Vayeira – Peninim on the Torah

עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלקים אתה

For now, I know that you are a G-d-fearing man. (22:12)

We wonder what is the meaning of the words, Atah Yaadati, “Now I know (that you fear G-d)? Did we ever harbor any doubt concerning Avraham Avinu’s fear of Hashem? He was the consummate oved Hashem, servant of Hashem. Certainly, his yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven, was unparalleled. Imrei Noam (Bereishis 32B) quotes the Gaon, zl, m’Vilna who explains that a person achieves spiritual perfection only if he must deal with two incompatible, incongruous character traits. For example, the heart of someone who is by nature the paragon of lovingkindness overflows with love for his fellow. No activity is too…

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ויאמר אברהם אל נעריו שבו לכם פה עם החמור

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5785

Avraham said to his lads, “Stay here by yourselves with the donkey.” (22:5)

The Torah relates that, on the third day of Avraham and Yitzchak’s journey, they saw the “place” from afar. Rashi explains that he saw anan kashur al ha’har, “a cloud affixed on the mountain.” The cloud that was above the mountain was a cloud accompanying the Shechinah. Chazal teach (Bereishis Rabbah 56:1), “Avraham said to Yitzchak, ‘My son, what do you see? Do you see what I see?’ Yitzchak answered, ‘Yes.’ Avraham then asked his two aides (Yishmael and Eliezer), ‘Do you see what I see?’ When they replied, ‘No,’ he said, ‘Since the donkey does not see and you…

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והאלקים נסה את אברהם

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5785

And G-d tested Avraham (22:1)

Avraham Avinu withstood the ten nisyonos, trials, with which Hashem tested him. What is so special about these trials that the Torah makes note to elaborate on them? Just about every one of them is recorded in the Torah, with the nisayon of the Akeidas Yitzchak achieving special prominence. Our Torah is neither a history book, nor does it relate stories needlessly. Every letter in the Torah is present for a profound reason. What is the Torah’s message with the redacting of these trials? Furthermore, why is it only with regard to Avraham Avinu that the Torah calls attention to…

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והאלקים נסה את אברהם

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5785

And G-d tested Avraham. (22:1)

In Judasim, mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice is about aligning one’s life with Hashem’s will, even at great personal cost. One must be prepared to go as far as making the ultimate sacrifice in order to demonstrate his consummate dedication to Torah and mitzvos. The rosh ha’maaminim, head of the faithful, Avraham Avinu, demonstrated his unequivocal conviction throughout his life. It reached its crescendo during Akeidas Yitzchak, the Binding of Yitzchak, when the Patriarch acquiesced to sacrificing his only beloved son and successor, Yitzchak Avinu. Someone who is studying Chumash for the first time may wonder: What is all the great to-do…

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עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלקים אתה

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5784

Now I know that you are a G-d-fearing Man. (22:12)

Chazal (Sanhedrin 39:13) distinguish between the level of yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven, evinced by Avraham Avinu and Ovadyahu. Concerning Avraham it is written y’rei Elokim atah, you are G-d fearing, while concerning Ovadyahu the Navi writes, Va’yaar Hashem meod, he feared Hashem very much.” The added word, meod, describing Ovadyahu’s yiraas Shomayim, takes him “over the top” and presents him as being on a higher level of yiraas Shomayim than even our first Patriarch. In 1920, Yeshivas Slabodka was forced to relocate to Nicoliav, where Horav Mordechai Dov Eidelberg, zl, served as Rav. It was Shabbos Parashas Naso and…

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ויהי אחר הדברים האלה והאלקים נסה אברהם

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5784

And it happened after these things that G-d tested Avraham. (22:1)

The Akeidah, Binding of Yitzchak, is considered the seminal nisayon, trial, with which Hashem challenged Avraham Avinu. The question is obvious: All one has to do is peruse Jewish history to see that mesiras nefesh, for a Jew to sacrifice his life, has almost been a way of life, a culture with which we have been inculcated. Veritably, all instances of mesiras nefesh nurture their strength from Akeidas Yitzchak, but still, our ancestry did not always have Neviim, prophets, and Torah leaders who inspired and guided them concerning relinquishing their lives al Kiddush Hashem. Avraham Avinu received his mission from…

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כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ד' לעשות צדקה ומשפט

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5784

For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice. (18:19)

Avraham Avinu is known as the amud, pillar, of chesed. He went beyond the call of duty in order to provide for the needs of those who were not as fortunate as he. It was this character trait which he introduced and inculcated into the psyche of his descendants. Chesed takes on many forms. It all depends on the attitude of the benefactor. For the most part, they see a need, and they immediately respond. Then there are those who innovate, who think before they act, who understand that chesed goes deeper than fulfilling a need. One must acknowledge the…

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כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ד' לעשות צדקה ומשפט

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5784

For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice. (18:19)

Chazal (Kesubos 8b) apply the above pasuk to Avraham Avinu’s devotion to the middah, character trait, of chesed, acts of lovingkindness. Chazal relate various statements made by Amoraim in an attempt to comfort Rav Chiya bar Abba on the loss of his son. [We will not examine how these statements are comforting, but rather, focus on the statement and its implied message.] Acheinu gomlei chassadim b’nei gomlei chassadim, “Our brothers, who bestow lovingkindness, sons of those who bestow lovingkindness, who embrace b’riso shel Avraham Avinu, the covenant of our Patriarch, Avraham Avinu, as it is stated, ‘For I know him,…

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ויאמר אבי ויאמר הנני בני

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5783

And he (Yitzchak) said, “Father,” and he (Avraham) said, “Here I am, my son.” (22:7)

The dialogue between Yitzchak (Avinu) and Avraham Avinu seems superfluous. What does this exchange between father and child add to the narrative? The Melitzer Rebbe, Shlita, explains that when a Jew is in distress, when he is undergoing a physical, emotional or spiritual hardship, all he needs to do is cry out, “Abba, Tatte!” The cry should emanate from the innermost recesses of his being. When one does this sincerely, Hashem responds, Hineni, “I am here, my son.” Furthermore, even if a Jew is unable to articulate his request properly, to convey the hardship that is overtaking and overwhelming him,…

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והאלקים נסה את אברהם ויאמר אליו אברהם ויאמר הנני

Sruly Schnair In Vayeira, 5783

G-d tested Avraham and said to him, “Avraham,” and he replied, “Here I am.” (22:1)

Hashem called to Avraham Avinu and the Patriarch’s immediate response was, Hineni, “Here I am.” Hashem told him, “By your life, with that very expression (hineni), I will issue a reward to your descendants,” as it says, Hineni, mamtir lechem min ha’Shomayim, “Behold! I will rain down for you bread from Heaven” (Shemos 16:4). In another place, Chazal teach that the actual manna was in the merit of Moshe Rabbeinu’s response, Hineni, when Hashem called out to him from the s’neh, burning bush (Shemos 2:4). We see from here the incredible value of, and merit derived, from saying (and meaning),…

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עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלקים אתה

For now, I know that you are a G-d-fearing man. (22:12)

ויאמר אברהם אל נעריו שבו לכם פה עם החמור

Avraham said to his lads, “Stay here by yourselves with the donkey.” (22:5)

והאלקים נסה את אברהם

And G-d tested Avraham (22:1)

והאלקים נסה את אברהם

And G-d tested Avraham. (22:1)

עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלקים אתה

Now I know that you are a G-d-fearing Man. (22:12)

ויהי אחר הדברים האלה והאלקים נסה אברהם

And it happened after these things that G-d tested Avraham. (22:1)

כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ד' לעשות צדקה ומשפט

For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice. (18:19)

כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ד' לעשות צדקה ומשפט

For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice. (18:19)

ויאמר אבי ויאמר הנני בני

And he (Yitzchak) said, “Father,” and he (Avraham) said, “Here I am, my son.” (22:7)

והאלקים נסה את אברהם ויאמר אליו אברהם ויאמר הנני

G-d tested Avraham and said to him, “Avraham,” and he replied, “Here I am.” (22:1)

YEARS

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