Shalom Friends;
Our Breish’t vort is being sponsored by Benyamin and Barbara Lemkin and family of Ramat Beit Shemesh and dedicated In honor of the Jewish heroes who give of themselves for Am Yisrael, and in honor of all the Jews who are making Aliyah and those who assist them as well as for the safety of the Chayalim and the liberation of all parts of Eretz Yisrael, as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Lemkin 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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Torah records:
“Hashem Keilokim took the man and placed him in the Garden [Gan] of Eden, to work it and to guard it. And Hashem Keilokim Commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree in the garden you may freely eat; but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad [Eitz Hadat], you must not eat thereof; for on the day you eat of it, you shall surely die.'” [Sefer Breish’t Perek 2, posukim 16-17 rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Chumash]
“Hashem Keilokim said, ‘It is not good that man be alone; I will make him a helper corresponding to him.'” [Sefer Breish’t Perek 2, posukim 18 rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Chumash]
The Artscroll Stone Chumash provides a commentary on Perek 2, posukim 18:
After Chava was created — “a helper corresponding to him” [Ezer Kanegdo] “a helper against him.” [citing the Artscroll Stone Chumash Perek 2, posuk 18]. The posuk means literally that there are times a wife can best be a helper by being against him. [The Artscroll Stone Chumash referring to Perek 21, posukim 10 – 12 where Sarah told Avraham to banish his slavewoman, Hagar, and her son, Yishma’el, for Yishma’el “had become thoroughly corrupt and evil, and he had to be sent away.” The Artscroll Stone Chumash page 97, citing Rashi.]
Torah continues relating that Adam and Chava ate from the Eitz Hadat:
“And the woman perceived that the tree was good for eating and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a means to wisdom, and she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband and he ate.” [Sefer Breish’t Perek 3, posuk 6 rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Chumash]
“And Hashem Keilokim said, ‘Behold Man has become like the Unique One among us, knowing good and bad; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of Life [Eitz HaChayim], and eat and live forever! ” “So Hashem Keilokim banished him from Gan Eden… And having driven out the man, He stationed at the east of Gan Eden the C’ruvim and the flame of the ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the Eitz HaChayim.” [Sefer Breish’t Perek 3, posukim 22 – 24 rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Chumash]
As we begin a new cycle of the Torah, we open this vort on Parshat Breish’t with Rabbi Hershel Reichman’s discussion of Adam’s and Chava’s violation of Hashem’s ban of them eating from the Eitz HaDat and the consequences and opportunities in his Sefer, “Living the Chassidic Legacy: Lessons Based on Shem Mishshmuel, Volume 1” (pages 4 – 7) :
After they sin, Adam and Chava are driven from Gan Eden, a defining event in human history.
The Torah mentions Adam’s banishment from Gan Eden twice. The first time, the posuk says “So Hashem banished [Adam] from Gan Eden.” Then the very next posuk says, “Hashem drove him out.”
We could simply understand that Hashem wanted to punish Adam with death, and if Adam were to eat from the Eitz HaChayim, it would counteract this punishment. But upon further reflection, this answer is insufficient. If Hashem decreed, that Adam should die, how could the Eitz HaChayim counteract the Divine Decree?
The Torah describes the banishment of Adam as both “shiluach”– sending away, a matter of physical movement and Hashem physically drove Adam out of Gan Eden, as in “geirushin” — divorce — [severing
all ties with Adam].Thus, Adam experienced rwo stages in the downgrading of his relationship with Hashem. First, Hashem physically sent Adam out to the world. Then, more traumatically and more fundamentally, Hashem banished Adam from their former close relationship. Like a husband divorcing his wife, Hashem severed His relationship with Adam.
The Shem Mishmuel finds [something of] a parallel to [the ‘geirushin” of Adam] in the story of the Akeidah. [In Parshat Vayeira,] Hashem commanded Avraham Avinu to sacrifice his son Yitzchak in the place that He would show him. [Sefer Breish’t. Perek 22, posuk 2] After three days of traveling, Avraham “perceived the makom [Rabbi Reichman indicates that Shem Mishmuel renders “makom” as place of the Akeidah] from afar, [Rabbi Reichman citing Sefer Breish’t. Perek 22, posuk 4] The Shem Mishmuel interprets the word “makom” as a reference to Hashem. The Midrash [Breish’t Rabbah 56:11] compares the ten trials of Avraham to a “geirushin,” a divorce. Avraham experienced distance from the “Makom,” from Hashem. Hashem had distanced Himself from Avraham: the close relationship with Hashem that Avraham formerly enjoyed wasn’t there. During the three days prior to the Akeidah, Hashem did not respond to him. In this test, Avraham would have to proceed even while experiencing feelings of distance, in a situation of “geirushin.”
To interject here, seeming unlike Hashem’s ousting of Adam from Gan Eden and His severing any connection with Adam, this author’s supposition (Noun: Something that is supposed; assumption; hypothesis) regarding Hashem’s distancing from Avraham as he and Yitzchak traveled to the site of the Akeidah, would seem to have been temporary in order to test the strength of Avraham Avinu’s convictions (Noun: Fixed or firm beliefs), i.e, the depths of Avraham’s devotion and Emunah in Hashem.
In other words, just as Hashem ousted Adam and Chava from Gan Eden, and severed or completely divorced Adam from their previous relationship, Hashem, seemingly, temporarily distanced Himself from Avraham Avinu in order to gauge Avraham’s level of love, devotion to and Emunah in Hashem prior to the Akeidah.
Returning to Rabbi Reichman’s discussion of Adam’s and Chava’s violation of Hashem’s command not to eat of the Eitz HaDat (ibid, pages 11 – 13) :
The Ari HaKodesh…poses an interesting question. If Adam had stayed in Gan Eden, as Hashem had originally planned, how would he have fixed the spirituality of faraway places? The Ari answers that… Adam would have strengthened the Kedusha there so much that it would have attracted sparks of Holiness from around the world. But because Adam failed in his mission in Gan Eden, he had to travel around the world searching for and finding Kedusha in each particular place.
The mission of the Jews and of humanity as a whole is to fix the sin of Adam. By keeping Torah, we are promised that a Gan Eden-level of existence will return… Moshiach will come, Olam Haba will arrive, and we will return to a Gan Eden-style of existence.
If Hashem had not driven man away from Him after his sin, man would have no motivation to do Teshuvah. He still would feel connected to Hashem. And in that state, he would feel no need to fix the sin.
When a relationship is broken or damaged, work is needed to fix it. This is a fundamental aspect of growth.
The Shem Mishmuel states that being driven away from Gan Eden was not a punishment; rather an opportunity for Adam to grow and learn and become greater than he was before.People need to learn from their mistakes…, and are responsible to fix them and grow from them, “The righteous person falls seven times and then gets up.” [Rabbi Reichman citing Mishlei 24:16] One shouldn’t look at the challenges that come their way as difficulties and punishments, but rather as opportunities.
Many years prior to the Akeidah, there was a Covenant between Avraham and Hashem which is known as the Brit Bain HaBesurim (mid-way through Parshat Lech Lecha) which Rabbi Reichman cites the Shem Mishmuel and comments on, and which this author excerpts here, which were cited in last year’s Parshat Va’etchanan:
Shem Mishmuel focuses on a Midrash in Parshat Vayeishev. Torah says that Yaakov sent Yosef “from the valley of Chevron [emek Chevron — citing Sefer Breish’t, Perek 37, posuk 14 ]” to find his brothers.” The city of Chevron is on a hill, not a valley. Why does Torah say that Yaakov sent Yosef from a valley? Shem Mishmuel interprets the word “emek” as to imply “eitza amuka” — the deepest idea of Avraham Avinu, who is buried in Chevron.
The Midrash explains the geographically inaccurate statement of the Torah. Yaakov sent Yosef based on the deep idea (eitza amuka) of Avraham Avinu… Hashem had made a covenant with Avraham many years earlier — the bris bein habesarim — wherein Hashem foretold the exile, slavery and suffering of the Jews. This was a deep idea that Avraham Avinu suggested to Hashem…
The question that Avraham and Hashem were considering was that of continuity. This is the fundamental problem of Am Yisrael. How do we continue and perpetrate greatness from one generation to the next and to the nation in future generations?
Hashem was going to give B’nei Yisrael tremendous blessings: Eretz Yisrael, Torah and Olam HaBa. They are great and unique gifts that the Jews are privileged to have received from Hashem. E
We have the gift of Torah, the ultimate gift to the human race. We can know Hashem’s plans for the world and what he expects of human beings. But these gifts must be deserved.
How can the Avos guarantee that their children will live up to their [the Avos’] level? Avraham was having a serious discussion about this and Hashem asked him, “What do you prefer? You can pick gehinom with severe and terrible punishments so your offspring will be afraid to stray from the tradition. Or you can choose galut, exile, a sort of suffering in this world instead of suffering in the next world.”
…Avraham chose galut — subjugation and slavery to other nations — as the basic way to guarantee our continuity as a nation…. This is the eitza amuka. Galut and ge’ula, exile and redemption, are the fundamental cycle of our history.
We note Avraham’s choice of galut — subjugation and slavery to other nations which resulted when Am Yisrael, or her leaders went off of the Derech, be it avodah zora, dietary complaints, illegal co-habitations, lack of Emunah regarding Eretz Yisrael, disobedience of Divine Commands and more impacted the Jews in Bamidbar, and impacted Moshe Rabbeinu in particular.
Last year’s Parshat Va’etchanan, as cited by both Rabbi Reichman and Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, z”l, provided commentaries explaining how Moshe’s week-long imploring of Hashem to permit him to enter Eretz Yisrael with the B’nei Yisrael went for naught as Hashem ruled that he [Moshe] would not enter the Land, but would pass leadership to his main student, Yehoshua Bin Nun and that he [Moshe] should view the Land and pass “with a kiss” on Har N’vo. This because Moshe grew impatient with Am Yisrael over difficulty locating the rock which produces water and struck it rather than speaking to it as Hashem had commanded. The final two paragraphs of Rabbi Feinstein’s explanation in the above link sums up Hashem’s denial of Moshe’s wish in a nutshell:
This point is made… in Parshat Chukat [Rabbi Feinstein citing Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 20, posuk 13] where the Torah says that Hashem was sanctified by the incident of the water. Rashi comments on this, “When Hashem judges those who are holy to Him, He becomes more fearful and holy in the eyes of His creatures.”
This… was Moshe’s real complaint to the people: “Because you needed to be taught a lesson, Hashem made an example of me and punished me by not allowing me to enter the Land.”
In all of these cases; Hashem’s expulsion of Adam and Chava from Gan Eden, Hashem’s seemingly temporary distancing from Avraham and Hashem’s prohibition against Moshe entering Eretz Yisrael were all Divine Judgements, albeit in differing circumstances, but ultimately guided, as Rabbi Reichman indicates, by the discussion between Hashem and Avraham Avinu and the latter’s choice of galut — subjugation and slavery to other nations rather than gehinom (i.e. destruction) when Am Yisrael would stray from Hashem, Torah, Halacha, and spirituality.
In the case of Adam and Chava, Hashem ousted them from Gan Eden for directly violating Hashem’s Command not to eat of the Eitz Hadat, and Adam was cast into Galut, assumably to find his way to Teshuvah.
In Avraham’s case, just before the Akeidah, his perception of “makom,” as expressed by the Shem Mishmuel and cited in Rabbi Reichman’s sefer, Hashem seemingly distanced Himself from Avraham so as to gauge Avraham’s level of love, devotion to and Emunah in Hashem.
In Moshe Rabbeinu’s case, he was denied his fervent (Adjective: Having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.; ardent, as in a fervent plea) wish to enter Eretz Yisrael and to do Mitzvot there. As this author understands the above citing of Rabbi Dovid Feinstein. z”l, Hashem’s purpose was to bring about a Yirat Hashem and Kedushat Hashem in the eyes of Am Yisrael who had often strayed, and to insure through the generations that Am Yisrael, whether at home in Eretz Yisrael, or over the millennia of Galut, would cleave to Hashem.
As we enter a new cycle of the Torah learning, may we begin anew, to cleave to and grow in love and Emunah in HaKadosh Borchu.
May we see that our government and military bring about the total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the entire Islamic terror cabal in Iran, B’Yad Hashem, and to 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 it be in the coming year, and always thereafter, that our leadership — governing, judiciary and IDF high command echelons, as well as kol Am Yisrael be devoid of false, fraudulent conceptions and ideologies, as well as political agendas, and endeavor to achieve a faithfulness and consistency in our avodah — both V’Ahavtah L’Arecha Kamocha, as One, and in our Service of Hashem, B’Ezrat Hashem
May we see in the coming year, and always thereafter, a government of Israel, military high echelons, judiciary, as well as Kol Am Yisrael 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’Ezrat 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 sixth 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. Baruch Hashem that another of the MIAs have been liberated 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 recoveries of the remains of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin from the Gaza War of ten years ago, and now, Yehuda Katz. There is still one MIA to be recovered, Ron Arad. 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 Yom Tov and Good Shabbos! May You, All of My Brothers and Sisters, be Inscribed and Sealed for another Year of Life… Now and always! L’Shana Tova!
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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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