Rabbi Daniel: Thoughts on Torah

Dear friends,

In 5786 we read the first third of each weekly parsha.  In parshat Vaera, the second verse of the first aliyah reads as follows:  
 
וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name יהוה.

Rashi is troubled by this verse; 

 Moses is said to have a deeper relationship with God than God had with the patriarchs and matriarchs.  What is the nature of God's four letter name that he withheld from our ancestors in Genesis?  According to Rashi, the relationship between Moses and God leveled up because God fulfilled his promise to the people.  God was known by the patriarchs and matriarchs according to a diminished name of God because God's promise had not been fulfilled. 

We learn an important lesson about how keeping promises is an essential part of deep relationship building.  If we find ourselves in a situation of holding out on fulfilling a promise it affects our very name - an essential part of ourselves. 

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Daniel  

Dear friends,

In parshat Vayechi, chapter 49, we have the following verses back to back:  

כָּל־אֵ֛לֶּה שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֑ר וְ֠זֹאת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר לָהֶ֤ם אֲבִיהֶם֙ וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אוֹתָ֔ם אִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּבִרְכָת֖וֹ בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֹתָֽם׃ 
All these were the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what their father said to them as he bade them farewell, addressing to each a parting word appropriate to him. 

וַיְצַ֣ו אוֹתָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ אֲנִי֙ נֶאֱסָ֣ף אֶל־עַמִּ֔י קִבְר֥וּ אֹתִ֖י אֶל־אֲבֹתָ֑י אֶל־הַ֨מְּעָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּשְׂדֵ֖ה עֶפְר֥וֹן הַֽחִתִּֽי׃ 
Then he [Jacob] instructed them, saying to them, “I am about to be gathered to my kin. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,.. -- Gen. 49:28-29

The rabbis are curious about the sequence of these verses; one ends on the idea of words appropriate to each brother and then the verse that follows is an instruction given to all the brothers together.  

Rabbi Hezekiah ben Manoah (Chizkuni), 13th century France, explains that while verse 28 is explaining how Jacob gave blessings appropriate to each brother, despite their differences it was incumbent upon all of them, not just Joseph, to perform the mitzvot of honoring your parents and burying the dead.  As we know, Jacob's relationship with sons not named Joseph was fractured at times; Jacob pulled no punches when he spoke to each of his sons before he died.  

At the same time, he believed that all his children were God fearing youths and that at times like one's end of life there is a hope that we can all put aside a troubled history and share in the performance of a mitzvah.  I am sure many of us have seen or experienced estrangements or conflicts that turn out to be "just too hard," but the hope is always for reconciliation, especially when lifecycle milestones are involved.  

I pray for peace between all people and may there always be room for reconciliation among those who love or have loved one another.  Hinie Ma Tov U'manayim Shevet Achim Gam Yachad.  (How goodly and pleasant it is when siblings sit together).

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Secular New Year,

Rabbi Daniel Victor   

Dear friends,

In 5786, we are reading the first triennial each week, which means starting each parsha at the beginning.  The fourth verse of the first aliyah (41:4) is: 

וַתֹּאכַ֣לְנָה הַפָּר֗וֹת רָע֤וֹת הַמַּרְאֶה֙ וְדַקֹּ֣ת הַבָּשָׂ֔ר אֵ֚ת שֶׁ֣בַע הַפָּר֔וֹת יְפֹ֥ת הַמַּרְאֶ֖ה וְהַבְּרִיאֹ֑ת וַיִּיקַ֖ץ פַּרְעֹֽה׃
and the ugly gaunt cows ate up the seven handsome sturdy cows. And Pharaoh awoke.
 
The story of Pharaoh's dreams are well documented, (Pharaoh sings) "Well I was walking along by the edge of the river and seven fat cows came out of the Nile, Uh Huh..." (Joseph and the Amazing Technocolor Dream Coat).  The King has what appears to be two dreams;

 one with lean cows swallowing fat cows and one with scorched ears of corn devouring the seven healthy stalks.  What the readers and the Pharaoh come to learn is that these dreams are two expressions of the same forecast for the future. Seven years of plenty in Egypt followed by seven years of famine.  

Now, I am no dream connoisseur, but it is interesting that Pharaoh has the first half of his dream, then wakes up, and then falls back asleep for the rest of it.  The 13th century French commentator Chizkuni says:

"Pharaoh awoke (at this point) in order to let the message of the dream sink into his consciousness before he would be told of the second half of his dream..." 

The commentary of the Chatam Sofer, 19th century Hungary,  doesn't agree that Pharaoh's awakening had to do with the capacity of his consciousness to internalize a message.  Rather, it was a literary device to show God's role as the source of the dream (since most people would wake up at the end of a dream rather than an "awakening" being sandwiched in like that). This Joseph narrative clearly wants us to see God working behind the scenes, so the later commentary makes a lot of sense.  

May nothing interrupt the dreams we are meant to have and may they be for good. 

Hanukkah Sameach,

Rabbi Daniel 

Dear friends,

In 5786 we are reading the first triennial each week, which means starting each parsha at the beginning. The second verse of the first aliyah (35:2) is: 
וַיְצַ֤ו אֹתָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֣ה תֹאמְר֔וּן לַֽאדֹנִ֖י לְעֵשָׂ֑ו כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ עַבְדְּךָ֣ יַעֲקֹ֔ב עִם־לָבָ֣ן גַּ֔רְתִּי וָאֵחַ֖ר עַד־עָֽתָּה׃
And [Jacob] instructed them as follows, “Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord Esau, thus says your servant Jacob: I stayed with Laban and remained until now"

Notice how Jacob refers to himself and how he refers to his brother Esau in this verse. He calls himself servant, while calling his brother lord. When Jacob and Esau last spent time together, Jacob had been a part of the ruse to acquire Esau's birthright. This would mean that Jacob would be the one to whom greater respect is due. What do we feel is Jacob's motivation here? Is he just being formal? Is this a gesture of kindness? Perhaps this is self-deprication? 
 
1) Rashi, the 11th century French commentator says, “It is not worth your while to hate me on account of the blessing of your father who blessed me” (27:29) 

“Be master over thy brethren”, for it has not been fulfilled in me (Tanchuma Yashan 1:8:5).

According to Rashi, it seems that Jacob is not feeling very blessed after having left Laban's house cheated, accused, and angry. Jacob, it appears, is lowering himself before his brother out of self pity. 
 
2) Ramban, 13th century Spain, says that Jacob was afraid of Esau even after all this time apart and he lowered himself before his brother to appease him. "He [Jacob] is conducting himself towards him [Esa] as a firstborn and father, in order to remove the hatred from his heart." 
 
3) A third commentator, Chizkuni, from 13th century France, combines these two perspectives together. "Yaakov used this subservient posture in order to cool Esau’s burning anger at what he perceived that Yaakov had done to him. He hinted broadly that his father’s blessing, which had portrayed Esau as subservient to him, had not been fulfilled at all. In fact, he, Yaakov, was quite ready to recognise his older brother as also his senior." 

Any one of these rabbis being correct about Jacob's motivation is as likely as Jacob being correct about his brother's attitude towards him after all this time. 

In life, we can find ourselves caught in situations where we are trying to discern the motivations of the other. It can add even more stress if we are put in a situation where we have to act based on what can only be an educated guess at best. In such cases, we have to take a leap and simply follow our instincts. In Jacob's case, the chance of his choice bringing negative results is far less likely than the choice being taken as a sign of deference. Ultimately, this is what Jacob likely hoped to achieve, a calming of the waters, whether he was feeling extra blessed (over his brother) or not. I would say taking the high road, a path of deference, is usually a good strategy. When delivered with sincerity, it is hopefully taken in the same spirit. 

I hope everyone had meaningful Thanksgiving holiday, 
 
In peace,

Rabbi Daniel   

Dear friends,

In 5786 we are reading the first triennial each week, which means starting each parsha at the beginning.  The last verse of first aliyah (25:22) is: 

וַיִּתְרֹֽצְצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִם־כֵּ֔ן לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה אָנֹ֑כִי וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לִדְרֹ֥שׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה׃

"But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” She went to inquire of יהוה,"

In this first aliyah we have Isaac pleading on his wife Rebekah's behalf that she conceive and, as the text says, God opens Rebekah's womb.  This is similar to how things went down when Sarah had been unable to conceive and Abraham complained to God about it.   However, after the angels told

 Abraham that Sarah would be with child, Sarah hears the news through the tent curtains (one presumes) and laughs. God (who was upset that Sarah laughed) does not speak with Sarah directly but complains to Abraham about Sarah's behavior and then Abraham speaks to Sarah about the incident.  Here in Toldot, after Isaac has spoken to God, Rebekah takes her problem right to the chief   The great commentator Rashi says that Rebekah went to God so that he would tell her what would happen to her in the end.    A couple other commentators say that Rebekah spoke to God by way of the local prophets of the time.  Another says that she wanted to know what would happen to the two fetuses in her womb since they were fighting.   

There is a lot of evidence in the Torah itself that the matriarchs were in either direct or at least mediated conversations with God.  Even though God doesn't speak directly to Sarah he does tell Abraham to do as she says, and when it came to the next generation of women, they and God were connecting directly.  What this tells me is that including the Imahot in the opening paragraph of the Amidah is not only ethically justifiable due to the realities in our modern societies but that it is also textually supported by the narratives we read during these weeks of the Torah cycle.  

In peace and honor,

Rabbi Daniel