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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayera
But let us walk together through one corridor of consideration.
If any "one-liner" defines the Akeida, it is the phrase, "Vayelchu Sh’neyhem Yachdav – and the two of them walked together." Curiously, this phrase is said twice: Once, when Avraham prepares the offering and takes the wood, the torch & the knife in hand; & then again just after Yitzchak asks, "Father, where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"
Now, why is this phrase said twice? That, I suggest, is the key question, as well as the key to unlocking a powerful insight into the deeper meaning of the Akeida.
First, let us consider: Just who are the "two" who walk together? On the surface, it seems clearly to be father & son. They "walk together;" that is, they are of one mind, each fully prepared to go through with this awesome test. But there is another possibility: The two walking together aren’t father & son, but rather Man & G-d!
Avraham must have been filled with great dread & doubt. "How can I kill my son, the one whom even G-d calls ‘my only son,’ my true heir? Why is this happening davka to me, the man of chesed? And what about G-d’s promise that my generations will go on & on forever?" Avraham does not have a clear answer to all these questions. But he does have Faith, & he knows that he is not going through this test alone; G-d is right there with him, supporting him all the way.
Yitzchak, too, must have been plagued by intense doubt and confusion: "Why is my father doing this? Does he not love me? Did I do something wrong, terribly wrong that deserves my execution?" Yet Yitzchak – 37 years old and no less a man of faith than his father – continues on the path. He, too, knows & feels that he has not been abandoned; that he, too, does not walk alone. And that gives him immense strength.
And so the phrase appears twice - at the key moment when Avraham readies the sacrifice, and just after Yitzchak utters the only words he says in this whole episode - because each partner in this test needs his own, personal reassurance that, come what may, G-d will be with him each & every moment of his life.
Avinu She'ba'shamayim, Father in Heaven: There are times when we feel that we, too, can’t go on, times when we feel alone, uncertain, deserted, cast adrift. We don’t know why we have been given our specific tests. We falter, we begin to despair. But then, somehow, we sense that you are right there next to use, prodding us on, encouraging us, helping us. And then we know that as long as we are together, we will make it.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
