Musings on Parshat Vayeishev

Overview

Yaakov favors Yosef and gives him a special long-sleeved coat…Yosef angers his brothers with his dreams and interpretations …Yosef is sold by Midianite traders to Ishmaelite merchants traveling in a caravan headed to Egypt and then resold to Potifar, Pharaoh’s Chief of Staff…Yosef’s siblings dip his special coat in the blood of a slaughtered goat and present it to their father with the words Haker Na… Yaakov concludes that Yosef is dead, having been torn to pieces by a wild animal and is inconsolable… Tamar the Canaanite displays courage in founding a family with Yehudah her father-in-law (without publicly embarrassing him), that leads to the birth of Peretz, the ancestor of King David …Yosef in Potifar’s house…Mrs. Potifar’s unsuccessful seduction of Yosef…Yosef interprets dreams in prison.

Yehudah and Tamar

The unfolding story of Yosef and his arrival in Egypt is interrupted with a story about Yehudah, who “goes down from his brothers”, marries a woman named Shua, and sires three sons—Er, Onan and Shelah. Yehudah takes a wife named Tamar for his son Er. When Er dies, Yehudah commands Onan to perform Yibum, and marry his brother’s widow so that there will be offspring to perpetuate Er’s name. When Onan also dies Yehudah instructs Tamar to return to her father’s home and wait until Shelah is old enough to marry.(The real reason is his fear that were Tamar to marry him,Shelah would die like his brothers.)

Yehudah’s wife dies. After the mourning period ends he goes to a sheep-shearing in the town of Timnah. Upon learning this, Tamar dresses like a cult prostitute and waits at the crossroads on the road to Timnah. Yehudah is attracted to her (unaware that she is his daughter-in-law) and agrees to send her a kid from the flock in payment for her services. Tamar demands and receives Yehudah’s signet, cloak and staff as collateral until the kid is delivered. (Biblical scholar Robert Alter notes that this was not an inconsequential request; it is the equivalent of a demand for one’s credit cards in contemporary times.) Yehudah impregnates Tamar, after which she returns home and dons her garments of widowhood. Yehudah‘s friend is sent to deliver the kid and recover the collateral but is told by the locals that there was no cult prostitute in the area. When the friend reports his findings, Yehudah calmly expresses the hope that he will not be made a laughing stock should the prostitute show his personal things to others.

Some three months later, when Tamar’s pregnancy becomes evident, Yehudah angrily rules that she should be burned to death (or, according to some, be branded) for committing adultery. Tamar quietly asks to meet with Yehudah, privately shows him the signet, cloak and staff in her possession and asks if he knows to whom they belong. Yehudah realizes what happened; says that Tamar is more righteous (or more in the right) than him; and no longer sleeps with her. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s view is that Yehudah is undergoing a transformation from being cold and calculating to becoming “ethically passionate, loving, and responsible”.

Tamar is carrying twins. During labor, when one of the twins puts out a hand, the midwife ties a scarlet ribbon on it. As the hand is pulled back in, the second twin comes out and the midwife names him Peretz (breach) because “what a breach you have made for yourself”. The baby with the scarlet thread comes out and is named Zerach because of the shining appearance of the scarlet thread (ZeRiCHas).

Tamar displays a sterling character: When told that she would be put to death for committing adultery she could have announced that she was impregnated by Yehudah. Instead of publicly embarrassing him this way, she chooses to quietly and privately confront him. (From this incident the Sages concluded that it is better for one to die by fire than to publicly shame another human being.)

Benno Jacob’s view is that the purpose of this story is to show how this non-Jewish, extraordinary individual perceived the role Yehudah would play in creating a nation and wanted to be part of this destiny. (The novelist Thomas Mann speculates that Tamar was aware of the tradition in Yaakov’s home regarding Yehudah’s critical role in the nation building.) When there is no longer a son for her to marry with whom to procreate, she turns to Yehudah in a variation of Yibum. After all, she reasons, the wife of Yehudah’s deceased son is no more closely related than the wife of a deceased brother.

Tamar gives birth to Peretz the ancestor of David and the Judean royal dynasty. The comparison with Ruth is striking in that both were ethical women of foreign origin that considered themselves part of their Jewish in-laws’ family; and both contributed to the building of the House of Israel in a significant way. It is interesting how the two are linked in the closing verses in the Book of Ruth where the genealogy of King David starts with Tamar’s son Peretz.

Rav B.S. Jacobson, in his Meditations on the Torah, observes that Tamar is the most appealing character in this episode. Unlike Yehudah’s wife, whose name is not mentioned, Tamar’s name is repeated over and over. Mrs. Yehudah is a passive, anonymous personality who bears three sons only to tragically witness the deaths of the two older ones, until she herself passes away. Tamar, on the other hand, personifies independence and daring. She is a person who takes the initiative, using everything within her power to achieve her goal of serving as a critical link in the building of the nation of Israel. No wonder the name Tamar is so popular!


Rabbi H. L. Berenholz

Musings on Parshat Vayishlach

Following are some of the ideas, insights and interpretations that emerge from our weekly Chumash learning group at the Young Israel of Oceanside, Long Island. We cite sources when possible. Some of our interpretations derive from ideas we may have seen elsewhere, possibly without attribution. Or we may simply have forgotten the source. For this we apologize. We invite your comments, observations and participation.

Overview

Yaakov prepares to confront his brother Eisav by sending messengers to express his submissiveness ; by preparing gifts for him; by preparing to do battle and by praying to G-D…At night and all alone, Yaakov wrestles with an Ish and experiences  a dislocation of his hip socket, when the Ish  touches him there in an unsuccessful attempt to prevail.  Yaakov is informed that he will be given an additional name, Yisrael, because he successfully fought with this force  from Hashem and with men. The sun rises and Yaakov limps…Yaakov and Eisav meet ,embrace, appear to reconcile  and then part ways…Yaakov’s only daughter Dinah is raped by Shechem, son of Chamor, prince of a local clan. When Chamor proposes to Yaakov that  Shechem be permitted to marry Dinah, Yaakov’s sons agree, but only on the condition that the locals are circumcised.Chamor agrees and on the third day after the circumcision, when the people were in pain, Shimon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers from the same mother Leah, murder all the males. When Yaakov objects to this behavior, the brothers respond  “Could we allow them to make our sister into a harlot?”…Yaakov journeys to Beis-Ail… as predicted by Ish, G-D gives Yaakov  another name , Yisrael…While giving birth to Binyamin, Rachel dies and is buried on the road to Beis-Lechem… following a practice among ancient Eastern heir-apparent to take possession of his father’s wives, Reuven lies down with his father’s concubine Bilhah…listing of Yaakov’s descendents…Yitzchak dies at 180 years and is buried by his sons Eisav and Yaakov…Eisav’s descendents…listing of the Kings of Edom.

Yaakov and the Ish

Fearful that  when they meet the next day Eisav will murder him and his family for his  having stolen the Blessings from under him, Yaakov prays to G-D but gets no response. That night, after organizing into groups and moving  both his family and the large number of animals he  plans  give as a gift , Yaakov crosses the ford of Yabbok and falls asleep  alone and afraid. An Ish appears and wrestles with him all night and , when he realizes he cannot prevail, grabs Yaakov in the hollow of his thigh (most likely his genitals) knocking his thigh out of joint. When Ish pleads to be let go since the day is breaking, Yaakov responds that he will only free him if he gives Yaakov a blessing. After asking Yaakov his name (i.e., his essence, his persona, how he perceives himself) Ish says that he will be given another name, Yisrael, sometime in the future. Wanting to know whom to thank for the Blessing, Yaakov asks Ish to identify himself but gets no response, only another Bracha. Awake, and with the sun shining, Yaakov realizes that he has seen(confronted) G-D face to face and was saved. To commemorate this experience and realization Yaakov, limping from the nighttime injury, names the place Peniel (Face of G-D).Therefore, concludes the text, “to this day the Children of Israel  do not eat the  Gid H’anawsheh (sinew of the hip --sciatic nerve) which is on the hollow of the thigh, because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh on the sinew of the hip.”

How are we to understand this incident and its meaning(s)? Who is Ish? Did the wrestling really happen or was it a dream or vision? Why the details on Ish’s fighting dirty by “hitting below the belt”? Why did Yaakov need to get a second name? Why the focus on Gid H’anawsheh? Who instituted the prohibition and for what (deeper) reason?

It is noteworthy that with the passage of time, the nature of dreams changes. Initially, dreams seem to have served as a vehicle for G-D’s communication with Man. But starting with Yaakov the dreams become expressions of internal, unconscious conflicts and are filled with extensive symbolism.

Maimonides  the rationalist opines that any verse  in the Torah that has an incident involving angels or angelic speech is  a dream or prophetic vision. During a sleep state anxiety, agitation during a dream, tossing and turning,  physical exhaustion from the moving during the day can combine to create physical injury brought on by a frightening dream. Psychosomatic  injuries are the body’s response to unconscious desires or conflict.

The Midrash defines Ish as the Patron of Eisav, embodying his unique strength and attributes. Yaakov has been struggling and continues to struggle with his guilt over his treatment of  Eisav some 20 years earlier during the dark, lonely depressing night. A psychological regeneration is at work. It is only after night departs that the  truth about his behavior fully “dawns” on Yaakov. It is only when the sun shines (when there is clarity and optimism) that Yaakov is able to face the Truth (Panim el Panim) in himself.

Ish  may be viewed as the dark, selfish side of Yaakov (and of anyone)—the Yeitzer Harah. The active internal struggle with one’s dark side sets the stage for ultimate transformation and real character change. One goes  from the  nighttime/darkness of struggle to the sunshine of self-awareness, change for the better and victory over the Yeitzer Harah. Some note Yaakov’s  high level of sexual activity. He  was  the  Patriarch who sired a large number of children(13)with four women; his father and grandfather each sired only two children each. Perhaps  the dream’s allusion to the touching of the genitals reflects some internal conflict Yaakov was experiencing  relating to his sexuality.

Benno Jacob adds that, ironically, it was the physical weakening of Yaakov (limping, hobbling along with difficulty, appearing like a defeated man) that saved him from the hateful wrath of his brother Eisav. Seeing Yaakov in this condition brought on a change in Eisav (who was thirsting for revenge) prompting him instead to run , embrace, kiss then weep  together with his younger brother. Yaakov's  dream may be the manifestation of his  (unconscious) need to present himself as weak (as a protective mechanism) for  the meeting with his brother.

 

Ish  also can be understood as the embodiment of the National Character of Edom. It is the battle of the cultures: ours versus theirs. The struggle  in the dream is a forerunner of the Jewish people’s constant  battle--for both physical  survival and ethical behavior-- against  surrounding foreign cultures. The yerech --the ultimate source of semen for procreation--is used in a number of places in the Torah as a euphemism for genitals. The enemies of Israel in every generation use every means at their disposal  to destroy our ability to grow and thrive as a people by murdering us and by crushing our ability to  reproduce.

On eating the  Gid H’anawsheh

The source for the prohibition  is its inclusion with all the other commandments promulgated at Mount Sinai. It is presented here for its historical context.(The same applies to the Mitzvah of Bris.) …”the children  of Yisrael do not eat” means, according to Radak, that it was Yaakov’s sons who immediately  took it upon themselves to adopt this rule as a sign of respect  for their injured father or, according to others , for their failure to respect their father.

Rabbi B. S. Jacobson views the prohibition of eating the animal’s thigh with the sciatic nerve, a mainspring of locomotion, as a metaphor for  our need to avoid  improper and impure behavior of Ish in living our lives. Rav Avigdor Miller thinks that the prohibition serves as a reminder that letting  down one’s guard in fighting Evil for even one minute (as Yaakov did)  can have painful consequences. Sandra Gottesman opines that the prohibition reminds us that throughout our history we have come so close to death at the hands of our enemies,  but were saved by G-D and given the opportunity to again “walk in the sunshine”(i.e., be optimistic). Similarly, Rashbam points to how close we were to death but were given a lighter sentence instead(i.e., Ish , the embodiment of Evil , sought to castrate but instead “only” caused injury to the area).

Some think that “you are what you eat” is the operative idea. Ish seems to have touched the most vulnerable part of Yaakov. Eating  that body part would  remind us of our weaknesses and stir up  an internal state of negativity. Yehuda Valladares observes that we  do not want to ingest “weakness”. Bnai Yisrael should not consume and absorb some of the crooked behavior associated with the name (and person) Yaakov. Marty Langert thinks the Torah did not want us to eat anything  having to do with displacement (of hip from socket) in that it would stir up the memory of  the many displacements, expulsions and exiles that the Jewish people endured over the course of time.

Rabbi H. L. Berenholz

Musings on Parshat Yayeitzei

Overview

Yaakov’s journeys: dreams of ascending and descending Angels (protective forces from G-D); meets Rachel at the well; works 7 years in order to marry Rachel; is deceived by Lavan who  substitutes her sister Leah; works seven more years; builds a family; prospers working for Lavan; flees from Lavan with his family and possessions; is chased by and confronted by Lavan  for furtive  escape and for stolen idols; makes a pact with Lavan; is greeted by angels from the Land of Israel.

Yaakov’s Dream

The opening section describes Yaakov’s flight of fear from the wrath of his twin brother Eisav. The locale of this incident is vague. The story contains seemingly extra words and phrases. An extraordinary amount of attention is paid to details of Yaakov’s overnight sleeping arrangements. Finally, there is a mystical and mysterious vision of ascending and descending angels. Following is Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's translation of the verses (Bereshit 28:10-13) in The Living Torah:

"Jacob left Beer-Sheba and headed toward Charan. He came to a familiar place and spent the night there because the sun had already set. Taking some stones, he placed them at his head and lay down to sleep there. He had a vision in a dream. A ladder was standing on the ground, and its top reached up toward heaven. God's angels were going up and down on it. Suddenly, he saw God standing over him. [God] said, ‘I am God, Lord of Abraham, your father and Lord of Isaac’...”

What was the name of this "familiar place"? Where was it located? Why isn't it identified? Why does he take  stones  (plural) but later when he awakens, takes the  stone  (singular)? Yaakov put the stones “around his head”. Rashi explains that he made a cape around his head because he was afraid of wild animals. If so, why not around his whole body? Why draw particular attention to his head? Also, who and what were these mysterious angels doing or representing in Yaakov’s dream/vision? Why the suddenness of G-D’s appearance standing over (or beside him, according to Rashi) to protect him? Why does G-D identify Himself as "the Lord of Avraham, your father" when, in fact ,it was  Yitzchak  who was Yaakov's father?

I think that the text can be understood in psychological terms. Frightened Yaakov is trying to escape his brother’s murderous wrath. In mustering his inner strength and courage in the face of this deadly threat, Yaakov is drawn mysteriously to a place that turns out to hold both his past roots and future promise. According to Rashi, the place where Yaakov spent the night was Mount Moriah-- the very spot where the Akeida (binding) of his father occurred and the very place destined to be the Temple Mount. Yaakov seeks strength and guidance from the location that already had such an important emotional and religious impact on both his father and grandfather. That place is destined to be the capital of the future Jewish nation.

Yaakov gropes in the dark for twelve matching stones that can be used to build a shelter. According to Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer(Aggada /Midrash written by R.Eliezer ben Hyrcanus 80-118CE), Yaakov took these stones from the very altar upon which his father, Yitzchak, was bound. Here again, we encounter the idea of drawing on past family experiences (i.e., the stones of the altar for protection) and on the promise of the future (i.e., the stones representing his yet-to-be-born twelve sons/tribes). When Yaakov later awakes and finds that the twelve stones combined into one pillar, he understands the dream's messages :he has G-D’s protection and his future twelve sons (tribes) would coalesce into one "rock solid" nation,  strong, indivisible and unique.

Yaakov meticulously arranges the stones he collected "around his head". Divrei Dovid (Reb Dovid of Dinov,1804-1874) opines that the stones were to constitute a barrier to protect  not only the head but the entire body. The head is the most important part of the body and consequently the reference to it. Taking this a step further, perhaps the emphasis on the "head protection" is to underscore how traumatized Yaakov was by the threat of his brother and how it was his psyche and psychological state that needed to be guarded and nurtured.

Yaakov’s dream/vision of the ascending and descending angels suggests an intense (perhaps, unconscious) preoccupation with, and the need for, protection in dealing with his brother. Rashi confirms the view that the angels embody these protective powers for Yaakov both inside and outside the Land of Israel.

In the midst of his dream, Yaakov suddenly realizes that  G-D is standing over him. Hashem identifies Himself as the "Lord of Avraham, your father" even though it was Yitzchak who was his father. Ha'emek Davar (NTZIV,1816-1893) notes that in other places in the Torah, the expression of "G-d of Avraham" usually connotes His role as "Protector of Israel" and that the expression of "G-d of Yitzchak" refers to His role as "Provider of Sustenance". Because Yaakov's current predicament related to his worry about confronting Eisav, the  Fatherly role as Protector is stressed. Furthermore, notes Abravanel, Avraham is considered the spiritual father since Yitzchak's promise to Yaakov was a repetition of the original promise to Avraham.

Yaakov awakes energized, optimistic and confident about the future. Perhaps the lesson for us is that in moments of doubt and despair we need to both draw upon our life experiences and to remember our personal and national destiny.

Stones and their meaning

J.P. Fokkelman, a Dutch Biblical commentator cited by Robert Alter in his Translation of the Five Books of Moses, notes that stones are Yaakov’s personal motif. Yaakov “selects from the stones of the place” then upon awakening “took the stone and he set it as a pillar”. When he approaches his mother’s home town he encounters shepherds who are waiting to remove a stone covering the well. He sees Rachel, the shepherdess approaching and, smitten with her, steps forward and “rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep.” Later he gathers stones to build a mound he names Gal-eyd to serve as witness to the pact he makes with his father- in-law Lavan. Parshat Vayeitzei is written in the Torah as one long run-on sentence with no paragraphs to break up the flow of events. It appears like a continuous, rock solid wall of uninterrupted, connected events! Many ancient peoples believed that gods lived in stones.

The Hebrew word for stone is Evan. The root is related to other Hebrew words meaning, build; mediate; penetrate; measuring weight; understanding; and birth stool. The word Evan itself can be understood as a combination of Av and Bayn—father and son; parent and child relationship. It is about the deep, complicated inter-generation feelings and experiences that mold behavior. The real-life events recorded were influenced by upbringing. Yaakov grew up in an environment of parental favoritism that aggravated sibling rivalry and Rachel grew up in a home of greed and deception.

A Parsha, bookended by Angelic encounters, filled with deceit  

·       Lavan the selfish, greedy, exploiting, “gracious” host and relative-- who never fails to observe good manners-- puts Yaakov his “bone and flesh” to work for a month before offering  him any compensation.

·       Lavan deceives Yaakov by substituting his daughter Leah for Rachel, the woman Yaakov was to marry, on the  wedding night. Yaakov upbraids Lavan “why have you deceived me?”, using the same root that Yitzchak used regarding Yaakov’s subterfuge ,”your brother has come in deceit”. Lavan’s response “It is not done this way in our place to give the younger girl (in marriage) before the firstborn” is a dramatic irony referring back to Yaakov who in his place did in fact place the younger before the older (i.e., stealing his father’s blessings that where rightfully due his older brother)!Yaakov receives retribution at the hands of Lavan.

·       Barren Rachel, jealous of her sister Leah’s fecundity, allows her to cohabit with Yaakov that night in return for Leah’s son Reuven giving her the mandrakes he finds in the fields that day. Mandrakes were thought to have magical powers, to have medicinal value, to be an aphrodisiac and to promote fertility.

·       After Rachel finally gives birth to a son, Yaakov wishes to leave Lavan. When Lavan asks him to name his wages Yaakov asks to keep only spotted and speckled goats and dark- colored sheep. Because  most goats are black, not speckled, and most sheep are white, not dark- colored, Yaakov is in effect asking for next to nothing in wages for his 20 years of hard work as a shepherd for Lavan. Deceitful Lavan then removes all of the animals with the recessive traits that Yaakov desires, thus nearly eliminating the possibility of Yaakov’s having a substantial number of livestock, and leaves Yaakov to shepherd his flocks of white-only animals. Commentator Nachum Sarna (1923-2005 ; cited by Robert Alter) notes that  the Hebrew word for white is the same as the name Lavan; Yaakov is about to beat Lavan at his own game with his own name-color. Yaakov embarks on a plan of what appears to be a deception but is really an application of sound principles of animal breeding, according to Yehuda Feliks(1922-2005), an authority on biblical flora and fauna cited by Robert Alter. Yaakov peeled white strips in moist rods of poplar and almond and plane tree and placed the rods in troughs in the water channels in which the flocks come to drink so that when the flocks went into heat they bore brindled, spotted and speckled young. He took the most vigorous of these offspring (those most likely to bear the recessive genes) and placed the rods before them in the water channels so that when they went into heat they, too, bore brindled, spotted and speckled young. But there  really was no need for the rods and visual stimulation to cross breed the white and dark (or spotted) animals because,  according to the Mendelian table, recessive traits show up in 25% of the animals born in the first breeding season, 12.5% in the second breeding season and 6.25% in the third breeding season. Based on his empirical observations gathered over the course of 20 years of shepherding, Yaakov must have had a sense of  the pattern of these recessive traits recurrences.

·       Yaakov “deceived Lavan the Aramean, in not telling him he was fleeing”. Rachel “stole the household gods that were her father’s” .When Lavan catches up to Yaakov and demands to know why he stole the household gods Yaakov, unaware of Rachel’s action, invites Lavan to search the premises and vows that  if idols are found, the person with whom the idols are found shall not live. Rachel is sitting on a camel  in whose cushion she hid the idols. When Lavan approaches she  deceives her father with the apology  that her inability to stand up  before him in the customary respectful way is because “the way of women is upon me”.

Rabbi H. L. Berenholz

Musings on Parshat Toldos

Overview

Birth of Yaakov and Eisav…Yaakov buys the Birthright from Eisav…Yitzchak’s Life: moves to Gerar because of famine; prospers in agriculture; first evicted by Avimelech, king of Philistines and his envious nation and then, at Avimelech’s insistence , swears an oath of non-aggression with  him; is embittered  by Eisav’s marriage to two Hittite women; blesses his sons; instructs Yaakov to travel to marry a women from Rivkah’s family in Padan Aram;  blesses Yaakov with the Avraham  promise of a Nation and a Land ; witnesses his son Eisav’s additional marriage to Machalas, daughter of Ishmael and granddaughter of Avraham.

Lessons in Parenting

Yitzchak prays repeatedly to Hashem in one corner of the room (opposite his wife) for Rivkah to conceive  after twenty years of a barren marriage. It appears that they are not pleading together as one but as two individuals opposite one another. Rivkah conceives and goes to inquire of Hashem why she is experiencing the pains of what appears to be a struggle between the twin fetuses in her womb. She is told that she will give birth to  individuals who will head  nations that struggle with each other for domination and leadership—information that she seemingly does not share with her husband, Yitzchak. Eisav, born first , grows to be a hunter .Yaakov, who at the time of his birth seems to grabbing at his brother’s heel to pull him back, is described as Ish Tam (honesty, simple, unassuming) becomes a tent dweller (as a shepherd or as a student in Yeshiva). Yaakov favors Eisav and Rivkah favors Yaakov.

Lack of unity and parental favoritism breed  an environment of intense sibling rivalry and potential fratricide. Psychologist Henry Kagan, cited by Rabbi  Gunter Plaut, notes that each of the twins was half loved. Yaakov grows up filled with fear because he is insufficiently loved by a feminine father. Eisav, who is insufficiently loved by his masculine mother, grows up filled with hate. It took the “therapy” of life’s hardships for the brothers to mature enough to ultimately reconcile and respect one another.

Yitzchak blesses his sons

“When Yitzchak was old and his eyes were too dim to see” he calls his older son Eisav to hunt some game, prepare it into a tasty dish and serve it  to him so that he may give him a special blessing before he dies. According to some, Yitzchak’s sight related to old age. Others think  that “too dim to see” means his judgment was impaired with aging. A Midrash attributes his weakened sight to the tears of the angels that fell during the Akeda. To me this means that the trauma of the Akeda affected his sight and/or his judgment (insight regarding who the deserving son was).

Rivkah , who has been eavesdropping, instructs Yaakov to bring two choice kids from the flock that she will prepare for him to bring to his father so that he , and not Eisav,will receive the blessing. A reluctant Yaakov notes that, unlike his hairy brother, he is smooth skinned  and fears  “oouliey yemushanui avi— if my father touches me I will appear like a trickster and bring upon myself a curse, not a blessing”.

Rabbi Jacob Mecklenburg (German scholar,1785-1865), in his Haketav Vehakabbalah (cited by Nechama Leibowitz) points out how the words and the text point to Yaakov’s reluctance to be a deceiver. Yaakov says oouliey rather than pen. The latter implies  that the speaker does not want the event to occur, whereas the former suggests that speaker hopes that the event does happen. Yaakov wants to be found out! His mother Rivkah accepts responsibility and he “went, took and brought” reluctantly carrying out his mother’s request without much enthusiasm. The Midrash adds that  he went ”with duress, bent and weeping”.

When Yaakov arrives, his father Yitzchak asks “which of my sons are you?” to which  Yaakov responds “I am Eisav your first born…please sit up and eat”. Yitzchak draws Yaakov near and exclaims :”Hakol Kol Yaakov v’hayadayim yeday Eisav—the voice is the voice of Yaakov but the hands are the hands of Eisav”. Yaakov blesses his son with material rewards (V’yetain Lecha Haelokim Meetaal Hashamayim…).No sooner had Yaakov left then Eisav arrives  and orders his father to sit up and eat. Yaakov is seized with a violent trembling when he realizes that it was Yaakov who he blessed earlier. Eisav bursts into a wild, bitter sobbing and pleads to also receive a blessing. Yitzchak hesitates but ultimately blesses him with enjoying the fat of the earth and the dew of the heavens above—but predicts that he and his offspring  will struggle to remove the yoke of servitude under his brother and his offspring.

When Rivkah learns that Eisav plans to murder Yaakov she urges Yaakov to flee. At Rivkah’s instruction, Yitzchak sends Yaakov to her family in Padan Aram to find a wife. Yitzchak  prays that G-D grant him and his descendents the blessings to possess the land that He gave to Avraham.

Why did Yitzchak insist on blessing Eisav?

Yitzchak favored Eisav, and affection distorts one’s judgment. He experienced a kind of spiritual blindness (according to Abravanel) that prevented him from perceiving reality. The previously-quoted Midrash also offers another explanation : at the Akedah, Yitzchak glanced on high and saw the Divine Presence. One who has gotten so close to the Truthful G-D is no longer capable of understanding falsehood.

Hayyim Ibn Attar (Moroccan Kabbalist,1696-1743) in his Torah commentary, Or Hachayyim, opines that Yitzchak wanted to bless Eisav because of his weakness and misconduct, hoping that blessings of bounty would influence Eisav to mend his ways.

Rabbi Menachem Leibtag’s approach focuses on the centrality of the Bechira process--G-D’s designation of Avraham and his offspring to become His special nation--in the Book of Bereshit. Since Yaakov and Eisav are born from the same mother, Yitzchak assumes that BOTH would be receive the Divine promise of Land and offspring.

Bechira stands in contrast to Bracha, a father’s personal blessing  to each son based on his individual potential. G-D establishes Bechira; a father bestows Bracha. Yaakov’s intention is to bestow a Bracha to Eisav of prosperity and leadership since Eisav is the family man with children who has a job and takes care of others , in contrast to Yaakov who is single and living at home. It is assumed that Yitzchak would also bless Yaakov with prosperity and spiritual leadership at a later time.

Rivkah intervenes because she knows from inquiries during her difficult pregnancy that “There are two nations in your womb and two separate peoples shall issue from your body…and the older shall serve the younger”. But she never shared this knowledge with Yitzchak. Therefore, Yitzchak assumes that both sons are part of the Bechira, while Rivkah knows that it only will be Yaakov.

Rivkah has a serious dilemma and only limited time to act. Fearful that Yitzchak intends to give the Avrahamic blessing to the wrong son, she resorts to trickery to ensure that it is  the younger brother, Yaakov, who (correctly) receives it. When the real Eisav arrives, Yitzchak realizes his mistake and, recognizing that Eisav is not suitable to receive the spiritual leadership blessing he saved for Yaakov, instead grants  him a different Bracha of prosperity. Because the blessing of political leadership was already mistakenly given to Yaakov, Yitzchak tells Eisav that he can become the leader only in the event that Yaakov’s leadership falters.

Rabbi Leibtag assumes that at some  point Rivkah explains to Yitzchak the reason for her behavior and Yitzchak then realizes that it is only one son, Yaakov, who is part of the Bechira process. Therefore, when Yaakov leaves for Padan Aram, Yitzchak prays that G-D grant him the blessings promised to Avraham of a special Nation inheriting a special Land.

Was Yitzchak  really deceived?

Rabbi Plaut suggests that on some (unconscious) level Yitzchak was aware of Yaakov’s identity but pretends to be deceived. He wants to be deceived because in his heart he knows that his favorite son Eisav lacks the ability and character  to carry on the destiny of Avraham. Being weak and indecisive, he does not have the courage to face his son with the truth. It is only after the confrontation with Eisav --with the father trembling and the son weeping bitterly--that Yitzchak summons up  the courage to face Yaakov and grant him the blessings promised to Avraham.

Rabbi H. L. Berenholz

Musings on Parshat Chayay Sarah

Following are some of the ideas, insights and interpretations that emerge from our weekly Chumash learning group at the Young Israel of Oceanside, Long Island. We cite sources when possible. Some of our interpretations derive from ideas we may have seen elsewhere, possibly without attribution. Or we may simply have forgotten the source. For this we apologize. We invite your comments, observations and participation.

Overview 

M Topics: From Mourning to Marriage: Mourning, Money, Machpelah, Manners, Marriage… Death, Purchase of Family Tomb and Burial of Sarah… Finding a Wife for Yitzchak … Rivkah and Yitzchak Meet and Marry…Avraham’s Final Days

Hashem is here …Hashem is there…

Although His involvement is not mentioned anywhere in the entire Parsha, the Torah’s message remains (as it does throughout the Book of Bereshis) that G-d remains in the background influencing all human behavior.

A Primer on Negotiations

Avraham searches for a suitable burial spot for his recently-deceased wife Sarah in the land of Canaan. There is  dialogue between him, the local Heth residents (Hittites) and one Efron the son of Zohar.

Some feel that Avraham was too self-effacing in his negotiations. Benno Jacob, on the other hand, sees Avraham behaving with dignity and refinement rather than with submisseveness. It is beneath his dignity to obsequiously refer to himself as a servant each time they refer to him as “my lord”. Avraham acknowledges his legal position as “a stranger and sojourner among you”: therefore, he has none of the property rights available to the residents. Terms like buying and selling are not used in this incident: gentlemen do not transact business but discuss giving each other presents .The local pagan Hittites  respectfully call him “a prince of G-D”, in recognition of his unique but strange and separate beliefs and behavior --yet feel warmly and respectfully towards him  to consider him “in our midst”. Avraham bows down to the Hittites in acknowledgement of and thanks for their offer to allow Sarah’s burial in even the choicest of graves. Avraham wants a particular cave and asks the people to contact Efron its owner so that Efron will “give” him the Maaras Hamachpelah (cave) for “a full price” (no discount) as a “possession in your midst”. Up until that point the Hittites considered Avraham a wanderer and occasional visitor, but now perhaps begin to understand what Avraham wants is something physical to permanently own.

Efron, who happens to be sitting in the crowd, announces--using the word “give” three times in one sentence -- that he has given not only  the cave at the end of the field but also the field. Though he did not want or ask for the field, Avraham magnanimously refuses to accept the gift and insists on paying. Rather than negotiating the price, Efron says in an offhanded manner: “My lord listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me?” Avraham readily agrees to the exorbitant   price for a useless field (the real value was closer to 17 shekels of silver), and pays him on the spot in current coin, with the gathered crowd as witnesses.

The purchase was made in order to both honor and bury Sarah. The transaction also created the first legal claim of the Hebrews to a piece of Eretz Yisrael.

Listening to the “trop”  (Yiddish term for Hebrew Tea’mim)

The chantings of the Torah texts (cantillations) were introduced by Moshe ben Asher around the year 895. The chants are written and notated in accordance with special signs or marks  to complement the letters and vowel points. These notations provide information on the syntactical structure of the text and are a commentary on the text itself, highlighting important ideas musically.They enhance the drama of the Torah and also provide insights.

Efron says “Lo Adoni Shmaeni” translated as “no, my lord, listen to me…” The “lo Adoni” is separated by a hyphen (making it one unit) and the phrase is chanted with a zakayf katan. On the surface Efron seems respectful and helpful. But, in my view, the structure of his words paints an entirely different picture. The hyphenated phrase lo-adoni is better translated as “my master…NOT”. What Efron really is saying is  that he  has no respect for Avraham who is “...my NOT- master ” (not my master) and demands that Avraham listen to him.

Shalshelet (related to the root word three) appears only four times in the Torah, always on the first word of the verse. It communicates vacillation, a feeling of doubt, anxiety and internal struggle. In this week’s Parsha, Avraham sends his household Chief of Staff (assumed to be his devoted servant Eliezer) to Avraham’s family village to find a bride for his son Yitzchak (then 40 years old). When he arrives near the city of Nachor in Mesopotamia, he stands in prayer seeking God’s assistance for success in his mission. The word “yayomar “(and he said) is accented with the Shalshelet.  Eliezer was weighed down by the enormity of his task and by self-doubt. Furthermore, even as he sincerely desired to serve his master Avraham, he was conflicted because he wanted Yitzchak to marry his own daughter.

When Lot was preparing to flee Sodom, he hesitated for a moment. The Hebrew word Vayismahmaw is accented with a Shalshelet, underscoring the internal conflict he (and others in similar situations) experienced: The rational decision to flee vs. his deep attraction to Sodom and the loss of assets and lifestyle.

Rabbi H. L. Berenholz

Musings on Parshat Vayyera: An Akeda Compendium

Following are some of the ideas, insights and interpretations that emerge from our weekly Chumash learning group at the Young Israel of Oceanside, Long Island. We cite sources when possible. Some of our interpretations derive from ideas we may have seen elsewhere, possibly without attribution. Or we may simply have forgotten the source. For this we apologize. We invite your comments, observations and participation.

Overview

Avraham is hospitable to his three  surprise visitors; Avraham, the man of universal justice, pleads with G-d  to find a way to save Sodom ; Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their social aberrations (affluence without social concern is self destructive); Lot and Family Escape; Incestuous origin of the nations of Ammon and Moav;  Avraham prays for Avimelech—the first mention of prayer in the Torah;  Birth of Yitzchak; Hagar and Ishmael; Alliance with Avimelech ; the Akeda (Binding); Brief genealogy of Avraham’s brother Nachor

The  Akeda

Rabbi Dr. J. H. Hertz views the Akeda story as “the opening of the age-long warfare of Israel against the abominations of child sacrifice which was rife among the Semitic peoples as well as their Egyptian and Aryan neighbors … God abhorred human sacrifice.” In that age, he continues, “it was astounding that Abraham’s God should have interposed to prevent the sacrifice not that He should have asked for it…The valley of Ge-Hinnom, where these abominable rituals were practiced became a synonym for Hell.”

I see the Akeda as the story of the Man named Avraham whose conscience ultimately prevails and stops him from slaughtering his own son.

Avraham receives a calling  from Ha’elokim to immediately take his son, the one he loves, Yitzchak, and to go away to the Moriah (Jerusalem) area where his son will be brought  as an all-burned offering.(Avraham, presumably  not surprised by the request since child sacrifice widespread , says nothing. Even if he is in fact surprised, his silence may have resulted from his being in a state of shock.) The next morning he awakes early and keeps busy (nervous energy?):  he saddles his donkey; chops wood for the offering and, with two young men to accompany him, sets out on his journey. Father and son journey in silence for three days until they reach their destination when one brief conversation takes place: Yitzchak inquires about a lamb for the offering and his father assures him that “God will provide”. Avraham builds an altar, arranges the wood on it; binds his son; places him on top of the wood; reaches for a cleaver to slit his son’s throat. A Malach Hashem calls out to him, instructing him not to harm the boy because he knows Avraham would not  take his son’s life (my translation). Avraham  spots a ram behind him, offers it up on the altar and then is blessed again by Malach Hashem.

Avraham experiences internal conflict. At first he feels an urge to perform child sacrifice. The “calling” does not come from G-d Himself but from an entity named Haelokem, an unusual term which I think refers to a specific internal force or human emotion ultimately emanating from G-d (Yayetzer Harah, Satan). The word poetically refers to the Midas HaDin--harshness and judgment (elokem) aspect of G-d that exists in all of us. Avraham appears to be stunned by the request and goes about his preparations for the journey in a trance-like, robotic state -- doing but not talking.

In the end Avraham’s   conscience prevails, an idea captured by his “hearing the voice” of Malach Hashem –the powerful positive  human  force encapsulated in the four letter Tetragrammaton name of G-D (yud, hay, …).G-d Himself never appears in the story. Only His messengers, i.e., the emotional forces that drive our behavior, do.

The word chasacht in verse 12 (traditionally translated as “withheld “) is significant. I think the word can be related to the Hebrew root word for darkness, or death (choshech).  Malach Hashem (personification of positive world forces; conscience) proclaims that Avraham resisted the original calling and temptation and, in the end, “did not darken or take your son’s life (Lo casacht) from among the number of My (Memenee)”. For this Avraham is blessed.

On Rosh Hashanah we plead for God to recall the Akeda with compassion. We are reminding G-d that just as Avraham ultimately was able to overcome his evil inclination we, too, have the ability and the desire to change for the better—which we pray will make us worthy of His forgiveness.

Each of us could be inspired by the Avraham who had the strength of character to withstand the pressures of the surrounding pagan world. Child sacrifice is a powerful, insidious Evil in the world that must be eradicated if nations and families are to flourish. Sandra Gottesman notes that child-sacrificing is rampant even today in the Arab world where mothers sacrifice their sons in the name of religion( Allah). Members of these societies often live in poverty partly because they misdirect their energy and talent   away from productive endeavors to embrace a religion that encourages fanatical and violent behavior. 

In psychological terms, Avraham may be experiencing an unconscious desire to dominate and/or eliminate Yitzchak (Yehudah Valledaris). He is the dominant father of a submissive son whom he needs to “sacrifice” to his own parental plans and hopes. But G-d is there to rein in this urge (Günter Plaut). Yitzchak, in awe of his well-known and respected father, may never have been given the chance to act independently by what may have been doting and protective parents. Yitzchak was 37 years old at the time of the Akeda, according to the Midrash. The Akeda, the first time we hear Yitzchak speak, may be a first step in his path to maturity, an experience necessitating parental separation. The trauma (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) of his near-death experience will hurt Yitzchak’s inter-personal relationships later in life

The Text

¹ And it happened after these things that God tested (Nisa) Abraham and said to him, "Abraham," and he replied, "Here I am."

² And He said, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love — Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah; bring him up there as an offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell you."

3 So Abraham woke up early in the morning and he saddled his donkey; he took his two young men with him and Isaac, his son; he split the wood for the offering, and stood up and went to the place of which God had spoken to him. ⁴ On the third day, Abraham raised his eyes and perceived the place from afar. ⁵ And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here by yourselves with the donkey, while I and the lad will go yonder; we will worship and we will return to you."

⁶ And Abraham took the wood for the offering, and placed it on Isaac, his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife, and the two of them went together. ⁷ Then Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "Father — " And he said, "Here I am, my son."

And he said, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the offering?"

⁸ And Abraham said, "God will seek out for Himself the lamb for the offering, my son." And the two of them went together.

⁹ They arrived at the place of which God had spoken to him; Abraham built the altar there, and arranged the wood; he bound Isaac, his son, and he placed him on the altar atop the wood.¹⁰ Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slaughter his son.

¹¹ And an angel of hashem called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham! Abraham!"

And he said, "Here I am."

¹² And he said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad nor do anything to him for now I know that you are a God-fearing man, since you have not withheld your son, your only one, from Me."

¹³ And Abraham raised his eyes and saw — behold, a ram! — afterwards, caught in the thicket by its horns; so Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as an offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ And Abraham called the name of that site "hashem Yireh,"as it is said this day, on the mountain hashem will be seen.

¹⁵ The angel of hashem called to Abraham a second time from heaven. ¹⁶ And he said, "By Myself I swear — the word of hashem — that because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only one, ¹⁷ that / shall surely bless you and greatly increase your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your offspring shall inherit the gate of its enemy. ¹⁸ And all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your offspring, because you have listened to My voice."

¹⁹ Abraham returned to his young men, and they stood up and went together to Beer-sheba, and Abraham stayed at Beer-sheba.

Verse 1

Translating the word Nesa is critical in understanding the unfolding drama. There  exists a  wide range of possible definitions for what God did to or for Avraham including some of the following cited by Rabbi B.J. Jacobson in his Meditations on the Torah:

·       G-d proved.  Sforno sees this as experiential-- a Divine desire to permit the actualization of Avraham’s inherent but dormant qualities.

·       G-d tested.  Ramban thinks the “test” was designed to supply additional merits to Avraham as he converts his potential into action.

·       G-d made him witness to an idea. Rambam thinks the word root is “sign”. Avraham would be an attestation to the whole world of the indubitable validity of prophetic truth.

·       G-d attested.  Abrabanel maintains that the word Nesa is related to the root NS—lifting, raising--  a testimonial for the nations of the world to see.

·       G-d reproved.   Rashbam, who had an ardent love for Eretz Yisroel,  thinks  Avraham is being punished for yielding a part of the Promised Land to Avimelech as part of a mutual non-aggression pact , as described in  a preceding story.

·       G-d Tested his reaction. Benno Jacob notes that the expression “And it happened after these things” always indicates a surprising turn of events. Like Job whose domestic bliss was suddenly and unexpectedly interrupted, Avraham is  learning by experience  that there is no permanence in worldly matters. God wanted to show the world what Avraham’s reaction would be.

·       G-d performed a miracle in creating Man with an enormous reservoir of strength of character to deal with moral and ethical issues confronting him.

·       G-d tempted. Franz Rosenzweig, cited by Günter Plaut,proposes a radically different approach. In his view, the only way one can truly believe, is if he has no clue or understanding of God’s actions. Only then can one experience faith and trust.

The Daas Mikrah commentary notes that Avraham is the first person to be summoned by name to fulfill a Divine command.

Günter Plaut suggests that what is being “tested” are  1)Avraham’s faith in G-d’s not going back on his word and  2)his total submission to Divine will.

Verse 2

The Hebrew for “go to” is Lech Lecha, the same phrase appearing in (and naming) the previous Parsha. Then Avraham was asked to abandon family, geography and familiar environment. Here he is being directed to “go outside of himself” –to abandon pagan belief in child sacrifice. These are bitter separations, first from familiar surroundings and now from his son.

Some translate the phrase “bring him up there as an offering”   to be “along with an offering”, or “in lieu of an offering” meaning that Yitzchak was never meant to be offered up, only to be there with his father.G-d did  not command that Yitzchak be slaughtered , only that he be brought up the mountain. Had the intention been for Yitzchak to be sacrificed, why didn’t G-d say “bring him up there as an offering  for Me”? Furthermore, the Hebrew word employed is L’olah,”for an offering”. But in another section, where the Torah discusses donation of animals to the Temple, the “L” prefix communicates that one need not bring the specific animal pointed to, but can bring another in its place. The ambiguity here may mean that by bringing Yitzchak to Moriah it would be as if a burnt offering was presented. A Midrash suggests that Avraham misunderstood what was being asked of him.

The destination Moriah sounds like the Hebrew word  reay to see, and to perceive. This thematic Hebrew root  recurs pointing  to enlightenment and understanding as the key ideas permeating this Parsha.

Verse 3

Avraham himself got up early, cut the wood and saddled the donkey. AHHava mekalkeles es Hashure—love (like hate) can upset the normal behavior.

Verse 4

There must be no rash behavior. A three day cooling off period often precedes important decisions.

Verse 6

Yitzchak carrying the wood conjures up the image of a time when convicted prisoners had to “bear their own cross”—carry the wood that was be used in their hanging. Suspense builds as father and son journey together physically yet appear to be worlds apart emotionally , each wrapped up in this own thoughts and not  saying a word to one another. Anxiety and  dread fill the air.

Verse 10

Every word breathes terror: Slaughter…Cleaver. The Hebrew word used here for a knife is Maacheles, not the more familiar Sakin. Maacheles contains the root word “eat”. Slaughter with a Maacheles involves a powerful thrust that “eats through” anything in its way-- layers of skin, muscle and bones.

Verse 11

The voice heard comes from an entity, or force  or Avraham’s conscience,  deriving from Hashem  and His four letter name of Mercy .

The staccato rhythm of the words in verse nine suggests that when Avraham arrived at the mountain he rapidly went through the motions of building the altar, of laying out the wood, of binding his son, of laying out his son, and of picking up the cleaver to slaughter. David Gleitman thinks that it was necessary to call Avraham’s name twice because of the urgency to snap him out of what seemed to be a hypnotic state and “bring him back to earth”.

Verse 12

Atta yadaate, says Rav Sadya Gaon, means I always knew your faith and morality but now, with My having made it public, it will be obvious to all.

There is one tradition that believes that Avraham completed the sacrifice and Yitzchak was miraculously revived afterward!

Verse 13

Benno Jacob stresses that an altar shall not be built in vain.

A ram offered in place of Yitzchak : every animal offering is a substitute for a person.

Substituting   the raysh in Hebrew achar (behind) with the similar-looking daled changes the word to mean echad (one); Avraham saw one ram.

Verse 14

Hashem yireh—God will always be omniscient.

Behar hashem yaraeh—on this mountain a major religious epiphany took place: permanent elimination of child sacrifice in Judaism. There is a further separation between the pagan world and the  deepening beliefs of Avraham (Aaron Fruchter), a faith that now will be elevated for all to see.

Verse 19

The verse makes no mention of Yitzchak returning with his father Avraham. Perhaps the Torah thought it superfluous. Perhaps after this traumatic experience, Yitzchak avoided his father and chose an alternate route home. Moslems believe that Yitzchak died and only Ishmael survived.

David Gleitman speculates that it was these two “lads” (Ishmael and Eliezer) who later told Sarah that Yitzchak was dead.

Rabbi H. L. Berenholz