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Home -> 5786 -> Vayeira

ויעש אברהם משתה גדול ביום הגמל יצחק

Sruly Schnair
In Vayeira, 5786

Avraham made a great feast on the day that Yitzchak was weaned. (21:18)

Tosfos (Shabbos 130A) teach that the Hebrew word, higamel, translated as “weaned,” can be broken up to read “was circumcised on the eighth day.”  Higamel is comprised of four letters: hay, gimmel, mem, lamed.  The first two letters – hay, gimmel – are read separately, and their gematriya, numerical equivalent, which is eight,is duly noted.  The second two letters – mem, lamed – spell mal, which means circumcise.  Thus, this pasuk can be read as, “On the eighth day, when Avraham Avinu circumcised Yitzchak, he made a festive celebration.”  Tosfos derive from here that on the eighth day of his…

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Home -> 5786 -> Vayeira

קח נא את בנך את יחידך אשר אהבת את יצחק

Sruly Schnair
In Vayeira, 5786

Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, Yitzchak. (22:2)

Akeidas Yitzchak, binding of Yitzchak, is considered Avraham Avinu’s tenth and most challenging trial.  This test was to catapult our Patriarch to the apex of avodas ha’Borei, service to the Creator.  We wonder if the tenth trial was that difficult, after he had already passed nine earlier trials, with each success refining and enhancing Avraham’s level of mesiras nefesh.  For instance, if a person must scale a large mountain, with the last one hundred feet fraught with danger, can we say that it is the same as the fellow who stands at the foot of the mountain prepared to climb? …

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Home -> 5786 -> Vayeira

אל ירע בעיניך על הנער

Sruly Schnair
In Vayeira, 5786

Be not distressed over the youth. (21:12)

Avraham Avinu experienced ten trials which he successfully passed, elevating himself to Patriarchal status.  While focus is placed primarily on the first and tenth, the ninth, which meant sending Yishmael from his home, is glossed over.  This is enigmatic, since the nature of the nisyonos, trials, becomes more challenging as they increase in sequence.  Sarah Imeinu felt that YIshmael would have an adverse effect on Yitzchak (Avinu), so she demanded that Avraham send him and his mother from their home.  Understandably, this was a difficult demand that she placed on Avraham.  Hashem agreed with Sarah, and our Patriarch set about…

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Home -> 5786 -> Vayeira

קח נא את בנך את יחידך אשר אהבת את יצחק

Sruly Schnair
In Vayeira, 5786

Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, Yitzchak. (22:2)

Much has been written concerning Akeidas Yitzchak, the Binding of Yitzchak.  It was Avraham Avinu’s final test, yet it is called Akeidas Yitzchak.  Undoubtedly, Avraham Avinu telling his son that he had to relinquish his life for Hashem was an extremely demanding and challenging request.  Yitzchak’s submission to his father’s request represents what I would call turbulent submission.  This is especially true, considering that it was a father talking to a son, unlike concerning Avraham, when it was Hashem talking to a father.  Can we imagine the heart-wrenching conflict that Avraham, the Amud HaChesed, Pillar of Kindness and compassion, experienced…

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Home -> 5786 -> Lech Lecha

לך לך מארצך ....ויבא הפליט ויגד לאברהם העברי

Sruly Schnair
In Lech Lecha, 5786

Go for yourself from your land. (12:1)….Then there came (the fugitive) and told Avram, the Ivri. (14:13)

When the Torah introduces Noach, it adds the word b’dorosav, in his generations.  Chazal teach that this implies something special/specific about Noach’s righteousness is in comparison to the others in regard to his generation.  Some sages view this in his praise, i.e. he was a tzadik in such a morally profligate generation.  Had he lived in Avraham Avinu’s time, he would have been even more pious.  Others contend that Noach’s ability to rise above his generation was specifically because the society was so corrupt.  Indeed, had he lived in Avraham’s generation, he would not have risen to such spiritual stature. …

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Home -> 5786 -> Lech Lecha

ואנשי סדם רעים וחטאים לד' מאד

Sruly Schnair
In Lech Lecha, 5786

Now the people of Sodom were wicked and sinful toward Hashem exceedingly. (13:13)

The sins of the people of Sodom serve as the paradigm of evil and iniquity.  Theirs was the only city that was totally obliterated, indicating that their evil was not only reprehensible, it was unpardonable.  What was their primary sin?  I emphasize “primary,” because, once they fell into the clutches of sin, everything fell apart.  Their entire moral compass was no longer pointed in the right direction.  One would think that, in addition to their sinful behavior vis-à-vis Hashem (they were rai’im v’chataim l’Hashem me’od – exceedingly wicked and sinful toward Hashem), they needed no added sins. The Navi (Yechezkel…

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Home -> 5786 -> Lech Lecha

ותעניה שרי ותברח מפניה

Sruly Schnair
In Lech Lecha, 5786

And Sarai dealt harshly with her. (16:6)

Horav Mordechai Gifter, zl, cites Targum Yonasan who teaches that Sarah Imeinu dealt harshly with Hagar after Avraham Avinu freed her as a slave.  She was a giyores, convert, who was betrothed to our Patriarch.  How was Sarah permitted to treat her in such a manner?  Targum Yonasan himself explains our Matriarch’s rationale.  Hagar was the daughter of Pharaoh who was the son of Nimrod, the cruel idolator who viciously sentenced Avraham to death in the fiery furnace of Uhr Kasdim.  Hagar herself had acted disrespectfully toward Sarah, which was an indication that the impure character traits handed down to…

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Home -> 5786 -> Lech Lecha

והקמותי את בריתי ביני ובינך

Sruly Schnair
In Lech Lecha, 5786

I will ratify My covenant between Me and you. (17:7)

Avraham Avinu observed the Torah and its mitzvos.  It is, therefore, surprising that the mitzvah of milah, circumcision, was the one mitzvah that he did not perform until Hashem instructed him to do so.  The question is well-known, and the accepted answer is: Gadol ha’metzuveh v’oseh mimi she’eino metzuveh v’oseh; “A person who does something after being commanded is superior to one who does it without being commanded.”  The mitzvah of milah was so important to Avraham that he waited for Hashem to command him, so that his performance would have greater impact and generate greater reward. Horav Yechiel Yaakov…

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Home -> 5786 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Sruly Schnair
In Noach, 5786

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

The Torah introduces Noach as a person who was the paragon of righteousness and moral/ethical perfection.  These attributes are especially laudable, given that he lived in the most depraved generation in history.  Indeed, that is why the society in which he lived was wiped from the world. At this critical time, Hashem chose Noach to be the progenitor of the future human race.  Having said this, we turn to Chazal (Tanchuma 5) who famously debate Noach’s true level of righteousness.  Was it relative to the evildoers of his generation? Had he lived in Avraham Avinu’s generation, would his standard of…

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Home -> 5786 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק

Sruly Schnair
In Noach, 5786

Noach was a righteous man. (6:9)

Can one be considered righteous if his righteousness is due to his seclusion from the world for six centuries?  Apparently, the Torah refers to Noach as righteous, despite the fact that he had no influence on the members of the society in which he lived. He really had no alternative.  The evil of his generation was so pervasive that had he attempted to reach out, not only would he have been rebuffed, he himself might have become a victim.  The Zohar HaKadosh observes that the waters of the flood are called mei Noach (Yeshayah 54:9), waters of Noach, as if…

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