Lech Lecha – Page 11 – Peninim on the Torah

“And he pitched his tent, with Beth-el on the west and Ai on the east.” (12:8)

Horav Aharon Kotler, z.l., would often cite Horav Yehudah Leib Fine, z.l., the rav of Slonim, who commented on the way the Torah depicts Avraham Avinu’s travels. The Torah records that Avraham pitched his tent with Beth-el on one side and Ai on the other. These were both large cities. Indeed, Ai even had a sovereign during the period in which Yehoshua conquered it. Avraham’s tent, on the other hand, was of a temporary nature, pitched on the crossroads. One would expect the geographical locus of the tent to be secondary to the major cities, i.e., the tent is located…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5761

“And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Avram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock…So Avram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between me and you.’” (13:7-8)

Rashi cites the Midrash that tells us the rationale behind the justification of Lot’s herdsmen for stealing. They were wicked and grazed their cattle in the fields of others. When Avraham’s shepherds rebuked them for their theft, they would respond, “The land has been given to Avraham. He has no heir, so Lot, his brother’s son, will inherit his estate. Consequently, it is not theft. Ultimately, it will all belong to Lot anyway.” Their mistake was, of course, that as long as the Canaanite and Perizzite nations dwelled in the land, Avraham did not yet possess it. Horav Shlomo…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5761

“Now the people of Sodom were wicked and sinful to Hashem, exceedingly.” (13:13)

Horav Yaakov Moshe Charlop, z.l., claims that the evil perpetrated by the inhabitants of Sodom was motivated by a philosophy of evil. This is the only way that this evil could have spread throughout the entire community to the point that there were not even ten righteous people to be found. When evil becomes a doctrine, when sin becomes a matter of principle, it is difficult to overcome. The more one speaks out against the evil, the more the evil- doer will adhere to his “convictions” and “beliefs.” There is no room for reason or logic. Horav Charlop attributes the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5761

“And he trusted in Hashem, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (15:6)

Avraham Avinu exemplified emunah, faith, in Hashem. Many people believe in Hashem, but, how many actually live with emunah? To say that one’s faith and conviction in the Almighty is integral to one’s life is truly a strong statement. There are people, however, to whom this idea applies. Hashem tests us all of the time. As believing Jews, these nisyonos, tests/trials, are an evaluation of our degree of emunah. Ostensibly, the greater one’s emunah, the more difficult is the test. A while ago, I read in one of the Jewish periodicals about the reaction of secular Jews in Eretz Yisrael…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5760

“And he pitched his tent, with Beth-el on the west and Ai on the east.” (12:8)

Horav Aharon Kotler, z.l., would often cite Horav Yehudah Leib Fine, z.l., the rav of Slonim, who commented on the way the Torah depicts Avraham Avinu’s travels. The Torah records that Avraham pitched his tent with Beth-el on one side and Ai on the other. These were both large cities. Indeed, Ai even had a sovereign during the period in which Yehoshua conquered it. Avraham’s tent, on the other hand, was of a temporary nature, pitched on the crossroads. One would expect the geographical locus of the tent to be secondary to the major cities, i.e., the tent is located…

Home -> 5760 -> Lech Lecha

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5760

“And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Avram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock…So Avram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between me and you.’” (13:7-8)

Rashi cites the Midrash that tells us the rationale behind the justification of Lot’s herdsmen for stealing. They were wicked and grazed their cattle in the fields of others. When Avraham’s shepherds rebuked them for their theft, they would respond, “The land has been given to Avraham. He has no heir, so Lot, his brother’s son, will inherit his estate. Consequently, it is not theft. Ultimately, it will all belong to Lot anyway.” Their mistake was, of course, that as long as the Canaanite and Perizzite nations dwelled in the land, Avraham did not yet possess it. Horav Shlomo…

Home -> 5760 -> Lech Lecha

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5760

“Now the people of Sodom were wicked and sinful to Hashem, exceedingly.” (13:13)

Horav Yaakov Moshe Charlop, z.l., claims that the evil perpetrated by the inhabitants of Sodom was motivated by a philosophy of evil. This is the only way that this evil could have spread throughout the entire community to the point that there were not even ten righteous people to be found. When evil becomes a doctrine, when sin becomes a matter of principle, it is difficult to overcome. The more one speaks out against the evil, the more the evil- doer will adhere to his “convictions” and “beliefs.” There is no room for reason or logic. Horav Charlop attributes the…

Home -> 5760 -> Lech Lecha

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5760

“And he trusted in Hashem, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (15:6)

Avraham Avinu exemplified emunah, faith, in Hashem. Many people believe in Hashem, but, how many actually live with emunah? To say that one’s faith and conviction in the Almighty is integral to one’s life is truly a strong statement. There are people, however, to whom this idea applies. Hashem tests us all of the time. As believing Jews, these nisyonos, tests/trials, are an evaluation of our degree of emunah. Ostensibly, the greater one’s emunah, the more difficult is the test. A while ago, I read in one of the Jewish periodicals about the reaction of secular Jews in Eretz Yisrael…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5759

Go for yourself from your land. (12:1)

Hashem is telling Avraham to leave for his own benefit. As long as he remained in Charan, he would not merit the privilege of begetting children or the opportunity of successfully reaching out to a pagan society. Interestingly, Chazal consider Avraham Avinu’s move to be one of the asarah nisyonos, ten trials, to which he was subjected. This seems questionable. Imagine that someone who is r”l childless is told that, by traveling out of the country, he will meet a famous doctor who has successfully treated people who previously had not been blessed with children. Would anyone consider this a…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5759

And Hashem said to Avram, “Go for yourself.” (12:1)

The words “Lech Lecha,” “Go for yourself” have a profound meaning according to the Sifrei Kaballah. Hashem instructed Avraham to go to the source of his neshamah, soul, to introspect, to look deeper into himself. Horav Shlomo Yosef Zevin, zl, explains that man is not expected to achieve a level higher than his potential. He is expected to maximize his competencies to attain a level of success and accomplishment commensurate with his G-d-given faculties. He cites the tzaddik, Rav Zushia of Annipole, who said, “When I arrive at the Olam Ha’Emes, the World of Truth, if they ask me, ‘Zushia,…

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“And he pitched his tent, with Beth-el on the west and Ai on the east.” (12:8)

“And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Avram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock…So Avram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between me and you.’” (13:7-8)

“Now the people of Sodom were wicked and sinful to Hashem, exceedingly.” (13:13)

“And he trusted in Hashem, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (15:6)

“And he pitched his tent, with Beth-el on the west and Ai on the east.” (12:8)

“And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Avram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock…So Avram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between me and you.’” (13:7-8)

“Now the people of Sodom were wicked and sinful to Hashem, exceedingly.” (13:13)

“And he trusted in Hashem, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (15:6)

Go for yourself from your land. (12:1)

And Hashem said to Avram, “Go for yourself.” (12:1)

YEARS

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