1 on Lech Licha

BS"D Hashem continue to assist us, and bring closer the geulah shelaimah, bi’mihayra bi’yameinu. ___________________________________________________ To: [email protected] http://www.yutorah.org/ INTERNET PARSHA SHEET Rabbi Eli Baruch Shulman Parshas Lech Lecha 5765 ON Lech Licha - 5768 s miraculous victory, how with a handful of men’ אברה Read about – 318 men – he overcame the armies of four kings, and saved לוט Beginning our 13th cycle. To receive this parsha sheet, go to http://www.parsha.net and click Subscribe or send a blank e-mail to [email protected] Please also copy and his countrymen. whose אליעזר go even further – it wasn’t 318 men – it was ל"חז me at [email protected] A complete archive of previous issues is now available – fought the battle אברה and לוט is 318 – just גימטריא at http://www.parsha.net It is also fully searchable. name is ________________________________________________ reminded of line in Henry V – would you and I alone could fight this battle royal. returns with the freed captives and property and is אברה This week's Internet Parsha Sheet is sponsored by: Read how To which he . ת לי הנפש והרכוש קח ל – who says מל סדו Dr. Elliot & Seryl Goldofsky & family [email protected] of Jamaica met by מחוט ועד סרו נעל ו א אקח מכל אשר ל ולא תאמר אנכי א – Estates, NY responds . העשרתי את אברה To sponsor an issue (proceeds to Tzedaka) email [email protected] סרו נעל in merit of , ציצית merited חוט in merit of – ל"חז Rashi brings – wonder what is the connection מפרשי and all the – תפילי merited ________________________________________________ why is this appropriate reward? s behavior is puzzling. Why shouldn’t he take a’ אברה From: Avi Lieberman <[email protected]> Actually After all wasn’t it coming to him? He had put ? מל סדו Subject: ATERES HASHAVUA reward from Mesivta Ateres Yaakov 1170A William Street Hewlett NY, 11557 his life in jeopardy, gone to such great lengths, saved his kingdom – (516)-374-6465 [email protected] why this fastidiousness? he , מצרי went to אברה EMES LIYAAKOV Especially puzzling – because earlier, when If I say you’re my wife they’ll kill me, and take you; I’ll say : שרה Weekly Insights from MOREINU said to HORAV YAAKOV KAMENETZKY zt"l you’re my sister, I can play them off against each other – and that didn’t seem to be אברה So . למע ייטב לי בעבור – יתנו לי מתנות – Translated by Ephraim Weiss <[email protected]>] way] why does he set – פ רעה from מתנות Weekly Insights from Moreinu HaRav Yaakov Kamenetzky zt”l so adamant against taking ? מל סדו Soon after Avraham’s miraculous victory over the four kings, himself so against taking from returns to battle field, after אברה .Hashem appeared to Avraham to assure him that he would Let’s focus on another episode .full of slime pits , מלכי . ועמק השידי בארות בארות חמר safeguard him in the future, as well. The Ramban explains that defeating the Avraham’s concerns were twofold; that the four kings or their Says Rashi: שהיה הטיט מוגבל ש , ונעשה נס למל סדו שיצ א מש , לפי שהיו באומות מקצת successors would attempt to rebuild their armies, and seek שלא היו מאמיני שניצול אברה מאור כשדי מכבש האש , וכיו שיצא זה מ vengeance from Avraham, and that he would die childless, without . באברה למפרע החמר האמינו leaving an heir. As such, Hashem appeared to Avraham to assure idol – מל סדו him that he would continue to merit Divine protection and Obvious question: How does miracle happening to and what he אברה assistance. worshipper – strengthen people’s faith in HaRav Yaakov Kamenetzky, zt’l uses this Ramban to explain an represents? It’s like saying – a miracle should happen to the Pope enigma with regard to the wording of the Shemonah Esrei that we so people will believe in Yiddishkeit. Wouldn’t it have the opposite say every day. In the first bracha, we praise Hashem as being a effect? returned, as he אברה happened when נס the – רמב " Melech Ozer U'Moshia U'Magen" A King who assists, saves, and Answers" בזכות shields. The word "Ozer" means that Hashem assists a person in a passed by. So it was clear to an unbiased observer that it was with , אברה was associated with מל סדו it was because , אברה time of need, the word "Moshia" praises the fact that Hashem נס s orbit – that is why’ אברה s family, because he is in’ אברה saves us from our troubles, and the word "Magen" praises Hashem for protecting us from any difficulties. These words seem to be happened. somewhat out of order. Seemingly, it would have made more sense But – as often happens – people choose their own perspective. that we first praise Hashem for protecting us from trouble, and People see events through the prism of their own biases. but he chose to , אברה was saved because of סדו מל then, should Hashem deem it necessary that we experience some No doubt misfortune, that Hashem assist and save us. Why do we reverse see it differently – ויצא מל סדו לקראתו , אמר ר ' אבא בר כהנא התחיל לקשקש לו בזנבו א, " ל מה ?the seemingly logical order of events . אתה ירדת לכבש האש וניצלת א אני ירדתי לחמר וניצלתי Rav Yaakov answers that the Shemonah Esrei was written based on the story of Avraham Avinu. In the case of Avraham Avinu, The tail began to wag the dog. I’m just as great as you – my god as Avraham first merited Hashem’s assistance in his miraculous your G-d. understood that אברה money אברה offered מל סדו defeat of the four powerful armies, and only then davened for And so when continued protection from any future troubles. As such, we too first what was at stake was people’s perception of the miraculous events beg Hashem for assistance in times of need, and only then do we that had just occurred. מל were to take the money, he would be seen as a client of אברה ask Hashem to save and shield us from any future hardships. If s payroll. And that would affect the’ מל סדו someone on , סדו May we be zocheh to merit Hashem’s protection for the entire Klal s’ מל סדו – Yisroel, so that we need not endure any more hardships, and so world’s perspective of the events that had occurred were אברה and the victory in general. If – בארות חמר that even if it is decreed that we must endure suffering, that rescue from the then everything that had – מל סדו to be seen as a dependent of 1 and to the power of his [email protected] date Oct 19, 2007 12:39 AM subject Rabbi מל סדו happened would be seen as due to make it clear that he Frand on Parshas Lech Lecha mailed-by torah.org To sponsor an אברה Only by proudly refusing – could . ז"ע that he was a force of his own, that he edition of the Rabbi Yissocher Frand e-mail list, go to , מל סדו was no satellite of .https://wwws.capalon.com/secure/torah/listDedicate.php?class1=35 מל but, on the contrary, it was מל סדו was in so sense a client of who was saved because he was lucky enough to be, for the "RavFrand" List - Rabbi Frand on Parshas Lech Lecha These divrei סדו Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's . אבינו אברה moment, in the sphere of Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 566, Learning קידוש and חילול הש understood that what was at stake was אברה !Vs. Saving A Life. Good Shabbos קידוש s money would nullify the tremendous’ מל סדו To take . הש And so he . חילול הש that had occurred, and transform it into a הש not a red cent. Avraham Foreshadowed Self-Sacrifice To Make Aliyah , סרו נעל א מחוט ועד – refused of One of the major themes in Sefer Bereshis is the theme that events that מצות merited that his children should be given the אברה And so What is the connection? happen to the Patriarchs foreshadow events that will happen to their . תפילי and ציצית the badges of a Jew. In the olden days there were children (ma'aseh avos siman l'banim). The Patriarchs were trailblazers of תפילי and ציצית no yarmulkes – knitted or black – nobody wore a black hat – they all future history. The fact, for example, that Avram was successful in his wore the same kafiya, probably – but a Jew was instantly journey to Egypt, was able to withstand the trials and tribulations of that on the corners of his clothes, and experience, and left there with great riches enabled subsequent generations ציצית recognizable because of the .on his head. to similarly survive the Egyptian experience and remain steadfast תפילי the And that is a tremendous responsibility. Because being recognized Rav Chaim Volozhiner and others point out that the fact that Avram was by our behavior. We all willing to risk his life and jump into the pit of fire in Ur Kasdim and the אידישקייט as a Jew means that people judge know that. Dickens put it very well, in Our Mutual Friend: “For it is fact that Yitzchak was willing to give up his life and be bound on the altar not… with the Jews as with other peoples. Men say, 'This is a bad enabled Jews thousands of years later to have the courage and the spiritual Greek, but there are good Greeks.

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