Parsha Partner^TM
Parshas LECH LECHA

Parsha Perspectives

By Ozer Alport

"And Hashem took Abraham outside and said, 'Gaze now toward the Heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.' And Hashem said, 'So shall your offspring be!' ". (15:5)

In the times of Abraham, the kings of four major kingdoms in the region went to war against an alliance of five other kingdoms. In the ensuing battles, Abraham's nephew Lot, who lived in one of the warring regions, was taken captive. Upon hearing about this, the hopelessly outnumbered Abraham armed himself and his disciples and went to battle to rescue Lot.

After Abraham miraculously defeated the armies of the four kings and rescued Lot and the other captured people and possessions, he feared that the miracles Hashem performed on his behalf had detracted from the reward awaiting him in the World to Come. Hashem reassured him and promised that his reward would be very great. Abraham then expressed his worry that he had no children to inherit his spiritual legacy, to which Hashem replied by promising that he would merit having children.

Hashem then took Abraham outside and instructed him to gaze toward the Heavens. He challenged Abraham to attempt to count the number of stars and cryptically added, "So shall your offspring be." Why did Hashem present him with such an impossible task, and what did He mean with His blessing, "So will your offspring be?"

Rabbi Meir Shapiro explains that although finite, the number of stars is clearly beyond human comprehension, and certainly uncountable with the naked eye. An intelligent person who is challenged to count them will certainly decline the impossible task. Knowing that he will be unable to successfully finish the project, he will choose not to even begin. Abraham was also aware of this reality. Nevertheless, when Hashem suggested that he attempt to count the stars, he quickly went outside, looked up in the sky, and began counting, "One, two, three."

Abraham was undaunted by apparent restrictions and natural limitations, recognizing that the power of one's will and his commitment to a project can allow him to succeed where others could only see the obstacles. Upon recognizing Abraham's contagious enthusiasm and willingness to disregard naysayers, Hashem quickly blessed him that his offspring should be a nation known for their dedication and perseverance against all odds. This blessing has constantly been fulfilled as the Jewish people struggled throughout the centuries as the most persecuted people in history, yet continuously outlived their many oppressors and tormentors.

Not surprisingly, Rabbi Meir Shapiro whose yahrtzeit (7 Cheshvan) traditionally falls in the week of Parshas Lech Lecha lived by his own teachings. More than any other single figure in the 20th century, he single-handedly revolutionized Torah study as we know it today through his development of the concept of Daf Yomi learning one page of Talmud daily.

The odds of his program spreading and taking off were clearly stacked against him. The potential for any of a number of obstacles to derail his plan before it got off the ground was great. Yet like his forefather Abraham before him, Rabbi Meir Shapiro, whose memory we honor this week, ignored the probability of not succeeding, realizing that with the aid of the fire which burned within him, he would be able to reach the stars, and beyond!

Talking Points

Rabbi Elazar Meisels

1. Two Simple Words

"And Hashem said to Avraham, 'Go to yourself, from your land, from your birthplace, and from the house of your father to the land which I shall show you. And there I will make you a great nation'" 12:1,2

• "Lech Lechah" [Go To Yourself] Hidden within these two seemingly modest words are many important historical allusions:
  • Their numerical equivalent is 100, symbolic of the fact that he will not be made into a great nation until he is 100 years old, when Isaac will be born. - Medrash
  • They denote the fact that he will live another hundred years from the time that he followed these instructions [he was seventy yrs. old when these instructions were transmitted to him but he was 75 yrs. old at the time that he left his birthplace, and he lived until 175]
  • Each of these words [Go] represents one of the two [major] exiles that his offspring would eventually be forced into
  • "Lech" [go] Lechach the second word which equals fifty, represents the fifty generations of Jewish people that lived in Eretz Yisroel before being driven into the exile. The fact that he was 70 yrs. olds at the time of this promise, alludes to the fact that they would return after only 70 years of exile in Bavel Baal HaTurim

Every word of the Torah is imbued with layers upon layers of meaning and symbolism. Nowhere is this more evident than when the Torah discusses the lives of the patriarchs, whose lives served as a prototype for the Jewish nation. Rather than satisfy ourselves with grasping only the simple meaning of the text, we must strive to gain ever-deeper insight into the bottomless words of the holy Torah.

2. VIP Status

"And they captured Lot and his wealth, the nephew of Avraham, and he dwelt in Sodom." 14:12

• The Nephew Of Avraham Did we still not know that Lot was the nephew of Avraham? Rather, this informs us that Lot's capture was motivated by something other than the reason for which they seized the rest of Sodom, who were their enemies and were imprisoned out of hatred and vengeance. Lot was not a native Sodomite, and therefore he would not necessarily have been a target. Rather, it was his relationship to Avraham, their intellectual adversary, which caused him to be taken into custody. Our sages explain that Amraphel was really Nimrod, with whom Avraham had engaged in a religious duel much earlier, and this was his opportunity to strike back at Avraham. He hoped that by imprisoning Lot, Avraham would engage in the war and fall captive as well, and diminish his effectiveness as a moralist. Ksav V'kabbalah

History follows a constant and fixed pattern. First the non-believer attempts to overpower the Jew in an intellectual duel, and when that inevitably fails, he seeks to physically vanquish him. Since the threat to our physical harm emanates directly from our loyalty to Hashem's service, we merit a special protection from Hashem, unavailable to any other nation. Consequently, we are the only nation to withstand the myriad threats to our existence, over a period of thousands of years.

 3. Surgical Perfection

"And Avraham was ninety-nine years old and Hashem appeared to Avraham and said to him, 'I am El Shaddai! Serve me and be perfect.'" 17:1

• Serve Me And Be Complete Serve Me through performing circumcision and through this you will be perfect [complete.] - Rashi
• And Be Complete Don't question My reasons for instructing you in the mitzvah of Bris Milah Ibn Ezra

The mitzvah of Bris Milah immediately preceded the conception and birth of Yitzchak. It symbolized an exalted level of spiritual attainment that only Avraham had managed to acquire. In his time, the act of circumcision was considered foreign and sacrilegious and required great courage on Avraham's part to agree to it. Nevertheless, he consented to do it, knowing that it was not optional if he wished to produce the Jewish nation, for whom circumcision would be an integral part of their spiritual curriculum. His self-sacrifice in this area has served as a model for future generations, who would constantly be challenged to forgo this ritual by anti-Semitic despots. Just as Avraham withstood their exhortations to refuse to circumcise, his children have faithfully adhered to this commandment even when it cost them their very lives.

Partners Talk

Bris

Dear Rabbi,
I know that a baby boy is supposed to have his Bris on the eighth day. However, I've heard that sometimes parents postpone the Bris and it is done on a Sunday. Is that for convenience sake? Is this allowable?
Thanks for your help, Dana W.

Dana,
Circumcision, or Bris Milah as it is known in Hebrew, is considered a mitzvah of major importance, for it affirms the covenant that our Patriach Abraham made with G-d when he was commanded to perform a Bris on himself at the age of 99, some 3700 years ago. Our Sages tell us that when one is judged after death, Abraham comes to his defense, if he has had a Bris. In addition, the Torah tells us that we are required to override some of the Shabbat laws for a Bris that falls on Shabbat (there are a number of technicalities regarding this override and a Rabbi should be consulted on a case-by-case basis). Clearly, then, the Mitzvah of Circumcision is extremely important and like any mitzvah, should never be postponed for frivolous reasons.

However, there are legitimate medical reasons to postpone a Bris. A newborn's constitution is delicate and the Torah does not want us to compromise his health. Our Sages have given us symptoms to look for in order to determine if the Bris is contraindicated on the eighth day. For example, if the baby ran a fever during the days leading up to the Bris, then we need to wait seven full days (168 hours) from the time the fever subsided. This could sometimes result in postponing the Bris for an additional week or more. Furthermore, if the baby's complexion turns yellowish during the days preceding the Bris, we wait until the skin returns to its normal color. In some cases, the complexion does not return to its normal color for several days following the eighth day.

When a Bris is postponed, there are some authorities who rule that if the day of the newborn's recovery (from fever or jaundice, for example) falls on a Thursday or Friday, we postpone the Bris until Sunday, so that the newborn's three-day recuperation will not take place during Shabbat. The reason is that some medical necessity may arise during the recuperation period, which will require us to break the laws of the Sabbath. Although putting aside the Shabbat laws for a legitimate medical concern is not only permissible, but even considered a mitzvah, we try to avoid such a possibility, when the scheduling is in our control. However, if the boy is born on a Thursday or Friday, and the eighth day for the Bris therefore falls on either a Thursday or Friday, we do not postpone the circumcision, since the Mitzvah requires a Bris on the eighth day, and the scheduling is based on Torah law and is not in our control.

So, in answer to your question, Dana, you will find that many postponed circumcisions take place on Sunday for the above consideration. However, one may only postpone a Bris for a bona fide medical problem. Many times, the Mohel (who is the individual who performs the circumcision procedure) will consult with a Rabbinic authority in order to determine whether the Bris should take place on the eighth day. (Parenthetically, I might add that a Rabbinic authority oftentimes consults with a pediatrician in order to understand how current medical opinion views the condition the newborn presents. In conjunction with the Rabbinic literature, the Rabbi will render his ruling.)

In the absence of medical consideration, the Bris should not be postponed. In fact, it should be scheduled before mid-day on the eighth day, if possible, in order to demonstrate one's eagerness to perform the Mitzvah. Regrettably, we sometimes hear of individuals who postpone the Bris to a Sunday in order that more family and relatives can attend. Such a decision, however, is not in conformity with Torah principles.

I hope you are granted the opportunity to make a Bris in your family, Dana, and raise boys and girls who cling to our Torah.  

Rabbi Reuven Drucker

Soul Talk

Rambam (Maimonides), in his Hilchos Teshuvah (10:2), discusses the lofty level of Avraham's Divine service:

"One who serves Hashem out of love will busy himself with the study of Torah and the performance of mitzvos (commandments) not due to any external consideration, neither for fear of punishment nor in order to receive reward. Rather, he does what is true simply because it is truth; and the reward will come as a result. This is a very lofty level, and not every wise man is able to achieve it. This is the level attained by our Patriarch Abraham, whom Hashem called My beloved one,' for he served Hashem only out of love. And this is the level that Hashem commanded each of us through Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses) to try to achieve, as the verse states (Devarim 6:2): And you shall love Hashem, your God. When one reaches the proper level of love for Hashem, he will immediately perform all of the mitzvos out of love."

We see that Rambam defines the basis of service out of love (avodah mei'ahavah) as doing what is true because it is the truth." R' Shlomo Wolbe, in his Alei Shur, notes that this is also what we call performing a mitzvah lishmah, for its own sake." But the question arises: Why is it necessary for one to perform every mitzvah solely because it is the truth? As long as he knows that it is the truth, why does the fact that he has a secondary motive detract from the performance of the mitzvah?

To understand this, R' Wolbe directs us to a statement of Rambam in Sefer HaMitzvos (3): . . . we are commanded to love Hashem. This means that we must contemplate and ponder His commandments, His statements and His deeds, until we understand them and we derive the greatest possible enjoyment from this understanding this is the love that we are required to achieve."

From this we see that love of Hashem is based on true understanding of His ways, which can be reached only through delving into His words and deeds. And only when one has reached the level of the greatest possible enjoyment from his understanding has he attained the level of loving Hashem. If his understanding does not afford him joy, he has not reached love of Hashem! Thus, one who performs the mitzvos knowing they are the truth, but also has secondary motives, cannot be said to love Hashem, for he has not reached the level of ultimate enjoyment. If he had, there would be no room in his performance for any ulterior motives. One who serves out of true love for Hashem does so for this reason alone, and no other.

Hey, I never knew that!

Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha
By Ozer Alport

Q: As Abraham and Sarah approached Egypt, Abraham asked Sarah to pretend to be his sister so that the Egyptians will give him presents on account of her (12:13). Why was Abraham, who later refused to accept even the smallest gift from the king of Sodom, so interested in receiving gifts from the Egyptians?

A: There was once a man who fell into difficult financial straits. Unable to pay for even his most basic necessities, he had no choice but to begin accepting loans. Unfortunately, his situation didn't improve and his debts continued to accrue. Recognizing his desire to pay off his debts and his frustration over lacking the means to do so, a friend offered to pay off the loans for him as a present. The man was very appreciative of his friend's generosity, but felt uncomfortable accepting financial gifts of such magnitude. Though his friend encouraged him to reconsider, he remained obstinate in his position, justifying his decision with the verse in Proverbs (15:27) "one who hates gifts will live."

With neither friend willing to budge, they agreed to present their "dispute" to a Rabbi for resolution. After hearing the two sides, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein ruled that the debtor is obligated to accept the gift. He supported his ruling as follows.

After leaving Egypt to return to Canaan, the Torah relates (13:3) that Abraham traveled on the same path which he had taken on his way down. Rashi explains that he stayed in the same inns in which he had lodged on his way to Egypt. As he had lacked the means to pay for his accommodations, he was forced to stay in lodging which extended him a line of credit. On his way back home, he was careful to stop at each of these inns to pay the bills he had accumulated.

We can now understand that as Abraham approached Egypt in a time of famine, he feared that on his return journey he would be no better off than before and would have no means to pay off his creditors. As much as he was loathe to accept gifts, he was even more uncomfortable remaining a debtor to people who had been kind enough to help him in his time of need. Out of desperation, he hatched a plan to claim that Sarah was his sister so that the Egyptians would shower him with gifts, thereby allowing him to repay his debts. We see from Abraham that it is indeed appropriate for a person facing financial hardship to accept gifts in order to pay off the debts he has accrued!

Q: The Talmud (Berachos 7b) derives from 15:8 that Abraham was the first person in history to call Hashem adon Master. Which practices that we observe are based on this historical fact?

A:The author of a new commentary on the Siddur (prayer-book) brought his manuscript to the great Vilna Gaon to receive his comments and request a letter of approbation. The Gaon began to examine the work and noticed that the author suggested an original insight explaining why the morning prayers begin with Adon Olam (Master of the World).

The Talmud (Berachos 26b) teaches that each of the forefathers instituted one of the three daily prayers: Abraham enacted Shacharis, Isaac originated Mincha, and Jacob introduced Maariv. As the morning prayers were instituted by Abraham, who was the first person to refer to Hashem as Adon, we therefore begin Shacharis with Adon Olam. Upon reading this, the Gaon was overcome with joy and remarked that if only for the beauty and truth of this one insight, the publication of the entire work is justified!

In a similar vein, the Meshech Chochmah by Rabbi Meir Simcha of Devinsk explains why we are accustomed to wear a Tallis and Tefillin only during the morning prayers, even though both commandments are applicable all day. After miraculously defeating the armies of the four kings, Abraham brought back all of the people and possessions which had been taken captive. The King of Sodom suggested that Abraham return to him the people while keeping the possessions for himself. Lest the wicked king of Sodom take credit for making him rich, Abraham refused to accept any gifts, emphatically swearing (14:23) that he wouldn't accept even a thread or a shoestrap. The Talmud (Sotah 17a) teaches that in the merit of this statement, Abraham's descendants received the mitzvos of Tallis and Tefillin. Although they may be worn the entire day, because we merited receiving them through the actions of Abraham, we are accustomed to commemorate this by wearing them only during Shacharis, the morning prayers!

Table Talk: For discussion around the Shabbos Table

a) In commanding Abraham to leave his homeland, Hashem promised him that in his new location he would merit to have children and become a great nation, would become wealthy, and would become well-known and respected (12:1-2). Why is leaving his homeland considered one of the ten tests of faith to which Hashem submitted Abraham (Avos 5:3) if he was promised such great reward for doing so? (Panim Yafos by Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz, Darkei Mussar by Rabbi Yaakov Neiman, Darash Moshe Vol. 2 by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein)

b) After a quarrel broke out between the shepherds of Abraham and the shepherds of Lot, Abraham suggested to Lot that they should part ways for the sake of peace, suggesting that Lot could choose to go to the right and he would go to the left, or vice-versa (13:7-9). If the purpose was to separate from one another, why was it necessary for both of them to move instead of merely allowing Lot to travel in whichever direction he so desired, or choose to stay put and allow Abraham to leave? (Meged Yosef by Rabbi Yosef Sorotzkin, MiTzion Mich'lal Yofee by Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl)

SHIDDUCHIM for RUSSIAN BAALEY TESHUVAH Worldwide in Russian

Please visit our web page http://www.kehilasmy.org

Buy books with 10% off from Artscroll and Artscroll will donate us 5% of your purchase: