Thursday, Mar-Cheshvan 13, 5778 / November 2, 2017

The beginning of this week’s Parsha, Vayeira, is a continuation of last week’s Parsha, Lech Lecha, which ends with Abraham performing the mitzvah of circumcision at the age of ninety nine.

This Parsha begins, “And G-d appeared to him [Abraham]… as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.” Our sages explain that the purpose of G-d’s visit to Abraham was to perform the mitzvah of visiting the sick, as Abraham was recuperating from his circumcision.

Q.  The Torah doesn’t tell us why G-d came to Abraham. How do we know that the purpose of G-d’s appearance to Abraham was because Abraham was ill?

A. In all other places when G-d appeared to Abraham it was for the purpose of telling him something. But here G-d appears to Abraham without telling him anything. From this the sages derive that the sole purpose of G-d’s appearance to Abraham was for the mitzvah of visiting the sick.

Q.   In this Parsha we read about the birth of Yitzchak (Isaac).  Abraham was one hundred years and Sarah was ninety when Yitzchak was born.  Is there any significance to the name Yitzchak?

A.  “Yitzchak”comes from the word "tzchok" which means laughter.  Yitzchak's birth brought special joy, happiness and laughter to his parents who were 90 and 100 years old.  

Also, the numerical value of the four Hebrew letters which spell the name Yitzchak (Yud, Tzadik, Chet, Kuf) have a special significance to the story of the birth of Yitzchak:

"Yud" is numerically 10 - This alludes to the 10 tests which G-d tested Abraham and in whose merit he received G-d's everlasting covenant and blessings. 

"Tzadik" is numerically 90 - Sarah's age at the time of Yitzchak's birth. 

"Chet" is number 8, hinting to the fact that Yitzchak was the first one to be circumcised at 8 days. 

"Kuf" is 100.  This number represents Abraham's age at the time of Yitzchak's birth.

Q. In the Parsha we read that Yitzchak was circumcised on the eighth day. Why is the Brit (circumcision) performed at eight days and not sooner?

A.  One reason is that the baby is not physically strong enough before the 8th day. According to the Zohar, the reason is that before the Brit (circumcision) the child needs the spiritual strength which comes with Shabbat.  We wait seven full days, so that he will have a Shabbat before the Brit. 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY

Monday, Mar-Cheshvan 17, 5778 / November 6, 2017

This week's Parsha, Chayei Sarah, begins with the passing of Sarah.  The Parsha begins, "And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiryat Arba which is Hebron in the land of Canaan and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her."

The Torah describes in detail how Abraham purchased the "Ma'arat HaMachpeila," the Cave of Machpeila, in the city of Hebron, where he buried Sarah. Later in the Parsha we read that Abraham was buried there too. Yitzchak, Rivkah, Yaakov and Leah were later also buried there.

Q.  Why did Abraham choose that particular cave as the family burial plot?

A.  Because Adam and Eve (Chava) were buried there.

Q.  The first word of the Parsha is “Vayihu.”  The numerical value of the Hebrew word “Vayihu,” is 37.  What is the connection between the number 37 and the life of Sarah?

A.  The Parsha begins that the life of Sarah was 127 years.  However, from all these years, 37 years stood out from the rest, for they were very special years for Sarah. These were the last 37 years of her life in which she had her only son, Yitzchak.  Sarah was 90 when she gave birth to Yitzchak.  She was 127 when she passed away. Thus, these 37 years were very special in Sarah’s life.

Q.  The Parsha begins, "And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.”  The words, “these were the years of the life of Sarah,” seem to be repetitious.

A.   Our sages explain that the extra words teach us that all 127 years of Sarah’s life were the same - they were all good." Although many of her years she and Abraham went through difficulties, tests and being childless until age 90, yet, she considered all her 127 years as good ones.

Q.In the past two Parshiot, we read about the many trials and difficulties which Sarah endured. The tests which Abraham endured were also trials and tribulations for Sarah. How then can the Torah say that, "all of Sarah's years were equally good?"

A.Our sages in the Talmud give the following instruction, "A person must bless G-d for the bad just as they would bless Him for the Good."  Although we do not see the good in a particular act or event, it is because we cannot possibly see it the way G-d does. However, we believe that G-d is good and kind, and as such we should accept it just as the things we see as good. Sarah accepted whatever G-d gave her, even her challenges, as good.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY

Tuesday, Mar-Cheshvan 18, 5778 / November 7, 2017

The highlight of this week’s Parsha, Chayei Sarah, is the story of the marriage of Yitzchak (Isaac) and Rivkah (Rebecca). 

After Sarah's passing, Abraham sent his trusted servant Eliezer, to Abraham’s birthplace, to find a wife for Yitzchak. Abraham was 137 years old at that time. Yitzchak was 37.

Abraham commanded his servant,“go to my country and to my family and take a wife for my son, Yitzchak." 

Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, prayed that he should succeed in his mission to choose the right girl for Yitzchak. "Before he finished praying, Rivkah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. And the servant ran to meet her and said, 'Give me a little water to drink from your pitcher'. And she said, 'Drink, my master', and she hastened and let down her pitcher upon her hand and gave him to drink. Then she said, 'Also for your camels I will draw until they have finished drinking' Eliezer presents her with gifts and went to speak to her parents. They agreed to let Rivkah go.

Then the Torah tells us, "And Yitzchak brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and he took Rivkah for his wife; and he loved her and Yitzchak was comforted for his mother."

Of our four matriarchs (Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, Leah), Rivkah was the only one about whom the Torah tells us that she was tested if she had the qualifications to become a matriarch of the Jewish people.  The test was not to see her level of intelligence but to prove her level of generosity and kindness. 

Q."And Yitzchak brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah… and Yitzchak was comforted for his mother." Why, only after bringing her into his mother’s tent, was he comforted after his mother?

A.Our sages tell us that while Sarah was alive, three miracles were experienced in her home regularly. 1) The Shabbat lights which Sarah lit each Friday, would burn from one Shabbat to the next.   2) There was a blessing in the dough (food).   3) A cloud always hung over her tent. When Sarah died, the three miracles stopped. When Rivkah came into the tent, all three miracles returned.  As a result, "Yitzchak was comforted for his mother."

These three things are significant to every Jewish home:  1) The cloud over the tent teaches us that the Jewish home must be shielded from outside destructive forces. 2) There must be continuous light - spirituality, holiness and peace in the home. 3) The food has to be a source of  "blessing" - having a kosher home and reciting the proper blessings before and after eating. The continuity of our Jewish heritage is primarily from the home.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY