Avraham and Sarah

Dear friends, 

this year I would like to do something different. I am going to write interesting tidbits on the parsha of the week. This week, I will be sending out three blog posts, because I missed Bereishis and Noah, and I want them to be in order. 

Enjoy. 

Yitzi     

Print         Lech Lecha 

Avraham was born 300 years after the flood, he was the 10th generation from Noah. Noah lived 350 years  after the flood, so it is certain that Avraham saw him. He actually studied at his yeshiva (Torah Academy), later known as the yeshiva of Shem and Ever, the son and great grandson of Noah. 

When Avraham was born, it was a time of Idol worship. The city he was born in, was ruled by Nimrod, the ruler of most of civilization. Nimrod was the first ruler of people after the flood, he was a very powerful leader and he was black. Idol worship was a way of controlling the minds of the people, only free thinkers believed in Hashem and they were scoffed at and persecuted. Nimrod saw believers of Hashem as a threat to his power and he would deal with them harshly. 

Avraham's father was Terach, an important man, and he had an Idol business. 

When Avraham was born, Nimrod's astrologers advised him to have the baby killed, because he was going to be a threat to his rule. Terach switched another baby in place of Avraham and his mother hid him in a cave. 

When Avraham was 3 years old, he recognized that Idol worship was silly, and he went on a search for G-d and came to the conclusion that He couldn't be anything in the world, He had to be greater than the world. 

When he got older, he went to study in the yeshiva of Noah, Shem and Ever. When he was forty he returned to Babel and started to teach about Hashem. He was treading a dangerous path. Everything came to a head with one story. 

Avraham's father, Terach, asked him to watch his business, the Idols. When his father left, he took an ax and smashed all the Idols except for the largest one and he placed the ax in the largest one's hand. When his father returned, he asked Avraham, "what happened?" Avraham told him that he brought some food for the Idols and they started to fight over the food. The big one took the ax, smashed all of the other Idols and took the food for himself. 

His father was fuming, "You know that Idols can't do anything, you did this." Avraham replied, "if Idols can't do anything, why do you serve them?" It was a clear demonstration of the fallacy of Idol worship. Word spread quickly and Nimrod had Avraham thrown into a blazing furnace. Hashem made a miracle and the inside of the furnace turned into a garden for him. When he was taken out of the furnace, his brother Haran proclaimed his belief in Hashem, and Nimrod had Haran thrown into the furnace, and he burned to death. 

Haran had two daughters Milka and Yiska. Avraham married Yiska, who was also called Sarai, and Hashem later changed her name to Sarah. 

Sarah or Sarai, means a minister, Yiska, or in English, Jessica, comes from the word nesicha, which means a princess. Sarah was extremely beautiful, graceful and dignified, like a minister and a princess. (interesting to note that Sarah Jessica is a common name) 

She kept the laws of purity, mikva, and because of that, there was always a cloud of Hashem's presence hovering above her tent. She kept the mitzvah of challah, and her bread was blessed because of it. Only a little bit of it filled you up and satisfied you (like lembas). And she kept the mitzvah of lighting Shabbat candles and a miracle would occur, they would continue to burn all week, until it was time to light them again. 

These Mitzvos are really special to Jewish women, who are all daughters of Sarah, our mother. 

Noah

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Why was Noah called Noah? 

Noah's father had a prophecy that Noah would make life easier for people. One of the translations of Noah is easy. How did Noah make life easier for people? Until the time of Noah working a field was very difficult, because there weren't many tools. Noah invented the plow, making a field easier to work. 

How big was Noah's Ark? 

The Torah tells us that it was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. 

How big is a cubit? 

The normal cubit is 5 hands (a hand is approximately 4 inches) so it is approximately 20 inches (50 cm). 

In the Temple in Jerusalem, a cubit was 6 hands, approximately 2 feet (60 cm).

We are told that on the Ark the light of Moshiach shined, it was a holy and miraculous place like the Temple. So perhaps the cubits were Temple cubits. 

If so the Ark was approximately 600 feet (180 m) long, 100 feet (30 m) wide, and 60 feet (18 m) high. It was about as long as two football fields. It was very big. 

The Ark had three floors. On the top floor lived Noah's family. On the middle floor were the animals. And on the bottom floor was food storage and waste. There was enough room for every floor to be almost 20 feet (6 m) high, tall enough for a giraffe. 

On the Ark, Hashem commanded Noah, his family and the animals not to have reproductive relations, so no animals or people were born on the Ark. The raven disobeyed the command, that is why Noah sent the raven out of the Ark first, he banished the raven from the Ark because of his sin. Being that the female raven was already expecting, Noah didn't fear for the species. However, Hashem commanded Noah to continue taking care of the raven, because the raven would prove its usefulness in the future. In fact, when Elijah the prophet was hiding from the wicked king Ahab and Queen jezebel, who wanted to kill him, in the cave on Mount Sinai, ravens would bring him food. 

On the Ark the light of Moshiach shined bright, therefore the animals got along. The animals of prey didn't attack other animals, as it says about the time of Moshiach, "The wolf will dwell with the lamb." 

Rashi tells us that one time, Noah was late to feed the lion, and it took a swipe at him, and hurt him. 

Lighting on the Ark 

The Ark had a stone called a tzoar, which gave off a bright light. Maybe the Arkenstone from the Hobbit, I find it amusing that he called it the ARKenstone. 

Question. tongue in cheek: Why didn't Noah allow the unicorns onto the Ark? 

Funny you ask. When the Jewish people were in the desert, they built the Mishkan (Tabernacle). One of the coverings of the Mishkan were made of tachash skin which was colorful. The animal is now extinct, some people say that it was a unicorn. So maybe he did let them on the Ark.  

Life on the Ark 

There is a conversation recorded in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 108b) between Eliezer the servant of Avraham and Shem son of Noah, where he asked Shem about life on the Ark. 

Eliezer asked him, "Where were you and what did you do to care for them while they were in the ark?” 

Shem said to him, "We experienced great suffering in the ark caring for the animals. Where there was a creature that one typically feeds during the day, we fed it during the day, and where there was a creature that one typically feeds at night, we fed it at night. 

"With regard to that chameleon, my father did not know what it eats. One day, my father was sitting and peeling a pomegranate. A worm fell from it and the chameleon ate it. From that point forward my father would knead bran with water, and when it became overrun with worms, the chameleon would eat it.” 

How about the Phoenix? 

Eliezer asked him, "Where were you and what did you do to care for them while they were in the ark?” 

Shem said to him, "We experienced great suffering in the ark caring for the animals. Where there was a creature that one typically feeds during the day, we fed it during the day, and where there was a creature that one typically feeds at night, we fed it at night. 

"With regard to that chameleon, my father did not know what it eats. One day, my father was sitting and peeling a pomegranate. A worm fell from it and the chameleon ate it. From that point forward my father would knead bran with water, and when it became overrun with worms, the chameleon would eat it.” 

How about the Phoenix? 

"Shem continued: With regard to the phoenix, my father found it lying in its compartment on the side of the ark. He said to the bird: Do you not want food? The bird said to him: I saw that you were busy, and I said I would not trouble you by requesting food. Noah said to the bird: May it be God’s will that you shall not die, and through that bird the verse was fulfilled, as it is stated: “And I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix” (Job 29:18 )." 

In Iyov (Job ad loc) the commentaries explain that when Chava ate from the tree of knowledge she had all the animals eat from it too. However, the phoenix was the only creature that refused to eat from the tree of knowledge. Therefore it lives forever. It also explains how it lives for a thousand years and the process of how it's reborn from its ashes. 

Adam And Chava, The Holy Image Of Hashem

Dear friends, 

this year I would like to do something different. I am going to write interesting tidbits on the parsha of the week. This week, I will be sending out three blog posts, because I missed Bereishis and Noah, and I want them to be in order. 

Enjoy.  

Yitzi 

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Was the original man that Hashem created male or female? 

At first he was both, as the verse says, "And Hashem created the Adam, in the image of Hashem He created him, male and female He created them." And Rashi brings the Midrash, that at first he was both male and female together. Then Hashem split the Adam (pun intended), and they became two, a male and a female. The word for rib in Hebrew is tzela which also means a side. So when the Torah says that Hashem took a tzela from Adam and made Chava, it means that He separated the female side from the male side. 

If he was both, why does it say, "him?" Because in Hebrew there is no gender neutral, everything is either male or female, there is no word for "it," so it says, "him." 

You may ask, what does this have to do with the marriage of this new beautiful couple? 

To explain this, I will ask another question. The original Adam was created in the image of Hashem, and he was both male and female. So the true image of Hashem is female and male together. How are we then in the image of Hashem, if we are each only half? 

The answer. There are two levels of the image of Hashem. There is the individual, who is in the image of Hashem, either male or female. And then there is the holy image of Hashem, which is represented by a married couple together in harmony. That is perhaps why, in the blessings of the Sheva Brachos, we talk about the creation of Adam. It is the two halves of the Adam coming together. 

And this is a message to every bride and groom on their wedding day. 

Now you are finally whole, now is when your mission truly begins. And when you are in harmony, you are in the original image of Hashem, the holy image of Hashem, and you have a greater impact on this world. 

May your marriage always be in harmony, and may your home be a home for Hashem, with the light of Yiddishkeit and Chassidishkeit and may your togetherness be strong and impactful, and may it bring Moshiach closer. May he come soon. 

Selichos

We always begin saying Selichos in the month of Elul as a preparation for Rosh Hashanah. Sefardic communities start at the beginning of the month of Elul. Ashkenazic communities start the week of Rosh Hashanah, but when Rosh Hashanah falls on Monday or Tuesday, they start the week before. They always begin on Motzei Shabbos, at around midnight, which is around one o'clock in the morning because of daylight savings time, since that is the earliest time to begin. It's so precious to them that they begin as soon as they can. 

I remember that when I was six or seven years old, my father bought me my own Selichos book, and took me to 770 Eastern Parkway, the Rebbe's shul. I remember walking up Kingston Avenue in the middle of the night, there were so many people, young and old, men, women, boys and girls, it made a great impression on me. They were all going to say the first Selichos with the Rebbe. 

I found out later that although there were many shuls in Crown Heights, everyone went to 770, because when it comes to Selichos, it's better to have a big crowd. 

Selichos begins with ashrei and then the chazan says kadish, then we say, "To You Hashem is the righteousness (haTzedaka), and to us is the shamefacedness." In other words, Hashem's ways are just and correct, and because of the way we acted throughout the year, we should be ashamed. 

This verse uses the word haTzedaka to mean that Hashem is just and correct, it would make more sense to use the word haTzedek, which actually means just and correct. Why use the word haTzedaka, which means to give to the poor? 

The difference between Tzedek and Tzedaka. When you say, "Tzedek," it means just and correct, and as far as the one who is receiving the money, it is clear that he earned it, because then it is just and correct to give him payment. On the other hand, when you say "tzedaka," it means that he didn't earn it and you are under no obligation to give him, it's giving for no reason. It's not even a gift, because when you give a gift you at least have some pleasure giving it to him, because if not, you wouldn't give him a gift. However when it comes to tzedaka, you may not even know the person. It's tzedaka, giving for no reason. 

That is why we specifically say, "To You Hashem is the Tzedaka," because of the dual meaning of the word. Hashem is just in all His ways. And because of that we feel that if you consider what is just, it's not right for us to ask, therefore we only ask that He give us in a way of tzedakah, as we say in Selichos, "We have no approach to beseech before You, tzedaka, which is Yours alone is what we request." 

In truth, we would have been able to ask from a position of righteousness and justice, in other words, it is coming to us and we are deserving, since "All of Israel are children of Kings," meaning that we are princes and princesses. Princes and princesses are not used to doing work, so anything we do is considered hard work, a big deal and deserving of good pay. 

However, going down this path is not what we want to do, because our service to Hashem only reaches so far. Since we are limited our service reaches a limited place, and the blessings that come from that place are limited. We want something more. 

The Alter Rebbe says, "Who do I have in heaven and besides you I don't want anything, I don't want anything, I don't want Your Gan Eden, I don't want Your Olam Haba (World to Come), I don't want anything but You Yourself." 

Since Hashem is unlimited, the blessing that comes from Him is unlimited, and although deserve a lot on account of our service, we ask Hashem for tzedaka, to give us according to His infinite ability, unlimited blessing from Hashem's essence. And that is why we say, "Tzedaka, which is Yours alone is what we request." We want Hashem Himself. 

We don't want to come to Him with calculations, because then we are blessed with calculated blessing, but we want unlimited blessing. 

How do we make ourselves a vessel to receive Hashem's unlimited blessing? It is through, "to us is the shamefacedness." Through self nullification and being humble we touch the essence of Hashem, and draw blessing from there, and from there the blessing is tzedakah. 

And we are certain that Hashem will give us the blessings of children, health and sustenance, and a good and sweet year.  

The Greatest Good Comes Through Our Struggles

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This week's parsha, Devarim, is always read on the Shabbos before Tisha B'Av or on Tisha B'Av itself and it's called Shabbos Chazon, because we read the Haftora of Chazon Yeshayahu, the Vision of Isaiah. 

Nothing is by chance, being that parshas Devarim is always Shabbos Chazon, there has to be a connection between Devarim and Shabbos Chazon. What is that connection? 

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Bardichev said that on Shabbos Chazon we are shown a vision of the third Temple, a vision from a distance and this is the essence of Shabbos Chazon. 

The book of Devarim is called Mishneh Torah. Mishneh Torah is different from the first four books of the Torah, in that the first four books are talking to the generation of the desert and Devarim is talking to the generation that were going to enter the Land of Israel and therefore would have to know certain things that the generation of the desert didn't have to deal with. 

The difference between the generation of the desert and the generation that entered the Land, is that the generation of the desert was a generation of knowledge, they were at the level of Moshe, who saw G-dliness. However the generation that entered the Land they were involved in physical pursuits, and they didn't see G-dliness, they only heard from their fathers and teachers. As it says in next week's parsha, "And now Israel listen." 

What is the difference between seeing and hearing? When you see something it is unquestionable, no one can convince you out of it, because you saw it. On the other hand, when you hear something, no matter how convincing it is you can be talked out of it if someone questions it, has a more convincing story or argument. 

Therefore the generation that entered the Land had to be told about self sacrifice, because they only heard about G-dliness, they didn't see. However the generation of the desert didn't have to be told about self sacrifice, because they saw G-dliness. 

Although the generation that entered the Land was on a lower level than the generation of the desert, nevertheless they had an advantage over the generation of the desert of which it says, "For you have not yet come to the resting place or to the inheritance, which Hashem your G-d is giving you." Which they could only have after they entered the Land of Israel. Because the true intention of Hashem is specifically brought to fruition through being involved in the physical. Only then can you acquire the resting place and inheritance. 

So Devarim, which is the beginning of Mishneh Torah, is about a descent in holiness, but it is specifically through this descent that brings us to the true ascent. 

The same is true about Shabbos Chazon, on one hand, it comes in the darkest time of year, the nine days, on the Shabbos before Tisha B'Av or on Tisha B'Av itself, when both of our Temples were destroyed. On the other hand, specifically through this descent that brings the ultimate ascent. As the Holy Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Bardichev said that on Shabbos Chazon we are shown a vision of the third Temple. 

The same is true in every challenge or even tragedy, there is an opportunity. And if you train yourself to look for the opportunity, you will be able to take control of the situation and even turn it into a positive or if it can't be turned into something good, at least something good could come out of it. You should ask yourself these questions. What does Hashem want me to gain from this? What does Hashem want me to learn from this? How can I use this for something positive? 

When I was diagnosed with ALS, it was devastating to me and my family. By taking this attitude, I was filled with a mission to uplift as many as I can through these articles and my wife Dina became one of the most inspirational speakers and has uplifted tens of thousands. It doesn't fix the problem, but it makes our lives more meaningful and therefore more bearable. 

May we merit to see these days of darkness turn to light and the happiest days on the calendar and may we merit to see the construction of the third Temple that will be built by Moshiach. May he come soon. 

Don't Be Satisfied

Print         Matos         Maasei
Parshas Maasei begins, "These are the travels of the Children of Israel that they went out of Egypt," the word "journeys" is said in the plural, meaning that in order to get out of Egypt they had to travel many journeys.

There is a famous question asked about this. They only went out of Egypt on the first journey from Ramses to Sukkos, they were already out of Egypt then. Why does it say "journeys" in plural?

Another question. The Jewish people traveled 42 journeys coming out of Egypt until they reached the Holy Land. Egypt in Hebrew is Mitzrayim, which is from the word Maitzarim, meaning constrictions, which is what they broke free from. Why did they need 42 journeys to break free, when with the first journey they were already free?

What are we meant to learn from this?

When it comes to constraints and being free there are many levels, freedom is relative. If you break free from a lower level you are still in constraints compared to a higher level. So although they broke free from Egypt, they still had a way to go, every journey breaking free from the constraints of the previous level, until they reached true freedom, the completion of their journeys, Yarden Yereicho, and they entered the Holy Land. And that is why it says "journeys," in the plural.

The same is true about this dark and bitter exile, we are on a journey, every time we reach a point of freedom, and it gets a little bit comfortable, we are reminded that we haven't reached the ultimate freedom, Yarden Yereicho, which is symbolic of Moshiach, about whom it says, "He will judge by smell," Yereicho is related to the word reiach, which means smell.

The same is true for each and every one of us. What we accomplished yesterday is good, we broke through the constraints of yesterday and it is an accomplishment, but now that we reached this level, this becomes the new baseline, and today we can go higher. It is a big mistake to think that you have already reached high enough, if you can go higher you must, because a person is called a mehalech, which means to go and to not stay put, every day higher and higher.

This is seen in Davening, which is called the ladder of Yaakov, as it says, "A ladder set on the ground and its top reaches the heaven." When you Daven you are reaching up to Hashem, as opposed to Torah study, which is from the top down, it is what it is, infinite, and we try to understand it, each of us according to our ability. However Davening is us reaching up to Hashem, trying to take our relationship with Him to a deeper and higher level.

When we Daven, every section of the prayer is another rung on the ladder, from when we prepare to Daven by setting our minds to focus on prayer, until we reach the Amida, and when we get there we are so one with Him that we don't exist, we are completely nullified before Him to the point where we have to say, "Hashem, open my lips and my mouth will tell your praises." Totally vulnerable and intimate.

And when we Daven every day, we are not doing the same thing as yesterday, rather we are picking up at the closeness we attained yesterday and we reach even deeper and higher than ever.

In a marriage it is the same way. The deepness of love that you reached yesterday is not enough today, every day you have to take it higher and deeper through being open, honest and vulnerable.

If we strive to go ever higher as a nation and in our personal relationship with Hashem, we will surely merit the final journey, the ultimate freedom, the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon.

Only You Can Do Your Part

Print         Pinchas
In this week's parsha, Pinchas, it tells about the aftermath of the story of Zimri, when Pinchas, who was the junior of the group, took action and saved the day.

How do we know that Pinchas was the junior of the group, and wasn't given special attention? The Talmud tells us how Moshe taught the Torah to the Jewish people. First he would teach it to Aaron, then he would teach it to Aaron's sons Elazzar and Ethamar, then he would teach it to the seventy elders, and then he would teach it to all of the Jewish people. And Pinchas got the teaching with all of the Jewish people, he wasn't given special treatment.

And because of his actions he was rewarded to be a Kohen, him and all of his descendants after him, an everlasting reward.

Moshe, Aaron, Elazzar, Ethamar and the seventy elders didn't know what to do, the law slipped their minds, only Pinchas remembered. They said to him, "the reader of the letter should carry it out."

What are we meant to learn from this?

There are things that the leaders of the generation are not going to tell you to do, it doesn't mean that they should not be done. If you see a good thing that is not being done and you can do it, you should. And the reason that greater people aren't doing it, perhaps it is "in order for Pinchas to take the Kohenhood," meaning that it is for you to make a difference, your purpose in the world that you were created for.

Just as physically everyone has his or her part in the world, and "no one can touch the (G-d given) livelihood of his friend," so too, no one can touch the spiritual livelihood of his friend, no one can touch his part in Torah.

His part in Torah doesn't necessarily mean the study of Torah, it means his innovation in Torah, just as the Talmud tells us that Rabbi Akiva taught a law that Moshe didn't know. And it means that no one can do another person's mitzvah, his or her spiritual purpose in the world.

Every person has a unique physical and spiritual mission in the world that only he or she can do and when we do it we refine the  world, making it into a home for Hashem, and that is our part in bringing Moshiach. May he come soon.