Parshat Lekh Lekha
by Rabbi Avi Billet
After returning from their adventures in Egypt, we are told that Avram, his wife, all who were with him, and Lot returned from Egypt and settled between Beit El and Ai, in the place where he had previously built an altar to God.
We are told about his wealth, as defined by the masses of animals he owned. And we are similarly told of Lot’s animal-wealth, both of which, combined, created an untenable situation, in which all of the animals simply could not share the same area.
Grounded in an idea put forth in the Midrash, most of the commentaries agree that the wealth Lot had acquired was through Avram’s merit – the ‘zchut’ of Avram. They don’t say Avram gave him his possessions, or that he didn’t build that wealth himself. They do say that his achievements were as successful as they were because of who his uncle was.
The major problem with Lot, Malbim explains, is that despite this being quite clear, Lot did not acknowledge this reality, or the gratitude he should have displayed towards his uncle.
This might help us understand why years later, a nation descending from Lot could go so far as to try to curse Israel – Moav were the ones who sent emissaries to hire Bilaam in Bamidbar 22. And thus the prophets Micha, Yechezkel, Zephaniah all cursed Amon and Moav to disappear in the future – which they have. Neither Moav or Amon continue to exist in our time.
Despite all this, Avram remains magnanimous and offers Lot to choose where to live. “If you leave, I’ll stay, and if you stay I’ll leave.”
While it’s true that Avram’s magnanimity carries the day, why couldn’t he just expand his borders? Because Avraham knew something – that Lot was growing apart from him.
Malbim continues, explaining that their differences in approach to life created a rift. Not so much between them personally, but, as Chazal noted, Lot’s shepherds were not careful about where they’d have Lot’s animals graze.
This explains why the verse in 13:7 notes that the Canaanites and Perizites lived in the land – like proximally close neighbors, they were able to hear the arguments between Avram and Lot, and their being nearby also caused a tremendous amount of anguish and embarrassment to Avram, for the tarnishing of his stellar, honest reputation, caused by the unscrupulous shepherds of his nephew.
The presence of the Canaanites and Perizites is indicative of another problem Avram faced. These were nations that were distantly related, and yet they seemed to get along. Avram’s argument to his nephew was “if they can get along, we should certainly get along, as we are essentially brothers” (Lot’s father was Avram’s brother).
And despite all this surface tension, Avram’s offer is “you decide where to go, and whatever you decide will determine where I go – whether to the right or the left.” Avram was not abandoning his nephew. He was saying, “I’ll be right near you! If you need me, we’ll always be neighbors!”
But Lot’s choice to go towards Sodom was the last straw – not in Avram’s perception of their relationship, but in Lot’s efforts to become his own man, cutting off ties completely from the source of the merit which allowed him to flourish. “And Lot chose the entire Jordan valley, and Lot traveled east. And they separated, the man from his brother.”
It is true that Lot carries with him some traits he picked up in Avram’s home. When the angels arrive in Sodom in chapter 19, Lot is the only one to greet them, he invites them to his home, and he even insists they spend the night. This approach to treating guests comes directly from Avram’s playbook – so the influence is clearly there.
But I think what is also clear is that the three most important lessons Avram wanted Lot to walk away with were completely lost on him.
The first: gratitude to those who helped you.
The second: honesty in dealing with others.
The third: never forgetting God.
Avraham’s generosity of spirit helped Lot become wealthy. It also gave Lot the chance to choose to be a neighbor with Avraham, so the well of life lessons and emotional support would never run dry. Lot was ungrateful and shunned the need for that lifeline. See how his children grew up, as a result, in the city of Sodom, and what became of his only known descendants – the nations of Amon and Moav. Not a very impressive lot (pardon the pun).
Lot let his shepherds run wild in their dishonesty. The need to resort to trickery or cheating for personal gain became the formula utilized by Balak (King of Moav) in hiring Bilaam to curse the Jewish people, and of course in sending the women who enticed the Israelite men, ultimately causing the deaths of 24,000 people. What a legacy.
While Avraham called out to God at every turn and opportunity, Lot chose to move to a place where the people were “evil and sinners towards God, in abundance.” (13:13)
It’s a very simple lesson – the way to not turn out like Lot and his failed family requires a few important traits to be placed on a pedestal.
Work hard and never forget your roots, expressing gratitude to mentors and those who gave guidance along the way. Be honest at every turn, without resorting to tricks and shtick to achieve dishonest goals. And never forget or neglect God, whose presence keeps us grounded, and whose morals guide us to be the best people we can be.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Why Flood Waters are Credited to Noach
Parshat Noach
by Rabbi Avi Billet
The verse in Yeshayahu 54:9 twice contains a curious phrase. “For this is to Me [as] the waters of Noach, as I swore that the waters of Noach shall never again pass over the earth, so have I sworn neither to be wroth with you nor to rebuke you.”
Waters of Noach?
Read through the Torah portion and it becomes very clear that the waters come from the heavens, in other words, they are more accurately “God’s waters.” God told Noach He was going to send the flood and destroy the world. If anything “belongs” to Noach, it is the ark that he took many decades to build. How are the waters his?
In his book “Me’otzarot Bereishit,” Rabbi Yeshayahu Maleyeff raises a popular comparison that is made between Avraham and Noach, as he turns it on its head.
Rashi famously compares Avraham and Noach noting two opinions: either that Noach was righteous only in his generation, but had he lived in Avraham’s time he’d have been nothing special, or that Noach was an extremely righteous man, no matter which time period he might have found himself.
One major difference between Avraham and Noach is that when confronted with the proposition that there was to be a destruction, Avraham prayed on behalf of Sodom, while Noach said nothing on behalf of the people of his era, simply going about his business.
Rabbi Maleyeff says it’s an unfair argument! Noach was told by God, “The end of humanity is before Me… I’m going to destroy the earth.” (6:13) Avraham was told, “The cries of Sodom have reached Me… I’m going to descend to see what’s going on…” (18:20-21)
What’s the difference? Before I give you the answer, I’ll give another example. Moshe is told, “Leave Me, so My wrath can flare up against them and I will destroy them.” (Shmot 32:10) Similarly, in the aftermath of the Korach story, as God begins to send a plague to kill those complaining about what had just transpired, He says to Moshe and Aharon, “Get away from this rabble so I may destroy them in an instant.”
The difference is that in Noach’s case, he was essentially told “This is going to happen and there’s nothing you can do about it.” In Avraham’s case, and in Moshe’s case, the pending destruction wasn’t clearly going to happen. Sodom needed to be examined. Twice it seems that the destruction facing the people was conditioned on Moshe leaving the space he was occupying. Such a concept is certainly unnecessary – meaning, if God wants to destroy and wants to spare Moshe, He could certainly make that happen without Moshe moving. So if Moshe needed to move, it is clear that God was opening the door for a prayer or objection to take place.
But in Noach’s case, the door doesn’t seem to be open to an objection.
Rabbi Meleyeff points out that Chizkiyahu, the king, was told by the prophet Yeshayahu “Put your house in order, because you are going to die.” (Kings II 20:1, Yeshayahu 38:1) Yet he was able to repent, and he lived another 15 years!
Along similar lines, we have the tale of Yonah whose prophesy to Nineveh was pretty definite: “Another 40 days and Nineveh will be overturned!” There doesn’t seem to be a way out. But, as we all know, the Ninevites changed their ways, and the decree was overturned.
And this is why the waters are ascribed to Noach. Because while it’s true that a definite pronouncement of a decree doesn’t seem to be open for discussion, there is a difference between whether Noach personally, or, better, the people it actually affected, could do anything about it. The Nineveh example is great because it demonstrates the truth that there was nothing that Yonah could do for the Ninevites, but in informing them of the pending doom, they could change their own destiny. Chizkyahu was essentially told by the prophet "As far as I'm concerned you're a lost cause. But as far as you're concerned, it might be in your power to change something."
Building an Ark is not enough – Noach needed to do more to teach his generation of the danger of the pending “unconditional” doom. Not that his prayers on their behalf would have been enough… I think that element was out of his hands. But it was not out of the hands of those who were to be directly impacted by the flood. As a result, the flood waters are ascribed to Noach, because he did nothing – to the extent that he could have had influence – to help people stay the waters of the flood. In contrast, Yonah was successful in inspiring the Ninevites to take their destiny into their own hand.
In that sense, he remains at fault. Even when things seem definite or destined to be, those most directly impacted have the power to shift their destiny. I’m not saying it’s easy – sometimes it is exceedingly difficult.
What is life worth, if we can’t use our strengths for a purpose and to put ourselves in the driver’s seat to bring us to our goals?
by Rabbi Avi Billet
The verse in Yeshayahu 54:9 twice contains a curious phrase. “For this is to Me [as] the waters of Noach, as I swore that the waters of Noach shall never again pass over the earth, so have I sworn neither to be wroth with you nor to rebuke you.”
Waters of Noach?
Read through the Torah portion and it becomes very clear that the waters come from the heavens, in other words, they are more accurately “God’s waters.” God told Noach He was going to send the flood and destroy the world. If anything “belongs” to Noach, it is the ark that he took many decades to build. How are the waters his?
In his book “Me’otzarot Bereishit,” Rabbi Yeshayahu Maleyeff raises a popular comparison that is made between Avraham and Noach, as he turns it on its head.
Rashi famously compares Avraham and Noach noting two opinions: either that Noach was righteous only in his generation, but had he lived in Avraham’s time he’d have been nothing special, or that Noach was an extremely righteous man, no matter which time period he might have found himself.
One major difference between Avraham and Noach is that when confronted with the proposition that there was to be a destruction, Avraham prayed on behalf of Sodom, while Noach said nothing on behalf of the people of his era, simply going about his business.
Rabbi Maleyeff says it’s an unfair argument! Noach was told by God, “The end of humanity is before Me… I’m going to destroy the earth.” (6:13) Avraham was told, “The cries of Sodom have reached Me… I’m going to descend to see what’s going on…” (18:20-21)
What’s the difference? Before I give you the answer, I’ll give another example. Moshe is told, “Leave Me, so My wrath can flare up against them and I will destroy them.” (Shmot 32:10) Similarly, in the aftermath of the Korach story, as God begins to send a plague to kill those complaining about what had just transpired, He says to Moshe and Aharon, “Get away from this rabble so I may destroy them in an instant.”
The difference is that in Noach’s case, he was essentially told “This is going to happen and there’s nothing you can do about it.” In Avraham’s case, and in Moshe’s case, the pending destruction wasn’t clearly going to happen. Sodom needed to be examined. Twice it seems that the destruction facing the people was conditioned on Moshe leaving the space he was occupying. Such a concept is certainly unnecessary – meaning, if God wants to destroy and wants to spare Moshe, He could certainly make that happen without Moshe moving. So if Moshe needed to move, it is clear that God was opening the door for a prayer or objection to take place.
But in Noach’s case, the door doesn’t seem to be open to an objection.
Rabbi Meleyeff points out that Chizkiyahu, the king, was told by the prophet Yeshayahu “Put your house in order, because you are going to die.” (Kings II 20:1, Yeshayahu 38:1) Yet he was able to repent, and he lived another 15 years!
Along similar lines, we have the tale of Yonah whose prophesy to Nineveh was pretty definite: “Another 40 days and Nineveh will be overturned!” There doesn’t seem to be a way out. But, as we all know, the Ninevites changed their ways, and the decree was overturned.
And this is why the waters are ascribed to Noach. Because while it’s true that a definite pronouncement of a decree doesn’t seem to be open for discussion, there is a difference between whether Noach personally, or, better, the people it actually affected, could do anything about it. The Nineveh example is great because it demonstrates the truth that there was nothing that Yonah could do for the Ninevites, but in informing them of the pending doom, they could change their own destiny. Chizkyahu was essentially told by the prophet "As far as I'm concerned you're a lost cause. But as far as you're concerned, it might be in your power to change something."
Building an Ark is not enough – Noach needed to do more to teach his generation of the danger of the pending “unconditional” doom. Not that his prayers on their behalf would have been enough… I think that element was out of his hands. But it was not out of the hands of those who were to be directly impacted by the flood. As a result, the flood waters are ascribed to Noach, because he did nothing – to the extent that he could have had influence – to help people stay the waters of the flood. In contrast, Yonah was successful in inspiring the Ninevites to take their destiny into their own hand.
In that sense, he remains at fault. Even when things seem definite or destined to be, those most directly impacted have the power to shift their destiny. I’m not saying it’s easy – sometimes it is exceedingly difficult.
What is life worth, if we can’t use our strengths for a purpose and to put ourselves in the driver’s seat to bring us to our goals?
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Sukkos: The Jewish Thanksgiving
Sukkos
by Rabbi Avi Billet
The holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States of America is classically observed as a celebration of God's bounty.
It is for the same reason, according to Ramban, that the Torah tells us to have Simcha, joy, during this holiday of Sukkos. The Torah reading on Sukkos includes three different words thar command celebration and joy. In Devarim, the word Simcha is used multiple times with relation to the holiday.
How does a person rejoice? Over what? That water is coming back? Is it really possible to dance so much with a lulav and esrog? With a Torah? It depends on why we are celebrating, and how in tune we are to that cause of celebration.
Many years ago, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein wrote an article, “The Source of Faith Is Faith Itself.” It seems, according to Ramban, that we can say the same thing about the joy of Sukkos. As Ramban puts it as he explains all the hyperboles for joy and rejoicing, “You’re going to celebrate your Chag, on account of the Lulav, the Simcha, and the Sukkah.”
Could it be that – to use Rav Lichtenstein’s formulation – that the source of Joy is Joy Itself?
What is the Simcha of the sukkah? Utilizing the verse that says, "all citizens of Israel should dwell in the sukkah booths," Ramban suggests the sharing of that space is something which will further unite the Jewish people.
On the agricultural side, Chizkuni points to the differences between Pesach and Shavuos on the one hand, and Sukkos on the other hand – for both pesach and Shavuos, the gathering in Jerusalem is tainted because people were concerned for their spring and summertime harvests which were incomplete when the holiday rolled around. But the Autumn harvest was complete – everything was brought in Sukkos time, which is why people could leave their homes joyfully, knowing their agricultural responsibilities for the season were over on the one hand, while appreciating God’s bounty on the other hand.
Other reasons for the Simcha of this holiday, as advanced by Daat Zekenim, include that fruits are only gathered Sukkos time, but not at Pesach and Shavuos when the harvest is only grain. Also, since we have a clean slate on account of Yom Kippur having taken place just a few days ago, we have another reason to rejoice in this holiday.
To quote Daat Zekenim, "all you have to do is involve yourself with joy."
What were the pieces of the holiday that caused joy? To summarize:
Ramban: Lulav, Simcha, and Sukkah.
Ramban #2: Since all citizens of Israel use sukkot, we will be definition share each other’s company
Chizkuni: A complete harvest which translates to hard work is over + appreciation of God’s bounty.
Daas Zekenim: Fruits are gathered at this time, a fresh slate after Yom Kippur
It’s an amazing idea, if we think about it. We have a commandment to be happy. To rejoice. It means that we have the opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah in the Torah if we can simply smile.
We don’t live in an agricultural society – here fruit grows in supermarkets – but along similar lines, we can appreciate God’s bounty nonetheless. Living in places where there is so much abundance year-round is a blessing which we tend to lose sight of, but the holiday can serve as a reminder for how grateful we ought to be.
This is in addition to the Daat Zekenim who reminded us of the Simcha of a fresh slate after Yom Kippur. Each person can hopefully rejoice in that fresh slate on a personal level.
So we have much to be thankful for – this is our Jewish Thanksgiving – and we have much to celebrate. So let us put on our smiles, enjoy each other’s company, enjoy the sukkah, enjoy yom tov, enjoy our clean slate. And fulfill our many mitzvahs of celebration and rejoicing in our own sukkahs, in one another's sukkahs, and with our God.
by Rabbi Avi Billet
The holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States of America is classically observed as a celebration of God's bounty.
It is for the same reason, according to Ramban, that the Torah tells us to have Simcha, joy, during this holiday of Sukkos. The Torah reading on Sukkos includes three different words thar command celebration and joy. In Devarim, the word Simcha is used multiple times with relation to the holiday.
How does a person rejoice? Over what? That water is coming back? Is it really possible to dance so much with a lulav and esrog? With a Torah? It depends on why we are celebrating, and how in tune we are to that cause of celebration.
Many years ago, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein wrote an article, “The Source of Faith Is Faith Itself.” It seems, according to Ramban, that we can say the same thing about the joy of Sukkos. As Ramban puts it as he explains all the hyperboles for joy and rejoicing, “You’re going to celebrate your Chag, on account of the Lulav, the Simcha, and the Sukkah.”
Could it be that – to use Rav Lichtenstein’s formulation – that the source of Joy is Joy Itself?
What is the Simcha of the sukkah? Utilizing the verse that says, "all citizens of Israel should dwell in the sukkah booths," Ramban suggests the sharing of that space is something which will further unite the Jewish people.
On the agricultural side, Chizkuni points to the differences between Pesach and Shavuos on the one hand, and Sukkos on the other hand – for both pesach and Shavuos, the gathering in Jerusalem is tainted because people were concerned for their spring and summertime harvests which were incomplete when the holiday rolled around. But the Autumn harvest was complete – everything was brought in Sukkos time, which is why people could leave their homes joyfully, knowing their agricultural responsibilities for the season were over on the one hand, while appreciating God’s bounty on the other hand.
Other reasons for the Simcha of this holiday, as advanced by Daat Zekenim, include that fruits are only gathered Sukkos time, but not at Pesach and Shavuos when the harvest is only grain. Also, since we have a clean slate on account of Yom Kippur having taken place just a few days ago, we have another reason to rejoice in this holiday.
To quote Daat Zekenim, "all you have to do is involve yourself with joy."
What were the pieces of the holiday that caused joy? To summarize:
Ramban: Lulav, Simcha, and Sukkah.
Ramban #2: Since all citizens of Israel use sukkot, we will be definition share each other’s company
Chizkuni: A complete harvest which translates to hard work is over + appreciation of God’s bounty.
Daas Zekenim: Fruits are gathered at this time, a fresh slate after Yom Kippur
It’s an amazing idea, if we think about it. We have a commandment to be happy. To rejoice. It means that we have the opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah in the Torah if we can simply smile.
We don’t live in an agricultural society – here fruit grows in supermarkets – but along similar lines, we can appreciate God’s bounty nonetheless. Living in places where there is so much abundance year-round is a blessing which we tend to lose sight of, but the holiday can serve as a reminder for how grateful we ought to be.
This is in addition to the Daat Zekenim who reminded us of the Simcha of a fresh slate after Yom Kippur. Each person can hopefully rejoice in that fresh slate on a personal level.
So we have much to be thankful for – this is our Jewish Thanksgiving – and we have much to celebrate. So let us put on our smiles, enjoy each other’s company, enjoy the sukkah, enjoy yom tov, enjoy our clean slate. And fulfill our many mitzvahs of celebration and rejoicing in our own sukkahs, in one another's sukkahs, and with our God.
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