Rabbi Frand on Parshas Vayera
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 167, The Bris Milah Seudah. Good Shabbos!
The Relationship Between Avrohom and the Esrog Tree
At the beginning of Parshas Vayeira, Avraham looked up and noticed three
people standing on the road. Avraham ran to greet them. [Bereshis 18:2]. The
pasuk [verse] repeats the word 'Va-yar' (and he saw) twice. First it says
"He looked up and he saw..."; and then it repeats "...and he saw and he ran
toward them". What was this second "seeing"?
The Mikdash Mordechai, Rav Mordechai Ilan, gives an interesting
interpretation. He explains that there are many occasions when a situation
arouses "enthusiasm of the moment". Our initial impulse is to rush in and do
the mitzvah or good deed. But, with the passage of time, rational thought
often overcomes emotion and the enthusiasm dissipates.
This was not the case with our Patriarch Avraham. The pasuk is telling us
that Avrohom was not merely the type of person who rushed into something on
the spur of the moment. His enthusiasm maintained itself beyond the stage of
the knee-jerk reaction. Even upon reevaluation -- giving the situation a
second look, so to speak -- he remained determined to offer kindness and
hospitality. His attribute of kindness emerged not only from emotion (the
first sighting) but from rational consideration, as well (the second
sighting).
The Sages speak of this consistency regarding Avraham's attribute of
Chessed. It was his hallmark. The Toras Kohanim comments that the
expression "fruit of a beautiful tree (Pri Etz Hadar)" [Vayikra 23:40]
refers to Avrohom Avinu.
What is the analogy between Avrohom Avinu and the Esrog (which the Torah
refers to as a Pri Etz Hadar)?
The Talmud [Succah 35a] says that the comparison of Avrohom to an Esrog is
based on an alternate translation of the phrase "Pri Etz Hadar". Literally,
Pri Etz Hadar means, "fruit of a beautiful tree". However, the Talmud says
that by switching the vowels, "Hadar" (beautiful) can be read "Hador" (that
dwells). Therefore, the pasuk can be translated, "fruit of a tree that
dwells". This refers to the fact that the Esrog, unlike other fruits, does
not just grow, blossom, and fall off the tree within three months. The Esrog
lives on its tree from year to year. It has a consistency that is not found
in any other fruit.
That was the attribute of Avrohom. He did not just have momentary enthusiasm
that inspired kindness. When guests came, Avrohom was not only excited on
the first day. What about guests that stayed three days? What about guests
that stayed for a week? Avrohom did not tire of offering hospitality.
Avrohom was consistent, just like the Esrog that is consistent on the tree
from year to year.
A verse regarding the Akeida [the sacrifice of Isaac] says, "On the third
day Avraham lifted his eyes and saw the place from a distance" [22:4]. The
Medrash Tanchuma asks why G-d waited until the third day, and did not show
the place to Avraham on the first or second day. The Medrash answers: The
purpose of waiting three days was so that the nations should not think that
Avraham was seized by a momentary frenzy, in which he was overcome by
emotion and did not have time to reflect on what he was doing.
Avrohom Avinu had plenty of time to think about the Akeida. For three days
he walked and thought it over. But that was Avrohom. He was not a flighty
man of emotion whose spirit grabbed him for the moment. He was the
consistent one, like the Esrog - dwelling on the tree from year to year.
The Maharal in the Nesivos Olam brings an unbelievable Medrash:
Ben Zoma says that we find an all-encompassing pasuk in the Torah -- "Hear
Oh Israel, the L-rd Our G-d, the L-rd is One" [Devorim 6:4]. Ben Nannos
states that there is an even more important pasuk in the Torah than that of
Shma Yisrael. What is that? "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"
[Vayikra 19:18]. Shimon ben Pazzai comes and says there is a pasuk that is
even more significant and more meaningful and more inclusive than either of
these two pasukim [verses]. What could that pasuk be? "And the one lamb you
shall make in the morning..." [Shmos 29:39].
The Maharal explains ben Pazzai's seemingly strange choice. This verse
refers to the Korban Tamid (the Continuous Daily Sacrifice). The pasuk is
referring to consistency, the ability of man to serve G-d with total
devotion. The day-in/day-out service is significant. Tamid -- Consistency
day-in/day-out, year-in/year-out -- This is the great principle of the
Torah.
The Talmud records a number of occasions when disciples asked different
Amoraim [Talmudic Rabbis] the following question: "By what merit did you
live so long?"
One Amora answered, "I never took a shortcut through the Beis HaMedrash"
[Study Hall]. One answered, "I never called a person by a nickname". Many
answers are given, but there does not appear to be a common thread as to
what provided the merit for longevity.
I once heard that there is, in fact, a common thread. Each Amora answered "I
NEVER..." (mei'olam lo...). The key is NEVER -- day-in/day-out, consistency.
The key is the dwelling on the tree from year to year. The choice of the
mitzva is not the central thread. The central thread is Temidiyus --
consistency. "The one lamb shall be offered each morning..."
The True Disciple of Avrohom Avinu
The pasuk writes, "And Avrohom arose early to the place where he had
previously stood..." [Bereshis 19:27]. After Avrohom's dialogue with G-d
about Sodom in which Avrohom was unsuccessful in his petition to save the
city, the pasuk tells us that Avrohom went back to the place where he
originally petitioned G-d.
The Talmud learns from this [Brochos 6b] that "Whoever establishes a fixed
place for prayer, the G-d of Avrohom will help him." The Talmud learns the
importance of a fixed place for prayers from Avrohom. The Talmud states that
one who does pray in a fixed place will not only be answered by the G-d of
Avrohom, but when he dies, people will say about him "such a modest person,
such a pious person, a true disciple of Avrohom Avinu".
The question can be asked: granted it is a nice idea to pray in the same
place, but why does the Torah place such great emphasis on this concept?
I saw a wonderful interpretation from Rav Bergman in the Sha'arei Orah. The
Mishneh [Avos 5:19] contrasts the disciples of Avrohom with the disciples of
Bilaam: "One who has these three attributes is a disciple of Avrohom Avinu;
one who has three other attributes is a disciple of the wicked Bilaam. A
person who is generous, humble and not haughty, he is a disciple of Avrohom
Avinu; but one who is stingy, arrogant, and haughty is a disciple of Bilaam
the wicked." That is the contrast between an Avrohom and a Bilaam.
Bilaam also prayed. When Balak asked Bilaam to curse the Jewish people,
Bilaam traveled to a certain location and he prayed and offered sacrifices,
but he was not successful. G-d did not allow Bilaam to curse the Jewish
people. Bilaam had to bless them.
What was Bilaam's immediate reaction? Bilaam changed the location. "Let's go
to a different place and pray." They went to a new place. They built new
altars, and they brought new sacrifices.
What happened when Bilaam tried again? He failed again. What was his
reaction? "Change the place again!" Bilaam went to a third location and
started the same procedure all over again... Again Bilaam was
unsuccessful...
What do we find by Avrohom? Avrohom pleaded with G-d for Sodom. But when
Avrohom was not successful, what did he do? He went back to pray again at
the exact same location where he originally prayed.
What is the significance of the fact that Avrohom went back to the same
place and Bilaam changed places? The difference between Bilaam and Avrohom
is haughtiness.
Bilaam is haughty. A haughty person can not accept "It's my fault!" A
haughty person must rationalize, "If my prayers were not successful, there
must be something wrong with the location. There must be some kind of
extraneous factor. It couldn't be me. Nothing could be my fault." When a
Bilaam is not successful in his prayers, he goes to another place, because
he cannot accept the fact that he may be responsible for his own failure.
However, when an Avrohom Avinu is not successful with his prayers, he says,
"It's my fault; I am not worthy enough; I didn't pray well enough." It has
nothing to do with the place. That is a feeble excuse. An Avrohom Avinu, who
has a humble and modest spirit can own up and say the words "It's my fault."
When our Rabbis say, "He who establishes a fixed place for his prayers, the
G-d of Avrohom will help him..." they are not only referring to a person who
always prays in the same place in the same synagogue all his years. Our
Rabbis are speaking of a person whose ego is healthy enough to say, "It is
my fault; it is my lack; I will not look for extraneous places or things to
blame it on." If a person has this attitude throughout his life and his
behavior reflects this, then we can truly say at his eulogy, "There goes a
pious person, there goes a humble person, he is a true disciple of Avrohom
Avinu."
Glossary
Akeida-- Binding (of Yitzchak)
Sources and Personalities
Rav Mordechai Ilan-- author of Mikdash Mordechai, contemporary, Israel.
Rav Bergman -- (1849-1932)author of Sha'arei Orah, contemporary, Israel
This week's write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissochar
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah portion (#167).
The corresponding halachic portion for this tape is: The Bris Milah Seudah.
The other halachic portions for Parshas Vaera from the Commuter Chavrusah
Series are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through your local Hebrew book store or from
Project Genesis, 1-410-654-1799.
