Avraham and Eretz Yisrael

Parshat לך לך very strongly emphasizes our connection with Eretz Yisrael. Several times Avraham Avinu is promised that this land is meant exclusively for the Jewish people. Avraham sensed that there was special קדושה that existed only in Israel. He knew the Yeshiva of Shem and Eiver was there as well as many sacrifices being offered there. The important lesson that Avraham understood was that without the Land of Israel, the Jewish people could not achieve its national unity or realize its Messianic calling without Israel. Judaism consists of three major components: Torat Yisrael, Am Yisrael, and Eretz Yisrael. The Torah, the people of Israel, and the Land, are inseparable. It is unnatural for the Jewish people to be outside their land. Avraham understood this and it was his hope that his descendants would understand this for all time.

Those Who Bless You Will Be Blessed

Shavua Tov. There are always connections between the Parsha and the current situation. Avraham Avinu is blessed with the words, ואברכה מברכיך ומקללך אאר, “Those who bless you will be blessed and those who curse you, will be cursed.” This is repeated in פרשת תולדות and again in פרשת בלק. There is a story in the Yerushalmi about a certain Gentile who brought warm greetings to רבי ישמעאל, who told him that there was no need to respond to the greeting. For that greeting itself will bring him great blessings. There is an ongoing question as to whether we are allowed to receive gifts from non-Jews if there are ulterior motives with such gifts. This is especially true in connection with missionaries. Nevertheless, there have been instances of acceptance of such gifts when the donor is believed when he says that the gift is in order to receive Divine blessings. Today we made a מי שברך at the Kotel for Donald Trump that he win the coming election. One of his advisors, Paul Packard, was at the Minyan. In the merit of Trump’s constant loyalty to the Jewish people, he should be blessed and continue to protect עם ישראל.

Avraham and Democracy

This week we read פרשת לך לך. Avraham Avinu needed to leave his homeland in חרן in order to grow spiritually. He was not able to fully connect with Hashem. Outside of Israel, he heard Hashem, but in Eretz Yisrael, Hashem appeared before him. Avraham Avinu taught that to grow as a Jew, one must sometimes isolate himself from family and negative influences. Rabbi Munk in his קול התורה wrote that majority rule, i.e. democracy, is generally a good thing. But majority rule is bad when it does not meet the criterion of Divine truth. One must separate from such a majority. This idea is so relevant today. Western governments emulate the ideals of democracy, but fail to acknowledge its shortfalls. There is very little to prevent these democracies from making immoral laws. The Torah provides checks and balances to see that democracies stick to ethics and morality. It is kind of ironic that Avraham Avinu already knew what so called sophisticated nations today, do not know.

Sin of Cham and Canaan

The incident with נח getting drunk is very puzzling. It is not clear exactly what the sin of Cham was, but it was much worse than merely seeing his father’s nakedness. When the Torah describes this story, it tells us that חם הוא אבי כנען, that חם was the father of כנען. Rashi tells us that his כנען was the troublemaker in this whole tragic affair. He was the one who let חם know that נח was drunk. Perhaps had this information not been let out, חם would not have sinned with his father. It was no surprise that the Land of כנען was an extremely decadent place. Cham represented one who gives in to his physical drives, and he paid a heavy price. The other brothers, Yefet, who appreciated beauty (Greek), and Shem, who appreciated spirituality, were blessed in trying to restore their father’s dignity. The descendants of Cham, were cursed with slavery as a punishment for Cham’s sin.

Monkeys in Bavel

The Gemara in סנהדרין has a unique take on the incident of the Tower of Bavel. The קול התורה of Rabbi Munk claims that this took place ten years before the death of Noach, when Avraham Avinu was forty eight years old. The Gemara says that there were three groups that took part in the building of the tower. One group wished to dwell with G-d in שמים. The second group wanted to make a war with Hashem. And the third group intended to worship עבודה זרה in Heaven. The first group הפיצם ה׳, Hashem scattered around the world. The second group that looked for war, were turned into monkeys! And the idol worshipping group had their languages confused. This is another case of where learning the Gemara helps give a different outlook to a well known biblical story.

Abortion

It is always important to quote a source for a specific Mitzva, especially one that is controversial. There is a great deal of discussion connected with abortion in the United States, as they are about to approve an anti-abortion Supreme Court judge. In Parshat נח, the Seven Noachide Laws were given. One of those laws was the prohibition of murder. The Talmud in מסכת סנהדרין on 57a says the following: “It is learned in the study hall of Rabbi Yishmael, ‘A Noachide is obligated, i.e. given the death penalty, for killing a fetus (עובר). The Pasuk says, שופך דם האדם באדם דמו ישפך, if one spills the blood of a human inside another human, his blood shall be spilled. This refers to an עובר במעי אמו, a fetus in the inside of its mother.” We see clearly from the Gemara that abortion is forbidden for all humanity, Jews and non-Jews alike.

Shiva and the Flood

We are told that the flood began on the seventeenth of Cheshvan, after a seven day waiting period. Rashi tells us that these seven days represent a mourning period for מתושלח, who was considered a righteous man. This is also seen as אסמכתא, a rabbinic law learned from the narrative of the text of the Torah. This is our first introduction to the concept of sitting Shiva. The קול התורה of Rabbi Munk, expands on this idea. He writes that Shiva is not only a time of mourning, but it is also a time for reflection and introspection. It is an opportunity for us to ponder what life is all about, as we grieve for a loved one. This was meant to shake up the generation of the flood, as a last ditch effort to get them to save themselves and mend their ways.

Partial Praise

Shavua Tov. The very first Pasuk of Parshat Noach teaches an important lesson. The Torah describes Noach as איש צדיק תמים, a completely righteous man. Yet, when Hashem speaks directly to נח, He tells him, כי אותך ראיתי צדיק, that I see you as righteous. He only tells him part of his praise and not his complete praise (צדיק תמים). We are taught from here that מקצת שבחו של אדם לפניו וכולו שלא בפניו, that we are only to give partial praise to a person in front of him, but all of his praise, not before him. This idea is to teach us to emphasize humility and to stay away from flattery. Seeking honor and flattery diminishes an individual’s closeness to G-d. This is the subtle lesson taught from the first Pasuk of the Parsha.

Noach and Yosef

Parshat נח reflects a new chapter in the history of mankind. We are interested to learn about the one man of his generation who dared to live differently than the rest of the world. Surprisingly, Rabbi Munk makes a comparison between נח and יוסף. The similarity between the two is that they both lived in a depraved society. Egypt was lacking any sense of morality, where the Rambam says that they were so decadent that men married men, and women married women. Noach lived among those who lived wildly without any regard for their fellow human being. Theft was the sin that Hashem could not tolerate, but they were also engaged in idol worship and immorality. It was remarkable that Yosef and Noach dared to be different than the rest. This takes incredible will power and discipline not to be like everyone else. The Rabbis strongly emphasize the importance of living in a place where people are good, kind, and G-d fearing. Virtually everyone is affected by their surroundings. Yosef and Noach were the exception to the rule.

Man’s Arrogance

The end of Parshat בראשית has a strange Pasuk. The Torah tells us about what Hashem was thinking. It says, ויתעצב אל ליבו, that He was said in His heart. The קול התורה of Rabbi Munk, explains that Hashem was disappointed with man’s behavior. He was given free will and Hashem assumed that man would use that free will to make the correct moral and ethical choices. Hashem now realizes that He needs to amend His approach to make it abundantly clear that man was incapable of making the right choices, unless the consequences of these bad choices was made clear. Every human being needed to be given at least a minimal set of laws to live by for his own benefit, and for the benefit of society. These laws had to be given by Hashem, Himself. If they were made up by man, they were likely to get side tracked and justify oppressive, discriminatory, or immoral laws. If such power were given to man, he might forget to place G-d as the focal point of such laws. This is what we are dealing with today. Man has become so arrogant to believe that he is capable of being more moral than G-d. The Torah foresaw all of this, and this is why, ויתעצב אל לבו, that Hashem was disappointed.

Two Lines

Parshat בראשית speaks about two lines of descendants from אדם הראשון. This is often not noticed when reviewing the Parsha. There is the Cain line that lasted only seven generations and ended. This is the reason the wives of Lemech did not want to have children, because they knew that line would become extinct. The second line was the Seth line that carried on the generations to eternity. The only one who survived the Cain line, was Naama, the wife of Noach. This also explains how the father of Noach was Lemech. This was not the same blind Lemech who killed Cain as well as his son. There were two Lemechs, one from the Cain line and the other from the Seth line. One needs to study the Parsha carefully to pick up on this historical fact. There were twenty generations from Adam to Avraham as pointed out in the Torah from the Adam-Seth line.

יצר הרע

There are a few references to the יצר הרע in פרשת בראשית. The first is in connection with the נחש, the serpent. The Rabbis say that the נחש was the symbol of evil. He was the שטן and יצר הרע merged into one. He was pure evil and he used this evil to entice Eve to sin. The second reference to the יצר הרע was Hashem’s reprimand of Cain, after killing his brother, Abel. He is told that if he chose good, he would be able to overcome the יצר. But if not, the Yeitzer would rule him. And the third reference is reflected in Hashem’s disappointment with man. The Torah says, כי יצר לב האדם רע מנעוריו, that man’s Yeitzer is evil from his youth. In other words, man will give in to the יצר הרע unless he has strict laws that will guard him from the allure of the Yeitzer. For this reason, Rabbi Munk in קול התורה writes how absurd it is for man to believe he is capable of making laws to discipline. It should be obvious to all, that the task of maintaining law and order and good behavior, can only come from G-d given laws, not man’s.

גאולה Depends on אמת

Rav Elazar Abuchatzeira זצ״ל felt that it was important to study books of Mussar on a daily basis to keep a person in check. We could tend to get carried away with ourselves when we find success in our various endeavors. The Mussar books keep us humble and keep us away from שקר. The power of שקר is so great that it can destroy the world. The Maharsha wrote this because שקר contradicts the essence of the world, which is אמת. This explains the difficult period we are all going through. We are surrounded by שקר. Nobody feels they are being told the truth about Corona on many levels. The media is filled with שקר and it’s difficult to know what is true and what is not. The world is upside down as predicted by the Prophet Isaiah. There will come a time when light is darkness and falsehood will be disguised as truth. The כף החיים, Rabbeinu Chaim Flagee, wrote that the גאולה depends on אמת. This is because אמת changes the מידת הדין, the strict letter of the law, to מידת הרחמים, to the measure of mercy. The Redemption, גאולה, can only come through mercy. We must pray that truth will prevail and we will eliminate all of the שקר in the world.

שקר-אמת

Shavua Tov. The בעל הטורים comments on the last letter of the first three words of the Torah, בראשית ברא אלוקים. The three letters spell the word, אמת, meaning truth. This teaches that Hashem created the world באמת, with truth. As it is written in Tehillim, ראש דברך אמת, “the beginning of your words is truth. The sin for שקר, falsehood, and the reward for אמת is so great, that the Sages of the Talmud said that חותמו של הקדוש ברוך הוא אמת, that the seal of Hashem is אמת. The term “חותם” indicates that this is a “red line” that must not be crossed. Therefore, one who is involved in שקר, in word and deed, is as if he denies מעשה בראשית, creation, and such a liar is like an idol worshipper. Rav Elazar Abuchatzeira זצ״ל added to this idea by saying that one must be truthful with himself. He should do a daily self check to analyze himself and how he is doing in serving Hashem and treating people. The שקר and אמת concepts are very serious, indeed.

Cain and Abel

The קול התורה has a different take on the episode of Cain and Abel. The jealousy that existed between the two brothers was not only because Hashem accepted the offering of Abel and not Cain. It was also based on Cain’s desire towards Abel’s twin sister, whom he married. She was exceptionally beautiful and her unavailability to Cain, provoked bad feelings between them. Hashem’s acceptance of Abel’s offering was the last straw, which led to Cain’s attack on Abel. Rabbi Munk adds that Abel became arrogant when he saw that Hashem preferred him over his rival brother. This arrogance of Abel, removed his protection and he was ultimately killed. Cain’s punishment was relatively mild, because Hashem did not wish to put the continuation of the human race in jeopardy. This is a good example of how new ideas are found each year when we learn the weekly Parsha.

Marriage

Parshat בראשית devotes a fair amount of emphasis on the relationship between a husband and wife. There is a strange Midrash that says that male and female were once one entity. Later, Hashem separated them. The bond of marriage was meant to create that same connection, as if they were one entity. There is the famous story of a great rabbi, who took his wife to the doctor for a leg ailment. The rabbi said to the doctor, “Our leg is hurting.” A couple needs to feel that closeness. They need to feel each other’s pain and joy. They are one. The deeper the love and trust that a couple have, the more harmonious is the relationship. The Torah says, לא טוב היות האדם לבדו, “It is not good that man is alone.” He should realize that all of his achievements in this world, are because of his wife. Rabbi Akiva said it best when he told his students about his loving wife, Rachel. שלי ושלכם שלה, “all that I am, and all that you are, is because of her!”

אור הגנוז

The קול התורה of Rabbi Munk, points out that the creation of light meant much more than giving light. It is a hint to the אור הגנוז, the hidden light, reserved for Tzaddikim in the future to reward them for their righteousness. The Torah says, ויבדל אלוקים, that Hashem divided the light. Light was good, but did not rule over the darkness. HaShem instituted the principle of הבדלה, separation. There was שמים and ארץ, and זכר and נקבה, male and female, and ישראל והעמים, Israel and the nations, and good and evil. Man was meant to make the correct choices. He was to choose good over evil, and light over darkness. In the future, light will win. This is what is meant in our daily prayers: אור חדש על ציון תאיר, that a new light will shine in Zion. This light will never be extinguished.

יש מאין

Parshat בראשית describes the creation of the world. There is a great deal of סוד, secrets, in understanding exactly how the world was created. Many commentators emphasize the concept of יש מאין, that Hashem created something out of nothing. In other words, there was no existing matter from which to bring about creation. The קול התורה explains this idea in greater depth. If creation had not come about in the form of יש מאין, it would have implied that Hashem had limitations. It would not have demonstrated Hashem’s absolute powers. Such limitations would reflect imperfections in the world. This could cast doubt on Hashem being the ultimate in perfection and goodness. It would also have implications related to man’s free will. For this reason, יש מאין is emphasized, so as not to diminish from Hashem’s ultimate power. He alone runs the world. He is separate and unique in that none of the laws of nature apply to Him. This concept helps to set Hashem apart from that which exists in the universe. Since He created this universe from nothing, everything in the universe is totally subservient to Him.

נשמת כל חי

This year I plan on using קול התורה, the Call of the Torah, by Rabbi Elie Munk as my primary commentator on the Parsha. It was originally written in French, and is a pretty comprehensive coverage of the Parsha. Rabbi Munk quotes the words, נשמת כל חי, the soul of every living being, desires to bless Hashem. This is directly related to the ultimate purpose of creation. Whether an individual is aware of this or not, his soul strongly desires to acknowledge and give praise to the Creator. Perhaps this explains what is so messed up with the world. According to Pew Research Center, more than fifty per cent of the Western world, do not think that belief in G-d is a prerequisite towards learning values and morality. This negates this innate desire of all of creation to recognize G-d. Perhaps this is the primary lesson to be learned from the Corona Pandemic. The world needs to wake up to the reality, that Hashem is the One that runs the world. Man does not.

קשה עלי פרידתכם

Shavua Tov. Hard to believe that the holidays are behind us. This year was very different from other years. And to cap off this upside down year, I davened with Chabad today and they literally flipped the Chazzan upside down after Mussaf! It must be some kind of sign. Despite all of the turmoil of the Corona, the Chagim did represent a certain calm and purity not normally felt in other years. I could see Hashem’s words resonate concerning שמיני עצרת and שמחת תורה. It was difficult for Hashem to take leave of his cherished people, and he said, קשה עלי פרידתכם, parting from you is very hard. Therefore, we were commanded to stay another day for שמיני עצרת and שמחת תורה. The long, dark winter is ahead of us, and it will not be until Pesach when Jerusalem is again flooded with people. We are to try and take hold of this lofty state of Kedusha that we acquired, and have it with us all winter, so that we maintain this level of connection. May we all have a healthy winter with a great deal of Torah and Chessed as the cornerstone of our lives.