בס"ד Moor Lane More • Issue 10 • Chayei - Toldot 5780

A Monthly Publication From The Manchester Montefiore Community Kollel Moor LaneSponsored Leilu NishmatMore Yehudah Ben Shmuel Torah HaCohen Breslauer Output Equals Input But the pure animals had to be brought by Noah. Why? All the animals had to be saved, By R’ Shmuel Oppenheimer explains the Ramban, but the kosher animals were also needed for another purpose, to be Avraham sends his servant used as offerings after the flood. Noah had to to find a wife for his son Yitzchak. Eliezer prays put in extra effort for the in order to at the well, and sees Rivka. He runs to greet gain more reward. her. Why? What did he see that made him Rav Nissan Kaplan of told me that decide that this is the one? - quoting he was once walking along the street in the from our Sages – ‘he saw that the water rose pouring rain, when a passing taxi stopped up to greet her’. How did the Sages know this? nearby and the passenger - a friend of his - The Ramban explains that you can see it in the offered him a lift. This friend runs a major chesed Pesukim. When she gave water to the camels it organisation. When Rav Nissan entered the writes: “Vatishav l’chol g’malav” - ‘She drew up car, his friend explained that he had not asked for all the camels’ – she had to draw it up. Here the driver to stop straight away because he had however, it writes “Vatameleh…” - implying not noticed that it was him. Rav Nissan replied that she filled it up without having to draw the ‘You may as well close your organisation! You water out. We see a clear difference. When she perform well publicised large chesed, but small was drawing water for herself, the water came acts of chesed, to help another person in the up by itself, whereas when she gave the camels rain who you don’t know, you wouldn’t do? to drink, she had to take the time to draw up The small harder acts of chesed which also are the water. Why? The Kedushat Levi says: When not publicised are more difficult to do, and we it comes to doing a therefore get more reward for them.’ Mitzvah, the harder A Yerushalmi chassid received a wedding it is and the more invitation in the post, but he recognised work we put in, no names from either side. Written on the the more reward invitation was a note – ‘We really want you to we get. If the come’. Not knowing what to make of it, he put water would it aside. A few weeks later he got a call asking come up by if he was coming. “I don’t know who you are!” a miracle, the man said. “What do you mean?”, came the she wouldn’t reply, “if not for you, my daughter wouldn’t get so much be getting married.” He told him the story. “A reward. Therefore, year ago we came to a hotel in Switzerland Hashem didn’t do because our daughter was slipping away from that miracle for her, her Mitzvah observance and we were advised so she worked harder to give her undivided attention on a holiday to do kindness. in Switzerland. While we were there, we saw The entry into no change in her. The night before we were Noah’s ark teaches leaving, as the taxi was coming in the middle of us the same idea: all the the night, we checked out early to avoid paying non-kosher animals for another night and waited in the lobby. At came by themselves. two in the morning, five minutes before our Moor Lane More Torah • Issue 10 • Chayei Sarah - Toldot 5780

taxi arrived, you came down from your room Think about all the positivity that will come out with hot drinks and you accompanied us out to from this woman and her future generations, all the taxi with our luggage. My daughter was so because of this man and the extra work he put moved by this that she kept talking about it the in to doing a chesed. The easy kindnesses are entire way back to Israel, about how this Jew for sure also great Mitzvot, but the more the whom we hardly knew did such a true chesed. input, the more the output!! This was the cause of her turnaround.

A Better Person The Vilna Gaon adds that there is another way of breaking a bad trait. This is someone By R’ Aharon Gillis who acts with temimut – simplicity -and does not rely on his own wisdom; rather he Yaakov is described in Toldot as closely follows the Torah’s guidance, avoiding a simple man who dwells in tents, the need to go to an extreme. This second an “ish tam yoshev ohalim”. Chazal tell us that approach needs clarification: Friedlander the “tents” refer to the houses of learning explains that the Vilna Gaon is referring to where Yaakov would study Torah. It would someone who learns Torah, and especially appear that being an ish tam (a simple person) Mussar -the ethical teachings - and takes what is linked to being a yoshev ohalim. What is this he is learning to heart. This person does not connection? have to confront his faults by going to an To explain this, we first have to understand extreme. Rather by learning Torah he cultivates what being tam (simple) means. R’ Chaim his good inclination and tries to change his Friedlander explains - based on the Vilna nature through the learning of Mussar and Gaon’s comments on Mishlei 2.21 - that there Torah wisdom. This will automatically diminish are two approaches to changing a bad midda his evil inclination as he learns and internalises (character trait). The first approach is that laid how to be a better person. out by the Rambam in his introduction to This, writes the Vilna Gaon, is the meaning of called the Shemone Perakim, where tam. He is “simple” because he does not rely he writes that to improve a negative trait one on his own wisdom by trying to change himself has to go to the other extreme. For example, using the strategy of going to an extreme. someone who is too lazy should rush to do Rather he is simple and relies on the wisdom mitzvot; a person lacking kindness should of the Torah to penetrate his heart and mind. continuously look for kind things to do - Now we understand why Yaakov is called an giving more tzedakah or inviting lots of guests. ish tam. His simplicity is his self-improvement However, says the Rambam, taking a midda to through dedicated Torah study. This is the link an extreme is not ideal. For example, rushing between his ‘tent-dwelling’ and his simplicity. to do everything may affect one’s judgment. The result is a guarantee of a better person. A little bit of patience is also a good thing. Excessive involvement in kindness and charity can also be detrimental: self-neglect; stress on the family; financial overload. In short, the person has to go to the extreme only for as long as it takes for him to change his bad trait; then he moves to a balanced and appropriate level, where he no longer has this bad trait but neither is he acting extremely. Moor Lane More Torah • Issue 10 • Chayei Sarah - Toldot 5780

The Practice of that he was more knowledgeable than the great scholars. Emuna Furthermore, when we think about it, how could he persuade idol-worshippers to forgo By R’ Schlama established practices if not with outstanding One of our great men was once asked to insight and reflection? leave everything behind to go to thrive in a How come then, that he didn't have second better place. thoughts about his fate? That man was Avraham Avinu. The answer is that Emuna and Trust in Hashem What did he find there? A land ravaged by was for Avraham in no way theoretical: it was war and famine, where wars of conquest had a reality his entire being vibrated with. As a recently started. When he needs a burial site result, he was serene in any situation beyond for his wife, he has to pay a fortune for it. That his understanding; these felt normal to him. was the promised land? By all appearances, it That is because he had fully grasped that was a hoax. any circumstance in life is truly adapted to the Moreover, Avraham's chief purpose was to individual and ultimately turns out beneficial to help people achieve a meaningful and fulfilling all. That is the awesome wonder of Providence: life. Now, what can you teach in a war zone? to simultaneously provide all individuals What about the constant concern for food and with the precise challenges needed for their survival? Is that the right context for teaching? progress. Yet, the backdrop of all of our father's history Sometimes we may think: "It seems so is encapsulated in one phrase: "He did not absurd, what good can come out of this. It's doubt [about Hashem]". This means he didn't just an impediment. Hashem doesn’t want me ask himself any questions! to serve Him?" Now Avraham was known by his Whenever we have such thoughts, let us contemporaries as extremely thoughtful and remember: Avraham was there. And only deep. The prophet Yehoshua calls him "The through accepting this did he become the great among the giants". We have a tradition illustrious Avraham.

Moving Through Rafael Hirsch - is the use of the word “zaken” rather than “yashan” to describe Avraham’s age. Life Although both words are translated into the By R’ Moishe Wieder same English word- “old”, as R’ Hirsch reiterates, every word of the Holy Tongue alludes to What is the Torah’s recipe for a life of deeper ideas. Yashan is related to the word greatness? Look at Parshat Chayei Sarah. We see sheinah- sleep. This is the old age of somebody that the units which made up the lives of both who has, by choice or otherwise, no longer any Avraham and Sarah are stressed, rather than goals he is working towards, and continues to just recording their respective ages. “Sarah’s exist in a state of stasis. However, a “zaken” is lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, the title of one who has used his years to his and seven years…”. And later “Now advantage, as the says, the word is an was old, well on in days…”. We see from here the abbreviation of “Zeh shekanah chochmah”- one key to achieving greatness in life. Rather than who has acquired wisdom. His state of physical viewing life as a murky conglomeration of days old age is irrelevant. He exists internally in a merging into years and eventually decades, we state of perpetual motion, the true definition of must value each day as an opportunity to take youth - a state of constant growth. This was the trait of our forefathers, a trait which is ingrained another step towards our eternal goals. Each [email protected] day is a milestone in and of itself! If life is viewed in our heritage, accessible to every one of us, in such a way, greatness is the obvious result. enabling us all to live the most fulfilling of lives Another idea - developed by R’ Shimshon all our years. Moor Lane More Torah • Issue 10 • Chayei Sarah - Toldot 5780

Inherent Qualities - Inheritable Qualities By R’ Chaim Tangy

Avraham left Ur Casdim and Rabbeinu Nissim [Drashot Hara"n] explains Charan after being persecuted for that it is true that in there were a of attempting to prove the reality of the Creator people who were believers in Hashem, however and the falsehood in idol worship to the local they had bad character traits. Whereas in people. He arrived in Canaan where he set up a Charan, they had good midot; they ‘just’ didn’t highly successful kiruv program. He spread an have Emuna, faith in Hashem. awareness of Hashem to all who came to hear When Avraham was going about building him and had a following of tens of thousands up the house of Israel, it had to be set on the of people. right foundations. The Canaanites may have When the time came to marry off his son had plenty of believers, but beliefs and ideals Yitzchak, he sent his servant Eliezer on the are not necessarily passed on from parent to mission to find the suitable girl. Avraham made child, from generation to generation. They can him take an oath not to look in Canaan but easily be changed. Character traits, however, rather to find Yitzchak’s match in Charan. What once truly internalised, will be transmitted did he have against the people of Canaan? in essence to a child. Inherent qualities are And what was so special about the inhabitants inheritable qualities. of Charan?

Seeking G-d By R’ Yehiel Haddad he passed a group of teenagers, one of whom suddenly blocked his path, trying to push him When Rivka was having trouble to the ground. To stop his victim defending with her pregnancy ‘she went to himself, he put his hand inside Rabbi Yehuda’s seek G-d’. Where did she go to jacket. He screamed at the top of his lungs as seek G-d? Rashi explains that the sharp blade cut his fingers. Now the lone she went to the yeshiva of Shem yeshiva bochur could feel the murderous eyes and Ever. The normal address for a health issue of the rapidly growing crowd gathering around, is the doctor [in Rivka’s homeland no doubt a thirsty for the taste of revenge. Running for his witch-doctor]. Rivka however went straight to life he miraculously made it to the police station G-d: she realised that just as G-d had given her before he could be harmed. the pain, He was the one that would save her The police did not believe his story and sent from it. She was great enough to ‘cut out the him to court. During the hearing false witnesses middle man’. appeared to be materialising out of thin air; Rivka lived her life on a high spiritual plane, one after another they accused the tsaddik of and we find great people even our generations attempted murder. Astonishingly the judge let who also look for the reasons behind and the him off with only a fine to pay. solutions to their pain and sorrow in a similar Once freed Rabbi Yehuda started thinking fashion. about the reason why all this suffering had In his younger years Rabbi Yehuda Tsadka been decreed on him: his conclusion was that – former Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef - was it was because on that same day he gave up studying the laws of shechita. One day he was a certain minhag. Instead of seeing no further going from yeshiva to the slaughter house with than getting back at the people who had tried his long sharp shechita knife in the inner pocket to frame him, he looked for the deeper cause of his jacket. On his way through the Arab shuk, and effect: he went to seek G-d.