Parashat Vayera: How Does the First Peace Treaty Teach Us Rectified Relations between Israel and the Nations?

 

Parashat Vayera

How Does the First Peace Treaty Teach Us Rectified Relations  between Israel and the Nations?

Looking for the Little Light of Hashem’s Supervision Behind the Scenes
I am no political mavin; I don’t have the time or patience to read or listen to the news. However, I do believe in the importance of contemplating the historical events of our time to discover Hashem’s miraculous supervision behind the scenes. It is a known fact that things often have to get worse in order to get better. I have recently experienced in my own family life how an emergency conflict is now laying the foundation for a new and better restart. Whereas we all mourn our fallen soldiers and keep praying for the plight of hostages, we do see the light at the end of the tunnel. The last part of the lyrics of Hurricane (the only Hebrew part) song by Eden Golan expresses well the sentiment here in Israel across the spectrum of our people:

לֹא צָרִיךְ מִלִּים גְּדוֹלוֹת רַק תְּפִלּוֹת אֲפִלּוּ אִם קָשֶׁה לִרְאוֹת תָּמִיד אַתָּה מַשְׁאִיר לִי אוֹר אֶחָד קָטָן.

“We don’t need big words, only prayers, even if it is hard to see, You always leave us a little light.”

I’m a light seeker who tries to live according to the principle of unless proven otherwise, choose to see the light, and believe in the good outcome! Through the thick and thin of our rollercoaster of life, my husband and I bless each other every night before going to sleep with, “There is still hope!” Believing that G-d is in charge of everything that happens personally and globally and believing that G-d is the ultimate good, I choose to look for underlying glimmers of light in everything happening in the world, including the effects of October 7^th. Interestingly, Israel ranked in the top 5, in the 2024 World Happiness Report, despite, political turmoil, and the October 7 attack occurring during the observed period. Following the ‘October 7 crisis,’ many anticipated a significant mental health downturn in Israel. Contrary to these predictions, the Health Ministry reported a decrease in suicides from October to December compared to the previous years. The traumatic event spurred an unprecedented wave of solidarity and mutual support. The sense of ‘togetherness’ and shared destiny became palpable. The strong sense of belonging and community in Israel plays a pivotal role in its high happiness ranking. How can we continue to discover the light behind the political scene of the world, and how does it tie in with the First Peace Treaty in the world depicted in Parashat Vayera?

How Did October 7^th Affect the Israeli Outlook on a Two-state Solution?

Parashat Vayera teaches us the foundations of understanding who the land of Israel belongs to, as well as the Torah’s conditions for Israel entering a peace treaty with other nations. Sarah, prophetically inspired, demands that Avraham expel his biological son, Yishmael because he has become a threat to Yitzchak’s life:

ספר בראשית פרק כא פסוק י וַתֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָהָם גָּרֵשׁ הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת וְאֶת בְּנָהּ כִּי לֹא יִירַשׁ בֶּן הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת עִם בְּנִי עִם יִצְחָק:

“Then Sarah said to Avraham, ‘Drive out this handmaid and her son, for the son of this handmaid shall not inherit with my son, with Yitzchak’” (Bereishit 21:9).

Rashi explains that Yishmael would quarrel with Yitzchak about the inheritance, saying, “I am the firstborn and will, therefore, take a double portion.” They would go out to the field, and he would take his bow and shoot arrows at him, as it states, “Like a madman who casts firebrand” (Mishlei 26:18). He would then say: “I am just playing” (Rashi, Bereishit 21:10). Maharal explains that the reason Sarah stressed “he won’t inherit” [the right to the Land of Israel] as the main reason why Yishmael must be expelled, is because the inheritance threatened to cause Yitzchak’s murder. What else is new?!  

ספר בראשית פרק כא פסוק יא וַיֵּרַע הַדָּבָר מְאֹד בְּעֵינֵי אַבְרָהָם עַל אוֹדֹת בְּנוֹ:

“But the matter greatly displeased Abraham, concerning his son” (Bereishit 21:11).

Avraham was very reluctant to send away his son, but when Hashem validated Sarah’s assertion, he nevertheless, got up early to fulfill the difficult mitzvah:

ספר בראשית פרק כא פסוק יב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל אַבְרָהָם אַל יֵרַע בְּעֵינֶיךָ עַל הַנַּעַר וְעַל אֲמָתֶךָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקֹלָהּ כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע:

“Then G-d said to Avraham, ‘Be not displeased concerning the lad and concerning your handmaid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her voice, for in Yitzchak will be called your seed’” (Bereishit 21:12).

This Torah verse gives a clue of how to solve the Middle East conflict and the war over the right to the Land of Israel. The Torah makes it clear that there is to be no “two-state solution” in the biblical land of Israel. The phrase “In Yitzchak, your seed will be called” implies that Hashem told Avraham, “My covenant, that I established with your seed; to give them the land of Israel… this promise pertains to Yitzchak [alone] (Rashbam, Bereishit 21:12). One of the little lights that October 7^th ignited is that any residual public support for the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River has disappeared (outside the fever swamps of the radical left). The onslaught from Gaza, which has been an independent Palestinian state since 2005, and the near-unanimous support the atrocities enjoyed among Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria made clear that a Palestinian state is not a solution to anything. Rather, it is an existential threat to Israel no less severe than Iran’s nuclear weapons project. Caroline Glick, Arutz 7, Israel National News, Nov 7, 2024.

How do we Recognize Hashem’s Hand in Electing His World Leaders?

When I attempt to look at recent political events with G-d-colored classes, I’m amazed at the re-election as Presidents of both Benjamin Netanyahu with an open court case of accusations, and Donald Trump who recently was criminally convicted. With all the opposition prior to both presidents’ re-election, it just doesn’t make sense logically that they both became reelected as presidents! On top of this, the 78-year-old Trump is the oldest elected president in American history. Trump became the second president to be elected to a non-consecutive second term, 132 years after Grover Cleveland defeated Benjamin Harrison in the 1892 election; Trump, at the age of 78, is also the oldest person ever to be elected U.S. president. These circumstances seem to me to clearly show how none of these two men became presidents coincidentally nor due to their great popularity, as I have never heard of any president with more opposition than Donald Trump. When he became president for the first time in 2017, I even was asked to treat a Jewish woman in NY for her distress and anxiety due to Trump's election. It is clearly the Hand of Hashem electing these men to positions of power to return the land of Israel to its rightful owners. Trump is well known for hosting the signing of the Avraham Accords in 2020, in which several Arab countries recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Land of Israel without having to accept a future independent Palestinian state alongside it - the so-called two-state solution - previously a condition of Arab countries for such a regional deal. Trump has also repeatedly urged to Israel “finish the job” and destroy Hamas. Netanyahu has demonstrated bravery and strength in refusing to give in to world pressure of ending the war before its objectives have been procured, that is: permanent security. After decades of Israel’s tolerance of terrorism without responding with a strong hand, under Netanyahu’s government, the Israeli parliament has given its final approval to controversial legislation to expel family members of terrorists if they publicly supported or identified with the terrorist act or praised, sympathized with, or encouraged terrorism or terrorist organizations. The law passed 61-41 on November 7, 2024.

Why did Avimelech and his General Request a Peace Treaty After Yishmael’s Expulsion?

After the expulsion of Yishmael and his mother, Hagar, Avimelech, the King of ‘Palestine’ and his general came to request to make a peace treaty with Avraham:

ספר בראשית פרק כא פסוק כב                                                                                                                            וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִוא וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וּפִיכֹל שַׂר צְבָאוֹ אֶל אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר אֱלֹהִים עִמְּךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה:) כג) וְעַתָּה הִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי בֵאלֹהִים הֵנָּה אִם תִּשְׁקֹר לִי וּלְנִינִי וּלְנֶכְדִּי כַּחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי עִמְּךָ תַּעֲשֶׂה עִמָּדִי וְעִם הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר גַּרְתָּה בָּהּ:

“Now it came to pass at that time, that Avimelech and Pichol his general said to Avraham, saying, ‘G-d is with you in all that you do. Now, swear to me here by G-d, that you will not lie to me or to my son or to my grandson; according to the kindness that I have done with you, you shall do with me, and with the land wherein you have sojourned’” (Bereishit 21:22-23).

Why would the king of the land and his general ask a stranger to swear not to harm them?   Why would they want to make a peace treaty with a mere sojourner?  One answer is that when his neighbors saw Avraham’s great cruelty in sending away to the wilderness – the woman lying in his bosom together with his firstborn son – with only a container of water and bread – they feared him lest he become angry with them and take revenge. They took counsel to precede the ‘healing’ to the ‘wound,’ by making a covenant with him. This is the reason it states, “and it was at this time…” (Meshech Chachmah, Bereishit 21:22). Another response is that when Avraham had sent away his firstborn son, and all his future became rooted in Yitzchak, it became clear to Avimelech that he is not just relating to Avraham as an individual person. Rather he is facing the seed of Avraham’s entire future, as an entire people facing his people. He is aware of Hashem’s promise to Avraham that would now be fulfilled through Yitzchak. Yishmael is no longer, and Avraham is at the end of his life, although Yitzchak is still swinging in his crib – with him the future of the entire people will rise (Rabbi Shimshon, Raphael Hirsch, Bereishit 21:23).

Israel’s Conditions for Entering into a Peace Treaty with Other Nations

The very first Peace Treaty in the world is described in Parashat Vaera. A careful, in-depth reading of the Torah verses about this Peace Treaty teaches us important principles that pertain to current politics. After having taught the Torah Reading for the first day of Rosh Hashana for about two decades, Hashem revealed Ten of these principles to me, which I share with you below:

Biblical Peace Treaty Based on the Brit Between Avimelech and Avraham Bereishit 21:22-30 The Peace Treaty must be:

1.    Inspired by Experiencing the Strength and Gevurah of Israel to Act Harshly When Necessary  

 וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִוא  – “It was at that time” (verse 22)

When his neighbors saw Avraham’s great cruelty in sending away to the wilderness – the woman lying in his bosom together with his firstborn son – with only a container of water and bread – they feared him lest he become angry with them and take revenge. They took counsel to precede the ‘healing’ to the ‘wound,’ by making a covenant with him. Therefore, it states, “and it was at this time…” (Meshech Chachmah, Bereishit 21:22).

2.    Initiated by the Party Who Wants to Make a Covenant with Israel  

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וּפִיכֹל שַׂר  צְבָאוֹ אֶל אַבְרָהָם – “Avimelech and Pichol his general said to Avraham” (verse 22).

3.    Prompted by Recognizing that G-d is with Israel

 אֱלֹהִים עִמְּךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה: - “G-d is with you in all that you do” (verse 22).

4.    Motivated by the Fear of Israel’s Power …”  (verse 22).

 (Meshech Chachmah, Bereishit 21:22).

G-D IS WITH YOU - Therefore I fear you, not because of your might and wealth.  Therefore, I request that you swear to me (Sforno, Bereishit 21:22).

5.    Acknowledging the Divine Promise that the Land of Israel Belongs to the People of Israel

 הֵנָּה אִם תִּשְׁקֹר לִי וּלְנִינִי וּלְנֶכְדִּי – “Now, swear to me here by G-d, that you will not lie to me or to my son or to my grandson…” (verse 23).

IT CAME TO PASS AT THIS TIME – when Sarah gave birth, the kings of the land said, “Surely G-d will fulfill His oath to Avraham as He said, ‘To your seed, I have given this land from the river of Egypt…’” (Bereishit 15:18). Therefore, Avimelech requested of him “that you will not deal falsely with me, my offspring, or with my grandchild.” Avimelech could not ask for more, for behold Hashem had promised Avraham, “But the fourth generation shall return to here” (Bereishit 15:16). That is, after the fourth generation of the Amorites, your children will return and conquer this land. Therefore, when Avimelech, the second came in the days of Yitzchak, he said; “Let us make a covenant between us, between our sons and yours” (Ibid. 26:28). He did not ask on behalf of their grandchildren, since it stated, “but the fourth generation will return here” (Chizkuni, Bereishit 21:22).

6.    Believing in the G-d of Israel and the Truth of His Torah

Avimelech believed in the Brit Bein Habetarim (the Covenant between the Pieces), that the land of Israel was promised to Avraham’s descendants (Verse 23).

7.    Israel Must Not Allow the Partner in a Covenant to Sign it, as They Can’t be Trusted to Keep Their Word

וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אָנֹכִי אִשָּׁבֵעַ: - “Avraham said, ‘I will swear’” (Verse 24).           

Davkah (precisely) “I will swear” and not you, as I don’t desire your swear (Be’er Mayin Chayim, Bereishit 21:24).

8.    Required to Repair the Injustice They Have Afflicted Upon Israel Before Entering a Brit with Israel 

ספר בראשית פרק כא פסוק כה וְהוֹכִחַ אַבְרָהָם אֶת אֲבִימֶלֶךְ עַל אֹדוֹת בְּאֵר הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר גָּזְלוּ עַבְדֵי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ:

“Avraham contended with Avimelech about the well of water that the servants of Avimelech had forcibly seized” (verse 25). By rebuking Avimelech about the wells his servants had stolen, Avraham made it clear that the Brit is mutual, and both must keep their part. If one party breaks his promise, the other is exempt from fulfilling his part of the Brit. This is why David could conquer the Yibusi (descendants of Avimelech) since they broke the Brit first (Malbim, Bereishit 21:25).

9.    Agreeing to Grant Israel’s Rights

וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי אֶת שֶׁבַע כְּבָשׂת תִּקַּח מִיָּדִי בַּעֲבוּר תִּהְיֶה לִּי לְעֵדָה כִּי חָפַרְתִּי אֶת הַבְּאֵר הַזֹּאת:

“He said, ‘For these seven ewe lambs you shall take from my hand so that it be to me for a witness that I dug this well’” (Verse 30). Avraham is saying these seven cattle and sheep are a sign that I have dug this well, meaning that I have a right to tzion after seven generations in the merit of having dug this well, that is having revealed G-d’s kingdom on earth (Be’er Mayim Chayim, Bereishit 21:28),

10. Israel Must Never Agree to Give Away Any Part of the Land of Israel Permanently Even for The Sake of ‘Peace’

(Verse 30) Since Avraham was concerned that Avimelech’s descendants would hold this oath eternal, he placed the ewes as proof that “I have dug this well – Tzion…” It is the way of someone who holds a house or a city as a guarantee as collateral for a long time to place a rock or engraved wood as proof that the collateral is only for a certain time. Afterward, it will return to become his. The seven sheep and cattle were a sign that the Brit with Avimelech would only last for seven generations until Avraham’s children would conquer the land for his children. (Be’er Mayim Chayim, Bereishit 21:28). Full autonomy over Yerushalayim will thus eventually return to Avraham’s descendants.

Parashat Lech Lecha: How Does Avraham’s Journey Reflect the Spiritual Journey of Every Jew?

Parashat Lech Lecha

How Does Avraham’s Journey Reflect the Spiritual Journey of Every Jew? 

Why Did I Choose to Teach Parashat Lech Lecha for Numerous Years?

Parashat Lech Lecha is one of my favorites because it is about G-d charging Avraham and Sarah with the mission to follow Him to the Land of Israel. Avraham and Sarah’s journey toward the land, while forging their relationship with Hashem, parallels my own and the journeys of most of my students in so many ways. As Ramban teaches “The actions of the (fore)fathers are an indication to their children” (Ramban, Bereishit 12:6). Just as G-d told Avraham, “Lech lecha – go to yourself,” to your source, each of us is always trying to grow spiritually whether we are fully aware of it or not. Since we can all identify with leaving our country, birthplace, and our father’s house, I have chosen to teach Parashat Lech Lecha and continued to teach it for numerous years. For most students from abroad (including myself 45 years ago), it can be challenging to uproot ourselves from our well-known surroundings and replant ourselves in an unknown land with a foreign language and culture. Therefore, we are soothed by Rashi’s comforting words which resonate so well with our own inner truth: “Go for yourself - for your own benefit, for your own good” (Rashi, Bereishit 12:1). Going to the land of Israel, for a born Jew or a Jew to be, is a spiritual journey to the essence of our soul which is enrooted deeply in the Holy Land. Our connection to the Land of Israel is like the relationship of our soul to the body. Without the Land of Israel, we are a mere shadow of our inner potential, unable to truly express our Jewish Neshama. The Divine gift of the Promised Land to Avraham’s descendants has its own positive deeper purpose that transcends any rational explanations. When G-d told Avrahamלֶךְ לְךָ /Lech lecha, He didn’t reveal where to go, because his true destination was the internal journey to the essence of his soul. Avraham was to go to the place from where he was created, which is the Temple Mount. For humanity is created from the place of his atonement. The Temple below is connected to the Temple above. From this place, the souls descend and ascend on the ladder (Kli Yakar, Bereishit 12:1). In my own spiritual journey, at that very place, I discovered my soul! Any tourist visiting Israel ends up sooner or later at the Western Wall. I just stood there, in awe of the sense of sanctity that pervaded the place, without a word of prayer crystallizing on my lips. The intense light reflected by the ancient stones penetrated the empty space in my very heart and soul. As I entered the square in front of the Wall, I knew that I had finally come home.  

Eretz Yisrael the Land of Prophecy

ספר בראשית פרק יב פסוק א וַיֹּאמֶר הָשֵׁם אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ:

“Hashem said to Avram, ‘Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you’” (Bereishit 12:1).

Why didn’t Hashem reveal to Avraham which land he was leading him to? According to Rashi, by not revealing his destination at once, Avraham would value the land so much more. In addition, Hashem wanted to reward Avraham for fulfilling His commandment each step of the way. Another reason is that it’s impossible to perceive the meaning of the Land of Israel outside of the land. Many newcomers to Israel can testify to how they had to arrive here before understanding what Eretz Yisrael is all about. In this spirit, Kli Yakar explains that G-d did not want to show Avraham the original place of body and soul until he first received a Divine spirit from above. Since prophecy does not exist outside the land of Israel, whenever he was still outside the land of Israel, he did not understand the essence of the soul whose source is at the Temple Mount. He could not even understand the core of the formation of the physical from there. Only within the land of Israel – the place prepared for prophecy – could G-d show him the goodness of this holy place and how it is the place of the essence of humanity, for there is his home and the place from where both his body and soul emanate. Therefore, it is fitting to leave everything behind to go and cleave to this holy place, for from there we will be able to cleave to the Divine presence… (Kli Yakar, Bereishit 12:1).

“The Land that I Will Show You” – Our Dynamic Relationship with the Land of Israel

The phrase הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ – “…the land that I will show you,” can also be understood as “the land to which I will show you.” (The suffix ךָּ/cha – “you” can be read both as – ‘I will show the land to you,’ or as I will show you to the land.’ In the holy tongue, the root of the word to see or to show ר-א-ה/resh, alef, heh is also the root of the word רָאוּי/ra’ui – ‘seen,’ ‘fitting’ or ‘suitable.’ Thus, the meaning of the word אַרְאֶךָּ /areka – I will show you to her and her to you. For one without the other is not seen (fitting) to have the Shechina dwell successfully. When Hashem told Avraham to follow him to the land that he would show him, Hashem also alluded that Avraham and the Land of Israel are suitable for one another. Furthermore, they will be in a 2-way relationship. The land is not only seen by Avraham, Avraham is also seen by the land. (Based on Ohr Hachayim, Bereishit 12:1). Just as the painter sees the tree, the tree sees the painter. Hashem is saying, “I will show you to her, and I will show her to you.” In Israel, you will experience and feel as if the land looks back on you. Here we are not only a subject but also an object. Be’er Mayim explains the phrase, “In the land, I will reveal myself to you.” That is, only in the Holy Land does G-d reveal Himself to us. The land of Israel endows us with a new quality of seeing, it is the quality of mutual relationship with Hashem, the land, and with ourselves. Perhaps we can say that Israel is “The Land of Relationship.” 

“The Land of Israel is Acquired through Suffering” 

Why wasn’t Avraham born in the Land of Israel? Why did he have to undergo the extreme difficulties of uprooting himself from his familiar surroundings and enduring ten increasingly difficult tests? Avraham served as our predecessor by overcoming tests and challenges to deserve the Holy Land. “The Land of Israel is acquired through suffering” (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 5a). To reach Eretz Yisrael, the Jewish people demonstrated complete commitment to her. Throughout the exile, ascending to Eretz Yisrael was most difficult, with many dying en route. In most generations, the majority of those who succeeded in reaching the Land were forced to live in poverty. Establishing the State of Israel also involved great self-sacrifice and hardships, we have been forced to fight for her. Had Avraham not undergone his great challenges to earn the merit of the Land of Israel for his descendants, the Land would not and could not have become part of the heart of Jews, nor would we have been privileged to return to her and live within her. The first time we encounter the need to suffer to merit the Land of Israel is in chapter 15 of Bereishit. In the Covenant Between the Pieces, G-d promised the Land to Avraham’s descendants who would have to first go through oppression during the Egyptian exile (Bereishit 15:13). Still, today during our current war, the suffering continues as our brave, devoted, and holy soldiers are risking their lives fighting for our safety. 

The Holocaust Teaches us About the Value of the Land of Israel

During the Covenant Between the Pieces, an intense fright and a great darkness fell upon Avraham as he was shown a vision of a smoking furnace which is dreadfully reminiscent of the holocaust:

ספר בראשית פרק ט”ו פסוק יז וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה וַעֲלָטָה הָיָה וְהִנֵּה תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה:

“Now it came to pass that the sun had set, and it was dark, and behold, a smoking furnace and a torch of fire passed between these pieces” (Bereishit 15:17).

Indeed, this pasuk includes a Torah code spelling out the word Hitler with an ELS (equal letter sequence of seven. It is not by chance that only three years following the end of the Holocaust, the land of Israel returned to Jewish hands after almost 2000 years of exile. Nobody can explain or justify the horrors of the Holocaust, but it still gives us a clue about the value of the Land of Israel, that we had to undergo suffering to this extent in order to merit the Land of Israel. Let us honor those who perished in the Holocaust by investing our energy and efforts in connecting to and building the Land of Israel! Nevertheless, we will never be able to realize the preciousness of the G-d-given land intertwined with the essence of our soul. 

The Connection between Character Development and the Final Boundaries of the Land 

Whenever I get up to the end of Bereishit Chapter 15 in my course in Parashat Lech Lecha, my students are always surprised to learn that according to the Torah, the final boundaries of the land of Israel will be so much greater than the part of the Land that we possess today. The difference between Israel today and Israel in the time of Mashiach is almost according to the same proportion as one single finger to a hand. Hashem promised Avraham not only the land of the seven Canaanite nations that King David had conquered, mentioned in Devarim 7:1, but also the land of three additional nations, the Kenites, the Kenisites, and the Kadmonites (See Bereishit 15:19-21). Ten nations are mentioned here, but He only gave them seven nations. The three first ones mentioned the Keni, Knizi, and Kadmoni are nicknames for Edom, Moav, and Amon their land will only be inherited in the future-to-come (Rashi, Bereishit 15:19). The Keni is Amon, The Kenizi is Moav, The Kadmoni is Edom since Amalek came from him who was the first (kadmoni) to attack Israel... (Chizkuni). For many years I have been teaching that I believe the ten nations correspond to the 10 sefirot. They are divided into three and seven corresponding to the three intellectual sefirot (Chabad) and the seven emotional. The ten nations were the impure husk of the sefirot (the other side). Recently I learned a Torah teaching that confirmed my assertion. Our ability to conquer the Holy Land depends on rectifying our character traits corresponding to the sefirot. Our Patriarchs were promised the land of Israel due to their rectification of the character traits that correspond to the seven lower sefirot. When Mashiach will come and rectify the three uppermost sefirot of Keter, Chachma, and Binah, then we will be able to conquer the entire land promised to Avraham in the Covenant Between the Pieces. For those of us who aren’t serving in the army, fighting evil terrorists, it is good to know that we too can contribute to the victory of our current war, by working hard at refining our character. 

Parashat Noach: Why Did the Global Flood Not Pour Down From Heaven Upon the Holy Land?

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Parashat Noach
Why Did the Global Flood Not Pour Down From Heaven Upon the Holy Land?

Reversing the Waters of the Flood into the Waters of Wisdom 

We have returned to our daily day routine, praying for and awaiting the blessed raindrops. Rain can be so refreshing – so cleansing and satiating. The parched dry earth – having suffered the recent dry storms here in Israel, opens its cracked thirsty mouth, craving to be filled with heavenly rain. Now is high time to plant the winter crop of carrots, beets, radishes, parsley, kale, lettuce, and various greens here in Israel. In B’erot garden we have already planted most of the winter crop under the supervision of our super gardening teacher Tzvi Taylor! I hope to get help to turn the cakey soil in my own garden, so I too can plant the winter crop. The time for planting in the Land of Israel reflects our personal growth at this time. As we pray for the tender seeds to sprout forth through the coming of rain, so do we pray for renewed ways and deeper kavanot (intentions) in keeping Torah and mitzvot. This fall I hope to carve out some time from my packed schedule to return to playing my harp and to spend meaningful time with my granddaughters. As we enter the month of Cheshvan in the Land of Israel, we begin to sense the smell of rain. In the Tanach this month is called ‘בּוּל/Bul’ “And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, the House [Sanctuary] was completed...” (I Melachim 6:38). The word ‘Bul,’ derives from מַבּוּל/Mabul – ‘flood,’ for during this month rains are plentiful. An abundance of rain was decreed during Cheshvan since it marked the beginning of the Flood. The letter מ/Mem of Mabul is missing from the month’s names because actually ‘Bul’ means flood, and the letter Mem that precedes it, containing the numerical value of 40 indicates that the flood lasted for forty days, beginning on the seventeenth of Cheshvan and continuing until the twenty-seventh day of Kislev. This deep cleansing that the world experienced at this time is still available to us during the month of Cheshvan. “There is no water except for Torah” (Babylonian Talmud, Baba Kama 84a). The generation of the flood was potentially fit for the receiving of the Torah and the understanding of its deepest secrets. However, due to their sins, they transformed the blessed waters of the Torah’s wisdom and grace into the bitter water of sin. The Month of Cheshvan is the opportune time to reverse their sins and transform the waters of the Flood back to the Waters of the Wisdom of Torah! I look forward to digging deep into the soil and into the inner dimension of Torah to strengthen my roots in the Land. 

Did the Flood Affect the Land of Israel?

After the rain stopped falling, Noach opened a window in the ark, to find out whether the water had dried out from the earth. First, he sent a raven, then a dove but neither found a resting place, indicating that the entire earth was still covered by water. After waiting another seven days Noach sent the dove again and this time it found sustenance:

ספר בראשית פרק ח פסוק יא

וַתָּבֹא אֵלָיו הַיּוֹנָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב וְהִנֵּה עֲלֵה זַיִת טָרָף בְּפִיהָ וַיֵּדַע נֹחַ כִּי קַלּוּ הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ:

“The dove returned to him at eventide, and behold it had plucked an olive leaf in its mouth; so Noach knew that the water had abated from upon the earth” (Bereishit 8:11). 

From where did it [the dove] bring it [the olive leaf]? It was from the branches in the Land of Israel. Rabbi Levi said: It brought it from the Mount of Olives, as the Land of Israel was not inundated during the Flood. That is what the Holy One blessed be He said to Yechezkiel: “It is a land that has not been purified, that was not rained upon on the day of fury” (Yechezkiel 22:24); (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 33:9). There are different opinions in the Talmud on whether the land of Israel was affected by the flood, and to what degree. Reish Lakish holds that the flood descended upon Eretz Yisrael, whereas according to Rabbi Yochanan, the flood did not fall upon Eretz Yisrael. Both interpreted the same verse: Yechezkiel 22:24, Reish Lakish read the end of the verse as a question. Eretz Yisrael is not Tahor! Was it not flooded?! (I.e., surely it was!). Rabbi Yochanan read the beginning of the verse as a question. “Is not Eretz Yisrael Tahor (pure)? therefore it was spared from the flood! The Ramban quotes Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer: “The waters of the flood did not come down from heaven upon the land of Israel, Instead, the waters rolled from the other lands into it…” Since the torrential rain did not fall directly upon the land of Israel, and the windows of heaven were not opened there, the trees were unharmed in Israel, whereas, in the rest of the world, they were broken and uprooted by the flood (Ramban, Bereishit 8:11). The dove bringing an olive branch from the Land of Israel was still proof that the waters had abated since the trees of Israel were also covered with the water that had rolled in from the rest of the lands. However, because the heavy rains didn’t fall directly on Israel the trees there were not destroyed. 

The Land of Israel is a Self-Cleaning Land it Needs no Flood to Purify it

According to most opinions, the effects of the flood were less severe in Eretz Yisrael. Why did Hashem spare the Land of Israel from the flood? Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the Ba’al HaTanya) asks: Why did G-d choose to bring a flood? He could have destroyed the world in other ways. The answer is that G-d specifically brought a flood to serve as a mikvah to cleanse and purify the world from its corruption. This explains why Eretz Yisrael was spared. The Chosen Land is so intrinsically pure and holy that it is virtually impossible to defile or corrupt it. Notice that whenever the Torah talks about the cardinal sins that cause exile, it says that the Land will vomit the sinners out. Thus, the land of Israel is self-cleaning – before impurity can cause any serious damage, the Land gets rid of evil, keeping itself pure. Even if the inhabitants of the Land also had to be destroyed during the flood, the Land itself retained its intrinsic holiness and did not need to be purified by the mikvah of the flood. Therefore Hashem didn’t bring heavy rain torrents directly on Israel (Rabbi Moshe D. Lichtman, Parashat Noach). The notion that the flood didn’t inundate the Land of Israel explains why Avraham’s family wanted to move there. The very end of the parasha introduces us to Avraham’s sojourns in Eretz Yisrael. The reason that Avraham was to go specifically there is alluded to in the parasha’s first section, dealing with the flood, which the Land evaded. The fact that Israel did not require purification through the flood teaches us that it is a Land designed for living in sanctity and purity. Those who live here as well as those who visit the Holy Land get to experience a glimpse of this truth! May we all be united here in the Land protected under the wings of the Shechinah.

Parashat Bereishit: How Does the Creation Story Teach Us About the Jewish Right to the Land of Israel?

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Parashat Bereishit

How Does the Creation Story Teach Us About the Jewish Right to the Land of Israel?

Why Can We Only Celebrate the Jewish Holidays Fully in the Land of Israel?

Shabbat Bereishit leaps surprisingly into my lap, and onto my pillow last night waking me up to ponder a new blog theme. Having written a weekly blog for nearly 15 years, I’ve already exhausted many topics. What should I write about that will capture my own interest and that of my readers? I was thinking of “Reincarnations in the Torah” but would I find enough material for each weekly Parasha? I finally settled on Miracles in the Parasha and in Our Lives and made the graphic icon for each Torah book. However, when I sat down to start writing, I just wanted to write about the Land of Israel. I was seized by the fervent feeling that strengthening our bond with the Promised Land – and anchoring our understanding of our right to it – is crucial for fully conquering it.  So, I adapted the graphics and here I come to tell you how and why I love living in Israel right now, and to share the very first Rashi of the Torah with you which so precisely describes our rights to the land of Israel. I have only a very short time as the sweet potatoes, cashews, red peppers, eggplants, olives, and cilantro await me in the kitchen as well as the pecans and the honey, and guests will join us for Simchat Torah and Shabbat to partake in delicious salads, dips, fish and chicken, so this will be brief. Coming out of Sukkot really strengthens our awareness that living in Israel is vital for keeping the Torah to its fullest! How lovely it has been to dwell in the Sukkah at this time, when it’s a bit cool but still pleasant enough for the men to sleep under the stars, in earshot of the prayerful singing of various neighbors. Here in Israel, we really get to experience the Torah indictment: “For a seven-day period you shall live in Sukkot (booths). Every resident among the Israelites shall live in Sukkot” (Vayikra 23:42). This teaches that all of the Jewish people are fit to reside in one Sukkah. (Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 27b).

The Weather in Israel is a Spiritual Barometer for Our Relationship With G-d

When we lived briefly in the USA, how far we were from feeling that unity of living with all of Israel in one Sukkah? I also recall how the rain started to pour down flooding our Sukkah with all its decorations and heavy sleeping bags, that we were forced to seek shelter indoors. Luckily, our sleeping bags hanging in the courtyard bothered our gentile neighbors enough to throw them in the washer and dryer! In Israel, it rarely rains on Sukkot, but if it does, “It is comparable to a servant who comes to pour wine for his Master, and the Master pours a pitcher of water in his (the servant’s) face, saying to him: I do not want your service” (Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 29a). In general, the weather in Israel is a spiritual barometer for our relationship with G-d. If He withholds the rains from us, we must pray harder, as it states,

ספר בראשית פרק ב פסוק ה וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ וְכָל עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִצְמָח כִּי לֹא הִמְטִיר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָרֶץ וְאָדָם אַיִן לַעֲבֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה:

“Now no tree of the field was yet on the earth, neither did any herb of the field yet grow, because the Hashem, G-d had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the soil (Bereishit 2:5).

Although the plants were created on the third day of creation, they waited beneath the earth and didn’t sprout forth until Adam came “to work the soil” which can be understood metaphorically as “to pray for rain.” Until the creation of humanity, no one recognized the benefit of rain, but when Adam came and understood that they were essential to the world, he prayed for them, they fell, and the trees and the herbs sprouted (Rashi, Bereishit 2:5 based on BT, Chulin 60b). If we don’t receive enough rain by Chanukah, it will greatly affect not only farmers but all of us. During such times, we must engage in self-introspection and repent, as we live with the awareness that the rain, or lack thereof is the heavenly response to our actions. “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain [it is] because your people have sinned against You…” (I Melachim 8:35). At such times, the Rabbis institute national fast days and we turn inward to rectify our deeds. During Sukkot when we dwell in flimsy huts exposed to the elements, the weather affects us even more, and through it, we experience our relationship with the Divine on a greater scale. Here in Bat Ayin – through the comfortable, cooling weather – I felt Hashem comforting us during this Sukkot and Simchat Torah. The cold wind only intensified the day we left the Sukkah and Bauch Hashem we were able to dance again like never before! Although we feel the pain of having been at war for a full year now, we are proud of our little country on the mission of eradicating evil from the entire world. On Simchat Torah, we began praising Hashem for rain, by inserting in our Shemoneh Esre Amidah “Who makes the wind blow and brings down the rain.” May all our suffering this year be an atonement for our sins and may Hashem open the sky and shower us with abundant rain! 

The Jewish People Serving Hashem in the Land of Israel is the Purpose of Creation  

The Torah opens by describing Hashem’s creation of heaven and earth: 

ספר בראשית פרק א פסוק א בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ:

“In the beginning of G-d’s creation of the heavens and the earth” (Bereishit 1:1). 

Although it may seem to us a perfect beginning to start the Torah with the creation story, our commentaries feel otherwise. Since the Torah is not a history book but a manual for proper living and serving our creator, Rashi questions why it doesn’t begin with recounting the first mitzvah in the Torah.  Now for what reason did He commence with “In the beginning?” Because of [the verse] “The strength of His works He related to His people, to give them the inheritance of the nations” (Tehillim 111:6). For if the nations of the world should say to Israel, “You are robbers, for you conquered by force the lands of the seven nations [of Canaan],” they will reply, “The entire earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it (this we learn from the story of the Creation) and gave it to whomever He deemed proper. When He wished, He gave it to them, and when He wished, He took it away from them and gave it to us (Rashi, Bereishit 1:1). I find it mind-boggling that Rashi – nearly a thousand years ago when we were submerged deeply in exile before any Zionistic movement had emerged – could predict how the nations will accuse us of robbing the Land of Israel. Moreover, it seems like Rashi also sensed the need to strengthen Israel in knowing our rights to our Promised Land, which is so vital in our time when so many Jews are being influenced by the nations and siding with the ‘Palestinian’ cause. 

The principle of the Jewish people’s right to the Land of Israel is so primary, that according to Rashi, the very first verse in the entire Torah comes to clarify this point. May all Jews in Israel and abroad tune into this clear-cut message that Hashem created the entire world for the sake of the Children of Israel keeping the Torah and the Mitzvot in the Land of Israel. 

Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha: How Can We Receive the Blessings of a World Filled with Light and Sweetness?

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Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha
How Can We Receive the Blessings of a World Filled with Light and Sweetness?

Accepting our Incompleteness as a Link Within a Beautiful Necklace
Whenever I clean for Pesach, there is always one more thing to do, the job can never be totally completed. In life as well, we are tagging our tail. When will we complete all the many tasks needed to upkeep and renovate our homes and our hearts? There is so much I’d like to accomplish in life – so many courses to prepare, books to write, relationships to rectify, and character traits to master. However, time is running out, and I must accept that we humans are mortal. How can finite beings accomplish infinite missions? No matter how much we try to  “set our house in order” we cannot avoid leaving some unfinished business behind. Just as we cannot please everyone all the time, but only some people all the time, and all people some of the time, so will we never finish removing all the weeds or cutting off all the dead leaves and flowerheads. We must learn to settle for a dusty house, files with grammar mistakes, unspoken words, and unclimbable mountains. From what I have learned about the breaking of the vessels, the problem was that each vessel was standing on its own – i.e. the Sefirot were originally aligned one on top of the other, without any connection between them. None of the finite vessels could contain all the infinite light by themselves so they broke. From the shattered sparks Hashem remade the world in such a way that instead of being independent, each of the sefirot now works in synchronicity with each other. Rather than comprising one column with each sefirah on top of the other, the sefirot form a pattern of right, left, and middle, each sefirah working in tandem to complement the others. Only through the synergy of all the sefirot working together is it possible to contain the infinite light. In the same way, if we think about ourselves as a link in the chain of human history, each link needing the other to form a beautiful necklace, we can accept being incomplete in ourselves. By allowing others to complete our job, we can find fulfillment and feel blessed!

Inspiring Others to Continue What We Began

Often, I fall into the trap of believing that if I don’t do the job myself, it won’t get done, or if it does get done, it won’t be done well enough. I believe this is the crux of the problem of every micro-manager. I’m working on it and try my best to delegate jobs to my capable staff and allow them to work independently. In Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha Moshe blesses the Israelites, tribe by tribe on the last day of his life. Sadly, Moshe had to leave this world without fulfilling his greatest yearning – to lead the Jewish people into the Promised Land. What may feel like Moshe missed the boat of fulfilling his mission, is a lack of greater perspective. Moshe’s mission was no less than leading the Israelites through the Exodus and the forty-year wilderness wandering, culminating with receiving the Torah and building the Mishkan.  Yehoshua – whom Moshe had ordained – was chosen to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, conquer the land of Canaan, and divide it appropriately for each tribe. If this was not so, Moshe wouldn’t have hit the rock. Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha concludes by describing Moshe’s death and burial in the Land of Moav outside of the Land of Israel (Devarim 34:6). Even the greatest life is an unfinished symphony. Moshe’s death on the far side of the Jordan is a consolation for all of us. None of us need to feel guilty, frustrated, angry or defeated that there are things we hoped to achieve but did not. That is how it is to be human. Our lives are like a bare microsecond set against the almost-eternity of the cosmos. For each of us, there is a river we will never cross, a promised land we will not enter, and a destination we will never reach. That Moshe, the greatest leader who ever lived, was mortal and did not see what he thought was his mission completed, that even he was capable of making a mistake, is the most profound gift G-d could give each of us. Thus, the entire Torah culminates with this message: We are mortal; therefore make every day count. We are fallible; therefore, learn to grow from each mistake. We will not complete the journey; therefore, inspire others to continue what we began (Based on Rabbi Yonathan Sacks, Unfinished Symphony Life-Changing Ideas, Vezot Habracha 5778).

The Greatest Blessing is Knowing Who You Are and Your Mission in Life

ספר דברים פרק לג  פסוק א וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ משֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ:

“This is the blessing with which Moshe, the man of G-d, blessed the children of Israel [just] before his death” (Devarim 33:1).

Knowing who you are and your mission in life is a true blessing. Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha comprises all the blessings that Moshe granted each tribe of Israel before his demise. For example, Moshe blessed Yissachar and Zevulun with distinct missions that complement each other. “To Zevulun he said: ‘Rejoice, Zevulun, in your departure, and Yissachar, in your tents” (Devarim 33:18). Rashi explains that Zevulun and Yissachar entered into a partnership that Zevulun would dwell at the seashore and go out in ships, to trade and make a profit, thereby providing food for Yissachar, who would sit and occupy himself in Torah study. Thus, Moshe’s blessing to Zevulun was to prosper in trade, while his blessing to Yissachar was to prosper through Torah learning and making legal decisions, especially in the realm of calculating and proclaiming the leap yes and establishing the Jewish calendar (Based on Rashi, Devarim 33:18). This kind of partnership has continued throughout the generations until this day. Some Jews devote their lives to Torah, whereas others dedicate themselves to their career while upholding the Torah through their generous contributions. In this way, they share equally in the reward of full-time Torah learning. Although Torah study is generally considered superior to trading, Moshe mentioned Zevulun before Yissachar, even though the latter was the elder of the two because Yissachar’s Torah came through the provisions of Zevulun – (Bereishit Rabbah 99:9). This teaches us not to depreciate those who take up Zevulun’s mantle to work hard and become a provider for Torah scholars.  

Why is Yosef’s Land the Most Fertile and Abundant in the Land of Israel?
Yosef was blessed with fertile land as it states, “His land shall be blessed by Hashem, with the sweetness of the heavens with dew, and with the deep that lies below, and with the sweetness of the produce of the sun, and with the sweetness of the moon’s yield, and with the crops of early mountains, and with the sweetness of perennial hills, and with the sweetness of the land and its fullness…” (Devarim 33:13-16). Rashi comments, “For throughout the inheritance of all the tribes, there was no land as full of goodness as Yosef’s land” (Sifrei 33:13). I can testify that, so it is still today in the Land of Efraim and Menasha in the Shomron (Samaria) north of Jerusalem until Haifa! As below so Above. The physical abundance of Yosef’s land alludes to his spiritual greatness. The Netivot Shalom explains that of the four species we shake on Sukkot, the three branches of myrtle correspond to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’acov, whereas the two willow branches to Moshe and Aharon. Yet the Lulav, taller than all the species, corresponds to Yosef. The lulav resembles the spine, which connects the brain of da’at with most of the body’s organs. Since the lulav is the tallest of them all, the mitzvah is referred to as “taking the lulav,” and the bracha recited is “…Who has made us holy through His mitzvot and has commanded us about taking the lulav” (“al netilat lulav”). The deeper reason for this blessing is that Yosef’s character trait of dedicating every desire completely to Hashem is the main service of every Jew. About Yosef it states, “he restrained himself and said, ‘Serve the food’” (Bereishit 43:31). From this we learn that when we restrain ourselves from fulfilling our lusts, Hashem grants us abundance. Since everyone’s pleasures and pains are determined by heaven, when we take suffering upon ourselves by overcoming our lusts, we will enjoy only pleasures from above. When we follow in Yosef’s footsteps to overcome lusts, our blessings will overflow like Yosef’s, both spiritual blessings – “with the sweetness of the heavens” and physical blessings – “with dew and with the deep that lies below.” For those who don’t sink into this material world – Hashem prepares – a wonderful world filled with light and sweetness.

Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Devarim  –
Some Tips for Tapping into the Blessings in Your Life

We learn from Moshe’s blessing of the tribes of Zevulun and Yissachar, to rejoice in our journeys as well as in our tents. In other words, whether we are on a path or at home, it’s important to rejoice! Also, it’s important to teach our children that sometimes the journey is just as important as the end result. The ability to rejoice is another blessing we can count on in our lives. We all experience setbacks in our lives. Focusing on the overwhelming number of positives rather than on the fewer negatives, even though those negatives seem very important at the time, can foster better perspective and balance. The capacity to feel joy is tied directly to being able to enjoy the blessings we do have, and our own joy is contagious. When others witness our ability to rejoice in our blessings, they will learn to do the same. As we move deeper into the final redemption tremendous blessings and an increased energy are sent down to earth for expanded awareness. To receive these blessings, we need to make ourselves a proper vessel.   

·       When You Feel a Shift of Greater Energy Flow – relax into letting it happen. Just be with what is. There is nothing to do, and nowhere to go, other than just letting go of expectations and allowing the moment to have its way with you. Your new blessings know exactly what needs to happen, they carry their own wisdom, so relax and allow them to do what they will.

·       Welcome the Blessings in Your Lives – Don’t be afraid. The more you appreciate your blessings, the more they will increase. Even if the new energy shift will shake things up a bit, you can pay attention to what is going on in the moment and learn to balance your energies through self-examination.  

·       Learn from the Mirror of the Negative Behavior of Others that You Notice --everything that comes into your awareness serves as a mirror. You have called all these people and events into your life to show you parts of your consciousness you have not yet wanted to look at before. As Ba’al Shem Tov teaches whatever we see or hear about someone else, we must understand that we have a tinge of that ourselves (Toldot Ya’acov Yosef, Parashat Lech Lecha). If you judge others, somewhere in your psyche, you have judged yourself. We learn this from King David whom the Prophet Natan told a parable. When David judged the rich man in the parable, he learned that he had judged himself (II Shemuel 12:1-15). 

·       Avoid Judging Others – for judgment never heals anyone, or anything, at any time. You cannot impose your rules on others. Judgment is an attempt to make what is One into separated parts, with the hope that ‘your’ part will be superior over ‘other’ parts. This judgment derives from an inferior complex. If you truly knew yourself to be “better,” compassion would be your response. If you have compassion you cannot judge for you understand from the point of compassion that the person who is before you at this moment can act no differently!

Learn to Love Through the Awareness that we are All One – When you are one with humanity and have not placed yourself above it, tears of compassion will flow from your eyes, and you won’t be able to see anything but the One – the One that we all emanate from and Whom we are part of. There is only One. You may think you are a small entity, moving through a perilous world to an unknown end. Yet, when the Oneness opens within you are going to know that we are all part of the same Oneness, and none of it can hurt you. Expanding our awareness of the dialectic between our individual gifts and missions, operating within the greater Oneness of the Creator, is the greatest blessing of all.