​
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, 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, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimahof Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Ezra the Scribe (5th century BCE) was one of the great leaders of the Jewish people. One of his most significant achievements was the establishment of the exact format in which a sefer Torah must be written. Our parasha contains an outstanding example of his handiwork. At the beginning of all other parshiot in a Sefer Torah, there is a clear indication that a new Torah portion is about to begin, separate from the previous one. This is not the case in our sidrah,which leads Midrash Bereishit Rabbah and Rashi (1040-1105) to ask: “Lamah parasha zu satumah?” (“Why is this Torah portion completely closed?”)  The Siftei Chakhamim (Rabbi Shabbeti Bass, 1641-1718) explains the substance of this question in the following manner: 

That is to say, we have a tradition from Ezra the Scribe, may he rest in peace, that Parashat Vayechi [beginning with the word “vayechi” itself] is the beginning of an entirely new section and not conjoined to the preceding parasha [that concludes] with the verse “vayeshev Yisrael…” [Parashat Vayechi, however,] does not follow the standard form of a parasha satumah, since [such a section normally has a blank space in front of it] that equals the size of nine letters, yet, in our case, the entire beginning of the parasha is totally closed without any space whatsoever. (Commentary on Rashi’s gloss, Sefer Bereishit 47:28, translation my own) 
 
Although Midrash Bereishit Rabbah offers three answers to the question, “Lamah parasha zu satumah,” the Kli Yakar (Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz, 1550-1619) summarily rejects each of them and states: “It certainly appears that there is no support whatsoever from the Torah’s text for any of these interpretations; as such, they are like false prophecies.” (Sefer Kli Yakar, Parashat Vayechi 47:28, this and the following translations my own).  This leads him to surmise that even though Parashat Vayechi and Parashat Vayigash are two separate parshiot, it is:

incontrovertibly the case that Ezra the Scribe’s intention [in writing Parashat Vayechi completely satumah] was to have the verse beginning with vayechi juxtaposed to the preceding verse [from Parashat Vayigash] in order for the two pasukim to be read as: “And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen, and they acquired property in it, and they were prolific and multiplied greatly. And Ya’akov lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years…” as if they were actually one verse. (47:27-28, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, Kli Yakar translations my own)
 
At this juncture, the Kli Yakar utilizes this “extended verse” concept to revisit and reinterpret the first answer Midrash Bereishit Rabbah provides to the question lamah parasha zu satumah, namely, “When Ya’akov died, shibud Mitzrayim (Egyptian servitude) began.” In so doing, he offers two approaches to the relationship between Ya’akov’s death and the onset of the shibud:

Initially the text states, “And Ya’akov lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years,” and teaches us through the utilization of the word, “vayeshev” (lived) that the Jews at that time dwelt in peace and tranquility, so much so that they were able to acquire significant landholdings in Egypt and greatly expand their population. All of this took place during the time of, “and Ya’akov lived,” for during his lifetime each member of the Jewish community directly benefitted from zechut Ya’akov (the merit of Ya’akov). From here we may infer that his zechut ceased upon his death, and so, too, all the positive outcomes it had engendered...And, according to this line of thought, Ya’akov’s death caused the onset of the Egyptian servitude. 
 
In sum, according to this view of the Kli Yakar, Ya’akov’s death ended the golden age described in 47:27-28, when our forebears “dwelt in peace and tranquility.” In addition, as he clarifies in further comments, the fledgling Jewish people then ceased being landowners and became enslaved to the Egyptians who strived to embitter their lives. In short, Ya’akov’s death precipitated shibud Mitzrayim.
 
The Kli Yakar takes the polar opposite tact in his second analysis of the juxtaposition of the last verse of Parashat Vayigash and the first pasuk of our parasha. In this scenario, rather than Ya’akov’s death triggering shibud Mitzrayim, shibud Mitzrayim led to Ya’akov’s death:
​
And it is possible to say exactly the opposite, namely, the beginning of the servitude was the reason for his death, as the Holy One blessed be He shortened the years of his life so that he did not live as long as his fathers [that is, Yitzchak and Avraham] in order for him to be spared seeing his children in bondage, for the time had now arrived [as foretold to Avraham] of “and they will enslave and oppress them for four hundred years.” (Sefer Bereishit 15:13)  
 
I believe that the Kli Yakar is intimating something quite fascinating regarding Ya’akov Avinu’s persona. Our standard perception of Ya’akov is as ish tam yosheiv ohelim (Sefer Bereishit 25:27, the pure and innocent individual who dwelt in the tents of Torah), who represented the highest heights of truth, as we find in the celebrated verse: “You shall give the truth of Ya’akov, the loving-kindness of Avraham, which You swore to our forefathers from days of yore.” (Sefer Michah 7:20)  As such, we rarely focus upon the emotional sensitivities that infused his being. Yet, the Kli Yakar is teaching us that Ya’akov simply would have been unable to bear seeing his children suffer in abject slavery; therefore, the Master of the Universe mercifully allowed him to die before his time, to spare him from witnessing such heart-wrenching scenes. In a very real sense, we can now understand why Ya’akov was the perfect husband for Rachel, for they were united in their empathy for the pain and anguish of the Jewish people. As the verse states: “So says the L-rd: A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter cries, Rachel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children for they are no more.” (Sefer Yirmiyahu 31:14, with my emendations)
 
May the time come soon and in our days when Rachel will no longer weep for her beloved children and Ya’akov will no longer fear for our physical and spiritual welfare, a time when we will be blessed with true shalom al Yisrael. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** 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.
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, 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, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimahof Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Hashem’s prophecy to Ya’akov Avinu on the eve of his traveling to Egypt to meet his beloved son Yosef is one of the many dramatic episodes in our parasha:

Israel began the journey, taking all his possessions, and he arrived in Beersheba. He offered sacrifices to the G-d of his father Isaac. G-d spoke to Israel in a night vision, and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Yes,” replied [Jacob]. [G-d] said, “I am the Omnipotent G-d of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt (Al tirah merdah mitzraimah), for it is there that I will make you into a great nation. I will go to Egypt with you, and I will also bring you back again. Joseph will place his hands on your eyes.” (Sefer Bereishit 46:1-4, translation, The Living Torah)
 
I have always been intrigued by the seemingly out of place phrase, “Al tirah merdah mitzraimah,” after all, Ya’akov was on the verge of reuniting with Yosef! Moreover, Ya’akov now knew that his beloved son was the viceroy of Egypt and his family’s physical needs would be assured, even in the midst of a frightening worldwide famine. Therefore, the words “Al tirah merdah mitzraimah,” seem strangely out of place. 

My rebbi and mentor, Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known by his students and followers as “the Rav,” provides us with a brilliant insight that enables us to understand Ya’akov’s fear and trembling. He notes that two distinct britot (covenants with Hashem) have existed in the history of the Jewish people. The first is the Patriarchal Covenant (brit avot), and the second is the Sinaitic Covenant that we embraced at Har Sinai. The first covenant originally differed from the second in that it was limited to the families of the Patriarchs and was obligatory only in Eretz Yisrael. In contrast, the Sinaitic Covenant has been incumbent upon all Jews since the moment we received the Torah. The Rav further advances our understanding of the content of these two britot in the following manner:
​
The Patriarchal Covenant apparently imparts teachings to the Jewish people by example rather than by prescription. While the Sinaitic Covenant tells the Jew what to do and how to act as a member of the covenantal community, the Patriarchal Covenant addresses the “I” awareness of the Jew, teaching him how to experience his Jewishness. It sensitizes him in specifically Jewish ways; it expresses attitudes, ideals, and sentiments which still speak to us. It guides our feelings and consciousness rather than our physical acts, for we are duty-bound not only to act as Jews, but to feel as Jews. (Man of Faith in the Modern World: Reflections of the Rav, volume II, page 68) 
 
In particular, the Rav is teaching us a profound lesson regarding the depth-level significance of the Patriarchal Covenant. Far too often, we are tempted to think of Judaism solely in regard to its rich and comprehensive halachic system. The Rav reminds us, however, that while this component of Judaism is absolutely necessary for the continuation of our people, it is equally vital for each of us to embrace the Patriarchal Covenant, so that “our feelings and consciousness” as Jews are as authentic as the mitzvot the Almighty commanded us at Har Sinai.
 
In a variety of sources, the Rav suggests that Ya’akov was keenly aware of the geographic limitations of the brit avot of his time and felt that his family and descendants were on the brink of the greatest tragedy they could face. As such, Ya’akov was convinced that the impending exile in Egypt would nullify this covenant and the unique connection to the Almighty would be lost forevermore. Little wonder, then, that he felt such powerful fear regarding the future of his family and descendants. The only antidote to this debilitating dread was Hashem’s promise: “Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up….” Now, Ya’akov was assured that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) would accompany him and protect his family, for with Hashem “at his side,” Egypt would be “transformed” into an extended portion of Eretz Yisrael. As a result, the Patriarchal Covenant would remain in effect and the future of his family, and our people, would be guaranteed. This, then, is precisely why Hashem declared: “Al tirah merdah mitzraimah.”
 
Like Ya’akov, we live in a period of great uncertainty. The entire world is in the throes of a powerful pandemic that we have not experienced for many generations, and fear and anxiety are the watchwords of today. Yet, we must ever remember the comforting and stirring words of David HaMelech: “Yisrael b’tach b’Hashem ezram u’maginam Hu — Yisrael, trust in the L-rd; He is their help and their shield.” (Sefer Tehillim 115:9, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach). May Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world soon and in our time. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom 
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** 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.
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff


Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, 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, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha contains a dramatic pasuk that relates Pharaoh’s reaction to his dreams concerning cows and grain, wherein the sickly and lean devoured the healthy and robust ones:

Va’ye’hi ba’boker — Now it came to pass in the morning — that his spirit was troubled; so he sent and called all the necromancers of Egypt and all its sages, and Pharaoh related to them his dream, but no one interpreted them for Pharaoh. (Sefer Bereishit 41:8, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, underlining my own)

It is immediately apparent why Pharaoh’s spirit was troubled and why he had a passionate desire to understand these frightening dreams, as they seem to portend some indeterminate disaster. Try as they might, the “necromancers of Egypt and all its sages” were unable to interpret their monarch’s dreams in a convincing manner. Rashi (1040-1105) explicates this idea in the following fashion: “They did interpret them, but not for Pharaoh, for their voice did not reach his ears, and he had no satisfaction from their interpretation…” The failure of the Egyptian necromancers and sages set the stage for Yosef’s release from prison, his prescient interpretation of the dreams and subsequent elevation to the lofty role of mishneh l’melech (second-in-command) of Egypt, our people’s exile in Egypt and the exodus therefrom, and the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
 
There are two other instances of va’ye’hi ba’boker in Chamishah Chumshei Torah that foreshadow a fundamental change for an individual or the entire Jewish people. The first of these is found in Parashat Vayatze in connection with the undesired marriage triangle of Ya’akov, Leah, and Rachel: “Va’ye’hi ba’boker, and behold she was Leah! So he [Ya’akov] said to Laban: ‘What is this that you have done to me? Did I not work with you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?’” (Sefer Bereishit 29:25) How could this have happened? How was Ya’akov so radically misled on his longed-for wedding night? As always, we turn to Rashi, who shares with us the “story behind the story:”

And it came to pass in the morning, and behold she was Leah: But at night, she was not Leah, because Ya’akov had given signs to Rachel, but when she saw that they were bringing Leah, she (Rachel) said, “Now, my sister will be put to shame. So she readily transmitted those signs to her.”  [Based upon Talmud Bavli Megillah, 13b]
 
This narrative is one of the greatest examples of self-sacrifice that appears in Tanach. Rachel longed to share her wedding joy with her husband. Yet, she heroically determined that Leah’s potential embarrassment took priority over her personal needs and feelings. As such, she selflessly gave Ya’akov to Leah in order to guard her sister’s honor and dignity. Leah, in turn, went on to become the mother of 10 of the shivtei kah (the Tribes of Israel), changing Jewish history forevermore.
 
The second occurrence of va’ye’hi ba’boker is found in Sefer Bamidbar, in the narrative concerning Balak and Bilam. Balak was the King of Moav, who both hated and feared the Jewish people. He hired Bilam, the world’s greatest sorcerer, to curse our nation and halt our seemingly inexorable rise to glory. Little did Balak know, and even less could he understand, that our people’s grandeur was a direct result of G-d’s desire to have His divine plan fulfilled. He, therefore, was convinced Bilam could effectively curse our nation and bring us to our knees. In fact, Balak was so focused upon the destruction of klal Yisrael that he refused to listen to Bilam’s multiple protestations that he could only say and do what G-d allowed him:

Balak said to Bilam, “Did I not send to you to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I indeed incapable of honoring you?” Bilam said to Balak, “Behold I have come to you, do I have any power to say anything? The word G-d puts into my mouth-that I will speak.” … Va’ye’hi ba’boker that Balak took Bilam and led him up to Bamot Ba’al, and from there he saw part of the people. (Sefer Bamidbar 22:37-38, 41)
 
Like other absolute rulers, Balak expected his evil desires to be fulfilled. Instead, what began with va’ye’hi ba’boker, eventuated in Bilam’s unparalleled blessing to the Jewish people:

How can I curse whom G-d has not cursed, and how can I invoke wrath if the L-rd has not been angered? For from their beginning, I see them as mountain peaks, and I behold them as hills; it is a nation that will dwell alone and will not be reckoned among the nations. Who counted the dust of Ya’akov or the number of a fourth of [or, of the seed of] Israel? May my soul die the death of the upright and let my end be like his.” (Sefer Bamidbar 23:8-10)
 
Bilam’s bracha that we will ever be “a nation that will dwell alone, and will not be reckoned among the nation,” is one of the major reasons we continue to thrive. Despite all odds, am Yisrael chai — the Jewish people live, a testament to our unique relationship with the Almighty.
 
May the time come soon and in our day when we once again hear, “va’ye’hi ba’boker,” and may it signal the coming of Mashiach Tzidkanu (the Righteous Messiah), the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash and the ultimate redemption of the Jewish people. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].

*** 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.

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, 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, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.


This week’s haftarah contains a celebrated verse: “…This is the word of the L-rd to Zerubbabel, saying: ‘Lo b’chayil v’lo b’koach ki im b’ruchi amar Hashem Tzivakot — Not by force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,’ says the L-rd of Hosts.” (Sefer Zechariah 4:6, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  In some ways, it is as cryptic as it is famous, as there is little consensus among our classic meforshim as to the content of this prophecy and to what it refers. This is particularly the case, since our pasuk is preceded by:

And [there were] two olive trees near it [that is, the golden Menorah]; one on the right of the bowl, and one on its left. So I [Zechariah] answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” And the angel who spoke with me answered, and he said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” (4:3-5)
 
Even a cursory reading of our passage leads to the conclusion that lo b’chayil v’lo b’koach ki im b’ruchi amar Hashem Tzivakot does not prima facie answer the angel’s question posed to Zechariah regarding the inherent meaning of the two olive trees. As such, we are fortunate that in his collection of responsa entitled Beit Yitzchak, Rabbi Yitzchak Yehudah Shmelkis zatzal (1827-1905) provides us with a valuable insight, suggesting that the olive trees symbolically represent the two inclinations within humankind, the yetzer tov (the good inclination. to the right of the Menorah) and the yetzer harah (the evil inclination, to the left of the Menorah). Moreover, in his view, the angel was really asking Zechariah, “Do you know why the Holy One blessed be He created man and placed within him two possible approaches [to life]and two inclinations?” To this the angel answered:

“Lo b’chayil v’lo b’koach ki im b’ruchi amar Hashem Tzivakot” — for if the Holy One blessed be He had not created the evil inclination; man would have been forced to perform each of his actions and there never would have been a place or an opportunity for schar — reward based upon his righteous and just [behaviors]. This, then, is the meaning of lo b’chayil v’lo b’koach, regarding all of mankind’s actions [that would have been devoid of free choice], but rather, ki im b’ruchi amar Hashem Tzivakot” — that is, solely through the G-d-endowed spirit of habechirah hachafshite —free choice — will a person plan and implement their actions… (Responsa Yoreh Deah II, Petach HaBayit, translation, brackets and underlining my own
 
Rav Shmelkis’ analysis is an exegetical tour de force. In relatively few words, he places Zechariah’s nevuah squarely in the context of one of Judaism’s most fundamental theological underpinnings, namely, the G-d-given spirit of bechirah chafshite, which, in turn, is the basis for the doctrine of schar v’onesh — Reward and Punishment. In so doing, he underscores the Rambam’s (1135-1204) words in Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah:

Free will is granted to all men. If one desires to turn himself to the path of good and be righteous, the choice is his. Should he desire to turn to the path of evil and be wicked, the choice is his… Each person is fit to be righteous like Moses, our teacher, or wicked, like Jeroboam… There is no one who compels him, sentences him, or leads him towards either of these two paths. Rather, he, on his own initiative and decision, tends to the path he chooses… This principle is a fundamental concept and a pillar [on which rests the totality] of the Torah and mitzvot as the [text] states: “Behold, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil.” (Sefer Devarim 30:15)  And as it is written: “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse,” implying that the choice is in your hands. (Chapter 5:1-3, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
We must always remember that while bechirah chafshite has great power, it carries with it great responsibility. In other words, it is crucial to recognize that each of our free-willed choices affects not only ourselves, but in a very real way, the entire world. Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon gave powerful voice to this idea when he declared:

Since the world is judged after the majority of its deeds, and the individual is judged after the majority of his actions, if he does one mitzvah, he should rejoice, for he has tilted the scales of justice for himself and the entire world l’kaf zechut — toward the side of merit. [Unfortunately, however,] if he does one aveirah — sin, woe unto him, for he has tilted the scales of justice for both himself and the entire world to the side of guilt. (Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 40b, translation my own)
 
With Hashem’s help, and our fervent desire, may we be ever vigilant in our exercise of bechirah chafshite recognizing the power with which it is endowed, and may we be among those who rejoice as we bring ourselves and the entire world l’kaf zechut. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].

*** 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.