THERE IS A GEMORAH IN YEVOMOS THAT STATES THAT WHEN MOSHIACH WILL COME
THAT G-D WILL ASK AVROHOM AND YAKOV WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE SINNERS AMONGST THEIR CHILDREN. THEY WILL BOTH RESPOND THAT LAT THEM BE ERASED FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR HOLY NAME!
TO WHICH G-D WILL RESPOND THAT NEITHER THE SAGE OR THE YOUTH COMPREHEND THE ISSUE. YITZCHOK WILL THEN COME ALONG AND TAKE AN ACCOUNTING OF ALL OF THE YEARS OF MEN. HE WILL DETERMINE THAT THE SUM TOTAL OF A SINNER'S ENTIRE LIFE TO BE INSIGNIFICANT WITH THE NUMBER OF YEARS THAT A PERSON LIVES.
IN THAT CASE SAYS YITZCHOK TO G-D , LET US BOTH HANDLE THE SINNING DAYS OF THESE UNFORTUNATES SO THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE THE WORLD TO COME.
NOW THIS IS STRANGE FOR WASN'T IT AVROHOM WHO PRAYED ON BEHALF OF THE SODOMITES? FURTHERMORE , WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE HOW MUCH TIME A PERSON SINS, WHAT COUNTS ARE THE QUALITIES OF THOSE SINS AT THE RAMBAM WRITES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LAWS OF TESHUVAH-IT'S NOT THE QUANTITY BUT THE VALUE OF EACH MITZVAH AND SIN?
SO , IF THAT IS THE CASE WHAT DIFFERENCE IS IT HOW LONG A PERSON COULD POSSIBLY SIN IN HIS /HER LIFETIME?THE ANSWER LIES IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF YITZCHOK. FROM HIS VANTAGE POINT SIN AND MERIT HAVE NO EFFECT UPON G-D.
THE ONLY THING IS THAT FOR MAN TO BE DESERVING OF G-D'S BLESSINGS , HE HAD TO EARN HIS REWARDS. IN THAT CASE A HUMAN BEING IS JUDGED WORTHY OR UNWORTHY BECAUSE HE MUST EARN THE WORLD TO COME. YITZCHOK'S INTERVENTION IS THAT EVERY ONE OF HIS CHILDREN HAS "EARNED" HIS PARADISE THROUGH THE SELF-SCRIFICE OF YITZCHOK . IN OTHER WORDS, YITZCHOK IS SAYING THAT ALL HIS CHILDREN ARE ONLY AN EXTENSION OF HIMSELF.
THE QUESTION IS , WHY IS IT ONLY YITZCHOK THAT CAN SAY THIS ? WHY NOT AVROHOM
OR YAKOV?
THE ANSWER LIES IN THE FACT THAT UNLIKE AVROHOM, YITZCHOK TRIED TO BLESS HIS WICKED SON! WHY DOES YITZCHOK WISH TO BLESS ESAU?THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE YITZCHOK WAS A VISIONARY WHO SAW THE POTENTIAL OF EVERYTHING AND OF EVERYONE.HE SAW ESAU'S AWESOME POTENTIAL. THAT IS WHY HE TYRIED TO BLESS ESAU.SINCE HIS BLESSING WOULD CREATE GREATER SPIRITUAL AWARENESS WITHIN ESAU . THIS HE RECKONED WOULD TRIGGER A CHANGE OF HEARTY WITHIN ESAU.
YAKOV , HOWEVER , WAS THE REALIST. HE SAW THE POTENTIAL AS WELL AS WHAT COULD BE REASONABLY EXPECTED FROM ESAU.
IN OTHER WORDS, YITZCHOK IS THE VISIONARY, THE IDEALIST. YAKOV IS THE PRAGMATIC REALIST.
FOR THIS REASON YITZCHOK COULD SEE THE GOOD EVEN WITHIN THE SINNERS. WHEREAS , YAKOV SAW WHAT COULD BE EXPECTED. FROM ESAU= VERY LITTLE!
THAT IS WHY YAKOV HAD NO COMPUNCTION ABOUT TAKING THE BLESSINGS FROM ESAU. FOR ESAU WOULD CARE LITTLE ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS. ALL HE WANTED WAS TO BE MATERIALLY SUCCESSFUL. IF THE BLESSINGS COULD WORK
AND CHANGE ESAU, YAKOV WAS ALL FOR THAT. HOWEVER, THE REALITY WASN'T THAT.
IN THE SAME VEIN YITZCHOK SEES THE POTENTIAL OF EVERYONE OF ISRAEL TO HAVE SELF-SACRIFICE FOR THE SAKE OF G-D. THAT IS WHY HE STANDS UP FOR ALL OF US. YAKOV ON THE OTHER HAND CANNOT SEE HOW A LONG-TIME SINNER WOULD HAVE ANY SELF-SACRIFICE.
IN THIS YAKOV SHORTCHANGED HIS CHILDREN. YES, WE HAVE SINNED.
HOWEVER, AT ANY MOMENT EVERYONE OF US IS READY TO SACRIFICE ONESELF FOR THE GOOD OF G-D, ISRAEL AND THE TORAH!
WHY CAN YITZCHOK SEE FARTHER THAN YAKOV? STAY TUNED!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Friday, November 2, 2007
Abraham the father of the east
Our father Avraham had 7 (or8) other children outside of Yitzchak .In fact the Torah says that Avraham got married once again and fathered another 6 sons. Each of the sons started another
nation. The question is Avrohom was 137 years old then ,what was the purpose of getting married again.
At that age Yitzchak doesn't remarry. Neither does Yakov. Why Avrohom?
Avrohom by nature was different from his offspring. Avrohom felt that he could and therefore should endeavor to influence the world. He saw however, that men like E-liezer, as well meaning as they might be lacked the courage and conviction to influence others.
Therefore the motive for Avrohom's remarriage wasn't to be taken care of. For that he trusted that Yitchak or even Yishmoel would respect their father.It was in order to change the idolatrous practices of the peoples of the near east that Avrohom was worried about.
This seems to also be the secret as to why Avrohom sent his sons away to the East . He gave them gifts. What kind of gifts did he give them? Rashi says a Shem Tumah!?
Now if this means that he gave them the power of impurity,how could a man that had battled impurity all of his life give them this impure power to use and succeed with?
The answer is simple ;He gave them the power to overcome the evil ways of the peoples of the east. In this way Avrohom made the world a better place, one that in the future would embrace the true unity of G-D!
nation. The question is Avrohom was 137 years old then ,what was the purpose of getting married again.
At that age Yitzchak doesn't remarry. Neither does Yakov. Why Avrohom?
Avrohom by nature was different from his offspring. Avrohom felt that he could and therefore should endeavor to influence the world. He saw however, that men like E-liezer, as well meaning as they might be lacked the courage and conviction to influence others.
Therefore the motive for Avrohom's remarriage wasn't to be taken care of. For that he trusted that Yitchak or even Yishmoel would respect their father.It was in order to change the idolatrous practices of the peoples of the near east that Avrohom was worried about.
This seems to also be the secret as to why Avrohom sent his sons away to the East . He gave them gifts. What kind of gifts did he give them? Rashi says a Shem Tumah!?
Now if this means that he gave them the power of impurity,how could a man that had battled impurity all of his life give them this impure power to use and succeed with?
The answer is simple ;He gave them the power to overcome the evil ways of the peoples of the east. In this way Avrohom made the world a better place, one that in the future would embrace the true unity of G-D!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Camels anyone?
Oftentimes a Rabbi is asked a question that the disputant knows is outside the Rabbi's expertise. I had a friend who liked testing my faith, so on occasions he would mail me anti-Torah articles ,especially from the Biblical Archeology Review.
In one particular issue the writer stated emphatically that the story of Rebbecca at the well had
been authored by someone recalling the story at a later time. this is called an anachronism.
The reason is that according to Biblical Archaeology there had been no records of transaction of camels at the time of Abraham. Hence the Biblical writer imputed the details based upon his imagination.
Of course , for a believing Jew this approach of an anonymous author is not acceptable. However, what could a Rabbi unversed in archaeology say? I don't know, perhaps later there will be other discoveries!
Amongst my favorite writers is Philip Biberfeld , author of the series, Universal Jewish History.
In his writings about the ancient world , almost as an aside he tells us that in the excavations of the ancient city called Ugarit, they discovered tablets recording sales of various items including camels!This city was contemporaneous with Abraham.
The fact that only one of the great cities of that period had camels to sell actually teach us a marvelous insight into the story.
Up until this question the whole issue of having to send 10 camels to bring back the bride seems unnecessary.After all Abraham himself used a donkey.
However, when the Torah tells us that Abraham sent Eliezer with all the good of his master with him,it means that Abraham had given a deed of all of his possessions to Yitzchak on the condition that he marry the girl that Abraham wanted. This was given in order to show the prospective parents that Yitzchak would be exceptionally wealthy and the girl well cared for.
Now,even if he sent such a deed how would the family truly believe that this was a glick match-made in heaven? After all Abraham lived many miles away and no one in Haran had seen him for years. How would they know that Abraham was telling the truth about his wealth?
Camels-they were exceedingly rare ,remember? Only the real wealthy could afford one camel.
In that case, appearing at the well with 10 camels would have made the same splash as appearing with 10 stretch limos!
No wonder Lavan,Rebbecca"s brother, came running to see the man!Understood now, is the agreement to immediately send Rebbecca to a strange land after a brief meeting with Abraham's chief of staff.
It was the camels who sealed the deal!The question opens up a new dimension of insight!
In one particular issue the writer stated emphatically that the story of Rebbecca at the well had
been authored by someone recalling the story at a later time. this is called an anachronism.
The reason is that according to Biblical Archaeology there had been no records of transaction of camels at the time of Abraham. Hence the Biblical writer imputed the details based upon his imagination.
Of course , for a believing Jew this approach of an anonymous author is not acceptable. However, what could a Rabbi unversed in archaeology say? I don't know, perhaps later there will be other discoveries!
Amongst my favorite writers is Philip Biberfeld , author of the series, Universal Jewish History.
In his writings about the ancient world , almost as an aside he tells us that in the excavations of the ancient city called Ugarit, they discovered tablets recording sales of various items including camels!This city was contemporaneous with Abraham.
The fact that only one of the great cities of that period had camels to sell actually teach us a marvelous insight into the story.
Up until this question the whole issue of having to send 10 camels to bring back the bride seems unnecessary.After all Abraham himself used a donkey.
However, when the Torah tells us that Abraham sent Eliezer with all the good of his master with him,it means that Abraham had given a deed of all of his possessions to Yitzchak on the condition that he marry the girl that Abraham wanted. This was given in order to show the prospective parents that Yitzchak would be exceptionally wealthy and the girl well cared for.
Now,even if he sent such a deed how would the family truly believe that this was a glick match-made in heaven? After all Abraham lived many miles away and no one in Haran had seen him for years. How would they know that Abraham was telling the truth about his wealth?
Camels-they were exceedingly rare ,remember? Only the real wealthy could afford one camel.
In that case, appearing at the well with 10 camels would have made the same splash as appearing with 10 stretch limos!
No wonder Lavan,Rebbecca"s brother, came running to see the man!Understood now, is the agreement to immediately send Rebbecca to a strange land after a brief meeting with Abraham's chief of staff.
It was the camels who sealed the deal!The question opens up a new dimension of insight!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)