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Parsha Insights OHRNETOShabbos Parshas HLech Lecha For theR week ending 8 NCheshvan 5758 Nov.E 8, 1997 Vol.T 5 No. 3 THE OHR SOMAYACH TORAH MAGAZINE ON THE INTERNET PARSHA INSIGHTS root of your neshama (soul). In the next He, peeked out and said to him: I am the THE GREATEST BLESSING world, there will be no claims against a Master of the world. person that he failed to live up to the Prophecy is given to those who exert And Hashem said to Avram, Go for your- self from your land and from your birth- potential of others. However, it is our themselves. If a person raises himself to place and from the house of your father to duty to maximize our talents, to push out the limits of his righteousness, if he uses the land which I will show you, and I will to the very limits of our abilities so that his intellectual and critical faculties to their bless you and I will magnify your name, and we bring the root of our souls to flower. utmost, then Hashem will grant him you shall be a blessing. (12:1) It is only in this way that we will be, at understanding above the normal human When Hashem commanded Avram to least, our own Zushias. level. leave home, He gave him many blessings. Avraham saw the reality of Creation As Rashi explains: And I will make of you a the mansion ablaze with light and great nation is a promise of children; I When you look at used his own human resources to come will bless you denotes material success; to the inescapable truth of the existence and I will magnify your name is the another person, realize of the Creator. At that point, Hashem promise that Hashem would perfect that he is a star! A galac- reached out to Avraham and gave him Avram, making him free from blemish and prophecy. defect. tic mirror, reflecting the Another idea. These blessings are so extensive that Avraham saw a mansion which was its difficult to imagine how they could be infinite light of the ablaze (with light). The expression for added to. However, the greatest blessing ablaze dolekes can also mean is yet to come. As the verse above con- Creator. He may seem burning. Why should seeing a burning cludes: And you shall be a blessing. very small to you. He mansion be compelling evidence of the The greatest blessing is to be a blessing Creator? to others. To help them. To care for may not have achieved When something is totally and utterly them. To be there for others in their burned it returns to ash, to the level times of joy and sadness. much. But his potential where everything is the same; it has been The only way to achieve real happiness is vaster than the track- reduced to its elemental self. It has no in life is to help others to be happy. form that sets it apart from any other less emptiness of space. thing in the Creation. Avraham Avinu saw the world, the ON BEING ONESELF mansion, as if it was all one element, one And Hashem said to Avram unity. He saw the disparate nature of this Go for yourself... (12:1) world, this mansion, as burned, The great tzaddik, Reb Zushia of reduced to an ineffable oneness, reflecting Annipoli once said: When I get to the THE TOWERING of its Creator. Avraham perceived the next world, the World of Truth, if they say unity of nature and, through this, the to me: Zushia, why werent you like the Unity of Hashem. Baal Shem Tov? thats not going to fright- INFERNO Thats the greatest of blessings. en me one bit. How can you compare me Go for yourself (12:1) to the Baal Shem Tov? There was a traveler who was jour- ACTING LIKE STARS And if they say to me: Zushia, why neying from place to place. He came werent you like the Maggid of Mezrich? upon a large mansion ablaze with light, And (Hashem) took him outside and said thats not going to frighten me either. sumptuously furnished. He said Dont to him Look up, please, at the heavens and Look at me and look at the Maggid of tell me that this mansion has no master! count the stars, if you can count them; and Mezrich! What frightens me is when they No sooner had he spoken than the owner He said to him So, too, will be your say to me: Zushia! Why werent you of the mansion peeked out and said to descendants. (14:24) Two great rabbis of the previous gen- Zushia! The Zushia that you could have him: I am the master of the mansion. eration, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Rabbi been, why werent you even that? Similarly, Avraham Avinu looked at the Yaakov Kaminetzky, were once seen Go for yourself can also be translated world and said Dont tell me that this standing beside the chauffeur-driven car as Go to yourself.... The mystical world so perfectly furnished has no which was to take them home, discussing sources explain this to mean: Go to the master! Then, the Holy One, Blessed be which of them was going to get out of the continued on page four 1 P ARSHA OVERVIEW en generations have passed since the time of Noach. Man the rich but corrupt city of Sodom in the fertile plain of the Jordan. A war has descended to lower spiritual depths. In the year 1948 breaks out between the kings of the region, and Sodom is defeated. Lot after the Creation, Avram is born. Through observing the is taken captive. Together with a handful of his converts, Avram rescues TTworld, Avram comes to the inescapable Truth of Hashems Lot, miraculously overpowering vastly superior forces, but demurs from existence, and thus merits that Hashem reveal Himself to accepting any of the spoils of the battle. In a prophetic covenant, him. At the beginning of this weeks Parsha, Hashem tells Avram to leave Hashem reveals to Avram that his offspring will be exiled to a strange his land, his relatives and his fathers house and travel to an unknown land land where they will be oppressed for 400 years, after which they will where Hashem will make him into a great nation. Avram leaves, taking emerge with great wealth and return to Eretz Yisrael, their irrevocable with him his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, their servants, and those who he inheritance. Sarai is barren and gives Hagar, her Egyptian hand-maiden, converted to faith in Hashem. When they reach the land of Canaan, to Avram in the hope that she will provide them with a child. Hagar Hashem appears to Avram and tells him that this is the land that He will becomes arrogant when she discovers that she is pregnant. Sarai deals give to his descendants. A famine ensues and Avram is forced to relocate harshly with her and Hagar flees. On the instruction of an angel Hagar to Egypt to find food. Realizing that his wifes beauty would cause his returns to Avram and gives birth to Yishmael. The Parsha concludes with death at the hand of the Egyptians, Avram asks her to say that she is his Hashem commanding Avram to circumcise himself and his offspring sister. Sarai is taken to the Pharaoh, but Hashem afflicts the Pharaoh and throughout the generations as a covenant between Hashem and his seed. his court with severe plagues and she is released unmolested. Avram Hashem changes Avrams name to Avraham, and Sarais name to Sarah. returns to Eretz Yisrael (Canaan) with much wealth given to him by the Hashem promises Avraham a son, Yitzhak, despite Avraham being nine- Egyptians. After a quarrel over grazing rights between their shepherds, ty-nine years old and Sarah ninety. On that day, Avraham circumcises Avram decides to part ways with his nephew Lot. Lot chooses to live in himself, Yishmael and all his household. HAFTORAH: ISAIAH 40:27-41:16 vraham Avinu is known as Ha-Ivri their own failures and exile, and the resis- worthless dust. With great ceremony the AA the Hebrew which means tance and apathy of the nations. jewels were presented to the Emperor, the one who crossed over. He Hashem has promised that ultimately and slowly the box was opened in front of crossed over from being an idol worship- they must prevail, for though the Jewish him. per to serving the living G­d. People may seem worm-like in their The Emperors rage knew no bounds Even if the rest of the world is on the insignificance and powerlessness, they will at this unbelievable insult from the Jews. other side, the Hebrew the one who vanquish those who now seem invincible. Suddenly, the prophet Eliyahu appeared in crosses over stands up and says Stop the guise of one of the Emperors minis- worshipping your idols of stone, of DUST AND JEWELS ters and said: Your Imperial Majesty, this money, of worldly power, and acknowl- must be the special dust that the Jews ...As much dust as Avraham used, edge that Hashem alone is G-d. forefather Abraham used to defeat the turned into swords... (41:2). The task of the Jewish People has four kings, as it says ...As much dust as always been to deliver this message to the achum Ish Gamzu was a man Avraham used turned into swords.... Let us, world. The prophet Isaiah encourages whose very name expressed his at least, try the dust and see if it works for Israel to persevere both in the face of NN us as well.
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