1. In the end of Noach, 11:31, we find that Terach took Avram, Sarai, and Lot on a planned journey to Eretz Yisrael, but ended up staying in Charan.
וַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן הָרָן֙ בֶּן בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם
In Lech Lecha, 12:5, the Torah repeats those words to contrast that trip with Avram and Lot and Sarai’s trip to Knaan, which they actually finished.
וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו וְאֶת כָּל רְכוּשָׁם אֲשֶׁר רָכָשׁוּ וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן וַיֵּצְאוּ לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ אַרְצָה כְּנָעַן.
What is the point of the contrast?
2. Where do you see that you can call a brother in law your brother, and why is that answer incorrect.
3. Chazal interpret the names of the kings as descriptions of how wicked they were. How do we know that were adjectives, and not just the names they got at the bris?
4. A territory named for someone who was not born yet.
5. Assuming that if you find a valuable item you have to give Maaser, what if you find a lost object that you are allowed to keep. Example: Loose cash in a public marketplace. But you investigate and find out who lost it, and lifnim mishuras hadin you decide to return it. Do you have to give maaser?
6. In 49:22, in Birkas Yaakov it says
בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר.
Find a remez in our parsha that Yosef will have power over Yishmael.
7. Was the ברית בין הבתרים in the daytime or at night?
8. What name for Hashem is used only five times in Tanach; four in this parsha, and once in Tehillim.
9. Which birds are mentioned in this parsha?
11. Proof that Terach ultimately did Teshuva.
12. Four people in the Parsha who were given names min hashamayim.
13. The Ramban says that two things Avraham and Sarah did were wrong, and he calls them sins.
14. Many poskim hold that a goy can not be a mohel because the Torah says המול ימול, only a mahul, a ben bris, can do the bris.
Gemara in AZ 27a
עכו"ם פסול למול דכתיב המול ימול
רש"י המול ימול - קרי ביה המל ימול מי שהוא מהול ימול אחרים
So who did the bris for Avraham and his household?
1. In the end of Noach, 11:31, we find that Terach took Avram, Sarai, and Lot on a planned journey to Eretz Yisrael, but ended up staying in Charan.
וַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן הָרָן֙ בֶּן בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם
In Lech Lecha, 12:5, the Torah repeats those words to contrast that trip with Avram and Lot and Sarai’s trip to Knaan, which they actually finished.
וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו וְאֶת כָּל רְכוּשָׁם אֲשֶׁר רָכָשׁוּ וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן וַיֵּצְאוּ לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ אַרְצָה כְּנָעַן.
What is the point of the contrast?
I think that Hashem wanted Avram to come to Knaan because of a mitzvah, for no personal reason. Also, the trip to Knaan is one of the ten great nisyonos. Obviously, there was something more than a threat to parnassah that faced them. Whatever it was, Terach gave in, and Avraham did not.
2. Where do you see that you can call a brother in law your brother, and why is that answer incorrect.
13:8
וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל לוֹט אַל נָא תְהִי מְרִיבָה בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶיךָ וּבֵין רֹעַי וּבֵין רֹעֶיךָ כִּי אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים אֲנָחְנוּ.
Why is this answer really not correct?
Because Avraham says to Pharaoh that Sara was indeed his sister because she was his niece. You see that in the language of the time, the term brother or sister could be used for a nephew or a niece. So you have no proof it can be used for a brother in law.
3. Chazal interpret the names of the kings as descriptions of how wicked they were. How do we know that were adjectives, and not just the names they got at the bris?
Because one of them is not named- the king of Tzoar. It must be that he wasn’t a rasha like the rest of them, and so nobody cares what his name was.
14:2
עָשׂוּ מִלְחָמָה אֶת בֶּרַע מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם וְאֶת בִּרְשַׁע מֶלֶךְ עֲמֹרָה שִׁנְאָב מֶלֶךְ אַדְמָה וְשֶׁמְאֵבֶר מֶלֶךְ צביים [צְבוֹיִים] וּמֶלֶךְ בֶּלַע הִיא צֹעַר.
4. A territory named for someone who was not born yet.
14:7 (Rashi.)
וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל עֵין מִשְׁפָּט הִוא קָדֵשׁ וַיַּכּוּ אֶת כָּל שְׂדֵה הָעֲמָלֵקִי וְגַם אֶת הָאֱמֹרִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בְּחַצְצֹן תָּמָר.
5. Assuming that if you find a valuable item you have to give Maaser, what if you find a lost object that you are allowed to keep. Example: Loose cash in a public marketplace. But you investigate and find out who lost it, and lifnim mishuras hadin you decide to return it. Do you have to give maaser?
Apparently, yes. Avram chose to give the spoils of war back to the king of Sedom, but he gave maaser from everything to Malkitzedek. (See Taama d'Kra.)
6. In 49:22, in Birkas Yaakov it says
בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר.
Find a remez in our parsha that Yosef will have power over Yishmael.
Because in 16:7, the Malach describes Hagar as being at the Ayin on the way to Shur.
וַיִּמְצָאָהּ מַלְאַךְ ה’ עַל עֵין הַמַּיִם בַּמִּדְבָּר עַל הָעַיִן בְּדֶרֶךְ שׁוּר.
7. Was the ברית בין הבתרים in the daytime or at night?
It seems to begin at night with Hashem telling Avrohom to try to count the stars which were out (15:5) only to later mention that the sun began to set and it became dark (15:17).
Tosfos in Brachos says the parsha called “bris bein habesarim” covers several events that took place at different times.
ומזה מיישב רשב"ם דבמקום אחד משמע שהיה לילה דכתיב וספור הככבי' (בראשי' טו) ובתר הכי כתי' ויהי השמש לבוא משמע שהוא יום. אלא ודאי ש"מ דשני פרשיות הם ולאו בבת אחת נאמרו ואין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה:
בכור שור says he saw the stars during the day.
ויוצא אותו החוצה. והראה לו הככבים ביום:
8. What name for Hashem is used only five times in Tanach; four in this parsha, and once in Tehillim.
14:18-22 אל עליון. The first three it was used by or regarding Malki Tzedek, and the fourth time, by Avram.
וּמַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן׃ וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ׃ וּבָרוּךְ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר־מִגֵּן צָרֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל׃ וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ־סְדֹם אֶל־אַבְרָם תֶּן־לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָרְכֻשׁ קַח־לָךְ׃ וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל־מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם הֲרִמֹתִי יָדִי אֶל־יְהֹוָה אֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ׃ אִם־מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ־נַעַל וְאִם־אֶקַּח מִכׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָךְ וְלֹא תֹאמַר אֲנִי הֶעֱשַׁרְתִּי אֶת־אַבְרָם׃
Three birds appear in the parsha: תור גוזל ועיט (15:9, 11). The first two were used as part of the Bris Bein HaBetarim, and the last one came to eat the carcasses of the dead animals and birds.
10. The word fish in English can be singular or plural. What about the word Tzipor in Hebrew?
See 15:9-10
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו קְחָה לִי עֶגְלָה מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת וְעֵז מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת וְאַיִל מְשֻׁלָּשׁ וְתֹר וְגוֹזָל.
וַיִּקַּח לוֹ אֶת כָּל אֵלֶּה וַיְבַתֵּר אֹתָם בַּתָּוֶךְ וַיִּתֵּן אִישׁ בִּתְרוֹ לִקְרַאת רֵעֵהוּ וְאֶת הַצִפֹּר לֹא בָתָר.
Which tzipor? Apparently, tzipor can be plural. (ibn Ezra. But PdRE 28 says tzipor here refers to the ben yonah.)
11. Proof that Terach ultimately did Teshuva.
15:5, Hashem said to Avraham
וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם תִּקָּבֵר בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה.
אל אבותיך. אָבִיו עוֹבֵד עֲ"זָ וְהוּא מְבַשְּׂרוֹ שֶׁיָּבֹא אֵלָיו? לִמֶּדְךָ שֶׁעָשָׂה תֶּרַח תְּשׁוּבָה:
12. Four people in the Parsha who were given names min hashamayim.
Avraham and Sarah, and
16:11
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ ה’ הִנָּךְ הָרָה וְיֹלַדְתְּ בֵּן וְקָרָאת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׁמָעֵאל כִּי שָׁמַע ה’ אֶל עָנְיֵךְ.
7:19
ויאמר אלהים אבל שרה אשתך ילדת לך בן וקראת את שמו יצחק
13. The Ramban says that two things Avraham and Sarah did were wrong, and he calls them sins.
Ramban:
"ודע כי אברהם אבינו חטא חטא גדול בשגגה שהביא אשתו הצדקת במכשול עון מפני פחדו פן יהרגוהו, והיה לו לבטוח בשם שיציל אותו ואת אשתו ואת כל אשר לו, כי יש באלוקים כח לעזור ולהציל. גם יציאתו מן הארץ, שנצטוה עליה בתחילה, עון אשר חטא, כי האלוקים ברעב יפדנו ממות. ועל המעשה הזה נגזר על זרעו הגלות בארץ מצרים ביד פרעה. במקום המשפט שמה הרשע והחטא".
"חטאה אמנו בעינוי הזה, וגם אברהם בהניחו לעשות כן, ושמע ה' אל עניה ונתן לה בן שיהא פרא אדם לענות זרע אברהם ושרה בכל מיני העינוי".
Many many achronim, including the Maharal and people of our generation say that either the Ramban is wrong or that this was not written by the Ramban or that the Ramban found some Medrash that we do not have that says this, because without clear proof, you don't say that the actions of the Avos were sinful.
14. Many poskim hold that a goy can not be a mohel because the Torah says המול ימול, only a mahul, a ben bris, can do the bris.
Gemara in AZ 27a
עכו"ם פסול למול דכתיב המול ימול
רש"י המול ימול - קרי ביה המל ימול מי שהוא מהול ימול אחרים
So who did the bris for Avraham and his household?
The halacha that המול ימול only means that to do the bris, you have to be chayav. But here, Hashem told Avraham to be mal, and he intended to do the mitzva as soon as he could, so he was no different than a regular Jew who could not be mal himself, like a hemophiliac. (Tshuvos Chasam Sofer YD 300-
ובחי' תורה אמרתי סוף פ' לך לך מסיים וכל בן נכר נמולו אתו וצ"ע הא כבר כ' למעלה שהקדים מילת ילידי ביתו למילת עצמו וכ"כ רמב"ן א"כ מאי האי דחזר וכ' נמולו אתו אבל למ"ד המל ימול יקשה איך מל אאע"ה ילידי ביתו טרם מילת עצמו וצ"ל כיון דקיי"ל ישראל בעל ברית אפילו הוא ערל מיקרי מל ואברהם מכיון שקיבל על עצמו למול ונכנס לברית הו"ל כמל ויכול למול כולם אך כל זה אם סופו למול עצמו אבל אם ח"ו ינזור אחור ולא ימול עצמו ויבטל קבלת בריתו למפרע הרי גם כל הנימולים ע"י ערלים נמצא אעפ"י שהם נימולים קודם לו מ"מ היה מילתם תלוי עד שימול הוא עצמו ואז כל בני נכר נמולו אתו ע"י מילת עצמו נעשו הם נימולים וק"ל. )
But Pirkei dRebbi Eliezer says that Avraham called Sheim to do the bris- apparently, says Reb Chaim Kanievsky, because he was among those who were born mahul.
This is off topic but why do the Ultra Orthodox in Israel not want to help fight Hamas and other Musl. terrorists. Israel needs all the help it can get. They shouldn't expect others to do that for them.
ReplyDeleteBecause the army has, from the beginning, been used to encourage ultra orthodox soldiers to leave their faith. They have promised Hareidi leaders that they would not have mixed gender platoons or female instructors and they have broken their promise every time. You have to realize that for a young man raised in a strictly gender separate environment, the smell and touch of an attractive young woman is extremely sexually stimulating and almost impossible to resist. I am in my mid seventies, but I haven't forgotten that.
DeleteWell there is something called self control.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to converse with someone whose fundamental assumptions are so very different. But you should know that for the Orthodox, simply desiring a specific woman outside of marriage is very problematic, because it leads to nocturnal seminal emissions. That, of course, would be a silly concern to someone who is not Orthodox. Even the Muslims don't consider masturbation to be sinful. But for us, it is an extremely serious problem. That's why we have gender separation. Second, when the girl is willing, and the boy is mesmerized, self control is a delusion.
DeleteIt sounds a bit misogynist to say a female can't be an instructor to males. Thank goodness for the Reformed version but I appreciate the reply, Rebbe.
ReplyDeleteYes, thank goodness for the Reform version, the two-generation waystation before intermarriage and total abandonment of Judaism and total assimilation.
DeleteOr perhaps the conservatives aren't as strict either.
ReplyDeleteThe conservative are exactly as strict as they can be without losing their entire congregation. That is why they have begun allowing officiating at mixed marriages.
Deletethank you
ReplyDeleteRebbe, I've heard of Reconstructionist Judaism? What is that about? Appreciate your time and teachings, even if I don't always agree.
ReplyDeleteBut certainly one could be near an unrelated very old woman. That wouldn't be exciting. Masturb. isn't right, I agree but it could happen even if someone saw another across the street. And I suppose it's the Chabad sp? or Lubbovitch movement in Brooklyn that uses the curls by the ears for the men? Not sure what that means. Some of them are not to nice to others walking down the street. Seems to be that women aren't respected as much or thought not to be as smart as ladies. The Musl. don't think that a man or woman should touch, even to shake hands as strangers. Be better than them. Ridic. how some silly young ones worry about Palestine and Hamas and don't understand how Israel is threatened. And why is a mitvah bath needed for ladies? Isn't the tub at home enough? Menstruation isn't something dirty, it's scientific and biological. Don't understand how if a lady falls down, the husband can't even pick her up if she's having a period. Or why on Sabbath even a stove button can't be pushed.
ReplyDeleteWhat keeps you an Orthodox then and not a conservative? Isn't Modern Orthodox similar to conserv?
ReplyDeleteWhy do some Hasidic Jews in NY city, not want women bus drivers for the school kids?
ReplyDeleteDo Hasidic Jewish in general drive?
ReplyDeleteI wish you well. This is not the way to learn about Orthodox Judaism. If you are interested in actually learning the answers to your questions, you will need to contact an organization that specializes in teaching Jews who never received an education and who grew up in non-observant households. Every city with a sizeable Jewish population has one. Find it and buckle down.
ReplyDeletefair enough
ReplyDeleteBut I thought if you knock one's door they don't accept you right away for conversion?
ReplyDeleteI did not realize you are a gentile. That is a field I am not familiar with. I will look into it.
DeleteI have a close friend who is Reformed Jewish.
DeleteDo the accept the Reformed Jews more readily?
DeleteI'm in the Chicago suburbs.
ReplyDelete