Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon HaKohane, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Gittel Malka bat Moshe, Alexander Leib ben Benyamin Yosef, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Parashat Vayetze informs us that Rachel, like Sarah and Rivka before her, was barren. Finally, after many long years, the Torah states, “vayizkor Elokim et Rachel (And G-d remembered Rachel), and G-d hearkened to her, and He opened her womb.” (Sefer Bereishit, 30:22, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with my emendations)  The phrase, “vayizkor Elokim,” cannot be taken at face value. After all, how is it possible that the Creator and Master of the Universe would ever forget? Moreover, the great Mishnaic period sage, Rabbi Elazar HaKapor, said: “Blessed is He, for before Him there is no wrong, no forgetting (v’lo shicha), no favoritism, and no taking of bribes; know, that everything is according to the reckoning. (Pirkei Avot 4:22, translation, Rabbi Yosef Marcus)  As such, many meforshim (Torah commentators) focus on the appellation, Elokim (middat hadin, the quality of judgment), and maintain vayizkor Elokim suggests that the Holy One blessed be He rendered a positive judgment, as we find in three other instances in the Torah:
Vayizkor Elokim Noach and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark… (Sefer Bereishit 8:1) 
 
And it came to pass, when Elokim destroyed the cities of the plain, vayizkor Elokim et Avraham. (19:29) 
 
And Elokim heard their cry (that is, the Jewish people’s cry), and vayizkor Elokim His covenant with Avraham, with Yitzchak, and with Ya’akov. (Sefer Shemot 2:24)
 
Midrashic literature presents two approaches as to why Hashem determined Rachel was zochah (merited) to receive a positive ruling. Bereishit Rabbah asks:
Vayizkor Elokim: What memory did [Hashem] remember (that is, what evidence did Hashem focus on) concerning Rachel? She remained silent concerning her sister [Leah] at the time Leah was given over to him [Ya’akov, on what supposed to have been Rachel and Ya’akov’s wedding night]. Rachel maintained her silence, even though she was fully cognizant of what was taking place. Ultimately, vayizkor Elokim et Rachel, as was fitting, for Rachel knew full well she was bringing her tzaratah (rival) into her own home. (Parashat Vayetze 73:4, translation and brackets my own)
 
The second source, Midrash Aggadah (Buber), contains the explanation of our phrase that was employed by Rashi (1040-1105) in his Commentary on the Torah: 
Vayizkor Elokim: The Holy One blessed be He remembered (that is, focused on) Rachel’s [past] humility when she gave the simanim (unique signs between Rachel and Ya’akov) to her sister [Leah] to give to Ya’akov, as she [Rachel] could not bear the thought of her sister’s [potential] abject embarrassment. (Parashat Vayetze 30:22, translation and brackets my own)
 
In addition, in his Commentary on Sefer Yirmiyahu 31:14, Rashi cites Midrash Eichah Rabbah, Petichah 24, on the celebrated phrase, “Rachel m’vakah al banehah—Rachel weeping for her children.” This midrash combines Rachel’s silence and her giving over the simanim to Leah and, in so doing, reveals the power of her advocacy on behalf of b’nai Yisrael:
Rachel m’vakah al banehah: An aggadic midrash states that the Avot and Emahot went to comfort the Holy One blessed be He when King Menashe [14th king of Yehudah, 7th century BCE] placed an idol in the Beit HaMikdash. Nonetheless, He refused to be comforted. Rachel then came before Him and said: “Master of the Universe, whose mercy is greater, Your mercy or the mercy of one comprised of flesh and blood? Is it not the case that Your mercy is greater? Behold, I brought my rival into my very home [and demonstrated my mercy]! And all the work that Ya’akov did for my father was only performed on my account, yet, when I was preparing to go to my chuppah, my father brought my sister to the chuppah in my stead! It was not enough that I remained silent, since I handed over my special simanim to her as well! So, too, in Your case, if Your children have brought Your rival [the idol] into Your house [the Beit HaMikdash], You should remain silent towards them [regarding this affront, and not destroy them].” He [Hashem] said to her: “You have learned well to be an advocate! There is reward for actions and righteousness, [especially since] you handed over your simanim to your sister.” (Translation and brackets my own)
 
May we always be zocheh (merit) to receive merciful judgment from the Almighty. Moreover, even if we are undeserving of such, may Rachel Emanu ever be our malitzah yesharah (advocate) and help bring us rachamim (mercy) from Hashem. V’chane yihi ratzon.
Shabbat Shalom 
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon HaKohane, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Gittel Malka bat Moshe, Alexander Leib ben Benyamin Yosef, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The beginning of our parasha focuses on Yitzchak and Rivka. Unfortunately, like Sarah and Rachel, Rivka was initially unable to conceive: “And Yitzchak prayed to Hashem opposite his wife because she was barren, and Hashem accepted his prayer, and Rivka, his wife, conceived.” (Sefer Bereishit 25:21, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with my emendations)  In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) suggests the following interpretations of “opposite his wife,” and “accepted his prayer”: 

Opposite his wife: This one (Yitzchak) was standing in this corner and praying, and that one (Rivka) was standing in that corner and praying. Accepted his prayer: But not hers, for the prayer of a righteous man, the son of a righteous man (tzaddik ben tzaddik), does not compare to the prayer of a righteous man, the son of a wicked man (tzaddik ben rasha). Therefore, [Hashem accepted] his prayer and not hers.”
 
Rashi’s explanation of “accepted his prayer” is based on a statement of Rabbi Yitzchak in Talmud Bavli, Yevamot 64a: “… their prayers were answered due to Yitzchak, because the prayer of a tzaddik ben tzaddik is not similar (lefi sh’aino domeh) to the prayer of a tzaddik ben rasha, and Rivkah’s father was the wicked Bethuel.” (Translation, The Koren-William Davidson Talmud, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz zatzal, editor)  Rabbi Yitzchak intimates that the tefilah of a tzaddik ben tzaddik is qualitatively different, and by extension, on a higher level, than that of a tzaddik ben rasha. Yet, how can this be so? Does not Dovid HaMelech state in Ashrei: “Hashem is close to all (l’chol) who call Him, to all (l’chol) who call Him in truth (b’emet). (Sefer Tehillim, 145:18)  This verse clearly indicates that there is “a level playing field” when it comes to heartfelt tefilah—and everyone, no matter who they are—has an equal opportunity to draw close to the Almighty.
 
In his homiletic analysis of the Torah, Oheiv Yisrael, the Apter Rav (Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel zatzal, 1748-1825) focuses on this very issue:

Rashi found it quite difficult that [Hashem accepted Yitzchak’s tefilah, and not Rivka’s,] for even though the prayer of a tzaddik ben tzaddik is not the same as that of a tzaddik ben rasha, nonetheless, the tefilah of a tzaddik ben rasha is very important in the eyes of the Holy One may He be blessed. This is the case, since [the Holy One blessed be He] answers everyone “who call Him in b’emet”—even if he is a son of an evil person. As such, why did the Holy One blessed be He refrain from answering Rivka the tzadeket? For, beyond a shadow of a doubt, did not her prayer ascend in grace before the Holy One? (This and the following translation and brackets my own)
 
Rav Heschel’s answer to these questions is a tour de force that illuminates the deeper meaning of Rashi’s gloss:

[The reason why Hashem accepted Yitzchak’s tefilah and not Rivka’s] is because Yitzchak’s tefilah was that of a tzaddik ben tzaddik, as such, [Rivka’s tefilah, which was] in the category of tzaddik ben rasha, was deemed relatively unimportant by comparison (lo nechshavah kol kach). In truth, however, if the only tefilah in this instance had been [Rivka’s] tzaddik ben rasha prayer, then, beyond a doubt, it would have been of singular import before Him, may He be blessed, in its acceptance, and Hashem would surely have acted in accordance with her desire and will. Therefore, it is only when you have simultaneous tefilot in the categories of tzaddik ben tzaddik and tzaddik ben rasha that the former will take precedence over the later in its acceptance by Hashem.
 
The Apter Rav’s response is inspiring. It assures the entire Jewish people that our tefilot will be accepted as long as we beseech the Almighty in heartfelt sincerity. As we declare three times a day in the weekday Shmoneh Esrei:

Hear our voice, Hashem our G-d, pity and be compassionate to us, and accept — with compassion and favor — our prayer, for G-d Who hears prayers and supplication are You. From before Yourself, our King, turn us not away empty-handed, for You hear the prayers of Your people Israel with compassion. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who hears prayer. (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur)
 
May we all be zocheh (merit) to have our tefilot accepted and answered. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom 
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon HaKohane, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Gittel Malka bat Moshe, Yitzchak Chaim ben Yehoshua, Alexander Leib ben Binyamin Yosef, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
One of the major themes of our parasha is the death and burial of Sarah Emanu in Ma’arat HaMachpelah. Another, found in the subsequent chapter, focuses on Eliezer finding Yitzchak’s future wife, Rivka. (24)  Following this extensive presentation, the Torah informs us: “And Avraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah.” (Sefer Bereishit 25:1, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with my emendations)  With but few exceptions, Chazal identify Keturah with Hagar, Sarah’s former maidservant and the mother of Yishmael. If this is the case, why was the new name “Keturah?” Rashi (1040-1105) offers the following explanation based on Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 61:4: “Keturah: This is Hagar. She was called Keturah because her deeds were as beautiful as incense (ketoret).” In his supercommentary on Rashi’s Commentary on the Torah, the Maharal (Rabbi Yehudah Loew ben Bezalel, born between 1512-1526, d. 1609) explains why Keturah’s deeds “were as beautiful as incense”: 

Even though she had returned to worshipping the false gods of her father’s house (Rashi 21:14), [after having been sent away by Sarah Emanu], once she saw the kindness Hashem did for her when He sent a malach (angel, 21:17), and the waters of the well rose to meet her (21:19), she returned to Hashem [and abandoned all false gods]. (Gur Aryeh, Sefer Bereishit 25:1, translation and brackets my own)
 
According to Rashi and the Maharal, Keturah emerges as a spiritually appropriate wife for Avraham during the post-Sarah Emanu years of his life, as she, too, eschewed idol worship and embraced monotheism. They were zocheh (merited) to have six children and a number of grandchildren, all of whom the Torah describes as “b’nai Keturah—the children of Keturah.” (25:2-4). Immediately thereafter, we find these two pasukim:

And Avraham gave all that he possessed to Yitzchak. And to the sons of Avraham's concubines, Avraham gave gifts, and he sent them away from his son Yitzchak while he [Avraham] was still alive, eastward to the land of the East. (25:5-6)
 
The verse, “and Avraham gave all that he possessed to Yitzchak,” teaches us that Yitzchak was the sole inheritor of Avraham Avinu’s property. We are left to ponder the exact content of this inheritance. Fortunately, there is a fascinating narrative in Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 91a that speaks directly to this issue: 

The Gemara relates: … the descendants of Yishmael and the descendants of Keturah came to judgment with the Jewish people before Alexander of Macedon. They said to the Jewish people before Alexander: “The land of Canaan is both ours and yours, as it is written: ‘And these are the generations of Yishmael, son of Avraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore unto Avraham’ (25:12), and it is written: ‘And these are the generations of Yitzchak, son of Avraham’ (25:19). Therefore, the land should be divided between Avraham’s heirs.” … Geviha ben Pesisa said to the descendants of Yishmael: “From where are you citing proof that the land of Canaan belongs to both you and the Jewish people?” They said to him: “From the Torah.” Geviha ben Pesisa said to them: “I, too, will cite proof to you only from the Torah, as it is stated: ‘And Avraham gave all that he had to Yitzchak. But to the sons of the concubines that Avraham had, Avraham gave gifts, and he sent them away from his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country.’ (25:5–6). In the case of a father who gave a document of bequest [agatin] to his sons during his lifetime and sent one of the sons away from the other, does the one who was sent away have any claim against the other? [Of course not!] the father himself divided his property.” (Translation, with my brackets and emendations, The Koren-William Davidson Talmud, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz zatzal, editor) 
 
The essence of this passage is the fourth century BCE attempt by the descendants of Yishmael and Keturah to acquire a portion of Eretz Yisrael, as demonstrated by their purported inheritance claims. Geviha ben Pesisa, Chazal’s representative to Alexander of Macedon, cites pasukim that prove the inaccuracy of their specious assertions, and concludes with a logical argument congruent with Greek law which stipulates that it is the father’s legal right to divide his property using an agatin, and such choices remain inviolate. Alexander apparently accepted Geviha’s arguments since there is no further discussion of this case in the Gemara. 
 
Unfortunately, the descendants of Yishmael and Keturah have unceasingly continued their quest to deny our G-d given right to Eretz Yisrael. One particularly powerful incident involving Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook zatzal (1865-1935), the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine, gives voice to their never-ending efforts:
​
In 1929, the Arabs, supported by the British authorities in the land of Israel, were attempting to deny Jews the right to pray before the Western Wall. When Rabbi Kook appeared before a commission set up to deal with the matter, he turned to the head of the commission and said in a trembling voice: “What do you mean by saying that this commission will decide who has ownership over the Western Wall? Does this commission or the League of Nations control the Wall? From whom have you received permission to decide who owns it? The entire world is the possession of the Holy One, blessed be He, the Creator of the world. And the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the nation of Israel possession of the entire land of Israel, including the Western Wall. No power in the world, no League of Nations and not this commission can suspend this divine right.” The commission head commented that almost two thousand years had passed since the Jews had possessed the land of Israel, including the Western Wall. To this, Rav Kook replied quietly and calmly: “In Jewish law, there is a concept of an owner’s giving up his right to his property—including his land.  But when a person’s land was stolen from him, and he protested and continues to protest, his rights never expire.” (Simcha Raz, Malachim Kivnei Adam, p. 179, translation, Yaacov David Shulman, https://www.ravkook.net/the-land-of-israel.html)
 
May the time come soon, and in our days, when we will witness the complete fulfillment of the bracha we recite in the daily Shmoneh Esrei: “Behold our affliction, take up our grievance, and redeem us speedily for Your Name’s sake, for You are a powerful Redeemer. Blessed are You, Hashem, Redeemer of the Jewish people.” (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur, page 103, with my emendations). V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom 
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav

Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon HaKohane, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, Gittel Malka bat Moshe, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha contains the first instance in history wherein an individual encounters the Almighty in an attempt to nullify a gezarah (verdict) of destruction promulgated against others. The exchange begins when the Holy One Blessed be He informs Avraham Avinu of His intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their abject evil:

And Hashem said, “Since the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and since their sin has become very grave, I will descend now and see, whether according to her cry, which has come to Me, they have done; [I will wreak] destruction [upon them]; and if not, I will know.” (Sefer Bereishit 18:20-21, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, with my emendations) 
 
Avraham Avinu responds swiftly with a plea for their salvation. In so doing, he holds the Almighty to universal standards of justice:

And Avraham approached and said, “Will You even destroy the righteous with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty righteous men in the midst of the city; will You even destroy and not forgive the place for the sake of the fifty righteous men who are in its midst? Far be it from You to do a thing such as this, to put to death the righteous with the wicked so that the righteous should be like the wicked. Far be it from You! Will the Judge of the entire earth not perform justice?” (18:23-25)
 
Hashem responds favorably to Avraham’s supplication and declares, “…If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, I will forgive the entire place for their sake.” (18:26)  At this juncture, Avraham realizes that his petition may well sound like unbridled boldness. Therefore, before continuing his appeal, he entreats Hashem with these famous words: “Behold now I have begun to speak to Hashem, although I am dust and ashes (v’anochi afar v’afer).” (18:27)
 
There are multiple ways that Avraham could have described himself in order to appear humble before the Master of the Universe. Why, then, did he choose the unusual expression “v’anochi afar v’afer?” Moreover, if Avraham stated that he was afar (dust), why did he add that he was afer (ashes)? The Beit HaLevi zatzal (Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik, 1820-1892) addresses these questions in his analysis of our phrase:
​
He [Avraham] lowered himself in two polar opposite ways: Afar [is something] that has never had a significant shape, and it is only a possibility that it will obtain an important form; as there is a chance that seeds could be sewn therein, and it could grow any manner of plants, or it could be fashioned into an important vessel. [In contrast,] afer at some point had a meaningful form, yet at this time it is impossible to make anything from it. [For in stark contrast to afar,] it can neither be used as a bar gibul (a solid whose parts are joined by liquid into one body to create something of import), nor can it be used to grow plants. As such, he described himself in this manner to declare to the Almighty that he has never been anyone of significance, nor would anyone of any value or merit issue forth from him. (Sefer Beit HaLevi, Sefer Bereishit 18:27, translation, brackets and underlining my own)
 
The Beit HaLevi’s keen interpretation of v’anochi afar v’afer is congruent with an aggadic passage found in Talmud Bavli, Chullin 89a:

The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to the Jewish people: “I delight in you, since even at a time that I bestow greatness upon you, you diminish (i.e., humble), yourselves before Me. I granted greatness to Abraham, (yet) he said before Me: “And I am but dust and ashes.” (Genesis 18:27)  I granted greatness to Moses and Aaron, yet (Moses) said (of the two of them): “And what are we?” (Exodus 16:7) (I granted greatness) to David, (yet) he said: “But I am a worm, and no man.” (Psalms 22:7, Talmud translation, The Davidson Talmud, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz zatzal, editor, with my emendations)
 
In my estimation, the attribute described in this passage is one of the key middot (ethical characteristics) of authentic gedolei Torah; namely, they are at one and the same time consummate Torah scholars and truly humble individuals. With Hashem’s help and our heartfelt efforts, may we follow their example and emulate the anavah (humility) of Avraham, Moshe and Aharon, and Dovid HaMelech. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, Gittel Malka bat Moshe, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The first three pasukim of our parasha are famous, as they portray the beginning of the grand historical journey of Avraham Avinu and the Jewish people:

And Hashem said to Avram, “Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and [you shall] be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you.” (Sefer Bereishit 12:1-3, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with my emendations)
 
Avram fulfilled Hashem’s command with zeal: “And Avram took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had acquired, and the souls they had acquired (hanefesh asher asu) in Haran, and they went to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan.” (12:5)  The identities of Avram, Sarai and Lot are quite clear, yet, who exactly were hanefesh asher asu? As in many exegetical questions of this nature, the peshat (direct meaning) and midrashic analysis yield very different answers.
 
Nearly all meforshim (commentators) are in consonance with Rashi’s (1040-1105) peshat-level interpretation of hanefesh asher asu: “the slaves and maidservants that they had acquired for themselves, as in, ‘He acquired (asah) all this wealth’ [an expression of acquisition]; (Sefer Bereishit 31:1), ‘and the Jewish people shall triumph (oseh chayil),’ an expression of acquiring and gathering.” (Sefer Bamidbar 24:18)  The classic Torah interpreters are of one opinion, as well, when viewing our phrase on the midrashic-level:
“And the souls that they had made in Haran.” Said Rabbi Elazar ben Zimra: “If every person on earth sought to create even one gnat, they could not place a soul within it [and give it life]. And the text states: “the souls that they had made!” Rather, these were the converts that they converted. If it meant “converted” why did the text say “made?” To teach you that anyone who brings an idol worshipper close [to the Almighty] and converts him, is as if he created him. [Moreover,] why did the Torah say, “that they made,” [plural] rather than, “that he made [singular]?” Rav Huna said: “Avram would convert the men, and Sarai would convert the women.” (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 39:21, translation and brackets my own)  
 
What was the driving force behind Avram and Sarai’s proselytizing efforts? My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the “Rav” by his followers and disciples, addresses this question in his posthumous work, Abraham’s Journey: Reflections on the Life of the Founding Patriarch. He notes that Avraham was, “a social being longing for communication…a loving man with sincere affection for people.” As such:

How could he be satisfied with his secluded life, with a hermit-like existence, with loneliness and continual withdrawal, when he was burdened with a great message which he had, willy-nilly, to deliver? He beheld a wonderful vision and was driven by an inner impulse to have others behold it…The creative will in Abraham had to break through the barriers that separated him from society. Now he had to make his inner light visible to his fellow men. (Page 84)
 
The Rav presents Avraham in the classic guise of the navi (prophet) who must deliver his knowledge of Hashem to the entire world, an idea to which he gives clear voice: “…when the message ripened in Abraham, when the new world vision matured in him and the prophecy he had to deliver was pressing for manifestation, he understood that he could not accomplish this task in solitude…” (Page 85)  This, then, is precisely why Avram and Sarai worked so tirelessly to bring Hashem’s existence before the entire world:
​
Abraham therefore tried to create a community of the committed and dedicated, a covenantal community. He returned to the very people whose company he had rejected, whose friendship and concern he had refused to acknowledge, and tried to rediscover them, to communicate his great message to them. “Abraham converted the males, and Sarah the females” (Rashi, Gen. 12:5) Abraham, the straying wanderer, became a settler and a citizen—not of the old society, but of a new society... (Page 86)
 
The Rav’s presentation of Avraham and Sarah encourages us to view them in a new light—as role models for generations of future prophets. Centuries later, Yeshayahu urged the entire Jewish people to emulate Avraham and Sarah and become “a light unto nations, so that My (the Almighty’s) salvation shall be until the end of the earth.” (Sefer Yeshayahu 49:6)  As the text states: “and My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Ibid. 56:7)  May this time come soon, and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
​
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Noach is one of the most fascinating people in Tanach, if for no other reason than the Almighty chose him to restart humankind in the aftermath of the Flood. The final verse in Parashat Bereishit sheds light as to why Hashem made this choice: “v’Noach matza chane b’einai Hashem--And Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem.” (6:8). What was the source of this special status? The first verse in our parasha helps us answer this question: “These are the generations of Noach; Noach ish tzaddik haya b’dorotav--Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; Noach walked with the Almighty.” (6:9)
 
The first part of this pasuk contains the word, “b’dorotav (in his generations).” Although the Talmudic sages, Rav and Shmuel, and Rashi (1040-1105), debate whether this term connotes a positive or negative perspective, the Ramban (1194-1270) takes a decidedly positive stance:

In my view, the most satisfying explanation, according to the simple meaning, is that he [Noach] was hatzaddik b’dorot hahame—the only righteous person in those generations; there wasn’t a righteous or tamim—perfect person in his generation besides him. Similarly, “For it is you [Noach] that I have seen to be tzaddik--righteous before Me in this generation” (7:1) – there was no one else that was worthy of being saved in that generation. It states “in his generations” because many generations had passed since the time people began to corrupt their ways, and there was no righteous person on earth except for him. (Translation, Sefaria.org with my emendations)
 
Herein, the Ramban cites the second of the two instances in Sefer Bereishit wherein the word, “tzaddik,” is mentioned in reference Noach: “For it is you [Noach] that I have seen to be tzaddik--righteous—before Me in this generation” (7:1)  Classic Torah exegesis leads us to ask, “If Noach was given the appellation of, tzaddik in the earlier pasuk, “Noach ish tzaddik haya b’dorotav,” (6:9) why did the text repeat it once again?” My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the “Rav” by his followers and disciples, addresses this question in his combined analysis of Sefer Bereishit 6:22 and 7:1. In so doing, he draws an easily overlooked parallel between Noach and Avraham Avinu:

“And Noah did; according to all that God commanded him…, for it is you that I have seen as a righteous man (tzaddik) before Me.” Abraham’s greatness was based on his firm belief in God’s promises…Abraham often found himself in situations where he was ridiculed due to his faith. Therefore, with all of Abraham’s accomplishments, the one attribute that God explicitly praises is his pure belief: “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him as righteousness.” (15:6). Noah’s belief was similarly tested—he built an ark for many years, explaining to onlookers that God was set to destroy the world, while they derisively laughed at him. Despite all the obstacles, and the taunts of his contemporaries, Noah did not deviate from God’s command. Once Noah clearly demonstrated his belief by completing the ark, God therefore remarked on his righteousness. (Public lecture, Boston, 1977, cited in Chumash Mesoras HaRav, Sefer Bereishit: with Commentary Based Upon the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Dr. Arnold Lustiger, editor, page 51, underlining my own)
 
In the Rav’s view, a significant difference obtains between the two times Noach is labelled a tzaddik: “Noach ish tzaddik haya b’dorotav,” represents “Noach the potential tzaddik."  While he had sterling middot (ethical characteristics) and faith in Hashem, Noach had not yet faced the challenge of emunah (faith) under fire, that is, the contempt of the rest of the world for maintaining his seemingly incomprehensible theological positions. Once, however, he did “according to all that God commanded him,” demonstrating his bitachon (emunah in action) by completing the construction of the ark, despite the derision of his peers, his level of tziddkut (righteousness) changed. Now he was “Noach the actual tzaddik,” and “God therefore remarked on his righteousness.”
 
For the Rav, Noach emerges as the precursor of Avraham Avinu for, like Avraham, he refused to be swayed by the innumerable detractors and falsehoods of his age. Despite the obstacles before him, Noach ever “walked with the Almighty.”
 
We, too, live in a time of unceasing challenges. May we, like Noach, have the strength to overcome the impediments in our path, actualizing our emunah into righteous actions, and thereby ever walk with the Almighty. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav
​

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha contains many subjects, beginning with the Almighty’s creation of the Universe through His ominous announcement of the impending destruction of all life on earth. Amid these various themes, we find the narrative of Kayin and Hevel and their respective offerings to Hashem:

…Hevel was a shepherd of flocks, and Kayin was a tiller of the soil. Now it came to pass at the end of days, that Kayin brought of the fruit of the soil an offering to Hashem. And Hevel also brought of the firstborn of his flocks and of their fattest, and Hashem turned to Hevel and to his offering. But to Kayin and to his offering He did not turn, and it angered Kayin exceedingly, and his countenance fell. (Sefer Bereishit 4:2-5, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with my emendations)
 
We learn that Hevel was a shepherd and Kayin was a farmer. Kayin was the first person to offer a korban and his brother, Hevel, the second. As we would readily assume, Kayin’s korban was “of the fruit of the soil,” and Hevel’s from his flocks. Yet, there was also a crucial, qualitative difference between their respective korbanot: Hevel’s offering was a bechor (first born) “and of the fattest,” whereas Kayin’s appears to have been nondescript, as if he had grabbed the produce purely by happenstance. Midrash Bereishit Rabbah strongly supports this reading of Kayin’s behavior, stating that he took his korban “min hap’solet (from the rejected produce), like a bad sharecropper who eats the bakurot (first fruits) and ‘honors’ the king with the unripe and barely edible fruits.” (22:5, translation my own, see, as well, Rashi on Sefer Bereishit 4:3)
 
We now have a better understanding as to why Hashem, “turned to Hevel and to his offering. But to Kayin and to his offering He did not turn.” This is not, however, the end of the story. Even though Hashem refused to accept Kayin’s inadequate korban, to the point that “it angered Kayin exceedingly, and his countenance fell,” Hashem did not reject Kayin, himself, but rather, his misguided actions: “And Hashem said to Kayin, ‘Why are you annoyed, and why has your countenance fallen? Is it not so that if you improve, it will be forgiven you? …you can rule over it.’” (4:6-7)
 
Hashem’s message to Kayin is truly inspiring. In these few words, the Almighty bequeathed the gift of teshuvah to humankind for evermore. Not only is it the case, “that if you improve, it will be forgiven you.” In addition, authentic teshuvah is so powerful that Hashem proclaims, “you can rule over it,” that is, you can conquer this chate, your deviation from the proper path, and return unto Me. This concept was given powerful voice by the founder of the Izhbitza-Radzin Chasidic dynasty, Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner zatzal (1804-1854), in his gloss on our pasukim:
​
If you [Kayin] will improve your heart and mind so that you will yearn to perform the avodah (korban service) without jealousy [for your brother], and devoid of any personal agenda, [but rather in My service alone,] then you will be raised up, that is, your spiritual being will rise to higher and higher levels. (Mei HaShiluach, Parashat Bereishit, s.v. halo im taitiv s’ate, translation and brackets my own)
 
May each of us yearn to serve Hashem, b’lave shalem (with complete hearts), and may we be raised through our teshuvah to draw ever closer to Him. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav
​

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
If we paraphrase the first of the Four Questions of the Pesach seder and apply it to Succot, it would probably look something like this: “How is this chag different from all other chagim?” Our answer might well be: “While other chagim also have physical mitzvot objects, Succot is the only chag with a mitzvah that literally surrounds around us, namely, the succah.”
 
There is another unique mitzvah of Succot that we unfortunately cannot perform at this time—the musfei korbanot (Mussaf Offerings) of Succot. At first glance, we might be tempted to question this mitzvah’s singularity. After all, Shabbat, Yom Tov and Rosh Chodesh also have their own Mussaf offerings. If this is so, how are the musfei korbanot of Succot different from these other days? This matter is directly addressed in Talmud Bavli, Succah 55b:

Rabbi Elazar said: “For whom were these 70 bullock korbanot [of Succot] offered? On behalf of the 70 nations of the world…” Rabbi Yochanan said: “Woe unto the non-Jews who have lost [so very much] and know not what they have lost. When the Beit HaMikdash was standing, the Mizbeach (Altar) effectuated kapparah (expiation) on their behalf, and now [after the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash], who will bring about their kapparah?” (Translation and brackets my own)
 
According to Rabbi Elazar, Succot was the sole chag when korbanot were offered in the Beit HaMikdash on behalf of the 70 nations of the world. In his Commentary on the Talmud on our passage, Rashi zatzal (1040-1105) explains the purpose of these korbanot:

[The offerings that were brought on behalf of] the 70 nations of the world were to bring them kapparah in order for the rain to fall throughout the [entire] world. [They were brought at this time,] since humankind is judged on Succot regarding the water [that is, the rain, that will fall upon the earth in the upcoming year]. (Translation and brackets my own)  
 
As the requisite amount of rainfall is a universal human need, the 70 korbanot were brought on behalf of the nations of the world to ensure that they, too, would not suffer the ravages of drought and starvation. In many ways, this act is reminiscent of a famous pasuk in Sefer Yeshayahu: “I will bring them [the nations of the world] to My holy mount, and I will cause them to rejoice in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples--ki vati beit tefilah yi’kareh l’kol ha’amim.” (56:7)  This singularly important principle of Judaism is given powerful voice in the Selichot and throughout the tefilot of the Yamim Noraim.
 
My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the “Rav” by his followers and disciples, incorporates this idea in his thought emphasizing, that in addition to our particularistic Jewish identity, we are “a part of the larger family of mankind,” and, hence, have a distinct universalistic identity:

As a citizen of a pluralistic society, the Jew assumes the social and political obligation to contribute to the general welfare and to combat such common dangers as famine, corruption, disease, and foreign enemies. Where the freedom, dignity, and security of human life are at stake, all people—irrespective of ethnic diversity—are expected to join as brothers in shouldering their responsibilities. These are concerns which transcend all boundaries of difference. (Reflections of the Rav: Lessons in Jewish Thought Adapted from Lectures of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Abraham R. Besdin editor, page 170)
 
In line with this approach of the Rav, I believe the Aleinu is the tefilah that best captures the dual identity of our people. The first paragraph focuses upon our unique obligations to the Almighty:

It is our duty to praise the Master of all, to ascribe greatness to the Molder of primeval creation, for He has not made us like the nations of the lands and has not emplaced us like the families of the earth; for He has not assigned our portion like theirs nor our lot like all the multitudes. But we bend our knees, bow, and acknowledge our thanks before the King Who reigns over kings, the Holy One Blessed is He…
 
In stark contrast, the second paragraph of Aleinu presents a powerful universalistic theme:
​
Therefore, we put our hope in You, Hashem our G-d, that we may soon see Your mighty splendor…to perfect the universe through the Almighty’s sovereignty (l’takane olam b’malchut Sha-dai). Then all humanity will call upon Your Name, to turn all the earth’s wicked toward You… And it is said [Sefer Zechariah 14:9]: “Hashem will be King over all the world—on that day Hashem will be One and his Name will be One.” (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur, pages 159 and 161, brackets my own)
 
As Yeshayahu the prophet proclaimed: “…I will make you a light unto nations, so that My salvation shall be unto the end of the earth.” (49:6) May the time come soon and, in our days, when these stirring words will be realized, and we will lead all humankind in recognizing Hashem’s ultimate kingship. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav
​

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
As we grow older, we come to realize the significant personal relationships in our lives do not “just happen.” Rather, they require clear focus and ongoing attention. If this is true on the human level, it is even more so the case when it comes to the Torah and mitzvot. True, simply by our birthright, the Torah is morashah kehillat Ya’akov (the heritage of the Congregation of Ya’akov, Sefer Devarim 33:4).  As crucial as this idea is, however, we must undertake a good deal more in order to achieve a vibrant and joyful relationship with the Torah and mitzvot. Perhaps most importantly, we must take a step back and think about this fundamental connection in our lives, so that we may encounter the Torah in an authentic fashion. With this goal in mind, let us turn to two pasukim in our parasha that can serve as guides on this never-ending journey:

And he [Moshe] said to them [the entire Jewish people], “Set your hearts (simu l’vavchem) to all of the words which I bear witness for you this day, so that you may command your children to observe to do all the words of this Torah. For it is not an empty thing for you (ki lo davar raik mekem), for it is your life (ki hu chayachem), and through this thing, you will lengthen your days upon the land to which you are crossing over the Jordan, to possess it.” (Sefer Devarim 32:36-37, brackets my own, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Chazal underscored the singular import of these verses in the Ahavat Olam tefilah that we say each evening: “Therefore Hashem, our G-d, upon our retiring and arising, we will discuss Your decrees and we will rejoice with the words of Your Torah and with Your commandments for all eternity. For they are our life and the length of our days and about them we will meditate day and night.” (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur, page 259). As noted in the Sefer Avudraham (14th century), this formulation is reminiscent of a section of another pasuk in Sefer Devarim: “To love Hashem, your G-d, to listen to His voice, and to cleave to Him. For that is your life and the length of your days, to dwell on the land which Hashem swore to your forefathers to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’akov to give to them.” (30:20)
 
As we have seen, our parasha uses a thought-provoking expression to describe the Torah and mitzvot: “ki lo davar raik mekem (for it is not an empty thing for you).” In Talmud Yerushalmi, Peah 1:1, Rabbi Mana suggests the following interpretation of this elusive phrase: “And if it is empty to you [that is you fail to understand], it is because of you.” In his Commentary on the Torah on our pasuk, Rabbeinu Behaye ben Asher ibn Halawa (1255-1340) analyzes Rabbi Mana’s aphoristic explanation: “That is to say, if you do not know the reason for a particular matter in the Torah, this deficiency stems from your lack of comprehension, and is the result of your failure to reach the requisite level of understanding.” (Translation my own)
 
Nearer to our own time, the Sefat Emet (Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter, 1847-1905), while not specifically citing Rabbeinu Behaye’s gloss, expands upon his elucidation:

This means that the Torah is explained according to the preparation of the minds of the Jewish people…For only if the Jewish people engage in intensive Torah study at all times will they be able to expand upon and reveal the [true essence of] Torah subjects. This is explicitly stated in the verse, “ki lo davar raik mekem,” whose exposition is, “there is nothing in the Torah that will be empty to you [that is, without meaning].” This, in turn, connotes the concept that the Jewish people have a portion in all Torah matters, as it is written (Zohar III, 93b): “Orayta v’Kudsha Baruch Hu v’Yisrael kulahu chad--the Torah, the Holy One blessed be He and the Jewish people are one.” (Sefer Sefat Emet, Sefer Devarim, Parashat Ha’azinu, 1883, translation and brackets my own)
 
This year, as we celebrate Simchat Torah and join together in true Torah joy, may we remember the clarion call of the holy Zohar: “Orayta v’Kudsha Baruch Hu v’Yisrael kulahu chad--the Torah, the Holy One blessed be He and the Jewish people are one.” V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
​
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav
​

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The Netaneh Tokef prayer is one of the most emotionally expressive tefilot in the Nusach Ashkenaz and Nusach Sefard machzorim, so much so that one of its passages brings many of us to tears each time it is recited:

On Rosh Hashanah it [that is, our judgment] will be inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed—how many shall pass away and how many shall be born, who shall live and who shall die, who in good time, and who by an untimely death, who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by wild beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by earthquake and who by plague, who by strangulation and who by stoning, who shall have rest and who wander, who shall be at peace and who pursued, who shall be serene and who tormented, who shall become impoverished and who wealthy, who shall be debased, and who exalted. (Translation, www.Sefaria.org with my emendations)
 
Following the chazan’s repetition of this section, the entire congregation cries aloud: “u’teshuvah u’tefilah u’tzdakah ma’avirin et roah hagezerah--but repentance, prayer and charity remove the evil of the decree!” (Translation, ArtScroll Machzor)  This is an incredibly powerful affirmation of the transformative nature of teshuvah, tefilah and tzedakah when they are combined into one spiritual unit, for, then, even a negative decree against us, as individuals and as a nation, can be nullified.
 
In Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 2:4, the Rambam (1135-1204) renders a p’sak (halachic conclusion) that is congruent with the phrase, “u’teshuvah u’tefilah u’tzdakah ma’avirin et roah hagezerah”: “Among the paths of repentance is for the penitent to constantly call out before G-d, crying and entreating, and to perform charity according to his potential…” (Translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)  My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, examines this statement in a deeply penetrating manner. In so doing, he elucidates the meaning of “to constantly call out before G-d, crying and entreating”:

Herein it is explained that there is a special kind of tefilah to be undertaken by the ba’al teshuvah, namely, tefilah shel tza’akah—prayer of crying out [from the depths of one’s being], and the unique category of this form of prayer appears to be none other than the selichot (penitential prayers), which are, [by definition,] tefilah shel tza’akah, rather than standard prayer. As such, we are accustomed to say the selichot aloud, as this is a part of the fulfillment of the crying out of the ba’al teshuvah.
 
Following this, the Rav analyzes the phrase, “to perform charity according to his potential”:
​
It appears to me that this is the very reason why the parsha concerning the Mishkan (Portable Desert Sanctuary) appears immediately after the parsha of the Chet HaEgel (Sin of the Golden Calf), since it is one of the paths of teshuvah [for the ba’al teshuvah] to give tzedakah. [As such,] the voluntary offerings that went toward the work of [constructing] the Mishkan were in the category of tzedakah to bring about kapparah (expiation) upon their souls. (Sefer Harrerei Kedem, vol. 1, page 76, translations and brackets my own)
 
These insights provide a trenchant interpretation of the relationship of teshuvah to tefilah and tzedakah. Tefilah of teshuvah is given voice in the selichot, which are the ultimate representation of tefilah shel tza’akah. Tzedakah of teshuvah engenders kapparah al nafshoteinu, expiation for our very being.
 
With Hashem’s help, may our heartfelt teshuvah, tefilah shel teshuvah, and tzedakah shel teshuvah unite to remove the roah hagezerah from upon us, so that we may be inscribed in the Sefer HaChaim (the Book of Life). V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom v’Gamar Chatimah Tovah
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org.
 
Please contact me at rdbe718@gmail.com to be added to my weekly email list.
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav
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