Parshat Vayeira

ב ס ״ ד Torah The Acid Test Last week would impose upon Abraham. are not credible individuals we read Yet the final test, which we ourselves? A good Weekly how Abraham received his read about on Rosh salesperson believes in his Hashanah and again in this product (even if he had to talk marching orders from G-d. 10-16 November, 2019 “Lecha lecha—Go from your week’s Parshah, is considered himself into believing it . . .) 12-18 Cheshvan, 5780 land, from your birthplace, the supreme test. The legendary Hillel tells us Torah: Vayeira: Genesis 18:1 - from your father’s house, to The akeidah, the binding in Ethics of the Fathers, “Do 22:24 the land I will show you.” G-d of Isaac, the near-sacrifice of not judge your fellow until Haftorah: Kings II 4:1-37 the son he waited a century to you have reached his PARSHAT VAYEIRA told him to leave all his familiar comfort zones and have, generates far more place (makom),” and an We have Jewish travel to an unknown coverage in Torah, in our interesting alternative

Calendars. If you destination. Eventually, it prayers and in the writings of interpretation understands would like one, would become known as the commentary. Why should this him to mean that in order to please send us a Land of Israel, and Abraham be the case? The first test judge any person accurately, letter and we will as the one to whom it was of lech lecha had a universal one should first establish what send you one, or originally promised. At the impact, while the binding of kind of reputation that

Calendars ask the time, however, Abraham Isaac was just between a individual enjoys in his Rabbi/Chaplain to probably had no idea as to father, his son and G-d. own makom, in his own city

orders are orders, and so he mountaintop, far removed truth in Jackie Mason’s jesting Do you have family went faithfully. In the end, from public scrutiny, a about the Jewish husband who on the outside Abraham’s great trek would personal drama was played is a big mover and shaker all struggling? be the fulfillment of his out. The journey of Abraham, over town, but who, as soon as Please contact or calling as the father of on the other hand, had an he walks through the door of have them contact monotheism. He would take almost global audience. his own house, becomes a our office to learn on the whole pagan world of Surely, this universal test henpecked shlemiel? Years more about our the time, and succeed beyond should be considered much ago I came across a one-liner family programs. his own wildest dreams. By more important than the that had a profound impact on You and they are the way, I think we take our personal test of father and son. me personally: “Every rabbi

Family Programs not alone, we are biblical giants too much for The answer is that before we has only one sermon—the here to help. granted. We fail to appreciate can undertake a universal way he lives his life.” It’s all

the enormity of Abraham’s mission to humankind, we too true. We can preach from

We offer free Grape contribution to civilization. must first understand our today until next Yom Kippur, Juice and Matzoh What he did was nothing less personal relationship to G-d. but if we don’t “walk the talk” for you to be able to than to singlehandedly change Or, to put it simply, before and live the game we purport make the blessings the mindset of the world! you can change the world, you to play, we will leave our every Shabbos. Believing in one, invisible have to know who you are. If audiences unmoved. The most Please have your Creator was culture shock to you don’t know yourself, if eloquent orators will fail to chaplain / Rabbi the idol-worshippers of the you don’t recognize your own make an impression if their contact us to enroll day. This achievement made personal spiritual mission, listeners know that their (available to all Abraham not only the how can you hope to message is hollow and isn’t

Grape Juice & Matzah prisons). founding father of the Jewish influence the broader society? backed up by genuine

people, but also the father of The sages taught, “Perfect personal commitment. So, Hyman & Martha Rogal Center all the monotheistic faiths of yourself before you seek to while the story of Abraham’s 5804 Beacon Street the world. No wonder a recent perfect others.” Obviously, journey and universal mission Pittsburgh, PA 15217 appears in the Torah and 412-421-0111 study of history’s “100 Most this is not to say that we Fax: 412-521-5948 Influential People” ranked should not try and teach comes chronologically before www.alephne.org Abraham way on top, far others until we are perfect the final test, in essence, [email protected] above other faith founders and ourselves. (Who is perfect?) the akeidah reigns supreme. even way ahead of Madonna, What it does suggest is that if Not only because it was the Britney, and the Bills—both we hope to have an impact on most difficult, but because our Clinton and Gates. According others, our call must resonate personal commitment and to our sages, this journey to as authentic and genuine. integrity always form the the unknown was the first of How can we make an moral basis for our mission to ten tests of faith the Almighty impression on others, if we the world. At the end of the IN JEWISH HISTORY Day, only these validate the person and his or her message. And November 10, 2019—12 Cheshvan, 5780 that is the acid test for all of us. By Rabbi Yossy Goldman Passing of R. Zev Wolf Kitzes (1787) Why Angels Won’t Multitask When I was in the first grade, just R. Zev Wolf was one of the prominent disciples of the Baal Shem Tov. A great scholar in his own right, beginning to study the book of Genesis, I was fascinated by the he accompanied his master on many of his travels and stories, the personalities and the drama. But nothing captured my witnessed his miraculous accomplishments firsthand. imagination more than the angels. There was something so November 12, 2019—14 Cheshvan, 5780 mysterious about them. Disguised as ordinary people, they would Jews of Prague Saved (1620) show up in the right place at the right time, and solve some In May 1618, the Bohemian Revolt broke out in problem with their supernatural powers. And yet, I knew that Prague, triggering the Thirty Years’ War. In however great the angels, they had a weakness. At the first November 1620, King Ferdinand II suppressed the mention of angels in the Torah, the commentators are quick to rebels in Prague in the Battle of White Mountain. point out that the angels could not perform more than one action Notwithstanding the widespread looting, the king gave at a time. Why did three angels come to visit Abraham as he was orders that no Jew be harmed. To commemorate the miraculous turn of events, R. Yomtov Lipman Heller, sitting at the entrance of his tent, hoping to find people to invite? rabbi of Prague, instituted penitential prayers to be Because there were three items to be accomplished, and angels said every year on the 14th of MarCheshvan, which he do not have the ability to multitask. As Rashi explains: “And published in Prague later that year. (The above account behold, three men: One to bring the news [of Isaac’s birth] was recorded by R. Yomtov in his introduction to the to Sarah, and one to overturn Sodom, and one to heal Abraham, publication.) for one angel does not perform two errands.” As a young child, I November 13, 2019—15 Cheshvan, 5780 found this comforting. Maybe I couldn’t fly like an angel, but at Passing of Mattityahu (139 BCE) least I could do two things at once, like run and shout at the same In the 2nd century before the common era, the Holy time. Now, years later, I ask myself, why is it so important for Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) who, Rashi to emphasize the angels’ weakness? Why is it so important with the collaboration of the Jewish Hellenists, for every child studying Genesis to know that angels cannot introduced pagan idols into the Holy Temple and set about to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel. perform two things at once? Perhaps because it's not a handicap. Mattityahu, the son of the High Priest Yochanan, was Perhaps it’s the secret to the angels’ power. Perhaps Rashi’s already an old man when he picked up a sword and comment is a critique of the human condition. The angel cannot raised the flag of revolt in the village of Modiin in the do more than one thing at a time because the angel identifies with Judean hills. Many rallied under his cry, "Who that is the task completely. The angel has no other dimension to his for G-d, come with me!" and resisted and battled the personality other than fulfilling G-d's mission—no personal Greeks from their mountain hideouts. After heading name, no personal agenda, no personal ego to get in the way. At the revolt for one year, Mattityahu died on the 15th of that moment, he is nothing but the task. As such, he cannot Cheshvan of the year 3622 from creation (139 BCE). perform two acts simultaneously, as it's impossible to be, fully, His five sons -- the "Macabees" Judah, Yochanan, in two places at once. A person, on the other hand, even when Shimon, Elazar and Yonatan -- carried on the battle to performing the will of G-d, never loses his own ego. A person their eventual victory, celebrated each year since by Jews the world over with the festival of Chanukah. always maintains the sense that he has an independent identity, November 14, 2019—16 Cheshvan, 5780 an identity which happens to be engaged in the mission. As such, R. Sholom Dovber of Lubavitch Leaves the Town he can never become one with the mission, and therefore, some of Lubavitch (1915) aspect of his identity will always be able to engage in something With the approach of the German army during World else. Rashi understood that the child reading the story is no angel. War I, R. Sholom DovBer and his family left Yet Rashi is teaching us how to be more like an angel. How to be Lubavitch, located in modern-day Belarus, for the city fully engaged in what we are doing, to the point that we forget of Rostov. Lubavitch was the seat of about everything else. How to help someone else, and, while the Chabad movement for 102 years, starting when R. doing so, lose our own ego. How to speak to our children, DovBer, second Chabad Rebbe, settled there in 1813. carefully look them in the eyes, and listen. Listen as if, at that November 15, 2019—17 Cheshvan, 5780 moment, we have nothing else in our life. Listen as if we have no Great Flood Begins (2105 BCE) The rains began to fall on the 17th of Cheshvan of the e-mails, no deadlines, no one to meet, no place to go, no other year 1656 from creation (2105), flooding the earth and interests. He is teaching us to be present—like an angel. By Rabbi rising above the highest mountains. Only Noah and his Menachem Feldman family survived, in the ark built to that end by Divine command, and a pair of each animal species, who entered with him into the ark.