Mikeitz 5780

Mikeitz

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THE BLIND HAVE DEEPER INSIGHT

Adapted from Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky’s talk

I am so grateful to the readership of TableTalk as you provide me the opportunity of ‘pirsumei nisa’ on this beautiful holiday of Chanuka. In light of the holiday I wish to dedicate this thought to Chanukah rather than to this week’s Parsha, Mikeitz.

Chanukah celebrates our survival and ultimate triumph over the threat of assimilation into the Greek culture. Although we achieved both military and political victories against the Greeks, it is the religious victory that we celebrate. The reason for this is because the criteria of being worthy of establishing a holiday on our calendar is that the event must be an historically alter-ing event. For example, the Exodus transformed us into a people. The receiving of the Torah gave definition to our mission as a people and so on.

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Mikeitz 5779

Mikeitz

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THE SMALL WEAK FLAME CONTINUES TO BURN

Among the many lessons of Chanukah is the power of the minority. We find this quality is underscored in the Al Hanisim that is said multiple times a day throughout Chanukah. The composers of this prayer equate the purity and the righteousness of our people to their being weak and few in numbers. Certainly, purity and righteous-ness qualify us and make us worthy of victory. But how does being weak and few in numbers make us worthy of victory?

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Vayeitzei 5783

Vayeitzei

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The Stones

Our Parsha opens with Yaakov Avinu on his way to Uncle Lavan to find a wife. He lies down on what is today the Temple Mount and surrounds himself with a set of 12 stones. Chazal teach us that the stones began to quarrel. Each one claiming that Yaakov should rest his head on it. They quarreled until they united into a single stone. They lost their respective distinctness and blended into one single stone.

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Vayishlach 5780

Vayishlach

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CHAIN OF COMMAND

Adapted from Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky’s talk

In this week’s Parsha, Vayishlach, we find Yaakov having to wrestle with the angel of Eisov. The struggle lasts the entire night until the angel sees that he is unable to bring down Yaakov. In one final effort the angel succeeds in dislocating Yaakov’s thighbone. Although, Yaakov is recognized as the victor, he nevertheless suffers injury. What is the significance of this story and how is it relevant to us?

Our Sages teach us that the human body is divided into three parts. The first is the head which is directed by the mind, the second is the upper torso which is directed by the heart and the remainder of the body which is directed by the liver.

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Vayishlach 5778

Vayishlach

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WHAT A NAME!

In this week’s Parsha, Vayishlach, our father Yaakov encounters the angel of Eisov. After winning him at a wrestling match, Yaakov asks the angel what his name is. The angel tells him that angels like him do not have set names. The reason for this is that their mission changes every time HaKadosh baruch Hu sends him out. Since his mission is constantly changing, no set name would be appropriate.

The Torah is teaching us that our name defines our mission. Consequently, when one’s mission is constantly changing they can have no set name.

When reviewing this point of the Parsha I wondered about our name “Jew”. What is our constant mission and how does the name “Jew” reflect it?

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Vayeitzei 5779

Vayeitzei

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ENTITLEMENT OR INDEBTEDNESS

In this week’s Parsha, Vayeitzei, we find the first expression of thanks in the Torah. Upon giving birth to Yehudah, Leah states that she now gives thanks to HaShem. The obvious question is why did she wait until the birth of her fourth child and not express her thanks at the birth of her first? The answer lies in the nature of ‘hodo-ah’, thanks, which derives from ‘hodah’ which means to concede, to admit or to confess. Leah felt that she somehow deserved her first three children because she knew that Yaakov was to father 12 sons from four wives. Therefore, each wife deserved three children. Once she was given a fourth child, she acknowledged that she received more than she deserved.

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Vayeitzei 5778

Vayechi

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WARNING: DANGER AHEAD

This week’s Parsha, Vayeitzei, opens with Yaakov on his way to his mother’s brother, Uncle Lavan, to find for himself a wife and to build the seminal Jewish family. Uncle Lavan is a notorious swindler whose daughters are remark-ably virtuous. Along his way, Yaakov was robbed of everything that he had taken with him and was now penniless but full of hope and trust in HaKadosh baruch Hu. Yaakov turns to HaShem with the following deal. “If HaShem will be with me as I travel along this path and He will protect me and provide me with bread to eat and clothing to wear and return me to my father’s home… then HaShem will be Guide etc.”
It is noteworthy that in the Book of Bamidbar the Torah instructs the kohanim to bless the Jewish people with the following blessing. “HaShem shall bless you and protect you.”

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Vayeitzei 5777

Vayeitzei

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THE ORCHESTRA AND THE ROLEX

This week’s Parsha, Vayeitzei, teaches us a great lesson in the unity to which we must aspire and achieve for us to accomplish our mission.

The Parsha begins with a scene of our father, Yaakov, laying down for the night on the ground on the way to his Uncle Lavan’s home in search of a wife. “He took from the stones of the place and placed them around his head…And he took the stone which he placed around his head and set it as a monument.” Our Sages point out the seeming inconsistency. Initially he took multiple stones to place around his head and when he awoke he took the stone (singular) which he placed around his head; was it many stones or was it just one stone? Our Sages teach us that initially Yaakov took 12 stones to place around his head but the stones began to quarrel, each stone argued that it should be the one upon which Yaakov’s head shall rest. After all the stones made their argument they merged into one single stone. This story requires an explanation. What does it mean that a stone has a position on what it should be doing? Furthermore, the argument sounds competitive with each stone trying to claim that other stones are wrong. Is there competition among stones?

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Toldos 5783

Toldos

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ONE QUESTION; WHICH DIRECTION

Parshas Toldos introduces us to the birth of Yaakov and Eisov, the central players of world history. Yaakov plays the role of the hero who will bring the world to its ultimate destiny when HaShem will be recognized and accepted by all. Eisov plays the role of Yaakov’s nemesis. Eisov is the one who tries to block Yaakov, using his many tactics, from achieving his goal. Hashgacha had it that these two players be born to the same parents in the same womb at the same time – they are twins. Their dichotomous relationship is reminiscent of the two goats that were prepared for the Yom Kippur service. They were supposed to be the same height, same value and as much as possible to resemble one another. One of these goats would be brought before HaShem in the Bais Hamikdosh and the other thrown down a cliff to appease the satan. The only distinction was the direction they were going.

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Chayei Sara 5783

Chayei Sara

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IT IS NEVER ENOUGH

When Avraham instructs Eliezer to go to Aram Naharyim to find a wife for Yitzchok, Eliezer raises the concern that perhaps the woman will not want to come. Avraham tells Eliezer not to worry; “HaShem Who took me from my father’s house and promised to me that my children will inherit this Land, He will send his angel before you.” Armed with the blessing of Avraham, Eliezer heads out to Aram Naharyim . When he arrives at the city well he turns in prayer to HaShem and pleads to please grant him success in finding the woman who is destined for Yitzchok. 

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