Torah Parallels

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Vayeitzei Mirror Mirror on the Wall: Look Within or Be Without By: Daniel Listhaus וַתֵּרֶא רָחֵל כִּי לֹא יָלְדָה לְיַעֲקֹב וַתְּקַנֵּא רָחֵל בַּאֲחֹתָהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל יַעֲקֹב הָבָה לִּי בָנִים וְאִם אַיִן מֵתָה אָנֹכִי :   וַיִּחַר אַף יַעֲקֹב בְּרָחֵל וַיֹּאמֶר הֲתַחַת אֱלֹ ק ים אָנֹכִי אֲשֶׁר מָנַע מִמֵּךְ פְּרִי בָטֶן :   וַתֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה אֲמָתִי בִלְהָה בֹּא אֵלֶיהָ וְתֵלֵד עַל בִּרְכַּי וְאִבָּנֶה גַם אָנֹכִי מִמֶּנָּה “Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Yaakov, and Rachel became envious of her sister she said to Yaakov, 'Give me children - if not I am dead.' Yaakov's anger flared up at Rachel, and he said, 'Am I instead of G-d Who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?' She said, 'Here is my maid Bilhah, come to her, that she may bear upon my knees and I too will be built up through her.'” - Vayeitzei  30:1-3             It is har...

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Vayeitzei! Check out this week's d'var  torah  here . Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday: Question I'm pondering:   Double or nothing? Rashi (28:12) writes that the malachim of Eretz Yisroel first ascended the ladder before the others descended. Shouldn’t it have been the opposite in order for Yaakov avinu not to be left alone even for a moment without “protection”? Concept I am considering:   Share share, that’s fair. The mishna in Peah (6:1) brings a machlokes between Beis Hillel and Beis Shammai regarding being mafkir produce. Beis Shammai maintain that renouncing ownership in favor of the poor is considered heker whereas Beis Hillel hold that it is not considered a valid renunciation of ownership unless it is declared ownerless for everyone (both rich and poor). The nafka minah (practical difference) being whether the renounced produce would be subject to terumos and maasros. ...

~ Something to Think About ~ ויצא פרשת    Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus Three types of people are called “dead” even while they are alive. All three appear in this week's  parsha  and  Rashi . What are they and where do they come up in the  parsha ? (28:11) What is the significance of naming a city? Who is allowed to name a city? (28:11) Rashi comments that the stones were all fighting which would be the one to have Yaakov’s head rest on. Since when do rocks fight? (28:12) Rashi writes that the angels first ascended the ladder before the others descended. Shouldn’t it have been the opposite in order for Yaakov not to be left alone even for a moment without “protection”? (28:13) Rashi writes that Hashem attached His Name to Yitzchak because Yitzchak was 1. blind and 2. confined to his house -  and therefore as if he was dead. Why does Rashi add in that Yitzchak was “confined to his house”? (28:15) Rash...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Toldos Rags to Riches By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְהִי יִצְחָק בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בְּקַחְתּוֹ אֶת רִבְקָה בַּת בְּתוּאֵל הָאֲרַמִּי מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם אֲחוֹת לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה: וַיֶּעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַה' לְנֹכַח אִשְׁתּוֹ כִּי עֲקָרָה הִוא וַיֵּעָתֶר לוֹ ה' וַתַּהַר רִבְקָה אִשְׁתּוֹ: “Yitzchak was forty years old when he took Rivkah, daughter of Besuel the Aramean from Paddan-Aram, sister of Lavan the Aramean, as a wife for himself. Yitzchak entreated Hashem opposite his wife, because she was barren. Hashem allowed Himself to be entreated by him, and his wife Rivkah conceived.” - Toldos  25:20-21             The Torah tells us that Rivkah was barren. However, instead of simply writing “Rivkah” in the  passuk  (verse), the Torah goes out of its way to describe her as, “Rivkah, daughter of Besuel the Aramean, sister of Lavan”.  Rashi [1] explains...

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת תולדות Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (25:19) Rashi writes that the Torah specifies that Yitzchak was Avraham’s son because scoffers would mock that Yitzchak was from Avimelech and Sarah. How could they even think to say such a thing? First, it was well known that nothing had occurred between Avimelech and Sarah. Second, it was a miracle that Sarah was able to give birth at such an old age! Certainly people knew that? (25:20) Rashi writes that the Torah praised Rivkah that despite being a daughter of a wicked person, and the sister of a wicked person, still she did not learn from their deeds and instead was righteous. Yet, Rashi (25:21) comments that Hashem only answered the  tefillos  of Yitzchak – because the prayer of a  tzadik ben rasha ( a righteous person who is the son of a wicked person) is not comparable to a  tzadik ben tzadik  (a righteous person who is the son of a righteous person). Why is t...

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Toldos! Check out this week's d'var  torah  here . Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday: Question I'm pondering: Rashi makes mention of the yeshiva of Shem v’Eiver a number of times in this week’s parsha in the context of Rivkah seeking eitzah (advice) as well as Yaakov going there to learn. Why is it that sometimes Rashi refers to it as Shem v’Eiver, sometimes just Shem, and sometimes just Eiver?  Concept I am considering: Wishing the best for children is a challenge to be better oneself . Rashi in this week’s parsha infers that Hashem listened to the tefillah of Yitzchak and not to that of Rivkah. Rashi famously explains that the tefillah of a tzaddik ben/bas rasha is not comparable to that of a tzaddik ben/bas tzaddik. It is not enough to give to the next generation the opportunity to become a tzaddik, rather the current generation also has to continue to grow towards tzidkus; for even a...

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Chayei Sarah Test of Kindness By: Daniel Listhaus וְהָיָה הַנַּעֲרָה אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיהָ הַטִּי נָא כַדֵּךְ וְאֶשְׁתֶּה וְאָמְרָה שְׁתֵה וְגַם גְּמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה אֹתָהּ הֹכַחְתָּ לְעַבְדְּךָ לְיִצְחָק וּבָהּ אֵדַע כִּי עָשִׂיתָ חֶסֶד עִם אֲדֹנִי “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 [1] 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...