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Parsha Perspectives

by RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM

ויהי אברם בן תשעים שנה ותשע שנים וירא ה’ אל אברם ויאמר אליו אני א-ל שקי התהלך לפני והיה תמים

“And Abram was ninety-nine years old, and G-d appeared to Abram, and He said to him, ‘I am the Almighty G-d; walk before Me and be perfect.’” (Genesis 17:1)

With this statement G-d, introduces the mitzvah of the Bris Milah to Abraham. The Midrash (Tanchuma, Vayeira 3) recounts that Abraham consulted with three of his friends, Enor, Eshkol, and Mamrei, regarding this commandment. Enor warned him that his enemies might kill him in his weakened state. Eshkol cautioned that the operation might kill him. Only Mamrei advised him to go ahead with the circumcision.

Many questions come to mind when reading this Midrash. The notion that Abraham would seek counsel regarding a commandment he received from G-d is perplexing.  He had already exiled himself from his birthplace and community to follow G-d to a better place, and allowed himself be thrown in a fire rather than serve idols (Midrash Rabba 39:3). This minor operation should have been a no-brainer for Abraham, especially if the reward was “walk before Me and be perfect.”

Furthermore, if Abraham considered his friends’ advice valuable, why didn’t he listen follow the majority opinion against circumcision? Even more strangely, there is another Midrash (Bereishis Rabba 58:4) that tells us that all three of his friends, Enor, Eshkol, and Mamrei, chose to be circumcised. Why would they advise him against it?

Rabbi Shmuel Bornsztain (1856-1926, Poland), more commonly known as the Shem Mishmuel, offers the following explanation. Abraham was clearly not afraid of this minor operation, especially when G-d told him it would make him perfect. Rather, Abraham was afraid that by taking this huge spiritual leap, he would reach a level from where he would no longer be able to relate to the regular people with whom he came into contact on a daily basis. If he couldn’t relate to them, he wouldn’t be able to bring them closer to G-d. Then his very raison d’être would be challenged!

Although his friends circumcised themselves, two of them advised him that taking such a step would totally alienate him from the rest of the world, a place which only values physical strength and power, not spirituality.

His friend Mamrei, however had it right, and he knew it. Mamrei explained that the inverse of Enor’s and Eshkol’s concern was true. The more in tune one becomes with the spiritual world, the more selfless, caring and giving he becomes. This is because the spiritual world emphasizes the “us” over the “me.” Perhaps this is why specifically after giving him this mitzvah, G-d changes Abram’s name, saying, “As for Me, behold My covenant is with you, and you shall become the father of a multitude of nations. And your name shall no longer be called Abram (in Hebrew: Av-ram, father of Aram, the local land), but your name shall be Abraham (or Avraham), for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” G-d was telling Abraham that by growing spiritually, he would not be limiting his capacity to help and affect others, but rather he would be exponentially increasing it.

The hallmark of our greatest Rabbis has always been their deep love, acceptance, and care for every Jew.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986, Lithuania, NYC), one of the greatest Torah of scholars of the 20^th century, fielded complex halachic (Jewish legal) queries from all over the world. One Friday, the phone rang while he was out of the room, and one of his assistants answered the phone. An elderly woman on the other end asked what time candle- lighting was that week. The assistant answered, “I don’t know, but you can look it up in a calendar.” The woman responded back, “I don’t know from calendars. I’ve been calling this number every Friday for thirty years, and no one ever told me anything about a calendar!”

Elevating ourselves spiritually is a powerful pathway to becoming sensitized to the everyday person and to opening our hearts and minds to everyone around us.

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Parsha Talking Points

by RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS

1. THE LONGEST NIGHT

“And it was in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Aryoch, king of Elassar, Chedorlaomer, king of Eilam, and Tidal, king of Goyim.” 14:1

This incident occurred to Avraham to teach him that four powerful kingdoms will rise up to rule the world, but in the end, his descendants will prevail over them, they’ll be under our rule, and they’ll be forced to return all that they confiscated from us over the generations.

• Amraphel, king of Shinar, represents the kingdom of Babylonia for it was compared in the prophecy of Daniel to the golden head of the statue.
• Aryoch, King of Elassar represents Persia. There was a city in Persia named Elassar.
• Chedorlaomer, king of Eilam, represents Greece for that was the city of rule for the first Greek king, and from there his kingdom expanded across the world.
• Tidal, king of Goyim represents the kingdom of Rome whose kingdom was a conglomerate of multiple nations. – Midrash Rabbah, Nachmanides
  

Avraham’s battle with the Four Kings is symbolic of the extended battle his children would face with four primary nations throughout the bitter years of exile. It is noteworthy that Avraham fought the battle during the night, a symbol of the exile, which is compared to the darkness of night. Furthermore, at the conclusion of the battle, Avraham is visited by Malchi Tzedek who awards him the title, “Priest to the G-d on High,” in recognition of his unquestionably exalted status over his foes. Similarly, when the Messiah arrives, all the nations will acknowledge our spiritual superiority and learn from our example how to properly serve the G-d.

2. AN UNCOMMON THREAD

“The King of Sodom said to Avram: ‘Give me the people, and take the possessions for yourself.’ Avram said to the King of Sodom: ‘I have lifted my hand to Hashem the Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. Neither a thread nor a shoelace! I will not take anything of yours, so you will not be able to say, I have made Avram wealthy.’” 14:2

Neither a thread nor a shoelace! - Will I retain for myself from the spoils. – Rashi

So you will not be able to say – “For, G-d, has [already] promised me to make me wealthy, as it is said: ‘And I will bless you, etc.’” – Rashi

Why was Avraham so quick to refuse this offer without stopping to consider whether this was the means G-d had sought to fulfill His promise to enrich him? G-d’s promise to enrich him was stated in the following manner, “And I will bless you.” Blessing does not arrive in the form of pain and angst. The King of Sodom was only giving Avraham the money because he had been captured, not out of any desire to part with his wealth. It was a very difficult and painful concession for him. Thus, Avraham knew that this could not be the venue through which the Almighty chose to fulfill His promise. – Maharal

The commentators add that this attitude of Avraham to refuse the booty, lest the King of Sodom claim that he made Avraham wealthy, fit right in with Avraham’s life mission to spread the glory of the Almighty. So fiercely did Avraham believe in his mission that there simply was no way he could risk desecrating G-d’s name just to partake of his newfound wealth, significant though it may have been. The Talmud tells us that in the merit of Avraham’s refusal, the Jewish people merited the Mitzvos of Tzitzis [a thread] and Tefillin [a shoelace], two mitzvos with which we declare the Almighty’s majesty and our fealty to it.

3. A PROUD FATHER

“No longer shall your name be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham, for the father of a multitude of nations have I appointed you. I will make you fruitful with very much and I will make you into nations; and kings will descend from you.” 17:5, 6

No longer shall your name be called – Why were Avraham and Sara’s names changed, whereas Isaac’s name was not [Jacob merited an additional name, but his original name was still utilized]? Both the names Avram and Sarai were names given to them before they entered into a covenant with G-d. These were their “non-Jewish” names, so to speak. Thus, considering their new status as servants of G-d, these names were no longer appropriate for them. Isaac’s name was actually given to him by G-d [See verse 17:19] and therefore would never need to changed. – Riv”a, Baalei HaTosafos

I will make you fruitful with very much – This blessing immediately preceded the commandment to Avraham to circumcise himself. Avraham might have feared that doing so would weaken his ability to produce offspring. Therefore, G-d reassured him that the opposite would be the result. He would be exceedingly fruitful and merit many descendants. – Malbim

Rabbi Y.Y. Trunk of Kutna points out that the wording of this verse is somewhat puzzling. Translated literally it reads, “And I will make you fruitful [B’me’od] with much,” instead of the more grammatically correct, “And I will make you fruitful [Me’od] much,” eliminating the word “with.” Nachmanides teaches us that the word Me’od implies “far beyond the normal standard.” G-d blessed Avraham doubly. Not only would he be fruitful, but also he would also be blessed “with Me’od,” – i.e. children who were far above the standard in their talents and abilities. The descendants of Avraham would not merely be great in number, but they’d be standouts in their capabilities and accomplishments as well.

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Partner Talk

RIPE OLD AGE

by RABBI REUVEN DRUCKER

Dear Rabbi,

The oldest known person in the world recently died at the ripe old age of 113. Judaism, I was taught, believes that a person can live until 120. How is one supposed to understand the beginning of Genesis, in which so many people lived for hundreds of years?

Bruce B.

Dear Bruce,

Those individuals who are listed at the end of the portions of Genesis and Noah certainly lived to a ripe old age-an age way beyond our experience. They represent the first 20 generations of mankind from Adam, the first human being, to Abraham. There are two schools of thought regarding their unusual longevity. According to some, the Torah listed only those people who merited a miraculous lifespan. The average individual during these 20 generations, however, lived approximately the same number of years as people have throughout human history. The other view holds that these 20 generations were exceptional, and the lifespans of those enumerated in the Torah were representative of the average person at the dawn of human history.

Nevertheless, if you compare the lifespans of those listed at the end of the portion of Genesis with those listed at the end of Noah, you will notice that there is a several hundred year drop off in the ages of those listed at the end of Noah. So, although their longevity is still unusually great, there was a substantial reduction in age between these two time periods.  Nachmanides (c. 1250) suggests that the Flood, which intervened between these two epochs, was responsible for the “shortened” lifespans. He conjectures that the air of the world was negatively affected by the Flood and consequently reduced man’s years.

Certainly Nachmanides, the great Torah scholar and Biblical commentator, does not need corroboration from current research. However, when modern scientific findings appear to be congruent with the words of our Torah Sages, we do derive additional strength in our belief. Only some 25 years ago, the oldest accessible air samples known to man were about 200-300 years old. They were found and preserved in corked bottles that contained small replicas of old ships. However, there were older samples of air available, but they were essentially inaccessible, since the quantities were so small. These samples of air were small bubbles trapped in fossilized tree resin, known as amber. Not until the advent of the “microcruncher” could the air inside these 10 micron amber bubbles be precisely analyzed. The results showed that the air still in existence from ancient times contained 50% more oxygen than the air that we currently breathe (which is about 21% oxygen). These results conform to Nachmanides’ theory of longevity reduction.

I believe the real question is not how we explain these unusually long lifespans. Rather, why did G-d make such a drastic change to man’s life expectancy? In other words, assuming that the physiology works out, why do we experience such a shorter life today than did those of the first generations?

Rabbi Hirsch offers a very interesting insight. Long life is a true gift to the individual who knows how to use his time wisely. He has enormous opportunity to accomplish a long list of worthy objectives. However, to the person who is not careful how he uses his time, long life may only gives him the opportunity to make too many mistakes. It is not uncommon that as an individual approaches the end of his life, he becomes more reflective about how he has used his time on earth and how he may have achieved more. Such reflection oftentimes leads to regret and true repentance. Rabbi Hirsch suggests that with mankind’s proclivity to misuse its time on earth to a greater degree each successive generation, G-d, in His compassion, reduced man’s longevity so that each person would have less opportunity to err and would more quickly reach the winter years of life, which motivate repentance.

Today, the Psalmist tells us that the average person lives “three score and ten” and on occasion “four score.” Let us hope that through our study of Torah, we find greater opportunity to infuse these precious days with the greatest level of accomplishment.

Regards,
Rabbi Reuven Drucker

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Soul Talk

In the Torah, Lot is revealed to be a complex personality. On the surface he does not appear to be virtuous, given that he resided in Sodom. Yet, Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer (Ch. 25) and Midrash Rabbah (49:13) say that when Avraham was praying that the decree for the destruction of Sodom be annulled, he was actually praying for Lot and his family. He viewed Lot and his family as righteous, and hoped that in their merits the entire city of Sodom would be spared. Apparently then, Avraham was of the opinion that even after Lot had left him, he was still righteous.

Lot’s righteousness can be seen from the fact that he did not want to actually live in Sodom. The verse (13:12) states: וַיֶּאֱהַל עַד-סְדֹם, he camped close to Sodom. Rabbi Shimon Schwab points out that Lot originally did not live in Sodom proper, because he was afraid of being influenced by their wickedness. Only later, when war broke out between the four kings and the five kings, Lot moved within the city walls of Sodom, seeking protection and refuge.

Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler explains that Lot had the best of intentions when moving near, and eventually within, Sodom. He wanted to help the citizens of Sodom to reform their evil ways, and felt confident that he would be able to resist their iniquitous influences. He wanted to gradually make inroads and bring them onto the path of kindness that he had learned from Avraham. However, despite Lot’s best intentions, he fell victim to the immoral pressures of Sodom, becoming an archetypical example of the Midrashic statement (Rashi, Korach 16:1): אוֹי לָרָשָׁע וְאוֹי לִשְׁכֵנוֹ, Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbor.

The importance of having good friends and neighbors cannot be overstated. Rambam (Hil. Dei’os 6:1) writes:

“The way of man is to be influenced in his character and actions after his friends and companions, and to habituate himself to the customs of the people of his country. Therefore, one has to associate with righteous people and to constantly sit among learned people, so that he will learn from their actions. One should distance himself from wicked people, who go in darkness, so that he will not learn from their actions.”

This is why Pirkei Avos (Ethics of our Fathers) tells us: קְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר, that we must acquire a friend (1:6); and אֵיזוֹ הִיא דֶּרֶךְ טוֹבָה שֶׁיִּדְבַּק בָּהּ הָאָדָם . . . חָבֵר טוֹב, What is the most important path to which a person should cling? . . . a good friend (2:13). Rambam explains that everyone needs good companionship. We need a person who will bring out our best, who will understand us, and with whom we can communicate openly, without any pretenses. We need someone we can turn to and talk to about anything. We all need to think through the many challenges we face and to have a good friend who will direct us to the proper path. As the Talmud states: אוֹ חַבְרוּתָא אוֹ מִיתוּתָא, Either friends, or death (Taanis 23a).

It must be noted, however, that the Mishnah does not instruct us to acquire “friends” in the plural, but rather one friend. The goal of friendship is not to be popular and have numerous friends. Rabbi Bunim of P’shis’cha explains that the objective is to find that one good friend, the person that one can deeply connect with. Of course, we must attempt to be friendly toward everyone with whom we come into contact, and greet everyone with a joyful face, but we must never feel that we can or should be everyone’s best friend. This is neither feasible nor advisable.

With permission from Artscroll’s Daily Dose

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Table Talk

FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE

by RABBI LABEL LAM

“And G-d said to Abram, ‘Go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those that bless you and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.’ So Abram went as G-d had told him and Lot went with him; Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.” (Bereishis 12:1-4) Our sages tell us that Abram (later to become Abraham) endured and successfully passed ten trials.

א) Why would the place Abraham was to travel “from” be so heavily emphasized (“from your land, from your birthplace, from your father’s house”), while the place he was to travel to (“to the land that I will show you”) kept obscure?

ב) While there is disagreement among the Sages about which trials are included in the list of ten, all agree that “Lech Lecha” – the command to leave his homeland and follow G-d to a new land – was one of those ten. Why would this be considered such a great challenge? Wouldn’t anyone hearing G-d’s promise (of family, fame, fortune, and infinite blessings) promised by G-d Himself jump at the opportunity? Though it was surely challenging for Abraham to abandon his homeland, wouldn’t those abundant blessings diminish the “test” involved?

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Parsha Summary

Parsha Summaries are coming soon!