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 Yitzchak’s celebrated phrase: “Hakol kol Ya’akov v’hayadayim yedei Eisav — The voice is the voice of Ya’akov, but the hands are the hands of Eisav.” (27:22, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon Midrash Tanchuma Buber, asserts “the voice is the voice of Ya’akov” denotes “the voice of Ya’akov who speaks with respect and dignity: ‘Please rise;’ whereas Eisav spoke harshly: ‘Let my father arise!’” In addition, the Torah teaches us that Yitzchak proclaimed, “The hands are the hands of Eisav” in a literal sense, since Isaac had minimal body hair, whereas Eisav was particularly hirsute. As such, Ya’akov was able to present himself to his blind father, Yitzchak, in the guise of Eisav with the successful subterfuge contrived by his mother, Rivka.
 
Midrash Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer takes a decidedly different approach in its explication of our pasuk and suggests that kol Ya’akov refers to a profound grasp of the logical underpinnings of the Torah. In stark contrast, v’hayadayim yedei Eisav is representative “in every instance, of murder and all manner of innocent deaths.” (Chapter 32, translations and brackets my own)  Our midrash continues its analysis of our verse and maintains:

Moreover, when it is declared in the Heavens that “the voice is the voice of Ya’akov,” they [i.e. the Ministering Angels] bestir themselves in a riotous cacophony of sounds [of joy.] And when “the voice is the voice of Ya’akov” is proclaimed on earth, all who hear and comprehend [its singular meaning] are inextricably joined to the phrase. [Unfortunately, however,] all those who do not hear and comprehend these words are counted among those whose “hands are the hands of Eisav.”
 
Prior to encountering this exposition of our verse, we would have thought that Yitzchak’s statement, “the voice is the voice of Ya’akov,” was said but once in history, namely, prior to the bestowal of his bracha upon Ya’akov. Our midrash informs us, however, that it continues to be declared both in Heaven and on earth. By extension, whoever on earth joins the Ministering Angels in their jubilant acceptance of the Torah will be zocheh (merit) to be connected to its holiness forevermore, and they, too, will have the voice of Torah in their hearts, minds and souls.
 
Midrash Bereishit Rabbah (Vilna) complements Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer on several levels:
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Rav Abba bar Kahana said: “There have never been philosophers in the world like Bilam ben Beor and Avnomous HaGardi. [Representatives] of all the nations of the world came to Avnomous and said to him, ‘Tell us how we can join this nation [Israel so that they will become completely assimilated and lose their unique identity].’ He responded: ‘Go and visit their houses of prayer and houses of study. If you find young children proclaiming [Torah verses], you will not be able to join with them [to destroy them]. For this is what their forefather [Yitzchak] promised them and said, ‘hakol kol Ya’akov;’ [this means that] at the time the voice of Ya’akov is found in the synagogues [and proclaimed by young children], then the hands will not be the hands of Eisav [that is, Eisav will be powerless against Ya’akov]. If [the voice of young children is not heard in the houses of prayer, however,] then v’hayadayim yedei Eisav and you will be able to overpower them.’” (Parashat Toldot 65:20, translation and brackets my own)
 
Rav Abba bar Kahana was a late third century Talmudic sage, yet his words are as relevant today as when they were originally spoken. His thoughts reveal to us the constitutive elements necessary for the continuity of the Jewish people, namely, Torah study by young children accompanied by their innocent voices raised in tefilot to the Almighty. These two mitzvot emerge as the authentic kol Ya’akov that has echoed since the time of the Avot and Emahot until our own historical moment. When we have this kind of kol Ya’akov we are invincible and stand as one against the Eisav’s of the world, whose hands will surely be weak and unsteady against us. As David HaMelech declared so long ago: “These trust in chariots and these in horses, but we mention the name of the L-rd our G-d. They kneel and fall, but we rise and gain strength. Hashem hoshiya HaMelech ya’aneinu b’yom koreinu — O L-rd, save [us]; may the King answer us on the day we call.” (Sefer Tehillim 20:8-10)  May this time come soon and in our days, 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
*** 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.
​
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 of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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 begins with two well-known pasukim: “And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiriat Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her.” (Sefer Bereishit 23:1-2, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Following these verses, the Torah relates Avraham’s efforts to procure Ma’arat Machpelah as a permanent burial site for Sarah as well as his act of sending his servant, Eliezer, to Aram Naharaim in search of a wife for Yitzchak. Eliezer was successful in his mission as he found Rivka and brought her back to Eretz Yisrael to be Yitzchak’s bride. The Torah’s final narrative that directly focuses upon Avraham actions describes his marriage to his second wife, Keturah, and the children that this union produced. Afterwards, the Torah recounts the story of Avraham’s death and burial.
 
A careful reading of our parasha leads to one conclusion: Avraham’s life story, as presented in Parshiot Noach, Lech Lecha and Vayera, ends with the death of his beloved wife, Sarah. As noted by my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, “Abraham’s life story, as told by the Torah, begins at the age of seventy-five and comes to an end with Sarah’s death.” (This, and the following quote, Abraham’s Journey: Reflections on the Life of the Founding Patriarch, page 192) In other words, even though the Torah mentions his marriage to Keturah and his subsequent death and burial, these events are not germane to Avraham’s life story. Avraham without Sarah was simply not the same Avraham that he had been when Sarah was alive. As the Rav asserts:

The originator of the covenant and creator of a new moral code was not a single individual. Two people were charged with the task, a man and a woman, Abraham and Sarah. They were both indispensable for the implementation of the divine plan. Both of them converted people; both taught the many. Once Sarah died, Abraham’s assignment came to an end. He was ordered by the Almighty to withdraw from the arena of history, retreat into privacy and live like an ordinary person. (Underlining my own)
 
I believe we can gain greater insights into Sarah and her crucial role in Jewish history by exploring some of the celebrated words of the Rav, that he penned as a eulogy for the Rebbitzin of Talne:

People are mistaken in thinking that there is only one Massorah [tradition] and one Massorah community, the community of the fathers. It is not true. We have two massorot, two traditions, two communities, two shalshalot ha-kabbalah – the massorah community of the fathers and that of the mothers.
 
In this eulogy, the Rav noted that the precise masoretic role of the Jewish mother remains undefined. As such, he turned to personal reminiscences of his own beloved mother to illustrate his understanding of the Jewish woman’s crown of massorah:

I used to have long conversations with my mother. In fact, it was a monologue rather than a dialogue. She talked and I “happened” to overhear. What did she talk about? I must use an halakhic term in order to answer this question: she talked me-inyana de-yoma [about the halakhic aspects of a particular holy day]. I used to watch her arranging the house in honor of a holiday. I used to see her recite prayers; I used to watch her recite the sidra every Friday night and I still remember the nostalgic tune. I learned from her very much.
 
What was the essence of that which the Rav learned from his mother? What gift did she give him that changed his being and perception of the world? As he states in his inimitable manner:
​
Most of all I learned that Judaism expresses itself not only in formal compliance with the law but also in a living experience. She taught me that there is a flavor, a scent and warmth to mitzvot. I learned from her the most important thing in life – to feel the presence of the Almighty and the gentle pressure of His hand resting upon my frail shoulders. Without her teachings, which quite often were transmitted to me in silence, I would have grown up a soulless being, dry and insensitive. (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, “A Tribute to the Rebbitzen of Talne,” Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, 1978, Vol. 17, number 2, pages 76-77)
 
Both the Rav’s mother and the Rebbitzin of Talne were crucial links in the chain of massorah that extends from Sarah Emainu (our mother Sarah) to our present moment. I have no doubt whatsoever that one of the salient reasons we exist as a people today is because Sarah Emainu was able to impart to Yitzchak, “a flavor, a scent and warmth to mitzvot,” and the palpable feeling that the Almighty is ever present in our lives. T’hay nafsha tzrurah b’tzur ha’chayim (May her soul be bound in the bonds of life), and may she ever be our guide. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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.
 
Avraham’s relationship with Hashem was unique among the Avot. He was the only one whom the Almighty called both Avdi, My servant (Sefer Bereishit 26:24), and Ohavi, My beloved friend (Sefer Yeshayahu 41:8). Avraham’s avdi status is readily seen in a pasuk in our parasha: “For I [Hashem] have known him [Avraham] because he commands his sons and his household after him, that they should keep the way of the L-rd to perform righteousness and justice… (Sefer Bereishit 18:19, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Avraham kept “the way of the L-rd” in the sense that, like a servant, he served Him in righteousness and justice, and tasked his household to do the same. What is less apparent, however, is why Avraham acquired the appellation, “ohavi.”
 
One of the earliest sources to address this question is the Midrash Sifrei on Sefer Devarim, section 32, that analyzes the degree of love for Hashem that is necessary to fulfill the commandment of Ahavat Hashem — Love of Hashem — on its highest level:

Rabbi Meir said: “the text [of the Shema] states: ‘and you should love Hashem, your G-d b’chol l’vavacha.’ This would be like Avraham, your father, about whom the text states: ‘you, Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, who is my beloved friend.’” (Translation my own)  In this midrash, Avraham emerges as the archetype of one who truly loves the Almighty with a complete. This is how he become Hashem’s beloved friend.
 
The Rambam (1135-1204) also discusses how Avraham demonstrated his abiding love for the Almighty, and describes the process whereby he attained the title of Ohavi:

…when you love a person, for example, you praise him and call out to others to draw close to him. So too, if you truly love G‑d — through your understanding and realization of His true existence — you will certainly spread this true knowledge that you know... [As the Midrash Sifrei states:] “You shall love G‑d,” that is, make Him beloved among humankind as your father Avraham did, as it is written, “the souls that he made in Charan.” (Sefer Bereishit 12:5) Since Avraham loved Hashem, as the text attests: “Avraham, My beloved friend, (Sefer Yeshayahu 41:8)… his powerful love caused him to call out to all mankind to believe in G‑d. So too, you shall love Him to the extent that you draw others to Him. (Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandment Three, translation, based upon Sefaria.com with my underlining and extensive emendations)
 
Avraham was the world’s first exponent of monotheism and an authentic religious revolutionary. He repudiated the cultural and religious values of his time. This heroic gesture took consummate belief, as well as endless courage and determination. Truly, as the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) once declared, Avraham Avinu was the ultimate “Knight of Faith.”
 
Avraham’s entrance onto the grand stage of world history was a great comfort to Hashem. He was the first person after the Flood to acknowledge, love, worship, and serve the Master of the Universe in wholehearted devotion. In my estimation, this is the underlying basis for Rashi’s (1040-1105) gloss on the word “ohavi” in his Commentary On Sefer Yeshayahu: “He [Avraham] did not recognize Me as a result of rebuke (tochacha), nor as a result of having been educated by his forebears to do so. Instead, he did this purely out of love.” (Translation my own)  Expanding upon Rashi’s comment, I would suggest that not only did Avraham undertake his actions “purely out of love,” but perhaps even more fundamentally, his love for the Almighty was completely pure.
 
On measure, Avraham Avinu will always be our inspiration for developing and expanding our role as the Jewish people. As the Lubavitcher rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson zatzal, 1902-1994) said:
​
Avraham Avinu gave us as a nation, and as individuals, the ability to bring light to the world and to begin everything anew. Because of Avraham, we have nothing whatsoever to fear as we go forth into the world with our torch [Torah and truth]. Beyond a doubt, [our task] is to enlighten the world and to bestir the hearts [and minds of all humankind].  (Summary of Sichot for the first night of Succot, Rabbi Shmuel Riskin, translation and brackets my own)
 
With Hashem’s help and our sincerest desire, may each of us strive to emulate Avraham Avinu and demonstrate our love for the Almighty by bringing the light of His Torah to the world. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
*** 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.
 
When we examine the first verse of our parasha, “Va’yomer Hashem el Avram — And Hashem said to Avram, ‘Lech lecha — Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you’”(Sefer Bereishit 12:1), we most often focus on the phrase, lech lecha, the namesake of our Torah portion. In fact,  Rashi (1040-1105) and the vast majority of meforshim do not comment upon the introductory phrase, “And Hashem said to Avram.” Since, however, Avram was the first person to whom Hashem spoke since the time of Noach and his children, the phrase may conceal far more than it reveals. What, then, is the significance of the expression va’yomer Hashem el Avram?
 
One of the earliest exegetes to address this question was Rabbeinu Ya’akov ben Asher (known as the Ba’al HaTurim,1269-1343):

Va’yomer Hashem el Avram: This verse begins with an amirah — a statement of verbal communication [between Hashem and Avram] — utilizing the identical word with which the world was created [va’yomer]. For with ten utterances [of va’yomer] was the world created (Pirkei Avot 5:1). [Moreover,] v’kulo lo nivra elah b’zechut Avraham — everything was created solely in the merit of Avraham, as such, the Torah writes an utterance [using va’yomer Hashem el Avram] in his regard. (Sefer Ba’al HaTurim, Sefer Bereishit 12:1, translation and brackets my own)
 
Fascinatingly, according to the Ba’al HaTurim, kulo lo nivra elah b’zechut Avraham: All of Creation was formed solely for the yet-to-be realized merit of Avraham Avinu. The Ba’al HaTurim suggests that this is precisely why the Torah deployed the expression, “va’yomer Hashem el Avram,” wherein the first two words are those used to create the Universe.
 
Closer to our own time, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, notes that, “Va-yomer [Hashem] means a dialogue, a conversation held face to face. God encountered Abraham and addressed Himself to Him.” (Abraham’s Journey: Reflections on the Life of the Founding Patriarch, page 139, brackets my own)  Based upon this mode of thinking, the Rav analyzes the significance of the first verbal interchange between Hashem and Avraham in the following manner:

Abraham, the knight of faith, according to our tradition, searched and discovered God in the star-lit heavens of Mesopotamia. Yet, he felt an intense loneliness and could not find solace in the silent companionship of God whose image was reflected in the boundless stretches of the cosmos. Only when he met God on earth as Father, Brother and Friend — not only along the uncharted astral routes — did he feel redeemed. (https://traditiononline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Lonely-Man-of-Faith-original.pdf, page 32)
 
In this passage from his classic essay, “The Lonely Man of Faith,” the Rav portrays Avraham’s existential loneliness during the period between his discovery of the Almighty and his first encounter with Him. For Avraham, the recognition of Hashem as the one and only Master of the Universe was necessary but insufficient, for while this was knowledge, it was not yet a relationship. Therefore, “only when he met God on earth as Father, Brother and Friend…did he feel redeemed.” In sum, according to the Rav, the real significance of va’yomer Hashem el Avram, is to be found in the relationship these words created for evermore. We are fortunate, indeed, that the Rav describes the unique nature of this relationship:

In many respects, God was closer to Abraham than He was to Moses. An intangible feeling of tenderness lingers over the relationship of God to Abraham. There is the creative ardor, moving devotion and a lack of tension. All that G-d requests of Abraham is destined to promote the latter’s happiness and greatness. (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, The Emergence of Ethical Man, Michael S. Berger editor, page 155)
 
According to the Rav, Abraham was Hashem’s friend, as we find in the following passage:
God addresses Himself to Abraham not in the commanding, authoritative tone of the Lord but in the comradely, friendly manner of a fellow wanderer. He [God] wants a covenant with him. God, as it were, is lonesome and He is anxious to find a companion. Fellowship between God and man is the motto of Abraham’s life. (154-155, underlining my own)
 
The Rav’s statement that “God, as it were, is lonesome and He is anxious to find a companion” is a theological tour de force. It teaches us that as much as we wish to encounter and draw close to Hashem, He, too, longs for the Jewish people’s embrace.
 
May we ever strive, like Avraham Avinu, to reach out to Hashem in love and devotion, for we, too, need His unceasing presence in our lives. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His great 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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.
 
The penultimate verses of Parashat Bereishit present us with dire foreboding:

And the L-rd saw that the evil of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of his heart was only evil all the time. And the L-rd regretted that He had made man upon the earth, and He became grieved in His heart. And the L-rd said, “I will blot out man, whom I created, from upon the face of the earth, from man to cattle to creeping thing, to the fowl of the heavens, for I regret that I made them.” (6:5-7, these and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The final pasuk, however, offers us a ray of hope: “v’Noach matza chane b’einai Hashem — But Noah found favor in the eyes of the L-rd.” (6:8)  Why did Noach find favor in the “eyes of the L-rd,” and what was so unique about him? The first verse in our parasha provides the answer: “These are the generations of Noah; Noach ish tzaddik haya b’dorotav — Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; et heElokim hithalech Noach — Noah walked with G-d.” (6:9)  There are two reasons why Noach was different in kind and degree from the rest of the people of his time: Noach ish tzaddik haya b’dorotav and et heElokim hithalech Noach; as a result, Noach matza chane b’einai Hashem.
 
Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself on a variety of Rabbinic sources, cites the well-known argument regarding Noach’s true persona:

in his generations: Some of our Sages interpret it [b’dorotav] favorably: How much more so if he had lived in a generation of righteous people, he would have been even more righteous. Others interpret it derogatorily: In comparison with his generation he was righteous, but if he had been in Abraham’s generation, he would not have been considered of any importance.
 
The positive approach focuses on who Noach was in an absolute sense, rather than who he was in comparison to others. As many meforshim (commentators) note, his name is comprised of the Hebrew letters nun and chet, which, when reversed, spell the word “chane” (grace). In other words, in his very being, Noach was an ish tzaddik. In stark contrast, the oft-quoted negative approach suggests that Noach was essentially “a nobody,” and that only in the darkness and depravity of his time did he appear righteous.
 
Like Rashi, the Ramban (1194-1270) analyzes the expression b’dorotav, in his generations. After citing Rashi’s words, he suggests his own interpretation:

In my view, the most satisfying explanation, according to the simple meaning, is that he [Noach] was hatzadik 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 tzadik — 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, https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.6.9.1?lang=bi with my emendations)
 
It appears that the Rambam is adopting the “chane hypothesis” as cited above, namely, that Noach was an authentic tzadik and tamim in his own right. This is borne out by his earlier comment on Noach ish tzadik haya:

The verse mentions that Noah was zakkai v’shalame b’tzidko — free of guilt and complete in his righteousness, to let us know that he deserved to be saved from the deluge because he didn’t deserve any punishment at all, for he was tamim b’tzedek — perfect in righteousness. The word “tzadik” refers to someone who is righteous in judgment, the opposite of “rasha,” an evil individual…
 
In sum, the portrait of Noach that emerges from the Ramban’s presentation is a person who was tamim b’tzedek in every sense of the term. As such, he was the ideal person to continue the human race in the coming postdiluvian world.
 
Closer to our own time, Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888), in his Commentary on the Torah, examines the expression matza chane b’einai Hashem in a manner that complements the Ramban’s presentation:

A person who has found favor in the eyes of Hashem has achieved the highest level of perfection — for such an individual is able to [intellectually and spiritually] come close before Hashem. As we find in reference to Moshe: “In order that I will find grace in Your eyes.” (Sefer Shemot 33:13)…Note that the text does not say, “before Hashem,” rather it states, “b’einai Hashem.” If a person is so worthy that Hashem will shed His grace upon him, he has found chane in His eyes. (This and the following translation from the Hebrew my own)
 
Rav Hirsch continues his analysis and, in so doing, equates Noach with Moshe and the Jewish people:

The expression, “matza chane,” is found solely in regard to those whom Hashem has graced with extraordinary virtues and unique abilities so that they may achieve the most lofty and exceptional of all goals. We find this in reference to Moshe and the Jewish people. As the text states: “matza chane ba’midbar — they found grace in the desert.” (Sefer Yirmiyahu 31:1)  This is the case, as well, regarding Noach whose entire generation destroyed its proper path and was judged for complete destruction; yet, he was fitting in the eyes of Hashem to be utilized as the foundation for all future salvation. [In sum,] everything that Hashem’s “heart” sought to find in mankind was inherent in Noach. [As a result, the Almighty] tasked him with saving all life that was good and bringing it forth into the future.
 
For Rav Hirsch, Noach, like Moshe and the Jewish people, was graced by Hashem “with extraordinary virtues and unique abilities” that provided him with the potential to be “the foundation for all future salvation.” Moreover, “everything that Hashem’s ‘heart’ sought to find in mankind was inherent in Noach.” In my estimation, this concept is inspiring beyond words, for we, after all, are the descendants of Noach and his children and thereby carry the potential for greatness of spirit and action. As David HaMelech so beautifully said: “What is man that You should remember him, and the son of man that You should be mindful of him? You have made him slightly less than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and majesty.” (Sefer Tehillim 8:6)  With Hashem’s help may we ever use our potential “l’takane ha’olam b’malchut Sha-dai — to perfect the world under the kingship of the Almighty.” (Aleinu)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His great 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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, Dovid Shmuel ben Chasiyah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The Torah begins with the famous words, “Bereishit bara Elokim ate hashamayim v’ate ha’aretz. Translators and meforshim frequently disagree as to how to interpret the word bereishit. Does it mean “b’techilah — in the beginning,” or “bishvil hareishit — for that which is first?” Rashi (1040-1105) hints at this difficulty in his first gloss in his Commentary on the Torah: “Ain hamikra hazeh omare elah darshani — this text proclaims nothing other than, ‘Interpret me!’” He then summarizes part of a passage in Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 1:4 that presents bishvil hareishit as the proper way to read our text: “bishvil haTorah sh’nikrate reishit darko, u’bishvil Yisrael sh’nikrau reishit tevuato — for the Torah that is called ‘the beginning of His way,’ and for the Jewish people who are called ‘the first of His grain.’” This reading of Rashi’s gloss is supported by one of his most celebrated supercommentators, Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi (1455-1525): “The letter ‘bet’ at the beginning of ‘bereishit’ is like the bet found in the verse, ‘va’ya’a’vod Ya’akov b’Rachel — and Ya’akov worked [in order] for Rachel [to become his wife].’” (29:20)
 
The Maharal of Prague (died 1609) is another of the great Rashi supercommentators. In his classic work, Gur Aryeh, he cites Rashi’s focus upon Torah and the Jewish people as the reason for Creation and notes that it is crucial to examine his choices. After all, opines the Maharal, is it not the case that “all actions of Hashem are for His own sake…” (Sefer Mishle 16:4)  Moreover, it states in Talmud Bavli, Yoma 38a: “Everything that has been created in this world was created for the Holy One blessed be He, and for His glory was it created.” Then, too, did not Yeshayahu the prophet proclaim: “Everything that is called in my name was created in My honor.” (33:7)  In short, why did Rashi limit his gloss to Torah and the Jewish nation and exclude all other aspects of the Universe, when the rationale for the creation of the world logically could have included everything the Almighty created?
 
The Maharal’s answer speaks to the essence of the unique relationship that obtains between Hashem and the Jewish people:
​
There is no honor from the created entities except when they fulfill His mitzvot and serve Him; and this is only possible with the Jewish nation, regarding whom it is said: “I formed this people in order that they would speak of My praise.” (Sefer Yeshayahu 33:21) … And the Jewish people do not serve the Holy One blessed be He except through His mitzvot when they fulfill His Torah. This, then, is [why Rashi so clearly emphasized], the world was created bishvil Yisrael — for the Jewish people and bishvil haTorah — for the Torah … (Translation my own)
 
Based upon the Maharal’s trenchant analysis we can now understand why Rashi underscored Torah and the Jewish people as the underlying cause for the creation of the world. As Yeshayahu prophesized, our nation was created to praise the Almighty; and as the Maharal notes, this can only be achieved through the Torah and the fulfillment of the mitzvot.
 
David HaMelech declared in Sefer Tehillim 35:10, “kol atzmotai tomarnah — all of my bones will say, ‘Hashem who is like You?’” I believe his message is unmistakable in its meaning, namely, that our very beings praise Hashem when we venerate Him through the performance of the mitzvot found in His holy Torah. As such, let us remember Rashi’s words, “bishvil haTorah u’bishvil Yisrael” did the Holy One blessed be He create the Universe, and may they ever be our guide as we strive to honor and serve Him. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His great 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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, Dovid Shmuel ben Chasiyah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The Torah provides us with the general outlines of Chag Shemini Atzeret in three pasukim:
[For] a seven-day period, you shall bring a fire offering to the L-rd. On the eighth day, it shall be a mikra kodesh — holy occasion for you, and you shall bring a fire offering to the L-rd. It is a [day of] atzeret — assembly; you shall not perform any work of labor. (Sefer Vayikra 23:36)
 
The eighth day shall be a time of atzeret — assembly for you; you shall not perform any melechet avodah — mundane work. You shall offer up a burnt offering, a fire offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the L-rd: one bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished. (Sefer Bamidbar 29:35-36, these and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, with my emendations)
 
Herein, the Torah informs us that the eighth day (that follows the seven days of Succot) is one of the mikra’ei kodesh, a yom tov. As such, it is a day upon which most melechet avodah is prohibited and korbanot (offerings) are brought to the Beit HaMikdash. While the Torah furnishes us with this information, it does not state a rationale for this chag; for this, we must turn to Chazal and our meforshim (exegetical expositors).
 
Talmud Bavli, Succah 55b hints at the basis of Shemini Atzeret:

Rabbi Elazar stated: “To what do those seventy bullocks [that were offered during the seven days of the Festival of Succot] correspond? [They refer symbolically] to the seventy nations [of the world]. To what does the single bullock [of Shemini Atzeret] correspond? To the unique nation [the Jewish people].” This may be compared to a mortal king who said to his servants, “Prepare for me a great banquet,” but on the last day he said to his beloved friend, “Prepare for me a simple meal sh’eheneh mimcha — that I may derive benefit from you.” (Translation, The Soncino Talmud, with my emendations)
 
In his Commentary on the Talmud on this passage, Rashi (1040-1105) explains the expression “sh’eheneh mimcha” as referring to the Jewish people, Hashem’s beloved friend: “I [Hashem] do not derive pleasure and spiritual satisfaction from the others [nations of the world who are not obligated in the mitzvot], but, rather, only from you [the Jewish people who are commanded to fulfill My Torah].” (Brackets and translation my own)  In words that conceal far more than they reveal, Rashi teaches us that Hashem derives “pleasure and spiritual satisfaction” from the Jewish people when they celebrate the yom tov of Shemini Atzeret, a statement which he proceeds to clarify:

It is a [day of] assembly: [That is, G-d says to Israel,] “I have detained you [in order for you to remain] with Me.” This is analogous to a king who invited his sons to feast with him for a certain number of days, and when the time came for them to leave, he said: “My sons! Please, stay with me just one more day, [for] kasha al’lai paridatchem — it is difficult for me to part with you!” [Similarly, after the seven days of Succot, G-d “detains” Israel for one extra holy day.] (Sefer Vayikra 23:36)
 
This interpretation finds parallel expression in Rashi’s explanation of the phrase “one bull, one ram” in Sefer Bamidbar:

These [korbanot] correspond to Israel. [G-d said,] “Remain with Me a little longer.” It expresses [His] affection [for Israel]. It is like children taking leave of their father, who says to them, “kasha al’lai paridatchem — it is difficult for me to part with you; stay one more day.” It is analogous to a king who made a banquet, etc. [and on the last day, his closest friend makes a small banquet for the king]. (29:36)
 
The lynchpin of these analyses is the phrase, kasha al’lai paridatchem, which exemplifies Rashi’s understanding of the essential nature of Shemini Atzeret. While its precise midrashic origin remains unknown, these words have captured the attention of many commentators who perceive it as strikingly illustrative of the relationship that obtains between Hashem and the Jewish people. A singular example of this approach is found in the writings of Rav Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin (1823-1900):

It is said regarding Tefilat Minchah [which we pray] at the end of Shabbat, that it is the time when the ratzon haelyon — the supernal will — [of the Almighty] is most powerfully revealed. This is the rationale as to why [Hashem] declared kasha al’lai paridatchem on Shemini Atzeret that [in a certain sense] is the conclusion of the Festival [of Succot]. [Additionally,] this is the reason we say [in the Tefilat Minchah of Shabbat]: “You are One and Your Name is One, and who is like Your people one united nation on earth…” — [and this last expression] represents hitachdut yisrael zeh im zeh — the intrinsic union of the Jewish people — one to another. (Pri Tzaddik, Kedushat Shabbat, Ma’amar VI, translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, for Rav Tzadok, Shemini Atzeret, like Tefilat Minchah shel Shabbat, represents a time when the ratzon haelyon of Hashem is most pronounced and accessible to His beloved nation. Therefore, Hashem declares “kasha al’lai paridatchem,” for this is the time He chooses to draw near to us. This closeness, in turn, creates the ideal conditions for hitachdut yisrael zeh im zeh — a hallmark of the mikra’ei kodesh, the days of holy occasion.
 
In his classic work, Shem Mishmuel, Rabbi Shmuel Bornsztain, the second Sochatchover Rebbe (1855-1926), asks a powerful question regarding the outcome of kasha al’lai paridatchem:

One must strive to understand [why Hashem desires one more day, that is, Shemini Atzeret, with the Jewish people]. Will this not further cause His manifest love for us to become even greater, and will not this cause the subsequent separation from us to become even more difficult? (Moadim Shemini Atzeret v’Simchat Torah, this and the following translation and brackets my own)
 
Rav Bornsztain begins his answer by noting that every instance of the number seven refers to that which is a normal part of nature. In contrast, the number eight always refers to something that is l’ma’lah min hateva — beyond nature. In addition, he opines that everything within nature is subject to shichacha — forgetfulness. Next, Rav Bornsztain utilizes this key difference between seven and eight to explain the unique nature of Shemini Atzeret in words that are reminiscent of Rav Tzadok:
​
Therefore, during the entire period of the seven days of Succot, which are found within the number that represents nature, there will not remain any sense of permanency for the future. This is the [meaning] of the phrase kasha al’lai paridatchem, that you, the Jewish people will now create distance between yourselves [and this is the polar opposite of the unity that was achieved during Succot]. [In response,] Hashem, holds them back [from returning to their daily activities one more day], for this [eighth] day is l’ma’lah min hateva and [is not subject to being forgotten] and will therefore have a sense of permanency [for our nation]. For now, even when they return to their homes, they will not be separated from each other and their hearts will remain connected to one another [in love and unity].
 
Rav Tzadok’s interpretation is an exegetical tour de force, for now we know that Shemini Atzeret is the chag par excellence of unity and love of one Jew for another. As the great Rabbi Akiva said so long ago, “V’ahavta l’reicha kamocha; zeh klal gadol ba’Torah — And you shall love your fellow Jew like yourself; this is an overarching principle of the Torah.” (Talmud Yerushalmi, Nedarim 9:4)  With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may this Shemini Atzeret be the time when this idea is realized, as we grow in our love for, and unity with, our fellow Jews. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameach and may Hashem in His great 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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, Dovid Shmuel ben Chasiyah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
There are many intricate rules concerning the construction of a succah that are presented in the Gemara and codified by the poskim (halachic decisors). Rav Yosef Karo (1488-1575), the author of the Shulchan Aruch, states in Orech Chaim 631:3: “The standard manner of placing the schach (top covering) upon the succah is to do so in such a way as to enable one to see the large stars through it…” In his celebrated work, Mishnah Berurah, the Chafetz Chaim (1838-1933) explains that the large stars in this statement refer to those that can be seen during the day prior to sunset. In addition, he notes that many latter-day authorities rule that even the nighttime stars need to be visible through the schach. Regardless as to which stars are being referenced in these classic Rabbinic sources, we must ask a straightforward question, namely, why did our Sages mandate that the stars should ideally be visible through the schach of the succah?
 
Rabbi Mordechai Yoffe zatzal (1530-1612) discusses this question in his work, Levush Malchut (Orech Chaim 631:3):

And it is highly preferable that its covering [the schach] should not be very thick, rather, [it should be comprised of materials that] allow the large stars to be seen from within [the succah]. Afterall, this is the meaning of the term, “succah” that is stated in the Torah, and standard schach is normally comprised of such [materials]. (Translation my own)
​
The contemporary scholar, Rabbi Raphael Sindler Sadin, in his work, “Pnei HaShulchan,” suggests that Rav Yoffe is indirectly ruling that “one ought not to make a thick covering [of schach], for in that case, [the succah] would then become like a house [and the stars would no longer be visible from under the roof]. (Translation and brackets my own)  In sum, in order to maintain the temporary nature of the succah, its schach should be thin and allow for the large stars to be seen from within.
 
While Rav Yoffe focuses upon the requirement to maintain the temporary aspects of the succah’s construction, Rabbi Yosef ben Meir Teomim zatzal (1727-1792), in his work, Pri Megadim, provides us with a spiritual analysis as to why we ought to be able to see the stars through the schach: “So that one will remember Who created all of this [the stars] and enables us to dwell upon the earth. As it is written: ‘When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You set in place.’” (Sefer Tehillim 8:4, verse and Pri Megadim translation my own)  By extension, Rav Teomim intimates that Chazal wanted the Festival of Succot to be a powerful teaching moment wherein we could become acutely aware of Hashem’s Creation and our place in His universe. As Dovid HaMelech declares in an oft-cited verse: “How great are Your works Hashem, You made all of them in your supernal wisdom, the entire cosmos is filled with Your creations.” (Sefer Tehillim 104:24)  
 
I would like to offer another possible answer to the question, “Why did our Sages mandate that the stars should ideally be visible through the schach of the succah?” Chazal were acutely aware of the need to instill G-d-consciousness in each of us. Without a sense of Hashem’s direct presence and immanence in our lives, it is impossible to feel He is our Yedid Nefesh (the Beloved of our Soul) and protector. The siddur gives powerful voice to this notion during the Friday night tefilah “And spread over us the succah of Your peace. Blessed are You Hashem, Who spreads the succah of peace upon us and upon all His people Israel and upon Jerusalem.” Quite beautifully, and in ways words alone cannot truly express, we ask the Almighty to actively reach out to us in this expression of hashgacha pratit — Divine providence — and surround us with His succah of peace. This, I believe, is one of the feelings that our Sages wanted us to experience when we gaze at the stars from under the frail schach of our succot.
 
May it be G-d’s will, and our heartfelt desire, that this Succot will be a time when we truly feel His Divine presence encircling and protecting us as we gaze at His stars above our succot. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameach, and may Hashem in His great 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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, Dovid Shmuel ben Chasiyah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The final three pasukim of Sefer Michah are found in this week’s haftarah, as well as immediately after the recitation of Sefer Yonah on Yom Kippur afternoon:

Who is a G-d like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not maintain His anger forever, for He desires loving-kindness. He shall return and grant us compassion; He shall hide our iniquities, and You shall cast into the depths of the sea all their sins. Titane emet l’Ya’akov chesed l’Avraham asher nishbata l’avoteinu mimai kedem —You shall give the truth of Jacob, the loving-kindness of Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from days of yore. (7:18-20, This and all Tanach translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
It appears that Chazal enacted the dual public reading of this passage based upon its ability to convey some of the major ideas inherent in our encounter with the Almighty on Yom Kippur. In brief, it contains the following six ideas:

• Hashem cannot be compared to any entity.
• The Almighty forgives avon — iniquity, and even pardons pesha — rebellious transgression.
• Hashem does not sustain his anger against us, for “He desires loving-kindness.”
• Just as we return unto our Creator (teshuvah), He will return unto us and treat us with great mercy.
• The Holy One blessed be He will hide our iniquities from His view and metaphorically toss them into the depths of the sea.
• “Titane emet l’Ya’akov chesed l’Avraham asher nishbata l’avoteinu mimai kedem.”

 
The first five statements are not unique to Sefer Michah, as they appear in various formulations in the Tanach. In contrast, “titane emet l’Ya’akov chesed l’Avraham,” introduces a new theme regarding our relationship with the Almighty. In his gloss on the 13 Attributes of Mercy presented in his Commentary on the Torah, the Abarbanel (1437-1508) explains our phrase in this manner:

This means that [Hashem] will fulfill His attestation to Ya’akov, namely, the chesed that He had promised to perform for Avraham, for from this chesed will come forth the emet, and the fulfillment to Ya’akov and his descendants who are the offspring of Avraham the chosen one; and this is the inner meaning of [the Torah’s expression [“Hashem] Who is great in chesed v’emet” (Sefer Shemot 34, this and the following R. Abarbanel translation, underlining and brackets my own)
 
Based upon his comparison of the Torah’s description of Hashem as He “Who is great in chesed v’emet,” wherein chesed is stated before emet, to Michah’s phrase, which reverses this order, the Abarbanel suggests that emet l’Ya’akov is the outcome of the chesed that Hashem promised to do on Avraham’s behalf. He expands and clarifies this idea in his commentary on the fourth chapter of Sefer Yonah:
​
And the substance of this verse [titane emet l’Ya’akov] is that the Holy One blessed be He will give the emet l’Ya’akov by bestowing upon Avraham’s descendants the chesed that he gave to him, namely, the inheritance of the Land of the Seven Nations [Israel]. It is as if the verse was stated: “Titane emet l’Ya’akov me’hachesed sh’asita l’Avraham — You shall give the emet of Ya’akov from the chesed that you performed for Avraham. [And] just as You performed chesed for him [Avraham] when he stood at the Brit bein HaBetarim — the Covenant of the Pieces, may the emet [be] the fulfillment of this covenant for all Ya’akov’s future offspring.
 
In this exegetical tour de force, the Abarbanel provides us with a powerful insight into the relationship that obtains between the chesed of Avraham and the emet of Ya’akov. In his view, the emet of Ya’akov, namely, the everlasting gift of Eretz Yisrael to Ya’akov’s descendants, results from the chesed Hashem performed for Avraham at the Brit bein HaBetarim. This unbreakable chut shel chesed — thread of grace — is inextricably interwoven into the very essence of the Jewish people. In addition, given our passage’s inclusion in the haftarah of Shabbat Shuvah and its role as the postscript to Maftir Yonah, it is clear it reflects the intrinsic nature of Yom Kippur as well. Perhaps this is the reason Chazal ordained that we conclude tefilat Neilah with the stirring words, “l’shanah habah b’Yerushalayim.” With the Almighty’s help and our fervent desire, may this time come soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, G’mar Chatimah Tovah, and may Hashem in His great 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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, Dovid Shmuel ben Chasiyah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
In a few days we will be standing before Hashem on Rosh Hashanah. Each of us will ask our Creator’s forgiveness for sins we committed over the course of the preceding year. Since this is the case, we must ask a deceptively simple question: “What is sin?”
 
In broad terms, sin is any violation of Hashem’s will. More specifically, however, three different kinds of sin are mentioned in the Torah passage that follows the most grievous violation we committed as a nation, namely, the Eigel HaZahav —the Sin of the Golden Calf:

And the L-rd passed before him [Moshe] and proclaimed: “Hashem, Hashem, G-d, Who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth, preserving loving kindness for thousands, forgiving avon —iniquity and pesha — rebellion and chata’ah — sin…” (Sefer Shemot 34:6-7, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, with my emphasis and emendations for the purpose of clarity)
 
In this pasuk, Hashem teaches us that He forgives three distinct types of sin: avon, pesha, and chata’ah. In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) explains avon as a purposeful sin, a sin performed with full knowledge that it is wrong; the person’s better judgment is overcome. Such an individual has lost the battle and has succumbed to base and lowly instincts. Hedonistic pursuits have become master. Avon takes place when an individual loses self-control and is ruled by raw desire. Nonetheless, such people have not forsaken their relationship with G-d, but rather, they have forsaken their relationship with themselves by violating their intrinsic holy status.
 
Pesha is a far more grievous type of sin than avon. Rashi explains that it refers to purposeful acts of rebellion against G-d. In an act of pesha, an individual simultaneously challenges and rejects the Almighty’s role as Master of the Universe. Those who commit a pesha repudiate G-d’s hegemony and power and, instead, place themselves on His throne. Their rebellious actions undertaken with knowledge, forethought and temerity falsely proclaim that they are the ultimate authority in the universe.
 
Chata’ah is different in kind and degree than the previous types of sin for, in such a case, there is no desire to do wrong. There is no pleasure-seeking urge run amok, or desire to dethrone the Almighty. Instead, one who is involved in a chata’ah does so as a result of a lack of the requisite Torah knowledge that would have prevented the forbidden action; as such, it is an inadvertent sin. Chata’ah teaches us that a failure to learn Torah precludes the possibility of correctly living according its precepts. In short, chata’ah occurs when people fail to live up to all that they could have been — if only they would have engaged in sincere Torah study in order to properly follow Hashem’s mitzvot.
 
Teshuvah, returning to Hashem, is our greatest antidote against sin’s destructive poison. It is one of the Almighty’s greatest gifts, as it enables us to return to the correct path and reestablish our relationship with Him. My rebbi and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), gave eloquent voice to these ideas:
​
What, therefore, is teshuvah in contrast to sin? Ascent versus descent. Through sin one is an object, while teshuvah allows one to again become a subject. Through sin man is acted upon, while through teshuvah man can act once again. Through sin he is a thing, while through teshuvah he becomes a person. Through sin gravity overwhelms, while through teshuvah gravity is overcome. (From a 1974 lecture, summarized by Dr. Arnold Lustiger in Before Hashem You Shall Be Purified: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik on the Days of Awe, page 34)
 
May Hashem help us encounter our sins so that we may ever ascend, and never descend. Moreover, may we become the masters of our actions, as we grow in our recognition that He is the Master of the Universe. Most of all, when we stand in prayer this Rosh Hashanah, and seek to encounter the King of the Universe once again, may each of us remember Yirmiyahu’s celebrated words: “Hashiveinu Hashem alecha v’nashuvah… — Restore us to You, O L-rd, that we may be restored!” (Megillat Eichah 5:21)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, Kativah v’Chatimah Tovah, and may Hashem in His great 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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.