Saturday, November 15, 2008

Parshas Vayeira - "Open Door Policy"


After Maariv on Thursday nights I usually meet up with a Lubavitcher friend of mine and we trade divrei Torah. This week he told me a very nice one bisheim the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

He asked, why in Parshas Lech Lecha are Lot's guests referred to as angels, whereas in Parshas Vayeira these same angels are called men?!

The Rebba beautifully answers that in the story involving Lot, the Torah refers to his guests as angels because that was the only reason why Lot invited them into his house, because of their prestige. By Avraham however, he was known for having a tent with four doors. His reputation was that of an ish chesed, therefore regardless of who his visitor was he was without a doubt going to bring them in. Not wanting to diminish Avraham's chesed it refers to his guests as "men" because Avraham would have brought anyone in need into his home.

3 comments:

AlanLaz said...

I love the Torah, but is there any way to post them BEFORE Shabbos, so that we can say these vorts over?

Anonymous said...

וַיָּבֹא הָאִישׁ הַבַּיְתָה וַיְפַתַּח הַגְּמַלִּים וַיִּתֵּן תֶּבֶן וּמִסְפּוֹא לַגְּמַלִּים וּמַיִם לִרְחֹץ רַגְלָיו וְרַגְלֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ.
Rashi on this Posuk says that He loosened their muzzles, for he had sealed their mouths, so they (the camels) should not graze in other people's fields. The Ramban among many others asks a question on this Pshat. The Gemara says that the donkey of Reb Pinchas Ben Yair would not eat from non Tithed (not taken Masser from) crops, so why is it that for Avraham Camels we are concerned? To answer Let me begin with a story that happened in an office to illustrate a point. There was a person who worked in a frum office and brought his own milk and every day. The milk would mysteriously go missing at the end of every day. He tried many different preventative measures including writing "Lo Signov" on the milk all of this accomplished nothing, as everyday his milk was still missing. Then one day he had a bright Idea. He poured the milk in a container that was Chalav Stam and low and behold the milk was there at the end of the day untouched. Now we have the answer to the original question a Donkey will not eat un-tithed food yet when it comes to Dishonesty it might not be so stringent.

Anonymous said...

Parshas Chayah Sarah
BDERECH TZCHOK

ותשא רבקה את-עיניה, ותרא את-יצחק; ותפל, מעל הגמל
What did Rivkah see that caused her to fall off her camel?
To start Avraham was Misakin Shachris, Yitzchak Mincha, and Yackov Marriv. That would mean at this Point only Shachris existed. Now we understand why Rivkah fell off the Camel she saw her Chosson going to Shachris at 4 in the Afternoon.

ותמת שרה, בקרית ארבע הוא חברון--בארץ כנען; ויבא, אברהם, לספד לשרה, ולבכתה
What does it mean לספד לשרה who else would he say a eulogy for?
The answer is sometimes at funerals you hear the Eulogy and you know the person .Therefore you know it has been more than over-embellished. Here the torah was saying no he was talking about his wife and not an over-embellishment.


ויען לבן ובתואל ויאמרו, מיהוה יצא הדבר; לא נוכל דבר אליך, רע או-טוב
Why is a Rasha like Lavan all of the sudden so religious announcing מיהוה יצא הדבר?
The answer is simple now that the Shidduch is closing it is time to pay the Shadchan now Lavan says no Eliezer it is not you who did it but מיהוה יצא הדבר so you get no pay.


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