YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayera
It is in this Parsha that Avraham really "feels his oats." In both the physical & spiritual realms, he makes his mark as the "Founding Father" of Am Yisrael. But strangely, there seems to be not one, but two Avrahams at work here.
Think about the following examples for a moment:
- The Parsha begins by Avraham showing great hospitality to three perfect strangers; he enthusiastically welcomes them to his tent & waits on them hand & foot (literally - he even washes their feet!), feeding them a sumptuous meal (tongue with mustard was the main course, according to some commentators!). Yet later on, Avraham gives in to Sara & he banishes his own son, Yishmael, & Hagar, from his tent.
- Avraham showed immense strength in last week’s Sedra, single-handedly defeating 4 kings & their armies; what a great warrior he must have been! Yet, in our Sedra, Avimelech of G’rar takes Sara hostage, & Avraham doesn’t lift a finger to save her! It is only Hashem’s intervention that saves Sara from being raped & ravaged.
- Avraham pleads forcefully on behalf of the evil city of S’dom in a vain attempt to alter G-d’s decree & save it from destruction. Yet when Hashem tells Avraham to bring his son Yitzchak as an offering, Avraham meekly submits, with nary a word of protest, even though he will now be guilty of committing the heinous sin of child sacrifice, a sin against which he determinedly fought.
What is going on here?
I suggest there are indeed "two" Avrahams; the Private & the Public. The private Avraham – even in situations where he feels he is being personally wronged – humbly submits to the will of Hashem, the advice of his wife, or the powers that be. But when Avraham represents the nation, when he believes some cosmic or communal sin affecting others is being committed, he rises up like a lion to defend the cause & to try to save the day. In those instances, he is acting as "Av Hamon Goyim" – the father of ALL peoples – as his name implies.
At Ari’s shloshim, his cousin Michael explained why Ari’s name, which means "lion," was so fitting for him. "A lion," he said, "is actually a very calm animal. He generally stays in a corner, content to ‘do his own thing’ & leave others alone. But the moment he senses that his family is in danger, he roars forward with a strength like no other.
That was exactly Ari: Quiet, shy, modest in his personal life, he did not project the image of a hero. But when the nation was under attack, he rose up to bravely to defend it with a mighty strength. He left a lasting legacy that his forebears would be proud of; he was, indeed, a worthy descendant of Avraham Avinu.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
