Divrei Mav

This week’s Parsha is called Parshas Vayeishev (VAH-YAY-SHEV). In this week’s Parsha we learn that Yosef (Josef) was the youngest and most favorite son of Yaakov (Jacob) because at that time Yosef was the only child of Rachel, the wife that Yaakov loved the most. Because of his great love for Yosef, Yaakov made Yosef a special overcoat of many colors. Yosef’s older brothers became extremely jealous of him and their jealousy lead them to want to kill their younger brother. One night Yosef had a dream that he shared with his older brothers in the morning. The dream was as follows: There were ten bundles of wheat which represented the ten brothers and they were encircling one large bundle of wheat in the center which represented Yosef. Then the ten bundles began to bow to Yosef's bundle. Upon hearing this dream, his brothers became furious with him and felt, “what do you think that you are going to be a ruler over us?” Because of his dream, Yosef was hated even more. The next night...

This week’s Parsha is called, Vayishlach. In this week’s Parsha, Yaakov learns from his messengers (angels) that he and his brother Aisav (Esau) were on a collision course and Aisav was coming with four hundred men all ready for battle. So, Yaakov prepared for this monumental showdown with his brother. Yaakov prepared for the battle in three steps: First he sent gifts to his brother to try and appease him. Second Yaakov davened (prayed) to Hashem, and third Yaakov prepared for war. (Yaakov was certainly thorough in his preparations.) We are supposed to use Yaakov as an example of how to prepare for a battle. (1st send gifts to soften your enemy up, 2nd Daven to Hashem, and 3rd if all else fails be prepared for war. One night before Yaakov and Esau’s encounter, the passuk says that Yaakov was, “left alone,” and while he was alone the angel of Aisav, wrestled with Yaakov. They were both wrestling great, the score was tied as the angel could not get the best of Yaakov, and they wrestled...

This week’s Parsha is called Parshas Vayeitei (VAH-YAY-TZAY.) In this week’s Parsha, Yaakov runs away to the house of Lavan (Rivka’s brother) his uncle, by the word of his mother Rivka. He spent 14 years learning Hashem’s holy Torah before reaching his destination. Yaakov casted his eyes upon the most beautiful woman he had ever seen…. Rachel. Yaakov went to his Uncle Lavan, Rachel's father, (who is not the nicest guy around) and asked him if a shidduch (match) could be arranged between them. Lavan told Yaakov, only on condition that Yaakov works for him for seven years. Well, Yaakov really didn’t have much of a choice because Yaakov really wanted to marry. Rachel but couldn’t marry her unless he did his part in the deal. So they reached an agreement. Seven years passed and Yaakov and his new wife were together and in the morning he realized that it was not Rachel but to his chagrin her older sister Leah.   Yaakov realized that Lavan tricked him and confronted him on the matt...

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Toldos. In this week’s Parsha Rivka (Rabecca, Yitzchak’s wife,) became pregnant and was told by Hashem that she would be having twins. It is brought down that whenever Rivka would walk by a study hall where Torah was learned, one of the babies inside of her kicked and almost tried to get out. Also every time Rivka would walk by a house of idolatry the other baby inside of her would kick and try to get out. After a few times of this happening she realized that her two babies would grow up to be two total opposites 1 dedicated to Torah and the other to avoda zora (idolatry) - and it was so. The older of the twins, Aisav (Esau) which Yitzchak favored because of the way Aisav always honored his father, Rashi explains, was named Aisav because it meant “fully developed.” When Aisav was he born and covered with hair. We also learn in the passuk that Aisav came out of his mother red in color. This was significant because even from the start Aisav was ...

Hi everyone, I hope this helps you go into your Shabbos more prepared and I hope you learn something new! This week’s Parsha is called Parshas Chaya Sarah (CHAH-YAY SUH-RUH.) The life of Sarah. In an ironic beginning Sarah (Sara) dies at the age of one hundred twenty seven. After Sarah’s death Avraham now wanted to marry off his son Yitzchak (Isaac.) We learn in the passuk that Avraham calls to his servant Eliezer, and tells him to go to the land of Canaan, which was Avraham’s childhood home. A very obvious question could be asked here before learning any further. We know that one of the reasons Avraham moved away from there was because the people worshiped Avodah Zarah (Idolatry,) so why in the world would Avraham want a wife for his son that comes from a place that practices things that he himself despises? I saw a beautiful answer in a sefer called, “Lilmoad U’lamad” written be R’ Mordechai Katz zt”l. He answers like this, Avraham clearly knew all of the bad things about that p...

Hi everyone, I hope this helps you go into your Shabbos more prepared and I hope you learn something new! This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Vayera. Parshas Vayera tells over the story of the Akadas Yitzchak (AH-KAY-DAS YI-TZU-CHAH-CK). The Akadas Yitzchak is a very import and well known story that goes like this: Hashem tells Avraham Avinu (Abraham our forefather) go to Mount Moria (Moh-ree-uh) and “Take your son, your only son, the one you love, Isaac….) and offer him as a sacrifice to me. So Avraham did exactly as G-d had told him to and he took Yitzchak (Isaac) to Mount Moria. When Avraham told his thirty seven year old son Yitzchak that he was going to schecht (Yiddish for slaughter,) him, Yitzchak didn’t even question his father, he just did as he said. And Avraham didn’t even tell him that Hashem gave the command. So, they arrived where Hashem had commanded Avraham to take his son to, and Avraham built a Mizbayach (alter) there. Yitzchak in an unbelievable act of loyalty te...

THIS WEEK'S D'VAR TORAH SHOULD GIVE THE NISHAMA OF, MIRIAM GITAL BAS AVIGDOR   AN ALIYA! Hi everyone, I hope this helps you go into your Shabbos more prepared and I hope you learn something new! This week's Parsha is called Parshas Lech Lecha (LE-CH LI-CHUH.) In this week's Parsha Hashem (G-d) tells Avraham or Abraham in the first passuk, "Lech Lecha Ma'artzecha" (Go for yourself from your land.) Rabbeinu Shlomo Yitzchaki or Rashi says that when Hashem said "LICHA" for you or for yourself, means literally for your own benefit and good. Rashi asks then, what is this benefit and good Avraham will derive from leaving his home land to go to a strange land that G-d told him to go to? The following passuk answers the question with, "And there I, Hashem, will make you into a great nation... for here you will not merit to have any children, but there you will merit to. And there you will become famous, but here you will not. When Hashem tel...

Hi everyone, I hope this helps you go into your Shabbos more prepared and I hope you learn something new! This week’s Parsha is Parshas Noach (Noah.) The first passuk in this week’s Pasha says, “These are the offspring of Noah - Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generations...” There is a very obvious question that needs to be asked here, the question is, why does the passuk start off by saying “These are the offspring of Noah…” and immediately say, “Noah was a righteous man...”? And not only does it NOT answer the question right then and there, but rather it answers the question after the passuk finishes describing how big of a tzadik (righteous man), he was? I saw a wonderful answer in the Artscroll’s Chumash commentary, that said the reason why the passuk did not go on to name Noah's children is because there is a medrish that says that a tzadik’s (righteous person’s) essential or primary “children” are his character traits and good deeds. In other words, the good dee...

Hi everyone, I hope this helps you go into your Shabbos more prepared and I hope you learn something new! This week’s Parsha is called Parshas B’rashis. B’rashis is the first Parsha in the whole Torah. In it there is a strange passuk (line) that says, “Let us make man in OUR image…” Rashi asks why did Hashem say “our”? Was there more than one G-d creating man chas v'shalom (G-d forbid)? It is brought down that Hashem was referring to the malachim (ministering angels). Rashi wonders why? Did Hashem need help from the malachim? He’s G-d? So Rashi says, the reason why Hashem specifically said “our image” is to teach us two very important lessons: 1. Hashem is teaching a lesson to man that even someone great should still “double check.” What does that mean “double check?” That means that even the president of the United States and the Queen of England needs to consult with other authorities before making major decisions (it wasn't b/c G-d needed to). 2. Hashem is also teaching us...

Hi everyone, I hope this helps you go into your Shabbos more prepared and I hope you learn something new! This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas V’zos HaB’racha (VI-ZOS HAH-BI-RUH-CHUH). V’zos HaB’racha is the concluding Parsha in what we call the “Torah” (bible) but it is by no means a conclusion of the Torah. Because the Torah is like water, it flows forever and gives its spiritual nourishment to every generation. To show that the Torah is endless, we start the first Parsha of the Chumash (B’rashis) on the same Shabbos we finish V’zos HaB’racha. Another real-life example of how we show and teach that the Torah itself never ends is when one makes a siyum (a celebration upon finishing a piece of Mishnah or Gemora,) some have the custom to start another Mishnah or Gemora at the celebration. The passuk says in this week’s Parsha: “Torah Tzivah Lonu Moshe Morasha Kihilas Yaakov….” Moses commanded us the law, the inheritance of the congregation of Yaakov (Jacob)." Let's analyze ...