Toldot 5782

 The commentators give many reasons for why Yitzchak became blind at the time of blessing Yaakov. Rashi gives a couple of explanations. One is that he became blind from the smoke of the idolatrous offerings given by Esav and his Canaanite wives. A second is when he was about to be slaughtered by Avraham the angels' tears fell into his eyes. 

These are the classic answers given. However, the S'forno explains that Yitzchak became blind due to his lack of discipline towards Esav. He draws the comparison to Eli, the Kohen in the story of Shmuel Hanavi. The posuk notes that his sons weren't righteous children and because of this he lost his sight. The Da'as Zekenim gives another reason in that it was because of Esav's trickery towards Yitzchak. The posuk says that Esav was a hunter and "had a taste for game", "tzayid b'fiv" (25:28), which is why Yitzchak loved him. The Da'as Zekenim explains that this was Esav's way of "bribing" Yitzchak and convincing him that he was righteous. As we learn in Parshas Mishpatim, bribes blind the upright. 

Vayeira 5782

Shortly after the parsha begins, Hashem decides to tell Avraham about His plan to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Avraham then prays to Hashem to spare them. But why does Hashem tell Avraham in the first place, almost to get some sort of feedback from Him? Rabbi Ben Keil, from the Young Israel of Pelham Parkway, explains that Hashem was teaching Avraham a very important lesson about prayer. Every day we pray for things in hopes that we receive what we ask for. However, the answer isn't always "yes". Though Avraham had prayed to spare the cities, Hashem's answer in this case was "no". This is why the Torah records Hashem's commentary about how Avraham will follow in His ways and lead his descendants in the path of Torah. This was a golden opportunity to teach a foundation of prayer and its mechanics.

Lech Lecha 5782

The Gemara in Nedarim (32a) explains that Avraham was punished when he asked for reassurance from Hashem when he was promised the land of Israel. Avraham asks, "how will I know that I will inherit it?" (15:8). Hashem answers with "You will surely know..." (15:13) and proceeds to tell him the 400 years of slavery the Jews will endure due to him supposedly expressing doubt in this promise. The Kli Yakar finds this very difficult to understand, that such a question by Avraham would cause his descendants to suffer. He proceeds to explain that the question bothering the Gemara is as follows: regardless of what the reason for 400 years of slavery was, why did Hashem tell Avraham such negative details about his descendants to distress him freely? Avraham was asking something which wasn't necessary to know; he should not have asked for a sign from Hashem. This ends up being a middah kineged middah in Hashem responding as if saying, "Do you really want to know? Fine, I will share the unpleasant parts of the covenant." Hashem was as if hoping to spare Avraham from such things.

The Kli Yakar himself believes that the slavery in Egypt was for different reasons (he points to the Abarbanel for a list of them). He continues on to ask why Avraham did not ask for such confirmation when he was promised descendants. Plus, why doesn't he ask about the land when it is first mentioned along with the promise of descendants?

When Hashem mentions giving the land to Avraham, He says it will be given as an "inheritance" (15:7). When Hashem mentions giving Avraham descendants, He merely says "I will give you children," the implication being freely. When Avraham heard the word "inheritance" he wanted confirmation that he would be the sole owner of the land of Israel without any claims from his cousins. Noach gave the Middle East and parts of Asia to Shem after the flood, who had five sons (10:22). Avraham came from the family of Arpachshad, but he was worried that descendants from the other four siblings would claim rights to Israel. Hashem then makes a covenant with him just as He does so with Aharon to disclaim any of Korach's challenges to the priesthood. 

Bereishit 5782

After Noach is born towards the end of the Parsha, the Torah speaks about the Bnei Elohim who act in a way that causes Hashem to change the way He interacts with Mankind. The Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah attempts to explain the story, and the gist of their interpretations makes note that these supposed leaders of the generation were acting in a corrupt way that included illicit relationships. Because of this, Hashem decides to take a step back (6:3). The Or HaChaim explains that up until this point Hashem was directly talking to people, such as Adam and Cain, and that everyone was on the level of prophets. Once the people began to act immorally, He determines that Mankind is no longer fit to be at such a spiritual level to merit such direct dialogue. The Or HaChaim continues onward explaining how the righteous brought back His Presence with time until the Temple was destroyed, as well with Divine Inspiration when the Jews were exiled.

This is one idea behind the ending of Eichah when we ask Hashem to renew our days like old, "k'kedem" (5:21). Kedem refers to Gan Eden, the ultimate paradise. We hope that one day we can reach the level of prophets once again and have a closer connection to Hashem, where we can have a "face to face" with Him.

Vayeitzei 5779

The Malbim notes the differences between the prophecy that Yaakov received at the beginning of the parsha to that of Moshe's. He uses the Rambam's analysis from Moreh Nevuchim to point out four distinct differences:
1) All prophecies are transmitted via dream. Only when the prophet is sleeping will he/she see a vision. Moshe, on the other hand, received prophecy while awake. As seen here in the parsha, Yaakov dreams of the vision.
2) All prophecies are given as parables or riddles. It is up to the prophet to discern and interpret what the meaning of the prophecy means. However, Moshe didn't need to do so; Hashem spoke to him directly without any explanation needed. Here, the parable of a ladder with angels is given.
3) All prophecies come via an angel; they are seen as the "middleman" between Hashem and the prophet. In Bamidbar 12:8, Hashem describes how He speaks to Moshe as two people speak to one another. In Yaakov's prophecy, angels are the main players.

Noach 5779

There is a misconception regarding Noach's curse to his grandson, Canaan. After Noach awakes from his drunken state, he realizes what Ham did to him; he decides to curse Ham's son, Canaan. He is to be a slave to his brothers, Cush, Mitzrayim and Put. However, states the Ibn Ezra, many people claim that this explains why African nations, originally from Cush, became slaves. He points out that the very first king after the flood was Nimrod, Cush's son. If there really was a curse on them, how could they become leaders of their land? Therefore there is no justification for the formation of slavery during colonial times. The curse was for Canaan, not Cush's.

Bereishit 5776

The story of "Bnei elohim" is perplexing to say the least. The Orach Chaim (6:3) does note that Midrashim attempt to interpret this story, but the literal context is still unclear. However, it seems that as a result of whatever occurred Hashem decided to alter the way He interacted with Mankind. At first, Hashem would interact directly with Adam and Eve, as well as their children and the snake. Once human beings began to really degrade themselves with sin, He stopped speaking with them directly.

Originally, everyone was at a level of prophecy. This allowed them the privilege of speaking with Hashem just as Moshe did. But once they began to be "chal" (6:1), they lost that level of holiness. The only exceptions then were Tzaddikim, righteous individuals. When the Temple was destroyed, there was no more prophecy; only Divine inspiration remained. Sadly, we as a nation can't even reach that level of Divine inspiration anymore due to our sins.

This punishment of our declining connection with Hashem stems from the generation of the flood. They began committing adultery, which is what the verse refers to with "flesh" (6:3). This might be why the verse specifies the actions of the rulers as well. This sin was rampant even among the esteemed leaders at the time.

Vayechi 5778

As Yaakov blesses each of his sons, he makes Yehuda's descendants the rulers of all of Israel. "The scepter shall not depart from Judah" (49:10). The Ramban understands this as saying the kingship will never switch from the Tribe of Yehuda to another tribe (as opposed to never falling, which it did numerous times due to exile). Because of this, the Hasmoneans were punished for what they did after the Chanukah story. Yes, if it wasn't for them, the Torah would have been lost forever. However, they fell to their enemies later on because they established the Hasmonean dynasty instead of restoring the kingship to Yehuda. The Gemara in Baba Basra (3a) notes that Herod was only able to come to power because of their punishment.
The Ramban mentions a second possible reason as to why they were punished. Since they were priests, their sole obligation was to serve Hashem in the Beis Hamikdash, as is stated in Bamidbar 18:7. He then brings a Yerushalmi in Horayos (3:2) that speaks of the prohibition to anoint priests as kings.

Chayei Sarah 5778

At the beginning of the parsha, we read about Avraham buying the Cave of Machpela from Efron and the Hittites. At first, they offer him free passage to the cave without any kind of fee; but Avraham insists to pay for the cave and its field. This isn't the first time Avraham turns down gifts from others. In Lech Lecha, he turns down the offer of the king of Sodom that he would take the captives while Avraham takes their property. Avraham refuses so that no one would say that the king made him rich. This can be based on the verse from Proverbs (15:27): "The greedy ruin their house, but the one who hates gifts shall live." Avraham lived by these words and made sure not to be accustomed to getting things for free; he did not want to create a mindset of entitlement.
There is another understanding of these two stories, and Avraham shows us the midpoint between two extremes. In regards to the story with the king of Sodom, Avraham turns down the offer to show that everything in this world is from Hashem. You might receive gifts and items from people, but in essence you received it all from Hashem. Avraham wanted to get that point across to the masses as well as show that he was happy with what he had. When Avraham buys the cave, he shows that he's willing to put in effort to attain things. He's not expecting miracles to happen and everything he needs will just fall right out of the sky.
The two extremes are how one views his/her effort and G-d's part in it. One extreme is saying everything is from G-d and therefore one can sit back and wait for things to happen. The other extreme is putting in effort into everything, but forgetting G-d in the process (a sense of pride that *you* did everything yourself with no divine help). Avraham finds the balance between the two. He knows everything is from G-d, yet he continues to put effort into everything he does.
A good example is bread. For months, a person plows his field, grows wheat, harvests it, grinds it into flour, kneads it into a dough, and bakes it. When he finally sits down to eat it, he says a blessing: Blessed are You, G-d, Who has taken bread out of the ground." But he just did everything himself! Why is he attributing it all to G-d? Because that's exactly it; he is thanking G-d for giving him the ability to make the bread and for the natural processes for taking place.

Vayeira 5778

Why were the cities of Sodom and Amorrah severely punished to the point of total annihilation? The Ramban answers because they were situated within the borders of Eretz Yisroel, and the land could not tolerate their wickedness. It is written in Parshas Kedoshim and Acharei Mos that the land spits out those who don't maintain the sanctity of area. Because they were the most evil of people who despised others as well as G-d, they were completely uprooted and destroyed to the point that the land could never sustain another city there again. G-d then used these cities as examples for Bnei Yisroel in Parshas Nitzavim (29:22), saying this will be their fate for not keeping the Torah.

Lech Lecha 5778

The Ramban points out in two places where both Avraham and Sarah both erred in their actions. At the beginning of the parsha, Avraham leaves Israel in order to find food in Egypt during the famine. The Ramban mentions that he did two things wrong. One was that he put his wife in a dangerous situation; by saying Sarah is his sister, that would only entice others to take her even more. The other was leaving in the first place; Avraham had shown a lack of faith in G-d and His being able to provide food for him. Because of this, his descendants would also leave Israel for Egypt only to be enslaved for hundreds of years.
Sarah also erred in her treatment of Hagar. As tension grew in the household, Sarah began mistreating Hagar to the point of Hagar running away. The Ramban says she did a grievous sin doing so. Because of this, Hagar's descendants would be destined to mistreat and be harsh with Sarah's descendants to this very day.
The Torah points out the mistakes of the patriarchs and matriarchs to teach us proper conduct. It also shows us that they were human despite their holy status. This allows us to strive to reach their level without thinking of it as an impossible feat.

Noach 5778

The Kli Yakar suggests that the people who built the Tower of Babel had the right idea to do so. They were worried that if they separated into different communities, they would wage wars with each other. However, they erred in saying that they wanted to make a name for themselves as well. Everyone had their own way of doing so; some wanted to become rich while some wanted to have all the food in world. G-d knew that bringing wicked people together would only split them apart, as they would attempt to rule over each other and engage in a civil war. They would be more united if there was a bit of separation between them.

This is based on the Talmud in Sanhedrin (71b) that says a gathering of wicked people is bad for them and for the world while a gathering of righteous people is good for them and good for the world. Righteous people have only one mission and can therefore join together in the service of G-d. However, there are many ways to be wicked. G-d's punishment of dispersing them was really a blessing in disguise.

Toldot 5776

A Medresh asks why are there a short few psukim jotted in at the end of the parsha about Eisav. The Medresh explains that the psukim describe how Eisav took one of Yishmael's daughters as his wife, a few dvarim and that's the whole story. Meanwhile when Yaakov takes a wife, we get into the whole bubba meisa, perek after perek on ever detail of why and how everything happened. The Medresh comes to tell us that this is one of many shiduch lesson of the Torah. Some Shiduchim are as simple as Eisav and his two pesukim while some have to experience the Yaakov of Shiduchim where it becomes an expanded tale.

Vayechi 5775

In this week's parsha, Yaakov blesses each of his sons before he dies. Rashi goes through each blessing and explains how they are carried out in the future. Is this how blessings work? Are they some kind of prophecy that will come true? My rebbe, Rabbi Shmulewitz, explains that blessings don't really work; one must put his/her own effort into the blessing for it to work. A blessing is merely a goal for one to reach.

Mikeitz 5775

As Yosef interprets Pharaoh's dreams, he advises to hire a "discerning and wise man" over Egypt (41:33). The Ramban explains that this person has a twofold job. He is to ration out the food to the Egyptians accordingly and sell the rest for profit for the country. Secondly, he is to find a way to preserve the food in the graineries. Yosef was the only person qualified to do both and was given the title. We learn from here that there are different types of wisdom and knowledge; by coming together and teaching each other his/her strengths and expertise, we all can potentially reach an intellectual level like Yosef's.

Vayeishev 5775

We learn an important lesson from the story of Tamar and Yehuda. When Tamar is found to be pregnant from an illicit relationship, she is sentenced to death. She quickly sends a secret message to Yehuda, telling him that he is the father. He admits to this in public and she is spared. Based on Tamar's actions, the Gemara in Sotah (10b) teaches that it is better to throw yourself into a furnace than to embarrass your friend in public.

Vayishlach 5775

The story of Dina's kidnapping is explained by the Ramban. The 11 brothers had agreed to join and intermarry with the people of Shechem on condition that the city's men get circumcised. The brothers assumed that the city would refuse and give Dina back; but if they did follow through, the sons would take back Dina on the third day (when everyone was recovering). However, Shimon and Levi wanted full revenge and killed the entire city. Yaakov cursed them because the city of Shechem had put trust in the brothers. Yaakov saw it as an opportunity for the city to do teshuvah and follow in the ways of Hashem. Shimon and Levi's actions ruined that idea and betrayed the city.

Vayeitzei 5775

Despite her apparent tension with her sister Rachel and their relationship with Yaakov, Leah continued to look out for her. The Gemara in Brachos (60a) mentions that through prophecy, Leah had known that there would be 12 tribes of Israel. She was pregnant with her seventh child and calculated out that if it was a boy, only one available tribe would be left to Rachel (Leah had 6 sons already and the maidservants had 4). She prayed to Hashem to give her a daughter so that Rachel could have another son. Hashem answered and gave her Dinah.

Toldot 5775

At the very end of the parsha, the posuk mentions that Rivkah is the mother of Yaakov and Esav. If this is something we have known since the beginning of the parsha, why is the posuk repeating it? Rashi notes that he doesn't know what this is coming to teach. Some commentators explain that Rashi did not like the possible answers given. My rebbe R' Shmulewitz explains that Rashi is teaching us a valuable lesson: It is ok not to know an answer. One should not be embarrassed to admit a lack of knowledge. This creates a sense of humility within a person and encourages him/her to seek the truth.

Chayei Sarah 5775

When Eliezer brings Rivkah back to Yitzchak, Rashi notes that he tells Yitzchak of all the miracles that occurred during his searching for Rivkah. In the next verse, Onkelos explains that Yitzchak saw that her deeds were good and proper like Sarah's. Why was it necessary for Yitzchak to do so? Wasn't it enough to recognize those deeds through the miracles that occurred to Eliezer? The Brisker Rav answers that miracles don't testify for a person's nature and character; one can only see and experience those things firsthand with him/her.