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אמר אל הכהנים בני אהרן ואמרת אליהם לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו

Say to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and you shall say to them: to a (dead) person he shall not become impure among his people. (21:1)

Chazal (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 26:6) quotes the pasuk in Sefer Tehillim (19:10), Yiraas Hashem tehorah omedes la’ad, “Fear of Hashem is pure, it will stand for all eternity.” Rav Levi said, “Because Aharon HaKohen maintained such fear of Hashem, he was given this parsha, which will accompany his children and their descendants until the end of time.” Which parsha is this? The parsha which addresses the avoidance of impurity. It sounds as if the primary requirement imposed upon the Kohanim is the mandate that they maintain a heightened level of purity. What about the prohibition against marrying a divorcee or…

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And he said, is he not rightly named Yaakov, for he has supplanted me these two times. (27:36)

The various commentators seem to have one theme in their understanding of hbceghu. Targum Onkelos interprets it as “he has outsmarted me.” Ibn Ezra relates this term to ceg, as in ckv ceg (crooked heart), thereby meaning “to take a crooked and cunning route.” Rashi explains it as “setting a trap.” They all seem to be consistent in explaining ceg as including the idea of devious undertaking with malice aforethought to reach one’s goal.  Indeed, this analysis is confirmed by the fact that Yaakov was compelled to “trick” his brother on two occasions. As Rabbi E. Munk z.t.l. notes, this…

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And they (Esov’s wives) were a source of bitterness of spirit to Yitzchak and Rivkah. (26:35)

Esov married Canaanite girls, the very women who Avraham had admonished Eliezer not to take for Yitzchak. The reality that these women were idol worshippers was a source of anguish to Yitzchak and Rivkah. In stating this fact, the Torah mentions Yitzchak’s name before Rivkah’s. The Midrash gives an insightful explanation for this. Yitzchak, having been reared in an environment of holiness and purity, was more intensely provoked by idol worship than Rivkah. Although Rivkah was a devout believer in Hashem, the abomination of idol worship seemed to lose its odium because of her prior exposure to it. Her tolerance…

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Two nations are in your womb, and two people shall be separated from your bowels. (25:23)

Rashi states, “Already from the very bowels of Rivkah, they are separated, one to his wickedness and the other to his righteousness.” Rabbi Moshe Swift z.t.l. makes a poignant observation. The child is molded in the mother’s womb. In the home, the child is reared. The Jewish ideology which a child receives from within his home makes a major impact upon his perspective of life. Even the influence of an extremely adverse external influence is limited if the individual has been properly molded “from the womb.” We often hear parents place the blame for their own incompetence and lack of…

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And the children struggled together within her. And she said if (it be) so why am I like this . And Hashem said to her two nations are in your womb. (25:22,23)

Rivkah, struggling through unusual pains of pregnancy, became so distraught that she went to seek guidance at the Bais Ha’Midrash of Shem and Ever. She was told that she was carrying twins who were disparate in belief and temperament. They would eventually go their own separate ways, one to do good and the other inclined to the path of evil. This seems puzzling. How was Rivkah comforted by the knowledge that two nations existed within her womb?  Did the news of the imminent birth of an evil son make her pregnancy any easier? Indeed, the grim news that awaited Rivkah,…

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And she took the veil and covered herself. (24:65)

When Rivkah saw Yitzchak coming towards her, she questioned Eliezer concerning his identity. When Eliezer responded that it was his master, Yitzchak, whom she would soon marry, she immediately covered her face with a veil out of tznius, modesty. Rashi states that the word xf,,u, “and she covered,” should actually be translated “and she was covered” because it is the hispael, reflexive form, of the verb.  He compares this to two other words, rce,u, “and she was buried,” and rca,u, “and it was broken.” Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz z.t.l. suggests that Rashi’s choice of examples, i.e. breaking and burial, are deliberate….

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And I said to my master, perhaps the woman will not follow me. (24:39)

The Midrash cites a pasuk in Hoshea  (12:8) “As for the merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand, he loves to oppress.” applying it to Eliezer. Since he did not reveal his true intentions of seeking to have Yitzchak marry his daughter, he is labeled as deceitful. This seems puzzling. Is someone considered a liar just for covering up the truth? Never did Eliezer utter an untruth, yet he is referred to as deceitful! Rabbi Tzvi H. Volk suggests the following insight into the Midrash. He cites Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe who disagreed citing the popular dictum: “Whatever comes out…

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And I said to my master, perhaps the woman will not follow me. (24:39)

Upon meeting with Rivkah’s family, Eliezer recounted his entire discussion with Avraham. Included in the conversation, Eliezer related his anxiety that the prospective bride might refuse his offer. Rashi cites the reason behind this fear. Eliezer, himself, had a daughter for whom he sought Yitzchak as a husband. Upon approaching Avraham with the idea of this match, he encountered a negative response. Avraham’s rejection was based upon the fact that Eliezer, as a descendant of Canaan, was considered cursed, while Yitzchak was blessed. A union between one who is blessed and one who is cursed cannot endure.  The spelling of…

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And Avraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. (23:2)

Chazal teach that the initial three days of shiva (the mourning period), are to be dedicated to be’chi, weeping. These days are followed by the remaining days, designated for hesped, eulogy. First one lets himself go by crying, dramatically demonstrating the feeling of loss he has experienced with the passing of the deceased. This is followed by an intellectual appreciation of the deceased. Therefore, it seems puzzling that Avraham transposed the sequence by first eulogizing and afterwards weeping. Rabbi A.M. Shach, Shlita, explains this change in the following manner. Situations sometimes occur in which the hesped must precede be’chi. Only…

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And Avraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a ram afterwards caught in the thicket by his horns . . . and he took the ram and brought him up for a burnt-offering instead of his son. (22:13)

The Midrash states that Avraham saw that the horns of the ram always became entangled in the bushes. The ram became entangled in one shrub and freed itself, only to immediately be caught in another shrub.  Noting this phenomenon, Hashem told Avraham, “Similarly your children will be ensnared and trapped by one exile after another. They will go from Bavel, to Media, onto Greece, and lastly to Rome. In the end they will finally be redeemed by the Shofar sound of this ram’s horn.” This Midrash seems enigmatic. Why would Hashem choose this moment to tell Avraham the bad news…

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