Parshas Vayeira - Thoughts on the first Rashi

“Adonoy appeared to him (Abraham) in the groves of Mamrei and he was sitting at the door of the tent in the heat of the day.”

Bereshis 18:1

“[He] appeared to him. To visit the sick person. Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: It was the third day after his circumcision and God came to inquire about his welfare.”

Rashi, on Bereshis 18:1

Rashi’s commentary alludes to a statement in the Gemara (Talmud Sotah 14a), in which R. Hama son of R. Hanina explains how to understand the verse in Devarim (13:5) that states: “You shall walk after the Lord your God.” Rabbi Hama asks: How does someone walk after God? He answers: By emulating God’s acts of kindness. The second example he gives is: Just as God visited the sick, as evidenced in our verse above from Bereshis, so should we visit the sick.

There are, of course, good and not so good ways to visit with a sick person. A writer on the Jewcy.com website suggests the following five rules which I would endorse:

1. Call before you come
2. Don’t stay long (unless you’re asked to)
3. If you’re bringing a gift, bring something appropriate
4. Offer to help with concrete tasks
5. Don’t be offended if the person you’re visiting is acting differently

For more information on these five rules, see the full article here:

http://www.jewcy.com/religion-and-beliefs/mitzvah_week_visiting_sick

In my experience, often a person who is sick is – in some sense – not at full life capacity. They may feel quite debilitated, experience significant pain, feel discouraged, or all of the above. When we visit we have the opportunity to encourage them, to lift their spirits a bit, and by so doing injecting a bit of ‘life’ into them. So in a small but significant way we are in fact imitating God, the ultimate life giver and creator.

Lech Lecha - Thoughts on the first Rashi

“G-d said to Abram, go ‘for yourself’ from your birthplace, from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”  

Bereshis (Genesis) 12:1

Rashi focused on the phrase “for yourself”.  In Hebrew it is the word “Lecha.”

He wrote, “Go for yourself, for your pleasure, and for your benefit.  There, I will make you a great nation, whereas here [where you are now] you do not merit having children.  And furthermore, I will make your name known in the world.”

This is one of the most well known comments of Rashi in the Torah.  His focus on the word “Lecha” (“for yourself”) seems to be because it is superfluous.  G-d simply could have said “Go from your birthplace….”  or in the modern vernacular, “leave.”  What Rashi suggested is that this move for Abram had an agenda; one for him and a great impact on his progeny.  As a result of Abram’s leaving, the trajectory of mankind would forever change.

Rashi’s comment invites interpretation.  What strikes me is that moving from what’s familiar, indeed change in general, can be incredibly stressful and cause anxiety.  Change is hard, and few enjoy leaving what’s familiar.  Yet Rashi’s suggestion that it was for Abram’s benefit may also suggest that change can offer precisely what is necessary to grow, to see things anew, to have greater impact, and realize one potential.  In this way, it is not hard to see how proper change can affect our lineage after we are gone.

Abram’s advantage is that he was told to change environment by G-d.  For us, we must look to different voices and signs, often not as clear and succinct.  Are we open to those messages of change, or are we stuck in our own version of “Who moved my cheese?” day after day, year after year?

Guest-posting by

Jeffrey Korbman

Woodworker

Highland Park

Parshas Noach – Thoughts on the first Rashi

“These are the progeny of Noach. Noach was a righteous man, flawless in his generation.”

Bereshis 6:9

“These are the progeny of Noach. Since [the text] mentions him, it tells of his praiseworthiness. As it is written: “The mention of a righteous person is a blessing.” [1] Another explanation: This teaches that the main progeny of the righteous are their good deeds.”

Rashi, on Bereshis 6:9

Rashi is prompted to comment by the fact that the Torah states “These are the progeny of Noach” then comments about Noach’s spiritually elevated state (“Noach was a righteous man, flawless in his generation”) before listing his three sons in the following verse.

I understand from Rashi’s comments on this verse that an advisable course of action, before someone establishes a family, is to first begin the hard work of establishing his or her own character, goals, and values – it is that progeny that should come first.

Further, it is natural and commendable that we should pray to God for the good health and success of our children. This commentary by Rashi suggests that, if we are on the right path in life, we should pray with equal if not greater fervor for the success of the causes we hold dear and for the continued strength to hold fast to those values. Those causes and values can outlive us and our (hopefully) strong and consistent service to them may serve as an additional legacy.

1 = Mishlei, 10:7

Parshas Bereshis – Thoughts on the first Rashi

“In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.”
Bereshis 1:1

“In the beginning. Rabbi Yitzchok said: The Torah should have begun with [the verse] “This month shall be [your first month]” (1) it being the first precept that the Israelites were commanded. Then why does it [the Torah] begin with “In the beginning”? This is because [of the concept contained in the verse] “He declared the power of his works to His people in order to give to them the inheritance of nations.” (2) Thus, should the nations of the world say to Israel, “You are robbers, for you have taken by force the lands of the Seven Nations [the land of Israel],” they [Israel] will say to them: “All the earth belongs to God. He created it and gave it to whomever he saw fit. It was His will to give it to them and it was His will to take it from them and give it to us.”
Rashi, on Bereshis 1:1

A few recent commentators have noted that while this commentary by Rashi might be seen as a script for addressing the criticisms of gentiles towards the Jews, it is really intended as a philosophical platform for Jewish worldview. It is saying to us: We should know that we are entitled to the land only because we worship the God who created heaven and earth. And it was He who decided that we should take possession of it.

One thing I find interesting in this commentary is that the sole reason it identifies for the Jewish people being rewarded with residence in the land of Israel is because God so chooses; not because we’re so great. This view is reinforced in Devarim, where Moshe states to the Jewish people: “Not because of your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart are you coming to possess the Land, but because of the wickedness of the nations does HaShem, your God, drive them away from before you, and in order to establish the word that HaShem swore to your forefathers, to Avraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” (3)  When all is said and done, we should realize that we receive God’s kindnesses because He chooses to bestow them. Thus, humility should be a key tenet of our national outlook.


1 = Shemos 12:1
2 = Tehillim 111:6
3 = Devarim 9:5

Parshas V'Zos HaBracha - So long, farewell, ...

After chronicling the generations of one family that became God’s treasured people, and following that people through the great heights and devastating lows of their spiritual development, the Five Books of the Torah wind down and end with … a eulogy. Moshe, God’s servant, died there, in the land of Moab, by the mouth of God. He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beis Peor and no man knows his burial place till this day. And Moshe was 120 years old at his death; his appearance was not dulled, and his freshness did not fade. The children of Israel mourned for Moshe on the plains of Moab for 30 days; after which ended the days of mourning in Moshe’s mourning period. And Yehoshua the son of Nun was filled with a spirit of wisdom because Moshe has rested his hands on him; the children of Israel listened to him and acted as God commanded Moshe. And there has never arisen a prophet within Israel liker Moshe, whom God knew face to face. For all the signs and the wonders that God sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, to Pharoah and to all his slaves and to his entire land. And for the entire strong hand and for the great display that Moshe performed in view of all of Israel. (Devarim, 34:5-12).

It is striking that the Torah, normally quite terse and parsimonious with words, allots eight full verses to sum up Moshe’s life – much more than it does for Abraham (2 verses – Bereshis 25: 8-9), Isaac (1 verse, Bereshis 35: 29), Jacob (1 verse, Bereshis 49:33), or Joseph (1 verse, Bereshis 50:26). The life of Moshe’s successor, Yehoshua, who led the Jewish people in the conquest of the land of Canaan, is summed up in three verses (Joshua 24: 29-31). King David's burial and epitaph is recounted in two verses (I Kings 2:10-11). 

What does the Torah tell us by giving such space to a eulogy for Moshe? First, there are the simple facts related – the miracle of Moshe’s hidden burial place, his successful leadership transition, his pivotal role in a plethora of open miracles, and his unique position as God’s foremost prophet. Finally, there is the implicit message that the final lesson of the Torah is one of HaKoras HaTov (recognizing the good), for the leader who not only helped liberate our people but also brought us the greatest gift of eternity - the Torah.


Note: 
I am exceedingly grateful to my wife Fran who proofread, edited, and offered feedback on all the Divrei Torah I posted on this blog over the past year. Her input has immeasurably improved my commentaries. Thank you as well to Rabbi Shlomo Ziegler, who read and commented on many of the Divrei Torah on this blog. I have enjoyed and learned from our discussions.