Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Why does hashem promise each of our avos separately with a brochah that the jews will multiply?

Shouldn't one brochah be enough?

D'var Torah...Vayeitzey

Why does Rashi state that the departure of a Tzaddik leaves its mark, wouldn't the same be true of a Rashah or any influential person?
Maran R' Shmuel Berenbaum ztz'l : It's true that any influential individual leaves a mark in his wake. However, regarding a tzaddik this is a chiddush. Since a tzaddik constantly produces "peiros" through his good deeds and spreading of Torah, one might have said that he surely leaves behind him a great legacy. So much so, that when he departs, his absence would not be felt as a great loss. Therfore Chazal must inform us, that as much of a permanent and everlasting effect as he had upon his surroundings, it is still a great loss to his community when he leaves.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Vayeitzey

Some things go unmentioned because they are BASIC. The danger is not the lack of mention, but the lack of notice. For example; Yakkov avinu's 14 year 'stop-over' at Yeshivas Shem v'Eiver. What else should he be expected to do with his time?

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Toldos

Children should not be treated equally and the same, rather uniquely. EVERYONE has intrinsically special concerns and so should they also be addressed.

Chayei Sarah

Longevity..... is not measured in years, but in the enriched content of each moment.

Chayei Sarah

Words are vessels to transfer thoughts & emotion. They can positively PLANT or negatively EXPEND inspiration. Emor m'at va'aseh harbeh.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Chayei Sarah

A gift is no different than a sale. It is not the recipient's until it is totally paid for.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Avraham offered Lot the option to travel to the right ,whereas Avraham would go left or the reverse. Why is it that when Lot did indeed leave, Avraham stayed put and did not seem to precisely keep his word of traveling away as well?
Sedom was destroyed not for their acts of evil but for their absence of good deeds.
There are very special selfless people in eveyone's life. Even these 'Angels' can appreciate & benefit from the chessed of others.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Why wasn't the great acts of hachnosas orchim and t'filos for Sedom (of which the Torah speaks about at great length) part of the 10 nisyonos?

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Lech L'chah

How can we understand Avraham's refusal of the war bounty when he readily accepted, and even anticipated, the gifts from Pharoah?
Perhaps this approach can help us. When Rashi mentions the "side effects" of traveling, in the beginning of the parshah, it seems that Hashem's brachos to Avraham was a sort of  "traveler's insurance" to avoid them. However, I believe we can understand this in a new light.
The level of absolute "annavah" expected of any Jewish leader, and ever-more so in our forefathers, required Avraham to be devoid of any hishtadlus which can lead one to feel "kochi v'otzem yadi" in building our nation. It was Hashem's specific command for Avraham to litterally take a step into self-destruction. Avraham was to free himself from any human effort in his success. This would effect the roots of his prodigy to be totally 'G-D made'.
Although the gift from Pharoah was anticipated by Avraham, there was no effort done on his part to that effect. Sarah's claim to be his sister was to protect his life. The wealth that klall yisrael inherited from Egypt without effort on their end (the slavery was not their capital investment for their retirement!) was enrooted in the gift Pharoah gave after being smitten for taking Sarah.
The war bounty, on the other hand, is understandably the payment (if not cause) for the war effort.
With this in mind, we can understand the new title attributed to Hashem at the time Avraham's refusal took place. Malki Tzeddek referred to Hashem as 'Konei shamayim va'aretz'. The One to whom the entire ownership and jurisdiction of the world is His. (see ramban, sforno, & targum for this definition.) Avraham's selflessness expressed his awareness, that our efforts are conceptually needless, opposing the common belief that G-D made the world and then left it for us to run.
Life's "tests" are more precisely challenging excercises for the muscles of our character to grow.
The challenge of lech l'chah was to enact ZERO self establishment in anticipation of complete eternal establishment by G-D.
Time is similar to a balloon. Add content gradually and your time will unexplainably expand to contain it. There is always Time for important content.

'Marcheshvan'

Did you ever wonder how we can pessimistically call a month without a holiday as Mar -bitter?
Hashem is continuously showering us with blessing; to the extent that sweetness is the status-quote of life, that which is tasteless we can relatively call "Bitter".