Parshas Lech Lecha

“What You See is Not Always What You Get!”

“And he will be a wild man; his hand in everything, and everyone’s hand against him.…” (Bereishis 16:12)

In the middle of the night, two travelers were caught in a terrible snowstorm. Luckily, they noticed the light of an inn down the road. They knocked on the door of the inn. The innkeeper had gone to bed and did not want to be bothered with them. Finally, he agreed to let them in. He showed them a small, cold room where they could stay for the night. A short while later, there was another knock on the door. It was a famous Chasidic Rebbe who was also stuck in the snow. The innkeeper ran downstairs, happily opening the door for the Rebbe. He seated the Rebbe at a warm table and gave him hot tea and cake. When the Rebbe got up, he noticed two men in the small cold room. He immediately recognized that one of them was the gadol hador (the great rabbi and leader of the generation), Rabbi Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik. The innkeeper felt awful at the way he treated this great rabbi. “I am sorry. I did not know who you were.” (based on Magid Stories for Children by Chaviva Pfeiffer)

When the innkeeper had first seen the gadol hador, he thought he was just a regular person.

 Our matriarch, Sarah, was unable to conceive for a long time. She gave her maidservant, Hagar, to Avraham, as a wife. She hoped that act would help her merit to have her own child (Rashi 16:2). Hagar conceived immediately. As a result, Hagar began to act with disrespect to Sarah. Hagar felt that Sarah was not truly as righteous as she appeared to be. After all, Sarah had not conceived whereas Hagar had conceived right away. In response to Hagar’s disrespectful behavior, Sarah treated her more strictly. Hagar ran away to the desert. She was visited by an angel of Hashem who told her to return to Sarah. The angel told Hagar that she would have a child who will be “a wild man”. He will steal from everyone and everyone will hate him (Rashi 16:12).

The angel told Hagar good news at a time when she felt bad. Why did the angel add that Hagar’s son will be unrefined, criminal, and hated by all? This is not the type of news a person would be happy to hear, especially when they are feeling bad.

The Zera Shimshon (as quoted in Zera Shimshon by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer) quotes the Shach who explains that Sarah’s inability to have children led to the situation in which Avraham married Hagar and had a child from her. That child, Yishmael, became the recipient of any impurity remaining in Avrohom that had come from his father Terach! When Sarah would finally give birth to her own child, her child would be free of any impurities and spiritual blemishes.

In effect, this is what the angel was telling Hagar. He did not want to cause her pain. Rather, he was telling her that she erred in assuming that Sarah was not righteous. Sarah was truly righteous and that is the reason that she did not give birth before Hagar. Hagar had to give birth first so that her son would receive all the impurities. That being the case, the angel was telling Hagar to return to Sarah and revert to treating her with the reverence that she used to give her.

We often evaluate others just by looking at them. We may think that the person we are viewing can not possibly be a great person; not when he looks like that or is dressed like that. How wrong we are!! Klal Yisroel has inherent greatness and every single member of Klal Yisroel can be great. The person that we thought was not so special, may be exceptionally kind, do much chesed or show great respect to his elderly parents. Perhaps he has even overcome great challenges in his life, challenges that we ourselves would have failed.

“Do not judge a book by its cover.”  Do not be fooled by someone’s external appearance.

A person can look like a “nobody” but can actually be great.

Parshas Noach

“Listen to the Pelican!”

“…The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with robbery through them; and behold, I am about to destroy them from the earth.” (Bereishis 6:13)
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized that they were naked….” (3:7)

A pelican went to the seashore to catch some fish. It thrust its beak into the water, coming up with a large fish. The fish begged for mercy. “Please let me go. Don’t kill me. Take pity on a creature that was formed by Hashem.”

The pelican was about to release the fish when it noticed a small fish hanging out of the mouth of the larger fish. Apparently, the larger fish had been about to swallow this small fish when the pelican caught the larger fish. The pelican said to the larger fish, “You are a fraud! Why should I take pity on you and not eat you when you yourself were about to do the same thing to the small fish?” (sefer Talelei Oros, quoting this analogy from Rabbi Yosef Shaul Nathansohn zt”l, a 19^th century Polish rav)

Noach’s generation was morally perverse and decrepit. They also served idols. Rashi (6:13) indicates that these were the reasons that the people were punished. Yet, Rashi also says that their decree was sealed because of theft. If their actions were so terrible why weren’t they destroyed because of them? Why was their fate only sealed because of theft?

Hashem had granted Noach’s generation excessive goodness. They were prosperous and happy and felt safe in their homes (Talmud Sanhedrin 108A). They were healthy and lived long lives (Midrash 36:1). Despite that, they didn’t value Hashem’s goodness and they sinned terribly. During the last seven days before the start of the Flood, Hashem even gave them a “taste” of the World to Come so they could appreciate what they would be losing if they continued sinning. Unfortunately, they continued sinning. (Talmud Sanhedrin 108B).

After the Jews had sinned with the golden calf, Hashem wanted to destroy them. Moshe davened to Hashem, “blaming” Hashem for their actions. “Master of the Universe, because of the gold and silver that you lavished upon Israel during the exodus from Egypt until they said enough [dai]; it was this wealth that caused Israel to make the Golden Calf.” (Talmud Berachos 32A) Hashem listened to Moshe’s pleas. Although the Jews were severely punished, they were not destroyed.

Rabbi Shimshon Chaim Nachmani zt”l (In sefer Zera Shimshon 2 by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer) says that the people of Noach’s generation could have defended their abominable and perverse actions, using the same defense strategy that Moshe Rabbeinu had used. They could have “blamed” Hashem. They could have claimed that they felt compelled to sin because of the incredible and overwhelming goodness with which Hashem had showered them. They could have said that it was too hard to live a moral life because they were surrounded by so much luxury. However, since they also stole, they proved that their possible defense of having sinned because of too much prosperity, was a fraudulent defense.

Thus, this generation sinned horribly with their immorality and idol worship. Yet, despite their abominable sins, they would not have been destroyed. However, they sealed their own fate by stealing. Since they stole, they negated their only defense. It was their stealing that was the final straw and led to their destruction.

Parshas Bereshis

Appreciate What You Have Before It Is What You Had!

“All the trees of the field were not yet on the earth and all the herbs of the field had not yet sprouted, for Hashem had not yet sent rain upon the earth and there was no man to work the soil.” (2:5)
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized that they were naked….” (3:7)

A man wanted to sell his property in the country. He asked his friend to write an ad that he could post in the newspaper. His friend wrote:

For Sale: A beautiful property where birds sing at dawn. Located near the brilliant & sparkling waters of a large stream where deer come to drink. The house is bathed in the light of the rising sun in the morning with plenty of tranquil shade in the evening.

Sometime later, the one who wrote the ad met his friend and asked if he had been successful in selling his property. He replied that he had not. “I changed my mind. When I read what you had written, I realized that what I already have is a treasure.”

Sometimes we look elsewhere, not appreciating the treasures that we already have.

Hashem had prepared a complete world for the first man, Adam. However, the trees and herbs were below the surface and had not yet sprouted. After Adam was created, Hashem made it rain. Then the trees and herbs surfaced. Why did Hashem hold off the rain until after Adam was created? Rashi explains that Hashem wanted Adam to value and appreciate the need for rain and pray for it. HaRav Henach Leibowitz zt”l explains that Adam was exceedingly wise and certainly would have greatly appreciated entering a complete world, with the trees and herbs already there. Yet Hashem delayed it from being complete. Perhaps Adam would have taken it a little for granted and would not have appreciated it as much. Even someone as great as Adam may have had a slight lack of appreciation had he entered a totally complete world.

Later in the Parsha, Adam and Chava ate from the forbidden tree. Rashi explains that as a result, they felt spiritually naked. Hashem had given them only one mitzvah and they transgressed it. Now they would no longer be able to fulfill Hashem’s commandment. Before they sinned, they did not totally understand or fully appreciate what the result of their actions would be. They did not appreciate what it would mean to lose their only mitzvah. Now it was too late.

The story is told of the Vilna Gaon who cried when he was on his deathbed. His students asked him why he was crying. The Vilna Gaon picked up his tzitzis and held them close to his heart. He explained that in this world he purchased his tzitzis for a minimal sum and every moment he wore them he willfully served Hashem. However, in heaven no matter how much money he would spend, he would never be able to choose to serve G-d! That is why the Gaon cried.

It is important to focus on and appreciate what we do have, while we still have it.

We must value each of the mitzvos and do them while we still can.

Parshas Miketz

First Impressions are Lasting Impressions!

“And there, with us, was a Hebrew youth, a slave of the Captain of the Guard…”. (41:12)

Whether it’s a job interview or a first date, first impressions are always important. This is also true in the courtroom.

At his September 2007 arraignment on murder charges, Kenneth Kline sported a Mohawk hairstyle, a mustache, a black T-shirt and jeans. He personified arrogance and defiance. When Kline appeared at his Berks County murder trial 14 months later, his hair was short and even, his mustache and brash attitude were gone, and his attire was stylish suits and ties. That’s because his attorney knew that the appearance of a client can sway a jury. (Dressing Defendants for Success in the Courtroom by Kevin Amerman)

Pharaoh awoke after having dreamed two disturbing dreams. All his wise men were unable to interpret the dreams to his satisfaction. Seeing Pharaoh’s agitation, the butler spoke up. He told Pharaoh that while he was in jail, he, too, had a troubling dream which was correctly interpreted by a Jewish youth. Perhaps that Jewish youth could also interpret Pharaoh’s dream. The butler told Pharaoh, “And there, with us, was a Hebrew youth, a slave of the Captain of the Guard…”. Rashi comments on the words that the butler used to convey his message. Rashi says, “Cursed be the wicked for the favors they do are never really complete! The butler mentions Yosef in disparaging language. ‘A youth’ – A fool, not fit for greatness. ‘A Hebrew’ – He doesn’t even know our language. ‘A slave’ – It is written in the laws of Egypt that a slave may neither become a ruler nor dress in princely robes”.

Rabbi Pesach Eliyahu Falk, a posek in Gateshead (in his sefer Shailos Uteshovos Machaze Eliyahu, as quoted by sefer Yalkut Lekach Tov by Yaakov Yisroel Beyfus), is baffled by the actions of the butler. He questioned how the butler could be so daring as to lie to Pharaoh. How could the butler say that Yosef was an incapable fool when he knew firsthand that Yosef was very wise and very capable? How would Pharaoh react when he realized how the butler had lied? Rabbi Falk gives a very insightful answer. The butler never actually said that Yosef was a fool. He merely said that Yosef was a youth, a Hebrew, and a slave, which were all true. However, the inference of the word youth, is that the person is a fool [Remember that Yosef was not a youngster. He was already an adult. Clearly referring to him as youth was inferring something negative about him]. The inference of the descriptive that someone was a slave was that he was not educated. Thus, the butler protected himself by saying truthful words. However, the usage of his words gave the listener the impression that Yosef was uneducated and incapable. The evil butler purposely gave the false impression that Yosef did not deserve to have his status elevated by interpreting Pharaoh’s dream.

Our first impression of a person stays with us. Thus, even after Pharaoh would see how wise Yosef really was, he would still believe, in his heart, that Yosef was a fool. This was the plan of the evil butler.

Our first impression of people becomes deeply engraved in our hearts and is very hard to uproot. This is one of the terrible harms caused by loshon hara, slanderous speech. Even after a person defends himself and proves that what was said about him is untrue, the original impression of him remains. Sefer Tehillim (Book of Psalms) compares the words of loshon hara to hot coals of broom – wood that remain burning for a long time. The Midrash (Braishis 98:19) brings a story of this type of coal burning for a full year! The Alshich illustrates the long-term damage of loshon hara with an example. Someone once lied and said that a certain person was lazy. The person showed no trait of laziness. In fact, the opposite was true. He actually was very industrious! Yet, if he would slacken in his efforts and appear lazy even one time ten years later, people would remember the lies and think that he was a lazy person. The thought that had been lying dormant for years would re-surface in peoples’ mind as if he actually was lazy. This is the terrible result of loshon hara.

We must always strive to make a good impression of ourselves. We also must be careful when speaking, not to create a bad impression of others. First impressions can be “lasting impressions”.

Parshas Vayeshev

Take the Rowboat! It was Sent by Hashem

“The chief butler did not remember Yosef ….” (40:23)

There is a famous story that teaches an important lesson.

A man was once caught in rising floodwaters. He climbed onto the roof of his house and trusted that Hashem would rescue him. A neighbor came by in a rowboat and said, “The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll paddle to safety.” “No thanks” replied the man. “I’ve prayed to Hashem and I am sure that He will save me.” A short time later the police came by in a motorboat. “The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll take you to safety.” “No thanks” replied the man. “I’ve prayed to Hashem and I am sure that He will save me.” A little time later a rescue services helicopter hovered overhead, let down a rope ladder and said. “The waters will soon be above your house. Climb the ladder and we’ll fly you to safety.” “No thanks” replied the man. “I’ve prayed to Hashem and I am sure that He will save me.” All this time the floodwaters continued to rise, until soon they reached above the roof and the man drowned. When he arrived in heaven, he asked, “Hashem, why am I here in heaven? I prayed for You to save me. I trusted You to save me from that flood.” “Yes, you did” replied Hashem. “And I sent you a rowboat, a motorboat and a helicopter. But you never got in.” This man was waiting for Hashem to save him.  He did not put in any effort to save himself.

In every situation in life, we have an obligation to try our best to succeed. Although we are required to try the best we can, we must realize that our efforts won’t change the outcome. We will succeed only if Hashem wants us to. Yaakov sent Yosef to check on his brothers. Yosef couldn’t find them and was going to return to Yaakov, unable to complete his mission.  However, Hashem had other plans.  Hashem wanted Yosef to succeed in finding his brothers. Therefore, Hashem sent the angel Gavriel to tell Yosef where his brothers were. Hashem set into motion a chain of events that would eventually bring the Jewish People to Egypt.  Initially, Yosef ‘s efforts failed but Hashem caused him to succeed in his mission. Alternatively, there are times that we put in our best efforts and succeed beyond our wildest dreams. We must realize that our efforts did not cause our success. Although we have an obligation of hishtadlus, of trying our best, our success is only due to Hashem.

Yosef was falsely accused of a crime and was put into prison. Later, the King’s butler and baker were also put into prison. One morning, Yosef questioned the troubled looks that he noticed on their faces. They were both disturbed by their dreams. Yosef explained the meaning of their dreams. He told the butler that Pharaoh was going to free him in three days. Yosef asked the butler to please put in a good word for him to Pharaoh, as he was put into prison on false pretenses. The butler was freed but totally forgot about Yosef’s kindness and did not say anything to Pharaoh on his behalf.

Rashi says that Yosef was punished by being confined in prison for two extra years because he asked the butler for help.

Why was Yosef punished? Wasn’t he merely following his obligation of putting in the effort on his own and not just relying on Hashem?

There are many different answers to this question.  Yosef was on a very high level of having faith in Hashem. However, he erred slightly. Rashi says that Yosef erred in relying on help from an arrogant rasha. That wasn’t proper hishtadlus. In a similar vein, the Chazon Ish, Rabbi Avrohom Yishayahu Karelitz (as quoted in sefer Talelei Oros), explains why Yosef’s efforts were improper. One is obligated to put in efforts that have a reasonable chance of success. Acts of desperation are unacceptable efforts because they show a lack of faith in Hashem. Turning to the haughty butler was considered an act of desperation, for the haughty are unlikely to come to the aid of those less fortunate than they. Therefore, Yosef was punished.

Hashem requires us to put in our effort. However, we should never arrogantly feel that our effort led to our success. Our success, as well as anything that happens, is totally dependent upon Hashem.

Parshas Vayishlach

Follow the Camels!

“Thirty nursing camels with their colts; forty cows and ten bulls,…” (32:16)

The following story was said over in the name of Rebbetzin Kanievsky.

A girl in Haifa had been diagnosed with stomach cancer. The doctors said that there was nothing more they could do to help her. The girl and her parents pleaded with the doctors to try. The doctors finally agreed and told her to come back the next day for surgery. She was assigned a young, inexperienced surgeon. The doctors felt it would be good practice for him, and since there was nothing that could help her, it didn’t really matter.

The night before the surgery, this non-religious girl pleaded with Hashem. She said that she wanted to offer a korban to Hashem. She went to her closet and took out all her immodest clothing and took it out to the yard and burned them. As her clothes went up in flames, she cried out, “This is my korban!”

The next day the girl went to the hospital and had the surgery. The tumor was easily removed, and it was benign. The doctors were shocked at the outcome.

Why did she merit a miracle?  Was it because of her heartfelt prayers or her difficult and personal sacrifice to get rid of her immodest clothing? 

The miracle didn’t end here. When the girl told all her non-religious friends about the miracle, they brought over all their immodest clothing and made another fire to burn their clothes. The girls went to the mall to buy new clothes. While they were inside, buying new, modest clothing, a car packed with over 200 pounds of explosives was detected,

underneath the mall. The explosives were defused before anyone inside the mall got hurt.  Was it merely a coincidence that the terrorist’s car was detected or was it a reward because of the girls’ sacrifice to wear modest clothing?

In this parsha, Yaakov sent as a present, droves of animals to appease Esau. Each species had the appropriate number of males and females to properly breed. The psukim describe the numbers of females and males of each species that was sent. However, when it lists the number of camels, the Torah conspicuously does not mention the males. Why not? Rashi says the reason is because the camels show tzinus, modesty, when they mate. The Midrash Lekach Tov (written by Tobias ben Eliezer in the 11th Century) explains that unlike other animals, camels will not mate in front of people. Therefore, the Torah lists the gift of camels in a modest way. It lists the number of females, only inferring the number of male camels. That was done to acknowledge the camel’s own modest behavior.

Acting with tznius is a hallmark of a Jew. As we see in the story above, it can bring blessings into our lives.

Parshas Toldos

Can We Bottle This Fragrance?

“…and he [Yitzchak] smelled the fragrance of his [Yaakov’s] garments and blessed him.” (Bereishis 27:27)

As Yitzchak felt he was nearing death, he wanted to bless his firstborn son, Esau. Yitzchak was unaware that Yaakov had previously purchased the rights of the firstborn from Esau, whose revolting behavior made him undeserving of the blessings. Yitzchak’s wife, Rivka, had received a prophecy from Hashem that Yaakov was the one who deserved the brachos. She commanded Yaakov to go in Esau’s place to receive the brachos. She prepared a meal for Yaakov to bring to Yitzchak. She also told Yaakov to wear goat skins on his arms so that they would appear as if they were full of hair, as Esau was very hairy.

Rashi says that the smell of washed goatskins is very repulsive. How can the pasuk tell us that Yitzchak smelled a beautiful fragrance? Rashi answers that the smell of Gan Eden entered with Yaakov and that is what Yitzchak smelled.

The Midrash gives a beautiful explanation. Instead of reading the word as begadav, garments, it can be read as bogdav, those Jews who rebelled against or betrayed Hashem. It was this special fragrance that Yitzchak smelled.

How could a beautiful smell come from the deeds of those who rebelled against Hashem? The Midrash continues, giving a specific example. During the Roman destruction of the Second Beis Hamikdash, there was a Jew by the name of Yosef Me’shisa, who collaborated with the Romans. After the destruction, the Romans wanted a Jew to be the first to enter the Beis Hamikdash to plunder the holy vessels. They asked Yosef and offered him that he could keep whatever he selects. Yosef did so and exited with the golden menorah. When the Romans saw the beautiful menorah, they told Yosef that this item was too special for him and that he couldn’t keep it. They told him to go back inside and take something else. Surprisingly, Yosef refused to go in a second time. A transformation had come over him. The Romans offered to give him three years of royal taxes if he would go in again. Yosef refused saying, “Is it not enough that I have angered my G-D once that I should now anger Him a second time?” The Romans then tortured Yosef to death. As he was dying, he cried out, “Woe is to me that I have angered my Creator!” Yosef died, doing complete repentance.

Rabbi Henach Leibowitz zt’l questioned what brought about such a dramatic change in Yosef. One moment he was collaborating with the enemy and the next moment he willingly gave up his life rather than anger Hashem again. The answer is the “pintle neshama” that every Jew has. Every Jew has a spark of holiness within him that could ignite at any moment. Even the lowest Jew has that spark of holiness within him. That spark can be ignited and uplift even a traitorous Jew into one who is willing to sanctify his life for Hashem.

This was the beautiful fragrance that Yitzchak smelled. The inherent beauty of every Jew to go from the lowest of the low to scale great heights.

Every Jew has within him a spark of holiness that can never be extinguished. One should never give-up hope on any Jew, no matter how low he has fallen. Even the biggest sinner can suddenly rise to the greatest heights in an instant, seemingly without any explicable reason.