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Video Study for Parahsa Vayeira : The Journey Continues & The Plot Thickens

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muman613:
The Journey Continues & The Plot Thickens

This week we read Parasha Vayeira which contains many incredible insights and lessons. It is in this portion that we read about the wickedness of Sodom, the city in which Abrahams nephew Lot lived, and how Hashem tells Abraham that the cities (Gomorah was also included) would be completely devestated by fire & brimstone.

This Parasha contains the story of the three angels which came to Abrahams tent on the third day of circumcision which tell Abraham and Sarah that they will miraculously have a child (Abraham was 100 & Sarah was 90 at the time). Because it seemed so impossible Sarah laughed {although commentary say she was wrong to laugh because with true faith who says a 90 year old woman cannot have children} and this is a reason that he was named Isaac (Yitzok) which means 'will laugh'.

The drama concerning Hagar and Ishmael come to a boil in this portion. While Hagar, in last weeks Portion ran away from her mistress because she was mistreated, this week is thrown out of Abrahams household. This is because Ishmael was a very bad influence on young Isaac, and despite Ishmaels bad behavior Hashem promises to save Ishmael, and to establish him as the leader of the tribe of arabs.

The portion ends with the epic test of all tests, when Hashem asks Abraham to take his beloved son Isaac to Mount Moriah as a sacrificial offering. Much is written about how great a test this was and hopefully I will provide some example commentary in the following posts.



Parasha In a Nutshell

--- Quote ---http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/3171/jewish/Vayeira-in-a-Nutshell.htm

G‑d reveals Himself to Abraham three days after the first Jew’s circumcision at age ninety-nine; but Abraham rushes off to prepare a meal for three guests who appear in the desert heat. One of the three—who are angels disguised as men—announces that, in exactly one year, the barren Sarah will give birth to a son. Sarah laughs.

Abraham pleads with G‑d to spare the wicked city of Sodom. Two of the three disguised angels arrive in the doomed city, where Abraham’s nephew, Lot, extends his hospitality to them and protects them from the evil intentions of a Sodomite mob. The two guests reveal that they have come to overturn the place, and to save Lot and his family. Lot’s wife turns into a pillar of salt when she disobeys the command not to look back at the burning city as they flee.

While taking shelter in a cave, Lot’s two daughters (believing that they and their father are the only ones left alive in the world) get their father drunk, lie with him and become pregnant. The two sons born from this incident father the nations of Moab and Ammon.

Abraham moves to Gerar, where the Philistine king Abimelech takes Sarah—who is presented as Abraham’s sister—to his palace. In a dream, G‑d warns Abimelech that he will die unless he returns the woman to her husband. Abraham explains that he feared he would be killed over the beautiful Sarah.

G‑d remembers His promise to Sarah, and gives her and Abraham a son, who is named Isaac (Yitzchak, meaning “will laugh”). Isaac is circumcised at the age of eight days; Abraham is one hundred years old, and Sarah ninety, at their child’s birth.

Hagar and Ishmael are banished from Abraham’s home and wander in the desert; G‑d hears the cry of the dying lad, and saves his life by showing his mother a well. Abimelech makes a treaty with Abraham at Beersheba, where Abraham gives him seven sheep as a sign of their truce.

G‑d tests Abraham’s devotion by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. Isaac is bound and placed on the altar, and Abraham raises the knife to slaughter his son. A voice from heaven calls to stop him; a ram, caught in the undergrowth by its horns, is offered in Isaac’s place. Abraham receives the news of the birth of a daughter, Rebecca, to his nephew Bethuel.
--- End quote ---

muman613:
I like Rabbi Shafiers discussion of the Akeidah, and how Avraham was acting out of Love of Hashem...


http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/12382#.UJNXUiGRyiI

The Akeida was an Act that Echoes Through Time

How is it possible for a man to make the ultimate sacrifice in a manner that seems to transcend every emotional limitation?
From Rabbi BenZion Shafier

“And Avrohom awoke in the morning, hitched his donkey, and took his two lads, and Yitzchak with him. He split wood for the sacrifice and went to the place that HASHEM had commanded him to.” Bereishis 22:3

Avrohom Avinu was commanded with a supreme test, and one of the greatest challenges ever presented to man: “Take your son, your only son, the son that you love…”

One has the right to ask, “What was so great about this act?” Even today we witness people who are willing to slaughter themselves – or their children – in the name of their beliefs, and we certainly don’t consider them great! Why is this act considered one of the ultimate accomplishments of man?

The answer to this question lies in understanding not so much what Avrohom did, but how he did it.

The father of the Jewish People

Avrohom lived to serve HASHEM. His every waking moment was devoted to spreading HASHEM’s name and bringing others to recognize their Creator. However, he knew that only through a distinct and separate people could the name of HASHEM be brought to its glory. His destiny and ultimate aspiration was to be the father of the Jewish nation.

Yet for many, many years that dream didn’t come true.

Avrohom was 100 years old when he had Yitzchak. He waited month after month, year after year, begging, beseeching, and imploring HASHEM for this son – but to no avail. Finally, in a most miraculous manner, at an age when both he and his wife couldn’t possibly parent a child, the Molochim told him the news: “Your greatest single ambition, to be the father of the Klal Yisroel, will come true through this child Yitzchak.”

Avrohom’s relationship with his son

From the moment that Yitzchak was born, he was the perfect child. Not only was he nearly identical to Avrohom in look and in nature, from the moment that he came to understanding, he went in the ways of his father. Avrohom had many students, but there was only one who was truly devoted to knowing and understanding the ways of his teacher. That was Yitzchak.

The bond of love and devotion that Avrohom felt towards his “only” son is hard to imagine. The nature of a Tzadik is to be kindly, compassionate, and giving. When a Tzadik connects to an almost equally perfect Tzadik, the bond of love and devotion between them is extremely powerful. For years, this relationship grew. It wasn’t until Yitzchak was 37 years old, in the prime of his life, that HASHEM tested Avrohom.

Avrohom wasn’t asked to kill his child; he was asked to bring him as an Olah, to perform all of the details that are done to a sacrifice in the Bais Hamikdash. Many a person has difficulty learning the particulars of bringing a Korbon when it is done to a sheep or a goat, but this wasn’t an animal. This was his son.

This refined, caring, loving Tzadik was asked to slaughter and then prepare his most beloved child and talmid as a sacrifice – not to sit by and allow it, not to witness it, but to do it with his own hands.

You would imagine that if such a person could actually muster the self-mastery to do this, it would be with a bitter and heavy heart.

Yet that isn’t how the Torah describes the events.

“And Avrohom got up early in the morning, hitched up his donkey,” and set off on his journey

Rashi quotes the Medrash that explains that this was out of character. Avrohom was an extremely wealthy and honored individual. He had hundreds of loyal students, and many, many slaves. Hitching up his donkey was not something that he normally did. It was done for him by a servant. Yet this time was different because “love blinds.” Avrohom was so enraptured with this great act, so caught up in the moment, that he got carried away and did something that he never would have done himself. He hitched up his own donkey.

The crescendo

With a calm demeanor and joy in his heart, Avrohom set out on a three-day expedition to accomplish this great Mitzvah. Along the way, Yitzchak discovered that he was to be the sacrifice. He said to his father, the Medrash says, “Please bind me so that I don’t twitch and spoil the sacrifice.” A Korbon must be slaughtered in a particular manner. Any deviation and the sacrifice is invalid. Yitzchak was afraid that he might inadvertently move and spoil the process. Therefore he said, “Please bind me.” (Hence, the term “Akeidas Yitzchak,” the binding of Yitzchak.)


Avrohom did just that. He tied Yitzchak’s arms and legs behind him, put him on the Mizbeach, and raised up the knife to kill his son.


The Medrash tells us that Avrohom stood over Yitzchak, “With tears in his eyes and great joy in his heart.” The tears in his eyes were the tears of a father parting with his most beloved son, but there was joy in his heart because of the fantastic opportunity to show HASHEM that nothing, not even his most beloved son, was more precious to him than serving his Creator.

The act in perspective

And now the question becomes: how is it possible for a man to make the ultimate sacrifice in a manner that seems to transcend every emotional limitation?

Akeidas Yitzchak was a singular event that actualized the years and years of extraordinary perfection that represented Avraham Avinu’s life.

Because he lived in this world, he felt real love for his child, but even that love was something he harnessed to show his greater love of HASHEM – the perfect balance of a man in complete control.

muman613:

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