Short & Sweet

Noach: Building Upward

Noach was the first person that the Torah tells us made a מזבח. But what is the point of a מזבח? Why can’t a Korban be brought on bare ground?

R’ Shamshon Rafael Hirsh has a fascinating explanation. Some people think that God can only be found in nature, and that they must retreat from society to connect to the divine.

But that is not what we believe. We believe that the best way to connect to Hashem is by building a society that reflects His will, by incorporating the divine into every aspect of our lives.

That idea, explains R’ Hirsh, is symbolized by a מזבח. A מזבח must be attached to the ground, but we need to make it by putting stones together. This represents using human activity to elevate the earth towards the divine.

After the world was destroyed in the Mabul, Noach built the first מזבח. This was an attempt to rededicate the world to its original mission – to be a place where people are constantly striving to build higher, to create an elevated society that connects us to our Creator.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Vayeira: We’ll Show Them

After Avraham’s bris milah, Hashem made sure the weather was extra hot so that no guests would bother Avraham. Yet not only did Avraham not find the lack of passerby in need to be a relief, but it actually bothered him so much that Hashem had to send Malachim to serve as Avraham’s “guests”.

But why did it bother Avraham that he had no guests? If there is nobody in need, shouldn’t that be celebrated rather than mourned?

R’ Shlomo Heiman, the first Rosh Yeshiva of Torah V’Daas, offers an incredible explanation. Avraham was born into a world where helping others was not valued, and his goal was to change that. It bothered Avraham that he had no chessed to engage in, since he sought to set an example for the world about the importance of chessed.

Said R’ Shlomo Heiman, in our own lives we should always seek to do Mitzvos loudly and proudly, with a particular emphasis on those Mitzvos that many people may not be aware of or sufficiently value.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Chayei Sarah: Appropriate Jewelry

As soon as Rivka proved her giving nature by giving Eliezer’s camels to drink, Eliezer gave her two two bracelets that weighed ten shekel. Rashi explains that this represented the two Luchos and the עשרת הדברות that they contained. Simply understood, Eliezer was telling Rivka that she passed the test, and that her children would be the עם הנבחר who would receive the Torah.

However, R’ Elimelech Kohn saw a deeper message here, based upon a teaching of R’ Yisroel Salanter. R’ Yisroel Salanter was asked, why are Middos not more prominently featured among the Mitzvos of the Torah? He answered that the Middos are a prerequisite for the Torah – one who acts terribly and keeps the Mitzvos is like נזם זהב באף חזיר, placing a gold ring on the nose of a pig.

We can now understand the sequence of the events of our Parsha. Eliezer first ascertained that Rivka had good Middos, and only then gave her the jewelry that symbolized the Torah. Only once he knew of her sterling character traits was it possible to adorn and beautify her with the Torah.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Toldos: Together Forever

The Ramban writes that the three wells that Yitzchak dug symbolizes the three בתי מקדשות that will be built. Just as the first two wells were made unusable by the Pilishtim, so too were the first two בתי מקדשות destroyed; and just as the third well was the one that lasted, so too will the third בית המקדש last forever.

The Ramban elaborates on this point by finding hints in the names of the wells to what went right or wrong. The first well is referred to as עשק and the second is referred to as שטנה as a way of hinting to the infighting that was all too prevalent in the days of the first and second בית המקדש, while the third is referred to רחובות to hint that at time, Hashem will widen the boundaries of our land, since there will be no infighting.

The Chida finds another allusion in the Pesukim to the point of the Ramban. When the servants of Yitzchak dug the first two wells, the Passuk uses the word ויחפרו, which is the plural form of “and they dug”. However, when it came to the digging of third well, the Passuk uses ויחפור, the singular form of the word. This is because only when all of the Jewish people act together as one can we build the third Beis HaMikdosh, for that is the only way it can last forever.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Vayeitzi: Always Thankful

The Gemora famously tells us that nobody properly thanked Hashem until Leah named her son Yehuda after the phrase הפעם אודה את ה׳, this time I will thank Hashem. Many have asked, what was so special about Leah’s thanks?

R’ Shimon Schwab explains that to appreciate the greatness of Leah’s statement, we need to look at the whole story. Leah had named her previous three sons after hope that her sons would change the way her husband saw her: כי עתה יאהבני אישי, הפעם ילוה אישי. However, those prayers went unanswered; Yaakov continues to view Rachel as his primary wife, not Leah.

Yet instead of despairing that she did not get what she truly wanted, Leah chose to thank Hashem for what He had given her. Thanking Hashem is easy when you get what you want; to thank Hashem for all He does even when don’t get what you want is what Leah is praised for.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Vayishlach: No Right to Rule

In 1970, R’ Hutner was on a plane which was hijacked by PLO terrorists. After he was released from captivity, he made the following point:

The heads of the tribes of Esav are referred to in this weeks Parsha with honorary אלוף, which Chazal tells us denotes מלכות. However, the heads of tribes of Yishmael are referred to with the lesser honorific of נשיאים. Why is that?

R’ Hutner explained that this difference in titles is due to an inherent difference between the nations. Regarding Esav, Hashem says: ירושה לעשיו נתתי את הר שעיר – I have given Mount Sair to Esav as an inheritance. But regarding Yishmael, Hashem told Avraham: גרש את האמה הזאת ואת בנה, כי לא יירש בן האמה הזאת; drive out this maidservant and her son, for the son of this maidservant will not inherit. Yishmael was never intended to rule any particular place; any position of authority that they get is therefore inherently temporary.

Since Yishmael is never truly settled in a place of their own, they attempt to compensate by stealing Eretz Yisroel from us. Esav, on the other hand, truly rules their own lands; they therefore have less interest in taking what is ours.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Mikeitz: Selective Hearing

After hearing Yosef interpret his dreams, Paroh was incredibly impressed. He remarked to his servants: הנמצא כזה איש אשר רוח אלקים בו, “Have we ever found such a man, that the spirit of G-d is with him?”Paroh immediately appointed Yosef to run the country.

And yet, points out R’ Dovid Povarsky, Paroh had a very different reaction when he was approached by even more impressive agents of Hashem. Rather than just interpret dreams, Moshe and Ahron performed actual miracles in front of Paroh. Yet instead of being impressed at their connection to the Divine, Paroh scoffed: מי ה׳ אשר אשמע בקולו, “Who is G-d that I should listen to His word?” Why did Paroh have such a different reaction?

R’ Dovid Povarsky explains that the difference lay not in the messenger, but in the message. Yosef instructed Paroh how to save his kingdom through the upcoming years of famine. Moshe, on the other hand, commanded Paroh to let the slaves go, which would negatively impact the economy of Mitzrayim.

It is easy to be impressed by holy people and to listen to divine messages when we clearly see how they are to our benefit. The true test comes when their message seems to go against our interests. Will we be like Paroh and reject any that seems inconvenient, or will we listen anyway?

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Vayechi: Understanding Ourselves

Right before he died, Yaakov rebuked Reuven for moving the bed of Yaakov. And yet, points out the Alter of Kelm, Yaakov did not focus on the מעשה עבירה, the actual misdeed. Instead, Yaakov started with the character trait that had led Reuven astray: פחז כמים, you were impulsive and quick to act like water. This is why Reuven lost the בכורה; somebody who acts impulsively cannot be king.

This teaches us how we can best engage in introspection. It pays to not just look at what we did wrong, but to look upstream and figure out what drove us to do what we did. Once we figure out our own “why”, we can work on redirecting those motivations to bring us to better places.

A story of Rav Dessler, who was a talmid of Kelm, illustrates this point:

When R’ Moshe Shapiro studied in Ponovezh, he slept in the house of Rav Dessler. One night, Rav Dessler spotted him reading secular poetry. Rather than telling him that poetry is ביטל תורה or the like, Rav Dessler suggested that the young Moshe Shapiro try learning Mahral instead. Rav Dessler understood what was motivating him to read poetry, and helped him channel that appreciation for cryptic and poetic literature into something incredibly constructive.

לע”נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Shemos: Always With You

When Hashem first spoke to Moshe He did so מתוך הסנה, from a lowly bush. Yet when Hashem told Moshe the עשרת הדברות the Torah writes that He spoke מן השמים, from the heavens. Why is that?

We tend to think Hashem as being up in the heavens, removed from our comprehension. And when it comes to Torah, that is indeed the proper attitude to take – Hashem and His wisdom are beyond human understanding.

Yet at the same time, Hashem also appears in the lowly bush. Rashi explains that Hashem that this demonstrates that no matter hard the going gets, Hashem is always with us in our struggles. Hashem is not just up in the heavens; He is with us in everything we do.

The very first Rema in Shulchan Aruch famously emphasizes the importance of incorporating Hashem into every aspect of our lives: שויתי ה’ לנגדי תמיד הוא כלל גדול בתורה ובמעלות הצדיקים אשר הולכים לפני אלוקים, “Putting Hashem in front of our eyes constantly is great principle in the Torah and among the attributes of the righteous who go with Hashem.”

The same idea is found in the מגיד מישרים, a Sefer written by R’ Yosef Kairo about his correspondence with a Malach. The Malach constantly exhorts him: ולא תפריד מחשבותיך אפילו רגע אחת רק תהיה מחשבותיך דביקה בי, “Do not separate your mind for any me second, rather it should always be attached to Me.”

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןצוין שלום