Chayei Sarah - Surrender and Sacrifice

Why is the description of the Akeida (Binding of Isaac) and Rivka's birth juxtaposed to Sarah's death? Why is it so hard for Avraham to purchase the location for Sarah's burial? Why must he pay top dollar? Why does Eliezer have to go so far to find a wife for Yitzchak? Why is it that in the merit of Avraham overcoming his mercy, he is able to ask Hashem to overcome His judgment?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 21:48

Chayei Sarah - Death and Rebirth

What does the midrash mean when it says that Esther became queen over 127 provinces paralleling the 127 years of Sarah's life? Why did Esther go through a similar experience to Sarah in becoming young again after becoming old? How does that parallel the state of the Jewish people at the time? Why does Sarah's death coincide with Rivka's birth? Why does the binding of Yitzchak coincide with the birth of Rivka? Why are Sarah, Rivka and Esther all taken by kings?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 22:02

Toldos - Spiritual Power

Why does the Torah preface the story of Yakov (Jacob) and Esav with the statement that Abraham birthed Isaac? What is the significance of the fact that Isaac was forty years old when he got married? What is the spiritual power of the circumcision of Ishmael at age thirteen? What is the spiritual power of Isaac's binding? What is the spiritual inheritance that Jacob is given and in turn gives to us?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 23:53

Vayetzei - Synthesis of Opposites

What is the significance of the contrast between Rebecca coming to Israel to marry Isaac, as opposed to Jacob going to Charan to marry Rachel and Leah? Why is it as 'hard' for Hashem to create matches between men and women as it is for Him to split the sea? Why did Jacob remove the rock covering the well and push it down into the earth? What does the rock represent? What is the 'wondrous work' that we thank Hashem for after we use the facilities?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 24:09

Toldos - Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov

How do we see a reference to all three patriarchs in the first verse of the parsha? What does the midrash mean when it says that Avraham was saved from the fire in the merit of his grandson Jacob? What does the midrash mean when it says that all of the patriarchs were referred to as Israel? What are the unique character traits of each of the patriarchs, and how do they relate to their experience in the land of Israel?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 22:09

Chayei Sarah - Developing Willingness

How does Eliezer, the servant of Avraham, overcome his internal struggle - the desire for his daughter to marry Yitzchak? How does he give himself completely to the task of finding a different girl for him? How does one overcome one's natural desires, and find the willingness to align himself with a Higher Will?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 21:25

Toldos - Space for defiance

What is the connection between Isaac's passivity in the face of the king of Gerar, and Yaakov's running away from Esav after stealing the blessings? What is the concept of the 'time of defiance?' When is one to be passive in the face of judgments? What is the concept of 'giving space for defiance?'

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 22:24

Vayera - Revealing God's plan

Why does Avraham's meeting with the angels occur in conjunction with Pesach? Why does the destruction of Sodom occur concurrently? Why is Yitzchak born on Pesach? Why does the binding of Isaac occur on Pesach? Why does Lot's conception with his daughters occur then, as well?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 23:08

Chayei Sarah - passing the mantle

What is the connection between the death of Sarah and the marriage of Yitzchak and Rivka? What is the progression from the akeidah to the purchase of land in Chevron to their marriage? Why do our chazal seem to paint a picture of Rivka taking the place of Sarah? What is the deeper meaning of the fact that Hashem blessed Avraham with 'everything?' What does it mean that he gave 'everything' to his son Yitzchok? What were the seeds that Avraham was planting with his purchase of the cave?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 19:45

Fall of Yishmael

At the end of this week's parsha, the Torah goes through the lineage of Yishmael, and ends off (in perek כה passuk יח) by saying "על פני כל אחיו נפל" - which literally translates as 'He fell on the face of all of his brothers.'

The Ba'al Haturim points out the significance of the fact that this verse directly precedes the following verse, which says, "ואלה תולדות יצחק" - which translates as 'these are the offspring of Yitzchak.'

He explains that this teaches us that in the end of days, when Yishmael falls, Moshiach ben Dovid, the offspring of Yitzchak, will then sprout.

Vayera - Binding of Yitzchak

How is Avraham able to accept the challenge of sacrificing Yitzchak with such equanimity? Why does he challenge Hashem in regards to Sodom, but not in regards to the sacrifice of Yitzchak? What is the significance of the ram whose horns were caught in the thicket? Why was there now a blessing for the children of Avraham as well?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Lech Lecha - Divine humor

Why is Yitzchak's birth surrounded by so much laughter? Why is the letter 'hei' added to both Avraham and Sarah's names before the conception of Yitzchak? Why is the circumcision a prerequisite for this supernatural birth? Why is it so important that the Jewish people begin in this supernatural and unusual way?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

This week's parsha podcast is also available in text form (for a limited time) on my website on the Parsha page.

Apples, Rosh Hashana, and tikkun hakilkul

This past Friday night, as we sat down to our Rosh Hashana meal, I was struck with a question that never crossed my mind before. We had said Hamotzi already, and had begun the seder of simanim, and we of course started first with the most obvious siman - dipping our apples in honey. We all know that this is to symbolize that we wish Hashem will grant us a sweet new year. The question is, however, why apples? There are plenty of other sweet fruits, so why did the custom develop to use the apple?

As I pondered this, the first thought that came to mind was that since Rosh Hashana is the day that Adam Harishon ate from the forbidden tree, perhaps we eat the apple to remember that eating. This notion, of course, was quickly discarded, as it is quite clear that the forbidden fruit was anything but an apple. In any event, it would be strange to commemorate the sin by imitating the evil deed!

I looked in the Artscroll Rosh Hashana machzor, and it provided an explanation that actually made the whole picture much more puzzling. It brought down that when Yakov avinu came in to Yitzchak to steal Esav's brachos, his father remarked that he smelled like the 'smell of the field.' Our sages interpret this to mean that he smelled like an apple orchard. For this reason, we specifically use an apple to dip in honey on Rosh Hashana night to symbolize our desire for a sweet new year.

The question is, What does Yakov getting the brachos have to do with Rosh Hashana?

This question occupied my thoughts on the twenty-or-so minute walk to shul Rosh Hashana morning. My mind was whirring and the cogs were turning, and some interesting connections made for some good food for thought.

I realized that the moment that Yakov was stealing the brachos from Esav was an extremely pivotal point in the story of Moshiach ben Yosef. Esav was the one who should have taken on the mantle of Moshiach ben Yosef's job, which was the tikkun hakilkul - the rectification of the damage caused by the sin of Adam Harishon. This was why Esav had more of a leaning toward being involved in the outside world. This was the world he would need to infuse with spirituality and remove the darkness from therein. The brachos that Esav would have received would have aided him in fulfilling this role, which actually was a precursor to the role of Yakov as Moshiach ben Dovid. This was also why Esav was born first, because just as Moshiach ben Yosef must complete his job prior to Moshiach ben Dovid's arrival, so Esav should have done his job first in order to set the stage for Yakov's role. This would have been the explanation of the prophecy told to Rivka 'ורב יעבוד צעיר' - the older will serve the younger.

Instead, however, Esav failed at his task and was too involved in the very physicality he was meant to purify. Thus, he forfeited the role of Moshiach ben Yosef, which Yakov purchased from him for a bowl of lentils. When it came time to receive the blessings that were inherent to Moshiach ben Yosef's job, it was absolutely imperative that Yakov get these blessings, as he had now taken on the dual role of Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid at the same time. (This role would later be split between his children Yehuda and Yosef.) Thus Yakov had to create the subterfuge of professing to be Esav, but the truth was that he was Esav in the sense that he had taken over Esav's role as Moshiach ben Yosef.

At this moment, Yakov walks in to Yitzchak to receive the blessings, and he is wearing Esav's special garment. This garment was no ordinary garment - it had been inherited from Nimrod, who in turn had gotten it from none other than Adam Harishon himself. It was no coincidence that Esav had Adam's clothes - Esav's job was to rectify the sin of Adam that had created the necessity for these clothes! Now Yakov had replaced Esav in that role, and therefore it would be Yakov who would put on the clothes of Adam Harishon. It was these clothes that brought in with Yakov the smell of the field of apples that Yitzchak smelled.

When we take a deeper look at what is going on throughout Rosh Hashana, we realize that hiding beneath the surface is a day that is very much connected to the concept of Moshiach ben Yosef. The entire davening centers around the Messianic age, and the day itself commemorates the birth of Adam harishon. But the day of his birth was also the day he sinned and was ejected from Gan Eden. Rosh Hashana was the very day that Adam harishon introduced the kilkul into the world that Moshiach ben Yosef would be enjoined to extricate. Thus, it is no coincidence that our davening centers around that time when indeed the whole world will be purified from Adam's sin.

If one thinks deeper into the matter, Rosh Hashana actually had the potential to be the day that would have brought the full rectification. If Adam had not eaten until sundown, Shabbos would have ushered in the dawn of Olam Haba - the complete rectification of mankind. Thus, just as we mentioned in regards to the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha b'Av, the day of downfall actually still contains the seed for the future rectification as well. This potential was not lost.

With this in mind, the theme of Moshiach ben Yosef as the one who would rectify Adam's sin is essentially the theme of Rosh Hashana itself. It is therefore no wonder that we take the apple to dip in honey. This apple reminds us of the moment in history when Yakov took over the job of Moshiach ben Yosef. By eating the sweet apple, it reminds us that Rosh Hashana is the day that holds the potential for the ultimate rectification of Adam's sin, and when Moshiach ben Yosef's job is completed, we certainly will have a sweet new year.

This also sheds light on an opinion in the Gemara which always seemed strange to me. The Gemara in Rosh Hashana (10B-11A) discusses when our future redemption will take place. According to one opinion, it will be in Nissan, just as the Geulah from Mitzrayim was in Nissan. According to another opinion, it will take place in Tishrei. To me, the first opinion always rang true, as Nissan is a time for redemption. (I'm also biased because my birthday is in Nissan.) Now, however, the Tishrei option actually seems to make more sense to me, as this was the month of the sin of Adam harishon, and the potential for its rectification.