Moshe Rabbeinu is approached by Hashem for the first time by the Burning Bush on Har Sinai, which was the place that Hashem would give the Torah in the future to the Jewish People. Hashem asks Moshe to lead the Jewish People out of Egypt in this week’s Torah portion of Shemos.
The Pirkei DiRebbe Eliezer (perek 40) relates part of the conversation Hashem had with Moshe: “Hashem said to him, ‘Go and I will send you to Pharaoh.’ He responded before Him, ‘Master Of The Universe, didn’t I tell You that I don’t have the power, for I have a blemished tongue,’ as it says ‘And Moshe said to Hashem, I am not a man of words’ (Shemos 4:10). ‘Not only this but You are also sending me into the hands of my enemies, who want to do bad to me, didn’t I run away from them?’ As it says, ‘And Moshe ran away from before Pharaoh’ (Shemos 2:15). Hashem said back to Moshe, ‘You should not be afraid from them for all those who have requested to take away your life have already died.’ Did they really die? Weren’t they still alive? Rather they lost all their money. From here you learn that whoever loses all their money is as if they are dead. That is why the pasuk says ‘For all the people who seek your life have died’ (Shemos 4:19).”
The Bayis Hagadol, (or Be’ur Maspik) says these people who wished Moshe dead were Dasan and Aviram. However, it’s obviously impossible to confirm their deaths in Egypt, since the Torah says they died as part of the argument between Korach and Moshe Rabbeinu in the desert after The Exodus. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Rada”l, Rav Dovid Luria, says that the medrish is making an inference from the fact that Hashem said that ‘all who were out to kill you have died,’ must mean that Moshe had claimed to Hashem that ‘you are sending me into the hands of my enemy.’ Moshe told Hashem that ‘I don’t want to put myself in danger,’ even if Hashem had commanded him to, for there is a concept in gemara Pesachim 8b that in cases where there is a “clear and present danger” one shouldn’t rely solely on bitachon [trust] in Hashem. Even though this itself is a big chiddush [leap] and a shmuz [lesson] in and of itself, yet Hashem’s response is what I want to focus on. Hashem said to Moshe that there was nothing to worry about because your enemies are dead, even though they weren’t really dead but were halachically considered dead because they had lost all their money. (Click here and here and here for Hebrew text.)
Moshe bought into this, seemingly assuming they were really dead, to the extent that the Rada”l adds in that it’s possible Yisro gave permission to Moshe to return to Egypt with his wife and children and was not concerned about their danger. This was even though he knew Pharaoh had thrown Moshe in jail before he escaped, since he was part of Pharaoh advisors at the time. He had forced Moshe to promise not to go back to Egypt because of the people who wanted him dead. Therefore, it must be that Moshe informed Yisro that Hashem told him they had died, and that only then did Yisro send him to Egypt in peace.
It would seem from this medrish, especially based on the way the Rada”l explains it, that Moshe didn’t really know, probably until he got back to Egypt, that Dasan and Aviram were still alive, but simply penniless. That was how he was able to convince his father-in-law Yisro that it was safe to go back to Egypt, after he had promised him that he would not go back if it would put him and his family in danger. And this must be why he himself felt comfortable going, because if he had known they were still alive but impoverished why would that help? Couldn’t they still kill him even if they were poor? Granted we don’t have to say that Hashem was lying to Moshe, because one who lost all their money is halachically considered dead and Jewish Law is in fact reality; but isn’t it still misleading? How can Hashem who is All Just, All Truthful, and All Trustworthy have said such a thing?
It must be that it’s not considered misleading if you say something which you know without a doubt will not have any possibility of harming someone, And of course, Hashem, All Knowing, knows was not even a possibility of danger for Moshe Rabbeinu.
Hashem knew that Moshe would not go down to Egypt if there was an immediate threat to his life so Hashem had to say something to assure him there wasn’t a clear and present danger. Therefore He had to say they were dead, which was not a lie since they lost all their money and were halachically dead. But it was also not misleading since Hashem knew that there really wasn’t any danger to worry about.
Vayechi – The Bracha of Speed
This dvar Torah is dedicated in honor of Naftali Shaul ben Elisheva Atara, a student of mine who is now in the Israeli army. He has served in the front lines of Gaza, Lebanon and now Syria and has courageously defended our brethren in Eretz Yisrael since after October 7 of last year. May our prayers and learning be a merit to him, the other soldiers, hostages, and all of Klal Yisrael!
In the concluding Torah portion of the Book of Breishis, parshas Vayechi, Yaakov blesses his children. The blessing for Naftali was, “Naftali is a doe let loose who delivers beautiful sayings” (Breishis 49:21).
Rabbeinu Bachye‘s simple understanding of this pasuk is that Yaakov blessed Naftali with swiftness, that the children of Naftali will be swift like a doe to run to give good tidings and to be the first to inform people of these good tidings, just like people used to send letters through tying them between deer horns [and the deer running swiftly to its destination.] (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Rabbeinu Bachye does not say that Yaakov blessed Naftali with the ability to run really fast in order to win track competitions, nor for the battlefield, and not even to run to perform mitzvos with zrizus, speed and alacrity. The Rabbeinu Bachye later, in a different interpretation, quotes a Medrish Rabba saying that as a result of this blessing we find that Naftali jumped all the way back to Egypt, like a doe, to bring the documents of his father Yaakov’s right to be buried in Maaras Hamachpeila. Though before he got back, Chushim the son of Dan got up and murdered Eisav, since he was delaying Yaakov’s burial. Nevertheless, the simple understanding of why he was blessed with swiftness and agility was in order to be the first to send good news to people. Why is that the purpose of the blessing?
However, we must say that by definition a blessing is only for a positive purpose and the purest blessing for this ability is to channel their blessing of quickness and agility towards what is purely good. This is giving good tidings to people which makes people feel good and being the first to do so. Not much can get better than that kindness!
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder
Vayigash – Political Strategy
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Is it possible to find a Torah source for the concept of having lower tax rates for big corporations? We find a concept similar to this in this week’s Torah portion of Vayigash. We see what was virtually an anticipated market crash, but actually much worse, after Pharaoh’s dreams of years of plenty and years of famine. The Torah relates that Yosef, Viceroy of Egypt, made very harsh emergency economic decisions during the years of plenty continuing into the years of famine.
However, the Torah also relates, “So Yosef imposed it as a statute till this day regarding the land of Egypt: It was Pharaoh’s for the fifth; only the priests’ land alone did not become Pharaoh’s” (Breishis 47:26).
The Toaliyos HaRalbag learns from the last part of this pasuk that “it’s befitting for a ruler, when he is asking of his nation to do something very difficult for them, that he appeases the heads of the nation, in a fashion that they will agree with his decrees. If he doesn’t do this [appeasement], maybe they will rebel against him. For this reason you find that when Yosef collected all the grain of the land for Pharaoh during the seven years of plenty, besides the need to feed all the citizens, Pharaoh made a condition to give to the ministers of the land all their needs for them to eat during the seven years of famine, so that he won’t fear that the citizens will rebel and steal the grains from him or assassinate him and take all the grain, since the heads of state will keep charge of the citizens.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Ralbag is mandating that when a government has to take emergency measures and set up harsh laws that might be against the interest of their citizens, they shouldn’t apply these harsh laws to the heads of state, the entrepreneurs, the leaders of the society. This is so that they can help the government and ensure that the rest of the citizens won’t start an insurrection. Why is it fair that the leaders get an exemption from the law, preferential treatment and keep all their wealth and property but the lower-class citizens must have their food and property confiscated by the government for the sake of saving the lives of every individual? What about equality; is it warranted or not?
We must say, it would seem, that even though this looks unfair and seems to be a show of preference, it is still what is best to ensure law and order in society. Hence what’s best for society under these extraordinary circumstances, is warranted.
Miketz – Your Prayers Accomplish
Do you ever wonder how exactly your davening and Tehillim actually work for someone who is sick, for the war in Israel, etc.? What direct connection do they really have? The answer is addressed in the last Medrish Tanchuma (10) in this week’s Torah portion of Miketz. When Yehuda convinced his father, Yaakov, to send his brother, Binyamin, with them back to Egypt on behest of the Viceroy, Yaakov said, “And may א-ל שד-י, (Almighty G-D), grant you mercy before the man that he may release to you your other brother as well as Binyamin and as for me, as I have been bereaved, so I am bereaved” (Breishis 43:14).
The medrish relates that “Rebbe Elazar says that it’s written in the Book Ben Sira, ‘You should give honor to your doctor, before you need him.’ What does ‘and all the effort of his power’ refer to? Rebbe Yochanan said, this is what righteous people do, they exert the power of strength (Gevura).” The Etz Yosef, quoting the Nezer Hakodesh explains this obscure statement, “that through prayer, we add power to the Strength on High to quiet and sweeten the root of the prosecuting judgement through mercy and creating satisfaction to his Creator, without needing to suppress the attribute of judgement with force which would have appeared as an act of hard effort and toil by Hashem, as if He was doing something difficult. Therefore, there is a mitzvah to pray.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Nezer HaKodesh is saying that what prayer does is act as a defense against prosecuting angels who present a case that a verdict should be more harsh. But by praying to Hashem, doing His will, and showing we believe and trust in Him, that arouses mercy in judgement. We are showing we aren’t as bad as we appear to have been considered originally, and it makes it easier to deal with the strict judgement, because we have proven we deserve better.
The Medrish Tanchuma goes on to bring a proof to the concept that ‘You should give honor to your doctor, before you need him.’ For Yaakov, while Binyamin was still with him, prayed for him, as the pasuk in this parsha quoted earlier stated. The medrish goes on to ask why Yaakov specifically refers to Hashem when praying for Binyamin as Kel Shakai (א-ל שד-י)? It’s coming to teach you that Yaakov suffered a lot. From when he was in the womb he was fighting with Esav, as well as after he came out. He was forced to run away from Esav to Lavan’s house. In Lavan house he lived and worked in terrible conditions for 20 years. After he left, Lavan ran after him to murder him. Yaakov escaped Lavan then came Esav who wanted to kill him and lost much wealth as gifts he had given Esav. Once Esav left, next came the whole episode with Dinah. After that tragic episode came the death of Rochel during childbirth. After that he requested respite from Hashem. But then came the whole episode with Yosef and his brothers. In Egypt Shimon was taken prisoner, and then the incident with Binyamin. Therefore Yaakov prayed to Hashem using His name of Kel Shakai, saying “Who that proclaimed to the heaven and earth, ‘Enough!’ Say to my suffering enough!” For when Hashem created heaven and earth they stretched and kept on going until Hashem said ‘Dayechem’ (like Dayeinu), enough! That is why Yaakov referred to Hashem with the name א-ל שד-י.
Obviously, it’s not hard for Hashem to pull off any judgement. However the medrish is saying that when a tzadik like Yaakov Avinu davened to lessen his suffering and save Binyamin from any trouble that might come his way, Hashem saw a righteous person reaching out to him. Even if, quantitatively, this was just one small piece of the multiple parts of Yaakov’s life which Hashem had to calculate and exact strict judgement, for whatever reason he was deserving of it. Yet to be able to have a degree of mercy because Yaakov called out at this moment in prayer was a big kiddush Hashem, which made it easier for Hashem to play out what was destined to happen.
It sounds like from the medrish that only tzadikim, like Yaakov Avinu, whose qualitative prayers are so impactful, can stir things up in the courts of Heaven. However, it would seem from the Nezer HaKodesh, from the fact that he says Therefore, there is a mitzvah to pray, that all prayers, even yours and mine, have an impact in Heaven, which makes it easier for Hashem to exact more merciful judgement. This is because in any way in which we turn to Hashem and in so doing, trust in Him, which is done through our tefillos, this proves that we deserve to have mercy in judgment. And it can turn around or at least impact in a positive way any, suffering or strict judgement that is deserving down below in this world.
That is the purpose of the mitzvah to pray, to ease the strict judgement in Heaven and in this way prayer makes a tremendous kiddush Hashem, a literal sanctification of Hashem’s Holy Name.
Vayeishev – Covering Up a Scandal
Yosef’s brothers felt they were halachically entitled to eliminate Yosef. They convened a rabbinic court and determined that he was out to get them, so they had a right to defend themselves; their lives were at stake. They didn’t realize that on some miniscule level what was driving their decisions was a bias (negia) of jealousy that they had towards Yosef over their father’s favoritism towards him.
But when they saw Yosef coming towards them, the Medrish Tanchuma (2) in this week’s Torah portion of Vayeishev relates that “they saw him from a far… took him and threw him into a pit… there was no water but there were snakes and scorpions in it. What did Reuvein do? He went and sat atop of one of the nearby hills intending to go down and take Yosef out at night. The nine other brothers were sitting all together in another location all with the same intent to kill him. An Arab caravan came traveling by. They said, ‘Let’s go and sell him to these Arabs, they will bring him to the ends of the desert (i.e. away from us and not a threat anymore). They sold him for 20 silver coins. They each got 2 coins and bought a pair of shoes with them. Does it make sense that such a handsome young man (of the age of 17 at the time) could only be sold for 20 silver coins? Rather because he was thrown into a pit with snakes and scorpions, he was so scared his facial countenance changed, he went pale and looked green, therefore they sold him for 20 silver coins to buy shoes. They then said amongst themselves that we should set up a cherem, boycott, to excommunicate anyone who would tell their father Yaakov. Yehuda said, Reuvein is not here and a cherem, would only be effective with a minyan of ten people. What did they do? They brought Hashem in to be the tenth to establish the cherem, to ensure no one tells their father. When Reuvein came down that night to take Yosef out of the pit and didn’t find him, he ripped his clothes and cried. He went back to his brother and said ‘The boy is missing and I have come back.’ They told him about what happened and about the cherem, and he was quiet. And even Hashem, even though it writes in Tehillim (the last pasuk of perek 147) “He told His words to Yaakov” but this He never told him about because of the cherem. This is why Yaakov said, ‘Yosef was torn apart.’ Rebbe Mana said, for the sale of Yosef the tribes were smitten, and they didn’t have an atonement for their sin until they died…and as a result of what they did a famine came upon the Land of Canaan for 7 years and the brothers of Yosef went down to Egypt to buy food and provisions from the Egyptians and eventually found Yosef alive, and the cherem was lifted. Yaakov heard he was alive, and the Torah says ‘the spirit of Yaakov their father was alive again.’ Was he dead? Rather he was revigorated from the cherem and the Ruach Hakodesh, the Holy Spirit that had disappeared from him came back and rested upon him again.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
If the brothers were wrong, and in fact Hashem punished them and didn’t fully forgive them until their deaths, then why did Hashem collude with them to hide the story from their father Yaakov? Indeed this caused their father intense anguish for decades, to the point that the Bechor Shor says Yehuda couldn’t stand watching his father sitting in such mourning, and that’s why the next perek says that Yehuda had left the family for a time. Hashem is All Just, All Truthful; how does it seem honest and justified to be involved in such a coverup?
The Etz Yosef, quoting Rabbeinu Bachye, says that “Hashem’s partnership and enjoining in this coverup was vital for the sake of the safety of the Jewish People and the Honor of Hashem. They were afraid that if G-D forbid the matter was leaked and revealed to Yaakov of what happened, he would curse them with an eternal curse. The result being that the Jewish People coming from the seed of Yaakov would never come about, and there would be no one to spread and publicize the teachings of G-D.”
Hashem runs the world through the laws of nature for the most part, using miracles as a last resort. Based on the natural psychology of a human being, it is possible that even someone as great of a tzadik as Yaakov Avinu, if he would have heard what actually happened, the results would have been cataclysmic, reverberating to the end of time. There would have been no Bnei Yisrael to be the light onto the nations, princes of the King Of All Kings, to be the shining example of His word, the Torah. However, that being said, Hashem did exact due punishment on the brothers. Still in all, isn’t a lack of transparency a level of dishonesty; Hashem is by definition all-honest and truthful ;so how could He have taken part in a coverup?
We must emphatically say that a lack of transparency is not untruthful or dishonest by definition, and can be justified and needed at times for the sake of preserving stability and the ultimate truth. There are certainly times when hiding something could lead to lies and not fixing or solving things that could be damaging, but there are other times, like in this case, where taking care of the problem “privately” without making a big deal out of it, and making it known to everyone, is not only justified but the right thing to do.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder
Vayishlach – Good Judgement Bad Intentions
A few years after King Shaul and his son Yonatan were killed in battle against the Philistines, Avner, a cousin of King Shaul and the general of his army, appointed Ish Boshes, a son of Shaul, as heir to his throne. Although Avner knew that Shmuel had anointed Dovid (see Shmuel Beis 3:9) he inferred from a pasuk in this week’s Torah portion of Vayishlach that there had to be another king from the tribe of Binyamin before the kingship went to the tribe of Yehuda. When Yaakov was returning to Eretz Yisrael from his long sojourn with Lavan, Hashem blessed him saying: “I am the Almighty G-D; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a multitude of nations shall come into existence from you, and kings shall come forth from your loins” (Breishis 35:11). Since only Binyamin was not yet born, this meant that more than one king would emerge from the tribe of Binyamin. Thus, although Avner did not deny that Dovid would be king, he felt that Ish Boshes should reign first (see Breishis Rabba 85:2). That this would delay the beginning of Dovid’s reign would not be a rejection of Shmuel’s anointment, since even Shmuel had not given the kingship to Dovid while Shaul was alive.
Yet, the Riv”a, after quoting Rashi that the words of the pasuk, “and kings shall come forth from your loins” refer to King Shaul and Ish Boshes, quotes a question the Chizkuni had, based on a gemara in Sanhedrin 20a: “Why was Avner punished for delaying the House of Dovid’s reign for two and a half years? And though Rashi had explained that he appointed Ish Boshes as king, and if Avner had not appointed him then Dovid would have been the ruler, nevertheless, why was Avner punished for this if his psak, decree, was based on a gezeiras hakasuv, a decree from the Holy Scripture? Rather it must be that his intentions were to humiliate Dovid by delaying his rule by two and a half years.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
We must put in context what exactly Avner did wrong. Avner wasn’t a bad person; in fact, the Mizrachi, commentary on Rashi, says that Avner was a tzadik, righteous, and in analyzing the pasuk that Avner used to justify the appointment of Ish Boshes, Rashi says:
| and kings. Shaul and Ish Boshes, who were of the tribe of Binyamin, who had not yet been born. (Avner interpreted this verse [in this sense] when he crowned Ish Boshes, and the tribes too interpreted it [in this sense] and became friendly again with Binyamin, as it is written: “No man from us shall give his daughter to Binyamin for a wife” (Jud. 21:1)-they retracted this and said, “Were he (Binyamin) not to be counted among the tribes, the Holy One, blessed be He, would not have said to Yaakov, ‘and kings shall come forth from your loins.’”) [Old Rashi manuscript from Tanchuma Buber Vayishlach 29] | וּמְלָכִים. שָׁאוּל וְאִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת, שֶׁהָיוּ מִשֵּׁבֶט בִּנְיָמִין (בראשית רבה), שֶׁעֲדַיִן לֹא נוֹלְדוּ (וּפָסוּק זֶה דְּרָשׁוֹ אַבְנֵר כְּשֶׁהִמְלִיךְ אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת, וְאַף הַשְּׁבָטִים דְּרָשׁוּהוּ וְקֵרְבוּ בִּנְיָמִין, דִּכְתִיב אִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ לֹא יִתֵּן אֶת בִּתּוֹ לְבִנְיָמִן לְאִשָּׁה (שופטים כ”א), וְחָזְרוּ וְאָמְרוּ אִלְמָלֵא הָיָה עוֹלֶה מִן הַשְּׁבָטִים לֹא הָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּמְלָכִים מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ יֵצֵאוּ: |
This pasuk was used to save the tribe of Binyamin from being annihilated in Sefer Shoftim. So, justifiably, Avner, a righteous person, interpreted this pasuk to mean that Ish Boshes was destined to be anointed as king before Dovid. How then can the Riva and Chizkuni say that Avner had malicious intent to humiliate Dovid?
We must say that in fact Avner wasn’t outright malicious, and only on a very miniscule, perhaps even subconscious level, had some level of bias, a negia, to want to humiliate Dovid. Perhaps because he was from the family of Shaul and his general, and for that reason he deserved to be punished by Hashem.
We see from here that it’s possible to be doing the right thing, but if it’s with the wrong intentions, even if it’s not so obvious that the intentions are wrong, Hashem looks into the nook and crevices of everyone’s heart and knows what his or her true intentions are, and exacts judgement. Therefore, we have to make sure when choosing to do the right thing to try to do it with the best intent possible.
Vayetzei -Guilty Conscience
In the beginning of the Torah portion of Vayetzei, Yaakov has a “realistic” dream of angels going up and down a ladder from the ground to heaven. The Medrish Tanchuma (2) says that those angels were the ministering angels for each empire that subjugated the Jews and exiled them: Babylonia, Madai/Persia, Greece, and Edom/Rome+.
The Medrish relates, “Rebbe Brechia says in the name of Rebbe Chelbo and Rebbe Shmuel ben Yoseina we learn that Hashem showed Yaakov Avinu the ministering angels of Bavel go up and down, and of Madai go up and down, and of Greece go up and down, and of Edom (Rome+) go up and down. Hashem said to Yaakov, ‘Why don’t you go up?’ At that moment Yaakov Avinu got scared and said, “Just as they have a going down I also will have a going down.’ Hashem said back to him, ‘If you go up you won’t come down.’ He didn’t believe Him and didn’t go up. Rebbe Shmuel ben Yoseina extrapolated this from the pasuk, “Nevertheless, they sinned further and did not believe in His wonders” (Tehillim 78:32). Hashem said to Yaakov, ‘If you would have gone up and you would have had faith, you would never had gone down, but since you didn’t have faith, then your children will be subjugated to these four kingdoms in this world through all types of taxes.’ Yaakov asked Him, ‘Will it last forever?’ He said back to him, ‘”Do not fear my servant Yaakov, the word of Hashem, and don’t be afraid, Israel; for behold, I am saving you from distant places, and your descendants from the land of their captivity” (Yirmiyahu 30:10). From the land of Magelia, from Aspamia, and their neighboring countries. And Yaakov will return from Bavel, and have quiet from Madai, tranquility from Greece and no trembling from Edom. For I will decimate all the nations you will wind up in who clear out their fields, but you Israel who leave a corner of your field, I will not decimate, rather I will cause you to suffer in this world in order to cleanse you from your sins, to be ready for the future to come.’” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Etz Yosef explains the conversation Hashem had with Yaakov. Yaakov thought that there are no guarantees for the righteous in this world, since he might come to sin. Normally when a guarantee by Hashem does not come through a prophet it is usually on condition that the one being promised to, does not sin. So, because this guarantee was directly from the mouth of Hashem to Yaakov, Yaakov was afraid that transgressions would cause him to lose Hashem’s guarantee. When the medrish says that Yaakov didn’t trust, it means that he didn’t trust in himself, just like Chaza”l say: “Don’t trust in yourself until the day of your death.” However, Hashem said back to Yaakov that even though he or his descendants might sin, He will not bring them down from their greatness. Rather, they would take from the Hand of Hashem punishment through other forms of suffering. Yaakov was still hesitant and didn’t go up, so the Etz Yosef explains that Hashem’s response to that was that since you didn’t believe in yourself and didn’t trust in My kindness to fulfill My promise that even though they will sin against Him, still He plainly said, ‘And you shall not fear’. Accordingly it’s written by Avraham Avinu that “he believed in Hashem,” and the Ramban there says that Avraham believed in this guarantee in the righteousness of Hashem and His Kindness and not in His reward that he gives out. Therefore Avraham was not scared lest sin might make him and his descendants undeserving; but Yaakov, since he didn’t trust that Hashem would protect him even when they sin, and he thought the guarantee was on condition that they wouldn’t sin, he was therefore punished, and it was decreed that his children would be subjugated for their sins, and would not merit Hashem by Himself handling the accounting of their sins.
Yaakov Avinu is one of our forefathers, he was the grandson of Avraham Avinu, and overlapped with him for the first 17 years of his life. (Avraham died in 2123 and Yaakov was born in 2108 from Creation). Hashem testifies in the Torah that he was yoshev b’ohel, sitting in the Tent learning the Torah his father learned from his father, with diligence and sincerity. So how could he have missed this lesson, that Avraham lived by that we must have trust in Hashem and His righteousness and kindness, and not out of expectations of reward?
We must say that in truth Yaakov did believe intellectually that Hashem has the ability to treat him with righteousness and kindness even if he or his descendants will have sinned. However, we must say that on some miniscule level he had a negia, an emotional bias of a guilty conscience, which made him ashamed if he would sin. This bias, though based on a Torah teaching that one should not trust himself until the day of his death, seemed to have stemmed from a focus on his belief in Hashem’s system of reward and punishment, as opposed to Hashem’s kindness and righteousness. It would seem on some level Yaakov was focused on, hope for, and expected reward for his actions, albeit a spiritual reward in Olam Haba. He therefore got caught up, presumably subconsciously, because of his guilty conscience, in the idea that he might not be deserving of Hashem’s kindness and he couldn’t come to terms with the fact that Hashem would act with him and his descendants with righteousness and kindness. Even after Hashem reiterated His guarantee to act in a kind fashion with them.
This is the power of the evil inclination’s weapon of a negia, bias, to focus us on one concept, in this case the Torah concept of strict judgement of reward and punishment of Hashem and overlook or ignore the correct Torah concept applicable to that specific situation, in this case being Hashem’s mercy and kindness.
The way to get rid of a negia is to uproot it from its core. In this case getting rid of the drive for reward, and in fact if Yaakov would have used the concept of “not trusting yourself until you die” to evaluate himself to see why he was not listening to Hashem to go up the ladder, then he might have realized he was being driven by a negia and would have changed course, to choose the proper decision. For not passing this difficult test in his prophetic dream, he was punished.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder
Toldos – The Action of Fathers is a Sign About Their Children
(Note their is no dvar Torah for Chayei Sarah in 5785.)
When discussing the twin brothers, Yaakov and Eisav, what comes to mind is a polite scholar and a vicious hunter or warrior. In fact, this is what we envision what Yitzchak is referring to when he says, (Breishis 27:22):
| “The voice is the voice of Yaakov, but the hands are the hands of Esav.” | הַקֹּל֙ ק֣וֹל יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְהַיָּדַ֖יִם יְדֵ֥י עֵשָֽׂו: |
The gemara in Gitten 57b darshans (extrapolates) a deeper meaning behind the words of this pasuk: “Another interpretation, ‘the voice is the voice of Yaakov’ There is no prayer that works which isn’t based in the seed of Yaakov. ‘And the hands are the hands of Eisav,’ There is no victorious war which isn’t based in the seed of Eisav. And this is what Rebbe Elazar said, ‘you will be concealed with the prowling tongue’ (Iyov 5:21), with an argumentative tongue you will be concealed.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Maharsha has a novel approach in explaining this gemara. He says that the gemara’s drasha comes from the fact that the Torah repeats the term “the voice,” which must mean that “his voice” is a sign for his children, just as Chaza”l says (Zohar 1:144a and see the Rashi on this pasuk), that “His voice” is referring to the way he talked, he speaks entreatingly: “Please rise my father etc.” So too the voice of his children in times of suffering [will beseech Hashem in the same manner.] And the repetition of the hand, “and the hands are the hands of Eisav” is referring to war which occurs through the hand, as the Torah writes (Shemos 14:31), “the great hand etc.,” and this is a sign to his children that they will be victorious in the hand of war. This could also be understood the opposite way, for condemnation, as it says in a medrish (Breishis Rabba 65:20), “the children of Yaakov are dependent on their voice. When the children of Yaakov complain with their voice, the hands of Eisav will control them, as it says, “The entire community of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aharon in the desert…. Amalek (descendants of Eisav) came and fought with Israel in Rephidim” (Shemos 16:2, 17:8). This is what the gemara means when it says, “for Rebbe Elazar said… with an argumentative tongue you will be concealed,” for if there will be an argumentative tongue amongst the children of Yaakov they will be concealed by the hand of Eisav. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The opposite of condemnation (chovah) is merit (zechus), and it would seem that because of the merits of Eisav, who was known to be a warrior as we see from Rashi and the Sifsei Chachamim (Breishis 27:15) that he killed the mightiest warrior of the time, Nimrod, and took his cloak, his descendants would merit to be victorious in many wars. In fact we find that the Roman Empire, which descended from Eisav, conquered and ruled over the entire inhabited world at some point in history. What follows is that the prayers of the descendants of Yaakov, when beseeching Hashem in times of suffering, are answered in the merit of Yaakov. For just as he spoke to his father politely we will beseech Our Father In Heaven graciously for his help in our times of need; but He will only answer us because of the merits of Yaakov.
Why are the prayers of the Jews and the success in war of the children of Eisav dependent on their ancestors, Yaakov or Eisav? Shouldn’t success be based on their own merits, if they deserve it? Granted, Hashem enables everything to happen, but he gives us free will to decide how much kavana, intent, we put into our prayers, as well as in which way we approach Hashem. He also allows people to put in the effort to make up their plans and strategies in war. So why should this all be attributed to ancestors that lived thousands of years ago?
It would seem that even though free choice does play a role, to the extent that our tongue could create opposite results, for condemnation which leads to being ruled by the enemy or for merit which deserves salvation, but Hashem built into this world that without the merits of Yaakov, or Eisav for that matter, the merits of their actions won’t come into fruition. This can be used as another realization in emuna, belief in Hashem and how He runs his world and could be a very humbling thought to ponder.
Vayera – Compounding Mitzvos
Towards the end of last week’s Torah portion of Vayeira is the epic episode of Akeidas Yitzchak, the binding of Isaac. Avraham Avinu perfectly performed a mitzva, the will of Hashem, with such alacrity, complete intent, and focus, that its merits have ramifications throughout history.
In fact, right after the event, the Torah relates, “The angel of Hashem called to Avraham a second time from Heaven. And he said, ‘By Myself I swear, the word of Hashem, that because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only one, that I shall surely bless you and greatly increase your offspring like the stars in the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your offspring shall inherit the gates of its enemy. And all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your offspring, because you have listened to My voice” (Breishis 22:15-18).
The Sforno explains on these pesukim that Hashem, by Himself, swears that He will bless Avraham, ‘I G-D say that since you have done this thing… that I shall surely bless you. “And all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your offspring,” ‘When the nations will all call upon G-D’s Name to serve Him with one accord (based on Tzephaniah 3:9), they will all seek blessings through your seed and endeavor to emulate them.’ “Because you have listened to My voice,” ‘Because the reward of one mitzvah is another mitzvah (Avos 4:2), therefore you will merit (through this willingness to sacrifice Yitzchak) that your children will be a banner for the nations, teaching them to serve the Almighty, and this will be considered as a righteousness for you.’ (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The impact of Akeidas Yitzchak lasts for generations. According to commentaries on the Sforno by Rav Rephael Pelcovitz and Rav Yehuda Cooperman, the Sforno is alluding to a pasuk in Tzephania which the Radak says is referring to the days after the war of Gog and Magog, where all the nations that are left will want to reap the benefits of Avraham’s blessing and convert to Judaism as a unifying force accepting Hashem as One, led by the Torah leaders, the Gedolim, of that generation.
One would think that such an impact and everlasting blessing is due to some unique circumstance which comes about once in history for specials reasons. However, the Sforno says the logic behind why Avraham’s deed had such a powerful impact is based on a Mishna in Pirkei Avos which is applied to every single individual. The Mishna (Avos 4:2) there states, “Ben Azzai taught: ‘ You should run to do a mitzvah, even if you think it is not important, and you should run away from a sin; for doing one mitzva leads you to do another mitzva and doing one sin leads you to do another sin; the reward for doing a mitzva is the opportunity to do another mitzva and the consequence for doing a sin is the opportunity to do another sin.” The Sforno on this mishna observes that “even though at times the mitzva or sin is an easy one and seems not worth running after or running away from, in itself but its ramification are otherwise because a mitzva causes another mitzva and a sin causes another sin to happen. The reason for this cause and effect is because the reward in this world is only that G-D gives us the opportunity to keep and prepare ourselves to do another mitzva, as explained in a Medrish Tanchuma (Ki Setzei 1) that it can be derived from the order in the Torah that observance of the mitzva of sending away the mother bird will lead to the mitzva of putting up a fence on one’s roof, which will then lead to the mitzva of tzitzis, etc. This is coming to teach us that if you fulfill the mitzva of sending away the mother bird one merits to prepare himself for the mitzvos that follow it. So to the consequence and delight of a sin in this world prepares one to sin again.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
We see from the Sforno on this mishna that the merit of performing one mitzva will prepare one to be ready to perform another mitzva, it’s magnetic in a sense. Once one gets into the mode of doing a mitzva, other mitzvos are drawn to you and G-D forbid the same is true when one gets into the mode of sinning. This magnet seems to be a reward or consequence for the initial mitzva or sin. But how does this fit with what the Sforno is saying by Akeidas Yitzchak? Once Avraham died the magnet should be gone, and even if you say it lives on through his children, but for as long as for thousands of years until the last generation before Moshiach, whenever that is? Where is the magnetic connection? What does the Binding of Isaac have to do with Avraham’s descendants thousands of years later being “the banner,” leading force for the nations to accept Hashem as the only G-D and insisting on converting?
It must be that this magnetic power of doing one mitzvah that leads to another not only works for an individual, but it is generational. It makes sense that the better a mitzva is performed the stronger the magnet it produces to attract more mitzvos, for whoever does it. Furthermore, each mitzva one magnetically attracts, its reward is attributed to him according to the amount Hashem calculates. Therefore, because of the impact Akeidas Yitzchak had, and the complete perfection of a mitzva Avraham performed he created such a magnetic pull it lasts to the end of time throughout the generations and he is attributed with righteousness for all the mitzvos that are performed.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder
Lech Licha – We Need a Revolution!
One of the basic tenants of Judaism is the belief in the coming of The Messiah, may he come speedily in our days. But it’s been thousands of years, many tears, and much blood and sweat. Signs and predictions that have come and gone. How is it that we keep up our faith and stay strong?
Within the Torah portion of Lech Licha it discusses the “Bris Bein Habesarim,” the special covenant Hashem made with Avraham. There the Torah states, “And it happened, as the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Avram; and behold- a dreadful darkness, great, fell upon him” (Breishis 15:12). The Daas Zekeinim has a lengthy piece on this pasuk and in the midst of it he writes: “And further there is to prove from here the bondage of four kingdoms. ‘A dreadful darkness’ refers to the Greek kingdom, for they darkened the eyes of the Jews from all the mitzvos in the Torah. ‘Great’ refers to the Medinite (Persian) kingdom who tried very hard to sell out the Jews, (i.e. Haman and the Purim story). ‘Fell’ refers to the Babylonian kingdom where the crown of the Jews fell through them. ‘Upon him’ refers to the Children of Yishmael (the Arabs), through them the son of Dovid (the Moshiach) will flourish and spring forth as it says, ‘His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon him, his crown will shine’ (Tehillim 132:18).” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Daas Zekeinim points out that this pasuk refers to four empires that had overwhelming control over the Jews. The Greeks mission was assimilation, a spiritual destruction. Madai (or Persia) sought to eradicate us, a physical destruction, and Babylonia stripped us of our kingship and sovereignty, more of a psychological depreciation of the Jewish People. One would think the 4th country would be Rome who persecuted and exiled us until this day by the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash; but interestingly enough the fourth (not even referred to as a kingdom) is the children of Yishmael, the Arabs, who are definitely today at the forefront of Jewish persecution. And the Daas Zekeinim doesn’t describe how they persecute us but just says that the pasuk alludes to the fact that within their reign of power Moshiach will come forth. He bases it on a pasuk in Tehillim.
The Metzudas Dovid points out that this pasuk in Tehillim specifically uses a term ‘being dressed in shame,’ that the enemy will be completely enclosed, wrapped in shame just like clothing completely enwraps the body; whereas King Dovid will have a shining royal crown, meaning his greatness will be enhanced exceedingly. The Radak takes it a step further and says that ‘being dressed in shame’ is the complete opposite of what it says two pesukim before in pasuk 16: “I will clothe her priests with salvation,” those that serve before Hashem and pray on behalf of the king, and the enemy of the king I will dress in shame. In applying these explanations to the Daas Zekeinim that quotes this pasuk, he is saying that during the period of history when the Arabs will be the major arbiter of tyranny, Moshiach will come. And this time will be evident from the fact that the Arabs will be completely and utterly humiliated and disgraced and the King Moshiach Ben Dovid will be extremely glorified; complete opposites. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
We have to appreciate what this means and how this can be applied to our mitzva of yearning for Moshiach to arrive, which is one of the thirteen basic tenants of belief in Judaism. With all the signs and predictions of the heralding of Moshiach throughout the ages we have to realize what it really takes for Moshiach to reveal himself. Not even a generation like the Purim story, where the gemara in Shabbos 88a says the Jewish People unified together to reaccept the Torah voluntarily as they did by Har Sinai, was enough to bring Moshiach and the permanent state of bliss that the era of Moshiach entails. The Radak speaks of complete opposites in the state of the enemy vis-a-vis the Jews. Are we truly at that state; what exactly are we yearning for and expecting?
We must say that with all the predictions and signs that Moshiach is coming, this should not be used as a fuel for hope, and when he hasn’t come yet and time passes yet again, our hopes are dashed. Rather we must use our yearning for Moshiach and the signs that we are on the brink of him coming as an impetus to aspire us to be better people, to do much more than what we normally do, to deserve Moshiach to reveal himself. Because for Moshiach to come, in a positive light, we need real change, a revolution!
If the generation of Mordechai and Esther, or the generation of King Chizkiyahu (See Sanhedrin 94a), couldn’t bring Moshiach – as great of a unifying force as they were – then it must be, and it makes sense that, it is something which needs a revolutionary process of great change and commitment, in order for this new era in history to take place. So, one cannot feel their hopes being dashed if Moshiach still hasn’t come, even if the signs are here, because the signs are instead supposed to be used as inspiration to better ourselves. To inspire us to put in all our efforts to reach our potential in life; and if we all realize this and work at full capacity to fulfill our potential, then he will come.
Hashem is ready and willing for Moshiach to reveal himself; it’s up to each and every one of us to earn and deserve this new state of being, may it come speedily on our days.