A thought on Parshas Vayetzei

"...v'haya zara'cha ka'afar ha'aretz..."
"...and your descendants will be like the dust of the earth..." (28:14)

Throughout the Torah and NaCh, the Jewish people are compared to various elements. We are at times like the stars, at times like the sand of the seashore. The image of being like the earth, the dirt, the dust of the ground, seems somehow less lofty, less picturesque. It calls up memories of those days in elementary school when the good readers were in the "Bluebirds" group. The pretty good readers were in the "Robins." Those students who were slower readers were in the "Crows." That group, the Crows, did not feel as good about themselves as the others. There is something about a title or description which conjures up a feeling. What does the Torah intend here? What was our patriarch Yakov to understand when HaShem compared his descendants to the dust of the earth?

The Rambam (Igerres Teiman) writes that this imagery helped Yakov understand the long cycle of Jewish survival in centuries to come. At times we have been like the dirt. Our nation has been trampled on as invading forces have tread upon us and host nations have sought to stamp us out. We have been like the lowly earth beneath their feet.

However, stamp on the soil and the dust rises. It coats one boots. It leaves its mark upon those who have tampered with it. Moreover, in the end, the aggressor lies buried beneath that same soil. And the dust of the earth endures.

Yakov was promised that over time and over circumstance, the Jewish nation would survive. When the dust has settled, it remains dust. But it remains. The late tzadik Rav Zalman Ury zt'l used to recall how the Jews in the concentration camps would assert, "mir vellen zae iberlebben" - we will outlive our enemies. This was the vision of Yakov Avinu.

* * * * *

The Rosh looks at our verse within the context of the verse it precedes: after comparing the descendants of Yakov to the dust of the earth, HaShem says that they will spread out to the west, the east, the north and the south.

The ground is "connected to itself". It extends in all directions. Moreover, the dust which rises from the ground spreads out as well. Travel through the desert when the wind blows and you can track the clouds known as "dust devils" which swirl up-and-around as they carry their misty particles across the distant terrain.

HaShem signified to Yakov Avinu that whereas he lay asleep on a small parcel of ground, that spot was really the nexus of all the lands and continents which the Jewish people would reach. They would spread up, they would rise and in that positive sense they would one day be comparable to the topography which extends beyond the far horizons. They would one day ascend and travel far and near in enunciating the words of HaShem's Torah.

When the navi Yishayahu (58:14) proclaims that HaShem "will feed you the inheritance of Yakov", our sages explain that this is the "inheritance beyond all boundaries." The Rosh understands this as the message of "dust of the earth." The Jewish nation will be revered among the nations and our mark upon humanity will be indelible and welcome.

Wishing you a good Shabbos. D Fox

A Thought On Parshas VaYetzae

A Thought On Parshas VaYetzae


"...v'haya zara'cha ka'afar ha'aretz..."
"...and your descendants will be like the dust of the earth..." (28:14)

Throughout the Torah and NaCh, the Jewish people are compared to various elements. We are at times like the stars, at times like the sand of the seashore. The image of being like the earth, the dirt, the dust of the ground, seems somehow less lofty, less picturesque. It calls up memories of those days in elementary school when the good readers were in the "Bluebirds" group. The pretty good readers were in the "Robins." Those students who were slower readers were in the "Crows." That group, the Crows, did not feel as good about themselves as the others. There is something about a title or description which conjures up a feeling. What does the Torah intend here? What was our patriarch Yakov to understand when HaShem compared his descendants to the dust of the earth?

The Rambam (Igerres Teiman) writes that this imagery helped Yakov understand the long cycle of Jewish survival in centuries to come. At times we have been like the dirt. Our nation has been trampled on as invading forces have tread upon us and host nations have sought to stamp us out. We have been like the lowly earth beneath their feet.

However, stamp on the soil and the dust rises. It coats one boots. It leaves its mark upon those who have tampered with it. Moreover, in the end, the aggressor lies buried beneath that same soil. And the dust of the earth endures.

Yakov was promised that over time and over circumstance, the Jewish nation would survive. When the dust has settled, it remains dust. But it remains. The late tzadik Rav Zalman Ury zt'l used to recall how the Jews in the concentration camps would assert, "mir vellen zae iberlebben" - we will outlive our enemies. This was the vision of Yakov Avinu.

* * * * *

The Rosh looks at our verse within the context of the verse it precedes: after comparing the descendants of Yakov to the dust of the earth, HaShem says that they will spread out to the west, the east, the north and the south.

The ground is "connected to itself". It extends in all directions. Moreover, the dust which rises from the ground spreads out as well. Travel through the desert when the wind blows and you can track the clouds known as "dust devils" which swirl up-and-around as they carry their misty particles across the distant terrain.

HaShem signified to Yakov Avinu that whereas he lay asleep on a small parcel of ground, that spot was really the nexus of all the lands and continents which the Jewish people would reach. They would spread up, they would rise and in that positive sense they would one day be comparable to the topography which extends beyond the far horizons. They would one day ascend and travel far and near in enunciating the words of HaShem's Torah.

When the navi Yishayahu (58:14) proclaims that HaShem "will feed you the inheritance of Yakov", our sages explain that this is the "inheritance beyond all boundaries." The Rosh understands this as the message of "dust of the earth." The Jewish nation will be revered among the nations and our mark upon humanity will be indelible and welcome.

Wishing you a good Shabbos. D Fox

A Thought On Parshas Toldos

A Thought On Parshas Toldos

"...va'yarach es rei'ach begadav..."
"...and he smelled the fragrance of his garments...." (27:27)

The Torah makes a point of depicting how Yitzchak inhaled the fragrance of Yakov's garments. Our sages have taught that the dual meaning of the word beged (garment) is boged, one who betrays. What is the "scent of the traitors"? For that matter, who are the ones who betray whom?

The Rambam (Igeres HaShmad) writes that this verse refers to those who are persecuted and who give in to the threats and terror of genocide. They do not intend to rebel against HaShem nor to seek pleasure or benefit by submitting to forced conversion. Rather, they succumb to what the navi Yishayahu foretells (21:15) - they falter at the threat of drawn weapons and oppressive pogroms.

The Rambam knew of such people who, in his era, were persecuted by Islam to the degree that some became "anusim." He writes that they too will be embraced again as they make their ways back to Torah, as Dovid HaMelech promises (Tehillim 22:5), "for He will not reject nor shun the downtrodden." The Rambam encourages those who went into hiding and masked their faith: HaShem will not forsake them nor neglect them! This is symbolized in Yaakov donning the cloak of Esav in a deceptive charade. Yitzchak was able to sense the soul within, and the essence beneath, that acquired trapping of the hidden Jew. When the time of redemption comes, those who may have appeared to betray the covenant will again give forth their true fragrance.

* * * * *

"...v'rav ya'avod tza'ir..."
"...and the greater will serve the smaller..." (25:23)

The vision shared with Rivka is that her internal upheaval portends the enduring struggle of the two nations whom she will bear, those of Yakov and Esav. She is told, in our verse, that the "greater one" will serve the "smaller one." We would assume that this forecasts those times in history when the other nations will look up to the Jewish people, and we, the smaller and lesser ones, will be served by them.

The word rav takes on a number of meanings in Hebrew. It can mean great, much, many. We derived the above interpretation from its assumed meaning of "great." Esav was the greater one and Israel the smaller.

The Rosh sees it differently. He writes that in context here, the word rav means much. The verse forecasts that there will come much time in the future when the smaller one, the tza' ir which is the Jewish people, will be forced to serve others.

He translates the verse as long will the smaller one be enslaved. "Because of our wayward acts," the Rosh adds, "this has already happened among us. It will continue until our Merciful Father takes pity upon us."

The Rosh endured the persecution of European Christianity, and knew some of the early casualties of those who in centuries to come would be known as the anusim of Ashkenazic Jewry. Both the Rosh and the Rambam see within the saga of Parshas Toldos the events which have befallen us as we wrestle with galus and its oppression. The Rosh introduces an interpretation of our verse which is ominous. Long will our people be subjected to exile. The Rosh promises that this will end when HaShem shows us Divine mercy.

The Rambam introduces an interpretation of Yakov's camouflaging himself as Esav. While this too is ominous as it foretells the horror of the crypto-Jewish experience in exile, he sees an end to this as well. With geula will come a revelation of those who were forced to live a hidden life. Long ago, Yitzchak savored the sweet fragrance of those yearning to shed the cloak of despair and to revive the voice of Yakov.

May those times come speedily in our days. They may already have begun.

Good Shabbos. D Fox

A thought on פרשת חיה שרה

"...va'yetze Yitzchak la'suach ba'sadeh lifnos arev..."
"...and Yitzchak went out to the field to talk, as evening approached..." (24:63)

The image of a solitary patriarch alone in the field at sunset is striking. Even before we begin pondering that scene, the Talmud hastens to illustrate how this interesting word, sicha, means more than talking or speaking. It refers to the meditative form of spoken prayer. Our patriarch Yitzchak was out in the field near sunset immersed in the language of prayer.

The Rambam (Hilchos Melachim 9:1) writes that this image, while certainly picturesque, is also illustrative. The Biblical accounts of the lives of our forefathers, although taking place prior to the Giving of the Torah, are nonetheless instructional. Their deeds presage the formal commandments which are the eternal mitzvos. Yitzchak modeled the form and timing of our obligation to pray an afternoon tefilla known as mincha.

Our singular source for conduct, both ritual and interpersonal, is the Torah. This passage was given at matan Torah. It is not just a historical anecdote. It captures through its vivid illustration two formal instructions: we engage in prayer beyond that of our morning tefillas shacharis, and we offer this prayer in the latter part of the daytime. In the chronology of spiritual events, it was Yitzchak who added this particular prayer to the life routine which has become the Torah way of life.

* * * * *

The Rosh puzzles over some other Talmudic sources. There are references to an afternoon prayer credited to our patriarch Avraham. After all, our sages have taught that Avraham Avinu anticipated and observed life principles and rules which would ultimately be found in the Written and the Oral Torah. It would follow that he prayed in the afternoon.

Our verse, and our sage's elucidation, attributes mincha to Yitzchak! How can the Talmud also refer to this as "tzilusae d'Avraham" - the supplication of Avraham? The Rosh suggests that prayers were certainly offered up by our first forefather. Yet, praying is more than a set formula. Prayer is subjective. It is an offering in the sense that one immerses his or herself in the words and allows the mouth to utter the longings of the heart and the stirrings of the soul. Avraham knew this and did this.

He may not, however, have instituted this as form of obligation. It was only upon his son Yitzchak's embracing the practice that Avraham instructed his family and their descendants to affix tefillas mincha into their life routine. A person can be inspired to do something good and holy, and it may be very personal. When others are in turn inspired in like fashion, that practice may become widely adopted. It is important to preserve that practice but it is also important to preserve the soul-stirring heart-felt personal quality of that sacred act.

In our embracing the prayer practices set by each of the three avos, we must strive to maintain a touch of that subjectivity. Each of us must go out alone into that field of solitude and offer our prayer. Alone among others. Good Shabbos. D Fox

A thought on פרשדת וירא

"...va'yikra Avraham shem ha'makom HaShem yireh..."
"and Avraham called that place 'HaShem will see'..." (22:14)

After Akeidas Yitzchak, Avraham gave a name to the mountain where he had built an altar to HaShem. He named that place "HaShem Will See." That title seems mysterious and secretive. It seems to allude to a future event and to HaShem's omniscience; the name seems almost incomplete. Imagine if a place was named "It Is Where You Can..." or a book was entitled "When The." We would ponder the absence of closure and wonder about the deeper meaning or the reason for the obscurity. Just what will HaShem see? What would He see that has not already been foreseen by Him? Let us look for an interpretation of a spot on a mountain named "HaShem Will See."

The Rambam (Hilchos Bais HaBechira 2:1; Moreh HaNevuchim 3:45) writes that Avraham foresaw that this spot was already designated as the center of sanctity on earth. It is a tradition of ours, he writes, that Adam was formed there and made a sacrifice there, Kayin and Hevel brought forth their offerings there, Noach consecrated his shrine there upon disembarking from the ark.

Avraham instructed his descendants that this was to be the central location for serving HaShem. Moshe Rabbeinu knew, as did many others then and in times to come, that the spot where the akeida took place was and would be the place where our nation would focus its efforts to commune with the Divine Will.

However, throughout the Torah, it is spoken about only by reference, by allusion. There are many verses in Devarim where the Torah says, "the place which HaShem will choose" in referring to the Bais HaMikdash. This seems as mysterious as the name given it by Avraham, "HaShem Will See." What lurks beneath these enigmatic expressions?

The Rambam concludes that the history and destiny of this mountain were known only through the mesora, the tradition passed down from our earliest patriarchal ancestors. Its exact location could be identified only by a prophet who contained the sacred tradition. It was only Dovid HaMelech who would reveal the precise location which had been chosen and predesignated by select great figures from Adam through Avraham.

Avraham knew this, prophetically, and could only name the place "HaShem Will See", for HaShem alone would see to it that when the nation was deserving and the time was right, the makom ha'mikdash would become known again. Dovid was the chosen one and while he did not build the Temple, he alone was given the vision to reveal its sacred spot.

* * * * *

The Rosh offers a different yet compatible interpretation on the name "HaShem Will See" which in the Sacred Tongue of the Torah is "HaShem Yireh." Other names were also used in referring to that area. Earlier (14:18) it is called Shalem. Here it is called Yireh. Dovid HaMelech held the tradition and knew the history. He understood that the Torah had used both references to that sacred spot, one preceding the Akeida and one following it. Both names were significant for they captured the continuity of that mountaintop's enduring role as the core region for worship, as the primary place where great individuals had sought out a Divine encounter, and the place prepared for the multitudes to sense the Sacred.

Blending the names into Yirehshalem and to our familiar Yerushalayim captured the continuity, the history and the sanctity of our Jerusalem. Dovid alone was chosen to reveal the precise location and he had the merit of affixing it with the name which still endures. When Avraham referred to it as "HaShem Will See", the tentativeness of that name alludes to the temporary nature of that title. Although Dovid would not build the Temple there, he would declare its eternal name, Jerusalem.

These two great rishonim approach this secretive verse with shared curiosity, and offer two windows into the deep mystery of its words. Both help us sense why our yearning for times to come is depicted as, "Return in mercy to Your city Jerusalem...and speedily establish in it the throne of Dovid."

Good Shabbos. D Fox