Today's Learning Kidushin 3:6-7 Sponsored by O.C. 277:1-3 the Parness family Avodah Zarah 39 in memory of Max Parness A"H Yerushalmi-- Nedarim 4 Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Chayei Sarah Vol. X, No. 5 (442), 25 Cheshvan 5756, November 18, 1995 Siddur Avodat Yisrael writes that there is a chapter of Tehilim which corresponds to each parashah--this week Psalm 45. One connection to the parashah is verse 14, which serves as a fitting eulogy for our Matriarch, Sarah (who is buried in this parashah). That verse is, "The complete glory of the princess is within; surpassing golden settings is her raiment." Chazal tell us that this verse describes the inborn modesty of Jewish women. Sarah, in particular, is praised in the Torah for practicing this trait. (See Bereishit 18:9 and Rashi there.) Rav Samson R. Hirsch zatz'l writes that this entire chapter of Tehilim is an ode in honor of an unspecified marriage. The marriage of Yitzchak and Rivkah is the predominant theme in our parashah. Our parashah tells us that after the deaths of Avraham and Sarah, Hashem found their son Yitzchak to be a fitting successor. As Rav Avraham Halevi Horowitz zatz'l (father of the Shelah Hakadosh) wrote in his will: "Fortunate are children who present themselves with alacrity to obey the words of their parents, and whose parents rebuke them and teach them to fear G-d and to occupy themselves with Torah and mitzvot. Regarding the likes of them we read (verse 17 of our chapter of Tehilim), 'Succeeding your fathers will be your sons; you will appoint them as leaders throughout the land'." (Yesh Nochalin) ************************************ The verses and commentaries on this page relate to the chapter of Tehilim associated with our parashah (see page 1). "Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one--your majesty and your splendor." (45:4) The mishnah (Shabbat 63a) states that a man may not go out in the street on Shabbat (where there is no eruv) wearing a sword or others weapon. Rabbi Eliezer disagrees, arguing that such weapons are a man's adornments, and may be worn in the same way that jewelry is worn. The sages say that no, wearing weapons is disgraceful, as it is written (Yishayah 2:4): "They shall beat their swords into plowshares. . ." The gemara explains that Rabbi Eliezer's opinion derives from the verse, "Gird your sword. . ." (quoted above). To this the gemara retorts, "Isn't this verse a metaphor for Torah study, and not to be taken literally?" The gemara answers, "Even if a verse contains a metaphorical meaning, every verse has a literal meaning as well." The gemara then quotes Rav Kahana who says, "When I was 18 years old, I knew the entire Talmud by heart, but I had never heard that every verse has a literal meaning." Rav Menashe Meiliah zatz'l (1767-1831) explains this gemara's lesson as follows: There are some verses in Tanach which appear to be primarily metaphorical. In fact, however, even those verses have a literal meaning as well, with something to teach us. Moreover, the Torah or Prophets would not choose a metaphor that is not itself true. Thus, says Rabbi Eliezer, if the Prophet uses the "majesty and splendor" of a man girded with a sword as a metaphor for Torah study, it must be that the Prophet considers the sword itself to be majestic. (quoted by Rav Isaac Sher zatz'l in Lekket Sichot Mussar) ************************************ How is it possible that Rav Kahana was such an accomplished scholar, but had never heard that every verse has a literal meaning? Rav Moshe Sofer (the "Chatam Sofer") zatz'l explains that excessive study of scripture--if done independently of midrashim and other interpretations of the Sages--leads to heresy. It thus became customary that students did not study Tanach until they had completed many years of study of Talmud and midrash. This also is the reason why children are taught midrash even before they learn how to read. (Torat Moshe: Beshalach) ************************************ Chazal say that all of Sarah's years were equally good. Rav Chaim Yosef David Azulai ("Chida") zatz'l notes that this is alluded to in the opening verse of our parashah, "Sarah's life was. . ." The first hebrew word in the verse (spelled "vav" "yud" "hay" "yud" "vav") is a palindrome (the same backwards and forwards), indicating the uniform quality of Sarah's years. (Torat Hachida) ************************************ Avraham commanded Eliezer: "To my land and my birthplace you shall go and take a wife for my son Yitzchak." (24:4) Eliezer related this to Rivkah's family as: "Go to my father's house and to my family and take a wife for my son." (24:38) Why did Eliezer make subtle changes in Avraham's words? Rav Meir Simchah Hakohen of Dvinsk explains as follows: Avraham said, "To my land," because even the land of Aram (on the Syrian-Iraqi border) is part of Eretz Yisrael, which was promised to Avraham and over which King David later would reign. However, Eliezer did not want Rivkah's family to feel threatened, so he omitted this description. Avraham said, "To my birthplace," because he didn't necessarily care if Yitzchak's bride was a relative. He simply wanted a girl from his hometown, where morals were higher than in Canaan. This is why Eliezer devised a chessed (kindness) "contest" for choosing Yitzchak's bride, rather than going straight to the home of Avraham's relatives. However, once Avraham's niece won the "contest," Eliezer wanted to impress upon Rivkah's family that this marriage was Divinely ordained. Thus he interpreted Avraham's statement, "To my birthplace," to mean, "To my father's house." Not only had Rivkah been singled out by a Divine sign, he told them, Avraham already had hinted prophetically that Eliezer would bring back a relative. This also explains why Eliezer gave Rivkah gifts before learning her identity, but he told her family that he had learned her name first. Eliezer gave her the gifts first because he would have been willing to take her back to Yitzchak even if she had not been his cousin. However, he said that he asked her name first because he wanted to impress on her family the importance of her being from Avraham's family. (Meshech Chochmah) ************************************ Rav Avraham Azulai zatz'l born 5330 (1570) - died 21 or 25 Marcheshvan 5404 (1643) Rav Avraham Azulai was born in Fez, Morocco, to which his family had fled from the inquisition. Rav Avraham longed to settle in Eretz Yisrael and to study kabbalah under the disciples of the Arizal and Rav Chaim Vital, and he set out in the year 1610. After a stormy journey, the ship docked in Egypt; no sooner were the passengers off and another storm blew the ship out to sea, along with all of the passengers' belongings. In recognition of the miracle which had saved his life, Rav Avraham thereafter signed his signature in the shape of a boat. Rav Avraham settled in Chevron (Hebron), where he remained until a cholera epidemic struck in 1619. From there he moved to Yerushalayim, then back to Chevron, and eventually, to Azah (Gaza). It was in Azah that he wrote his best known work, Chessed L'Avraham. Later he returned to Chevron again. In addition to writing many works of his own, Rav Avraham helped Rav Yaakov Zemach to publish previously hidden works of Rav Chaim Vital, the foremost student of Arizal. (Rav Chaim Vital himself had been reluctant to publish these works, which were commentaries on his master's teachings. One of the foremost present-day kabbalists, Rav Yaakov Moshe Hillel shlita, explains that Rav Chaim felt that his position as the disseminator of the Arizal's teachings required him to present those teachings in their unadulterated form [Introduction to Kehilot Yaakov, by Rav Yaakov Zemach].) The story of Rav Avraham's passing is as follows: A wealthy Arab who had come to pray in the building above the Me'arat Hamachpelah accidentally dropped a bejeweled golden sword down the shaft leading to the burial place of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. After several Arabs died trying to retrieve that sword, the Arabs decided that only a Jew could retrieve it. The lot fell upon Rav Avraham. He immersed himself in a mikveh and spent the whole night in Torah study, before descending into the cave. There he met a "man" whose appearance was so awesome and holy that Rav Avraham nearly died of fear. However, he recovered, and learned that the man was Eliezer, the servant of Avraham (and the "hero" of our parashah), who guards the entrance to his master's burial place. Rav Avraham asked permission to see the cave itself, and was told to wait while Eliezer sought the permission of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. Then Rav Avraham entered and, realizing that he was in Gan Eden, he asked if he could remain. No, he was told, "The Jews of Chevron await you outside. However, tomorrow you may return." Rav Avraham returned home and related what he had seen. Before morning, he again immersed in the mikveh, dressed himself in his tachrichim (shrouds), said the "Shema," and passed away. (From the biography of his descendant, Maran Hachida Hakadosh) ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.