Parshas Vayeira – Beyond Nature

BEYOND NATURE

By Roy S. Neuberger

We learn from Avraham Avinu that we are different from all other nations. We are directly connected with the Master of the World. We are not bound by the laws of nature.

“[Hashem] took him outside, and said, ‘Gaze, now, toward the Heavens and count the stars….” Rashi explains: “[Hashem] took [Avram] out of the space of the world and raised him above the stars. This is the [reason the possuk uses the expression] ‘gaze,’ which denotes looking from above to below.” (Beraishis 15:5)

Before I became observant, I was desperately seeking a way out of the spiritual slavery which constantly oppressed me. One of the paths I tried was involvement in “nature.” I tried to find spiritual peace in natural surroundings. I became involved in the field of environmental conservation as a spiritual pursuit to the point that “Mother Nature” became an avoda zara. 

Then I learned that nature has a Creator; it is not self-contained. Now I see that “the heavens declare the glory of G-d and the expanse of the sky tells of His handiwork.” (Tehillim 19) It is vital to be constantly aware that Hashem created the physical world, and that, when we cleave to Him, we are above nature. Our spiritual and physical existence depends on knowing this. 

Two thousand years ago, when the Bayis Shaini was destroyed, we were scattered to the Four Corners of the Earth. The likelihood that we would remain a unified Nation bound to the Torah seemed utterly nil, against all logic. But we live by the standards of Eternity. In fact, the very hatred of the world binds us together in Golus. Hashem will not let us disintegrate. No other nation could have remained a cohesive entity after such a catastrophe. “Who is like your people, one nation on earth!” (Shabbos Mincha)

It all begins in this Parsha. “Now Avraham and Sarah were old, well on in years. The course of women had ceased to be with Sarah. And Sarah laughed at her insides, saying ‘After I have withered shall I again have clear skin? And my husband is old!’” (Beraishis 18:11-12) 

Avraham and Sarah were physically incapable of bearing children. “[Avraham] said before [Hashem], ‘Master of the universe, I looked at my constellation and saw that I am unfit to beget a son.’ Hashem said to him, ‘Abandon your astrological speculation. Israel is not under the influence of the constellations.’” (Shabbos 156a)

In response to their devotion to Him, Hashem changed their identities when He changed their names. “Hashem said, “Avram will not beget children, but Avraham will. Sarai will not give birth, but Sarah will.” (Beraishis Rabbah 44:10)

The theme is echoed in this week’s emotional Haftara. “Elisha came into the house and behold, the lad was dead, laid out on his bed. He entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to Hashem. Then he went up and lay upon the lad, and placed his mouth upon his mouth, his eyes upon his eyes, his palms upon his palms and prostrated himself upon him and he warmed the flesh of the lad. He withdrew and walked about the house, once this way and once that way, then he went up and prostrated himself upon him; the lad sneezed seven times and … opened his eyes.” (Melachim II 4:32ff; Haftaras Vayeira)

Our elevation over nature is incorporated into the structure of the Mishkan and Bais Hamikdosh. 

The possuk says, “Carve for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones … and place them in the aron.” (Dvarim 10:1-2)Chazal tell us: “Rav Yosef taught a Baraisa: This teaches us that [both] the [second] luchos and the broken pieces of the [first] luchos are placed into the aron.” (Menachos 99a)

The aron is the center of the world, the place where we turn when we want to communicate with Hashem. Why did the aroncontain the broken pieces of the first luchos? Is it not an embarrassment that the luchos had to be broken? This only occurred because we sinned with the eigel, in itself a terrible blot on the Children of Israel. Would it not have been better to forget this? How can the symbol of our degradation be placed in holiest spot on the earth?

My friends, I believe this is exactly the point. The secret of our existence is that we can rise from sin and frailty. “Cleanse me from unperceived faults.  Also from intentional sins restrain Your servant. Let them not rule me!” (Tehillim 19) Avraham and Sarah became young again. Their children are forever striving to overcome physical and spiritual limitations.

The other nations are on a treadmill that is bound by birth and death, but our path is eternal. “Hashem is close to the brokenhearted and those crushed in spirit He saves. Many are the mishaps of the righteous but from them all Hashem rescues him.” (Tehillim 34) There is no such thing as death for those who cling to Hashem, and thus we thank Him in every Shemoneh Esreh.  Techias hamaisim is not simply a future event. It occurs every second of our lives! Every time that we overcome our taiva … our desires, our anger, our tiredness, our bodily and spiritual limitations, every time we fight to come closer to the Master of the Universe, it is techias hamaisim. 

The most difficult tefillah of my day is Krias Shema al Hammitah. I am so tired! I want to go to sleep! Sleep is a tremendous test! The Yetzer Hara wants us to sleep! Forever!

But No! “Wake up! Wake up! For your light has come. Rise up and shine! Awaken! Awaken! Utter a song! The glory of G-d is revealed on you!” (Lecha Dodi) This we learn from Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu. 

Sunset over Beit El, Israel (Photo by Rebbetzin Sarah Winer)

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Roy Neuberger, author and public speaker, can be reached at roy@2020vision.co.il.

© Copyright 2018 by Roy S. Neuberger

Rabbi Winston – Parshas Vayeira and CTD

God appeared to him . . . (Bereishis 18:1)

THE TALMUD SAYS that God appeared to Avraham on the third day after Bris Milah, when he was weakest. It was a sick call, in the merit of the Milah that was performed. Once Avraham performed Bris, it was a whole different relationship between him and God, and this week’s parsha shows to what extent.

One of the other major benefits from Bris Milah was Eretz Yisroel. The Zohar says that the Jewish people’s connection to the Land is because of Bris Milah, which shows how important the Land is. Bris is considered one of the most primordial concepts, so if Eretz Yisroel is tied to it, it must be extremely central to the purpose of Creation as well.

With respect to this, the Talmud also says that three wonderful “gifts” are acquired through suffering: Torah, Eretz Yisroel, and Olam HaBa—the World-to-Come (Brochos 5a). The only question is, if they have to be acquired, WHY are they called gifts? And, if the currency of acquisition is suffering, HOW can they be called gifts? 

The answer of course is that, once acquired, these three, Torah, Eretz Yisroel, and the World-to-Come are so wonderful that a person will be happy to have spent the pain to get them. The eventual pleasure of “having” them will make the suffering seem like a small price to have paid. 

The World-to-Come is certainly like that. Mesiros Nefesh, or self-sacrifice, is the currency of the World-to-Come. You literally buy your portion, or increase it, through acts of self-sacrifice. A person DEFINITELY buys his gift of eternal life with suffering.

Torah as well. Without self-sacrifice, a person does not acquire Torah. He can read it, and he can learn it, but he won’t acquire it to the degree that he becomes ONE with his learning, and feels extra life because of it. This is a whole different level of Torah, one that someone from the outside can’t possibly appreciate. And that’s before discussing what self-sacrifice for Torah on this side of history will do for a person’s level of Torah on the other side of history.

But what about Eretz Yisroel? The Spies did not reject Torah. They certainly did not reject reward in the World-to-Come, though they ended up losing it because of their sin. They did however reject ERETZ YISROEL, seeing it as anything BUT a gift. They were clearly not prepared to pay for it with self-sacrifice, as they told Moshe Rabbeinu, the Jewish people, and effectively, God Himself when they chose to stay in the desert. And quite frankly, there are millions of Jews around the world today who feel the same way.

The short answer to this question is in Parashas Behar, where God says that He took us out of Egypt, to bring us to Canaan, to be our God. From this the Talmud, remarkably, learns that He can’t actually be our God while we live in the Diaspora (Kesuvos 110b). Dovid HaMelech went so far as to call himself an idol worshipper because he was forced from the land, though he never came close to doing any such thing.

There are midrashim galore that elaborate on this topic. (Personally, I have written a couple of books to explain the importance of Eretz Yisroel and the mitzvah of living there. You can order any of them through Amazon, or from my own site, if you want more information on the topic.)

Just one thing I’d like to point out for now. It is interesting that the Talmud put Eretz Yisroel between Torah and the World-to-Come, and not first. Assuming that the list is in order of importance, one would expect Eretz Yisroel to be the least important of the three. From the Talmud, it seems that it is a bridge between Torah and the World-to-Come, which given the verse from Parashas Behar, would make sense. 

This was something that Moshe Rabbeinu understood perfectly well, as one would expect. This is why he worked so hard to overturn the decree against his entry into the Land. And, as the Talmud points out elsewhere, it wasn’t just to perform the mitzvos dependent on the Land. He would have received reward for having done them because he wanted to, but was prevented from doing so (Brochos 6a). 

There are many answers to this, and on many different levels. One of them though has to do with the fact that the souls of the Jewish people were “hewn” from Eretz Yisroel. When a person acquires a portion of the Land, they acquire a portion of himself or herself. It’s like buying the house you grew up in, except in this case it is the “house” you are meant to live in as well. It is the ULTIMATE home of a person, where they can most be themselves both spiritually and physically.

To this end, I have suggested to people over the years, especially if they cannot move here, to at least buy a piece of land or invest in something, ANYTHING. There is no way to overstate the importance of having a portion in the Land, ANY portion. It’s why, according to the GR”A, Eretz Yisroel has needed help from the Diaspora, to allow Diaspora Jews a means to be invested in the Land and redemption when they can’t be there in person. 

To my absolute joy, I was contacted this week by an organization that actually makes a point of helping people to do exactly this. It’s called, appropriately, “Kinyan Eretz Yisroel,” or “Acquisition of the Land of Israel.” It is a modern day means for Jews around the world to have A portion in the gift meant for them, since Creation. It is an opportunity to become spiritually attached to the Land that is already spiritually attached to them.

This is the link that was given to me for people to find out more about this unique opportunity, and to participate in this incredible program. And, being so close to the end of history, MUCH closer than most people know, it is a merit of tremendous importance that can, in the end, make a difference regarding how one fares as history transitions to the Messianic Era. 

Check it out here: https://www.kinyaneretzyisrael.com/?uname=ca&camp=rpw. It’s not such a major sacrifice for Eretz Yisroel, but it is a major acquisition for life in this world and the next one.

Connecting 

the Dots, Issue #5

I have started a new book called, “A Separate Matter: Current Polarization Mystically Explained.” I plan to publish and sell it like the others, b”H, but in the meantime, I am sharing it here because of the importance of the material.

SEPARATION. NOTHING SPECIAL about THIS word. It is as much a part of the everyday ordinary vernacular like food, or house, or money. Maybe even less so. If there is anything special about the word, it is unknown to the vast majority of mankind.

In Hebrew, the word might gain more attention. It is “birrur,” and it is the basis of words such “to clarify—l’varrer,” and “choice—breirah,” etc. Because, when you CLARIFY something, you SEPARATE the irrelevant facts from the relevant ones, and when you make a choice, you do the same. A GOOD decision is the result of a GOOD birrur. 

The body does the same thing. Everything we eat is a combination of “good” and “evil.” The digestive system, beginning with the teeth, separates the nutritious parts from the waste, and then utilizes the former while rejecting the latter. This separation process takes place on many levels within the body, and far more beyond it. 

When it is all said and done, birrur is the basis of ALL history, because it IS history. It’s Godly too. It’s what God did to make the world in the first place, and our birrur, whenever and however we do it, just finished off what He left undone.

Well, at least it would have been. Adam HaRishon had but ONE choice to make, ONE birrur to execute, and that would have finished off the process of Creation. The world would have been, and the Messianic Era would have begun then and there.

He made a choice, alright. He just made the WRONG one. He chose to listen to his wife over God, who had listened to the snake over God. The result was not only NOT the completion of Creation, but a reversal of many aspects of it. Previously perfected elements of Creation became imperfect, increasing man’s role in the perfecting of Creation.

Or, more accurately, his OPPORTUNITY in the perfecting of Creation, because, whether he participates in the process or not, it WILL get done. The birrur WILL BE completed. Moshiach’s arrival DEPENDS upon it, and he MUST come by a specific time, if not earlier.

The trouble is, not too many people even know about the idea of Birrur, let alone actively and consciously take part in it. It’s a Kabbalistic concept, and how many people learn Kabbalah? And of those who do, how many emphasize the need to focus on birrur as a way of life? Not enough.

It’s always been an important concept. It’s what life is about. It’s how a person earns reward in Olam HaBa—the World-to-Come. But it is ESPECIALLY important now, so LATE in history, so CLOSE to its end. Because like any important process that approaches its deadline, birrur is INTENSIFYING. 

It’s the reason why history itself has become so intense, which even the average person has noticed, though they have no idea why, in the ULTIMATE sense. Nor can they appreciate how the decisions they are making today as a matter of personal preference might be dramatically different if they understood what was REALLY going on in history. What they have embraced or rejected, they may later find out, may have actually put them on the wrong side of the “line” when the curtain comes down on history.

Hard to believe? 

Just religious intimidation? 

Perhaps. But isn’t it worth first understanding what it is that is being suspected and rejected? If it IS true and accurate, AND IT IS, then “better late than sorry” might not work here. In fact, it won’t, at least not without some major miracle. But, who wants to rely on one of THOSE when it comes to surviving history, or making it to the NEXT world? While you consider your answer, we’ll go to the first chapter: Separate WHAT Exactly?

This Weeks 5 Frugal Things on a Friday

Hello Dear Reader,

I have had a short week at work this week as I had requested yesterday and today off so I could be with my daughter on her birthday. She arrived with her partner on Wednesday, they are down here working for the next couple of weeks, getting their names known down her and networking. They own a very successful Tattoo business and when they move down here in the next year or so they will be setting up shop down here. It will be lovely to have them both at home for the next little while.

They work very long hours, so in reality we won't see too much of them, I will probably be asleep when they get home, but there will be dinner waiting for them when they do get home.

We had a lovely family dinner to celebrate our daughters birthday, she didn't want to go out, just to have everyone together and a roast dinner was her request. Done and done.

Here's my frugal list this week-

1. Made sure all left overs were used up in a timely manner. My rule is the food must be eaten in three days (at the very most four) and hygienically handled and stored.

I always put the leftover front and centre in the fridge to prevent them being overlooked

2. Line dried the washing

3. Turned the almost empty oil bottle upside down to encourage every last drop of oil out of the bottle. It is amazing how much oil clings to the sides of the bottle.

4. Cut a whole pumpkin up to roast some for dinner last night. I always remove the pulp and seeds from the cut pumpkin as it lasts longer if the quarters are dryish and free from pulp. I also rinsed and dried the seeds and then roasted them with a good grind of salt and five spice.

5. Celebrated our daughters birthday at home with family. 

Your turn, how did you save money this week?

Have a lovely day,

💗Fi

One Year Ago-Raspberry and White Chocolate Cake with Toasted Coconut and Lime Whipped Cream

Two Years Ago-What we bought, spent and ate this week

Rabbi Kahana – Parashat Vayeira

BS”D 

Parashat Vayeira 5779

Rabbi Nachman Kahana

Four Eulogies

The Talmud (Megilla 3a) makes reference to the Bible translation composed by the Mishnaic sage Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel, the most important disciple of Hillel (Succah 28a). The Talmud quotes a problematic verse in Zecharia 12:11: “On that day, the eulogy in Jerusalem shall be as great as the eulogy over Hadad-Rimon in the plain of Megiddon.” Yet where in Scripture do we find a man named Hadad-Rimon being eulogized in the plain of Megiddon?

Yonatan ben Uziel rendered this verse, “On that day, the eulogy in Jerusalem shall be as great as the eulogy of Achav bar Omri who was killed by Hadad-Rimon ben Tav-Rimon in Ramot Gilad, and the eulogy of Yoshiyahu ben Amon who was killed by Paro Chagira in the Valley of Meggido.”

How did Achav and Yoshiyahu merit such impressive eulogies that they were used as examples of great eulogies which will be held in the future in Yerushalayim?

The problem is compounded regarding Achav, one of three kings regarding whom the Mishna in Sanhedrin 90a states that they forfeited their portion in the World to Come, together with Yeravam ben Nevat and Menashe ben Chizkiyahu.

Achav and his Phoenician wife E’zevel hunted down and murdered HaShem’s prophets, all but one hundred who were hidden away in caves by the righteous Ovadia (I Malachim 18:4), and in addition Achav implanted idolatry in every Jewish home. Yet, despite all his evils he merited a eulogy reserved for the greatest figures amongst our people, because he was a revered and beloved leader. Achav brought his people wealth, waged the wars of Israel and expanded the Land’s boundaries.

The circumstances of his death illustrate his greatness as a leader. Achav took part in his last battle, against Aram (today’s Syria). Standing tall in his command chariot, an Aramean soldier named Na’aman at random shot an arrow in the air, that penetrated Achav’s armor. The king could have left his command post to receive medical aid, but he refused, lest his absence weaken his soldiers’ determination, and he bled to death. Achav was a beloved, admired king, but he was far from being a man of Torah.

King Yoshiyahu, by contrast, was righteous. In his lifetime, he initiated and supervised the renovation of the Temple, worked long and hard to eradicate idolatry, and renewed pilgrimages to Jerusalem at Pesach time. The Bible describes how in his day the Pesach celebrations achieved heights not seen since the times of Yehoshua bin Nun.

Yoshiyahu, like Achav, was a faithful son of the Land of Israel. He was killed at Megiddo, while attempting to prevent the King of Egypt from traversing the Land on his way to fight Assyria, based on his understanding that the Torah’s promise that “a sword shall not pass through your land” (Vayikra 26:6) referred even to an allied sword.

We learn in Bava Kama that when Yoshiyahu’s body was returned to Jerusalem, 36,000 people took turns holding the coffin on the way for burial. The Gemara there asks, “Wasn’t the same done for Achav?” and replies that a Torah scroll was placed on Yoshiyahu’s coffin and everyone called out, “This one fulfilled what is written in here!” – an act not performed for Achav. Yoshiyahu, who feared HaShem, and Achav, the heretic, were beloved kings who fought for the glory of their people and Land.

The Prophet Zecharia foresaw that in the future two funerals would be held in Jerusalem whose eulogies would be on a par with those of Yoshiyahu and Achav.

Since the destruction of the Second Temple, the City of Jerusalem has not known such impressive funerals as those of my brother, Rabbi Meir Kahana, and of Yitzchak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel.

Rabin was not Achav and my brother was not Yoshiyahu, but in their lives we can identify patterns resembling those of the two kings.

Yitzchak Rabin was far removed from Torah and mitzvot, but like Achav, he dedicated his life to defending the Land of Israel. He was a leader whom many people respected, and they showed that respect by accompanying him to his final resting place.

My brother, Rav Meir, hy”d, was a Torah scholar and a leader. He brought the problem of Soviet Jewry into the headlines, contributed greatly to the collapse of that wicked regime and to the opening of its gates to allow Jews to move to Israel. He learned Torah constantly and gave generously to charity. The number of participants at his funeral was estimated at over two hundred thousand people.

Rav Meir and Yitzchak Rabin represented disparate world views, and the circumstances of their leaving this world attest to their lives.

Rabin was murdered on a Saturday Night following Parashat Lech Lecha. Rav Meir was murdered a few days after Parashat Vayeira.

In Parashat Lech Lecha, Avraham asks HaShem, “May it be granted that Yishmael should live before You” (Bereishiet 17:18). Avraham defended his son Yishmael borne to him by his wife Hagar. In Parashat Vayeira, Sarah demanded that Avraham expel Yishmael, saying, “‘Drive away this maid-servant together with her son. The son of this maid-servant will not share the inheritance with my son Yitzchak!” (ibid., 21:10).

Sarah could discern wickedness and licentiousness in Yishmael and she knew her son Yitzchak could never coexist peacefully with him. HaShem commanded Avraham to honor Sarah’s request – Yitzchak and Yishmael would, indeed, never live together in peace.

Rabin, who was murdered near Parashat Lech Lecha, advocated Avraham’s stance of “May it be granted that Yishmael should live before you.” He believed that these two nations could coexist side by side. To achieve that goal, he imported thousands of P.L.O. murderers from Tunisia, equipping them with lethal weaponry.

Rav Meir, hy”d, advocated Sarah’s approach, that the souls of Yitzchak and Yishmael were forged from disparate worlds. Yitzchak was a Torah scholar, worthy to be brought as a sacrifice to HaShem. Yishmael, by contrast, was a wild man, who praised and extolled death over life, and Rav Meir was murdered just after Parashat Vayeira.

History has proven that the message of parashat Vayeira that Yitzchak and Yishmael cannot coexist is the dominant one.

May the soul of both these Jewish leaders – Rav Meir and Yitzchak Rabin, be bound up in the bond of the living souls.

Shabbat Shalom,

Nachman Kahana

crochet * flamingo aan de muur

FLAMINGO AAN DE MUUR...

Op kussens, tassen of als gieter, overal blijven flamingo’s opduiken. Het zijn ook zulke grappige dieren met hun lange nek en roze lijf. Met hun parmantige ronde oogjes en zachte veren stelen ze de show en wil je naar hen blijven kijken. En dat is vanaf nu mogelijk met deze flamingo aan de muur. Door het zachte garen, Cosy fine, van Durable heeft ze een extra groot aaibaarheidsgehalte. Al blijft ze, ondanks haar schattigheid, ook een tikkeltje eigenwijs de wereld in kijken vanaf haar plekje aan de muur. Daar is ze tenslotte een flamingo voor!

Het gratis patroon van de flamingo is hier (klik) op de blog van Craft kitchen te vinden.

Liefs!

Parashat Vayera - Including "Current Events!"

Parashat Vayera - Including Current Events

The insanity of Liberalism and Open Orthodoxy

Shul in Riverdale escaped being blown up by Four Arabs

The Liberal-Lefties (zionists and communists) only came to Eretz Yisrael in 1917

The Ultra Ultra Orthodox settled Eretz Yisrael Before Them

in 1880 – The True Settlers

They Formed Five (5) Cities

100 acres for $1000 (for swamps)

7 Spooky Yet Stylish Halloween Ideas

Out of all of the events on the calendar, Halloween has to be one of my favourites! Ever since I was little we've been trick-or-treating (I thought it was called 'trickle treating' up until the age of about 10!) dressed as ghosts, witches, pumpkins, mice and other suitably spooky kit (in the UK and Sweden the dress code is strictly scary, is it the same in your country?). In case you love Halloween as much as I do, we've rounded up 7 spooky (yet stylish!) recipes, drinks and decor to inspire you to make this Halloween an extra wicked affair!

(Credit: Robin Baron Design)

Group black candles in antique candle-holders to add a minimalist, yet smoking touch to the Halloween table!

Quench your vampire thirst with a mouth watering 'Black Widow Mezcal Cocktail' made from Mezcal, blackberries, lemon juice, rosemary and a touch of honey. 

In this part of the world trick or treating can be a bone-chilling affair thanks to the cold. This hearty pumpkin soup with a kick of earthy fresh tumeric & ginger is a sure fire way to warm the cockles.

(Credit: Lotta Agaton)

Serving the Halloween feast on a linen tablecloth darker than the night sky adds a touch of drama and looks pretty too! 

'Devils on horseback' or 'brain' paté' not for you? How about this cuter than cute layered chocolate and meringue ghost cake?!  Did someone say chocolate? Oooooo!

Credits: Caitlin and Manda of The Merrythought

If you're a little tired of pumpkin faces, how about Halloween star gazing with these DIY constellation pumpkins?

Credits: A Beautiful Mess

Round off the room with a ghost garland (super simple to make and massively kid friendly too), all instructions here.

Is there anything here that caught your eye?!

I've got my eye on that chocolate cake!

I'm so curious to know - do you celebrate Halloween? If so, which traditions do you have in your home?

I'll be back tomorrow with a FABULOUS Swedish home tour to round off week. See you then!

Niki

Thank you so much to Astrid, my wonderful new intern who helped to create this round-up!