Author: Rabbi Milder

The plague of wild beasts struck the palace of Pharaoh first, followed by  the rest of Egypt. The Sefer HaYashar says that octopuses put their tentacles into the houses and unlocked the doors so the animals could enter. The Me’am Loez says each animal came with its climate and natural environment so that it would feel secure and attack the Egyptians more ferociously. He also says that animals which were natural enemies joined together to attack the Egyptians. The Medrash HaGadol says that even domesticated animals attacked the Egyptians. This is a glimpse into the awesome array of wonders Hashem wrought on the Egyptians people during the ten plagues, which are mostly illustrated in this week’s Torah portion of Vaera.

Pharaoh was so startled by this display of violence, especially since it started with him, and he called Moshe to stop it at once. Moshe again demanded: “A journey of three days we shall travel in the desert, and we will bring offering to Hashem our G-D just as he told us” (Shemos 8:23). The Rad”al elaborating on the Medrish Rabba says the reason why Moshe asked for a three day journey was in order to cause the Egyptians to be misled so that they would run after the Jews afterwards. (Shemos Rabba 11:3:15). (Click here for Hebrew text.)

Both the Rad”al and Matnas Kehuna direct us to a Medrish previously at the end of parsha 3, paragraph 8 which explains in more detail the intent of misleading the Egyptians. There the Medrish discusses the original command that Hashem told Moshe, to ask Pharaoh to go on a 3 day journey. The Medrish asks: “Why did they say 3 days and not say ‘may we please permanently go’? Why did they say this? In order to cause the Egyptians to be misled so that they will run after them when they leave and they will say they only let them leave on the condition to go away for 3 days and give sacrifices to Him but they stayed away too long so they should run after them at the end of three days. Then they will drown in the sea, measure for measure, just as they threw the Jewish babies into the Nile, mentioned in the first perek of Shemos.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

The reality is that the Egyptians did not fall for the ruse for whatever reason, which Hashem already predicted to Moshe. But according to the Medrish, if you analyze it closely, you’ll see that theoretically it was expected to happen that if Pharaoh would grant their request then it is assumed that the Egyptian army would be following from behind ready to attack as soon as they determined that the jews weren’t  coming back.   It would have been enough to give an excuse for them  to run after the Jews and recapture them; but the Egyptians would fall into Hashem’s trap and be drowned in the sea.

The Matnas Kehuna clarifies that the Egyptians really would trick themselves, for Moshe and Aharon did not say “we will go for 3 days and return” or “we’ll go for only 3 days” rather they said “a 3 day journey” and they would travel for three days and fulfill those words.

It would seem that the need for clarification is to explain how Hashem really had no intention of having Moshe and Aharon lie to Pharaoh, since that is the antithesis of truth, which is what Hashem stands for. (We also must say that there is a difference between trickery and misleading. As we found in last week’s dvar Torah, quoting a Rabbeinu Bachye: “that G-D forbid this was a matter of trickery for them to escape”).  The Matnas Kehuna went out on a limb to point out that Moshe and Aharon was not saying anything untruthful. All they said was that they would leave Egypt on a journey that would take three days, a distance of three days, and they would bring offerings to Hashem their G-D. They didn’t say anything about when or if they would be coming back. Pharaoh and the Egyptians interpreted on their own the meaning of their statement, that they should be back in Egypt in three days so if they wouldn’t then the Egyptians would be ready to attack and punish their slaves. The Egyptians on their own would also choose to not trust them, follow them, and decide that since they were not heading back at the end of three days they must not be planning on coming back, and with that decide to run after them only to be led into the sea and drown. This could have been psychological warfare at its best if not for Pharaoh being stubborn and hardening his heart.Why isn’t this a form of lying?  The fact is that Moshe and Aharon did not say anything false, and the Egyptians would have misled themselves. They had free choice, and would have had the ability to analyze Moshe and Aharon’s words before running after the Jews to their demise. Therefore it would constitute honesty, albeit causing the Egyptians to mislead themselves.

This is an example of the fine lines and subtleties of truth.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder

I recently found an answer to something that has been bothering me for what might be a couple of decades. Hashem tells Moshe at the burning bush, in this week’s Torah portion of Shemos: “And they will hearken to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has happened upon us, and now, let us go for a three days’ journey in the desert and offer up sacrifices to the Lord, our God’” (Shemos 3:18).

Wasn’t Hashem really planning on taking the Jews out of Egypt permanently? How could  He tell Moshe to lie to Pharaoh and say that  they would only be away for three days and then come back? That is a lack of truth; how can Hashem instruct such a thing to be said?!

However the answer lies in the Rabbeinu Bachye on this pasuk, attributed to Rabbeinu Chananel. He says:, “G-D forbid this is a matter of trickery in order to run away! Rather in order to accept the mitzvos, Hashem wanted them to accept upon themselves mitzvos little by little, as we in fact see that He commanded them about the mitzvah of Shabbos in Marah. We find a similar concept by Avraham, where [Hashem] didn’t tell him immediately, ‘Please take Yitzchok’ rather, ‘Please take your son, that which you love, Yitzchok’ (Breishis 22:2).” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

We find that in fact Hashem was not planning on using lies and trickery to get His people out of Egypt. Why should the Almighty, All Powerful, King Of All Kings need to? In fact, part of His plan was for them to leave for three days and come back to Egypt at least once, in order to slowly break them in to the responsibility of accepting all of Hashem’s Torah and mitzvos.

This can be taken as a lesson that the “kiruv experts” are correct that people should not take everything on all at once, rather little by little. However, if you take into account the situation at hand for the Jewish people, there is a much deeper lesson to be learned.

The Jewish people had been living in bondage, enduring torturous servitude for many, many years under the clutches of their Egyptian taskmasters. They were desperate for freedom, crying out to Hashem to send a savior. Imagine the  hope that would be dashed once they leave for three days only to come back to the same life they had before. Wouldn’t they lose hope and trust in their leader Moshe, and in Hashem, of ever getting them out of this rut?

Furthermore, what is the connection between the way Hashem wanted to handle things with the Jewish people by breaking them in slowing into Torah observance, and breaking the news to Avraham that He wants him to sacrifice his son Yitzchok? One is throwing a whole new lifestyle at them, which happens to be for their benefit and good being that the Torah was going to be a gift to them, as a guide book to life, whereas for Avraham, Hashem wanted him to slaughter his only son from Sarah, whom he loved, and was supposed to inherit his entire life style and future; what does one have to do with the other?

It would seem that the common thread is the shock of such a request. In both cases it would be told to them bluntly, all at once. The shock of such a notion, in both cases, might have such a powerful impact that it would have created  shock waves in their brain and they would not have been able to accept the request, no matter how much of a benefit it was to them, or how high a level Avraham was at in his love for Hashem. It would be even worse than the disappointment and feeling of being let down when falsely tasting freedom only to be lead back into servitude and the clutches of their evil masters.

What a psychological impact a sudden shock could have on the system! Therefore Hashem, for our own good, wanted to act stealthily, to ensure we would be ready to accept the yoke of Heaven upon us for eternity.

On fast days like Asara B’Teves, we read a haftorah during mincha from the book of Yeshayahu in Perakim 55 and 56. There is a pasuk mentioned in the haftorah which my Rosh Yeshiva ztz”l said became a wedding song in Europe for when they escorted the chosson and kallah from the wedding hall at the end of the wedding party. He taught the song to us and we actually sang it at the end of his wedding when he got remarried. The pasuk goes: “כי בשמחה תצאו ובשלום תובלון ההרים והגבעות יפצחו לפניכם רנה וכל עצי השדה ימחאו כף.” “For with joy shall you go forth, and with peace shall you be brought; the mountains and the hills shall burst into song before you, and all the trees in the field shall clap hands” (Yeshayahu 55:12).

The Radak says that in context this pasuk is talking about the Jewish redemption from exile:. “For with joy you shall go forth from exile and with peace you shall be brought to your land. The mountains, hills and fields are a parable for the whole world rejoicing. They will be clapping hands in joy proclaiming ‘Long lives the king!’… Another interpretation is that mountains and hills refer to the leaders and the trees in the field refer to the commoners.” (Click here and here for Hebrew translation.)

At the end of the Haftorah, there is a famous pasuk that we say in our Slichos before Sh’ma Kolienu. Yeshayahu prophesizes in the name of Hashem: “I will bring them to My holy  mountain, and I will cause them to rejoice in My house of prayer, their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people” (Yeshayahu 56:7).

The Radak explains that after the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt speedily in our days, just as a guest enters someone’s house and the hosts accepts him with happiness and joy, so to I, Hashem, will command the kohanim to accepts anyone who comes to convert with happiness and joy. “And I will cause them to rejoice in My house of prayer,” meaning they, the non-Jews coming to convert and certainly the Jews who left their religion and are now coming back , will be happy when they see themselves come year after year to the Azara, which is the house of prayer, with the rest of the Jewish people bringing their prayers, burnt offerings, and other sacrifices. (Click here and here for Hebrew translation.)

In the advent of Moshiach the entire world will recognize that Hashem is One, the Creator and Sustainer of everything, All Powerful, and King of All Kings, and that the Jewish people are the chosen holy nation, priests and light unto the world.  Why then does it seem that Hashem has to instruct the kohanim to accept anyone wishing to convert with open hands and a smile, just like a host accepting his guests? Shouldn’t they naturally be overwhelmed with joy that everyone is coming together and wants to be closer to Hashem? The whole world will be jumping with joy and singing “long lives the King,” as we saw above; why then would the kohanim need instructions to accept converts with happiness and joy? Furthermore, once the converts and even the baalei teshuva are in the Beis Hamikdash, mixing with the crowd to pray and give offerings to Hashem, why then does Hashem have to “cause them to rejoice in My house of prayer” as if they would feel uncomfortable otherwise?

The lesson is that people will still be human even when Moshiach reveals himself. It would seem that even at a joyous time like this when everyone comes together in unity, and the past philosophies and history are left behind, still in all there is a natural tendency for the leaders and more experienced to be skeptical of the newcomers. That is why Hashem must command the kohanim to treat those that want to convert as a host would happily treat his guests. This is also why the converts and those Jews that return back to their roots might seem to feel uncomfortable when walking into such an experience, since there is a natural tendency to feel the jitters and out of place. Therefore Hashem will be right next to them, bringing them to His holy mountain, “and will cause them to rejoice in His house of prayer” just as everyone else in ecstasy will come to pray and show their gratitude and offerings to Hashem, may this moment come speedily in our days.

Pharaoh had two dreams that Yosef interpreted as a forthcoming seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine. After the seven years of plenty and two years of famine Yaakov moved down with his family to Egypt. When Yaakov moved down midrashim say the famine stopped only after two years. The Ramban and Rabbeinu Bachye both ask that if the medrash is true it would seem the dreams, or at least their interpretations were not true and that should cause some doubt on the honesty and trustworthiness of Yosef? The answer they both gave was that the last five years of famine came back after Yaakov passed away.

The source that the famine came back after Yaakov passed away is a Sifri in parshas Ekev. There it says where ever a righteous person steps foot, blessing comes along with him. The Sifri sites other examples and their sources in the Torah, for example Yitzchok going to Gerar, Yaakov in Lavan’s house, Yosef in Potiphar’s house, and then the Sifri tells of what happened when Yaakov and his family reestablished themselves in Egypt, in this week’s Torah portion of Vayigash: “When Yaakov went down to Pharaoh blessing came with him as it says ‘And Yaakov blessed Pharaoh’ (Breishis 47:10). What was the blessing Yaakov gave Pharaoh? It was that the years of famine should desist. But after Yaakov passed away the famine came back as it says, ‘So now do not fear. I will sustain you and your small children etc.’ (Breishis 50:21). It also said earlier, ‘And I will sustain you there’ (Breishis 45:11). Just as the first pasuk was referring to sustaining them during the times of famine so to the later pasuk is referring to sustaining them during times of famine, this is the view of Rebbe Yossi. Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai says that it is not a Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of Hashem’s Name) when the words of the righteous are fulfilled in their lifetime but nullified when after they pass away. Rebbe Eliezer ben Rebbe Shimon says I see where Rebbe Yossi is coming from more than the view of my father, that this in fact is a Kiddush Hashem, for as long as the righteous are in this world blessing is in this world but when the righteous are removed from this world, blessing is removed from the world. We also find this similarly by the Holy Ark of G-D which stayed at Oved-edom HaGitti’s house and his house was blessed because of it, as it says, “And it was told to King David saying: ‘The Lord has blessed the house of Oved-edom, and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of the Lord’ (Shmuel Beis 6:12). If that is the case then isn’t it a fortiori (kal vachomer,) for just as the Holy Ark which was not made to receive reward or punishment but rather to house the broken pieces of the first tablets still causes blessing for the place it is in, all the more so the righteous for whom the world was created.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

There seems to be an argument between Rebbe Yossi and Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai on whether the famine came back right after Yaakov died, as Rebbe Yossi said it did, which would complete the fulfilment of the dreams or according to Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai that could not have happened since it would not have been a kiddush Hashem, therefore we are left with the question of when or if the dream about the seven years of famine ever came to fruition. (There is a Medrish Rabba (Breishis Rabba 89:11) which the Ramban indeed quotes that says the famine came back in the days of the Prophet Yechezkel, many centuries later, but the Ramban still asked his question after he quoted the medrish so it seems, according to the Ramban that completing the famine so many centuries later would not answer his question since Yosef’s accuracy is in question during his lifetime which questions the authenticity of the dream.) In any event Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai’s son, Rebbe Eliezer ben Rebbe Shimon disagrees with his father’s assessment and sides with Rebbe Yossi that the famine did continue right after Yaakov passed away and this still constituted a Kiddush Hashem. What exactly was the Kiddush Hashem and what are the famous father and son duo arguing about?

What does seem clear according to both sides is that the lack of Kiddush Hashem does not lie in the fact that after Yaakov passed away and the Egyptians thought they had their food back and lives put back together, but they now fall into another famine and start complaining and questioning Hashem; how can He do this again, or even questioning if there is a G-D controlling the world, for that is not on either view’s radar. Rather they are focusing on the righteous person.
Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai questions how a tzadik can give a blessing, an utterance which must be completely truthful which has the spiritual power to change the events in the world, and then something so divine, so perfect, can now be absolutely erased when the tzadik passes on. Isn’t truth eternal? How can it just disappear like that? It would be a lack of sanctifying Hashem’s name if a blessing emanating from Hashem’s trusted servant who emulates Him and represents His truth and power just vanishes with the physical body of the tzadik, shouldn’t the tzadik’s repercussions be an everlasting imprint on this world?

On the other hand Rebbe Eliezer ben Rebbe Shimon has a totally different take on this situation which we can learn an incredible lesson from. The whole world is created for the sake of tzadikim (the righteous), people who personify being the servants of Hashem, fulfilling G-D’s will in the most exemplary manner, and Hashem showers them with gifts and abilities which they can positively share with the rest of humanity and the world at large. However if the imprint of the righteous would be everlasting it is possible that the rest of humanity would remain stagnant and feel why should we need to improve if we can rely on the blessing of the righteous of yesteryear who left there positive imprints on humanity forever. If that would happen then what would be the point of creating the world. The world would become corrupt because they would have no drive to better themselves.

However what Rebbe Eliezer ben Rebbe Shimon is teaching us is that if everyone would realize that in each succinct generation there has to be tzadikim for it to be worth it for the world to continue to exist and they can’t rely on the blessing of the previous generations then everyone will strive to perfect themselves and try to become righteous. This is a tremendous Kiddush Hashem because it gives people the impetus to constantly try very hard to seek out Hashem’s will and perform His service at the best of their abilities in order for it to be worthwhile for the world to continue to exist in each generation.

The Psiksa Rabasai diRav Kahana, a medrish by the Amora Rav Kahana, asks the famous question, why do we light candles on Chanukah, but answers with a not so famous answer: “For when the Chashmonaim, the sons of the Kohen Gadol were victorious over the Greek Kingdom, as it says, ‘and I will arouse your children, O Zion, upon your children, O Yavan; and I will make you as the sword of a mighty man’ (Zechariah 9:13), they then entered the Beis HaMikdash and found 7 (or 8 depending on the version) metal rods, set them up and lit inside them candles” (Parsha 2 Piska DiChanukah). (Click here for Hebrew text.)

The Zera Ephraim asks the obvious question on this medrish: “Why was the main miracle which the gemara mentions of finding only one jug of oil which would have lasted one day and it lasted 8 days, not mentioned? He answers, based on a Megilas Taanis, that to remember the miracle with the jug of oil lasting 8 days would have been enough to set up a holiday where you could not eulogize the dead at that time and to acknowledge the dedication of the alter. However, the lighting is in remembrance of what the Chashmonaim did back then of lighting the metal rods. This is also how Rav Yaakov Emden explained the Megilas Taanis.

The Zera Ephraim also says they knew that the rods which they lit did not come in contact with non-Jewish hands. This would have made them spiritually impure. So to remember that miracle it is befitting to enact a mitzvah of lighting candles on Chanukah.  He explains that finding the metal rods was miraculous because they were able to recognize that they were untouched and not even rattled by non-Jews.

He brings another reason why they were not spiritually unclean, for in fact they were metal rods plated with wood which according to the Rambam cannot become spiritually unclean.

Either way we find an incredible lesson! The fact they found these rods was not an unnatural miracle, rather it was more of a form of Divine Providence that they just happened to have found 7 rods which they were able to ascertain were untouched and not defiled, or were made in a way which could not be defiled and hence were able to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the menorah in the Beis HaMikdash when the original Menorah was unusable. Does that really warrant a Rabbinic enactment of a mitzvah, one which has become one of the most famous mitzvahs in Judaism which all kinds of Jews, Torah observant and not as observant, try to adhere to each year even until today?

We learn from here how important it is to recognize and to show gratitude for even what seems to be the minor miracles Hashem does for us, those that do not seem supernatural at all but are obviously divinely inspired. Indeed, even those not so obviously divinely inspired should always be attuned to how Hashem is constantly helping us, and by lighting the Chanukah candles, which remind us of the 7 pure rods that were found in the Beis HaMikdash, should arouse us to be more attuned to the subtleties of Hashem’s Divine Providence over each and every one of us.

We can learn a second very important lesson from the last part of the Psiksa Rabasi DiRav Kahana. He asks why we read Hallel on Chanukah and answers with a quote from Tehillim: “And to Hashem who has enlightened us” (Tehillim 118:27). Rav Kahana then asks why we don’t say Hallel on Purim if in the Megilla it writes, “To destroy, kill, and cause to perish all the Jews” (Esther 3:13), and they were all saved? To this question he answers that we only read Hallel on the fall of a kingdom, but the Kingdom of Achashveirosh was still in power. That is why we don’t read Hallel on Purim but the Greek Empire was destroyed by Hashem so they started to give praise and thanksgiving to Hashem, and they said, “In the past we were slaves to Egypt and Greece and now we are servants of The Holy One Blessed Be He as it says ‘Give praise the servants of Hashem.’ (Tehillim 113:1).’” (Click here for continued Hebrew text.)

We have to put into context what was happening at the time. Granted the Jews were still governed by Achashveirosh, but it was a time of peace. The enemies were wiped out, Mordechai was viceroy, and in the next generation, Achashveirosh’s son Darius even sent the Jews to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. What an incredible state the Jews were in, living in such peace and security; that isn’t deserving of Hallel?! On the flip side, the Jews might have won a major battle over the Greeks and were able to recapture the Beis HaMikdash and rededicate it but they were still fighting the war for some time before they eventually won. That was deserving of Hallel?

The answer is, yes! The Jews in the times of the Greeks felt freedom, freedom to praise Hashem, freedom to serve Hashem, freedom from the clutches of a foreign government which wanted to instruct them how to live. Even if they were not completely free of the threat yet, because they did not feel the yoke of government around their neck, rather they felt like they had been released from bondage like the slavery of Egypt, and could now worship Hashem undaunted, that was worthwhile to sing praises of Hallel to Hashem even if the war was not yet over. They could now feel and be solely servants of Hashem! This is why we say Hallel even today. But by Purim, granted they were living in peace and tranquility after the downfall of Haman, but they still had to answer to the ruling government, that doesn’t inspire euphoria to arouse singing Hallel to Hashem.

We see from here that freedom is better than peace.

The Rabbeinu Bachye gives an introduction to each Torah portion, elaborating on a pasuk or two from Mishlei and somehow connecting it to the beginning of the Torah portion. For this week’s Torah portion of Vayeishev he quotes the pesukim: “Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the poor man in the gate. For the Lord will plead their cause and rob those who rob them, of life” (Mishlei 22:22, 23). Rabbeinu Bachye goes on to say that, “King Shlomo is informing us of the punishment for stealing from the underprivileged in these two pesukim. There are four categories of these types of people: (1) poor people, (2) orphans, (3) widows, and (4) converts.” (Click here for Hebrew text)

When elaborating on the fourth category the Rabbeinu Bachye says: “Converts (geirim), the Torah warns us to care for them a number of times. The Torah says, ‘And you shall not mistreat a convert, nor shall you oppress him…’ (Shemos 22:20). It warns us not to mistreat him with harmful words and not to oppress him by stealing his money because, ‘for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.’ Another pasuk adds another reason, ‘for you know the feelings of the convert’ (Shemos 23:9), it does not say ‘of the convert’ rather it says ‘the feelings of the convert, meaning he feels subjugated and lowly, and his eyes are always towards Hashem. The Rabbis also taught, ‘If you bump into a son of a convert don’t say to him I remember what your father use to do…, or if the convert comes to learn Torah don’t tell him, the mouth that once ate non-Kosher, how can it now come to learn Torah which was given from the mouth of the Great Holy One’ (Bava Metzia 58b).  For you were strangers in the land of Egypt and about a blemish you once had you shall not make fun of others. (Click here for Hebrew text)

We also refer to the righteous as geirim. The word ‘ger’ in Hebrew comes from the word ‘gargir’ or a piece of grain separated from its root. So to the righteous views himself alone and separated, his living quarters on earth feel only temporary. This is what King David said, ‘I am a stranger (ger) in the land do not hide your mitzvos from me’ (Tehillim 119:19). He compared himself to a sojourner (ger) ready to travel and he does not know when that time will come, and because he does not know when that time is, he must take provisions, since that time might come upon him immediately without notice. What are the provisions? They are fulfilling mitzvos; that is why King David said ‘do not hide your mitzvos from me.’

We also find that that our Forefathers were called geirim. Regarding Avraham it writes, ‘I am a stranger (ger) and an inhabitant with you’ (Breishis 23:4). Regarding Yitzchok it writes, ‘Sojourn (gur) in this land’ (Breishis 26:3). By Yaakov it writes in the first pasuk of this week’s parsha, ‘Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings (migurei), in the land of Canaan’ (Breishis 27:1). It first says ‘Yaakov dwelt’ and not that Yaakov sojourned in the land because it previously by Esav  said ‘Esav dwelt on MountSe’ir’ (Breishis 36:5) when the Torah discussed the descendants of Esav and the kings and chieftains that came from him, and that they settled in the land they were given to inherit, the land which will always be theirs; therefore the Torah is now telling us that Yaakov settled down in the Holy Land, in the land of his father’s sojourning. The reason the Torah uses the word migurei,is  because we find the Torah elsewhere calls it that, ‘to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojourning in which they sojourned’ (Shemos 6:4). This is because our forefathers (specifically Avraham) were uprooted from the other side of the river, they were now immigrants (geirim) in the land that was Canaan at that time.” (Click here for end of Hebrew text)

It would seem at first glance that Rabbeinu Bachya is teaching us that a person is righteous if he views himself as a temporary travelerin this world, knowing that at any moment he might pass away and he must  therefore prepare provisions for the journey to the World to Come, which are the mitzvos that he performs. This attitude is a sign of a tzadik, a person who is righteous.
However one can wonder why he is more special than any other Jew who performs mitzvos day in and day out, and might even expect reward for doing the mitzvos and is also careful tonot sin since he is afraid of punishment? Why aren’t we, meaning you or I, the average Joes who tries to be Torah observant, known to be tzadikim, righteous?

It must be that Rabbeinu Bachye is doing more than giving us a sign of the righteous -he is also sending us a message that you or I, or anyone can become a tzadik, it is not reserved for the elite, and he is sharing with us the formula of how to become a tzadik. We have to have the attitude that I am a ger.

We see from here that a ger has many connotations; a convert, a traveler, an immigrant. But they are all rooted in the same concept, that one is like a piece of grain separated from its root.

If a person has the attitude that he is like a convert who feels like a stranger separated from his people and family who he grew up with, and therefore feels subjugation and humility which stirs in him an urge to constantly be looking up towards Hashem in prayer for help and comfort, always increasing one’s emuna and bitachon, faith and trust in Hashem, then this is the first step in the process of becoming a tzadik. One also has to have the attitude that he is just a sojourner, a traveler through life who does not know when the end will come and therefore has to always be searching out for mitzvos to perform in the best quality he can so that he will have the proper provisions when his time does come to go from this world to the Next World. This is the second part of the formula to becoming a tzadik. Finally, one has to have an attitude that I am like an immigrant in a strange land, having no entitlements, and must respect the people around me who were living here long before I was.

With this formula of having an attitude of a ger: selfless, temporary, and humble, all being channeled into serving Hashem then it will seem, according to the Rabbeinu Bachye that one will become a tzadik.

At the end of this week’s Torah portion of Vayishlach we find the lineage of Esav. The Torah says: “And these are the kings who reigned in the Land of Edom before any king reigned over the Children of Israel” (Breishis 36:31). The Baal HaTurim explains why there were kings in Esav’s kingdom of Edom, before Yaakov’s Kingdom of Israel: “It is because Yaakov called Esav “my master” 8 times, therefore 8 kings reigned in his land before the Jews. Parallel to those 8 kings the Jews had 8 kings until Yehoram and in his day Edom sinned greatly.” (Click here and here for Hebrew text.)

The Medrish Rabba elaborates on the parallels in leadership between Esav’s nation of Edom and Yaakov’s nation of Israel: “Rebbe Yossi bar Chanina said that when Edom had kings Israel had judges and when Esav had alufim (princes) Israel had nesiim (princes). Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi said Edom had 8 and Israel had 8, Edom had Bella, Yovav, Chusham, Hadad, Samla, Shaul, Baal Chanan, and Hadar. Israel also had 8, Shaul, Ish Boshet, Dovid, Shlomo, Rechavam, Aviah, Asa, and Yehoshafat. Nevuchadnetzar came and mixed all the nations together and got rid of all the kings… Evil Murdach came and gave Yehoyachin the leadership in Israel, then came Achashverosh and gave leadership to Haman [who is a descendant of Amalek from the lineage of Esav” (Breishis Rabba 83:2). (Click here for Hebrew text.)

Why would Yaakov calling Esav “my master” eight times cause Esav to have eight kings before Yaakov? The Daas Zekeinim says in the beginning of this week’s Torah portion: “That because Yaakov called Esav ‘master’ he was punished. Hashem said to Yaakov, ‘I said that the older one will serve the younger one and you call him ‘master’ 8 times, as we find in this perek, I swear that 8 kings will rule from Esav before any kings rule over Israel.’ This is what’s written at the end of the Torah portion, ‘And these are the kings who reigned in the Land of Edom before any king reigned over the Children of Israel.’” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

What did Yaakov do wrong? In the 9^th category of flattery in The Gate of Flattery of Orchos Tzadikim it says: “It is permitted to honor the wicked only on the grounds of fear, fear that they will cause injury or loss at a time that they have the upper hand. It was thus permitted to honor them as men honor the powerful, out of fear and fright by standing, deferring, and the like, but it was not permitted to praise them, or to speak well of them to others.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

Esav obviously had the upper hand, bringing with him 400 of his mightiest warriors against Yaakov, his wives and little children. The Torah mentioned that Yosef had some level of fear and trepidation upon meeting Esav; what then did Yaakov do wrong? Wasn’t he permitted to show respect to Esav under these circumstances?

It would seem that it was within reasonable hishtadlus (personal effort; i.e., versus reliance on the divine) for Yaakov to flatter Esav. But if one looks closely at the Daas Zekeinim, it was the manner in which Yaakov provided the flattery which was the problem. That is why he was punished. If Hashem said the older son will be serving the younger son (which Yaakov must have known about), then it was unbecoming to speak in a manner which would go against Hashem’s proclamation. Yaakov, despite all the stress and intimidation, still should have figured out a way to, while strategizing a plan of defense against Esav, somehow flatter him in a more appropriate manner.

For this reason, due to Yaakov calling Esav “my master” 8 times, which was contrary to Hashem’s proclamation of the brothers’ destiny, measure for measure, Esav’s descendants merited to have 8 kings before Yaakov’s descendants had any.

At the end of this week’s Torah portion of Vayetzei, after Yaakov married Rachel and Leah, had most of their children besides Binyamin, and worked for Lavan for twenty years, Yaakov and his family escaped Lavan’s house to go back to Eretz Canaan [the Land of Israel]. Lavan found out about this three days later, and saw that his idols were also missing. He ran after them with the intention of killing them (as we see from the haggada we read on Pesach), but Yaakov ultimately forged a peace treaty with Lavan. When Lavan left Yaakov, the pasuk says: “And Lavan arose early in the morning and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them, and Lavan went and returned to his place” (Breishis 32:1).

The Sforno on this pasuk is bothered by the need for the Torah to inform us that Lavan blessed his children and grandchildren: “Our Sages have already said, ‘Even the blessing of a common man should not be treated lightly’ (Megillah 15a). However the Torah tells us of Lavan’s blessing to his daughters to teach us that a father’s blessing is, without a doubt, given with all his soul, and is worthy to be accepted (effective) reflecting the tzelem Elokim (image of G-D) within the [father] who blesses, similar to what [Yitzchok mentioned earlier when he wanted to bless Esav,] ‘That my soul may bless you’ (Breishis 27:4). (Click here for Hebrew text.)

Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz explains the connection to the tzelem Elokim (image of G-D): “The phrase Tzelem Elokim (Breishis 1:27), is explained by the Sforno as meaning that man has the potential to understand G-D and perfect himself to the extent of reaching a level of G-Dliness and immortality. This power is hidden in his soul (nefesh), and when this force is released its impact is powerful. When a father blesses his children, the blessing emanates from the depth of his soul and therefore it is extremely effective. This is true whether it be a Yitzchok or a Lavan.”

It sounds like there is an automatic tendency or ability for a father to be tuned into his pure soul and to give everlasting effective blessings to his children. However if you look at the Sforno by Yitzchok it does not seem so simple. The Sforno explains why Yitzchok first asked Esav to prepare some delicacies for him before giving the blessings: “He asked for savory food so that (Esav) should occupy himself in the mitzvah of honoring his father so that the blessings are affective, for even though he did not recognize Esav’s great wickedness, nonetheless he did not feel him worthy to receive the blessing that he had in his heart to give him.” (Click here and here for Hebrew text)

Yitzchok wanted to give Esav the blessings but it would seem that it would not have come naturally if not for the meal he requested from Esav, even though there supposedly is this natural ability for a father to tap into his own soul and give an affective blessing to his son.

The Evil Lavan who just a day ago and even hours earlier was ready to kill his children and grandchildren in cold blood over his idols, was able to automatically be in sync with his holy, sublime soul to give blessings to his daughters and presumably his grandchildren with such an effect that it was worthy of mention in the Torah. So it obviously worked, as the Sforno is teaching us. But Righteous Yitzchok, one of our forefathers, a very holy person, considered hekdesh [literally holy] because of almost being sacrificed by the binding of Yitzchok, could not automatically give Esav his blessing and had to ask Esav to perform the mitzvah of honoring him? Indeed, Yitzchok knew that Esav excelled in that mitzvah, to ensure he could muster up his abilities to be attuned with his soul, so that the blessing will work. Why was it automatic for Lavan but not Yitzchok?

We must say that in fact Yitzchok, on the level he was on, certainly was in tuned with his soul and was able to control this ability to give blessings that work, but that he wanted to make sure Esav really earned it. In fact, the Sforno concludes that when Yitzchok told Yaakov to go to Lavan and get married there Yitzchok did give Yaakov a guaranteed blessing from the soul, for the Sforno says: “Because of this, when he blessed Yaakov later (before he left for Haran) he did not request him to bring savory food, but blessed him at once saying, ‘And G-D Almighty bless you’ (Brieshis 28:3), for he knew that he was worthy to be blessed.”

What this means is that a father giving a blessing to his children that works is not natural and automatic; so how did Lavan do it? This can be explained by the famous stories of mothers who lift up cars with one hand and save their baby from underneath with the other hand. It is possible to get a supernatural rush of energy at times, of immense passion or compassion, and to do things which are not humanly possible because the adrenaline causes such drastic measures.
Not only is this possible physically, but it is also possible spiritually and mentally.

Lavan, aware that this would probably be his last time seeing his children and grandchildren, had a supernatural inspiration of fatherly love and compassion which drove him to tap into his pure soul, his tzelem Elokim, bringing out altruistic blessings, which worked on his family.

The ability to tap into our purity and holiness, which Hashem endowed us with, is within every single human being no matter how far gone they are from the true source and it can potentially be tapped at any moment, pressing the right buttons or with the proper inspiration.