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ויעתר לו ד' ותהר רבקה אשתו

Hashem allowed Himself to be entreated by him, and his wife, Rivkah, conceived. (25:21)

Yitzchak Avinu and Rivkah Imeinu both prayed for a child. Hashem replied affirmatively to Yitzchak’s prayer – rather than to Rivkah’s. Rashi explains: “There is no comparison between the prayer of a tzaddik ben tzaddik, the righteous child of a righteous person, to that of a tzaddik ben rasha, a righteous person, the child of a wicked person.” The question is well-known; the answer is also well-known; the “why” however, is not. One would think that after all that Rivkah endured in the home of her youth, she would achieve greater recognition. She achieved tzaddeikes status, despite being the daughter…

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ותאמר אם כן למה זה אנכי

And she said, “If so, why is it that I am thus?” (25:22)

Rivkah was experiencing what she perceived to be a strange pregnancy. Something unusual was occurring in her body. When she walked by a house of (monotheistic) prayer, a house of learning, she felt the fetus within her womb gravitating toward it. Likewise, when she passed by a house that catered to idol worship, she once again felt a pulling to leave and embrace the idols. What kind of child was she carrying? Rashi explains the words, Lamah zeh anochi; “Why is it that I am?” Why is it that I am desiring and praying for pregnancy? Had I known that…

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ויגדלו הנערים

The lads grew up. (25:27)

Rashi writes that when the twins turned thirteen-years-old they went their separate ways. Yaakov Avinu gravitated to the bais hamedrash, while Eisav ha’rasha leaned toward idol worship. It must be noted that their transformation (especially in Eisav) did not just happen in a moment. Their spiritual destination was not a fate accompli. They neither ran nor walked – they gravitated to their respective choices of worship. Indeed, growing up, Eisav was far from being a devoted idolater. On the contrary, he viewed himself as a tzaddik, a righteous and virtuous person. After all, he was so meticulous in his mitzvah…

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ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים

Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years. (23:1)

Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 58:3) relate an intriguing story. Rabbi Akiva was giving a profound, intricate shiur, lecture. He noticed that his students were drifting off. In order to arouse them from their “slumber,” he presented them with a question (more like a riddle): Why did Esther merit to reign over 127 countries? He answered: She was a descendant of Sarah Imeinu who had lived 127 years. The question is rhetorical; the answer is beguiling. What does one have to do with the other? It is not as if Esther actually reigned over 127 countries. She was married to King Achashveirosh…

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ויקם אברהם מעל פני מתו וידבר אל בני חת

Avraham rose up from the presence of his dead and spoke to bnei Cheis. (23:3)

The Torah is circumspect concerning its text, spelling of each word and overall locution. No word is superfluous, no spelling is ignored. Chazal derive volumes of halachah from every nuance, every seeming redundancy. As the message of its Divine Author, nothing in the Torah is to be taken capriciously. As such, it is intriguing to note that the words, bnei Cheis (children of Cheis), are mentioned nine times in our parshah and once in Parashas Vayechi (49:32). It is not as if these were laudable people. They were idolaters who were greedy and selfish – among other things. Yet, the…

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ויגוע וימת אברהם בשיבה טובה זקן ושבע

And Avraham expired and died at a good old age, mature and content. (25:8)

The perfection and wholesomeness in life which Sarah Imeinu achieved was also merited by Avraham Avinu. Horav Yechezkel Levinstein, zl, would refer to Avraham Avinu’s life as zate’ teg, days for which he was content and satisfied, knowing that he had lived every moment of his life in accordance with the ratzon, will, of Hashem. One hundred seventy-five years: thirty days a month, seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. He did not waste a moment of his life. When one lives in such a manner, leaving this world is merely crossing over to the next world. The Chafetz…

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אל תביט אחריך

Do not look behind you. (19:17)

Neither Lot nor anyone in his group of survivors was permitted to look back at the carnage that was taking place. Their merit in being spared was on condition that they not be in the midst of Sodom during its destruction. Thus, they could be saved before the upheaval began. Furthermore, they were not entitled to witness the destruction of Sodom while they remained unscathed. Lot’s wife did not listen. When she turned around to see what was happening to her fellows, Hashem punished her. A deeper meaning can be attributed to the words, “Do not look behind you,” one…

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והאלקים נסה את אברהם

G-d tested Avraham. (22:1)

Avraham Avinu and his son, Yitzchak (Avinu), merited to achieve the highest level of serving Hashem: Kiddush Shem Shomayim, sanctifying Hashem’s Name, with their preparedness to slaughter and be slaughtered for the sake of Hashem. In the end, Hashem dispatched a heavenly angel to instruct Avraham to desist. Heaven neither requires, nor encourages, human sacrifice. It is far better (and probably more difficult) to live a life of Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying Hashem, in our every demeanor, our every action, than to die for him. The Baal HaTanya writes that in order to sanctify Hashem’s Name, it is not necessary to…

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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)

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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ויאמר אבי ויאמר הנני בני

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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