Torah Parallels

Parshas Toldos Eisav's Fables By: Daniel Listhaus “ And Yaakov boiled a stew, and Eisav came in from the field, and he was exhausted. Eisav said to Yaakov, 'Pour into me, now, some of that very red stuff for I am exhausted.'...Yaakov said, 'Sell as this day, your birthright to me.' And Eisav said, 'Look I am going to die, so what use to me is a birthright?' Yaakov said, 'Swear to me as this day'; he swore to him and sold his birthright to Yaakov. Yaakov gave Eisav bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, got up and left; and Eisav belittled the birthright.” - Toldos 25:30-34 The Kli Yakar 1 brings from the Gemara 2 that Eisav transgressed on five major transgressions on the day related in the above passukim . He had immoral relations, murdered, denied Hashem's existence, denied the concept of techiyas ha'meisim (revival of the dead), and belittled the bechorah (birthright). This is alluded to the by the sequence of words in the pass...

Parshas Chayei Sarah Test of Kindness By: Daniel Listhaus “ Let it be that the maiden to whom I shall say, 'Please tip your jug so I may drink,' and who replies, 'Drink, and I will even water your camels,' her will You have chosen for Your servant, for Yizchak; and may I know through her that You have done kindness with my master.” - Chayei Sarah 24:14 Avraham charged his trusted servant, Eliezer, to find the perfect wife for Yitzchak. The Torah relates that Eliezer said to Hashem that in order to find a wife for Yitzchak, he was going to ask every woman who came to the well for a drink of water. The one who would in return offer a drink for both him and his camels, Eliezer would take as a wife for Yitzchak. There are two questions which come up when reading about this idea of Eliezer. The first issue is one brought up by a Tosfos in Chullin 1 . The Gemara 2 says that we are not permitted to practice divination. As a matter of fact, even a non-Jew cannot practice ...

Parshas Vayeira As a Matter of Opinion By: Daniel Listhaus “ Avraham came forward and said, '...It would be sacrilege to You to do such a thing, to bring death upon righteous with wicked; so the righteous will be like the wicked. It would be sacrilege to You! Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice? ” - Vayeira 18:23-25 In the beginning of parshas Vayeira 1 , the Torah describes that Avraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Avraham, the tremendous ba'al chesed , was desperately awaiting guests even though he had just had his bris milah and was still in pain. In order to appease Avraham, Hashem sent three malachim (angels) in the form of men for Avraham to entertain. Rashi 2 tells us that each of these three malachim had come for a distinct purpose. One was to tell Sarah that she would give birth in a year, one was to heal Avraham, and one was overturn Sodom. After the first two had completed their missions, the Torah relates that the th...

Parshas Lech Lecha Strings Attached By: Daniel Listhaus “ Avram said to the king of Sodom: “I have raised my hand to Hashem, G-d, the Most High, Maker of heaven and earth; if so much as a thread or a shoe-strap, or if I shall take from anything that us yours! So you shall not say, 'It is I who made Avram rich'. Far from me! Only what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who accompanied me....” - Lech Lecha 14:22-24 This week's parsha is devoted to Avraham avinu's life. Even reading through the passukim on the most basic level, one gains tremendous insight as to how a Jew should live life. Avraham was the true ba'al chesed and ba'al middos – in the truest meaning of the words. “ Ba'al ” means a master; and Avraham was truly a master of kindness and good traits 1 . The parsha describes that it was not long after the dispute and separation of ways between Lot and Avraham, that Lot was in need of Avraham's help. In order to save his brot...