PARSHAS VAYEIRA c“ryz oeyg ‘eh By Rabbi Eli Mittel October 19, 2013 The weqt in this week’s parsha (fk:hi) states on an external situation. `xie zyxt “my cnr xy` mewnd l` xwaa mdxa` mkyie” - And Avraham This concept is supported by the dpyn in got up early in the morning, to the place that he stood (ak:d) zea` iwxt which states, “Anyone who has one (davened) there. of these three traits is a student of Avraham Avinu - It is from this weqt that the Gemara in Brachos derives “dlty ytp ,(humble spirit) dgenp gex ,daeh oir”. The humble Halacha that there is something unique about a person who sets spirited person accepts responsibility rather than place aside a special place for davening. The Gemara com- the blame on someone or something else. This dcin is in Center ments, “Anyone who sets aside a mewn for his davening, direct contrast to the dcin of Bilam. Hilchos Tevillas Keilim the G-d of Avraham will help him, and when he dies, they This level of humility on the part of Avraham Avinu is Part 2 say on him, ‘Woe for the loss of this humble person and seen at another well-known point in this week’s dyxt. woe for the loss of this pious person.’” When the Torah recounts the story of the dciwr, the The aeig of toiveling milk What is the connection between someone who has a acquired from a ieb only begins word “eicgi” (together) appears three times. The first, after taking full ownership of set place for davening and Avraham Avinu? Perhaps we (e:ak) “eicgi mdipy eklie” references Avraham and Yitzchak the ilk. can explain the Gemara with the following explanation, walking together toward Har Hamoriah. Rashi notes that A ilk that was toiveled while which I heard from my rebbe, Rav Aharon Dovid Willner: the term eicgi does not only mean that they physically a ieb still owned it is not consid- The weqt is explaining that Avraham went to daven for accompanied each other, but that they shared an equal ered toiveled. After taking own- the city of Sedom in the exact same place where he had level of oevx and dgny to carry out Hashem’s word, de- ership of the ilk it will have to davened the previous day. Even though Avraham had spite the knowledge that only Avraham knew that he be toiveled again. davened a lengthy dlitz just the day before to save Se- would have to sacrifice his son. (The dlecbd zqpk ixiiy dom as the parsha explains that Avraham pleaded with The second time, (g:ak) is after Yitzchak understood writes that all agree that the Hashem to save Sedom in the zekf of 50 miwicv that lived that he himself was to be the oaxw. Again, the weqt states aeig to toivel milk begins after ownership and that it is per- there. After being answered that there weren’t 50miwicv “eicgi mdipy eklie.” Avraham and Yitzchak went together, missible to use a ilk that still Avraham asked on behalf of 45 miwicv…then 40… all the Rashi noting again, “dey ala”, with the same positive in- belongs to a ieb without dliah. way down to 10 miwicv. Hashem still declared that they tention to carry out the will of Hashem. However, he continues, that didn’t have the proper merits to be saved and the city The last time is after the ram was sacri- this is ‘xrekn’ - repulsive, and would be destroyed. Even though Hashem could not ac- ficed in place of Yitzchak. The (hi:ak) weqt states, should be avoided, preferably. cept Avraham’s zelitz to save Sedom, Avraham did not If possible, one should toivel “eicgi eklie enewie eixrp l` mdxa` ayie.” Avraham returned the ilk without a dkxa and get discouraged but rather, came back to the same place to his servants and they left together. this will accomplish raising its to daven again the next day. R’ Hirsch notes that in an earlier (d:ak) weqt only Avra- status from impure. If a Jew These actions are in stark contrast toryxd mrla. Bilam’s ham and Yitzchak had gone up to Har Hamoriah because were to then acquire such a ilk will to curse Klal Yisroel did not come to fruition despite he would certainly need to be only people of that spiritual stature could ascend to toivel it again with a dkxa.) his great desire to do so. Being a man who is described such a holy place. Despite Avraham meeting perfection as one with a deab gex - arrogant spirit, Bilam attributed through his completion of this challenge, he still returned If a ieb was xiwtn his milk and davened a Yid took it from xwtd then it this lack of acceptance to the place in which he , from the Har and joined Yishmael and Eliezer (the mixrp) does not need dliah. rather than as a result of his own faults. Consequently, he and went “eicgi”- together with them. As seen from the told Balak to take him to new places and perhaps from previously mentioned miweqt, the word eicgi is not only there he would be successful in cursing Bnei Yisroel. He referring to a physical accompaniment, but a level of placed the blame on the location rather than on himself. emotional connection as well. Avraham did not consider Avraham Avinu, on the other hand, saw the lack of himself superior to the mixrp in any way, despite the ex- Kids acceptance of his zelitz as a manifestation of his own treme levels of perfection he had reached, and the dif- shortcomings, rather than a fault of the place in which ferences in their spiritual statures. There was no sense Corner of pride or arrogance in having attained greater spiritual he davened. He therefore returned to the same location Where in this week’s again to try and daven for Sedom. heights than those around him. There was no need to separate himself from those not as great. parsha do we learn that we We can now answer our original question as to what are supposed to sit during davening Let us emulate the great sense of zeeipr, humil- dax ziy`xa dax ) the connection between having a set place for , krias shema? ( Avraham Avinu and being pious and humble all have to ity, which characterized Avraham Avinu, and as presence. Hashem’s in shema do with each other. Someone who always davens in the Chazal say, constantly evaluate ourselves by asking say and shuls in sit would they that “?awrie wgvi mdxa` izea` iyrnl iyrn eribi izn...” – When children his for sign a be would he that same place is demonstrating a level of humility similar to and sit to Avraham told Hashem and Avraham Avinu. He is showing that although sometimes will my actions reach the level of the actions of Avraham, up stand to wanted he Avraham visit his zelitz may not be answered, he accepts that the rea- Yitzchok and Yaakov? to came Hashem When Answers: son is due to some fault of his own rather than blame it Rabbi Mittel is a member of the Kollel. To sponsor a newsletter or to receive this publication via email for free, please contact [email protected].