Vayera תרל”ד
תרל”ד
ב”ה
במדרש תנחומא בחול י”ח ברכות ובשבת שבע כו’. ובמד”ר ואחר עורי נקפו זאת.
The Midrash Tanchuma (Vayera 1): On weekdays there are 18 blessings (in Shmona Esrei) and on Shabbos there are Seven. (The significance of this to our Parsha will be explained.)
And the Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 48b See above תרל”ב 1) “And this, after my skin will have been pulled off (But I would behold HaShem from my flesh).
כי שמעתי ממוזז”ל שמלכות שמים נקרא זאת בעבור כי אין לשום דבר חיות רק מנקודה זאת הפנימיות כו’.
For I have heard in the name of the Chidushei Harim that the kingdom of Heaven is called זאת – this. For there is nothing else (in the enitre existence) besides for this inner point (of life force of HaShem) (It is only because we are blocked that we do not see it constantly, as will be expained.).
והכלל כי השי”ת נותן חיות לכל דבר כדכתיב ואתה מחי’ כו’ אך שיש דבר שמתגלה בו יותר ויש דבר שנסתר בחיצוניות יותר. ובהסיר הקליפה אשר סובבת הפנימיות מתגלה סוד הפנימי
The general principle is that HaShem gives His life force to everything (which gives it its existence), as the pasuk says “You give life to everything”. However some things it is more revealed and other things it is more covered over with externalities. However when the externl peel and layer that covers the pnimius is revealed then the internal secret is revealed.
וז”ש במד’ סוד ה’ ליראיו לכן אחר המילה כתיב וירא אליו שנתגלה לו ה’ בכל מקום כדכתיב מלא כל הארץ כבודו ורק מי שאינו נימול אינו יכול לראות הפנימיות. ואחר עורי נקפו זאת כנ”ל.
This is the meaning of the Midrash (Tanchuma Lech Lecha 23) “The secret of HaShem is given to those that fear Him”. It was therefore only after the bris mila that HaShem appeared to Avraham. This means that there was a revelation given to Avraham that HaShem was revealed to him in every single place. As it says “the world is filled with His glory”. However one who is not circumcised cannot see this pnimius. “And this, after my skin will have been pulled off” As explained above. (That only after Avraham’s circumcision he meritted this level of revelation).
והפסוק משבח לאברהם אע”ה וירא כו’ יושב פתח האהל כי אף שנתגלה לו כ”כ ישב אצל הפתח והאמין כי איננו כדאי להסתכל בשכינה ולא הי’ מצד חסרון התהלהבות כדכ’ כחום היום.
(Furthermore) the pasuk praises Avraham Avinu, that HaShem appeared to him, and he was sitting at the opening of the tent. (Sitting at the opening to the tent is explained here as a figurative expression of Avrahm’s humility). For even though HaShem appeared to Avraham, nevertheless Avraham was only at the opening, he beleived that he was not worthy of looking directly at HaShem’s presence, (he did not go into the tent.) This was not due to a lack of excitement, for it says in the pasuk it was “in the heat of the day” (this is referring to Avraham’s excitement, even though he wa filled with excitement he nevertheless did not consider himself worthy)
והאמת כי אדרבא מי שאינו כראוי צריך להתחזק להתקרב להשי”ת שהוא מקרב גם רחוקים. רק אברהם אע”ה לפי גודל כחו הי’ שפל בעיניו.
Now in truth it is really the opposite. A person who is not worthy needs to indeed strengthen himself to get close to HShem, Who brings those that are far close. However Avraham in accordance with his greatness considered himself unworthy.
ואיתא וירא לבקר את החולה. דכ’ חולת אהבה כו’
The Midrash says that HaShem appeared to Avraham to visit the sick. (This can be connected to the pasuk in Shir HaShirim 2:5) “For I am faint with love”. (As will be explained there are two primary methods in service of HaShem).
כי בודאי צריך האדם לבקש לקרב גם גופו וכל איבריו להקדושה. והוא ענין התפלה בחול.
One certainly needs to request that his entire body and limbs become elevated with holiness. This is the concept of the weekday prayers (mentioned in the midrash above).
אבל יש דרך אחר לאדם גדול וקדוש שבוש לבקש התקרבות גופו כמ”ש ואנכי עפר ואפר וע”י שיושב בפתח ומשליך גופו ונפשו ומשתוקק רק לעשות רצון בוראו.
Yet there is another method, for a great and holy person who is embarrassed to request for his body to be elevated, (as Avraham said) “I am dust and ashes”, and because of this (humility) he is at the opening of the tent, and throws his body and soul and only longs to do the will of HaShem. (He puts aside all his own desires and just wants to do the will of HaShem).
וכמו בש”ק דכתיב ממצוא חפצך כו’ ע”י שמתגלה בש”ק הארה יתירה צריך האדם לשכוח עניני גופו וניתקן רק בקשה למנוחה וטהר לבנו כו’ רק ממילא בודאי האדם שנזכר לפני השי”ת ממילא כ’ אין מחסור ליראיו וממילא מי שיש לו חולה מתרפא ע”י תפלת שבת ג”כ אף שאיננו מתפלל עליו
(This is the level of prayer o Shabbos) as it says on Shabbos one needs to leave all “his affairs”. Since on Shabbos there is a revelation therefore one needs to put aside his own physical needs and only pray for rest “and purify our hearts”. Such a persn who is remembered before HaShem will certainly have his needs taken care of for “there is nothing lacking for thosethat fear Him”, and so too one who is ill will be healed on due to the merit of the Shabbos prayers, even though his name is not mentioned explicitly inthe prayers.
וזהו ענין לבקר את החולה כי מנקודה הפנימיות נמשך חיים ורפואה לכל הדברים הנשרשים שם:
This therefore is the idea of “visiting the sick”, for it is from this point of pnimius that life energy and healing of all things is rooted in.
(So too Avraham meritted healing by throwing away all his own desires and completely nullifying his will to HaShem’s will just like the Shabbos prayers, and therefore meriited HaShem visiting him.).
באלוני ממרא שנתן לו עצה על המילה כו’ ולמה נכתב זה ומה שבח לממרא שהשיאו למול כי מה איכפת לי’.
(HaShem appeared to Avraham) “In the plains of Mamre”. Mamre is mentioned here as a reward for advising Avraham to perform the circumcision. However what indeed is the significance and praise of Mamre that gave him such advice, what did Avraham care about his advice (surely he would have done the Mila regardless?)
אך ודאי הבינו כי ע”י המילה שנכרת ברית להיות מיוחד הוא וזרעו להשי”ת להיות נבדל מכל האומות ולזאת לא הסכימו ענר אשכול.
However they (Aner, Eshkol and Mamre, Avraham’s partners) realised that through this bri mila a covenant will be made between HaShem and Avrahm’s children to be separated from all the othe rnations.For this reason Aner and Eshkol advised Avraham against the mila.
אבל ממרא האמין כי כך צריך להיות ושאינו כדאי להתדמות אליו והסכים עמו אף שידע שיתרחק עי”ז
however Mamre beleived that this (uniqueness of Bnei Yisrael) is what is supposed to be, and he is not combarable to Avraham, and agreed to the mila, even though it will separate them.
ועי”ז דוקא זכה להתקרב ונגלה בחלקו והי’ לו שייכות עי”ז הריחוק עצמו
However it was actually indeed due to this advise that Mamre merittd that HaShem revealed Himself to Avraham in Mamre’s territory. Through actually distancing of himself (it actually brought him closer)
והוא ללמד לכל איש ישראל שאין אדם יכול לעשות דבר רק ע”י שמתבטל לכלל ישראל וצריך לגמור בדעתו שאם יהי’ כבוד שמים יותר בחביריו הוא מבטל עצמו וכל אשר לו וע”י זה יוכל למצוא מקום תמיד
This teaches each and every Jew that a person cannot do anything without first nullifying himself to the unit of Bnei Yisrael. And one needs to commit that if he realises that the glory of HaShem will be more through his friends, that he will accepts to nullify himslef and all that he has for the sake of HaShem. Through this a person can always find a place.
וז”ש מי שממעט כבוד עצמו ומרבה כבוד שמים כבוד שמים מתרבה וכ’ מתרבה והוא כנ”ל:
This is the meaning of (Midrash Rabbah 4:20) One who lessens his own honor and increases the honor of Heaven, then the honor of Heaven increases and his own honor increases. This is as explained above.
בענין העקידה קח נא כו’ נראה כי מאחר שהבטיחו ביצחק יקרא לך זרע נאמר לו בלשון בקשה פי’ שביקש הקב”ה ממנו שימחול לו המתנה ושיעלהו לעולה
Regarding the Akeida, HaShem said to Avrahm “Please take your son etc”. It would seem that since HaShem originally promised Avraham that his lineage will come about through Yitzchak, he now presented Avraham with a new request. Please forgive the original gift that I promised you and sacrafice Yitzchak as a burnnt offering.
וזה שבח הגדול בנסיון הזה שלא נאמר לו בלשון ציווי רק אם חפץ בדבר זה.
This is indeed the great praise of Avraham in passing this test, that HaShem did not use an expression of explicit command, rather a request: An option to do such a thing.
ואברהם אע”ה באהבתו לקיים רצון המקום הלך בשמחה לשוחטו.
Yet Avraham through his love to fulfill the will of HaShem went joyfully to slaughter him.
וכ’ יחידך שבודאי הי’ יכול להאמין כי יתן לו בן אחר כמו שנתן לו זה לעת זקנתו. אבל אמר לו כי אין לו עוד בן רק יצחק ושיעלהו לעולה באופן שנותן את כל זרע ישראל בעקידה זו וכל זה קיבל עליו בשמחה:
Furthermore HaShem said “your only son”. Avraham could easily have believed that HaShem will give him another son, just as Yitzchak was born in his old age. Yet HaShem was telling him that he will have no other son , just Yitzchak, and he should offer him as a burnt offering, in sucha manner that Avraham was giving the entire progeny of Yisrael with this action. Yet Avraham accepted all of this with joy!
המאכלת דרשו חז”ל שבנ”י אוכלין מתן שכרה.
The knife used in the Akeida is called the מאכלת which is connected to the word “eating”. Our sages explained (Yalkut Shimoni 1:101) that this is so called because Bnei Yisrael “eat” the reward of the Akeida for generations to come.
וכתוב ויקח שאברהם אבינו ידע זה שכל מעשיו הם עצות עבור כלל ישראל שהוא אב לכולם
It says that Avraham “took the knife”. This means that Avraham realised the significance of his actions that they would affect teh future generations, for he was “the father of all the nations”.
וכן צריך כל אדם להתבונן כי מעשיו נוגעין לדורי דורות.
So too each person needs to consider that his actions affect generations to come.
ועי”ז אוכלין בנ”י מתן שכרה ע”י שהם עזרו להאבות למעשיהם הטובים כי בודאי כח האבות הי’ ע”י שכל שורש בנ”י היו בתוכם והכל במשפט אמת כנ”ל:
It is through Bnei Yisrael helping their forefathers in their original actions, because the strength that our forefathers had to do these actions is certainly because they had the entire root of Bnei Yisrale in themselves. (This future gave them the power to do such unique actions), and it is all a true judgement, as above.
