As always, all textual Hebrew quoted along with their translations are taken from Sefaria.org unless otherwise noted.

The book of Bereishis is all about character. It is meant to teach us, through the stories it tells, about what proper behavior is: how we can be better people and build a better world.

The Torah portion of Vayetzei tells a story of an act of kindness, so great, so monumental, that it would move Hashem Himself in the future.

Continue reading “Vayetzei – The Value of Kindness” →

Author’s note: This week’s D’Var Torah is dedicated with love to my twin sons, Baruch Zev and Shmuel Yehuda. This week’s Torah portion is about twins and, as it turns out, it was their Bar Mitzvah portion too.

As always, all textual Hebrew quoted along with their translations are taken from Sefaria.org unless otherwise noted.

One of the greatest things about studying history is you uncover seminal moments on which the story of the world shifts. In my lifetime, there have been several such moments. When you find that moment, you can trace the effects of that moment through history and see patterns, causes, and effects that bring great meaning to the story of our world.

Continue reading “Toledot – Moments in Time” →

Author’s note: Hebrew quotations and translations, unless otherwise stated, come from Sefaria.org.

This week’s D’var Torah is written and published in memory of my beloved mother Shirley Bazian (Shoshke Bas R’ Idel Leib) on the occasion of her 42nd yahrtzeit.

We continue to plumb the depths of this great Sefer Bereishis to see what lessons we can learn from the stories.

In this week’s portion of Chayei Sarah, the Torah tells a great deal of a father’s responsibility to his son and how to go about it.

Continue reading “Chayei Sarah – Spiritual and Material” →

Author’s note: Hebrew text and translations, unless otherwise stated, come from Sefaria.org.

My theme for this year is the behavioral lessons we can learn from the book of Bereishis (Genesis). The rules within the Torah that we call Mitzvos cannot exist nor perform their proper role within us if we do not have a solid moral foundation. That moral foundation begins with the book of Bereishis.

The portion of Vayeira begins with the story of the three angels who, disguised as human beings, visit Abraham. The first verse of the portion states (Gen 18:1):

וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְ-הֹוָה בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח־הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם׃

Hashem appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot.

That is all that is said. There is no mention of what Hashem discussed with Abraham or what the visit is about. All we get is this statement that Hashem appeared to Abraham. Surely this entire verse is superfluous? That can we possibly learn from the fact that Hashem appeared to Abraham and, if indeed there is nothing to learn, why does the Torah even mention it?

Rashi, the 11th-century French commentator, states that Hashem visited Abraham:

וירא אליו. לְבַקֵּר אֶת הַחוֹלֶה. אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא, יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי לְמִילָתוֹ הָיָה, וּבָא הַקָּבָּ”ה וְשָׁאַל בִּשְׁלוֹמוֹ (בבא מציעא פ”ו):

AND THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM to visit the sick man. R. Hama the son of Hanina said: it was the third day after his circumcision and the Holy One, blessed be He, came and enquired after the state of his health (Bava Metzia 86b)

Rashi, quoting the Talmud, explains that Hashem was visiting someone who was sick. The Mitzvah of ביקור חולים, visiting the sick, is considered great in Judaism. The Kol Bo, a work on Halacha (Jewish law, customs, and practice) sums it up very concisely as follows:

 ומבקר חולים נצול מדינה של גיהנם שנאמר אשרי משכיל אל דל ביום רעה ימלטהו ה׳.

And one who visits the sick shall be saved from a sentence of Gehinnom as the verse says (Ps. 41:2) “Happy is he who is thoughtful of the wretched; in bad times may the LORD keep him from harm.”

The Torah clearly begins the portion with this seemingly innocuous statement to teach us the importance of caring for one another and to take time out of our busy schedules to show that care by actually visiting one who is ill.

As someone who has been in the hospital (and who of us hasn’t?) I can testify that it is a lonely place to be. When someone showed up to visit me, it was of tremendous importance. It reminded me that I was not alone and that there were people in the world who cared enough to spend some of their scarce time to show me that.

What is the benefit to the sick of visiting them? The Talmud in tractate Nedarim (39b) states that:

אָמַר רַבִּי אַחָא בַּר חֲנִינָא: כׇּל הַמְבַקֵּר חוֹלֶה, נוֹטֵל אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים בְּצַעֲרוֹ.

Rav Aḥa bar Ḥanina said: Anyone who visits an ill person takes from him one-sixtieth of his suffering.

Rav Aḥa states a simple psychological truth: visiting the sick helps relieve their suffering. Suffering does not necessarily refer to their physical pain but it can refer to their mental state which, it must be said, can alleviate their physical pain and help promote healing. 

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Mental Health concluded that, “Higher levels of emotional well-being are beneficial for recovery and survival in physically ill patients. The findings show that emotional well-being predicts long-term prognosis of physical illness. This suggests that enhancement of emotional well-being may improve the prognosis of physical illness…”

A 2019 article in Harvard Health agrees. According to the article, “’There is no question that your state of mind can dictate how quickly you can return from a physical setback,’ says Dr. Jeff Huffman, director of the cardiac psychiatry research program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.”

We are meant to be a society of people who care for, and support, each other. There is no greater Mitzvah in Torah than supporting each other. The Mitzvot articulate this time and time again. For example:

וּבָא הַלֵּוִי כִּי אֵין־לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִמָּךְ וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְאָכְלוּ וְשָׂבֵעוּ לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְ-הוָה אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה׃

Then the [family of the] Levite, who has no hereditary portion as you have, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your settlements shall come and eat their fill, so that your Hashem your God may bless you in all the enterprises you undertake. (Deut. 14:29)

כִּי־יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר־יְ-הוָה אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת־יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן׃ כִּי־פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לוֹ וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ׃ הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן־יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם־לְבָבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל לֵאמֹר קָרְבָה שְׁנַת־הַשֶּׁבַע שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה וְרָעָה עֵינְךָ בְּאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן וְלֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ וְקָרָא עָלֶיךָ אֶל־יְ-הוָה וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא׃ נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ וְלֹא־יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ יְ-הוָה אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־מַעֲשֶׂךָ וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ׃ כִּי לֹא־יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ עַל־כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּאַרְצֶךָ׃

If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kin in any of your settlements in the land that Hashem your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need. Beware lest you harbor the base thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,” so that you are mean and give nothing to your needy kin—who will cry out to Hashem against you, and you will incur guilt. Give readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return Hashem your God will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings. For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kin in your land. (Deut. 15:7-11)

These are just two examples of many that exist. We are meant to support each other in times of need be it emotionally, physically, or financially. It can be hard, especially when the need is financial, to positively respond but that is what we must do.

In addition to this vital lesson, our Torah portion goes one step further. Note that Hashem visits Abraham and makes the point I have mentioned by including it in his holy Torah. I believe there is a second lesson in this as well. 

One axiom of leadership states that one should not ask our subordinates to do anything we are unwilling to do. 

Can you imagine the governor of your state or province, the president or prime minister of your country, taking the time out of their busy day to call upon someone who is ill? In truth, although we have seen them do these things, I, cynic that I am, normally looked upon these actions as photo ops performed for political gain. Here we have הקדוש ברוך הוא, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, The Holy One, Blessed is He paying a personal visit to someone who is ill. If Hashem Himself performs this Mitzvah, how much more should we?

Our beloved State of Israel has been at war for more than a year now. In addition to the approximately 1,200 civilians killed on that horrible day last October, hundreds of soldiers have lost their lives in Gaza and Lebanon fighting for the freedom and safety of the citizens of Israel. I have never served in the military so I cannot know how difficult their lives are. I cannot even imagine the terror of being under fire. Yet these young men and women are out there every day, doing their job under incredible restriction with the entire world scrutinizing their every action, putting their lives on the line. The psychological stress of their situation is not something I can even contemplate. How can we stand by and not do something to help?

Let me tell you something that a community in New York has been doing. A synagogue on Fire Island (Seaview, NY) has brought entire units to their Island and hosted not only them but also support personnel (such as social workers and psychological professionals treating them for PTSD) for a week of rest and relaxation. The Shule’s walls are plastered with pictures of these units expressing their thanks for the incredible experience. In fact, during this past Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur season, a soldier returned to spend the High Holidays with this holy congregation. The congregation does this without fanfare. They merely collect what is necessary to pay to bring these soldiers over to their summer homes and then host them in royal style. Yehi Chelki Imahem, may my portion be with theirs.

What can you do? At the very least, you can go to the Friends of the IDF website (https://www.fidf.org) and send a message to an Israeli soldier on the front lines (https://support.fidf.org/site/SPageServer/?pagename=Message_to_IDFsoldieronthefrontlines). Other organizations provide the same service so you have choices if, for some reason, FIDF is not to your liking.

You can donate to organizations that ensure these brave soldiers have the protective equipment they need. (On a personal note, I can remember my mother, of blessed memory, knitting dozens of ski masks for Israeli soldiers in 1973 to ensure that they had protection against the cold while they were fighting.) Whatever it is, do something. The Mitzvah you will acquire through such actions will be enormous. 

Tizkeh L’Mitzvot Rabot – May you merit to perform many Mitzvot.

Author’s note: Hebrew text and translations, unless otherwise stated, come from Sefaria.org.

Our sages have told us many times that מעשה אבות סימן לבנים, “that which happened with our forefathers is a portend for their children.” In this week’s Parsha (Torah portion), we learn of the story of the four kings who rebelled against the five. As the Torah tells us (Gen 14:1):

We now come back to the question we should be asking about all these stories: Why do we need to know this? Why does the Torah, which is not a storybook, tell us this?

Continue reading “Lech Lecha – Faith is the Key” →

Author’s note: Hebrew text and translations, unless otherwise stated, come from Sefaria.org.

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹ-הִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ׃

When God began to create heaven and earth— (Gen 1:1)

בראשית. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק לֹֹֹֹֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא מֵהַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, שֶׁהִיא מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בָּהּ יִשׂרָאֵל, וּמַה טַּעַם פָּתַח בִּבְרֵאשִׁית? מִשׁוּם כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם (תהילים קי”א), שֶׁאִם יֹאמְרוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לְיִשְׁרָאֵל לִסְטִים אַתֶּם, שֶׁכְּבַשְׁתֶּם אַרְצוֹת שִׁבְעָה גוֹיִם, הֵם אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם כָּל הָאָרֶץ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ”ה הִיא, הוּא בְרָאָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לַאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינָיו, בִּרְצוֹנוֹ נְתָנָהּ לָהֶם, וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ נְטָלָהּ מֵהֶם וּנְתָנָהּ לָנוּ:

IN THE BEGINNING — Rabbi Isaac said: The Torah which is the Law book of Israel should have commenced with the verse (Exodus 12:2) “This month shall be unto you the first of the months” which is the first commandment given to Israel. What is the reason, then, that it commences with the account of the Creation? Because of the thought expressed in the text (Psalms 111:6) “He declared to His people the strength of His works (i.e. He gave an account of the work of Creation), in order that He might give them the heritage of the nations.” For should the peoples of the world say to Israel, “You are robbers, because you took by force the lands of the seven nations of Canaan”, Israel may reply to them, “All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whom He pleased. When He willed He gave it to them, and when He willed He took it from them and gave it to us” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 187). (Rashi – Gen 1:1)

Continue reading “Noach – To Be a Mentch” →

I have long wanted to write a weekly blog of Divrei Torah but have never been able to discipline myself properly. Well, the beauty of what it means to be a Torah-believing Jew is apparent from the very first words of the Torah and, it is in sync with those words, that I undertake my task this year with joy.

Continue reading “Bereishit – Each Day a Beginning” →