Divrei Mav

Parshas Vayeira 2018 Mother knows best! Sarah and Avraham were barren for many years. Sarah felt badly that she couldn't conceive for her husband, so she offered him the opportunity to marry her maidservant and try to have children through her. Hagar , did produce a child for Avraham and his name was Yishmael (Ishmael). Our tradition teaches us that Yishmael is the founding father of the Arabic nations and Yishmael’s nature even from a very young age foreshadowed that of his descendants. . Avraham and Sarah were eventually promised that she would indeed conceive and give birth to a son and it would be through that child that an incredible nation would be born. At ninety years old, Sarah did in fact, give  birth to Yitzchak (Isaac). The Chofetz Chaim is quoted as saying  “ Yitzchak grew up and his mother understood that Yishmael was not only a troubling child but a negative influence on her son.” Sarah said, “Drive away this servant and her son…” (Gene

Parshas Lech Lecha 2018 Just Go There are times when we find ourselves lacking enthusiasm. Be it at work, home, or with religion chas v’shalom (G-d forbid). We are stuck in a rut and just can't seem to pull ourselves up to be inspired. There may be a resolution to this frustrating phenomenon in our parsha . The first two thousand years (from the beginning of Creation) was the era of “desolation”. Adom HaRishon (Adam) had fallen into the trap of sin, his son Hevel (Abel) was murdered, idolatry was introduced to humanity, and the ten generations from Adom to Noach had failed to establish a proper world. Avraham (Abraham) was born in the biblical year 1948. In the year 2,000 approximately four years after the dispersion of the Dor Haflagah , and six years prior to the passing of Noach , Avraham began influencing others and popularizing monotheism. According to the Gemora (Talmud) in Avoda Zarah when Avraham emerged, the era of Desolation came to a close and the e

Parshas Noach 2018 Our Own “Arks” Noach (Noah) was extremely righteous. He was particularly righteous in his time. Rashi goes so far as to say that he was righteous only in his time and had he lived in the generation of Avraham Avinu (Abraham), he would have been nothing ! Nonetheless, we have to accept the fact that Noach was extremely righteous. Noach's generation was quite corrupt. Immorality was rampant. Even the animals mated with other species of animals. There was no shame and no respect. Hashem decreed that He must wipe out the planet’s population both humans and animals. He took the most righteous man alive ( Noach ) and his family and instructed him to build a taivah (ark). Noach did as G-d instructed and gathered himself and his family. Upon completion, all of them, and a pair of each kind of animal boarded the vessel. The taivah preserved them from the impending apocalypse. G-d sent waters from the heavens and made it rain for forty days and for

Parshas Bereishis 2018 The Chicken Or The Egg? Ahhh! The age old question! I think it's about time we settled this. The Torah opens with the creation of the world. G-d created the world in six days and on the seventh He rested. On the first day of creation Hashem created light and the heaven and earth. On the second day He separated between the heavenly waters and the earthly waters. He fixed the sky. On the third day He formed grass and trees. The fourth day He established the sun, moon and stars, firmaments that would eternally illuminate our reality. On the fifth day G-d created the sea creatures and fowl. The sixth day animals and then human beings were brought into existence. While the seventh day Hashem rested from His work thus, forever declaring that day as Shabbos (a day of rest) for all generations. Rashi asks, why did Hashem start the Torah with the creation of the world, wouldn't it make more sense for the Torah to have begun with th