A Taste of Torah
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Parshas Vayera October 26, 2018 A Taste of Torah Stories for the Soul Unconstrained Kindness by Rabbi Yosef Melamed Life-Saving Kindness Imagine the following scenario: One scorching heat, Avraham is outside Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth (1918-2001) day, your next door neighbor knocks on searching for travelers. Furthermore, related the tale of his escape at the your door, asking to borrow a hammer. the Talmud (Bava Metzia 86b) teaches outbreak of World War II. As he was You graciously agree, and run to get your that initially, Avraham sent his servant making an attempt to leave Poland, he hammer. Upon receiving the hammer, Eliezer to see if there were any guests was caught by a Wehrmacht SS soldier, your neighbor proceeds to break down approaching. The Talmud goes on to say who immediately took him to his the front door and windows of your house that Eliezer was unsuccessful in his quest commanding officer. The latter would and smash your brand new car. The next and returned to Avraham empty-handed. shoot any Jew who was unfortunate day, your newfound “friend” knocks Not trusting Eliezer, Avraham proceeded enough to be brought before him. on your door, requesting once again to look for guests on his own. This time however, the officer began to borrow your hammer. Would your The question here is obvious. That to laugh wickedly. “Oh, I’m fed up reaction be to chase this brazen person Avraham was ready to forget about his with seeing killed Jews here in my out of your house, or would you instead own pain and help someone out is one office,” he declared. “Just take him run to get him your hammer with a smile? thing. But in this case, there simply were to the outskirts of town and kill him While most people would probably no guests to be found! Hashem had there.” entertain the first option, our Sages teach made it extremely hot to deter wayfarers, Rabbi Kreiswirth was handed over to us that G-d chose the second. The Medrash thus sparing Avraham the bother of one of the Nazi soldiers, who led him (Tanchuma Ki Sisa 14) teaches that when caring for them during his recovery from to the edge of the town. the Jews in the desert created the Golden circumcision. Even Avraham’s trusted As they walked, Rabbi Kreiswirth Calf, they fed it the manna, the G-d-given servant Eliezer, with whom, our Sages tell prayed to Hashem to save him, and he bread that would fall from Heaven each us (Yoma 28b), Avraham entrusted the tried to recall a mitzvah whose merit morning. Talk about chutzpah! To take great task of disseminating his teachings, would stand him in good stead in the miraculous bread sent by G-d Himself, was unsuccessful in his search for guests. those desperate moments. and to use it as part of the worship of a If there was no one in need of help, why He recalled that at one point, when foreign god! Yet, the Medrash brings a was Avraham so intent on performing he lived in Warsaw, he was asked by a verse in Yechezkel (16:19) which teaches chesed? Isn’t the purpose of chesed to fill local rabbi to care for a sick old man. us that the manna still came down for the someone else’s needs? Rabbi Kreiswirth gave up his own bed Jewish People like on any other day. Rabbi Shach answers that when one does for the ill man, tended to his needs The great work Tomer Devorah (authored an act of kindness, he is not simply doing and served him devotedly for several by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero; 1522-1570) an ordinary mitzvah. The Talmud (Sotah weeks, until the man succumbed and focuses on the mitzvah of vihalachta ibid.) teaches us that the beginning of passed away. Rabbi Kreiswirth grabbed bidrachav, following in Hashem’s ways. Torah is kindness and the end of Torah hold of that incident, and prayed that Rashi (Devarim 13:5), based on the is kindness. The beginning of Torah tells G-d have mercy and save him in the Talmud (Sotah 14a), explains that the that Hashem fashioned clothing for Adam merit of that selfless act. source of this mitzvah is actually from and Chava to wear. The Torah finishes As he finished his prayer, they reached the words of the verse in Devarim (ibid.), with Hashem burying Moshe. Thus, one the edge of the town. Suddenly, “And to Him you shall cleave.” By who performs kindness with his fellow the soldier accompanying Rabbi emulating the ways of Hashem, we can man is fulfilling the commandment of Kreiswirth said to him, “I have a wife attain the tremendous level of attaching “and to Him you shall cleave.” Hashem and children at home. I understand ourselves to Hashem. acts with chesed, and by performing your feelings.” He then shot three chesed, we emulate Hashem. By emulating Based on this concept, Rabbi Elazar times into the air to make it seem as Hashem, we merit to cleave to Him! Menachem Shach (1899-2001) explains though he had shot his prisoner. some puzzling ideas found in this week’s The Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim parsha. We learn of our forefather Luzzatto; 1707-1746), in his work Derech “Run!” hissed the Nazi sharply. Avraham’s great desire to perform chesed, Hashem (Ch. 2), teaches that Hashem And run he did. Rabbi Kreiswirth kindness. Despite the pain of the third created a world of kindness. Hashem is all ran throughout the night without day following circumcision and in the powerful and has no need for this world. continued on back continued on back To receive Torah Weekly by email, email to [email protected] to email email, by Weekly Torah receive To www.denverkollel.org www.denverkollel.org [email protected] 1395 Wolff Street, Denver, CO 80204 80204 CO Denver, Street, Wolff 1395 Kollel Community Denver 303-820-2855 Harry H. Beren Foundation of Lakewood, NJ, in memory of Harry H. Beren, z”l z”l Beren, H. Harry of memory in NJ, Lakewood, of Foundation Beren H. Harry The Torah Weekly is made possible through a generous grant from the the from grant generous a through possible made is Weekly Torah The stead throughout history. throughout stead Palestine. Rabbi Kreiswirth later became became later Kreiswirth Rabbi Palestine. Jewish People. It has stood us in good good in us stood has It People. Jewish Center, 4902 S. Xenia St. Xenia S. 4902 Center, eventually emigrated to what was then then was what to emigrated eventually chesed , loving-kindness, in the the in loving-kindness, , of trait way to Vilna, where he married, and and married, he where Vilna, to way the Southeast Kollel Torah Torah Kollel Southeast the Our forefather Avraham implanted the the implanted Avraham forefather Our safety of the next town. He made his his made He town. next the of safety on Thursdays, 8:15-9 pm at at pm 8:15-9 Thursdays, on stopping, until he reached the relative relative the reached he until stopping, one of the great Torah leaders of his time. his of leaders Torah great the of one life. Join Rabbi Karnowsky Karnowsky Rabbi Join life. continued from front front from continued timeless lessons into daily daily into lessons timeless Stories for the Soul the for Stories and a master in bringing its its bringing in master a and expert in this great work, work, great this in expert seems mindboggling. How could attending attending could How mindboggling. seems Dovid Karnowsky is an an is Karnowsky Dovid ourselves to Hashem! to ourselves Shechina . This This . the receiving than greater Kollel Scholar Rabbi Avraham Avraham Rabbi Scholar Kollel achieving the dazzling level of attaching attaching of level dazzling the achieving - indicating that attending to guests is is guests to attending that indicating - Torah and Jewish thought. thought. Jewish and Torah that we can help others with, we will merit merit will we with, others help can we that wait for him as he attends to his guests guests his to attends he as him for wait into the infinite depths of of depths infinite the into see if there is anything we are not aware of of aware not are we anything is there if see seeing three travelers, asks Hashem to to Hashem asks travelers, three seeing situations and by going out of our way to to way our of out going by and situations Sfas Emes gives us a glimpse glimpse a us gives Emes Sfas had come to visit Avraham. Avraham, Avraham, Avraham. visit to come had By seeking to help other people in all all in people other help to seeking By tells us that in the above episode, Hashem Hashem episode, above the in that us tells studied works of our time. time. our of works studied chesed . of mitzvah the of appreciation Shechina Shechina (Divine Presence).” The Talmud Talmud The Presence).” (Divine It is one of the most widely- most the of one is It In light of these insights, we gain a new new a gain we insights, these of light In to guests is greater than receiving the the receiving than greater is guests to LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS THE IN LIGHT Him! the Talmud (Shabbos 127a) that “attending “attending that 127a) (Shabbos Talmud the SFAS EMES: A PIERCING PIERCING A EMES: SFAS his guests, Avraham could be attached to to attached be could Avraham guests, his This explains the surprising statement of of statement surprising the explains This merited a dialogue with G-d.