Bereshit

Our sedra begins the amazing story of Yakov & Esav. This is a saga that never really ends; the progeny of Yakov - we Jews - will go on forever, & we will be locked in battle, both physical & spiritual, with Esav’s descendants until the end of time.

Avraham has now finished his “10 Tests.” After the traumas of being thrown into a fiery furnace, leaving his family & his homeland, fighting a war to free his nephew, circumcising himself (at age 99!), & almost sacrificing his beloved Yitzchak at the Akeida, Avraham certainly deserves a well-earned rest.

In truth, our mother Sarah, like many other mothers past and present in Jewish life, has not quite received her due. Rashi, quoting Midrash in describing Sarah’s life, states that all the years of Sarah’s life were “for good.” He must mean “for good” in a spiritual and holy sense, for in her physical worldly life there was little good that she experienced.

There is a surprising midrash about the background of the test that Avraham underwent with the binding of Yitzchak, which the Torah introduces with the words “It was after these matters” (Bereishit 22:1). The obvious questions are: what were these “matters” and what was their significance? One midrash (Yelamdenu, Bereishit 104) says that Avraham had contemplated negative thoughts about Hashem’s attribute of judgment. Avraham was concerned that because he had been saved from death, he used up his reward and would not have any in the world to come. Consequently, he had to give an oleh sacrifice, which is appropriate for sins of the heart (with the sacrifice being his son).

Parshas Vayeira begins with Hashem appearing to Avraham. When a Navi, Avraham included, receives a prophecy, he is in a prophetic trance or a dreamlike state, as we will see later in the words of the Rambam regarding prophecy. Yet, the very next Posuk has Avraham seeing travelers, racing out to invite them into his tent, cooking and serving them a meal, and carrying on a conversation with them. How could he do this if he was in the middle of having a prophetic vision?

Our life, you might argue, is one long test. In Hebrew, a "Nisayon." The word is multi-dimensional, as it also contains the word, "nes – miracle." The implication is that when we rise to the occasion & pass our tests, miracles flow both to & through us.

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