Shalom Friends;
Our Parshat Vayeira vort is being sponsored by Dr. David and Tamar Kallus and family of Ramat Beit Shemesh who dedicate this vort Lilui Nishmas the upcoming Yahrtzeit of HaRav Chaim Zev Malinowitz, z”l, as well as dedicated for the safety of the Chayalim and the liberation of all remaining hostages and their return home whole physically, mentally and spiritually as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Kallus family, many thanks for your sponsorship and your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring (or as the case may be, co-sponsoring) a Parshat HaShavua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShavua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
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As this vort for Parshat Vayeira is being compiled, Succot is nearly upon us and the War of Simchat Torah may have taken a turn, perhaps for the better, or perhaps for the worst depending on Hamas’ response to President Trump’s program in the hopes of ending the war and recovering all of remaining hostages.
There seems to this author a certain irony in President Trump’s 6 PM ET of Sunday, 5 October, 2025 (13 Tishrei 5786) ultimatum to Hamas concerning recovery of all the remaining hostages, and Hashem’s revelation in a dream to Avimelech concerning Sarah. “The Living Torah,” by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan renders to English Perek 20, posukim 1 – 7 :
“Avraham migrated… to the land of the Negev, and he settled between Kadesh and Shur. He would often visit Gerar. [There] he announced that his wife Sarah was his sister, and Avimelech, king of Gerar, sent messengers and took Sarah. Hashem came to Avimelech in a dream that night. ‘You will die because of the woman you took,’ He said. ‘She is already married.’ Avimelech had not come near her. He [Avimelech[ said, ‘O Lord, will you even kill an innocent nation? Didn’t [her husband[ tell me that she was his sister? She also claimed that he was her brother. If I did something, it was with an innocent heart and clean hands.’ Hashem said to him in the dream, ‘I also realize that you have done this with an innocent heart.. That is why I prevented you from sinning against Me, not giving you the opportunity to touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet. He will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return [her], you can be sure that you will die — you and all of yours.”
Aharon Yaakov Greenberg comments on Perek 20, posuk 7 in his Sefer “Torah Gems” on Sefer Breish’t (page 165) :
“Restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet…” And he knows that you did not touch her. (Aharon Yaakov Greenberg cites Rashi. This seems difficult, because Avraham’s status was that of a Kohen (Aharon Yaakov Greenberg citing Nedarim 32), and a Kohen is not permitted to taje back his wife if she had been taken into captivity. What difference did it make, then, that Avraham know by means of prophecy that Sarah had not been touched? After all, we are told in regard to deciding Torah law: “It (decision-making) is not in Heaven”? However, this can be answered. When we are told that one is not allowed to accept prophecy as proof, that only applies after the Torah was given on earth, but Avraham, who observed the Torah even when it was still in Heaven, was permitted to rely on prophecy. (Aharon Yaakov Greenberg citing Maharal, Gur Aryeh on Parshat Vayigash).
Thus, there seems a relationship between Avraham and Avimelech and our current War of Simchat Torah.
Rabbi Goldin provides context and commentary discussing nissayon in his Sefer, “Unlocking the Torah Text (ibid, page 96) :
The Rashbam points to one specific phrase in the narrative describing the covenant [between Avraham and Avimelech]. The P’lishti melech [Avimelech] turns to Avraham and states, “And now, swear to me by G’d if you will deal falsely with me or my son or my grandson.” (Rabbi Goldin citing Sefer Breish’t, Perek 21, posuk 23). [Author’s Note: The posuk as rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash: “…that you will not deal falsely with me nor with my son nor with my grandson…”] Avimelech is clearly suggesting a covenant in perpetuity. Avraham agrees.
Avraham, says the Rashbam, endangers his progeny when he contracts an inter-generational covenant with the likes of Avimelech. While Avraham may make a personal agreement with Avimelech…, he has no right to make a concrete covenant complete with commitments on behalf of his children and grandchildren. Hashem is, therefore, moved to respond: [as presumably surmised by Rashbam and cited by Rabbi Goldin] “You were careless with the son I gave you. You contracted a covenant with them and with their children. Now take that son, offer him as a sacrifice and see what good the contracting of your covenant has done.” (Rabbi Goldin citing Rashbam on Sefer Breish’t, Perek 22, posuk 1)
Later in our history, Chabad.org cites Gemura Sotah: 10a:
[Shimshon’s] parents were being told that the oath of Abimelech, king of the Philistines, was negated, as it is written that Abimelech said to our forefather Abraham: “Now therefore swear unto me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son; but according to the kindness that I have done unto you, you shall do to me, and to the land wherein you have sojourned” (Genesis 21:23). The oath of the descendants of Abraham was no longer binding since the Philistines broke their oath by subjugating the Jewish people.
Just as Rashbam reasons that Avraham learns the lesson concerning his responsibility to his family, and the nation that will emerge from the seed of Yitzchak and, eventually from Yaakov, B’Ezrat Hashem that our modern day Israeli government, political leadership, top military leadership have learned the lesson that the security of Am Yisrael is primary, and not to be deceived (verb: mislead by a false appearance or statement) by misconceptions (conceptia) based on agenda or factional ideology projected, or seemingly projected by our enemies regarding their intentions.
It was this deception concerning Hamas’ intentions which lead us to our military high command’s arrogance on 6 October and prior regarding the warnings of impending attack and our unpreparedness for Hamas’ brutal attack and slaughter of Simchat Torah two years ago. B’Ezrat Hashem that we have learned that Islamic — Amalek’s intentions have always been, and will always be the annihilation and eradication of the Jews?
As Avraham Aveinu’s legacy lives on, in that era, only through his son Yitzchak, but ultimately through Yaakov and his sons and their descendants through to today, we remember that the legacy of our beloved Rav Chaim Zev Malinowitz, z”l is soo massive and many-faceted in scope. From the incredible volume and mastery of his Torah knowledge, to his ability “think outside the box,” to his high level of knowledge of the world and human nature, to his editing of the Artscroll Gemuras — both the Bavli and Yerushalmi Gemuras, to his clear-headed insight regarding our sovereignty in Eretz Yisrael, and his wit and mentchlicheit to a degree that he related to an entire Kehillah on each of our individual levels, Rav Malinowitz inspired a Kehillah and the entirety of Ramat Beit Shemesh. We remember HaRav always, and particularly in the week prior to, and the week of his Yahrtzeit. His wisdom and clarity is missed and he has left an imprint on us all.
May our government and military bring about the total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators and the entire terror cabal, B’Yad Hashem, and become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions — heavy munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.”
May we see, from here on, that border guard personnel at all points of possible danger are listened to and treated with respect and dignity. May we see our Chayalim totally eradicate Hamas, Islamic Jihad, those so-called “civilians(sic)” who collaborated on 7 October, as well as Hezbollah, the Houthies, the Mullahs of Iran and all their terror accomplices while liberating all deceased hostages and their return home for Jewish ritual burials, B’Yad Hashem and mandated by a government secure in it’s foremost service of, and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael. May these words come to fruition B’Esrat Hashem.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his fifth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman as well as the recovery of the remains of Oron Shaul as should the remains of the other chayal from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Shabbos!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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