situation?

Y'HI ZICHRO BARUCH



Message from the Parsha - Rabbi Katriel (Kenneth) Brander

Struggling to Become a Rosh Chodesh Jew 

HAFTARA OF MACHAR CHODESH

At first glance, this week's haftara for Erev Rosh Chodesh has little of note to tell us. Its choice as the reading for the day before the start of the new month seems to derive from the phrase MACHAR CHODESH, 'Tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh', which Yehonatan says to David in the opening verse (Shmuel Alef 20:18), in the context of a broader narrative of family and national dynamics. 

Rosh Chodesh, marking the start of the Jewish month, is a time of renewal, reflection, and spiritual alignment. Yet perhaps the depiction of Rosh Chodesh appearing in this story can shed some light on how we are meant to think about the start of a new month. In the story, Shaul awaits the arrival of those close to him for the celebration of Rosh Chodesh, which was observed by way of a large, festive meal. David, who is attempting to keep away from Shaul, does not arrive at the palace, which concerns Yehonatan, who forewarns David that Shaul will notice his absence. Nonetheless, David does not arrive, leading Shaul to be enraged not only with David, but with his own son, Yehonatan, whom he (rightly) fears is siding with David. 

This dramatic episode, in which Shaul's position in his own home begins to teeter as Yehonatan commits himself to David, is cast against the backdrop of Rosh Chodesh. Rosh Chodesh is not a festival that is dressed in much external pomp and circumstance - yet it sets the stage for all the other festivals in our calendar and enables all of our annual spiritual and ritual experiences. It reflects the authority vested in us by God to oversee the calendar, to manage our experience of time and shape our communities. Afterall, the sanctification of the month happens through the conversation and engagement between strangers: two observers and a court of three who have seen the new crescent moon. This demonstrates how holiness in Judaism is never created in a vacuum, but through the capacity for conversation and connection. 

Shaul's animosity towards David and his inability to communicate with him contributes directly to his downfall; while Yehonatan's friendship with and commitment to David, even in the face of political risk, is what allows the new king to eventually rise to power. The breakdown of the relationship between Shaul and David, and the solidifying of the bond between Yehonatan and David, is framed in the context of Rosh Chodesh. For that is precisely what the day celebrates: the ability to use time to forge meaningful relationships which transform the world around us. One might say that Yehonatan, who is the critical enabler to this transition in Jewish history despite being a muted character in Tanach, is the paradigmatic 'Rosh Chodesh Jew'. 

With this backdrop in mind, and as we are facing unprecedented, existential challenges as a people, I must share my struggle to emulate being a Rosh Chodesh Jew. For the first time, I find it challenging to reconcile with some of my Charedi co-religionists who seem to ignore the call to defend our nation during this time of existential threat. How can we reconcile the values of mutual responsibility and unity when segments of our community refrain from fulfilling the biblical mandate to defend our people during this MILCHEMET MITZVA and ignoring the principle of not standing idly by while your neighbor's blood is being spilled? 

As we enter the month of Kislev, I wonder: how can one celebrate the heroism of the Maccabees without embracing the responsibilities they exemplified? How do we reconcile the burdens borne by some, while others disengage from the collective responsibility? Why should my students, who are in the Beit Midrash, lose their learning and miss their families for hundreds of days of miluim, when tens of thousands of others not only don't serve, but also don't actually learn in a dedicated manner? This dissonance calls for introspection and dialogue - not to alienate, but to inspire a renewed commitment to shared values.

As we approach this and every new month, may we be reminded of Rosh Chodesh's lesson: to prioritize meaningful dialogue and relationships, even - especially - when challenges arise. Only through understanding and connection can we fulfill our shared purpose as a people.



Walk through the Parsha with Rabbi David Walk

TO-L'DOT

KEEPING THE TORAH

There is an ancient debate about the relationship between the Patriarchs and normative Torah observance. For millennia we have imagined those Tzadikim as Bubbys and Zeidies serving cholent and honey cake to guests while wearing KIPOT and SHEITELs. I'm sure our Sefardi brethren have similar images reflecting Moroccan or Halabi customs. Clearly, those images are very sweet, and very wrong. This week's Torah reading contains the verse which most encourages those fantasies.

Here's the verse: Inasmuch as Avraham obeyed Me and kept My charge: My commandments, My laws, and My teachings (B'reishit 26:5).

In Hebrew the four categories which Avraham 'kept' or observed are MISHMARTI, MITZVOTI, CHUKOTI and TOROTI. The last three terms strongly suggest our traditional legal system. 

So, based on those terms, different commentaries describe various competing realities. Reb Avraham Ibn Ezra, who is generally a literalist, sees the four terms as describing actual communications of God to Avraham: MISHMARTI are specific Mitzvot or behaviors that he received from God; MITZVOTI are literally 'commands' which God ordered Avraham to do, like LECH L'CHA ('go forth') or bring Yitzchak up as an offering; CHUKOTAI are more nebulous, less direct, and include Avraham's effort at IMITATIO DEI, emulating the behavior patterns of God, kindness and empathy; finally, TOROTI implies more involved legal commitments like BRIT MILA, which will be passed on to future generations. 

However, far and away the most popular approach is that of Rashi (and the Midrash) that our saintly ancestors pretty much kept the Torah and Mitzvot as we understand them. Here's the relevant Rashi: 

MISHMARTI refers to measures intended to help us avoid Biblical prohibitions: like marriages between relatives in the second degree and not doing certain acts on Shabbat; MITZVOTI are matters which we would have legislated, like robbery and murder; CHUKOTAI are things with no apparent reason but are King's decrees, such as eating pig and the wearing SHATNEZ; TOROTI, includes the Oral Law also given to Moshe at Sinai.

Before I go on, I must mention the famous problem. This idea that the AVOT kept the Torah before it was given presents a very serious conundrum: How could Ya'akov marry two sisters? How could Moshe's father, Amram, marry his aunt, Yocheved? So, the Ramban posits that, yes, our ancestors kept the whole Torah before it was given at Sinai, but only in Eretz Yisrael.

This position agrees with the very popular concept that our Patriarchs and Matriarchs kept the Torah just like we do. I know that many of us were taught this idea at a very early age, and most of us find tremendous comfort in this idea. It just isn't very likely.

We know that in the Biblical period Jews wore cloak-like garments which had four corners, and we have archeological evidence (Assyrian obelisk, c. 830BCE) that our Jewish ancestors put TZITZIT on those corners. However, they didn't wear our contrived four cornered garments. Those were adopted when people started wearing shirts and pants. 

We also know that KIPOT were probably invented in the second century of the Common Era, which means that for about 2000 years of our history (in other words, the majority of our history) there were no YARMULKES. I know this may come as a shock, but Sarah IMEINU did not make a 'cholent' for Shabbos.

So, what is our verse really teaching us? First of all, before going into detail, we're being informed that Avraham was very careful to follow every item and detail which God told him. That alone is very important.

But Reb Chaim Volozhin adds an important twist. They did know and, generally, did keep the Torah, but because the Torah hadn't yet been given they had the option to avoid Torah laws when deemed necessary. Ya'akov knew that the world would benefit greatly if he married both Rachel and Leah, because they were both destined to be the mothers of the House of Yisrael. Our saintly ancestors saw with their lucid perception that the world would greatly benefit from their keeping the Torah and Mitzvot. They generally fulfilled the concepts which we call Torah, and the world was a better place because of it.

However, I really love the explanation given by Rav Judah Goldberg on the Har Etziyon website. He explains: The answer, I believe, highlights a key distinction between brit Sinai and brit Avot. At the heart of brit Sinai lie laws; at the heart of brit Avot lie values. Brit Sinai takes the form of a contract… Brit Avot, in contrast, constitutes what we would more appropriately term a "covenant", in its most literal sense. A covenant denotes not merely an agreement, but a union of sorts between the participants. They bond around a common vision, a shared purpose which inspires their mission… Whereas a contract sets terms, a covenant determines expectations.

That's the coolest approach to this whole issue of how did our Patriarchs keep Torah. They fulfilled the Torah by living the kind of lives which the Torah (and God) demands of us to live. That undertaking actualized the Brit Avot. To a certain extent we keep the Torah; they lived the Torah. 

We could only benefit from emulating that lifestyle. So, let's keep the Torah very punctiliously so that we will live the Torah and eventually embody the Torah in every possible way. 



Rav Kook Torah

by Rabbi Chanan Morrison <> www.ravkooktorah.com



Harnessing the Power of Eisav

We know little about the birth of most Biblical personalities. Yet, the Torah describes in detail the birth of Jacob and Eisav and their respective naming.

"The first one came out reddish, hairy all over like a fur coat. They named him Eisav. His brother then came out, his hand grasping Eisav's heel. He named him Yaakov" (B'reishit 25:25-26)

The name Eisav means "made" or "completed". From day one, Eisav was full of strength and energy. The name Yaakov refers to the fact that he was holding on to Eisav's heel (AKEIV). Later on, Yaakov is named a second time; here too, his name refers to his relationship with his brother Eisav. The night before meeting up with Eisav, he struggles with a mysterious stranger. This stranger - according to some, Eisav's guardian angel - informs him:

"Your name will no longer be Yaakov, but Yisrael. You have struggled with angels and men, and you have prevailed" (32:29).

What is the inner meaning of Yaakov's names? What is the significance of his grasping on to Eisav's heel? Why does he have two names?

Restraint versus Control

Just as there are both positive and negative forces in the world, so too, every person is a composite of positive and negative traits. We need these negative forces, however; without their power and vitality, many goals and aspirations would lack the energy necessary to be realized.

Eisav represents the raw, base forces in the world. His reddish complexion indicated the violent and brutal nature of his personality. Yaakov did not prevent Eisav from coming into the world; after all, the world needs Eisav and his raw power. Rather, Yaakov held on to Eisav's heel, holding him back. The name Yaakov refers to this aspect of restraint, reining in the fierce forces.

Ultimately, however, our goal is not to simply hold back these negative forces. We aspire to gain control over them and utilize them, like a hydroelectric dam that harnesses the vast energy of a raging waterfall for the production of electricity. For example, the Talmud tells us that a person with blood-thirsty tendencies should become a shochet (ritual slaughterer) or a mohel, thus sublimating his violent nature for noble purposes. This higher aspiration is represented by Yaakov's second name, Yisrael, which comes from the root-word SAR, meaning "to rule".

The name Yaakov is appropriate when the Jews are in the Diaspora. There, they serve as a moral conscience to partially restrict the wild and violent forces in the world. But when redeemed and living in their own land, the Jewish people are able to attain the higher level of Yisrael. Then they have the opportunity to demonstrate how a nation may utilize its material capabilities for constructive and ethical goals.

Gold from the Land of Israel, pp. 58-59. Adapted from Ein Eyah vol. I, p. 68



Parsha Story

Stories and Parables from the famed Maggid of Dubno

by Rabbi Chanan Morrison


"Bring Me a Tasty Dish"

TO-L'DOT

Joe and Mike shared a meal together. At the end of the meal, Joe remarked, "From the way I am eating today, I see that I am not in the best of health."

Joe's comment took his friend by surprise. "What do you mean? I saw you ate from every dish that was served!"

"I wasn't really hungry", Joe explained. "It was only by forcing myself to taste the delicious food that I was able to whet my appetite."

Yitzchak's Request

Yitzchak has misgivings about blessing his son Eisav. He knew that Eisav was not what he pretended to be, and his heart was not fully in it. 

Yitzchak realized that he needed an extra "push", something that would make him feel more comfortable about giving Eisav a blessing.

So Yitzchak asked his son to bring him a "tasty dish, the way I like it". Yitzchak wanted Eisav to have an extra merit of honoring his father. After all, honoring parents was Eisav's special mitzva, his spiritual strength. Then, Yitzchak told his son, "My soul will bless you before I die." Only then would Yitzchak be able to give Eisav a blessing with a full heart.

When Rivka overheard her husband's request, she understood the reason behind it. Rivka relayed to Yaakov how his father had asked Eisav to bring him tasty venison. This way, Yaakov would realize that his father was not really happy about blessing Eisav. She wanted to convince Yaakov, so that he would be willing to pose as his brother and receive the blessing in Eisav's place.

Adapted from Meshalim v'Gam Sipurim, p. 48



Q&A

Reprinted from Living the Halachic Process by Rabbi Daniel Mann - Eretz Hemdah, with their permission [www.eretzhemdah.org]

Proper position of T'fillin Shel Rosh

Question: Where is the exact place to put the T'FILLIN SHEL ROSH (of the head)? It appears that many men position it too low in front, and no one says anything!

Answer: There is nothing new under the sun. Rav Kook wrote a pamphlet called CHEVESH P'ER to strengthen the fulfillment of the mitzva of t'fillin. His main complaint was that men wear the T'FILLIN SHEL ROSH too low (forward) on their heads, and he urged leaders to rectify the matter. 

The Gemara derives 	that when the Torah instructs us to place the t'fillin BEIN EINECHA (between your eyes), it refers to the part of the head that can be shaved, not the forehead (contrary to the Tz'dokim). Thus, the forward-most part of the t'fillin may go no lower than where the roots of the hairline are on the scalp. If the front part of the t'fillin does not sit directly on the head, but is suspended (which is sometimes a sign that it is too low), one draws an imaginary perpendicular line to the head in order to determine if it is positioned high enough. 

There is a machloket among Rishonim whether the upper part of the t'fillin (i.e., where the strap goes through the box) can be placed anywhere on the top of the head or only on the front half. The Gemara allows putting t'fillin on, or up to and including, the place of a baby's soft spot. The most stringent interpretation of this Gemara is that the t'fillin must fit within the first four finger-widths (or slightly more) of the head, starting from the hairline. This is based on the statement of the Gemara that there is room on the head to place two pairs of t’fillin (assuming that the minimum size of t’fillin is two finger-widths). Poskim agree that it is more crucial that the t’fillin not be even slightly too low than to be concerned that they not extend too far back.

Why do so many men put their t'fillin too low? When large t'fillin are fastened (by the part that is furthest back and the knot) so that they feel secure on the head (which is usually when they are relatively forward), they are likely to extend beyond the end of the hairline. (Although it is easier to make mehudar t'fillin that are large, having large t'fillin increases the problems of improper placement.) Even with smaller t'fillin, it is common that people are fitted when they get new t'fillin or retzuot and assume that they are "set for life." However, the retzuot stretch as they are used, causing the t'fillin to extend further forward. Few people know how to adjust the knot to compensate for this stretching, and many do not know that this is periodically necessary. Even someone who knows the halacha is likely to assume that "all is well" and that the t'fillin look low because the wearer is bald or has a receding hairline. Although we do follow the original hairline, many exaggerate how low it was, and it is difficult to precisely determine to where the roots of one's hair once extended. 

It is important to correct people whose t'fillin slip down and, certainly, those whose retzuot are so loose that they may not have fulfilled the mitzva in years and make a b'racha l'vatala daily. However, one must be very careful how he corrects others. It is best if the rabbi periodically urges men to ask him to check and/or adjust the t'fillin. If this isn't done, an individual may have little choice but to gently approach those who need help. For some, it pays to leave an anonymous note. The sensitivity issue is usually more acute for older people, who are more likely to resent being approached by someone much younger. Asking, "Do you want your knot adjusted?" is preferable to saying, "Your t'fillin are on wrong." 

It takes just a little dexterity and training to adjust the knot, and it does not require undoing it. Therefore, we suggest that readers learn how to do it for themselves and for others.

Ed. note - the choice of this particular Q&A was made in honor of the Bar Mitzva of my grandson, ROEE KOTLER ð"é. 



Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher z"l

The Sin of Lashon Hara - A Chilul Hashem

The Torah states in Parshat Emor "You shall not desecrate My Holy Name" (Vayikra 22:32).

This verse is the source for the sin of Chilul Hashem, which is one of the most serious sins that a Jew can commit, and for which it is extremely difficult to do t'shuva (Yoma 86a). 

A little known aspect of Chilul Hashem is when a person habitually speaks or listens to LASHON HARA. The Chafetz Chayim includes Chilul Hashem in the list of sins one violates when speaking LASHON HARA.

In explaining the reason for this, he says that generally a person sins for various motivations, either because he has a desire for something, which he cannot control, or because the sins will provide him with some physical pleasure.

However, the sin of LASHON HARA cannot be considered the fulfillment of a physical drive or pleasure, for which the person could not control his YEITZER HARA. It is simply habit a person gets into when speaking negatively about others, or listening to others speaking LASHON HARA. If he realizes that the Torah forbids it, how can he just ignore and continue to violate this serious sin?

Rav Pam would point out that speaking LASHON HARA is also a Chilul Hashem because that person has so little regard for Hashem's will that he brazenly violates it. By shamelessly throwing off the yoke of Heaven, he has cheapened and denigrated the Word of Hashem by speaking ill of others.

The Chafetz Chayim adds that the sin of LASHON HARA is compounded if the one doing this is a distinguished person whom people look up to and respect. When people see how he casually disregards the Will of Hashem, they too will take liberties in the performance of Mitzvot. This is especially true when they see a Talmid Chacham speaking LASHON HARA (see Rambam Sefer HaMitzvot, prohibition 63).

This is another important reason to avoid LASHON HARA in ALL its forms. ESP

Y'HI ZICHRO BARUCH



The Daily Portion - Sivan Rahav Meir

WORDS OF COMFORT

Translated by Janine Muller Sherr

This week, we mark the fourth yahrzeit of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l, former chief rabbi of Britain.

Here is an inspiring passage from "To Be a Jew", a booklet that I was privileged to compile of Rabbi Sacks's teachings:

"Sometimes it is when we feel most alone that we discover we are not alone. We can encounter God in the midst of fear or a sense of failure. 

Sometimes our deepest spiritual experiences come when we least expect them, when we are closest to despair. It is then that the masks we wear are stripped away. We are at our point of maximum vulnerability - and it is when we are most fully open to God that God is most fully open to us. "God is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (T'hilim 34:18).

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov used to say: "A person needs to cry to his Father in heaven with a powerful voice from the depths of his heart. Then God will listen to his voice and turn to his cry."

We find God not only in holy or familiar places but also in the midst of a journey, alone at night. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me" (T'hilim 23:4). The most profound of all spiritual experiences, the base of all others, is the knowledge that we are not alone.

There may be times in our lives - certainly there have been in mine - when the sun disappears and we enter the cloud of black despair. You can lose faith in humanity, or in yourself, or both. At such times, the knowledge that God has faith in us is transformative, redemptive. 

The real religious mystery, according to Judaism, is not our faith in God. It is God's faith in us.

We are here because a loving God brought the universe and life, and us, into existence - a God who knows our fears, hears our prayers, believes in us more than we believe in ourselves, who forgives us when we fail, lifts us when we fall and gives us the strength to overcome despair."

www.sivanrahavmeir.com/to-be-a-jew/

http://bit.ly/3yxoYkf

To receive Sivan Rahav-Meir's daily WhatsApp: tiny.cc/DailyPortion



OzTORAH by Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple z"l

REFORMING JUDAISM

There is something so very modern in the Torah's statement that Yitzchak re-dug the old wells which his father Avraham had dug before him (B'reishit 26:18).

Something similar is happening all over the Jewish world today.

I had a teacher who used to say, "If you want to reform Judaism, restore it."

The restoration of Judaism seems to be going on everywhere these days. Jews are going back to the sources to delve into the old ideas, principles and practices.

The packaging is up-to-date. The technology of the 21st century is being utilised. But the content is traditional Judaism - Yishayahu and Yirmiyahu, Hillel and Shammai, Rambam and Yehuda HaLevi, Rashi and Ibn Ezra, Yosef Karo and the Chafetz Chayim.

Don't let anyone persuade you that Judaism is disintegrating or in danger of disappearance: it is the modern world which is under scrutiny and its laissez-faire relativism is being found wanting.



THE CUNNING HUNTER

Yitzchak's two sons were contrasts.

Yaakov was the studious one who enjoyed his home and his books: The text says he loved his tents (25:27), which Radak indicates means that wherever there was a tent of learning, that's where one would find Yaakov.

Eisav, on the other hand, was the "cunning hunter" (25:27). Rashbam takes this phrase literally: Eisav was the prototype of the macho man who, in later parlance, went in for "huntin', shootin', and fishin'".

Ibn Ezra thinks the idea of being not only a hunter but cunning is particularly important, since Eisav exercised his wiles on deceiving the animal prey and making it easier to capture them.

But the way the story works out with Eisav and Yaakov vying to impress their father, it seems more likely that the phrase "cunning hunter" doesn't only refer to animal targets. It conveys the sense of a man who could flatter and dissemble when it came to other human beings, especially Father Yitzchak.

Poor Yitzchak was old and losing his eyesight - a contrast to the later Moshe who even at the end of his life was still vigorous and clear-sighted (D'varim 34). Yitzchak, on the other hand, was not only taken in by Eisav's wiles but probably wanted to be.

The boys' mother Rivka got Yaakov to pretend to be Eisav in a superb piece of see-through disguise because she knew how gullible Yitzchak had become, and she wanted to show that if a patent disguise that covered the smooth arms of Yaakov could fool him, all the more so could he be taken in by the smooth talk of Eisav. -OZ

Y'HI ZICHRO BARUCH



Sedra Highlight - Dr Jacob Solomon

TO-L'DOT

After Ya'akov Avinu fled home because of Eisav's wrath:

Eisav perceived that [his Canaanite wives]… were evil in the eyes of Yitzchak, his father. So Eisav went to Yishmael… and married Machalat, the daughter of Yishmael (28:8-9).

Rashi comments with hard words: "He added wickedness onto wickedness, as he did not divorce his first wives.

In contrast, the Rashbam observes that Eisav did not seek wickedness, but an element of reconciliation. He suggests that Eisav paid special attention to his father telling his brother Ya'akov not to marry a daughter of Cana'an, but to leave home immediately for a far-away destination connected with the family. That brought home to him that he himself had grieved his father for marrying into that alien culture. It was for that reason, Eisav reasoned, that he did not receive the b'racha (the blessing) and what came with it: it was Ya'akov who was to get the B'RACHA OF AVRAHAM (28:4). Eisav therefore married into the family of Yishmael, his uncle, in the hope that by doing so his father would reconcile to him and give inheritance within Avraham's legacy.

Whereas Rashi's explanations here, and throughout the parasha, show Eisav going from one evil to the next, the Rashbam seems to view Eisav in a more nuanced way. Here, he implies, that despite his disappointments, there was something within him that wished to please his aging father and be part of what the family stood for; even spiritually. For Eisav did not lack in material wealth (c.f. 33:9).

We see several other examples in this parasha where Rashi and Rashbam similarly differ about Eisav's character. When Ya'akov asks Eisav to sell him the B'CHORA (the Birthright): the privileges and duties that come with that exalted family position, Eisav replied: "I am going to die: what use is the b'chora to me?" (25:32). Rashi interprets severely, explaining that Eisav wanted nothing of the complex laws and associated dire penalties connected with b'chora. In contrast, the Rashbam, following the simple context of the text, explains that Eisav's occupation as a hunter meant that his life was constantly at risk and that he would be unlikely to live long enough to get that position. Similarly, after the sale, "Eisav despised the b'chora" (25:34). Rashi emphasizes that the Torah bears witness to Eisav's belittling the bechora's  associated special services to G-d. The Rashbam explains that Eisav, in sealing the sale with the customary refreshments (c.f. Ya'akov later doing similarly with his non-aggression deal with Lavan, 31:54) which in this case was the red lentil dish, temporarily made light of the b'chora, though unlike Rashi, he bitterly regretted having done so later and saw himself as having fallen into the trap (c.f. 27:36). 

Much has been written about the Rashbam's interpretations of the Torah and how they differ from Rashi, his grandfather. Both Rashi and the Rashbam were not only early Rishonim, but teachers, who strove to make both the Written Torah and Oral Torah intelligible and meaningful for the public that wanted to know and wanted to understand. Both were masters of the numerous layers of MESORA, sacred traditions. The difference are in their priorities. Though Rashi repeats his objective in communicating the plain meaning of the Torah text, he does employ a concise digest of Talmudic and Midrashic sources to inform the understanding of the Torah on different levels according to the mesora - often opening with "The Midrash tells us" or "Our Rabbis derive". His work thus enables his intelligent readers to form a synthesis between the simple meaning of the text and the layers of tradition associated with the holy text. In addition, Rashi was living during a period of widespread pressure to convert out of Judaism: associating Eisav with Edom (37:1), Rome and what flowed from them down the centuries to the current situation. Eisav was held up as a Torah-grounded warning not to go in his ways, and in the ways of Edom.

By the time the Rashbam wrote his commentary, Rashi's was already widely studied: Rashbam in several places refers to Rashi's commentary as "HaMefaresh", The Commentator. Possibly he could have been concerned that not all Rashi's readers were as particular in distinguishing between the plain meaning and Midrashic exposition as Rashi wished them to be. His purpose was therefore to ground his people to the P'SHUTO SHEL MIKRA, the plain meaning of the text, holding that it was valid, was able to stand up in its own right and that it contained vital Torah values, even where practice may be greatly modified by the Oral Law and traditions. 



Menachem Persoff - menpmp@gmail.com



In this week's Parsha, we learn that Yitzchak prayed, in the presence of his wife, because of Rivka's barren state. The Torah employs the term VAYE'TAR to express Yitzchak's entreaty to Hashem - and Hashem responds with the same term, VAYEI'ATER, best translated as Hashem 'allowed Himself to be entreated' (after Artscroll). How fascinating that the narrative so describes this mutual encounter between Yitzchak and Hashem!

Our rabbis tell us that although Rivka also prayed for a child, only Yitzchak, the son of a Tzadik, was answered. Clearly, the merit of Avraham played a role, hence the introductory description of Yitzchak as Avraham's progeny. Rivka, by contrast, was the daughter of a wicked man. 

Rashi explains that the term VAYE'TAR implies much and extended prayer. For, following the Radak, Yitzchak was insistent not to beget a child from any handmaiden, but only from his beloved wife Rivka. Nevertheless, asks the Netivot Shalom, why was this Hebrew term employed and not, say, VAYITCHANEN - 'and he implored' - as was Moshe's plea to enter Eretz Yisrael described. And why record that Hashem reciprocated? Would it not have been enough to say that Yitzchak 'knew his wife and she conceived', in the more common vernacular of the Chumash?

To explain, the Netivot Shalom invokes the story of Menashe, King of Yehuda. As recorded in Divrei HaYamim Bet 33, Menashe committed the worst of evils, destroying holy places and replacing them with idols. When punished, Menashe begs for mercy and Hashem responds (VAYEI'ATER) by forgiving him. In a Talmudic debate on this issue, Chazal remind us that since the letters AYIN and CHET are interchangeable, VAYEI'ATER can be written as VAYEI'CHATER meaning that Hashem 'dug out' or 'broke through'. That is to say that although Menashe was undeserving, Hakadosh Baruch Hu nevertheless responded to his plea by "exposing a small gap in the clouds of glory to let his prayers reach Him."

Thus with Yitzchak: He had every reason to despair and to give up after so many "unanswered" prayers. But he continued to entreat Hashem who, finally, dug a hole under the heavy metal obstruction that had impeded the prayers until now, to paraphrase the Netivot Shalom. Now Hashem responds in like manner, seemingly touched by the deep sincerity and authenticity of Yitzchak's entreaties. 

And so, even when we feel undeserving and that the outlook is bleak, let us pray fervently in the knowledge that Hashem actually wants to hear from us and will answer us, like a good friend, in a mutual manner.  MP



CHIZUK & IDUD

Divrei Torah from the weekly sedra with a focus on living in Eretz Yisrael

Chizuk for Olim & Idud for not-yet-Olim

by Rabbi Yerachmiel Roness - Ramat Shiloh, Beit Shemesh

TO-L'DOT 5778 (2017)

The Highs and Lows of the Jewish People

If one learns through the Torah's account of our forefather's odyssey, while bearing in mind that Ma'asei Avot is a Siman LaBanim, the precedents for our people's historical highs and lows become clearly evident. Throughout history there have been many occasions where we were at the mercy of a mighty and oftentimes ruthless ruler, while at other moments - relatively few - in our history, our own stature commanded the respect, and even fear, of others.  

In this week's Parsha we read of one such period. Avimelech and his henchmen travel to Gerar in order to meet with Yitzchak Avinu. As the high-level entourage arrives, Yitzchak questions their motivation: "Why do you come to me, seeing as you hate me and have sent me away from you?" We know the backdrop for this meeting: Having become envious of Yitzchak's success the P'lishtim had directed him to leave their turf. Avimelech says: "Go away from us for you have become stronger than we - ATZAMTA MIMENU. The Radak explains that this term does not mean 'you have become stronger than we', but rather 'your financial wealth and strength was obtained from us' (MIMENU). Repeating the classic xenophobic canard, they accused Yitzchak of stealing their wealth: 'You came with one herd and now you possess many.' This jealousy caused the P'lishtim to fill up the wells dug by Yitzchak in order to force him to leave. Though this was a time of famine and there was great need for water, they were willing to harm themselves out of jealousy of the Jew. (This is sadly reminiscent of Nazi Germany's willingness to dedicate trains to the transportation of Jews to the concentration camps, even when these same trains were sorely needed for their own war effort.)

Avimelech explains what has changed: "We saw plainly that Hashem was with you and we said let there be an oath between us… That you will do us no harm as we have not touched you and as we have done nothing but good to you and sent you away in peace, you are now the blessed of the Lord" (B'reishit 26:26-29).

The P'lishtim realized the Jewish People's deep connection to the Land; they saw how Yitzchak's departure left them in a sorry state - their own wells drying up and the land turning into fallow wasteland. Though they had heretofore wished Yitzchak would disappear from their lives, they now sought his favor and actively courted his goodwill, hoping to forge a peace treaty which would insure their own future prosperity. Knowing the facts, we wonder at Avimelech's Chutzpa: How could he have described his people's actions as having "done nothing but good to you and sent you away in peace"?

To provide an answer to this puzzle, the Midrash (B'reishit Rabba 64:10) retells an interesting episode in Jewish history: "In the days of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, the Roman State ordered the Temple to be rebuilt. Pappas and Lulianus (two brothers who later perished as heroic martyrs) set up tables from Acco as far as Antioch and provided those who came up from the exile of Babylon with all their financial needs." The Samaritans, wanting to thwart this plan, warned the emperor that if the plan were to be implemented then taxes would never be collected. The emperor who did not want to rescind the first proclamation, was counseled to simply change the measurements of the Temple by 5 or 10 cubits, with the expectation that this would lead the Jews to withdraw on their own accord as they would want the Temple's measurements to be exact. 

As the people who had assembled to witness the rebuilding heard of the latest decree, they began to weep, and some spoke of revolting against Rome. Fearful of the consequences of such an irresponsible act, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya rose up in order to pacify the crowd. He related the following fable: "One day, while eating the meat of his prey, a bone stuck in a lion's throat. The lion declared a reward for anyone who would remove the bone. A heron came forth, extricated the bone with its long beak, and demanded his reward. The lion answered: "Go away! You can now boast that you entered the lion's mouth and exited in peace." When dealing with a ruthless foreign power, there are times when one should be satisfied by having merely emerged alive. This explains Avimelech's brazenness. In his mind Yitzchak should be thankful for having been allowed to leave Avimelech's territory in one piece! 

Throughout our powerless history we have often needed to remind ourselves of Rabbi Yehoshua's wise counsel. In the early 20th century, the Jews in Germany constituted the upper crust of the society, and yet this did not prevent the lion from clamping down its jaws…

Blessedly, here in Eretz Yisrael we have entered a new era. We have begun to see the fulfillment of the divine prophecy to Yitzchak: "I will be with you and bless you, for I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, and I will fulfill the oath that I made to your father Avraham." Like Yitzchak in this week's Parsha, we have finally seen the turning of the tide, as the nations begin to realize that it is in their own best interest to search us out and court our favor. 

Ed. note - Rabbi Roness wrote this piece seven years ago. Reading it in our wars situation, makes things more complicated. Still, we hope you get his point.

These weekly words of Torah wisdom can be found in my recently published book "Eretz Yisrael and Aliyah in the weekly Parsha". It can be ordered by calling 052-336-0553 or by ordering it on Amazon



Dvar Torah by Rabbi Chanoch Yeres

to his community at Beit Knesset Beit Yisrael, Yemin Moshe

Graciously shared with PhiloTorah

TO-L'DOT

"And Yitzchak went back and dug the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Avraham" (26:18).

Parshat Toldot puts Yaakov Avinu in the limelight. We read about his birth, his birthright and the conflict between Eisav and himself. Yet, in the middle of the Parsha, we are witness to another story. We read about Yitzchak after the death of Avraham. Yitzchak is seen as persona-non-grata. The P'lishtim showed their dislike to Yitzchak and destroyed all the wells that Avraham had dug. Yitzchak is sent out of his land and is forced to camp in a new area.

He re-digs those wells of Avraham that had been filled with sand by the P’lishtim. Controversy begins between Yitzchak and the P'lishtim until Yitzchak is forced even further away that brings a sense of tranquility.

Why is this story so important? Why do we need to hear about Yitzchak in this situation of quarrels surrounding these wells?

A very interesting idea raised is that until now Avraham Avinu was our hero. He was the chosen one to come to this land. He received the Covenant from G-d and passed the Akeida. This week's Parsha introduces the new hero, Yaakov Avinu. All that we learn about Yitzchak, as an active character in the Torah, is this story of the wells. The Torah seems to be teaching us something important regarding Yitzchak. The Torah describes Yitzchak, not as a warrior, not as a financial wizard. Rather, Yitzchak is described as a "great follower". Avraham was a hard act to follow. How could one compete with the overall success of Avraham in all the spheres? Yet, Yitzchak respected the achievements of Avraham and does not hesitate to follow his lead. He had to choose how to act as the new generation. He did choose; he chose to follow in his father's footsteps, a commendable act. He re-dug Avraham's wells and calls them by the same name that Avraham called them. Everyone wants to stand out and blaze their own trail. Yet, Yitzchak is presented to us with this one story that seems a story of quarrels and controversy. The real message is that the Torah wants to present Yitzchak as a hero in his own right. He chose to discern the right way and he followed it.

Yitzchak showed true leadership. He set an important example of being able to follow the right way. Yitzchak became a role model not in accomplishing something new but rather how to continue the right path from our previous generation. Who is the real leader? Not one who blindly follows any path presented. Rather, like Yitzchak, choosing the right path that one discerns as correct and following it. This is the great contribution of Yitzchak. We too, find blessing in following our past generations, facing similar challenges and overcoming them as the tradition of the Jewish people. 



Introducing a new feature at PhiloTorah. ParshaPlates is a concept and website by Rachel Leah Wasserman which makes a Parsha Connection between the weekly sedra and a recipe for your Shabbat Table that will hopefully trigger conversation about Parshat HaShavua, in addition to providing a tasty treat in honor of Shabbat.

To-l'dot - Red Lentil Soup

In this week's Parsha, Eisav returned from hunting one day tired and hungry. He sells his birthright (his rights as the firstborn) to Yaakov in exchange for a pot of red lentil stew. Therefore, the food of the week is red lentil soup.  

Shabbat Shalom & B'tayavon!


Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil

3 carrots, diced

5 celery stalks, diced

1 large onion, diced

3 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 can of tomatoes (14 1/2 oz)

3 cups water

3 cups red lentils

1 potato, diced

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

Soak lentils in a bowl of water (properly check the lentils as needed)

In a soup pot, pour in oil and saute the carrots, celery and onion on medium heat.

Add garlic, thyme, basil, and parsley to the soup pot.

Once vegetables have been sauteed, add tomato paste, can of tomatoes, water, red lentils, and diced potatoes to the soup pot.

Bring the soup to a boil and then leave the pot on a low heat for at least half an hour (until lentils are creamy).

Add in salt and pepper.

Cook for another ten minutes on low heat and then remove the soup from heat.



The Weekly 'Hi All' by Rabbi Jeff Bienenfeld

TO-L'DOT 5784

Most Biblical characters are quite complex, with often multi-layered qualities to their personalities, many of which are not always complementary, and sometimes even clash. Eisav is no exception. That there is a part of Eisav which is wicked, remains clear. In our tradition, Amalek, grandson of Eisav, is the embodiment of all that is evil. When Chazal declare that "Eisav detests Yaakov" (Sifrei, B'ha'alot'cha 69, s.v. OH), they were addressing this "Amalek" component of Eisav's persona. Indeed, as the Torah affirms, it is against Amalek that HaShem wages a perpetual war (Sh'mot 17:16). And it is this monstrous manifestation of Amalek, as the Pesach Haggada attests, which rears its fiendish head against us in every generation. And, at present, there is no contesting the fact that now, Hamas and its terrorist cohorts are Amalek's most recent barbaric and vicious reincarnation!

But Chazal also admitted to the truth that there is a dimension to Eisav which actually complements and completes the personality of his twin brother, Yaakov. Rashi (25:23) brings the story of the close friendship that Rebbe, R. Yehuda HaNasi enjoyed with the enlightened Roman emperor, Antoninus; Rome being a descendant of Eisav (Rashi, Sh'mot 36:43). Moreover, the fact that Eisav was not thoroughly evil is borne out by the more laudatory aspects of Eisav's character which Chazal enumerate: he excelled in the mitzva of honoring his parents (Sh'mot Rabba 46:4); he yearned for the blessings of his father (B'reishit 27:34); he fought for a share in the World to Come (Tana d'Bei Eliahu 19); he sought to sit with the righteous in Gan Eden (Yerushalmi N'darim 3:8); he posed intricate halachic questions to his father (Tanchuma Toldot 8), and according to many, the tears he shed upon seeing Yaakov after so many years reflected his genuine brotherly love (B'reishit 33:4).

Precisely because of this rather positive facet of Eisav's behavior, a number of our commentators  have a remarkable understanding of the deception episode in our Parsha where Yitzchak, choosing to bless Eisav, is duped into blessing Yaakov instead. Why would Yitzchak initially prefer to confer his blessing upon a son who had already earned the inglorious reputation of a criminal and villain (B'reishit Rabba 63:12)? Some suggest that after the ecstatic spiritual experience of the Akeida, Yitzchak was simply not wholly of this world and hence could not fully grasp the malevolent nature of his eldest son. However, there are clear indications that this may not have been the case. First, we are told that upon Eisav's marrying his Canaanite wives, his parents - Yitzchak included - were embittered by his choice (26:35) and thus surely aware of Eisav's indulgent and unrighteous behavior. And second, the Midrash relates (B'reishit Rabba 65:19) that when Yaakov, disguised as Eisav, employs Gd's name in speaking to his father, Yitzchak is clearly aware that Eisav does not. What then were Yitzchak's intentions?

Yitzchak was not at all naive as to his son's delinquent conduct. But he also recognized - or so he thought - that Yaakov, the "dweller of tents", could not alone realize the Divine vision for a world where the global community would be purged of its dross and enter a redemptive era of messianic greatness. For this, it would require both the talents of an Eisav and Yaakov. Eisav, to create the physical infrastructure of society with its economic and technological advances and achievements. And Yaakov, to teach and inculcate the moral code and thus inspire all of humanity to reach for the highest levels of ethical and religious living. Yes, Eisav was crude and vulgar, but perhaps a bountiful and sincere blessing from a loving father might be enough to encourage Eisav to reign in his volatile nature, subdue his demons, fight his ghosts, and channel all that energy into productive greatness. That Rivka chose to intervene and prevent Yitzchak from giving the first blessing to Eisav does neither refute nor negate the merit of what Yitzchak envisioned as the dual destiny for his two sons. 

Rambam writes (Sh'moneh P'rakim 6) that there are those who are born with natural dispositions for goodness and virtue, and there are those who are fated with powerful negative and sinful inclinations. Each are challenged in different ways, but the latter, who many would deem as hopeless and incorrigible, are actually invited and pressed to rule over their YEITZER HARA (KOVEISH ET YITZRO) and in so doing, achieve a level of greatness surpassing all others. This was Eisav's test. That he struggled against the evil, did not make him evil. Tragically he failed, and the worst in him prevailed, but not all of him.

R. Menachem Azariya d'Fanu (Ma'amar HaNefesh 6:5), in the 16-17th c., Italy, presents the intriguing interpretation of a verse in our Parsha's haftara. When the Navi (Malachi 1:3) writes that the Almighty hates Eisav - V'ET EISAV SANEITI, the inclusion of the word ET "refers to that impurity which attaches itself to Eisav, and it is this evil that Gd hates, but, in the future, Eisav himself will become pure." What this essentially means is that when, in the end of days, the prophet declares (Ovadya 1:21) that "the saviors will ascend Mt. Zion to judge the mountain of Eisav, and the kingdom will be HaShem's", at that moment of deliverance, the judgment and punishment will only be against the "Amalek" of Eisav, the V'ET EISAV, and not all of Eisav. At that momentous time, those who will be spared will earn the meritorious title of the CHASIDEI UMOT HA'OLAM, the righteous ones of the nations and they will rise to fulfill the original mission of Eisav as the loyal partner of his brother, Yaakov, in the building of a new world!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the wake of the Hamas vicious and savage attack on our beloved Israel, it is becoming increasingly evident that the war has profound and global implications far beyond a local battle against a heinous terrorist entity. The inhuman evil unleashed by Hamas has glaringly placed before every country and every individual an unavoidable choice. At no other time in recent memory have the sides been that painfully clear and unambiguous. It is a simple and portentous choice, uncomplicated and yet so terribly significant: Will you choose good over evil, truth over lies, the best of humanity over the worst! 

And in this choice, there is no middle ground. As William James taught (Will to Believe, 1896), in life there are forced options when one cannot avoid selecting one of the alternatives, and there are momentous options when a great deal turns on one's decision. For us, as Jews, the choice is plain, but for all others, the decision - the "forced" and "momentous option" - is - and will be - an "Eisav moment". We pray that many - that all - will make the right decision and choose to be proud members in the great fellowship of CHASIDEI UMOT HA'OLAM, the noble descendants of the good Eisav, the righteous brother of Yaakov-Yisrael!



Afterthoughts - Yocheved Bienenfeld

ELIEZER - EVED AVRAHAM

I know that there are a few places in the Torah where there is a SHALSHELET as the musical direction over a word. (Only 4 in the whole Torah.) This long stretched-out tone usually expresses the act, the verb over which it is placed: VAYITMAHMAH - 'and he delayed' (Vayeira 19:16) - Lot is shlepping along the way, delaying his departure, having difficulty leaving Sodom. VAYMA'EIN - 'but he refused' (Vayeishev 39:8) - Yosef is refusing the advances of the wife of Potifar; he is refusing, but it's not so easy; there is an internal battle that is not so easily won. VAYISHCHAT - 'and he slaughtered' (Tzav 7:23) - the very last time that Moshe serves and performs as a KOHEN GADOL, doing all the AVODA that would soon be done by Aharon, his brother, as the officially appointed KOHEN GADOL; and it's difficult for him to accept that this is the last time he will be permitted to do these things.

But in Parshat Chayei Sara, we have another SHALSHELET, this time over the word VAYOMAR - 'and he said' (24:12) - preceding the words Eliezer says as he asks Gd to help him succeed in acquiring a wife for Yitzchak. Why? What is this word with its "delaying" message telling us, that gets it a SHALSHELET? Is it davka because he is about to approach Gd in prayer? As Eliezer says, HaShem, Gd of my master, Avraham, may You so arrange it for me this day and do kindness with my master Avraham (24:12) - It appears that he is a little hesitant to proceed with his prayer. 'I am approaching You as the Gd of Avraham. I would not have the audacity to approach You on my own behalf for what am I? I am only an EVED to ADONI AVRAHAM. And so, in his merit, please, I ask for Your guidance; and not in any miraculous act or revelation, but only as MIKREH - happenstance', - as can be seen from his choice of words, HAKREI LIFANAI - please let it "happen" that these conditions occur.

And if I am correct about the emphasis of the SHALSHELET on the word VAYOMAR as related to this prayer, that would give a different meaning to the words of Chazal cited by Rashi (24:42): R. Acha said: The conversation of the slaves of the Patriarchs is more pleasing before the Omnipresent than the Torah of their descendants. Perhaps we can translate the word SICHATAN as meaning more than the 'speech' or 'conversation' of, but rather as understood regarding Yitzchak's praying Mincha: Yitzchak went out to 'converse' in the field (24:63). Rashi: "LA'SUACH - this means prayer", and as, subsequently, in T'hillim (102:1) …V'LIFNEI HASHEM YISHPOCH SICHO - …and pours out his prayer before HaShem. In which case, it would mean that the prayer of the servants of the Avot is "dearer" to HaShem than the Torah, the practical halachot and Torah learned by the descendants. The fact that this non-Jewish servant knows how and to whom to offer prayer is all to the credit of his master. The Gemara (Yoma28b) defines the description of Eliezer who is MOSHEIL B'CHOL ASHER LO as K'MOSHEIL B'TORAT RABO, he understood the Torah, the teachings of his "Rebbe", of Avraham.  

Clearly, then, the prayer of this servant is so precious because it tells what an impact that 'father' had upon him. The behavior of the servant, of one who is exposed to the behavior and ways of an AV, and is influenced by him, speaks volumes more than the learning of the Torah of descendants - diligent though it may be. It would be expected that the sons would learn - that's what they were brought up to know and to do. But a servant?

By the way, isn't it interesting that this servant, who prays to his master's Gd for help, has the name Eliezer?



TO-L'DOT

Check the whole file for other To-l'dot GMs.

Here's a new one, just added to the whole file:

GM B'reishit 25:21 - 

And Yitzchak prayed to HaShem opposite his wife because she was barren, and HaShem accepted his prayer, and Rivka his wife conceived.

The gimatriya of this pasuk is 4555. Its AT-BASH gimatriya is 3491. Searching for p'sukim that have a regular gimatriya of 3491, we found B'reishit 12:7 - 

And HaShem appeared to Avram, and He said, "To your seed I will give this land,"
and there he built an altar to HaShem, Who had appeared to him.

The connection is obvious. Promises to Avraham cannot be realized until there are offspring. The pasuk telling us of the positive answer to the prayers of Yitzchak and Rivka, which is a major step in the ultimate fulfillment of HaShem's promises to Avraham Avinu.



RED ALERT!

TO-L'DOT

by Rabbi Eddie Davis (RED) of the Young Israel of Hollywood - Ft. Lauderdale (Florida)

DIVREI TORAH

<> Rivka finally became pregnant, but had a very difficult time with her pregnancy, and she went to seek Hashem to find out why (25:23). Rashi comments that she went to speak to Sheim, the son of No'ach, who had a Yeshiva nearby. Why did she not consult with Avraham or her husband? The Gur Aryeh wrote that perhaps they would think it was as a result of her sinfulness. I find that hard to accept. They were prophets and would say only what Hashem had told them. The Rashbam wrote that she consulted with prophets in the area. (What prophets were they?!) The Ibn Ezra wrote that maybe she did consult with Avraham. The Radak claimed that Avraham was busy with his new family from Ketura. Others suggest that maybe she davened hard and received the answer directly from Hashem. A key in this matter is that she did not share the answer with her husband.

<> Yaakov successfully purchased the birthright from his older brother Eisav. If you think that the deal was not legal because Eisav did not know the true value of the birthright, the last line of the chapter is quite revealing: Eisav spurned the birthright (25:34). Daat Z'keinim MiBaalei HaTosfot adds an additional comment: From here we learn that if an evil person possesses a Sefer Torah, it is permissible to deceive him in order to get the Sefer Torah from him. 

In 2010 there was a meeting in a kosher restaurant in Washington between the Iraqi ambassador to the US, Rahm Emmanuel, then Chief of Staff in the Obama administration (he is currently the US ambassador to Japan), and Nat Lewin, prominent Jewish lawyer in DC. The Iraqi ambassador claimed that two Jewish American teenage tourists had recently visited Iraq and stole two Torah scrolls and smuggled them to America. He wanted them returned. Mr. Lewin told him that there are no Jews left in Iraq. Iraq does not need them any longer. Mr. Emmanuel agreed with Mr. Lewin. The Iraqi ambassador left abruptly. I believe the Daat Z'keinim would have endorsed the theft as well.

<> Yitzchak was blessed financially while in Philistine territory, to the point that the Philistines were jealous of him (26:14). The animosity grew to the point that Avimelech, the Philistine king expelled Yitzchak from the area. Historically this became a repeated story in our history. When Jews became successful in a host country, the local population would become extremely jealous, thinking the Jews were taking their money from them. In the 18th century, the rabbinical leadership cautioned the Jewish population not to flaunt their financial success, lest the locals will turn on them. During the 2008 Recession in America, Jews stopped the construction of the their big houses in order not to show off their financial success during the time of need for the masses. The lesson is felt: Don't flaunt it!

<> Again we see the town of Be'er Sheva being created due to the oath taken by Avimelech and Yitzchak. Some commentators claim that this must have been a different Be'er Sheva than the one created by Avraham when he entered into a Peace Treaty with Avimelech. It is possible. When Avimelech came, Yitzchak wanted to know why he came. "You hate me", Yitzchak said to him (26:27). Avimelech responded that we see that Hashem is with you. Let's make a deal. So a peace treaty was created even though there was already a peace agreement in place from Avraham's time. (It is possible that it was a different Avimelech. The word Avimelech was reserved for the title of the king of Philistine, similar to the Pharaoh in Egypt, and Agag of Amalek.) A Midrash exists about Samson, questioning the essence of his existence. The Midrash states that the peace treaty from Avraham's time was still in existence. The reason for Samson's life was to cancel that peace treaty!

<> Yitzchak saw Eisav marry two non-Jewish wives and yet still wanted to bless Eisav and give him a prestigious B'RACHA befitting the firstborn. Rivka could never tell her husband straight: Eisav is no good, and he is not your heir. The Netziv commented on the importance of the veil that Rivka put on before meeting her groom when she came with Eliezer. The Netziv wrote that the veil represented the barrier that would exist between them throughout their marriage. This barrier created a true flaw in their marriage. But it was not that she feared her husband. It was a result of a deep reverence that she had for him. Eisav was successful in deceiving his father into believing that he was righteous. So strong did Yitzchak believe in his son that he was willing to overlook Eisav's choices in marriage.

<> After Yaakov successfully deceived his father that he was Eisav, Eisav was furious when he found out what Yaakov did. Esav said (in his heart) that when their father would die, he was going to kill Yaakov. This thought was revealed to Rivka (through a divine spirit (Rashi on 27:42) and yet she could not tell this to her husband. Instead she proposes to her husband to send Yaakov to her brother's house, miles away, to marry within the family. We must come to realize that the entire dynamic in the household resulted from the flaw in the Yitzchak-Rivka marriage. When Sara told her husband to expel Yishmael, Avraham couldn't accept it. It took Hashem to intervene and command Avraham to heed his wife's wishes. I am not sure that Yitzchak would have accepted Rivka's wishes even if she had stated them.

<> When Yitzchak does dispatch Yaakov to Lavan's house, the Torah states that Rivka was the mother of Yaakov and Esav (28:5), and Rashi immediately commented that he does not know what the verse teaches us. What bothers me is that I have an answer to the question. The Torah was contrasting Rivka to Sara. When Sara tells her husband to expel Yishmael, she wasn't Yishmael's mother. It was obvious why she would favor Yitzchak. But in this case, when Rivka favors one son over the other, the Torah tells us that she is the mother of both of them. It is not the equal case as that In Avraham's family. I still don't know why Rashi did not accept my answer.



Questions by RED for Parshat To-l'dot

From the text

1. What meaning did Rivka receive about her pregnancy? (35:23)

2. Why was Yaakov given that name? (25:26)

3. During the famine, to where did Yitzchak move? (26:6)

4. How old was Eisav when he married? (26:34)

5. What did Yitzchak get to eat after he ordered food from Eisav? (27:9)

From the Rashi

6. To whom did Rivka go to find out why her pregnancy was so tough? (25:22)

7. Why did the Philistines plug up the wells that Avraham dug? (26:15)

8. What caused Yitzchak to lose his eyesight? (27:1)

9. During what holiday did Yitzchak wish to bless Eisav? (27:9)

10. What fragrance did Yitzchak smell when Yaakov entered with the goat meat? (27:27)

From the Rabbis

11. When did Eisav wear the precious clothes he stole from Nimrod? (Rashbam)

12. What benefit were Eisav's tears when he learned he lost the precious B'RACHA? (Zohar)

13. How did Eisav think that he could regain the Blessing of Eretz Yisrael (which had been given to Yaakov)? (Rashbam)

Midrash

14. What delayed Eisav in hunting an animal to serve his father?

Haftara - 
Machar Chodesh - Shmuel Alef

15. How is David's life represented by the line "Tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh"?

Relationships

a) Kalev - Betzalel

b) Nachshon - Gershom

c) Aminadav - Pinchas

d) Tamar - Yehuda

e) Elisheva - Gershom



ANSWERS

1. She was having twin boys who will become two nations. And the elder will serve the younger.

2. Because Yaakov was born holding the heel of his brother. (The word Eikev means heel.)

3. To the land of the Philistines.

4. Forty, just like his father.

5. Goat meat.

6. To Sheim, No'ach's son.

7. Because the wells might attract marauders.

8. 

1) Due to the smoke from his idolatrous daughters-in-law. 

2) From the Akeida, the aborted sacrifice when the tears of the angels fell into Yitzchak's eyes. 

3) In order to enable Yaakov to get the B'RACHA.

9. On Pesach

10. The fragrance of the Garden of Eden.

11. When he served his father.

12. We will remain under Eisav's power until we repent and shed tears that can outweigh Eisav's.

13. By marrying the daughter of Yishmael.

14. Hashem purposefully made Eisav less successful to allow Yaakov to complete Rivka's plan.

15. David's career will start anew, beginning tomorrow.

Relationships

a) Great-grandfather & great-grandson

b) Uncle & nephew

c) Great-grandfather & great-grandson

d) Originally daughter-in-law & father-in-law; Later wife & husband

e) Aunt & nephew