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Cortesy of Partners-in-Torah "And he (Abraham) lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing
over him, and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent and bowed toward
the ground Let a little water be brought and I will fetch bread so that you
may nourish yourselves." (18:2-5) Abraham excelled in the mitzvah of hosting
guests. Three days after he had circumcised himself at the age of 99, Hashem
didn't want Abraham to burden himself with caring for guests. He brought a heat
wave to deter all travelers on that day. Still, the weak Abraham's greatest
concern was that the unusually hot weather would deny him the merit of welcoming
guests. Abraham decided to sit at the entrance of his tent in the hopes that he
might spy a stray traveler. When Hashem saw Abraham's suffering over
the lack of guests, He sent three angels in the guise of people. Rejoicing at
this improbable turn of events, the elderly and weak Abraham ran to personally
invite them to his home to serve them. Abraham proceeded to serve them a lavish
and abundant feast with one exception: although he was generous with all of the
other courses, he instructed that only a small amount of water be brought for
them. As caring for guests was Abraham's raison d'etre and he was so generous
with all of the other portions, why wasn't he as generous when it came to the
water? The following story will help us answer
this question. On one of his travels, Rabbi Yisrael Salanter (1810-1883) spent
Shabbos in a small village. The locals were excited about the opportunity to
host the renowned Rabbi in their community and to learn from his pious ways.
When the time came to wash his hands prior to the meal, his hosts were surprised
to notice that he used a very small amount of water. Worried that they had done something wrong
or offended the Rabbi in some way, they respectfully asked for an explanation of
his behavior. Rabbi Salanter explained that the water in this village was drawn
from a distant well. Carrying the water over this long distance was a very
difficult task. Although he was normally accustomed to washing his hands with
more water, in this case it would be inappropriate to do so at the expense of
the water-carrier. In light of this story, Rabbi Yaakov Neiman
in his work Darkei Mussar explains that almost all of the preparations for the
meal were performed by Abraham. The actions which he did on behalf of the guests
were done with great alacrity and revealed a giving spirit. The water, on the
other hand, was the one item which Abraham asked somebody else to bring. As much
as he wanted to offer the guests generous portions, he understood, as did Rabbi
Salanter, that it would be inappropriate to do so at someone else's expense. The commandments are traditionally divided
into two categories: those between man and Hashem, and those between man and his
fellow man. As piety is often associated with the mitzvos in the first group, it
is natural for somebody wishing to demonstrate his religious devotion to
emphasize this type at the expense of the commandments governing our
interpersonal relationships. In reality, our forefather Abraham teaches us that
true piety requires recognizing that both classes emanate equally from Hashem
and must be balanced accordingly. "He said I will return to you next year,
and Sarah, your wife, will have a son.' Sarah was listening at the door of the
tent, that was behind him." 18:10 The birth of the Jewish nation on Pesach upon their
exodus from Egypt on the 15th of Nissan, 2448, was preceded by an equally
significant event exactly four hundred years earlier; the birth of Yitzchak, the
second of the Patriarchs. This impeccable timing was certainly no mere
coincidence. The events of Yitzchak's birth bore striking similarities to the
events of the Exodus. The likelihood of a barren set of aged parents bearing a
child was not much greater than the escape of millions of slaves from an
extremely powerful country. Just as Yitzchak was born only after years of
devoted service to Hashem under the most trying circumstances, the Jewish people
were redeemed only after years of loyal adherence to Jewish principles, while
cruelly enslaved. Great events in Jewish history are always preceded by the
monumental and unlikely accomplishments of individuals, sometimes many
generations earlier. Each time the Jewish people were written off as hopeless,
they soon arose stronger than ever before, thanks to the few individuals who
ignored the gloomy prognostications of the experts. What at first seems like a
noble but inadequate effort, soon flourishes beyond anyone's wildest
expectations. "Hashem said, Shall I conceal from Avraham
that which I am about to do [i.e. destroy Sodom]?" 18:17 Sforno's words, not only clarify
Avraham's perplexing behavior in praying and negotiating on behalf of the
horrendous sinners of Sodom, they also favorably illuminate the Almighty's
approach to meting out justice. Rather than view the events at Sodom as a prime
example of G-d's intolerance for sinners, perceive it as a symbol of His
boundless patience, and willingness, to endure sinners even when their actions
appear incorrigible. So hesitant was He to destroy the unusually corrupt and
cruel people of Sodom, that He sought every possible indication, however remote,
that they were still in the realm of Teshuvah. It was not until He was convinced
that they were truly irredeemable, that He consented to do away with them. An
honest observer would conclude that this demonstrates far more patience on His
part for sinners, than even His greatest critics would display under similar
circumstances. "Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who
had married his daughters. He said to them, Get up! Get out of this place, for
Hashem is going to destroy the city! He appeared as a jester in the eyes of his
sons-in-law." 18:14 Unquestionably, Lot shared with his sons-in-law some
of the miraculous events that had taken place in his home that evening, and
surely his sons-in-law were well aware of the corrupt nature of their
surroundings. Furthermore, Lot was a well-respected person in Sodom, only
recently appointed as a magistrate by the townspeople, and as such, his children
should have at least suspected that he may be telling the truth. Why were they
so stubbornly opposed to his message? After all, his two unmarried daughters
went right along with their father and uttered nary a conflicting word? The
answer is that his two married children were already well set-up from a
financial and social standpoint. They owned property and cattle, and they were
simply not mentally prepared to uproot themselves from all they had built. Faced
with the prospect of deserting their material wealth, or ridiculing their
father-in-law, they chose the easier route. Sadly for them, they never had a
chance to "live with the consequences" of their willing blindness. They, along
with the rest of Sodom, died that very night, a direct consequence of their
decision to avoid the truth that stared them in the face. Dear Mrs. Bulow, Laura, Rachel was Jacob's second wife and the
sister of Leah, his first wife. How these two sisters came to marry Jacob, is a
fascinating and inspiring story. Jacob had a twin brother named Esau who
greatly resented Jacob's exceptional spiritual achievements. Esau chose a very
different path in life and earned a reputation as a dishonest and corrupt
person. Eventually his anger toward Jacob grew to such an extent that Jacob was
forced to go live with his uncle Laban, who had two single daughters; Leah and
Rachel. It was common knowledge that Leah would eventually marry the older
brother Esau, whereas Jacob would marry Rachel. Aghast at the possibility that
she would be coerced to marry an evil man, Leah shed bitter tears until her eyes
grew tender' from the many tears she shed. Apparently Esau too, was not in
favor of the match, and he wound up marrying a number of other women, none of
high repute. Jacob negotiated with Laban to work for
seven years for the privilege of marrying Rachel. At the end of the seven years,
Jacob was ready for his wedding. The deceitful Laban, however, wanted to marry
off his older daughter first, so he planned to trick Jacob and substitute Leah
for Rachel. Rachel knew this, so she and Jacob came up with specific signs by
which Jacob could identify her even if she was veiled and silent. Rachel
however, couldn't bear the thought of her sister being publicly humiliated and
she divulged the signs to Leah. This was a much bigger deal than "just" giving
up her wedding day. In Rachel's mind, she thought that she was forfeiting her
husband altogether. Her sacrifice was even greater when you consider the fact
that both she and Leah prophetically foresaw that Jacob was destined to bear 12
sons and become the father of a great nation. By allowing Leah to marry Jacob,
Rachel knew that she was possibly forfeiting her opportunity to be the mother of
that great nation. Fortunately for Rachel, Laban agreed to
accept seven more years of Jacob's labor in exchange for her hand in marriage as
well. Although Rachel was technically his second wife, she was Jacob's most
beloved. Ironically, Leah bore Jacob 6 sons, more than any of his other wives.
All this time, Rachel remained barren and suffered greatly from her
childlessness. It wasn't until many years passed and many tears were shed, that
Rachel finally bore a son whom she named Joseph. Sadly, Rachel died in
childbirth with her second son, Benjamin. The Torah tells us, "She was buried on
the road to Ephrat which is Bethlehem. Jacob set up a monument over her grave;
it is the monument of Rachel's grave until today. (Gen. 35:19)" Jacob specifically chose this site for her
burial, because it was on the very road that the Jewish people would travel, as
they were exiled from Jerusalem many years later. He anticipated that they would
cry out to her in their anguish, and that her tears on their behalf would have a
marked effect on the Almighty. The Medrash [Eichah, Hakdamah 24] tells us
that one thousand years later, the Jewish people stood on the brink of
annihilation. Hashem was infuriated over their idolatrous behavior, and the
souls of many righteous individuals pleaded in vain for mercy on their behalf.
Only Rachel's supplications were effective, as she reminded Hashem of her
willingness to tolerate her husband marrying another woman. "Surely," she
reasoned, "My mercy for my sister cannot be greater than yours for the Jewish
people? I agreed to allow a foreigner to stand between my husband and me.
Surely, you can accept the betrayal of Your beloved children as they stray to
foreign deities." Rachel first began advocating on our
behalf when we went into the Babylonian exile, and she continues to cry on our
behalf up until this very day. Her pleas still have a special effect, and her
extra-ordinary sacrifice on behalf of her sister, serves as a powerful example
of the love one Jew must have for another. It is for these reasons that Rachel
is especially revered, and that her tomb is visited so frequently. May her merit stand as a protection for us
all. All the best, The question is often asked: Why is the
Akeidah (Binding of Isaac) viewed as uniquely Avraham's trial? While Avraham was
indeed being tested, surely the Akeidah was a great trial for Yitzchak as well!
Yitzchak, when told of his father's purpose, acquiesced wholeheartedly; indeed,
his conduct during those fateful three days leading up to his ascent to the
altar teaches us lasting lessons in proper service of Hashem. Avraham and
Yitzchak were partners in approaching the Akeidah. Why, then, is the trial
aspect of the Akeidah not ascribed to both? Since it was Yitzchak's life that
was being requested, should the trial not be described as least equally as his?
When this question was asked of the Alter
of Novaradok, R' Yoseif Yoizel Horowitz, he replied: It is harder to live like
a Jew than to die like a Jew." Rabbi Nosson Scherman would explain the
Alter's words as follows: True, Yitzchak faced the challenge: Was he ready to
offer his life? But once he stood up to that challenge, his trial would be over.
He would not have to deal with the aftermath of his trial. He would ascend to
Har HaMoriah, and remain there, having surrendered his life in the service of
Hashem retiring from the scene in a blaze of glory. Although the supreme
sacrifice of one's life is not to be taken lightly, such acts of heroism are not
uncommon in human experience. Even ordinary people can rise to such greatness;
surely Yitzchak would not be expected to do less. The challenge facing Avraham, however, was
that after he would carry out Hashem's command, he would have to go on living.
He would have to face an unbelieving world, and his wife Sara. He would have to
continue opening his home to wayfarers and entertaining guests, though they
would now most likely be afraid to accept hospitality from the barbarous old man
who had killed his own son. He would have to find a way to continue spreading
the ways of chesed (kindness) to a world that would regard him as the greatest
of hypocrites. And he would always wonder if his sin of failing to marry off
Yitzchak in a timely manner had caused this unspeakable tragedy. Yitzchak had to
die as a Jew; but Avraham had to bear the infinitely harder burden of carrying
on, and continuing to live like a Jew. Q: Abraham was the
paragon of piety and righteousness. Without precedent, he had single-handedly
discovered Hashem as the Creator of the universe, intuited the laws of the
Torah, obeyed them even before it was given, and spread the knowledge of Hashem
among his contemporaries. He had already passed the vast majority of the ten
tests to which Hashem subjected him with flying colors. Why, then, is it only
after passing the test of the binding of Isaac that the angel tells him (22:12),
"Now I know that you are a G-d-fearing person?" Hadn't Abraham demonstrated that
by his willingness to risk his own life rather than bow down to Nimrod's idols? A: The Vilna Gaon
explains that the value of a mitzvah is measured by the degree to which its
performance runs counter to one's natural inclinations, and therefore represents
a more difficult test of his devotion to Hashem. Abraham had clearly proven his
devotion to Hashem and had passed numerous trials, but a number of them played
into the central attribute of his Divine service, which was chesed (kindness).
On the other hand, although the willingness to personally sacrifice one's own
son to Hashem is difficult for any father, its challenge was significantly more
complex for one whose entire life was devoted to the trait of kindness. As this
test required Abraham to act counter to his nature and everything that he stood
for, it is considered the trial which uniquely demonstrated Abraham's devotion
to Hashem. Q: Rashi writes (21:1) that the section
recounting Sarah's conception of Isaac is juxtaposed to Abraham's prayers that
Avimelech's wife and maids be able to conceive (20:17-18) to teach that if one
prays on behalf of another person when he himself needs that same thing, he will
be answered first. It is traditionally understood that this procedure works as a
reward for the selflessness demonstrated by somebody who desperately needs
something himself, yet he is able to magnanimously overlook his own personal
needs in order to pray for another person in need of that very same thing. A man
once asked Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein whether this technique will still be
effective when a person needs something and knows of another person who needs
the same thing and he prays for that person only out of a hope that doing so
will cause him to be answered, or must the prayers for the other be genuine and
heartfelt in order for this method to work? A: Rabbi Zilberstein
replied by quoting the Maharal's explanation of this concept. The Maharal writes
that Hashem is the source of all blessing which come to the world. However, in
order for His blessings to descend upon a person, there must be a conduit which
connects that person to the Heavenly source of goodness and thereby facilitates
the transfer. One such possible channel is prayer. When we pray to Hashem, we
connect ourselves to Him and allow Him to bestow His bounty upon us. When one
prays on behalf of another and his prayers are answered, he becomes the channel
which links his friend to the Divine source of blessing. When a person uses a hose to water his
lawn, the hose which serves as the conduit for the transfer of water becomes
wet even before the grass does. Similarly, one who merits serving as the medium
by which Hashem bestows His kindness upon another becomes "wet" with the
goodness even before it reaches its ultimate target. Therefore, although it may
be contrary to conventional wisdom, the power of prayer is so great that one who
prays for his friend even for ulterior motives will still merit to be
answered first! Table Talk: For discussion around the
Shabbos TableParsha PartnerTM
Parshas
VAYEIRA
Parsha
Perspectives
By
Ozer Alport
Talking
Points
Rabbi
Elazar Meisels
1. The Longest Pesach
2. Real Tolerance
3.
Cognitive Dissonance
Partners
Talk
Mama Rachel
This past week I got into a conversation about the Matriarch Rachel. Somebody
mentioned that her yahrtzeit is around this time of year, and that many women in
Israel mark the day with a visit to her tomb. Can you tell me why so many women
seem to have such a special affection for Rachel?
Thanks so much, Laura G.
Indeed, the yahrzeit of Rachel was this past Tuesday, the 11th of the Hebrew
month of Cheshvan (corresponding this year to October 23), and Rachel does seem
to be particularly beloved among our four Matriarchs. Perhaps we can better
understand why, if we get to know a little more about her.
Aliza Bulow
SOULTALK
Hey,
I never knew that!
Amazing
Insights About the Weekly Parsha
By Ozer
Alport
a) The sin which
caused Hashem to decide to destroy Sodom was their opposition to acts of charity
and kindness to the poor (Yechezkel 16:49). As helping the poor isn't one of the
seven mitzvos in which non-Jews are commanded, why were they punished for
refusing to do so? (Rabbeinu Bechaye, Kovetz Ma'amarim by Rabbi Elchanon
Wasserman)
b )As Abraham was about to slaughter his son
Isaac, an angel called out to him from heaven and ordered him to stop (22:11).
Why was the original command to take Isaac up as an offering given by Hashem
(22:2) while the command to cease and desist came from an angel? (Tiferes Torah
by Rabbi Shimshon Pinkus)
Torah Umesorah, the National
Society for Hebrew Day Schools
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