Beyond Understanding

Rashi says when Hashem told Avraham to do the akedah he used the terminology of נא, as a request because "[God] said to him, “I beg of you, pass this test for Me, so that people will not say that the first ones [tests] had no substance."  Even if Avraham did not pass the test of the akedah, why would that invalidate his passing all of his previous tests?  If a person gets a score of 90% on a test, does the 10% that he missed invalidate the fact that he got 90% right?  If Avraham did not pass the test of the akedah, maybe he wasn't good enough to pass that test but that doesn't invalidate his passing of the earlier tests? 

There are two parshios devoted to Avraham, parshas Lech Lecha and Vayerah.  The first parsha, Lech Lecha, is a command to leave his geographical homeland and move to Eretz Yisrael.  This command is not a mere command to change locations but to change his entire outlook in life.  He leaves behind his idolatrous upbringing and finds his own service of Hashem.  This service of Hashem is based upon Avraham's understanding.  All the tests Avraham had to pass, although a challenge, were challenges that did not run counter to the entire philosophy of Avraham.  He was challenged to run against his comfort zone, but he could justify his actions to his followers.  

The test of the akedah however was not something that made sense at all in the worldview of Avraham.  How could he, a man who preached understanding, sacrifice his own son.  Avraham has no way of justifying his actions to the world.  He is forced to do something which runs counter to his logic.  This is the test that proves Avraham is really serving Hashem merely for the sake of serving Hashem.  The point of the tests is to test the boundaries of Avraham's commitment.  The tests prove that Avraham's commitment to Hashem is boundless.  However, If he fails the test of the akedah, it is not that his commitment to Hashem goes only 90% of the way and he just missed the last 10%, it means that his service of Hashem only goes so far as his intellect allows it to go.  It means that his entire service of Hashem does not stem from complete commitment to Hashem, but is limited and dictated by his own understanding.  The failure proves that Avraham's commitment is limited by the boundaries of his own mind which shows that the tests he did pass was also only since it made sense to him but not that they were acts of true commitment to Hashem.  It is the akedah that is the litmus test to prove if Avraham is serving Hashem because it fits within Avraham's world or is he serving Hashem purely to serve Hashem (Likutay Sichos volume 20 sicha 3.) 

The Midrash recounts an argument between Yitzchak and Yishmael if getting a bris at 13 years old like Yishmael is better or getting one at 8 days like Yitzchak is better.  It is understandable the argument of Yishmael since he had to choose to go through the pain but why does Yitzchak claim that an 8 day bris is better?  The bris milah is the act of the covenant between Hashem and Klal Yisrael.  If one gets a bris milah due to one's choice it means the bris is limited to one's understanding.  To demonstrate that there is an innate connection to Hashem, not limited to one's understanding, one gets a bris at the first possibility (Likutay Sichos volume 25 sicha 3.)  It is due the bris milah that Avraham gets the ability to have a connection to Hashem beyond his own understanding and can pass the test of the akedah.  Pre-milah Avraham is receives prophesy only as a means of communication as a necessary means of communication.  Post- milah וירא ה אליו, Hashem came merely to visit Avraham, to "hang out" with Avraham.  Avraham's connection to Hashem is not limited to a means to communicate, to do something else, it is an innate connection which in which Hashem comes to visit Avraham purely to experience being with Avraham. 

Delayed Shacharis

Rambam Tefillah (3:1) rules תפילת השחר - מצותה, שיתחיל להתפלל עם הנץ החמה; וזמנה, עד סוף שעה רביעית שהוא שליש היום. ואם עבר או טעה והתפלל אחר ארבע שעות עד חצי היום - יצא ידי חובת תפילה, אבל לא יצא ידי חובת תפילה בזמנה: שכשם שמצות תפילה מן התורה, כך מצוה מדבריהן להתפלל אותה בזמנה שתיקנו לנו חכמים ונביאים.  There are different interpretations as to the understanding that one may pray shacharis after 4 hours until chatzos.  Either this is the law of tashlumin, a law that R' Yehuda that holds one may pray only untill 4 hours agrees בדיעבד there is a concept of praying until chatzos, (see Beis Yosef siman 89,) or it is a new law of a cheftah of prayer שלא בזמנו (see shiur of R' Willig.)  

According to the peshat the Beis Yosef (siman 89) favors and the peshat of the Lechem Mishna there is a concept of prayer after 4 hours even according to R' Yehuda.  Where does that come from?  If R' Yehuda limits the time of the prayers to when the tammid was actually offered why would there be room to daven until chatzos? 

As noted in the past, the Rambam rues both of tefillot being in place of korbanot and that they were established by the avot. The rule of praying until 4 hours is is tefillah is patterned after the korbanot and the times Chazal gave to pray are patterned after the korbanot.  However, the actions of the avot exit to give three basic times to the framework of prayer, morning, afternoon and night.  Hence, even though the timeframe of tefillah to correspond to the korban is lost after the 4^th hour of the day, the fact that it is still morning allows one to pray as a tefillah corresponding to the prayer of Avraham.  That aspect remains to allow one to pray שלא בזמנו and still get a kium of tefillah to parallel that of Avraham.  

The New Avraham

The maftir of Noach says וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָ֧ם וְנָח֛וֹר לָהֶ֖ם נָשִׁ֑ים שֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת⁠־אַבְרָם֙ שָׂרָ֔י וְשֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת⁠־נָחוֹר֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה בַּת⁠־הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי⁠־מִלְכָּ֖ה וַֽאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה.  Rashi says יסכה – [זו שרה, על שם]⁠א שסוכה ברוח הקודש, ושהכל סוכין ביופיה, ולשוןב נסיכות, כמו: שרה לשון סררות.  Sarah is identified in the possuk with two names, יסכה and שרי in the same possuk.  Why is she called by two names in the same possuk?  And why is the name יסכה alluding to her ruach hakodesh spelled out here and never again and why not mention it in the context of Hashem acknowledging the greatness of her prophesy?  

The second to last possuk in Noach says וַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת⁠־אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת⁠־ל֤וֹט בֶּן⁠־הָרָן֙ בֶּן⁠־בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד⁠־חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם.  The parsha of Lech Lecha opens  וַיֹּ֤אמֶר י״י֙ אֶל⁠־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ⁠־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל⁠־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ.  What is the nature of these two travels?

The Ramban asks why are we not introduced to Avraham as a tzaddik but instead are merely introduced to him as a man told to leave his home?  The Maharal (Netzach Chapter 11) explains that we are being taught that Avraham is not chosen merely because he is a tzaddik and hence if future generations are not so righteous they will no longer be chosen, rather we are chosen by Hashem because he desires to choose Avraham and his children no matter what state they are in.  

Parshas Lech Lecha is when Avraham is chosen to be a sperate nation apart from everyone else.  The last possuk in Noach says Terach died.  Rashi notes that Terach didn't actually die at that point but Terach is dead to Avraham when he starts his journey to Lech Lecha.  In other words, at this point Avraham is no longer connected to Terach, he is starting his own legacy (see Gur Aryeh.)  Originally, Terach also was going to travel to Eretz Yisrael, he also was on the path to being able to transform his life and be the patriarch for the Abraham clan . However, he never is quite able to complete his journey, he gets stuck in Charan.  The Terach life is the life of the idol worshipers, who, as the Rambam explains, started with noble intensions to serve the messengers of G-d but they got lost along the path and never ended up completing the journey of reaching to Hashem.  They got stuck on the road with the emissaries.  Avraham sees beyond the forces in the world, he sees the True Master, Hashem and seeks Him out.  He is able to get to the end of the path that was embarked on the by idol worshipers.    

Rashi (end of Noch) says that Avraham was thrown into a fire by Nimrod for rejecting idols and after he survived and Haran was given the choice between Hashem and the idols he also chose Hashem and he was thrown into the fire and perished.  Rav Moshe Shapira explains it wasn't merely that Haran was  hedging his bets and that he would choose what seemed better after seeing the results for Avraham.  The act of Haran was a reflection of his nature.  His was not a trailblazer, a man able to forge his own way, like Avraham.  This is why Avraham is the first of the Avos.  Haran wanted to know the truth an then he would stick to it faithfully, no matter the circumstances.  Haran is the father of the אמהות.  He is the father of Sarah, the grandfather of Rachel and Leah, and the father-in-law of Lot, who leads to Rus and the Messianic line.  The trait of Haran is the trait of the imahot, to see the truth and stick to it no matter how hard it is. 

The ability of Sarah to be Yisca, to be a great prophetess, stems form the misaras nefesh of Haran.  His acknowledgement of the truth to the ability that he gave his life for it yielded the ability for his offspring to cling to Hashem even in the darkest places.  It is due to her being the daughter of Haran, that Sarah is Yisca, that she has such spiritual clarity of vision.  Hence, when she is mentioned  as a daughter of Haran her name is Yisca, for it is the relationship with Haran that makes her Yisca.  It is her role as the daughter of Haran that makes her Yisca.  But in her role as the wife of Avraham, the starter of a new nation, no longer connected to the past, her relationship to her father is not mentioned, her essence is being Sarah, the wife of Avraham, the matriarch of Klal Yisrael (see Gur Aryeh end of Noach, based upon article by R' Yehoshua Shapira, יסכה זו שרה – פרשת נח.)  

The Sarah and Avraham of Parshas Noach were part of the greater Terach family.  They where members of a family which started seeking the truth but didn't follow through.  In Lech Lech, Avraham and Sarah are a new dynasty, no longer connected to the past.  All relationships to past self identities, children and grandchildren of Terach, Yisca etc. are removed and they embark upon a journey of Lech Lecha, of self exploration to find their own way, their own destiny. 

Torah Flood

 ספר רסיסי לילה פרק מד - וידוע מה שכתוב בזוהר (ח"ג רטז ריש ע"ב) דהיה ראוי להיות מתן תורה בדור המבול והיה אז גם כן משה רבינו ע"ה בשגם בגימטריא משה אלמלי זכו רק שבחטאם נתהפך שפע מי התורה למי המבול. וכן אמרו בזבחים (קטז.) דבשעת מתן תורה נתקבצו אומות העולם לבלעם ... שמא הקב"ה מביא מבול שכפי ענינם היו חושבים שפע מי תורה הבא לעולם למי מבול.

What is the connection between the Torah and the Mabul?  

Why is the destruction of the world specifically through water?  

The Sfas Emes (5656) says the sin of the dor of the Mabul was that they lost their צלם אלקים.  Naturally man has a צלם אלקים which places him above the animals and that is why after the mabul it says וּמוֹרַאֲכֶ֤ם וְחִתְּכֶם֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עַ֚ל כׇּל־חַיַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעַ֖ל כׇּל־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה וּֽבְכׇל־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ for naturally animals fear this in man.  However, this was lost before the flood since man has sinned so greatly they destroyed their צלם.  He explains that the mabul generation sinned due to their desires, their תואה and it was in this way that they lost their צלם.  The צלם of a person is the ruchni part which allows one to rule over their gashmi base desires.   When the gashmi takes control the צלם becomes eroded.  

Water, as the Maharal says (Gevuros Ch. 18,) is חומר בלי צורה.  It has no shape of its own, no spiritual backbone, it takes the shape of whatever container it is placed in.  The punishment for the world for losing their spiritual backbone is to be destroyed by water which matches that way of living.  

The Gemarah Zevachim cited by Rav Tzadok says that Bilam responded to the fears of the nations that Hashem was bringing another mabul,  חמדה טובה יש לו בבית גנזיו שהיתה גנוזה אצלו תתקע"ד דורות קודם שנברא העולם וביקש ליתנה לבניו שנאמר (תהלים כט, יא) ה' עוז לעמו יתן [מיד] פתחו כולם ואמרו (תהלים כט, יא) ה' יברך את עמו בשלום.  Why did they say ה' יברך את עמו בשלום?  Rav Kook (Shmuot Ria"h) says that it was understood that it is due to the Torah that there is no need to destroy the world.  It is was due to the overwhelming powers of gashmi which contaminated the world and cause the need for the purification waters of the mabul.  However, due to the Torah coming to the world there is no need for destruction for the Torah has the ability to cause shalom, harmony between the gashmi and ruchni.  The giving of the Torah is the antidote to the chumri.  It is the Torah tavlin to fight against the yetzer. 

The people of the dor hamabul had tremendous desires which led to their ultimate destruction.  These desires were not because they were innately bad people but because they had big capabilities.  Rav Tzaddok writes (Tzidkas Hatzaddik #44) מי שיש לו תשוקה גדולה לתאות הגוף, אל יתעצב בזה לחשוב כמה פגום הוא שיש לו תשוקה כל כך, כי אדרבא, הוא כלי מוכן לתוקף אהבת ותשוקת דרישת האמת. וכמו שנחמו ההוא סבא [אשר הוא אליהו לדעת יש מפרשים בתוספות פ"ק דחולין (דף ו.). ושמעתי דכן הוא האמת ודקו' תוספות שם אכ"מ] לאביי (בסוכה נב.). וע"ז אמרו (שם) דלעתיד לבוא צדיקים נדמה להם יצר־הרע כהר, ורשעים כחוט השערה – ואינו שקר, רק שניהם אמת, כי לאלו תשוקתם ותאותם עצומה ביותר.  On who has strong desires for bodily pleasures it's also because one has the capabilities to have strong desires for ruchni.  The generation of the mabul misused their desires but those desires may have been better suited for use in Torah study.  That is why instead of the flood they may have been fixed by receiving the Torah.  Sinai is also called הר חורב, one either receives the Torah or it leads to destruction. 

The Zohar Toldos (138a) says אצטריך יצר הרע לעולם כמטרא לעולם דאלמלא יצר הרע חדוותא דשמעתא לא ליהוי.  It is the drive of desire which also allows one to have a desire for chiddush in Torah.  The Zohar compares it to rain which muddies the streets but is necessary to make crops grow.  The comparison the Zohar draws it to water! 

The Midrash says  אתה מוצא אע"פ כן ארבעים יום בכל שנה היו עושין אותן המים רושם בעולם, עד שעמד שלמה, ובנה את בית המקדש, ופסקו אותן מ' יום, שנא' (ובשנת אחת) [ובשנה האחת] עשרה בירח בול (מ"א ו לח), מהו בירח בול, בירח שבלים לבהמה מן הבית.  Even though the flood stopped, the message of the rain was still ever-present as the rain came down every year.  The Shla says וכשנתנה תורה שעמד משה ארבעים יום בהר נתבטלו אלה, על כן נקרא ירח בול, נשאר מן מבול בהסתלק מ.  It is the days of acceptance of the Torah which stopped the yearly flooding.  It is the acceptance of the Torah that replaces the need for a mabul.

The Guide On The Way

It is understandable to have a holiday to commemorate leaving Egypt and becoming a nation and accepting the Torah which is what guides us daily as we do on Pesach and Shavuot but why do we have a holiday commemorating a miracle in the Midbar which doesn't seem to have a lasting effect?  And why do we commemorate the ענני הכבוד more than the well of Miriam, mannah, or other miracles? 

We celebrate that even as we are on the journey, we are going through a Midbar, still G-d is looking out for us to make life pleasant.  For the majority of the time Klal Yisrael has been in golus on a journey.  בסכת תשבו שבעת ימים כל האזרח בישראל ישבו בסכת למען ידעו דרתיכם כי בסכות הושבתי את בני ישראל, the first two times סכת is spelled without a ו, the third time with a ו.  My wife's uncle says that it may allude to the three Batei Mikdash.  The first two didn't last, it is only the third one last will last.  On Sukkot we celebrate the journey to get to the geulah.  Throughout the long trip G-d doesn't merely give us the necessities of food and water but He gives us ענני הכבוד to smooth out the path.  He makes life pleasant. 

Rashi (Berashis 37:25) says that the caravan carrying Yosef down to Egypt was carrying sweet spices so he wouldnt have to smell bad smells.  How does this help the traumatic experience Yosef is going through?  Rav Chayim Shmulevitch explains this was Hashem's way of informing Yosef, even though things look bad, I'm still here with you.  Sukkot serves as a reminder that even though the golus has had errible times, Hashem is still with us, He is guiding us to the סוכות שלם.       

Aravah Power

 Yirmiyahu (50:12) הִנֵּה֙ אַחֲרִ֣ית גּוֹיִ֔ם מִדְבָּ֖ר צִיָּ֥ה וַעֲרָבָֽה.  Yeshayahu (51:3) כִּֽי⁠־נִחַ֨ם י״י֜ צִיּ֗וֹן נִחַם֙ כׇּל⁠־חׇרְבֹתֶ֔יהָ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם מִדְבָּרָהּ֙ כְּעֵ֔דֶן וְעַרְבָתָ֖הּ כְּגַן⁠־י״י֑.  The Malbim says וישם מדברה ההבדל בין מדבר ובין ערבה, שהמדבר היא ארץ שממה, והערבה הם מקומות שגדלים בו קוצים וסנאים ודרדרים, הערבה היא בתוך המדבר כערך הגנות ומקומות הנטועים בתוך הישוב, כי צמחים כאלה תוציא המדבר

Rav Kook: כל הקורא קריאת שמע ומדקדק באותיותיה מצננין לו גיהינם, אינו רק הקלת העונש, כי מה יעשו למי שאין צריך גיהינם כלל, כי אם הוא שכר עצום ונפלא מאד. והרשעים טועמים ממנו מעט כדי לקבל על ידו כח לקבל עונשם, והיינו טיט היון, בתחילה וה ולבסוף וי, אבל מי שהוא קורא קריאת שמע ומדקדק באותיותיה, משפיעים לו זה התענוג תמיד, והוא כעין תיקון עולם הגמור שלעתיד לבוא, שיהיה המחול לצדיקים בגיהינם, שיתהפך לעדן. וערבה היא יסוד הגהינם, הנה אחרית גויים ציה וערבה, רע בה, הב רע, ופתח אחד במדבר, והיה מדברה כעדן וערבתה כגן ד'. וכשאש של גיהינם מתהפך בכל עז גבורתו לחסד וצינון, הוא דישון עדן. כמים קרים על נפש עיפה שמועה טובה מארץ מרחק.  I don't know what he is saying in the whole piece but he clearly identifies the ערבה as associated with Gehennam.  So, why is the aravah then chosen as the object of choice on hashana rabbah?  

The Sfas Emes says (many maamarim ex. 5646, 5649, 5660) that the aravah represents as the Midrash notes, those that do not have the attributes of Torah or good deeds.  They are the the people that one would associate with Gehennam.  Nonetheless, what they do have is the ability to look and beseech Hashem for salvation.  When it comes to the end of the process from Rosh Hashana to Hashana Rabbah we tell Hashem even if we have nothing, we look to You and that itself is a zechus.  The Sfas Emes (5646) says, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 29) elaborates on this idea as well, that those that have the maalos of having Torah or good deeds may be credited due to their accomplishments.  It is specifically those that do not have any external claim to fame that proof the choosing of Klal Yisrael by Hashem is innate, the very soul of a Jew has a connection to Hashem.  That is why the aravoh is the chosen object for use for the special avodah of Hashana Rabbah to demonstrate that unique connection to Hashem that only a member of Klal Yisrael has.  That is the final zechus for us.

Part Of G-d's Circle

The possuk in Reah (16:15) says שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֗ים תָּחֹג֙ לַי״י֣ אֱלֹקיך בַּמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר⁠־יִבְחַ֣ר י״י֑.  What does it mean to חג, to celebrate before Hashem?  The Netziv comments קבלת חז״ל שזה אינו אלא להשלמה. אבל מ״מ ׳אין מקרא יוצא מידי פשוטו׳ גם כן, דבכלל לשון ״תחוג״ משמע שמחה הבאה בריקודים ומחולות, כמו שכתבתי בספר שמות (ה,ג) בלשון ״ויחוגו לי״, דמשמעו שמחה וריקודים לפני ה׳, היינו ׳וגילו ברעדת קודש׳. והכי נמי משמעות ״תחוג לה׳ אלהיך״, וכדאיתא בחגיגה (י,ב) ׳דחוגו חגא קאמר׳.  It means to dance.  Similarly, the Tosfos Yom Tov comments on the Mishna in Rosh Hashana (1:2)  והא דמיחד שם חג לסוכות. טפי מפסח ועצרת. [*וכן ברפ"ג דשקלים] וכן בספ"ז דנדרים. [*ובמשנה ה' פרק בתרא דבכורות] ואע"פ ששלשתן בשם חגים נקראו בכתוב. מ"מ מלת חג הנחתו הראשונה על המחול והריקוד. אי לאו ג"ש דמדבר מדבר. כמ"ש בספ"ק דחגיגה. והרד"ק כפי הפשט. מפרשו כן מענין ריקוד וטיפוח לשמחה ובסוכות היתה שמחה יתירה של בית השואבה. לפיכך ראוי הוא להקרא ביחוד בשם חג. ומפני כן אומרים בו בתפלה זמן שמחתנו:  In addition in Parshas Emor (23:34) in the possuk introducing Sukkot the Torah says דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל⁠־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֨ה עָשָׂ֜ר י֗וֹם לַחֹ֤דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי֙ הַזֶּ֔ה חַ֧ג הַסֻּכּ֛וֹת שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים לַי״יֽ, the holiday of Sukkot is defined as being a 'חג לה.  The first defining feature of the holiday is that it is a time of dancing before Hashem. 

More specifically the word חג is related to the word חוג as in חוג הארץ (Yeshayahu 40:22) הישב על חוג הארץ which Rashi there says means עוגל, a circle.  On the holiday of Sukkot we commemorate being encircled with the ענני הכבוד and we encircle ourselves in the צילא דמהימנותא.  The essence of the holiday is to make Hashem the center of our lives.  To walk in His circles.  Only after making this point does the Torah give the mitzvot of the chag but the yesod of the holiday is to become part of G-d's circle.  

As the Gra and other teach, the holiday of Sukkot is a hint to the end of days.  The Gemarah end of Taanis says אמר עולא ביראה אמר רבי אלעזר: עתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא לעשות מחול לצדיקים, והוא יושב ביניהם בגן עדן, וכל אחד ואחד מראה באצבעו, שנאמר (ישעיהו כה, ט) וְאָמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ זֶה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ, זֶה ה' קִוִּינוּ לוֹ נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ.  The tzaddikim will be joined in G-d's circle.  We get a taste of this on Sukkot. 

This is the reason for the dancing and the joy on Sukkot.  The ability to be a part of those who are so close to Hashem is the ultimate simcha.