Lech Lecha
לך לךThe Journey Begins
40 translated essays · 93 total
תרל"ב(1871)
Nullifying Self for Divine Will· Essay 2
ובמדרש ראה בירה דולקת כו’ In the Medrash (see above) Avram saw a building that was all lit up (he realised that HaShem was controlling the world שמעתי מאא”ז מו”ר ז”ל דולקת כמו דלקת אחרי In the name of the Chidushei H…
All Drawn to One Point· Essay 3
רמב”ן הקשה שנאמר לך לך בלי שנזכר מקודם חיבתו. The Ramban asks why the commandment of Lech Lecha was said without first telling us what Avarahams greatness was ובזוה”ק נראה כי זה עצמו השבח ששמע זה המאמר לך לך From the Zohar it se…
Readiness to hear Hashem's call· Essay 4
The Ramban raised a difficulty: "Lech Lecha" was said without any prior mention of Avraham's worthiness having first been recorded. The Torah commands Avraham to leave his land with no preface explaining why he, of all people, was chosen — …
Lech Lecha תרל"ב 1 e
ברש”י ומד’ למה לא גילה לו מיד כו’ Rashi quoting the Midrash explains that the reason why HaShem didn’t tell Avram immediately where to go to, was in order to endear it to him, and to give him reward on every single w…
תרל"ד(1873)
Yearning That Earns Attainment· Essay 1
במדרש שמעי בת כו’ בירה דולקת כו’. דקשה הפסוק שמעי כו’ ואח”כ הטי אזנך. In the Medrash (see above) “Hear my daughter and turn your ear”. It is compared to someone who saw a building completely lit up and realised there…
Drawing Holiness Into Action· Essay 2
ברש”י לך להנאתך ולטובתך כו’ Rashi explains that the words Lech Lecha teach us that HaShem was telling Avraham that the traveling will be for himself, for Avraham benefit and good. אף כי צוהו השי”ת ללכת ולהניח הכל לא יעלה ע…
Subduing the Evil Inclination· Essay 3
במדרש המשל מחכם שנתן לעבדו דייתיקי ושבנו יבחר דבר א’ כו’ וז”ש לאדם שטוב לפניו כו’ ע”ש במדרש תנחומא The Midrash Tanchuma tells a parable of a man who traveled overseas for business, and when his end was near, he…
Wholeness Through Guarded Strength· Essay 4
במד’ במאמר הקב”ה לאברהם הי’ תמים. תמה שע”י המילה יהי’ יותר תמים ע”ש. The Midrash (Tanchuma Lech Lecha 16) explains that when HaShem told Avraham to be “Perfect”, Avraham wondered how it could be that by b…
תרל"ה(1874)
Two levels of hearing and bittul· Essay 1
In the Midrash: "Listen, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear" (Tehillim 45:11) — like the parable of a palace lit up (alight), etc. The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrashic image of a person who sees a "lit palace" and concludes there …
Avraham channeling all desires to Hashem· Essay 2
"And the souls that they made in Charan" (Bereishis 12:5) — we translate (in Targum Onkelos): "the souls that they subjugated to the Torah." Onkelos renders "the souls they made" as the souls Avraham and Sarah "brought under the yoke" of th…
The shield of Avraham and the inner point· Essay 3
The Midrash on "I am a shield (magen) for you" (Bereishis 15:1): that Avraham Avinu a"h said — perhaps someone will arise and amass mitzvos and good deeds (ma'asim tovim) and his covenant will push aside my covenant, just as my covenant pus…
The hidden inner will toward Hashem· Essay 4
At Mincha of Shabbos it is an eis ratzon (a time of favor), as it says that in it is "the will of all wills, and there is no anger." The Zohar calls Shabbos Mincha the "ra'ava de'ra'avin" — the supreme moment of favor, when divine displeasu…
Lech Lecha תרל"ה
במדרש שמעי בת וראי והטי אזנך כו’ בירה דולקת כו’. דקשה מאי הטי אזנך אחר שנאמר שמעי. The Midrash (Tanchuma) when referring to Avraham’s discovery of HaShem it states “Hear my daughter and turn your ear”. The double expression of h…
תרל"ו(1875)
Surrender first, then rectify the world· Essay 1
In the Midrash on "Hear, O daughter" — a parable of one passing from place to place who saw a castle alight (with fire/light)… for Avraham Avinu saw that all the worlds are arranged according to the order Hashem set, and when he came to exa…
Avraham's service rooted in his children· Essay 2
"And I will make you into a great nation" — this is the meaning of "the God of Avraham, etc." The explanation is that Bnei Yisrael draw down His malchus (kingship) upon themselves through the power of the Avos' acceptance of malchus Shomayi…
Serving Hashem without ulterior reward· Essay 3
The fact that the Kadosh Baruch Hu promised him so many promises — it appears that this was in order to magnify the nisayon, to see whether his going would be for the sake of the reward. The lavish promises made to Avraham before "Lech Lech…
Milah binds body to the neshamah· Essay 4
"Walk before Me and be tamim (whole/perfect)." Hashem commands Avraham to walk before Him and become "tamim" — the verse that introduces the mitzvah of milah (circumcision). That one is called tamim through the milah — the explanation is th…
Lech Lecha תרל"ו
במדרש שמעי בת משל לעובר ממקום למקום וראה בירה דולקת כו’ כי אברהם אע”ה ראה שכל העולמות מסודרין עפ”י הסדר שנתן הקב”ה וכשבא לעיין בעוה”ז ראה אשר הוא בלי תיקון וחשב לעמוד על בירור הדבר כי תאמר ח”ו שהוא בלי מנ…
תרל"ז(1876)
Universal yichud versus Yisrael's loving mitzvos· Essay 1
In the Midrash Tanchuma: "What is it to accept ol malchus Shomayim (the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven) while one walks…?" — "And you shall love…" — whoever is meticulous in the mitzvos, his reward is great. The Midrash distinguishes between…
Avraham's two avodos of unity· Essay 2
Now Avraham Avinu contained both of these aspects, for at first he was among the Bnei Noach and brought all of creation close to Hashem to the best of his ability, as the Midrash says on "we have a sister (achos)" — that he united (icheh) a…
Fleeing honor returns glory to Hashem· Essay 3
In the Midrash: "And the King will desire your beauty, for He is your Master, so bow to Him" (Tehillim 45:12) — based on what Rashi wrote, "to make your nature known in the world," and likewise on the pasuk "and I will make your name great"…
Imperfect self-sacrifice is never lost· Essay 4
The reason Lot merited to be together with Avraham Avinu, and even Lot himself merited that Dovid and Moshiach would descend from him, appears to have been in the merit of his father Haran — even though Haran's mesiras nefesh (self-sacrific…
Avraham as the world's foundation· Essay 5
The Ramban asked: why does the verse not mention beforehand the righteousness of Avraham Avinu, but begins only with "Lech Lecha — go for yourself," etc.? The Ramban is puzzled that the Torah opens Avraham's story with Hashem's command to l…
Wholeness through self-nullification· Essay 6
In the Midrash Tanchuma, on the verse "Walk before Me and be tamim (whole/perfect)" — Avraham wondered: "Until now I am lacking, and when I circumcise myself I will be complete," etc. The Midrash describes Avraham's reaction to the command …
Lech Lecha תרל"ז
במדרש תנחומא מה לקבל עול מלכות שמים כשהוא מהלך כו’ ואהבת כו’ מי שמדקדק אחר המצות שכרו מרובה כו’. כבר כתבנו דברי מו”ז ז”ל פי’ המדרש כי מצוה ראשונה לאאע”ה התחיל בלך לך הטעם כי כבר הי’ אצל ואהבת …
תרל"ח(1877)
The tzaddik sustains and blesses the world· Essay 1
In the Midrash: "Hearken, daughter etc." (Tehillim 45:11) — the parable of the lit-up palace etc. — "to beautify you in the world." The Sefas Emes draws on the famous Midrash of Avraham seeing a palace "lit up" (with fire/turmoil) and askin…
The tzaddik's gaze elevates all creation· Essay 2
On the pasuk: "Look out from the place where you are… for all the land that you see, I will give it to you…" Hashem tells Avraham to lift his eyes from wherever he stands and survey the land that will be given to him. It should have said "f…
Milah binds Avraham beyond nature to wholeness· Essay 3
"Walk before Me and be whole (tamim)." Hashem's command to Avraham at the bris milah: to walk before Him and thereby attain wholeness and perfection. And in the Midrash: "The secret of Hashem is to those who fear Him," etc. — referring to t…
Lech Lecha תרל"ח
במדרש שמעי בת וכו’ משל בירה דולקת כו’ ליפותך בעולם. פי’ כי אברהם אבינו תמה איך הבורא ית’ מניח את הרשעים לאבד עולמו והשיבו. כי הוא הצדיק שהעולם קיים עליו וא”ת למה נבראו הרשעים ליפותך בעולם כדי שיהי’ שכר לה…
תרל"ט(1878)
Why Avraham's offspring need Eretz Yisrael· Essay 1
In Rashi here: "Here [outside the Land] you will not merit children" — the explanation: for surely nothing is too wondrous (impossible) for the Creator, may He be blessed; rather, the place of chutz la'aretz (outside the Land) did not have …
Earning wholeness through longing· Essay 2
"Walk before Me and be perfect (tamim)." Hashem's command to Avraham Avinu is to walk actively "before" Him, and through that striving to arrive at the state of tamim — wholeness and perfection. But regarding Noach it says: "Noach was perfe…
Lech Lecha תרל"ט
ברש”י כאן אי אתה זוכה לבנים פי’ כי בודאי הבורא ית’ לא יפלא ממנו כל דבר אבל לא הי’ בכח המקום של חו”ל לקבל קדושת זרע אברהם. ואם הי’ בכח להוליד תולדות בחו”ל לא הי’ גלות והי’ מתוקן הכל. אך ה…
תר"מ(1879)
תרמ"א(1880)
The tzaddik's glory shines from contrast· Essay 1
In the Midrash, "Listen, O daughter…" — the matter is that it was very hard for Avraham Avinu to separate himself. Citing the Midrash that applies "Listen, O daughter, and forget your people" to Avraham, the Sefas Emes explains that it was …
Milah removes the covering that conceals holiness· Essay 2
"I remember for you the kindness of your youth… your following after Me…" (Yirmiyahu 2:2) — this alludes to Avraham Avinu, who left his father's house and his birthplace, and this power remained enduring within Bnei Yisrael. The verse about…
Milah enables one to bear revelation· Essay 3
In Rashi: before he was circumcised, he would fall on his face when ruach hakodesh (the holy spirit) rested upon him. Rashi notes that prior to his bris milah, whenever the ruach hakodesh came upon Avraham he was overwhelmed and fell on his…
תרמ"ב(1881)
Avraham stitched the world to its root· Essay 1
In the Midrash Tanchuma: one who is meticulous about the mitzvos, his reward is great... regarding Avraham, "because he hearkened... [to] My Torah" (Bereishis 26:5) — but is there not only one Torah? Rather, these are the fine details of th…
Avraham paving the path of teshuvah· Essay 2
On the verse "And it came to pass, when he drew near…": in the Zohar HaKadosh, as it says, "and Pharaoh brought near" — that he brought the heart of Yisrael close in teshuvah. The Zohar reads "Pharaoh drew near" not as a threat but as a cat…
Bris mila reveals the hidden inner light· Essay 3
In the Midrash on "Walk before Me and be tamim (whole)" — it asks: if mila is so beloved, why was it not given to Adam HaRishon? The Holy One answered him: "I am the One who said to My world, 'Enough'…" (see there). The Midrash wonders why …
תרמ"ג(1882)
53 more essays from this section await translation.