Lech Lecha: Secrets of Avraham's Decent to Egypt 🐫🐪🐫

Okay, good evening everyone. Welcome to my home. We're continuing our series of Sherman say for Bereshit. Sherman this year are dedicated by the Greatneck family, by the Israeli family of Greatneck. L'ilui nishmas Malka bas Yisrael Zev. >> [clears throat] >> Uh the yard side of Sham is just coming Sunday. Sham Sham and Aliyah should be a malitz yosher for her family. For Simcha Sanachas bas Yisrael Tzaddik. Sherman this year are also dedicated as a cause for shalom bayis and for nachas and menucha basar shalom Yisrael. Sefer Bereshit is generously sponsored by Dr. Zachary Shpachter l'ilui nishmas of Eliezer ben Reb Yaakov Zachary, Rivka bas Tuvia Halevi, Reb Dovid ben Reb Yaakov ben Tuvia Hakohen. Tonight's year is dedicated by my dear friend Rabbi Tuckman in memory of his wife's uncle Zvi Hirsch ben Chaim Refael Friedman. His yard side was Daled Cheshvan began Eden and him menuchas should be a malitz yosher for his whole family. For Simcha Sanachas bas Yisrael Tzaddik. Make sure you're well equipped with Sefer Maggid Bereshit. Also, Birchas HaTzaddik on Chamisha Chumshei Torah. Actually, I just got from Eretz Yisrael today. We're up to Lech Lecha translated for this coming Bereshit for Artscroll. We already did three parshas. We're in the middle of Vayeira. Also, the Tzaddik for Now, first of all, if you want to get these farm for free, you can get them for free at Sefer at marbitzeitorah.com. >> How do you spell marbitzeitorah? >> Sefer, s e f e r. Marbitzei, uh uh. >> Uh >> Uh no. Here we go. m a r b >> i >> One second. >> b >> m a r b >> b i >> i t z e i t o r a h dot com. Okay? For the coming year of the Siyum Haranana, a new safer coming out hopefully in a couple weeks. Igros HaTzaddik. So, you want to get the Birkas HaTzaddik quickly before you need to get Igros HaTzaddik. Okay. We have a amazing topic tonight. We're going to talk about Abraham Avinu's descent to Mitzrayim. So, Hashem comes to Abraham with the epic command Lech Lecha. Go. Mayartzecha from your land. U'mimoladetecha from your birthplace and u'mibeis avicha from your father's house. Where are you going to go? I'll let you know. El Ha'aretz Asher Areka. There I'll make you a great nation. I'll bless you. I'll make your name great. You will be a blessing. So, Abraham Avinu hits the road. And as soon as he gets to the land of Israel, there's nothing to eat. Now Now you say, "Why was there nothing to eat? There was There was food to eat before." No, there was a famine. Famine? Do you remember ever encountering a famine in Chumash before this event? No. There was never a famine in history. The concept of famine did not exist. Where was the famine? Only in the land of Israel. Was there a famine back in Charan where Abraham was? No. Was there a famine in Ur Kasdim? No. Wow, this listening to God is really working out, you know? >> [snorts] >> So far, we're off to a really good start. Here, Hashem tells me to leave my house, my family, my job, my familiarity, and everything will be good. You'll be wealthy. You'll be successful. You'll be blessed. And Abraham gets there, he can't even put a stale piece of bread bread on the table. Wow, this religion is really wonderful. It's very positive. Abraham goes down to Mitzrayim. Did he do the right thing? I mean, you'll say, "Well, what else should he have done? There's no choice." Says the Ramban, an epic Ramban, the Ramban says, "He may have done something that he shouldn't have done." Avraham Avinu went down to Mitzrayim because of the hunger to sojourn there, to bring life to himself in the years of famine. The Hamitzrim always say, "Now, when Avraham got there, did the Mitzrim shower him with honor? No, they oppressed him. They beat him for nothing. What did they do? They kidnapped his wife. So, now Avraham Avinu, his first day on the religion, you know, that he formally agreed to listen to Hashem, he goes down to Egypt because there's nothing to eat in Eretz Mitzrayim in in Eretz Canaan, and the first day the IRS comes, the FBI comes, the you know, they knock on the door, they take his wife. >> ICE. >> No, they're good, yeah. They take and and they take his wife and uh that's it. Now, what happens? No, he came to Mitzrayim in a big diamond. The Ribono Shel Olam avenged against the Egyptians with great plagues. Sound familiar? The Ribono Shel Olam and Hashem extricated Avraham from there with cattle, with with silver, with gold, with gold. He even commanded Paroh to send He forced Avraham out. >> [clears throat] >> What is this all about? This is all based on the Ramban's great principle that he advanced in the beginning of the parashah, Ma'aseh Avos, similar bottom sefer HaYetzirah. Whatever happened to Avraham Avinu portended was the paradigm, a pre-enactment of what will happen for the Jewish people. Veramah Zeh Lav, Hashem alluded to Avraham Kivan Avraham Mitzrayim that the Jewish people would end up going down to Egypt because of famine to live there temporarily, and then the Egyptians would harm them. Now, the Ramban reveals to us, everybody knows that the Mitzrayim made a decree called Hayilid that throw all the boys into the river and let the girls live. The Ramban is saying the fact that that was created through what happened to Avram and Sarah meant the reason the Egyptians wanted the women to live is not because they wanted to be kind to the ladies. It's because they wanted to assault, they wanted to take the Nashim like Paro did. And then Hashem plagued the Egyptians the same way Hashem plagued Pharaoh when Avram and Sarah went down. Ad she see him until the Egyptians let us out because the but sign or make a covenant my aid. And they pressed us to leave. There's not one iota that happened to Avram that did not reiterate itself to the Jewish people later in history. And the Ramban says this is all based on the idea that Hashem tells Avram go and Kavash conquer the path before your descendants and you'll see whatever happened to Avram happened to the Jewish people. Okay, that's a very famous approach of the Ramban. The Ramban throughout Sefer Bereishit uses this to explain the episode of of Yitzchak at the wells and Avram fighting the four kings and Yakov Avinu going down to every event in Bereishit the Ramban uses this lens to explain. >> Rabbi, how long was Avram in Mitzrayim? Do you know? >> It doesn't say. Now, according to most Midrashim, Avram coming to Eretz Yisrael and there was famine and being forced to go down to Mitzrayim was one of the 10 tests of Avram Avinu. The Ramban doesn't learn that way. Check this out. The Das is Ramban. Ki Avraham Avinu hata [snorts] chet gadol bishgaga. Avraham Avinu inadvertently sinned egregiously. Why? Shehevi ishteiha tzadekes bimichshal avon. He brought his righteous wife to stumble in sin. Midnei pachdei pnei ha'goiim out of fear lest they kill him. Meaning, Avraham Avinu tells Sara Sara, you know, you're you're really a lovely wife. It's been It's been great. Here's the deal. If we show everybody our marriage certificate, they're going to kill me. So, you just tell everyone that we're brother and sister. This way, they can forcibly abduct you and they will violate you and my skin will be saved. You hear what Avraham tells Sara? He basically tells Sara, "Here, Sara. I'm going to feed you to the to the dogs. They're going to violate you and I'll save my own skin." Why did Avraham Avinu do that? Cuz he was afraid for his life. Did Avraham Avinu do the right thing? No, says the Ramban. He sinned egregiously. He did the wrong thing. What should he have done? Otherwise, they would have killed him. He should have had bitachon that Hashem would save him and his wife. He should have said, "Pharaoh, meet my lovely wife, Sara. We're married. We've been married for a long time. Don't lay your hands on her." And Avraham Avinu should have trust in Hashem that Hashem Hashem can't save Sara and Avraham from from Paroh? So, the first amazing observation of the Ramban and amazing comment of the Ramban is Avraham Avinu sinned and he didn't sin in a minute way. He sinned egregiously. Now, first of all, where did the Ramban get this from? No other Mefarash explains that Avraham Avinu did the wrong thing over here. What was he supposed to do? Avraham Avinu was supposed to say, "We're married." What do you think would have happened? Would that have ended well? Yes, says the Ramban, Avraham Avinu should have had bitachon. Now, this is a a monumental comment of the Ramban that the meforshim struggle. Where did the What source did the Ramban have that Avraham Avinu did an aveira? Does it say in the Chumash that he did an aveira? Doesn't say in the Torah that he did an aveira. The Ramban continues, "You know what else his was a sin? The fact that he left the land of Israel. That's also a sin. Gam yetziaso min ha'aretz she'nitstavah alav bat'chilah. Hashem told him, "Lech lecha me'artzecha va'avarecha. I'll bless you." Rashi says, "B'mamon." So, he should have had bitachon. He should have stayed. Mibnei Harav Avain. God Go. Go to the land I show you. Go to the land that I show you. Now, now listen to this. Um ki ole kim barov yiftenu mimaves. Hashem could redeem from famine. Says the Ramban, "If you ever wondered why did the Jewish people deserve the Holocaust that was Egypt where 80% of our people were decimated, where more Jews were killed than in the Holocaust? What did they do wrong that they deserved going down to Mitzrayim? I'll tell you. It was a punishment for Avraham Avinu in his treatment to his wife and not having bitachon when he went down to Mitzrayim. He shouldn't have told Paroh that they were brother and sister. He shouldn't have gone down to Mitzrayim. He If he's going to go down, he should have said they were married. And to tell you the truth, he should not have gone down to begin with. So, because he sinned with Paroh in Mitzrayim, the Jewish people were punished by Paroh in Mitzrayim. Where did the Ramban get that from? All the Rishonim learn that it was one of the 10 tests of Avraham Avinu that immediately when Hashem said go to Eretz Yisrael, he goes and then he has to leave. Says Ramban, no, he didn't have to leave. Nobody told him to leave. So this is an two earth-shattering comments of the Ramban that the Meforshim struggle, where did the Ramban get this from? In fact, comes the Maharal in the Sefer Gevuras Hashem, the Maharal says I'm going to ask questions on the Ramban, ad she nakar peirushai mikol vakol, I will completely uproot entirely from its source the comments of the Ramban. There is nowhere in the writings of the Maharal where he writes so sharply that he's going to be oiker the the teaching of the of the Ramban. First of all, says the Maharal, if it's true that it was decreed on Avraham that his descendants should have to go down to Mitzrayim because Avraham sinned by telling the Paro that they're brother and sister, so could you tell me why shortly after when Avraham went to Gerar and Avimelech says who's the lady and Avraham says she's my sister, why would he repeat the same thing if it was such an egregious sin, then why did Avraham Avinu do it again? And guess what Yitzchak did when he went with Rivka. See, Avraham was polite. Avraham said, "Sarah, here's the deal. When we go down, you're going to say we're brother and sister." When Yitzchak went with Rivka, he took no chances. Paro says to Rivka, "Rivka, who are you?" Yitzchak's like, "Hey, you know, she's my sister." He didn't even ask her before. So if such an egregious sin, why did Avraham Avinu Avinu repeat it? And why did Yitzchak do it? Okay, so [snorts] that's a few questions on the Ramban. Again, the Ramban uh unleashes two amazing Hadushim. Number one, Avraham Avinu sinned greatly by putting Sarah in this precarious situation to have to say that they're brother and sister. And Avraham Avinu sinned even more egregiously by going down to Mitzrayim in the first place. And if you want to know, why did the Jewish people have to go down to Mitzrayim? Cuz Avraham Avinu did not have bitachon in Hashem. I mean, that's a very strong statement. Mitzrayim was not a good place. That would be like saying, why did the Holocaust happen? Because one of our forefathers exhibited a slight lack of bitachon. I mean, we can never say something like that, but that's that's what the Ramban is saying. So, in the writings of Rabbi Yosef Shaul Halevi Natansohn, the the uh Sha'al the Sha'alot U'Tshuvot he says that in order to explain a little bit why Avraham Avinu uh did not stay in Eretz Yisrael and rely on Hashem, the Rabbi Yosef Shaul Halevi Natansohn says that Avraham, in his great humility, he was concerned maybe he was not worthy of a miracle. So, he had to do some hishtadlus and he had no choice. He didn't want to rely on this miracle. You know, the in the Mesorat Rav Kook Ramban um the it's the classic Ramban there are Hagahot of Rabbi Chaim Dovid Chaim Dovid Chavel. In the Mesorat Rav Kook uh Ramban, you have an annotated comments of Rabbi Chaim Dovid Chavel, or if you remember the English Rabbi Dr. Charles Chavel. I think I have both editions. He writes that the comments of the Rabbi Yosef Shaul Halevi Natansohn would answer the question of the Maharal. In other words, the Marala is asking, "Why did Avraham Avinu uh say about Sarah that she was uh his sister?" And the answer is Avraham Avinu was was concerned. He didn't want to rely on a miracle. He thought maybe he was not worthy. But like we pointed out >> that for both? >> Yeah. Well, how that Yeah, does that really answer the question? He repeated it again, and then Yitzchak also did it. >> I mean, it's understandable maybe that he shouldn't have gone down in the first place. That he should have had, you know, maybe >> Yeah. Okay, so look at this. The Ramban is also uh very difficult because all of the Midrashim identify that one of the tests of Abraham, one of the Nisyonos, the same way the Akedah was a Nisayon and Lech Lecha was a Nisayon. The fact that when he came to Canaan, immediately that was the only land that had a famine. Look in the Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer. Number five, Nisayon Ha Ra'av. Mi Yom She Nivru Shamayim Va'Aretz, Lo Ba Ra'av Ela BiMei Avraham. Not until Avraham Avinu stepped When he got off the plane of El Al and he got down the the thing, right then for the first time in history, the moment he kissed the floor, there was a famine. There was never a famine before. And where was the famine? If you looked at the map, only where Avraham was. So all the people who told Avraham that he's he's, you know, delusional in his religion, they're probably they're laughing at him. Oh, how's your How's you and your God working out? How's that working out for you? El Avraham Canaan, to test him and to bring him down to Mitzrayim. The Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer says the test was that he should go down to Mitzrayim. So in the commentary on the Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer, um >> [snorts] >> says that this is not like Ramban. The Ramban is of the opinion that Avraham Avinu sinned by going to Mitzrayim. Where did the Ramban get this from? Says the Radal, Rav Dovid Luria, the Ramban got this from the Zohar Hakadosh. Where the Zohar says, "Because Avraham went down to Mitzrayim without permission, the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt." But the Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer is going like Rav Shimon in the Zohar. That Avraham Avinu was required to go down to Mitzrayim. So actually, it's interesting in the footnotes on the Ramban, Rav Chaim Dov Shavel uh brings, first of all, that where did the Ramban get that Avraham Avinu sinned egregiously by telling Sarah to say that Sarah is his sister? Uh so Rav Shavel says that the Ramban got from a different Zohar. The Zohar in Tazria says, Pasach Rabbi Eliezer va Amri, "Im rei na achosi at." Question, Avraham who is such is so God-fearing, he should he should have to stoop to lie and say that she's his sister? So says Rav Shavel that the Zohar is mashma that Avraham Avinu sinned by utilizing this plan. Furthermore, where did the Ramban get that it was an aveira for uh Avraham to leave Eretz Yisrael? That's the Zohar in Lech Lecha Amri Rabbi Yehuda tachazi, "Keivan de nachis Avraham le Mitzrayim, ishtabidu benoy be Mitzrayim arba me'ah shnin." I actually remember learning this Ramban when I was either in ninth or tenth grade. So we're going back more than 30 years or we're going back about 10 years ago, you know? No, we're going back more than 30 years ago and our rebbe, Rav Moshe Polberg, taught us this Ramban. And I remember him saying that it's a big kodesh that the Ramban says that Avraham Avinu was did not have an error by going down to Mitzrayim. And he said it's a big question where the Ramban got it from. And I think he referenced this note in the hago'is of the Shavel cuz I remember he would say boys the best Ramban to get. I remember the voice he would say I don't do imitations. But if I if I did do imitations, it could be I could do a good job right now. But he would say that boys the best Ramban is the Shavel Ramban. Anyway, so I got the Shavel and here he does say he says the source of the Ramban is from the Zohar Hakadosh. If I could please have a chumash. But what I would like to learn with you is what exactly was Avraham's plan? Please say Sarah that you're my sister. Why? So the next thing Avraham says l'man, thank you. L'man yitav li b'avureich. And Rashi says so they should give me presents. V'chaisa nafshi b'glaleich and will survive. So it's a little bit odd. Avraham is saying listen dear wife here's the plan. The plan is that we're going to say you're my sister. This way they'll abduct you and violate you. And now they'll give me a lot of good presents and then we'll save our skin. So what was Avraham Avinu most concerned about? The gifts. It sounded like he wanted the gifts. That's the first thing he says. And how exactly by them giving Avraham presents would that save their life? You know, the pasuk should have said imri na achosi at v'chaisa nafshi b'glaleich. Say that you're my sister so that we could survive. Why even mention in middle and they'll give me gifts? There's an incredible Malbim here. By the way >> How does Paroh know who Avraham is? >> Right now I don't know I don't know who Paroh is. Who's Paroh? We're not up to him yet. We didn't get up to him. Listen listen carefully. Then the pasukim say that when Avram came down to Mitzrayim, the Mitzrim saw the woman ki yafa hima oi that she was very beautiful. Okay. So what did they do? I don't know. It doesn't say because the next pasuk says, "Vayiru eis Sarai Paroy, the officers of Paroy saw her. Vayihallilu eis Sarai and they praised her." Could somebody please tell me, so why does the pasuk before say the Egyptians saw she was very beautiful? So what? Why does the pasuk never say "V'diafor"? The It starts off by saying the Egyptians saw she was very beautiful. Okay. Yeah. And? I'm not telling you. And then it says, "The officers of the Pharaoh saw she was very beautiful." And they praised her to Paroy and now she's taken. The Malbim has a really ingenious um approach over here. The Malbim says like this. Avram Avinu did not ask her to say that she's his sister so that she should be taken and abducted. The plan was like this. You tell everyone that I'm the big boss here. I'm the brother. And no one takes your hand in marriage unless I give permission. Say you're like an orphan girl and I'm the big, you know, mafia boss. And everybody knows what that means. That means if you they want to marry you they got a get my reshus. Which means What does it mean to get the reshus of the older brother? You got to pay him off. Says Avram, "Huh, when they hear the price that I ask, they'll say never mind." A woman that you have to pay big bucks for, nobody's going to be interested in you. I'm going to say that I'm your brother. Say that you're my sister. And I'm going to ask for an exorbitant price and they're all going to back off. So, that's how the possuk says. The And what happened? They They asked, "How much?" And they didn't get the answer they wanted, so they moved on. But Avraham Avinu never thought that the word would get to the king that that Sarah's available. So, what happened? The officers of the Pharaoh uh Sarah and they praised her to Paroh. And Paroh said, "How much?" And when he heard Avraham couldn't change the price. And then the Paroh said, "No problem. How do you want it? You want to Zelle or cash?" So, Avraham Avinu had no choice. He was stuck. And guess what? U'l'Avraham heitiv ba'avurah. They did good to him. They gave him a lot of money. Says the Malbim, if you look earlier Avraham Avinu says, "L'ma'an yeitav li va'avurech v'chaisah nafshi b'glalech." There's a difference between ba'avur and b'glal. Avraham Avinu says, "I want them to do good to me ba'avurech." Ba'avurech means in exchange for you. Meaning I'm selling you. Basically, you're up for bid. I'm selling you, but the bid will be a price that they can't pay. And this way, since they can't pay it, v'chaisah nafshi b'glalech, I'm going to live on your account cuz nobody's going to pay for you and they're going to send us away. Then the Malbim adds something really interesting. The Malbim says, "It is known that in the ancient times any woman who they saw that she had exceptional beauty, they would figured she must be a deity. She must be like a goddess. And Avraham Avinu um would be in grave danger because what right would he have to be living with a goddess? So, therefore, Avram Avinu says, "Listen up. Don't say that I'm married to you cuz they're going to kill me. Instead, say I'm your brother. And if I'm the brother of the goddess, they're going to honor me. They're going to pay homage to me." The problem was that in ancient times they thought the king was the god. So, they took Sarah, who they had this exceptional beauty, to the Pharaoh. Okay. Another Ramban. I don't know I get a I get a real good kick out of this Ramban. Now, nowhere did Sarah ever tell Paroy that she was Abraham's sister. Nowhere did Sarah tell Paroy that she was Abraham's wife. So, what happened? Paroy was stricken with great plague plagues. By Yikra Paroy l'Avram, "Vayomer, "Mazois s'asisi li? Lama lo higadeta li ki ishtecha hi?" Why didn't you tell me she's your wife? How did Paroy know that Sarah was his wife? >> Avram Yitzchak told him. >> How? Sarah didn't tell him. We don't find in the Chumash that Sarah told him. So, the Ramban says, "Well, when all of a sudden that the night that Paroy took Sarah, all of a sudden he's in terrible pain and you know, he needs uh he can't even he's rolling around in misery. He's being smitten by an angel bashing him over the head. He says to himself, "Mazois asoli kimlanu?" What has God done for us done to us? So, he asked her, "I don't know. Are you Are you his wife?" I'm sorry. He asked her, "What's going on over here?" And she had no choice but to say he's my husband. So, according to Ramban's first chat, she divulged to him that they're married. That's why the Pharaoh called Abram and he confronted him. Why didn't you tell me that you're his that she's your wife? Lam al he got it to leave Kisha Kahili. But then the Ramban says another shot. The Pharaoh wasn't a fool. What was the plague he was stricken with? Raw asson. What is raw asson? It's a disease that causes pain when for relations. So Pharaoh put two and two together. I just took this woman and all of a sudden I have this disease. So maybe I shouldn't be taking this woman. So now this Ramban, I don't know, I get a real kick out of. Pharaoh now teaches us the art of cross-examination. Pharaoh had no clue that Abraham was married to Sarah, was related to Sarah, but Pharaoh wanted to get out the truth. Because he wasn't sure. If she's the sister, she'll be his new wife. If she's the wife, he knows he can't touch her. So what does Pharaoh do? He says he says Lam al he got it to leave Kisha Kahili. Why didn't you tell me that she's your wife? And what happened? Because when when Pharaoh said, "Mazo is so silly." If the if she was a sister, Abram Avinu would have said, "No, she's my sister." She's my sister. So Pharaoh basically, this is the art of leading questions. He led he set him up. He said, "Why didn't you say she's she's your wife?" Now, if she wasn't Abram Avinu would have said, "No, she's my sister." And what did Abram Avinu say? He didn't open up his mouth. Pharaoh said, "All right, I got you. Got you. I wasn't sure, but now that you didn't say she's the sister, I got you." So, Paro is the you know, the first training in cross-examination is from Paro. Paro said, "Why didn't you say she's your wife?" He had no idea. He just took a shot in the dark. He had nothing to lose. That's why when you're asking questions for shidduchim, now you're not really allowed to do this. Actually, you're not allowed to do this, but I know people who do this. They're really good at getting information. How do you get information? So, you know, you're not sure. Is the boy clean? Is he not clean? He smokes He smokes every week? He smokes every week? You never heard that he smokes. You have no reason to assume he smokes. See, he smokes. So, if the person says, "Well, he only does it socially." You see, you found out exactly what you needed. But if a person says, "No, I don't know. What are you talking about? I never heard such a thing." That is the art of yenta information for shidduchim. And where do you learn it from? From Paro. Some things, you know, it's the it's it's leading questions. Paro had absolutely no idea that Sara was his wife. He said it on the chance that they were married, figuring that if they weren't, Avraham Avinu would have jumped to deny it, and he didn't. So, he got the information he was looking for. I don't know. I thought that was amazing how the Ramban read into what Paro asked to answer his question of what How did Paro know? That's the Ramban for you. Okay. Now, what? No, this is advanced, I think. Yeah. The Ramban learns Avraham Avinu sinned by going down to Mitzrayim. Most Rishonim learn he passed the test. That Hashem says go to Eretz Yisrael, and the moment he got there, he had to leave immediately. Reb Chaim Volozhiner says in the Mishna on Pirkei Avot, perek kaf, mishna gimmel. It [snorts] says there 10 generations from Noach till Avraham with 10 tests, nisnasa Avraham Avinu. Why is he called Avinu specifically in the context of his tech of his tests? >> [snorts] >> And the Nefesh HaChaim says something very foundational, very fundamental, that throughout history even simple Jews, even unlearned Jews, were willing to be thrown into the fire for Hakadosh Baruchu. Where did they get this spiritual strength from? How were they able to summon up the the commitment to God to just be moser nefesh al kiddush Hashem? Says Reb Chaim Volozhiner, it was ingrained in them, it's in their DNA from Avraham Avinu who's willing to be thrown into the fire. All of the 10 tests of Avraham Avinu paved the way before Klal Yisrael. Anytime a Jew has a sudden urge, you know, I got to get out of here. Got to get out of the Five Towns. What is there What's the What's going to be here in America? Only in only in Europe they're going to be uh you know, that kind of behavior. It will never happen in America. You know, we live in two Anytime a Jew gets in their head we're going to Eretz Yisrael, it comes because it's programmed in our DNA from Avraham Avinu. Anytime a person has a difficulty in life and they say, it must be for the good, where do we get that from? Avraham Avinu is sent to Eretz Yisrael and the moment he gets there, it's a disaster. And what does Avraham Avinu do? Kama d'Avraham Avinu letav aved. He doesn't question Hashem. He's not meharer acharei av. He accepts the gezeirah. So, I would like to point out to you, just to paint the picture, Avraham Avinu, he is uh he's an old man, basically. He's 75 years old. He's not that old, but he he's not a youngster. And he's comfortable. Hashem saved his life. And Hashem comes to him, "Leave everything you're familiar with. Go to Eretz Yisrael." And the day he gets there, there's a disaster the likes of which the world never seen only in that place. So, Avraham Avinu doesn't question Hashem. He says, "Gamzu Letova." But it dawned on me, Gamzu Letova? Do you know how good it ended up for Avraham? I mean, think about it. Hashem said, "Lech lecha me'artzecha u'mimiladitecha u'mibeis avicha." And Rashi says Hashem is promising Avraham, "You're going to become a great nation. You're going to become famous. You're going to have children. You're going to become wealthy." >> [laughter] >> How many of those things came true when he got to Eretz Yisrael? Nothing. He had no money, cuz Rashi even says on the way back he had to go pay all his debts. So, he gets there, he's in debt, he has no children, and nobody cares who he is. So, nothing came true. Something good came out of this, but Avraham Avinu was thinking, "Gamzu Letova." But I wonder if Avraham Avinu even knew what that tova ever was. Because it dawned on me that actually him going down to Mitzrayim is the best thing that ever happened in the history of the world. How's that? Because the first Ramban that we learned tonight, that Avraham Avinu going down to Mitzrayim is the pre-enactment of the Jewish people going to Mitzrayim, which means his coming out of Mitzrayim is the pre-enactment of Klal Yisrael getting out of Mitzrayim. Now, there's another layer of this. Because the same way everything that happened in Berashis created the future destiny of the Jewish people, everything that happened in Shemois created the second era of the history of the Jewish people. I think we've learned many, many times that the masei avos siman l'banim of the Geulah Hashleimah, of the final redemption, is the Jewish people leaving Mitzrayim was the pre-enactment of the coming of Mashiach, of the Geulah Hashleimah, right? We say "Kimei tzeischa mei'aretz Mitzrayim areinu niflaos." The way Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim was the pre-enactment. That was the masei avos siman l'banim of the Geulah Hashleimah. We brought, I have here a number 11 from many sources in Rabbeinu Bachya. Also, the in the sefer on the Haggadah, Maaseh Nissim of Rabbi Yaakov Lorberbaum, we mentioned this many, many times. Do you remember this? "Al achas kama v'kama tovah kefulah umchupeles." That all the events of Yetzi'as Mitzrayim were doubled. They were They created the future redemption of the Jewish people. Remember we learned that the 10 makos that were in Mitzrayim, there'll be 10 makos against our enemies in the end of days, and there'll be a Kri'as Yam Suf. That the events of Yetzi'as Mitzrayim, which took place in the month of Nisan on the 15th of Nisan, will repeat themselves when the Geulah Had comes in the month of Nisan on the 15th of Nisan. So, Avraham Avinu's probably thinking, "Ribbono shel Olam, you told me to leave Mitzrayim, you told me to leave uh my hometown. You told me to leave Charan. And I arrive in Eretz Yisrael, and it's an epic disaster. There's nothing to eat. There's food everywhere in the world except for here in Eretz Yisrael. I don't have children yet. I don't have success yet. None of your promises came true. This is a an abysmal failure. And actually, it was the best thing that ever happened in the history of the world. Cuz Avraham Avinu going down to Mitzrayim and then coming out, you know what that created? The redemption of Klal Yisrael. It created the Geulah Hashleimah. So, if I were to ask you, from the time that Hashem told Avraham, "Lech Lecha, I choose you for the great journey, for the great rendezvous with me, that I'm going to be your Ribono shel Olam, and I'm going to be your your selected God, and you're selected to me." How long did it take for the Ribono shel Olam to start turning the wheels to bring Mashiach? It's the first thing he did. The moment Hashem said "Lech Lecha", Avraham Avinu comes down to Eretz Yisrael um to Eretz Yisrael, and the first thing he does is he goes down to Mitzrayim, and he comes out, and that sets into motion the Jewish people go down to Mitzrayim and come out, and that sets into motion the ultimate redemption of the Jewish people. So, on at first glance, it looks like this is an abysmal failure. This is a disaster. This relationship is a is a is catastrophic, and Avraham Avinu doesn't know how or why, but actually, come to think of it, his going down to Mitzrayim was the most wondrous narrative in the history of the world. His going down and his salvation created the future redemption of the Jewish people. Hashem says, "Listen, I can't explain things right now. Just take my word for it. You're going to go to Eretz Yisrael, and it's going to be really good." And Avraham Avinu says, "I don't see any good, but I just have faith in you. This will end up very well." And then you have to imagine, Avraham Avinu is going with with absolute faith in Hakadosh Baruchu, having no idea that this disaster of his wife being abducted and the plagues and his coming out will ultimately create the redemption of See, now rest assured that's like the story is over before it even begins. In other words, the way the story of the Jewish people begins is Hashem says, "Abraham, you with you're you're with me?" I'm with you. Abraham says, "It's going to be good in the end?" Rebono shel Olam says, "I take care of the end even before I take care of the beginning. First I'm going to set into motion the end of the story, and then you'll see how the rest of the story plays out." So >> Does the Ramban say that it was >> Again, this is going according to the opinions that it was uh it was a nisayon. What? >> Hey Grog. The whole you said of my stuff is in the Ramban though. >> Yeah. Yeah. The Ramban interestingly never applies it to Shema's. We we we use other sources for that, but I'm I'm weaving it together. Now I want to add another thing. The next thing I'm going to tell you, you know that this was just an idea that hit me. I think it's like uh a great treasure, a great nugget that you think about it. Avraham Avinu passed the nisayon and he didn't question Hashem. He said gam zu l'tovah. I don't know that if Avraham Avinu ever knew what the tovah was, but we in retrospect we're looking back, we see it wasn't yeah, it was also pretty good. You know, it has a silver lining. This wasn't a silver lining, this was the most the most spectacular possible outcome. >> How do you know Avraham said gam zu l'tovah? >> That's what the Reb Chaim Volozhiner writes that that this test that he didn't question Hashem the fact that that he didn't have any complaints indicates that he accepted it with equanimity. I'm going to tell you something. I'm going to tell you something. What? >> Ultimate bitachon. >> Yeah. I'll tell you something. I don't know if I I I don't know You know, they say it will be so so long till it says not everything that you think you should say and not everything you say should you write. So, this is something that not everything you say should you write, but I'm going to say it, okay? I'm thinking we're introduced to Abraham Avinu in Noach. However, even though we're introduced to him we know that he has a father, he has a brother, he has a wife, he has a nephew. How many words did Abraham Avinu say in Noach? >> He didn't say >> He didn't say anything. How about it when Hashem says, "Abraham, go." What did um what did Abraham say? "Sure thing, God." No. No. He didn't say anything. He just went. So I was thinking it's probably very interesting, what were the first words ever uttered by Abraham Avinu in the Torah? Because, you know, there's a principle in Rab Tzadok HaKohen, the first time something appears in the Torah sets the tone for its whole essence. So, probably it's significant, what are the very first words that Abraham Avinu ever uttered? >> Hineni. >> He says Hinei >> Hinei Hineni. >> No. He says Hinei na yadati ki isha yefat mareh at. Now I know you're beautiful. What was Abraham Avinu misamel? Abraham Avinu is the uh is the parad- paragon of which middah? Chesed. Chesed. Yeah, he's the greatest ba'al chesed whoever lived. The the biggest responsibility of chesed is to who? To complete strangers? When we say a person has to show kindness to others your greatest responsibility in this world is to do kindness to who? Your relatives. Your relatives. Of all your relatives, your greatest responsibility of Hesed is to >> Your wife. What's more valuable? Giving kindness with money or with words? Words. What's the greatest Hesed that a person can do in this world? To say to your wife the words that Abraham Avinu said to Sarah. Those are the first words ever uttered by Abraham Avinu. I think it's worthwhile to to to point that out. Abraham Avinu, who is he? Well, Abraham Avinu is the greatest Ba'al Hesed who ever lived. Really? To who? To everyone. To even criminals and Sodomites, even to Arabs who come. And what about his family? Then you want to know who Abraham Avinu is? Let's get hit the first words ever recorded. You want to know the greatest act of kindness you could do in this world? Right here. Think about that one. >> The first time he said how beautiful she was when he saw her reflection in in the water. >> That's a Midrash. Right now I'm talking about the first recorded words in the Chumash. Yeah? >> When did he say that? When he saw her reflection. >> Okay. >> So, how was able to marry her without seeing her? >> That's a stum akasha. >> What? >> That's a stum akasha. That's a famous question. That's a well-known question. >> And what's the well-known answer? >> There are many well-known answers, including the Ramban. Rashi says he knew before. He just never had to worry about it until now. Okay, but there are other answers to that question. But that was that was on a human level, okay? The first comments we um attributed to Abraham Avinu is he says he may know you that he is a fast I looked around. I searched. Does anyone point this out?" I found in a safer Das Mikrah that these are his first words, but nobody explains why. Now, now let's explain it on a more holy level, okay? Really, that one is probably more important, but he continues, Amravinu continues. So, what's Amravinu's first request in the whole Torah? "Please say you're my sister so that I could increase the sum in my bank account." That's a little bit of an odd request. Again, the Malbim explains that Amravinu's going to ask for so much money that they won't be able to exceed and he'll be able to come out. However, I once saw this in other sources. I was only able to find for the sheer in the writings of Rabbi Eliyahu HaKohen of Izmir. That Amravinu had an inkling that his going down to Mitzrayim and his coming out will portend the Jewish people's going down to Mitzrayim and coming out. But he knew the Jewish people needed to come out with great wealth. So, he tells Sarah, "It's very important here that when we get out, we don't just get out with the shirt on our backs. We need to come out with a lot of money. So, say that you're my sister so that in the future the Jewish people will come out with a lot of money, which by the way, is later on in Lech Lecha. Which, by the way, even though it's later on in Lech Lecha by the by the Bris bein HaB'sarim, do you know that the Bris bein HaB'sarim happened before this? The Bris bein habsorim happened when Avraham was 70. According to most authorities, Avraham Avinu came to Eretz Yisrael when he was 70 and he made he was yored, he made yerida. And then uh God said get back there. The Malbim says it, the Rosh says it. We once gave a shiur on it, it's called double lech lecha. Lech lecha, couple years ago. So the Rebbe Yochanan of Izmir in his sefer Megaleh Tziyunim also in the sefer May Ol Sod says Avraham Avinu says, "L'man yitav li b'avurech." It's not enough to go down to Mitzrayim and to come out, we need to create the future destiny that the Jewish people will leave with great wealth. Now, why the emphasis that when we left Mitzrayim, the Jewish people left with a lot of money? You know, we were in Mitzrayim for 210 years, but the good news is when we came out, we were loaded. We had gold, we had silver, we had donkeys, we had clothing, we had jewelry. Many seforim write, the Shachal HaTorah, the Alshich, the Ksava Kabbalah number 14, we bring many sources that the rechush gadol that the Jewish people took out of Mitzrayim, you know what was really the great wealth? What was the greatest wealth we took out of Mitzrayim? Not physical wealth? What was the spiritual wealth we got when we left Mitzrayim? The Torah. In fact, the Shachal HaTorah writes, the gematria of of rechush is yatzu b'rechush is gematria Zohar Torah. So think about it. Why were we zocheh to the rechush gadol when we left Mitzrayim? Because when Paroh sent Avraham and Sarah out, they left with with of money. Right? That was the maseh avos. What was the maseh avos similar bunem that when we left Mitzrayim, we should leave with the Torah? When Avraham and Sarah left Paroy, they were sent out with a lot of money, which I guess you would have to explain how that's also some kind of spiritual benefit, but let's leave that for now. So, it comes out the very first words of Avraham Avinu ever recorded in the Torah is Sarah. I know our life is on the line, but we got to set up that one day the Jewish people will receive the Torah. So, do me a favor, say you're my sister, so that when the Pharaoh sends us out, he'll give us a lot of money, so that when the Jews leave Mitzrayim, they'll get the Torah. So, it comes out, aside from the fact that Avraham Avinu's first comment in the Torah was he was doing this great chesed to his wife, he was also locking in the greatest and most important treasure that the Jewish people would ever need, namely that Klal Yisrael should be mekabel the Torah. So, it's amazing, in the first recorded words of Avraham Avinu, you see how great of a ba'al chesed he was, he didn't forget the chesed, his responsibility to those who needed his chesed the most, and you see that what concerning Avraham Avinu is lemaan yitav li ba'avurech. What is that referring to? The rechush gadol. What is the rechush gadol? Toraseinu Hakadosha. So, you see Hashem says, "Lech lecha, go, it's going to be good for you." And Avraham Avinu gets there, and it's an epic disaster. No, it's not an epic disaster. It's Avraham Avinu wins one lottery after another. The moment he gets to Eretz Yisrael, he secures the Geulah Sheleimah. The moment he secures Toraseinu Hakadosha, all of the great gifts that the Eibershter has in store for Klal Yisrael, the moment Hashem says, "Go, it's going to be good for you." Avraham Avinu says, "It's going to be good? It was a disaster." No, it wasn't a disaster. It was good beyond his wildest imagination. And as good as I thought the show was, even better now that I'm giving it. It came out better than I thought. Okay. No, you think about it. Hashem says lech lecha, go for your benefit. And Avinu was thinking to himself, this is this is this is tragic. This is disastrous. This is catastrophic. No, it was better than anything he could have imagined. And the moment he stepped foot near the land of Egypt, all of a sudden the Ribono shel Olam sets into motion the whole destiny of the Jewish people. The Geulah Sheleimah ve'Torah Sheleimah Hakadosha. Have a wonderful night. Chag Sameach. >> Chag Sameach.