Parshas Vayera

No Prayer Is Left Unanswered!

 

“Hashem said, ‘Shall I conceal from Avraham what I am about to do’”? (Berieshis 18:17)

There is a small shul in Tel Aviv. It was time for Mincha and they needed a tenth man for the minyan. One of the men inside the shul went out to the street to look for a tenth man. At first, he could not find anyone. Soon, a young secular Israeli walked by. He was asked to please come inside to help make the minyan. He replied that he was not interested. The man from the shul pleaded with him, saying that someone had a Yahrtzeit and needed to say Kaddish. The fellow still was not interested. Finally, he pestered the fellow so much that he agreed to come in. The fellow went in and was totally unfamiliar with what was taking place inside. He just stood there, for the entire davening.  This was the first time in his life that he ever entered a shul. Apparently, being in a shul for the first time in his life made an impression on him. One thing led to another. He contacted Lev L’Achim workers. Now this young man is an observant Jew.

 

However, this is not the whole story. This boy’s parents are totally secular Jews. Their son went “off the path” and became Chareidi [“ultra-Orthodox”]. His former friends came to his parents and asked them “What happened? You raised your son well. How could this have happened?” The father said, “Well, I know exactly what happened. This boy’s grandfather, my own father, was a religious Jew. I wanted to have nothing to do with Judaism. When my father saw me go “off the derech” and saw my son being raised as a secular Israeli he must have davened so many tefillos asking Hashem to bring us back.  He davened and davened and davened. His tefillos did not seem to help. I remained estranged from Judaism. However, his tefillos helped my son, his grandson. Interestingly, my father davened in this very shul in Tel Aviv that pulled my son in for the minyan.” 

 

When Hashem decided to destroy Sodom and Amora, He initially withheld this information from Avraham. Subsequently, “Hashem said, ‘Shall I hide from Avraham that which I am doing? … For I have loved him” [Bereishis 18:17-19].

 

What was the purpose of informing Avraham about the plans to destroy Sodom and Amora? Hashem knew that Avraham would daven and negotiate for the salvation of Sodom. Hashem knew ahead of time that there were not even 10 righteous people in Sodom worthy of being saved. Hashem knew that eventually the city would be destroyed. So, what was gained by giving Avraham this information? Wouldn’t Avraham’s prayers be nothing more than an exercise in futility? 

 

1. Avraham Aharon Yudelvitz, theBaisAv, explains that informing Avraham was a favor to him. When one davens for another person, whether his prayers seem to be answered, he becomes a better person through those prayers. Hashem wanted to offer Avraham the kindness of having an opportunity to empathize with his fellow man, to think about the impending tragedy of Sodom, and to at least attempt to stave off the tragedy. When someone puts himself out for others, he becomes better from that effort.

 

Another answer is that no Tefillah [prayer] ever goes to waste! The prayers that Avraham Avinu offered for Sodom may not have helped the people of Sodom because they did not deserve it. Instead, Hashem saved those prayers to help Avraham’s descendants.

 

This is the underlying message of the sequence of psukim: “Am I going to hide from Avraham that which I am going to do? [Bereishis 18:17] For Avraham is going to become a great and mighty nation. [ibid. 18:18] What does pasuk 18 have to do with pasuk 17? What does the fact that Avraham will, in the future, become a great and mighty nation have to do with anything? The answer is that Hashem is saying that I am not going to hide from Avraham what I am about to do. I know that Avraham is going to daven, and I know that his prayers are not going to help Sodom. However, a great and mighty nation will descend from Avraham. I know that this nation is going to need those prayers at various times in the future. Let Avraham verbalize those prayers now for the welfare of his future descendants.

 

(Based on shiuim by Rabbi Yissocher Frand on Torah.org)

 

We can daven to Hashem anytime that we want. Heartfelt tefillah can even change a Heavenly decree that has already been made against an individual or Klal Yisrael. Hashem always listens to our prayers. That does not mean that Hashem always gives us the answer that we want. Sometimes the answer to our prayer is NO! Even though we may want something, Hashem knows what is truly best. Hashem knows if it is truly good for us. However, our prayers are NEVER wasted!  Hashem always saves our prayers for a time when they will be needed to help us, our descendants, or Klal Yisroel as a whole.

 

Parshas Vayera

If You Are Happy Then I Am Happy!

 

“And Sarah said, ‘Hashem G-d made rejoicing for me. All who hear will rejoice for me.’” (Bereishis 21:6)

Chezky, an American boy, was learning in a yeshiva in Israel.  His chavrusa, study partner, Yankel, was married.  One day, Yankel invited Chezky to join his family for a Shabbos meal. Chezky went and thoroughly enjoyed himself. Chezky noticed, however, that the amount of food that was served was limited. A few weeks later, Chezky decided to buy a special treat for Yankel’s children. He assumed that the children did not get treats often as Yankel appeared to be on a tight monetary budget. Chezky purchased ice cream sandwiches for all of Yankel’s children. He brought the ice cream to the house and happily noticed the excited looks on the children’s faces. He assumed that the children would tear off the wrappers and eat the ice cream immediately. He was very surprised that after saying thank you, the children ran outside before eating the ice cream. A few minutes passed. Soon the sounds of many children were heard. Yankel’s children had invited their friends to share their treats. They cut the ice cream sandwiches into small pieces and shared them with their friends. Noticing all the smiling faces, Chezky understood that Yankel’s children felt even happier because they were able to share with their friends and make their friends feel happy. (based on More Maggid Stories for Children by Chaviva Krohn Pfeiffer).

Hashem performed a miracle, and our matriarch Sarah gave birth to Yitzchak at the age of 90! Sarah was obviously very happy. Sarah said, “Hashem made rejoicing for me. All who hear will rejoice for me.”  (Bereishis 21:6)

What did Sarah mean when she said that “All who hear will rejoice for me”? The Radak explains that Sarah was convinced that everyone hearing about her good fortune of having given birth in her old age would automatically share her joy. Any person being surprised by some unexpected happy event, laughs for joy.

Midrash Rabbah (53:8) says, “Rabbi Berechya ben Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel ben Rabbi Yitzcḥak, ‘When Reuven is rejoicing, why should Shimon care? Sarah was remembered but why should others care?’” The explanation is that when Sarah was remembered, many other barren women were also remembered, and they conceived. Many deaf people gained their hearing, many blind people had their eyes opened, many imbeciles gained intelligence. As Rashi sums up, many prayers were answered together with Sarah’s and that brought great rejoicing in the world.

Rabbi Avraham Pam zt”l (Messages from Rav Pam by Rabbi Sholom Smith) learns a beautiful idea from this. What was the purpose of all the miracles which answered the different prayers of so many others? Rav Pam answered that Sarah’s joy would not have been complete if she had friends and neighbors who were still childless! To complete Sarah’s joy, Hashem answered the prayers of others, giving them relief from their own personal tzaros!

What a beautiful idea that we should emulate!

Even at our times of great joy, we should feel

that some degree of our happiness is missing

if our friends or relatives are currently experiencing challenges.

We should always keep them in our prayers.

 

 

Parshas Vayera

The Best Protective Armor That You Can Get

“Behold! I have two daughters who have never known a man, I will bring them out to you, and do with them as you please; only do nothing to these men, since after all, they came under the shelter of my roof.” (Bereishis 19:8)

Rav Yisroel Brog quoted a true, fascinating story in the name of the Chofetz Chaim zt”l. Rabbi Eliyahu from Lita used to travel to different towns in Europe to strengthen their Torah and mitzvah observance. Once he stayed in an inn in a small village that belonged to a Jew. Rabbi Eliyahu spoke to the Jew about having bitachon, having trust in Hashem and realizing that Hashem is the source of all blessing, including one’s livelihood. The owner of the inn responded that thank G-D, he could take care of himself and did not need Hashem’s help. He felt that he was a smart and successful businessman and did not require heavenly assistance.  He owned fields, a forest, a mill that the whole village used, and an inn with a bar that all the villagers frequented. He was very wealthy. He felt that he had everything planned perfectly and that his wealth was guaranteed. Speaking strongly, Rav Eliyahu told the innkeeper that he should take back his words before it was too late since Hashem was the only one who made one wealthy or poor. The innkeeper ignored the rebuke. After his travels, Rabbi Eliyahu returned to his hometown. He visited the poor house where the poor of the city were able to get a bed to sleep on and a meal to eat. He went to see if there was anything that they needed. To his surprise, he met the innkeeper from the other village. He asked him what he was doing there. The innkeeper said that a platoon of Russian soldiers crossed the bridge near his mill. One of the slats on the bridge broke and the Russian officer fell through the hole, almost losing his life. The officer believed that the innkeeper had been negligent and had purposely wanted to prevent the Russian soldiers from crossing the bridge. The officer was planning to imprison the innkeeper and bring him to a military court, with a bad outcome likely. When the innkeeper found out about this, he ran away for his life. He was unable to return home and was now penniless. He started crying. Rabbi Eliyahu gently asked him if he still believed that a person can be rich or poor on his own, without Hashem. The innkeeper agreed that he had been wrong. One’s income is totally from Hashem. Clearly, Hashem wanted him to understand that and that is why these events had occurred to the innkeeper. Rav Eliyahu told the innkeeper to strengthen his belief in Hashem. Rav Eliyahu then invited the innkeeper to stay in his house while Rav Eliyahu contacted the Russian authorities. He was able to convince them that the bridge mishap had been a total accident. The innkeeper was, then, able to return home, back to his wealth.

Two angels came to Sodom. One came to destroy the city because of the cruelty of the people. The other angel came to save Lot. Lot had shown hospitality and had invited the angels into his home. Almost immediately, the people of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house. They demanded that Lot send the travelers out of his house so that the people of Sodom could molest them. Lot requested that they spare his guests since “after all, they came under the shelter of my [Lot’s] roof.” (Bereishis 19:8) The Chofetz Chaim zt”l (Chofetz Chaim Al HaTorah) explains that focal point of Lot’s defense on behalf of his guests was that they relied on him to ensure that nothing would happen to them. Since Lot had invited them and they had put their trust in him, Lot felt responsible to do all that he could to save them.

The Chofetz Chaim zt”l continues with comforting words. Lot felt responsible for his guests because they had put their trust in him. Therefore, he tried to save them.

“ומעתה קל וחמר בן בנו של קל וחמר, אם אנו נסמוך ונבטח בד’ מעוזנו, בטח יגן עלינו לחלצינו מכל רע ולהטיב לנו.”

Certainly, how much more so, if we rely on and put our trust and faith in Hashem, Hashem will DEFINITELY protect us from all harm and will shower goodness on us.

 

Parshas Vayeira

It Is an Honor to Serve You!

 

“I will get a piece that you may sustain yourselves … since you have passed your servant’s way….” (Bereishis 18:5)

Yitzchak was certain that his car had made it across the intersection before the light had turned red. He was so sure that he was determined the fight the ticket that he had received. Since he did not want to miss work, he made an early appointment to have a hearing. He was the first to arrive in the hearing room. He expected to be called on first, so he took a front row seat right near the judge. As the room filled-up it seemed that many people had come to appeal tickets that they had received from the same policeman who ticketed Yitzchak. The judge, an elderly black gentleman, started the proceedings. To Yitzchak’s surprise and annoyance, the judge did not call him first. The judge skipped over him and listened to the cases of all the others. Everyone was found guilty. After waiting for an hour, an exasperated Yitzchak was finally called. As soon as he stated his case, the judge motioned for the police officer to leave the room. Then the judge shut the tape recorder. The only ones left in the room were Yitzchak and the judge. Yitzchak was confused and very nervous. Something very strange was going on. Then the judge leaned forward and said, “I will take your word for it.” Yitzchak was confused. Then the judge asked Yitzchak, “Don’t you recognize me?” Yitzchak took a close look at the judge and then remembered what had taken place about 4 years earlier. It had been close to 11 PM and Yitzchak was driving home. It was a snowy night and driving was very difficult. As he was driving, Yitzchak noticed an elderly black gentleman struggling to push his car off the road. Yitzchak stopped his car and got out to help the man. Together, they pushed the car into a parking spot. Afterwards, Yitzchak drove the man to a bus stop. The man was not expecting to take a bus home and did not have the exact change needed for the fare. Yitzchak reached into his pocket and gave the man the change. The man was amazed at the kindness that Yitzchak had shown him. The judge continued. “I was waiting for the day when I would meet my Jewish friend. I will never forget the kindness that you had shown me.” Anyone who is so good and kind is surely trustworthy. Your ticket is dismissed!

(More Shabbos Stories by Rabbi Shimon Finkelman)

Our forefather, Avraham, just had his bris mila. However, he was sad that travelers were not passing and he was unable to welcome guests. To make Avraham feel happier, Hashem sent him 3 guests; angels who looked like Arabs. Avraham ran to greet them and offered them hospitality. He said that they should remain to eat and rest before leaving, “since you have passed your servant’s way….”  (Bereishis 18:5) Rashi explains that Avraham asked them to please stay, “because you have passed by me, out of respect for me”. Avraham truly felt that these travelers showed him honor by coming to his home.

How was their passing by Avraham’s house showing him honor? The masses considered Avraham to be a prince of Hashem, an extra special personage. The travelers appeared to be Arabs who worshiped the dust of their feet. Was it truly an honor for someone as great as Avraham to have such lowly people to pass by his home?

Apparently, the answer is, yes! Avraham felt that it was an honor for him to invite them in and serve them himself! Avraham understood that every human is created in the image of Hashem. Therefore, every person is considered distinguished.

The Talmud (Yevamos 76b) says that a man from the nations of Amon or Moav may never marry a Jew. The Torah says (Devarim 23:4-5) that they did not have the common decency to offer the Jews food and water when they were in a state of exhaustion upon leaving Egypt. This prohibition did not apply to the females. Females from these nations may marry a Jew. They were not held accountable. Since women are supposed to be modest, they were not expected to go out in public, offering food and water to the men. Obviously, these women had these feelings of modesty somewhere deep inside them, otherwise they too would have been held accountable for not coming to offer the Jews sustenance.

If there is greatness within non-Jewish people from less noble backgrounds, how much more greatness is there within every Jew.

Every human has inherent greatness because they were created in the image of Hashem. Therefore, every person deserves our respect. The greatness of a Jew is even greater.

We certainly should show great respect to every Jew.

 

(Based on a dvar Torah by Rabbi Henach Leibowitz zt”l,

as recorded in Chidushei Halev by Rabbi Binyamin Luban)