Parashas Toldos

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Toldos and deals with the beginnings of the feud between Yaakov and the Jewish People and Eisav and his progeny. The Haftorah for this Parsha is in Malachi 1:1-2:7 and as in the Parsha , makes reference to Yaakov and Eisav .
Our last Parsha ended with the previous generation of Avraham and Sarah passing and the marriage of their son Yitzchak and Rivka . The Vav that starts out this Parsha of Toldos , connects the last Parsha with this one , as the next generation continues through the children of Yitzchak and Rivka .
Yitzchak was 40 years old when he married Rivka , three years after the Akeidah . But Rivka did not conceive . As I explained in the previous Parsha , when Rivka left her home after Eliezer had come to seek a wife for Yitzchak , Rivka's family had made a statement that appeared positive but was meant as a curse , which they had made with the thoughts of idols about Rivka conceiving and so , to prove that their idols were of no worth , Rivka had to wait 20 years before she could conceive , so that there would be no doubt that the child was not conceived with her brother Lavan and his family's statements to idols , but only by HaShem Does Creation Come About And Only Through HaShem Does a couple conceive and not by idols . Rivka's family of Lavan her brother and Bethuel , her Father were from Padan Aram and were idol worshipers . Thus , that strain from her side had to be removed from the Jewish People , and so , did her birth bring two completely different individuals , so that the strain of negativity from Lavan's family would separate itself from the Jewish people through Yaakov Avinu .Torah Tells us that Yitzchak entreated HaShem " Lenochach " - " Opposite " his wife , for both had gone to Har Ha Moriah , the site of The Akeidah and of the Future Temples and both stood physically opposite each other and prayed to HaShem . We note how in the beginning of Adam Ve Chava , that couple meant for each other were referred to as being " Opposite , " which meant that each is to stand in a relationship together with their spouse , but opposite , at times where their spouse is incorrect and so the partner is there to bring their spouse to higher levels , even if it means they are to disagree so as to build . In this case , Yitzchak loved Rivka as a spiritual beloved and so , are they too referred to in this manner , like Adam Ve Chava were also referred to as " Opposite , " though a different Hebrew word was used there . In this case , Yitzchak acted like a true soul mate for Rivka , though standing " Opposite " each other in prayer , both had the same request and Yitzchak , had to physically stand opposite that part of Rivka's family that was against HaShem . So HaShem Allowed Himself To Be Entreated and so did Rivka conceive .
Rivka had immense pain while carrying her children . When she would walk past a Holy Learning Centre , there would be agitation and kicking from within her and when she would walk past a house of Avodah Zorah - Idol Worship , there would be kicking and agitation within her . The pain was so immense that to an extent she had a minute sense of regret about the conception and so did she lose the opportunity to be the Mother of the Twelve Tribes of Israel that was then passed to the next generation . She literally felt that her insides were pulling at two separare directions and she had to go and enquire Of HaShem , which meant she went to ask at the Yeshiva of Shem and Eiver , where Yitzchak had previously gone to study , after the Akeidah . She was informed that within her , two regimes were within her , that would be separated and the might would pass from one to the other and that the elder would serve the younger . Thus she knew that her line through Yitzchak , would separate into two separate paths , one holy and the other not , thus ridding the line of negativity from our Jewish Line . Also , this showed that even while still within her , these two regines had already set themselves different paths to travel , one that would follow HaShem and the other that would not , even though they didn't even have proper physicalities yet , the intrisic holiness of Yaakov was already within as was for the other child , the negativity of Eisav .
When her term to bear , grew full there were twins within . Even within her these two regimes were at loggerheads . Yaakov was to emerge first , but Eisav pushed him aside and came out first and so was Yaakov then holding onto Eisav's heel . Eisav was born already with a full head of hair and teeth and thus red like a hairy mantle almost like a 'completed ' person and so was he named " Eisav " - which means " completely developed , " ( Rashi ) . Seeing as his brother Yaakov , emerged holding on to the heel of Eisav , he was called " Yaakov , " which means " Heel . "
As Eisav was being born , he wanted to make sure he would be the only surviving progeny and that there would be no more children through Rivka and so as he was coming out , he ripped his own Mother Rivka's insides and tore at her from within her birth canal with his full set of teeth and fingernails as he was being born , to make sure she would have no more children and so Rivka's Labour also most took her life Chas Ve Shalom . Eisav , already then , had thoughts of killing his brother Yaakov .
As the boys grew , Eisav grew to be a man who knew hunting , unlike Yaakov who was " Ish Tam Yoshev Ohalim , " - " A Wholesome man abiding in Tents , " a man who abides in tents ( as referenced in The Torah ) refers to one who studies HaShem's Torah , for the word " Ohel " is like the " Ohel Mo'ed , " - " the Tent Of Meeting " where Moshe would meet HaShem and get the Laws and Instructions of HaShem's Torah , and so was Yaakov an " Ish Tam , " - " a Wholesome man , " of purity and holiness , wholesome , whole in Holiness that completes a person . Eisav was referred to as a man " who knows hunting , " which doesn't just refer to hunting animals , but also men , and also running after and interfering with already married women . And not just hunting and killing other people , but even hunting in reference to getting a man to own up when he did something wrong in a court case . If a man was caught and didn't confess to a crime he did commit , the court at the time would call Eisav , for Eisav , being a hunter of men , knew exactly how to trick a confession from a litigant . Yitzchak loved Eisav " for game was in his mouth " has a deeper meaning . Yitzchak was not completely unaware of Eisav's weaknesses spiritually , but hoped by not being too hard on him , may get him to grow out of it , unlike Rivka , who knew before they were born , what they each were , as she was told ,about her children and thus she loved Yaakov more . Eisav would often trick his Father into thinking he had studied , for when Yitzchak would question his son Eisav about what he learnt that day , Eisav , would repeat something he had heard as he was walking past the window opening of a Yeshivah , even though he had not actually gone in , and so he would repeat what he heard , to try trick his Father into thinking that he had actually attended . Eisav would also ask detailed questions of Halachic matters in a way that went beyond the Law , something that wasn't even a question in the first place , just so as to give the umpression of how deeply he studied , when he didn't . As an example , he asked his Father how one separates Tithes from Straw , just to show how meticulous he appears at keeping Halacha , when he knew full well , one doesn't separate Tithes from Straw . Thus did Yitzchak only with his physicality favor Eisav , his son - " for game was in his mouth " which refers to Yitzchak only with his mouth , trusting his son , but deep down knowing better and hoping against hope to bring him round by being softer on him then he should have been .
King David too was born with a Redish tinge in the hair like Eisav ( not as much as Eisav ) , but he used his strength for HaShem's Service , unlike Eisav , who went out of his way to disobey HaShem .
On one very sad day , when Avraham had just passed away , the family was in mourning and so , Yaakov was preparing lentils for his Father , a round food , for round food is common at such times , as if to say life is round and goes around . While the family was in mourning , only one member didn't feel a need to mourn the loss of holy Avraham , and this was Eisav .
Where was Eisav that day that had made him so exhausted ? Eisav heard that Nimrod 's son who was also named Nimrod , was in the vicinity and Nimrod known for his hunting abilities had a very special garment that would subdue animals , originally given by HaShem to Adam , when they were chased out of the Garden of Eden . This Garment , Eisav desired , and so , he stealthily snuck up on Nimrod's two guards and after a fight , killed them and spent a large part of the hours , chasing Nimrod and finally killing him and taking the Garment . So by the time Eisav came back in from the field , he was cpmpletely exhausted from the hunt of Nimrod and his guards .
Eisav , coming in and seeing the redness of the lentils that Yaakov was making , was attracted to the blood-like color of it and asked Yaakov for some . So was Eisav called " Edom " due to the fact that he was attracted to the redness as a colour , which was to Eisav , as blood - a common character trait of his progeny . Yaakov sat and thought that this Eisav is not a worthy receiver of the Birthright and being such an unholy man as Eisav was , so , for us all , Yaakov made sure to get the Birthright back to us where it belonged , which it was originally Yaakov's , had Eisav not pushed him aside in the womb . So Yaakov asked Eisav to sell the Birthright , and Eisav , thinking to himself that he had no spiritual future anyway ( so did Eisav say he is going to die anyway ) , never acknowledged the value of it , and sold such a holy precious gift , for a momentary physical enjoyment of a bowl of pottage . Such is the lack of true spiritual intelligence of just desiring the physical ( like Eisav / Edom and his nation ) even if it has no long lasting value , just for a moment's pleasure that ends nowhere . Thus must we live for HaShem , and not the physical , for we take nothing with us when our time is up , but our Spiritual growth and level . To give up Heaven for a moments fleeting physical pleasure is not only unintelligent but destruction ,in itself .
The very fact that Eisav sold the Birthright that was Yaakov's in the first place , actually gave Eisav no right later on , to expect to come to his Father and get the Blessing , for it was no longer Eisav's , who sold his Birthright , and thus the two concepts worked hand in hand - Birthright and Blessing . Eisav should have told his Father he cannot get the First Born Blessing anymore , for it was no longer his . He ( Eisav ) had sold that which he had stolen from his brother Yaakov , long before , and so , he had no right to think it was a claim for him at all .
Torah then talks of Yitzchak ( who was not to leave the Holy Land ) being forced to move to Philistia Gerar , due to a famine and how again , he does as his Farher did , to Avimelech , saying that his wife Rivka , is his sister . We note in this Parsha , here , How HaShem Refers to The Torah Written and The Torah Oral , passed down in Mishayos through the ages , from Moshe Rabbeinu , only written down long afterwards so as not to lose any part of its learning at the time of Edom Rome . So HaShem , in Bereishis 26 : 5 refers to " Torosai , " one of the references that proves that HaShem Did Give a Written and an Oral Torah Explanation to it and its Intricacies of Law .
Avimelech noticed one day how Yitzchak was sporting with his wife Rivka and thus knew they were husband and wife .
Yitzchak became very successful in that land and the Philistines , the ancestors of the Greeks stopped up the wells that Yitzchak's Father's servants had dug and Avimelech , and the people noticing the success , over theirs , that Yitzchak had been Blessed with by HaShem , caused them to kick Yitzchak out . How often this scenario has played itself in our Jewish History , when the nations would kick us out of their lands , with nothing , though all Land Belongs To HaShem . Three Wells are then mentioned , each , with a reference to the coming Temples that HaShem would give the Jewish People . Even within the names of these Wells , is reference to the history of the two Temples and the Third Eternal one to come .
When Abimelech saw how they were not Blessed after kicking Yitzchak out , he came with his general Phicol and friends to try to get Yitzchak back and made a covenant with him . So typical of the antisemites of the centuries , who dare even make comments that even though they kicked us Jews out , from country to country and place to place , we should be content that we were not molested in the kicking out - like Avimelech dared say to Yitzchak then in Bereishis 26:29 .
Eisav contining on his deceitful ways to deceive his Father ,took a Hittite woman and gave her a Jewish name and called her Yehudis .He , Eisav , even tried to show that he too marries like his parents at 40 . He also took Basemath a Hittite , and they were a source of Spiritual rebellion to Yitzchak and Rivka . Eisav acts like the Pig , that holds its feet up to show it is kosher , but inside it is as treif as can be , for the pig doesn't chew the cud .
Yitzchak was old and his eyes had become dimmed , as our Rabbis say , so that the entire event could take place and so that the right son could be Blessed , for sadly , all the years , Yitzchak had closed his eyes to Eisav. Now the time had come for this to change . Yitzchak called his son Eisav and asked him to prepare delicacies so that Yitzchak could at least be put into a physically content frame of mind so that possibly he could be made able to be in the higher state of mind to bless Eisav . HaShem Had Given Rivka a special ability , to know what was in the minds of others and so , she knew that Eisav had been sent to prepare delicacies for his Father . She quickly called her son Yaakov and had him put on Eisav's Garments , that Eisav that day had left home and Rivka asked Yaakov to go in to his Father and receive the Blessing .
Yaakov objected and felt that he could bring upon himself a curse rather than a Blessing , but his Mother Rivka was prepared to take that upon herself . To safeguard the right son and our people , whose Birthright and Blessing , Eisav had tried to steal from the very beginning . Rivka took two of her own animals that she prepared and cooked for Yitzchak and sent them with Yaakov , now dressed in Eisav's Garment and he went in to his Father . The animals that she took from , were taken from the gift her husband had given her as part of their marriage contract . But what happened to Eisav and his hunting Game . Eisav that day could not catch anything as forces beyond himself kept freeing whatever he tried to catch and kill so , in desperation , he went and killed and cooked the family dog and that is what he brought in to his Father just after Yaakov had left .
When Yaakov entered his Father's Tent trembling , his holiness , brought with him the smell of Gan Eiden and this is why , just as Yaakov's address to his Father , Yitzchak wondered who this was in front of him . Thus did Yitzchak ask for Yaakov to come closer and to feel if this was really the son he thought , for Eisav would not come with the smell of Gan Eiden nor with the address and words of asking his Father to sit up in such a holy way as Yaakov had said . Thus did Yitzchak refer to the person in front of him as one who has the " Voice ( Holiness ) of " Yaakov , but the Hands of " Physicality and unholiness and deceit of ) Eisav , for the power of Eisav is in their physical violent hands , but our Jewish power is in HaShem and His Torah that we speak out of our mouths and that we Jews pray directly to HaShem as all people should . Even when Yitzchak asked who this is , Yaakov answered in a very specific was as if to say , " It is I , Eisav ( is ) your firstborn . ' In kissing his son , Yitzchak felt his son Eisav could not possibly have an essense of Gan Eiden , " the fragrance of a field which HaShem Has Blessed . " ( Bereishis 27:27 ) .
How sad that Holy Yaakov had to act with the hands of Eisav and act not open , like Eisav , in order to overcome Eisav . So Yitzchak Blesses Yaakov , for then , the future , his children's time and for Moshiach's time . Just as Yaakov leaves , Eisav comes in and Yitzchak trembles that he may have Blessed the wrong son . Eisav cries three tears as the Midrash says , one from his left eye, one from his right eye and the third one withheld . These tears have hit our people through history . Yitzchak Blesses Eisav with present blessings of Physicality and now , Eisav has a small inkling of what the Birthright and Blessing means , but still not to the depth of what Yaakov is able to deeply understand .
Here Yitzchak gives the directive for the centuries , that Eisav will only be able to overcome Yaakov , when Yaakov casts off his Torah through the ages , and this is the thrue answer to defeating our Jewish enemies through time , for as long as we study Torah , no one can do us harm , but if even just a few of our people disobey HaShem And His Torah , then Eisav can cast off our Yoke over him and hurt us . The ultimate answer to Antisemitism and our Enemies , is to Stay Torah Religious and Keep a Religious Holy Eretz Yisroel . Yitzchak , says to Eisav that Yaakov will remain Blessed .
Rivka again , knowing what Eisav planned to do to kill Yaakov , asks Yaakov to leave and go to Paddan Aram to Charan and stay there , but Yaakov refused to go till his Father would give permission and so does Rivka approach Yitzchak . Yitzchak calls his son Yaakov and asks him to go and take a wife from Rivka's family . Yitzchak , now knowing it is Yaakov in front of him , affirms the Blessing to his son Yaakov and sends him to Rivka's family to Lavan , to Paddan Aram to seek a wife .
Eisav , hearing that Yaakov had been sent to find a wife , made plans to kill Yaakov and ensure he , Eisav would be the only line left , so he married Mahalath , daughter of Yishmael , planning to engage Yishmael's help against Yaakov , but his plan never came to fruition , for just before the marriage , Yishmael died . It is at this point , that the Parsha ends , at the marrying of Eisav and Mahalath , daughter of Yishmael among Eisav's other wives , So ends the Parsha .
The happenings between Yaakov and Eisav , repeat itself over and over again in our lives . We are each given the choice to travel on a good path towards HaShem , or on a physical self-serving path , that has no future and gets nowhere . This choice is presented to each and every one of us every moment we breathe . Do I follow HaShem and Do What He Asks of me , or do I follow my own wants and needs and make out that I know better . Do I party all night and have nothing to show for it in the morning , or do I use the time HaShem Gives me , constructively and make a future for myself and my soul . Do I obey G-D and His Torah and enter Heaven Shamaim , or do I waste every moment I have on trivial nothings that leave one with hot air . Do I enter Heaven Shamaim , or do I remain Eathbound and find out too late , that I have doomed my own future Chas Ve Shalom . Do I obey G-D with Love , or do I obey strange nothings that mean nothing and end up nothing , for HaShem Only Creates All . HaShem Only , Is G-D . Do I live for the day and follow nothingness and self worthless pleasures , or do I follow HaShem and Make a place for myself Within Eternity . Choices Choices Choices . Thank You HaShem , for where I end up is my own doing . From now on may I choose wisely . May I always choose the path of Yaakov , and Follow HaShem And His Commandments and so , have an Eternity with HaShem's Love , and may I shun Eisav and his way to nothingness and torment with no future . I choose to Live . I Choose HaShem . What do you choose .
I wish Deeply Beloved HaShem With Love , a Very Beautiful and Sweet Shabbos Kodesh With Deepest Dearest Love , and to all of Creation , a Beautiful and Sweet Shabbos Kodesh with love .

Parashas Chayei Sarah

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Chayei Sarah and starts off sadly with the passing of Sarah . The Haftorah for this Parsha is 1Kings 1 : 1 - 31. Both the Parsha and the Haftorah deal with the passing of Holy people , The Parsha with the succession of Sarah and Avraham's generation that would pass to Yitzchak and the Haftorah with the succession from David leading to his son Shlomo .
Our Parsha this week starts out mentioning the age of Sarah and it is referred to as the "Chayei " - " Life of " Sarah even though Torah is referring to her passing . This is very much the case with holy people , for though their time has come to pass on , that very passing on , is part of living , for the soul is ever on a journey , whether it is in a body or out of one , or in whatever spiritual or physical state it is in or within . Torah also puts it this way for Sarah and holy people live every day they live for HaShem and not for themselves , and this is True Living .
We note that Torah separates it into three different periods of years , where it gives the lifetime of Sarah , as One Hundred years and Twenty years and Seven years . The reason for this is that on the day of Sarah's passing , at 127 years , Sarah was as free of sin at 127 as she was at 100 years and Sarah was as free of sin at 100 years as she was at 20 years , which according to some sages , is the year a person is responsible for sins they do , though we know also it is at Bar and Bat Mitzvah age too . Also , Sarah was as innocent and free of sin at 20 years as a person who is an innocent and pure beautiful child of seven years .
But how did the death of Sarah come to be .
When Avraham took Yitzchak to the Akeidah , we are told that Satan came and told her that her husband was about to sacrifice their son . Sarah got up quickly and went to the three giants who lived in Kiriath-arba , which actually means the 'City of the Four ' ( in reference to the four Giants that lived there - Ahiman , Sheshai and Talmai ( Numbers 13:22 and their Father Arba ( the name of the place ) ( Midrash Says - Rabbi Weissman ) , and she asked them , seeing they were so tall , to look into the distance to see if they could see her husband and son , and they reported to her that they could see he was about to sacrifice his son . At that moment of fright , her soul left her body and she passed on and so does Torah say that she died in Kiriath -arba . But why Did HaShem Permit Satan to do this to her ? Here we link up with the Haforah , for Sarah was so Holy as was King David , that their souls couldn't be taken any usual way for they were constantly immersed in Torah , so Satan had to divert their attention from their studies of Torah contemplation so that their souls could be taken . This is what happened with Sarah and the same with David , who was also immersed in Torah and Satan had to divert his attention by rustling the trees outside his window , so when he put his head up to look , his soul could be taken . Sadly , their time had come . ( A link between the Parsha and the Haftorah ) . Only HaShem Knows Why and we trust Him , for He Does What He Does for the benefit of Creation and the person who passes on to the next stage of spiritual development .
And as the life of the Jew , that can not at this time enjoy full happiness till the Temple is Rebuilt , so must we go through suffering and cannot truly have full happiness till Moshiach comes , so must we remember the destruction of the Two Temples we lost . This is why we break a cup at the Simcha of a wedding , so as to remember the destruction of the Temples , even at a happy Simcha . So did Avraham return , elated after the Akeidah , happy that his son still lives only to find that his dearly beloved wife had passed on .
And so he needed to seek a burial place for his wife . In the previous Parsha , I mentioned how when Avraham had in trying to prepare for the angels meals , had ended up running into the Cave Of Machpelah near Mamre in Chevron and smelling the sweet holiness of fragrance of Gan Eiden in that cave and knew this was the place that Adam and Chava were buried and that this was the place of entry into Gan Eiden , so it was this Cave , on the plot owned by Ephron the Hittite that Avraham sought as a burial place for Sarah his wife and he managed to purchase this site for our people for all time , but at an exorbitant price .
It was there that Avraham buried Sarah his wife and at the same time , reburied Adam and Chava , who , till that time couldn't rest for feelings of what they had done in Gan Eiden and so , with the coming of Avraham and Sarah and when they were buried there , being such holy people , that had brought HaShem's Shechinah back to Earth , Adam and Chava could finally find rest and peace .
We note that in the Torah , the word used for " eulogize " is " Veliv'cotah , " where the " Caf ", letter is made smaller . This makes the word " Liv'cotah " look like two separate words " Lev " and " Tah ('ah ) " where Lev means " Heart " and " Tah'ah " means " Wonder , " as the heart of those who remain in mourning for the one passed think and wonder so very deeply at the loss of the one passed .
With Sarah's passing , the Shabbos Lights that miraculously burnt from one week to the next ( because Sarah always lit Shabbos Lights ) extinguished , as did the Cloud over her tent leave ( because of her modest Tznius ) and the dough baked by her ceased its sweetness and fragrant essence - the three Mitzvos of a Jewish Women encumbent on her specifically .
Avraham felt his years and so knew he had to continue the succession , and so called for his beloved steward , in charge of his house , Eliezer to sware by Abraham's Bris Mila to get a wife for Yitzchak from Avraham's kindred , a wife brought up with the family Chesed Kindness , and even though Eliezer hoped his own daughter might have an opportunity to marry Yitzchak , Eliezer hearing that this could not be , still faithfully did his master's bidding . He took ten camels and his master's bounty and traveled to Aram Naharaim to the city of Nahor , the home of Avrahan's kindred to find a wife for Yitzchak . The journey , that usually took 17 days , this time miraculously only took a few hours . And so Eliezer arrived at the well and asked HaShem that the woman who comes and offers him drink and the camles too , will be the one designated for Yitzchak . The Rabbis don't all agree with his action of testing HaShem , for anyone , might have come to the well , that wasn't from his master's kindred , but HaShem Made his mission successful , for on that moment that he was just finishing praying this request , did Rivka , the daughter of Bethuel , from his master's kindred , come to the well for the first time with a jug on her shoulder and he approached her and requested the drink to which she responded that she give him drink and his camels also.
To fully appreciate Rivka's Chesed , one has to realize the greatness of the action she did on her own as a female . A camel drinks vast amounts of water for they store water , so she had to , on her own , with no assistance , keep running back and forth to the well ( a place of holiness to meet one's intended , for a well is like the Wellsprings of Torah , just like at the first meeting place of Yaakov and Rachel ) for the camels for each of the ten camels to have their fill . This was truly an act of Chesed Kindness . Eliezer gave her the jewelry and asked about her family and when he heard that she was the daughter of Bethuel , he , Eliezer Blessed HaShem for HaShem's Kindness at making his mission successful . Rivka told him of lodging and straw for the camels . Rivka ran and told her family and Lavan , her brother , seeing the wealthy jewelry , ran out to Eliezer thinking it was Avraham and asked him to come inside . Eliezer waited outside , for he knew that Lavan was an idolworshipper who kept idols in the house , but Lavan told him he had cleared the house , but even the camels refused to enter .
Eliezer entered and Bethuel , Rivka's father thinking that this was Avraham , planned to kill him and take his bounty and so he poisoned his drink and food . Some say one or the other . But Eliezer refused to eat or drink till he had had his say for his master and so , did faithful Eliezer tell of his master and Yitzchak and his reason for coming . It was when he sat down and said that Avraham is his master that they realized this was not Avraham . During this time , HaShem Sent a Malach Angel , that changed around the food , so that Eliezer was saved and Bethuel , died that very day . Thus did they want Rivka to wait an extra year or ten months in mourning for her Father .
Eliezer proceeded to tell his story before that and the townspeople wondered would Bethuel do the same for his own daughter that he forced upon others , that when a maiden got married , he Bethuel would be the first to take that maiden and ruin her and so , the townspeople planned that very next day that if Bethuel doesn't do the same to his daughter they would once and for all attack him and his family , thus the demise of Bethuel actually saved the rest of the family . HaShem's Ways Are So Deep And All-Knowing And Beyond us and our limited intelligence .
They asked Rivka if she wants to go and she said yes and they escorted her and her nurse Devorah , who was like a close sister figure to her that she was always very close to and they gave her a parting curse in the appearance of a blessing saying that she must become thousands of myriads , and because of this , her pregnancy was delayed for many years , 20 years in total , so that no one could say it was because of Lavan's idol worshiping family that she had children , and so , after 20 years , all knew it was not because of her family's words that she was Blessed with children , but it was By HaShem Only .
And so did Rivka follow Eliezer back to his home . On the way , Yitzchak had gone to Daven Pray at Beer-lahai-roi . Our Rabbis tell us that he had gone there , knowing that Eliezer had gone to fetch him a wife and so he felt sad for his Father Avraham and so he went to the South Country to bring back Hagar for his Father . It was there that Yitzchak was first seen by Rivka and when she realized the holy man with a light around him , she covered her face out of Tznius . Yitzchak , married her and so was he consoled for his Mother , for when Rivka entered the Tent of Sarah , so did the same three miracles that happened for Sarah occur again , for Rivka was holy and to be the next Mother of our people . Avraham wasnt sure that Eliezer had been totally pure with Rivka on the way for Canaanites were known for immorality and so , HaShem rewarded Eliezer with entry into Gan Eiden alive when his time came , for Eliezer had remained totally modest and pure to Rivka and a very faithful servant of Avraham ..
We are then told that Avraham remarried a woman called Keturah , who the majority of our Sages tell us was Hagar with a changed name , for Keturah is like ' ketores ' - ' incense ' for her deeds were sweet smelling , beautiful and modest as incense , and also ' Keturah ' means ' Restrained ' for from the time she left Avraham , she never went near another man but remained restrained and so did Avraham have more children but Avraham gave all that he had to Yitzchak and Avraham sent these children away from Yitzchak , to the East .
Torah then tells us of Avraham's passing at the age of 175 . It was so Avraham would not see the blatancy of Eisav's idol worshiping ways , that Avraham passed away earlier .
The same format is metioned here for Avaham , where the years are split into three different formats of years , for the similar reasons that Sarah's years were split into periods , for Avraham lived every moment in holiness and Avraham was as Holy and sinless at 175 as he was at 100 , when he became the Father of Yitzchak . He was as holy then as he was sinless at 70 and he was as fresh and faithfully following of HaShem , at 70 , as Avraham was at five years , when he spoke to HaShem as a child , when Avraham had worked out and known at that tender age , that HaShem Is The One And Only G-D And Creator of Creation . Avraham was buried with Sarah in the Cave of Machpelah near Mamre in Chevron , the place where Adam and Chavah were resting . And so , could the first couple Adam ' and ' ' Ve ' Chava now truly be at rest . Both Yitzchak and Yishmael buried their Father and Yishmael gave honor to Yitzchak over himself .
In these later years , Yishmael respected Yitzchak's right from their Father and because of this , Yishmael too , had become repentant in his later years and repented of his sins and so is he credited and rewarded by also being mentioned at the end of the Parsha . But he was still not holy as was Sarah and Avraham , and so his years are not written in separate formats . His 12 children or princes are listed and so ends the Parsha . Yishmael died just before Eisav married Yishmael's firstborn son Nebaioth's sister , Mahalath . Here the Parsha ends .
The passing of one generation to come to the next , is not an end of that generation , but an advance for that generation that has passed , to go to the next level of climb to HaShem . As it mentions how Avraham " died at a good old age , mature and content , " it shows that Avraham had fulfilled his holy destiny in his life , making each moment of his life , a serving of HaShem , as did Sarah .
So should we too be the same , not living for ourselves , but only for HaShem . Our lives are not ours to waste , but we are to make every moment of it count and use every opportunity to rise spiritually to HaShem , keeping His Commandments and making this Olam Hazeh Present World a true preparation to work within it to enter Olam HaBah The World To Come At The End Of days , and so , truly " Live . ' Let us not waste a single moment of our lives with frivolity and physical desires and pursuits that have no value or future . Let us all focus on HaShem , every moment that He Gives us Life , and Work toward Him and truly Live Forever in His Loving Arms .
The very fact that such holy people that passed , are described as " Chayei " - " Life of " shows us how , even though they have passed , they are still with us , within every Jew , through the holy line from them , as they live within us , as long as we keep to the common thread that runs through every Jew , the common thread of Torah and Torah Mitzvos . Through Torah , we live and through Torah we live eternally , for it is Torah , that keeps our very selves connected to the Holiness Of HaShem , that runs within each and every Jew . To be an observant Jew , that strictly follows HaShem's Torah , is to truly link to Eternity , to link to HaShem and His Intended Direction for Creation . For all is one and we are all HaShem's Creation and The Living Torah Lives within us all , if we would only Grasp It and take hold of It , and be at one with Torah . For to be at one with Torah and our fellow Jew who follows HaShem's Words of Torah, is to bring Creation to Olam Habah , as one, and to Live Eternally in HaShem's Light and Love .
I wish HaShem With Forever Love , A Sweet and Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with Love , and to all of Creation , a Sweet and Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with Love .

Parashas Vayeira

Our Parsha this week is Parashas Vayeira , continuing with the life of Avraham , a true holy man of Chesed kindness . The Haftorah for this Portion is 2 Kings 4: 1 - 37 . The Haftorah deals with the prophet Elisha , also a man of kindness always ready to help others as a Prophet of HaShem , just like Avraham Avinu , known for his Chesed Kindness .
Our previous Parsha ended on the note of Circumcision and now , in this Parsha , Avraham is in his third day from the Circumcision , the most painful day afterwards and Avraham , known for his hospitality and kindness , is still sitting at the entrance of his tent of four poles , open on all sides waiting for visitors , to show them Chesed and Teach about HaShem .
Though Avraham is in immense pain , he finds it more painful , not to be able to welcome wayfarers and show Chesed , teaching of HaShem . On this particular day , HaShem , Knowing of Avraham's pain , specifically increased the heat that day , so as to help Avraham heal and also to keep wayfarers away from Avraham at that particular time , so that Avraham could be given an opportunity to rest and heal . But Avraham , as I mentioned felt more pain at not being able to show kindness to wayfarers , so HaShem Himself went to pay Avraham Bikkur Cholim , which means a visit to the sick and healing . HaShem , in His Action Taught us that it is a moral obligation to visit the ailing at their time of need .
HaShem Gave Avraham a deserved visit , for Avraham had done a holy and faithful thing , by fulfilling the Torah Obligation of Circumcision .
While HaShem Was conversing with Avraham , HaShem Sent three Malachim Angels to Avraham . At first , Avraham thought they were arab travellers ( known at the time to worship the desert sands ) and so ensured that they wash their feet , so as not to bring into Avraham's tent , any of the dust these people usually worship , for that would be Avodah Zorah Idol Worship . HaShem Felt so sorry for Avraham's distress at not being able to give wayfarers welcome , That HaShem Sent these Angels , each Angel , as usually is the way an Angel Works , was sent with a separate task . The Malach Michael Came to tell of the coming of Avraham and Sarah's son Yitzchak . The Malach Gavriel came to destroy Sodom , Amorah ( Gomorah ) Admah and Zeboiim and at that time Zoar ( which was subsequently saved so Lot and his daughters could run there ) . The Malach Rafael was there to bring healing to Avraham and help remove Lot and his two daughters from the midst of the coming destruction , thus saving Lot's life , an act of healing , thus healing was his mission .
At first Avraham , in Mamre , saw them standing over him , but then he runs to them . The reason for two different statements here , is that his Soul perceived who they were , but this hadn't reached his conscious knowing yet , so physically he ran to greet them .So his soul realized these were holy Angels , but this hadn't yet , to him , become a conscious knowing yet . Avraham hurried to prepare food , calling his wife to help prepare as well as his son Ishmael to prepare the calf . Avraham did not stop for a moment to rest ( even though he was in pain ) , continuing to serve his guests and wait standing on them till they were complete . Even though he said he would just fetch a morsel of bread , he gave them a large feast , providing for them royally . So do we get the concept from Avraham to promise little do a lot . We notice how Torah mentions how Avraham had to ' run ' to the cattle to prepare it . The reason the word ' run ' is used , is because when Avraham tried to get to the calf , it ran far from there into a cave and Avraham followed it . When he entered this cave , the Cave of Machpelah near Mam , Avraham noticed the smell of the Cave was as the smell of Gan Eiden . Avraham had run into the Cave that bordered Gan Eiden , where Adam Ve Chavah were buried . It was here , that Avraham made up his mind to purchase this holy cave for burial .
The Angel asked where Sarah is . And Avraham answered that she is in the Tent . In other words , she was a faithful wife , looking to the needs of her household , as was Avraham a faithful husband , looking also to the needs of the family , unlike so many men and women today who don't feel content with the Blessings of HaShem that HaShem Gave them children , and they would rather look outward to other things , and realize one day when it is too late , how much they missed with each moment of their precious children ( as Rabbi Bender puts it ) . When Sarah , who was listening heard she would have a son in the next year , she laughed , bringing up her age and that of her husband . The Angel , asked her and she denied laughing . When HaShem relayed the story of her laughing , HaShem Did Not Mention how she had mentioned Avraham's age , so as to keep Sholom Bayis , Family Peace between husband and wife . The Malach Michael's task of reporting the coming year's birth of Yitzchak , got up and left the other two Angels there , for Michael's task was complete . All this time , HaShem Had Stood Patiently To The Side , How Humble Is HaShem . When the two Malachim got up to go toward Sodom , HaShem Returned to Converse With Avraham . Avraham , being the hospitable man he was , escorted his guests part of the way .
The Angels hoped Avraham could stop the destruction and so they went toward their mission .
HaShem Told Avraham of how the outcry had come to Him .
This specific outcry , was from a young female P'lotis , Lot's daughter who was married to a prominent Sodomite , who had dared to give an elderly poor man in Sodom , alms ( something totally forbidden in Sodom ) . They had caught her , tortured her , and strung her up with no clothes , hanging her in the square , daubed with honey so that the bees would sting her to death . Her outcry reached HaShem . This young woman was one of Lot's four daughters , called Plottis . Sodom was a vile place . They had been given wealthy lands , filled with rich minerals and therefore did not take kindly to incomers . Laws like not helping the poor and the compulsory law that a visitor was to be robbed , was just a part of their evil ways .
Once , Avraham's beloved helper Eliezer had to go through Sodom on his way elsewhere . As soon as he entered the city , he was come upon by others , who tried to rob him and they assaulted him . The matter came to the Sodomite court , and the as usual corrupt Sodomite judges , judged the case that Eliezer must pay the man who hit him , for he was to pay for his blood being let . Eliezer , a very wise man , responded by hitting the judge . When the judge asked the meaning of this action , Eliezer responded , that if this is the Law in Sodom that a person victim who gets hit must pay the perpetrator , Eliezer told the Judge that now the judge can just pay the person who had hit Eliezer , to finalize the whole case . Sodom also had a way that a visitor was to be taken into an inn where they would be measured against a certain size bed . If they were too big for the bed , they were beaten and had their feet cut off and robbed . If they were too small , they were mercilessly robbed and thrown out of the city without even their clothes . Sodom was very sexually immoral , with no law on sexual perversions and immorality , which is totally against HaShem's Laws on this matter . A guest , was not allowed to partake in a gathering festive meal with other Sodomites . Eliezer had sat down to eat a meal and one by one the guests being too afraid to admit they had invited him , left one by one , leaving him at the table by himself . He enjoyed the food they had run away from at the table . Eliezer , after this visit never wanted to ever go back to this evil city again . So HaShem Discussed With Avraham , His Plan to destroy them .
Avraham started to plead for the lives of the people , having compassion on everyone , even though they were diametrically opposed to his moral and holy way of life .
He knew that his nephew Lot was there and he knew Lot had married a Sodomite woman called ( Iddit ) Eeris , Lot's second wife , for his first wife had passed away . Avraham also knew that Lot had four daughters and and two of them had married Sodomites and the other two were set for marriage and so , Avraham hoped that would at least make up the ten Righteous people that might save the cities . Avraham knew it needed a minimum of ten , for he reasoned that with the Mabul Flood , there was only Noach and his wife and their three sons and their wives , which made up only eight , which was obviously not enough to save the World , so Avraham hoped now that there were at least ten . Avraham hoped that there was at least ten in each city and so could save the five cities ( which were all on the same mountain area ) with a hope of finding 50 righteous . HaShem Descended on the City and sadly responded to Avraham that there are not . Avraham asked again , that maybe there are only nine in each city and that perhaps HaShem Could Make up that last number , thus hoping to save the five cities with 45 . HaShem Responded that there were not even 45 . Avraham pleaded again that what if there might at least be ten Righteous in only four of the cities , would HaShem Please not destroy for the 40 . HaShem Said He Would Not for the sake of the 40 , but there were not even 40 . Avraham hoped to at least save three of the cities , with ten in each , and HaShem Said He Would not destroy on account of the 30 . But not even 30 were found there . Avraham pleaded that if there were at least 20 , ten in two of the cities , that might at least save 2 of the cities . But HaShem Responded that there were not even 20 . Avraham tried again one last attempt , that at least could there be 10 , counting on his family Lot , but HaShem Now Informed him of the occurrences of Lot , that there were no longer even 10 and what they had done to Lot's daughter P'lotis , and Avraham saw he could not stop the destruction , for not even 10 righteous people could be found there and so , Avraham had to stop pleading .
The Angels Gavriel and Rafael arrived at Sodom in the evening and met Lot at the Gate of the City , who had become a Judge in Sodom ( this is why when they converged on his family's door , the towns people mentioned how he had become a Judge over them ) . Lot had taken on Avraham's good action of showing hospitality and invited the guests to his home . The Angels at first turned him down , so that Lot would have to urge them to come with him ,thus giving Lot the opportunity to earn some Kavod . When they quietly came to Lot's home and sat down for a meal , Lot's Wife Eeris , complained that they were not supposed to have guests as a law in Sodom and that she wanted no part of it .She insisted that the house be divided so that her half doesn't have to be a part of this action . She , being a Sodomite , walked out of the house and went around announcing to the neighbors that they had guests and would the neighbors lend them some salt for the meal . Her intention was to alert the neighbors . Once they were alerted , it wasn't long before the townspeople converged on Lot's door . Lot pleaded with them to not hurt his guests who had come under his roof and even sadly offered his own two daughters to the towns people as long as his guests remain safe . This offer brought about the action that ended up taking place between him and his two daughters . The townspeople refused and so the Angels struck the people with blindness , as a sign that they didn't respect HaShem and want to see only evil and thus don't deserve to see . The Angel tried to hurry Lot out so that the Cities could be destroyed , but Lot tarried all night , wanting not to leave his belongings , until the Angels had to take them by hand and left them outside the city . His sons in law did not want to leave and so only Lot and his wife Eeris and their two unmarried as yet daughters left Sodom . They were warned not to look back at the conflagration and HaShem's Shechinah , but Eeris , wanting to see , turned back , and was turned into a Pillar of Salt . This Pillar can still be seen today . Lot asked for Zoar to be saved so that they could at least run there . Their request was granted .
HaShem overturned the cities and the entire plain and caused Sulfur and Fire to rain down upon Sodom and Amorah Gomorrah from HaShem out of Heaven . Avraham noticed the heat and smoke that morning.
Lot and his two daughter hid in a cave and thinking that there was no man left to marry ,his daughters plied Lot with wine and conceived by their father , the first night the elder one , whose idea this was , and so , unabashed , called her son Moav , directly within the name hinting ' from the father , ' and so did this nation of Moav become corrupt and sexually immoral and the from the younger one the following night , came the nation of Ammom - ' son of my people ' not being blatant that it was from the father , and so , are us Jews not to provoke war with this nation .
Due to the fact that Avraham's nephew had fathered children through his daughters , Avraham , being a moral man , moved away , to distance himself morally from this action , that even in those days was not acceptable and thus settled in Gerar , where he and Abimelech had contact . Again , Sarah was not to mention her relationship with Avraham and she was taken by Abimelech . She told Abimelech who she was to Avraham and HaShem had stopped up all the openings of the people . HaShem told Abimelech in a dream to return Sarah to her husband . Avimelech had cast a negative thought on Avraham and Sarah's offspring that their son turn blind , and so , as one of the reasons , was Yitzchak turned blind in his old age .
When the year had passed , Yitzchak was born , looking as his Father looked , so to dispel any notions of the child not being Avraham's . Looking at the two of them , no one could doubt that Avraham and Yitzchak were Father and son as he grew up . At eight days , Yitzchak was circumcised . If we look at the name " Yitzchak , " it has a Yud with the vakue of 10 to show that Yitzchak would keep the Ten Commandments . It has a Tzaddik letter of the value 90 , for Sarah was 90 years old when she bore him . It has a Ches with the value of 8 , for Yitzchak was circumcised at 8 days old and it has a Kuf , with the value 100 , for Avraham was 100 when Yitzchak was born .
When the time came for Yitzchak to be weaned , a feast was held and Sarah was given by HaShem , the ability to nurse all the little children that had come with their mothers , with milk , showing and proving the Miracle of the birth of Yitzchak , By Hashem , at their elderly age . Our Rabbis say that many who were nursed by Sarah , ended up even in other later lives becoming Gairim Converts to Judaism . Also Og was there thinking that he could squash little Yitzchak between his fingers . Said HaShem , " Evil Og , the time will come when a descendant of this very Yitzchak , who will be Moshe Rabbeinu , will strike you Og down . "
Sarah noticed how Yishmael was shooting arrows at Yitzchak and how Yishmael had a yen for idols and so she told Avraham to chase him and his mother out . HaShem Corroborated Sarah's words and so , Avraham the next morning sent her and her son away , with one skin of water and bread , telling her that as long as their minds are not on idols , the water would replenish itself . She went off and strayed in Beer Sheva . When the skin of water was empty , she , Hagar ,cast the boy off at a distance beneath the tree and prayed to HaShem . HaShem Answered that he would become a large nation . The verse says , that HaShem heeded the cry of the youth in his ' present state . ' This has a meaning . The Angels questioned HaShem , why save a boy whose nation would become violent and HaShem Responded that , what he hasn't done yet should not be judged yet and that he should only be judged in his ' present state . ' HaShem Opened her eyes and she saw the well that was there all the time .
A disagreement took place between Avraham and Avimelech disputing the ownership of a well that was Avraham's . To prove it was Avraham's , Avraham took seven of his ewes and asked Avimelech to also take seven ewes to the well and see for whose ewes the water will rise . It rose for Avraham's ewes thus corroborating it was Avraham's well . Avraham gave these seven ewes to Avimelech as a testimony oath of remembrance that it was Avraham's well . Thus was the place called Be'er Sheva , the Well of the Seven or The Well of the Oath . Avraham and Avimelech made an agreement that they wouldn't go at each other for a certain number of generations and this was against HaShem's Desire . This agreement was still in existence when the Jews came out of Egypt in Moshe's time and this is why HaShem Had To Lead us away , for there were still children's children's relatives of Avimelech still living in Moshe's time and so does Torah say there , The Time is still close . "
It was because of this agreement that Avraham made with Avimelech , say our Sages , that caused the tenth and final test to come upon Avraham - The Akeidah . Also , Yitzchak and Yishmael once got into a discussion and Yitzchak assured Yishmael , that should he , Yitzchak ever be called upon to give his life for HaShem , he would do it wilingly . HaShem called Avaraham and as Avraham being always the obedient of HaShem , said " Hineini " - " Here I am , " ready as it were to do HaShem's Bidding . HaShem Told Avraham to take his son , " and Avraham responded " Which one for I have two . " HaShem Said " Your Only one , " and Avraham said " Which only one , for they are both the only one of their Mother . " HaShem Said , " Whom you love , " and Avraham responded , " I love them both , does a Father love one son above another . They are both very beloved to me . " And so HaShem Said , " Yitzchak , " and this is why in Torah , it is written as it is , for this was part of the conversation between HaShem and Avraham . HaShem Tells Avraham to go to the land of Moriah to bring his son Yitzchak up as an offering on one of the mountains HaShem Would Show him . We note here the Hebrew words again "Lech Lecha , " which always denotes a step toward higher holiness and Going . Thus for both Avraham and Yitzchak , this was a step up in the levels of Holiness . We dont always see in our own lives when things are hard that it is a step up for us for our benefit . HaShem Sees the whole picture . So obediently Avraham saddles his own donkey and took the two men Yishmael and Eliezer and Yitzchak his son and the wood , specifically worm free as Commanded for an altar offering and headed toward Moriah . The word Moriah refers to Myrrh , for which this area was famous for . The word Moriah also meant ' Teaching , ' for on this special place and Mountain , the very Mountain on which the Temples would be built and the very place of Adam's first Korban . During their travels Satan tried to stop them in various ways and even scare the boy but both were on their way to fulfill HaShem's Wish with holy resolve . When they arrived at the place of which HaShem Spoke , only Avraham and Yitzchak saw the Essence of the Shechinah , unlike Eliezer and Yishmael , so Avraham had them wait there with the chamor . How intersting that Avraham says in his soul subconsciously that " We will return to you , " for his soul knew what his body was at this moment not to realize that HaShem Would Not Go Through With It . Avraham built the altar and was ready to sacrifice his son , when an Angel appeared to halt Avraham . Avraham would not stop till HaShem Himself Stopped it and so Did HaShem Then Assure that there would be not more tests for Avraham . Avraham asked HaShem why He Had Asked Avraham to sacrifice his son and HaShem Showed him that HaShem Had Never Actually Used the word ' Sacrifice , ' But Had Said only to " Bring him up there as an offering , " for the sacrifice of the soul is the giving of all love and action of obedience to HaShem . HaShem Then Showed Avraham a ram caught in the thicket , organized at the beginning of Creation and so was it offered in place of his beloved son .
Yitzchak then went to study in the Yeshivah of Shem and Eiver and was at this time 37 years old . Avraham called the Name of the Place " HaShem Yireh , " for on this site , HaShem in the Future will be seen . May it come soon in our days . Avraham returned to Eliezer and Yishmael and they went to Be'er Sheva for Yishmael stayed there . Avraham was told that also in his family , Milcah had also born children to Nahor , a miraculous birth for they too were well on in years . So is the genealogy down to Rivka , daughter of Betuel here mentioned , for she would become the wife of Yitzchak . So ends the Parsha .
This Parsha is called " Vayeira , " - " Appeared , " for HaShem Appeared to these Holy people . What granted them such a Beautiful Gift to have HaShem Appear to them . The answer is in the word " Vayeira " itself , for within the word " Vayeira , " is the word " Yir'eh , " which means " Fear . " This refers to having a Fear of HaShem . We are to be as our ancestors who definitely feared HaShem . With Avraham , Everything That HaShem Would Ask Avraham , Avraham would do . Avraham had such an Awe and Fear with Love for HaShem , that Avraham would do whatever HaShem Asked , knowing full well that Avraham would listen , for Avraham knew that HaShem Created all things and thus , Avraham would obey without question . That is total Faith and Emunah . Avraham always did what HaShem Requested , for Avraham's fear of Awe of HaShem was without question . That is " Holy Fear . " Avraham knew without a doubt that HaShem Created Creation and so , Knows all and need not be questioned .If we could do the same and put our own wants aside and selflessly follow HaShem in Awe and Fear of Him , never doing what we are not to do , HaShem May Appear to us too . HaShem Desires our closeness and it is us who keeps Him Away from us , by our selfish ways . The World is not about us as the most important be all and end all of all . No . The World is about HaShem , for HaShem Creates Selflessly . We keep complaining how things are not as we want and blame HaShem for not coming down and talking to us personally . But if we had to ask ourselves honestly , ' Are any of us worthy to behold HaShem Appearing to us ? '. No we are not . So let us start making ourselves worthy , by Fearing HaShem to such an extent , that we won't even dare to go against HaShem and His Wishes . Our wishes are inconsequential . We are too small to even dare put our own wishes as the most important . Our wishes are temporary in the scheme of things . HaShem's Wishes are Eternal and Selfless , for our benefit .
The word " Vayeira , " has a Gematriah of 217 and 2+1+7 = 10 where 1+0 = 1 . So when did HaShem " Vayeira " - " Appear " to us Jews ? At the giving of the Ten Commandments ( thus the Gematriah of the word " Vayeira " coming to 10 ) . The keeping of the Ten Commandments and all of HaShem's Commandments , will bring out our Fear for HaShem's Awesomeness and so will that Fear of Awe in obedience to HaShem , bring about an Appearance by HaShem at the End Of Days . This " Vayeira , " - " Appearance , " will be of Great Light , where the word ' Ohr ' - ' Light ' Appears in the word " Vayeira . " This Light of HaShem Will Bring us all back to HaShem's Oneness , ( where 217=10 and 1+0 = 1 ) . Thus when HaShem Shows us His " Vayeira " - " Appearance , " His Appearance " Will Come With A Great Light , That Will Bring us back to HaShem's Oneness ( 1 ) . May we all strive to become what HaShem Wants us to become and May HaShem , " Vayeira " _ "Appear " to us , when we open up our heart and soul , in Total Obedience and Awe , to His Love .
I wish HaShem With Deepest Love , a Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all of Creation , a Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with love .

Parashas Lech Lecha

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Lech Lecha and is about our Fore-Father Avraham and the Haftorah for this Parsha is Yeshayahu Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16 , which also makes reference to Israel as Avraham's offspring , making it very clear to the World that only biological lines down from Avraham and proper Orthodox Torah Conversion is acceptable to be called Israel , HaShem's Servant .
Our Parsha as I mentioned is called Lech Lecha . This was one of Avraham's ten tests , that carry us through the generations , for all that Avraham went through , gives us Jews merit and Avraham's life and travels , show themselves to be a fore-runner of the history of Israel .
Avram was 75 and Sarai was 65 when HaShem Told them to Lech Lecha to go from their land and from their relatives and from Avram's Father's House to a land HaShem Would Show him . It would be there that HaShem Would Make Avram a great nation , Blessing Avram and Making his name great and he would be a blessing , where HaShem Would Bless those who bless him and Curse those that curse him , where all families on the face of the Earth would bless themselves by him .
So HaShem Tells Avram to " Lech Lecha , " to a place that HaShem Would show him , Avram being the holy man that he is , makes his final destination Canaan , traveling first southwards and spreading HaShem's Oneness .
Avram was 75 years old when he left Haran. And he took with him , his wife Sarai and Lot , her brother , Avram's nephew and all that he had and the souls he had , as it says" , " made " in Haran and they left to go toward Canaan . These souls that are referred to that he " made , " meant those people that he brought in belief , under the Oneness of HaShem .
HaShem Appeared To Avram And Told him that this Land would be given to away s offspring , the Jewish people . There being a famine in the land , again another test for Avram , Avram descended to Egypt . We note the word " descend , " which shows that an entry to egypt was a descent away from holiness . It was there , that Avram had tried to hide Sarai , where an agreement was made before that they would , in such a situation , make out that they are brother and sister , which was partly true for they were very closely related . Sarai was very beautiful and Avram knew that these egytians were very immoral and would take men's wives for their king , and knowing of Sarai's light colour , she would be found very appealing by the egyptians and so Avram tried to hide her in a carry box but the egyptians insisted on opening it and Sarai , was taken and held captive by Pharaoh and she was given a threat by force to marry him . Sarai then told Pharaoh who Avram was to her , but Pharaoh did not care . Sarai prayed to HaShem and HaShem Sent the Malach Gavriel to help her and Told her that as soon as she commands the Malach Angel , Gavriel would strike Pharaoh's household . A severe plague was set upon Egypt by HaShem , through the Malach Gavriel and Pharaoh had no choice but to let her go . This was a forerunner of our coming to Egypt in Yaakov's time and finally being freed fom bondage by HaShem Sending plagues against these egyptians . Pharaoh , before he let her go , gave her a region territory called Goshen Goshnah , the very same region that we Jews lived in at the time of Moshe Rabbeinu . Pharaoh also gave Sarai , his daughter Hagar as a maidservant . Avraham and Sarai and all they had , were escorted out of Egypt . Just as would happen in the time of Moshe .
During their sojourn in egypt , Lot , Avram's nephew saw the idol worship there and was again attracted to it . Lot's herdsmen argued with Avram's herdsmen , for Lot's herdsmen would not muzzle Lot's animals when in a stranger's fields , so they would thus eat of that which was not theirs . Avram's herdsmen argued with Lot's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen responded that seeing as Avram has no offspring , it must be Lot who will inherit from him , and seeing as the grazing is taking place in lands Promised By HaShem to Avram , they ( Lot's herdsmen ) must have a right to the land for grazing . Avram's herdsmen argued that the Land was not yet given to Avram in full possession , even though Avram had traversed the Land ( a form of taking possession in those days ) , and so , no one thus had a right yet to partake of it . Avram asked Lot to choose which way he would separate toward away from Avram , and Lot , noticing the idol worship and greener pasture toward Sodom , Lot chose to go toward that direction and Avram separated from him . It was only then , That HaShem Appeared again To Avram , For HaShem Prefers Not To Appear To a holy man , while in the presence of an unholy man with him .
Torah then tells of the war of the four Kings against five . Amraphel is Nimrod and it was in this battle against Avram , that Nimrod was killed . The four kings mentioned here have a deeper reference in our Jewish History for if we look at the areas these four kings came from , we note that their areas were actually later Babylon ( Amraphel king of Shinar ) , later Media Persia ( Arioch king of Ellasar ) , later Greece ( Chedorlaomer king of Elam ) and later Rome ( Tidal king of Goiim ) . All these four nations , later in history attacked Israel . These four made war on Sodom , Amorah Gomorrah , Admah , Zeboiim and Zoar , who were trying to rebel against the four king's control over them . Seeing as Lot was now staying in Sodom , he was taken captive . Amraphel Nimrod purposefully took Lot captive so that he could draw Avram into the battle so as to try smite him , but HaShem Protects His Beloved Nation and people . Torah tells us that a fugitive came and told Avram about his nephew being taken captive . At the time that this fugitive came , Avram was busy making Matzah Cakes , for Avram kept the Torah , even before it was given . Thus the time that Avram went to war to save his nephew , was actually Pesach night . Seeing as Avram was busy making Matzah Cakes ( where Cakes in Hebrew is Uga ( pronounced Ooga ) ) , and it was then that the fugitive came to warn Avram , the fugitive , who was the Giant , descended from the Nephilim , ended up being called Ug ( Oog ) or as some today call him Og , and so this is where the English word ' ogre ' comes from for a Giant . Og did not intend to help Lot or Avram , by warning Avram . Og hoped Avram would go into the battle and be killed , Chas Ve Shalom and then , Og thought he could take Sarai for himself . Avram immediately prepared his men from his household , 318 in all and fought the four kings at night . Eliezer , Avram's beloved servant also came to help . There is an opinioin that only Eliezer went to help Avram , and this opinion comes from the fact that the Gematriah of Eliezer's name comes to 318 . Avram and his men won the battle , but refused to take any of the spoils , referring to not wanting to take even a thread or shoe-strap , thus was Avraham acknowledging that it was only through HaShem that the battle was won and so , HaShem Did Reward Avraham for not taking a ' thread , ' for now , us Jews wear Tzitzis , to be close to and remember to keep HaShem's Commandments . This is just one reason we were Blessed to wear Tzitzis as Jews .
It is after this battle that MalchiTzeddek King of Salem ( Yerushalaim ) comes out to meet Avram and Bless him . MalchiTzeddek is none other than Noach's most holy son Shem . Avram being a Torah follower , gives him ( as / like a priest at the time ) the Tithe , a Tenth of everything .
HaShem Then Appears to Avram and Avram is Given the Vision and Covenant of the Parts . Avram is Taken " Outside , " in other words outside the physical of what would be in the stars for him and Avram is shown that the destiny of The Jewish people , is above the stars and that Avraham will have children with Sarah . HaShem Took Avram up from the Earth and Took Avram to a vantage point from outside the Galaxies of Stars and Showed him how we Jews are above the destiny of stars and that the stars are only physical bodies and that HaShem Controls the Workings of His Multi - Universes ( plural ) , for HaShem Knew Avram's love of Astronomy and Knew this would touch Avram very deeply . HaShem Showed how numerous the Stars actually are and when Avram was awed by the multitude of Stars and commented at the vastness of HaShem's Creation and at how numerous and beyond count the Stars are , Said and Answered HaShem , " So will your offspring from Sarah be . " When Avram showed a slight doubt of how he will know that he will have children , HaShem Took this as a lack of trust and so , was our exile in Egypt ordained . HaShem Assures Avram that his offspring through Sarai , will inherit Israel .
After ten years between Avram and Sarai and still at that moment no children , it was the way , for a husband then to take a second wife so as to beget children . Sarai gave her handmaid Hagar the egyptian , to her husband so that she might bare through her handmaid . When Hagar conceived , Sarai became lowered in Hagar's esteem , where Hagar would constantly make remarks to Sarai and others that were totally untrue , making out that Sarai can't be so holy if she can't conceive and first thing, Hagar straight away conceived . Hagar did not stop putting Sarai down .Sarai blamed Avram that he didn't intervene strongly enough and Sarai became more harsh with Hagar and cast a ' negative eye ' on the child and so Hagar lost her first child . This is why the Angel tells Hagar later , after she ran away from Sarai , that she will conceive , even though it had said previously that she had already conceived , for she had actually lost her first child . Hagar as I mentioned ran away from Sarai and a few Angels encountered her by the spring of water . It was here that it was prophesied what her child who would be named Ishmael and his offspring would bring , violence , being a "wild ass of a man , his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him . " Hagar returned to Sarai and Avram and conceived and bore a son called Ishmael , when Avram was 86 years old .
It is after this that HaShem Appears to Avram As El Shaddai , Telling Avram to walk before HaShem and be perfect . Perfect is in reference to Completeness and having done enough thus making a completion , and this Attribute of HaShem's Name El Shaddai refers to G-D Who Has Completed and Done Enough " or " Dai " means " Enough . " It is here that HaShem Adds to Avram's and Sarai's names , renaming them Avraham and Sarah , who now are , as the names Avraham and Sarah , destined to have their beloved child . It is here that HaShem Commands Avraham to Circumcise his household and then himself and enter into the Covenant with HaShem , to complete the human body as man was originally Created ( Adam ) in the Beginning . The Command to Circumcise was to be at eight days from birth . Also Ishmael too was circumcised and he would beget twelve princes . But HaShem's Covenant would be through Yitzchak , who Sarah would bear to Avraham . Avraham is Told of the birth of Yitzchak and how we will become a Holy Jewish Nation , through whom , HaShem Will Keep an Everlasting Covenant , through Avraham and Sarah's son Yitzchak .
So ends the Parsha .
We note that when HaShem Asks Avram to leave , HaShem Says " Lech Lecha " - " Go for you . " This is directly a Command From HaShem for Avraham's benefit , as the words directly say " Go for you . " But why would Avram leaving all that is familiar , including his family , and going to an unknown land , be for his benefit ? Our Rabbis use the analogy of Avram being like a fragrance that is kept closed in a bottle and only when opened and its aroma permitted to travel in the air , does it sweeten all those around it . For while it would still remain closed and sealed in the bottle , its potential remains closed and waiting to give off its goodness . The same is with Avram , where if he stays in the place he is , it is as if caging all the holiness he possesses in a single place and not letting his goodness and sharing of HaShem's Oneness spread to all the World around him . Avram Avraham was this kind of a Neshoma , with a task to share HaShem's Oneness and Truth to all . This he could only do , if he shared himself to all and so , become a Father of nations and so all families on Earth could thus bless themselves by him , for he spent his life sharing the Truth and Oneness of our One and Only Creator HaShem HaKadosh Baruch Hu .
Also , HaShem Commanded Avram Avraham to go for himself " Lech Lecha " - " Go for you , " for he too , as us all , needs to grow spiritually and not be stifled in a place not suitable for our own growth and so , Avram had to " Go for himself " so as to grow as well spiritually and become the holy man he was within . We see this in the words " Lech Lecha , " for these words can also be translated as ' Go to yourself , ' in other words , go to become the holy person you really are . This is so much the case with us all for we too all need to grow and work toward that holy part of us within us all that is the true us , that can climb spiritually to HaShem . In fact , we need to spend our time , ' Going toward ' our true selves and becoming who we are meant to be and aspiring to that holiness within us all that makes us who we really are . We all carry a Holy Spark Of HaShem and we need to work to earn this privelage , for we all , every day carry a Spark Of HaShem within our soul .
Another reason that Avram had to go " for himself " was that in the place he was , he was not ordained to have offspring and only when he would change his place , would he beget children . Our Rabbis talk ever so much about the idea of changing one's place and name that it does change our destiny and we can now see where it comes from , for Avram did change his place and as HaShem Said , that with his name change to Avraham and his wife's name from Sarai to Sarah , he and his wife Sarah bore Yitzchak .
So we see that even when HaShem Asks something of us , it is really for our benefit . Every Law , every Mitzvah we do , is to bring us higher and help us grow in holiness . Every Commandment we obey , is a Spark of Love from HaShem , to help us grow higher in Holiness .
And through Avraham's line , by HaShem's Will , those nations that bless Avraham and us , his offspring , will be blessed and the opposite will happen to those that do the opposite .
The words " Lech Lecha , " have within them two Hebrew Lameds and two Khafs , and if we take these letters and put them the opposite way , we get the words ' Kol Kol , ' as a repetition . The word ' Kol ' means ' All , ' and this shows us that , in going toward the true holy part of us within and going and doing HaShem's Mitzvos , it brings us ' All , ' in other words ' Completeness . ' It brings us to our destination within ourselves . Thus Holiness and Completeness , is brought about by leaving our own wishes and what is comfortable and what we want to do , and going in faith and trust toward HaShem .That is exactly what Avram did in obeying HaShem , for we note that HaShem Did Not Give him a destination point , but Just Told him to go " El Eretz Asher Ar'Echa , " - " To go to the Land that I ( HaShem Would Show you ( Avraham ) ) . " So this was quite a test for Avram Avraham who never knew , when he was told to pack up everything and go and leave all that was familiar , to which destination he was actually going . Avram followed HaShem purely on pure Faith and Emunah . This is the true Jew . This is who we are , and what we as a people are about . Just as we Jews accepted the Torah without asking what is in it , so are we the children of Avraham , who will follow HaShem into the Wilderness as we did in Moshe's time , and we know with love and faith , that HaShem Will Provide For us always . That is the True Jew and that is the True Jewish heart .
HaShem Also Wanted Avram Avraham to leave and be who Avraham is , the one who teaches the World about HaShem and His Oneness , so that all may come to HaShem and follow His Way and Path to Holiness . Thus did Avram Avraham have to " Lech Lecha , " to bring the World back to HaShem in belief .
We note that the Gematriah of the words " Lech Lecha , " are 30 + 20 + 30 + 20 = 100 - the number of completion , just like the letters spell ' Kol , ' that I explained above , where ' Kol ' is ' Completion . ' So Avram was there also to bring the World back to HaShem , after it had gone astray , and so put it on the road to Completion .
And what is at the Heart of everything and completion in Creation ? HaShem Who Is One . This is hidden within the words " Lech Lecha , " which has a Gematriah of 100 as I showed , and if you take this number 100 and bring it to it's deepest single value , we get 1+0+0 = 1 , The Oneness of HaShem and so the Completeness of Creation , is to return to The Oneness Of HaShem .
I wish HaShem With Love , A Very Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh With Love and to all my fellow Jews and all of Creation , a very Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with love .