Roberto Szerer

ירק את חניכיו ילידי ביתו

He armed his disciples who had been born in his house. (14:14)

A war was to be waged in order to rescue Lot. Avraham Avinu wasted no time in gathering his students and setting out to the battlefield. Obviously, the Torah has a reason for relating this piece of history. Certainly, it is not to teach us about Avraham’s physical prowess and his skill as a soldier and as a general. Indeed, the image of our Patriarch that is presented in this parshah is blurred. On the one hand, Chazal teach that Avraham took hold of a hammer and smashed his father’s idols. He followed this up by arming himself and going…

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ויבא הפליט ויגד לאברם העברי

Roberto Szerer In Lech Lecha, 5778

Then there came the fugitive and told Avram, the Ivri. (14:13)

Avram haIvri, the conjunctive name, Avram the Ivri, is found only once in the Torah. It defines our Patriarch as being on one side, the other side, alone against the world. An individual whose moral, spiritual and ethical compass stood in stark contrast to that of the entire world – and continues to do so until this very day. Some people need to be popular, to receive public accolades, to be surrounded by the crowds, to be accepted by everyone. We understand that public appeal and acclaim can be dangerous snares that might devour a weak person. They are willing…

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וגם ללוט ההלך את אברם היה צאן ובקר ואהלים

Roberto Szerer In Lech Lecha, 5778

Also Lot who went with Avram had Flocks, cattle and tents. (13:5)

The Torah relates that Lot, who was traveling with Avraham Avinu, was very wealthy. Since the Torah wastes no words, informing us of Lot’s wealth hardly seems significant. Why does the Torah mention it, and what are we to learn from it? Rashi explains that Lot’s affluence was caused by his traveling with Avraham. How did Rashi understand that this is implied by the pasuk? Horav Shlomo Wolbe, zl, explains that every physical entity is a manifestation of a spiritual source. If Lot were wealthy, it could be traced back to its spiritual source. Lot’s wealth was not created simply…

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ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן

Roberto Szerer In Lech Lecha, 5778

And the souls they made in Charan. (12:5)

Avraham Avinu was the amud ha’chesed, pillar of kindness. What was his greatest kindness? It was reaching out to people and teaching them about Hashem. To save a person from the clutches of idol worship and inculcate him with belief in monotheism is the greatest act of kindness, because this person has been saved – not only spiritually, but physically as well. We involve ourselves in all forms of chesed projects, but the most basic act of reaching out to our estranged brethren seems to elude us. This is especially true if the subject is in an environment that is…

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לך לך... ואעשך לגוי גדול

Roberto Szerer In Lech Lecha, 5778

Go for yourself… and I will make of you a great nation. (12:1,2)

לך לך… ואעשך לגוי גדול Go for yourself… and I will make of you a great nation. (12:1,2) The term/class/status, minority, implies deficiency to a certain extent. Indeed, in contemporary society (and probably much earlier), the appellation, minority, relegates its members, or member, to an implied second-class status. This, of course, is dependent on the individual or individuals who fall under this status, either imposed by the members of the majority or self-imposed – due to a desire to segregate themselves from the majority. Having said this, we will analyze our People’s status – both vis-à-vis the world community and…

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ברך עלינו... ואת כל מיני תבואתה לטובה

Roberto Szerer In Noach, 5778

Bareich aleinu… v’es kol minei sevuasah l’tovah.

In this brachah, we pray for sustenance. When one consumes food without first praying for the food, he makes the food loathsome. In his Yearos Dvash, Horav Yehonasan Eibeshutz, zl, notes that Horav Moshe Cordovero, zl, the Rmak, would not even set the table without first praying for sustenance. It is, thus, appropriate that we pray to Hashem every day; petitioning Him to help us earn an honest living. We realize the inappropriateness of eating food which is tainted with any form of wrongdoing – whether it is in the area of kashrus of the product, or kashrus in the…

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ויאמר ד' לנח בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התב

Roberto Szerer In Noach, 5778

Then Hashem said to Noach, “Come to the Ark, you and all your household.” (7:1)

The Zohar HaKadosh asks, “Could Hashem not have secured Noach in a corner of the world, safe from the raging waters of the mabul, flood?” He could have transported Noach to Eretz Yisrael, which was left unscathed, and have him remain there throughout the deluge. Rabbi Shimon explains that Hashem wanted Noach to experience the flood, to see its massive destruction. Why did Hashem want Noach to be in the Ark, within the floodwaters, surrounded by death? Horav Chaim Zaitchick, zl, explains that it was important for Noach to see and feel, to see the dead and dying, to feel…

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בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התבה

Roberto Szerer In Noach, 5778

Come to the Ark, you and all your household. (7:1)

A teivah is an Ark, a container, a box which holds an object within its confines. Teivah is also a word. The Chassidic Masters, notably the Baal Shem Tov, zl, render Hashem’s command to Noach to “Come into the Teivah” homiletically. Hashem is also saying: “Enter into the words of prayer and Torah study; there you will find a sanctuary of wisdom, meaning and holiness amidst the raging flood waters of life.” The various commentators expound on this play-on-word translation. Perhaps we can focus on the meaning of teivah/word as the reason for the disaster that befell that generation, and…

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נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Roberto Szerer In Noach, 5778

Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generation. (6:9)

The Talmud Sanhedrin 108b relates that actually the decree to annihilate the dor haMabul, generation of the Flood, had originally applied to Noach as well. It was rescinded due to the chein, favor, Noach found before Hashem: V’Noach matzah chein b’einei Hashem, “Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem” (Bereishis 6:8). The question which confronts the reader is whether or not Noach was worthy of reprieve. If he was not, why should “favor” alter his sentence? Since when does favor determine one’s worthiness? Our sages debate the integrity of Noach’s virtue: Did it stand on its own accord, or…

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נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

Roberto Szerer In Noach, 5778

Noach was a righteous man perfect in his generations. (6:9)

We do not find another leader treated as negatively and judged as harshly as Noach. The Torah writes, Tamim hayah b’dorosav; “Perfect in his generations.” Chazal interpret, “in his generations” in two ways. Some maintain this to be praiseworthy. Noach was righteous and perfect, even though he lived in a generation that was so corrupt that it had to be wiped out. Others counter that this statement is far from laudatory. Indeed, it implies that Noach’s righteousness was viewed relative to his community. They were so evil that they made him look good! The issue is not whether Noach was…

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ירק את חניכיו ילידי ביתו

He armed his disciples who had been born in his house. (14:14)

ויבא הפליט ויגד לאברם העברי

Then there came the fugitive and told Avram, the Ivri. (14:13)

וגם ללוט ההלך את אברם היה צאן ובקר ואהלים

Also Lot who went with Avram had Flocks, cattle and tents. (13:5)

ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן

And the souls they made in Charan. (12:5)

לך לך... ואעשך לגוי גדול

Go for yourself… and I will make of you a great nation. (12:1,2)

ברך עלינו... ואת כל מיני תבואתה לטובה

Bareich aleinu… v’es kol minei sevuasah l’tovah.

ויאמר ד' לנח בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התב

Then Hashem said to Noach, “Come to the Ark, you and all your household.” (7:1)

בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התבה

Come to the Ark, you and all your household. (7:1)

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generation. (6:9)

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

Noach was a righteous man perfect in his generations. (6:9)

YEARS

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