"I (G-D) will bless those who bless you (Abraham), and those that curse you I will curse. " (12:3)
G-d is bestowing on Abraham a special distinction, namely those that bless Abraham will be blessed while those that curse Abraham will be cursed. However, the wording of the verse is odd. Its inverted? When it comes to the blessing it starts off with G-d blessing those that bless while regarding the curse it starts off with those that curse?It should follow the same trend,as follows: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those that curse you". I would like to propose the following answer, Bezrat Hashem:It states in Medrash Rabba Gen, 1:10 as to why does the Torah start with a Beit (The second letter of the alphabet).The Medrash answers that because this letter begins the word in Hebrew for blessing, namely Baruch. (Since Baruch starts with Beit, so too the Torah starts with Beit.) (End of Quote).
This teaches us that G-d had created the world with the notion of bestowing blessings, not curses on to the Universe.Therefore, when the Torah discusses Abraham being a sourse for blessing to whomever blesses him, it starts off saying , "I (G-d) will bless.....
Hashem told Moshe that if Pharaoh should ask for a מוֹפֵת (wonder) that it was G-d that sent him that he should lay down his staff and it would become a snake. The midrashim explain that Pharaoh had a book of the names of various gods and when he was presented with a different god he would look up in his book to see if the god existed. When Moshe informed him that it was HaShem, יקוק that sent him and he could not find the name in his book he asked for a wonder to prove that there was power in the one who sent him (Rashi).
I just want to share a short idea that we heard from שליט"א ר' יוסף זלברמן last שבת.
אברהם אבינו represents the paradigm of true חסד – he is known as the עמוד החסד. There are many different ways חסד can be ‘put into action’ but we find that the prime example of חסד practised by אברהם was הכנסת אורחים, as epitomized by inviting the three Arabs. From all the amazing different types of חסדים that exist, why it is that הכנסת אורחים is used as the example
Whenever we see an act of חסד, we find that the recipient is usually in desperate need for what he needs. When someone approaches a גמ"ח for a loan, it’s because he is in desperate need for money. The גמ"ח are then able to assist and help the needy. When a חולה is lying in bed, he is feeling depressed and low, and wants visitors to brighten up his life. When we go and visit a חולה we give them the חיזוק they need. This is the general pattern with all חסד, where the person receiving the חסד is someone who is usually unhappy or miserable and is in need for immediate help. Even when we go to a tape גמ"ח to borrow a tape, it is always the recipient who is in need of something.
תְּנוּ לָכֶם מוֹפֵת – Provide a wonder for yourself
Hashem told Moshe that if Pharaoh should ask for a מוֹפֵת (wonder) that it was G-d that sent him that he should lay down his staff and it would become a snake. The midrashim explain that Pharaoh had a book of the names of various gods and when he was presented with a different god he would look up in his book to see if the god existed. When Moshe informed him that it was HaShem, יקוק that sent him and he could not find the name in his book he asked for a wonder to prove that there was power in the one who sent him (Rashi).
In this week’s Parasha we see the start of the plagues which Hashem inflicted upon Egypt. A nice little remez to this is found in the title of the sedra, 'וארא/Vaeira', in which the gematria of the first two letters adds up to the actual amount of plagues which are seen in the Parasha, that being seven... (Calculation: ו = 6 + א = 1).
The sedra begins with the Torah giving over the account of Hashem’s final instructions to Moshe whereby the rare circumstance in which all three common names of Hashem are used by the Torah, each representing the different ways in which He reveals Himself. Through the analysis of these names Rashi amongst other mefarshim, explains how Hashem spoke to Moshe harshly, comparing him unfavourably to the Patriarchs who maintained their faith without complaint even though they were not privileged to see the fulfilment of G-d’s promises to them. Moshe on the other hand argued that he was not suitable for his mission and in last weeks sedra we even learnt how Moshe complained to Hashem regarding his previous unsuccessful attempts, when he was sent in the earlier stages of the enslavement, with the reaction of Pharaoh to further afflict the Jewish people by famously making them produce their own bricks. At one point, Moshe even seemed to question Hashem's decisions by asking... “My lord, why have you done evil to this people, why have you sent me?
Parashas Vayeira – The Search is On
This week's sedra is the truly epic Parashas Vayeira in which we have a lot to talk about, so I think a brief introduction this week is certainly necessary...! Included in this lengthy fourth parasha of the book of Bereishis are the events of the angels coming to visit Avraham and their promise to Sarah that she would finally have a child. The sedra then moves on to give over the story of the destruction of Sodom, with a long account of the intense davening which Avraham undertook in order to desperately try and save its residents. The very strange scenarios surrounding Lot and his rescue from the destruction follows with him finally fleeing Sodom with his wife who famously became a pillar of salt for peering behind and his two daughters who righteously acted to save humankind, thinking the whole world had been destroyed. About halfway through the sedra we then have the second abduction of Sarah, this time by the wicked Avimelech, and her subsequent return which is immediately followed by the perek of the birth of Yitzhak. The final expulsion of Hagar and her son Yishmael is then given over with Sarah asking Avraham to...
Abraham, we know, was anxiously looking for visitors to greet, so that he might exercise chesed and fulfill the mitzva of being hospitable. Neither his recent circumcision nor the intense heat of the day deterred him an iota. In fact, says the Talmud (Tractate Shabbat 127), Abraham was so intent upon meeting the needs of others that he asked Hashem to wait in the wings while he took care of his guests!
This devotion to others was what so endeared Abraham to Hashem. For, as the Baal Shem Tov taught, the way to achieve love of G-d is to love other people. Love has that unique quality: The more that flows out of us, the larger the reservoir of our soul becomes. By loving others, Abraham developed a personality that could reach all the way to Hashem Himself
Towards the end of the parsha, the Torah relates that Abraham "planted an aishel in B'ersheva, and there he proclaimed the Name of Hashem, G-d of the Universe" (ibid. 21:33). Rashi indicates that according to the Talmudic sage Shmuel, the Hebrew word aishel refers to a lodging place. Abraham utilized this "Jewish Holiday Inn" as a mechanism to act kindly to guests and thereby introduce them to the recognition of G-d. Moreover, aishel is composed of three Hebrew letters - aleph, shin, and lamed. These letters form an acronym for eating (achilah), drinking (shtiyah), and escorting (leviyah). Perhaps Abraham was hinting at the importance of proper treatment of guests.
The Haftorah of this week's parsha also relates an incident of tremendous kindness to visitors. A woman prepared meals for the prophet Elisha (the primary disciple of Elijah). She and her husband noticed that Elisha would frequently pass through their town. They went so far in their generosity as to prepare for him his own private room, with a bed, table, chair, and lamp (II Kings 4:8-10)
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Moshe Shlomo ben R'Shmuel | Shlomo ben R'Chaim | Aryeh Leib ben Pinchas Tzvi
