Rabbi Benjamin Yudin Discusses Parshas Lech Lecha on JM in the AM (5787)

Good morning, nachum. Good have shabbos everybody. Tomorrow we have the privilege of reading parshas lech lecha. In parshas lech lecha, we do have one of the 613 mitzvahs of the torah. We follow the count of the chinuch and we have the second mitzvah of the torah, namely that of the mitzvah of milah. Circumcision. And interesting tonight in the opening paragraph, introduction to the kiddush, we conclude that hashem rested b'chom lachto from all his work. Ceased is a better word because it's no exertion for him. Asher bara elokim, which god had literally created, kolen la'asos, to do. What does that to do mean? Our rabbos understand it to mean that hashem created a world only so far and he left the rest for man to complete, quote, the job. To complete the world. And so the chinuch explains in mitzvah two, in his paragraph which is entitled, which he has in most every mitzvah, m'shorshei mitzvah zu, giving us some understanding and the root reason for this mitzvah is that not only that hashem wanted that his people should have a permanent sign in and on their bodies to differentiate them from other nations, he concludes by saying that hashem did not create man complete and perfect from the womb in order to teach him that just as the perfection of his physical form is by his own hand so too does it lie in his hand within his means and power to complete his spiritual form development and worthiness of his actions. A very interesting insight into Mitzvah Mila. I'd like to focus on the beginning of the parsha whereby as we all know Avraham Avinu is tested as is taught in the fifth chapter of Avos with 10 tests and he passed them all. What they are we have no time to go into now. Interestingly the fact that there's a famine in the land as soon as Avraham gets there and he immediately goes down to Mitzrayim is that passing the test or not? According to Rashi he definitely did pass the test by not complaining to Hashem and saying wait a minute, what's going on here? You told me to go to Canaan, I came to Canaan and now there's no food, what's going on? This is not what I bargained for. So according to Rashi Avraham passes the test by not complaining, accepting and being that good soldier. According to the Ramban this is not one of the tests because indeed according to the Ramban he would say Avraham I don't want to space the word but maybe f a i l e d. What does that mean? It means according to the Ramban, given who Abraham was, given that he had a relationship with Hakadosh Baruchu, given that he was spared and saved miraculously from the furnace when he was thrown in Ur Kasdim, Hashem would not have let him die in the famine. He should have had greater trust. He should have stayed in the land of Canaan. However, whether this was one of the tests, he certainly passed the test of Lech Lecha, meaning leaving the land, community, family, and literally starting a whole new life. Now, the Rambam, in the first chapter of the laws of idolatry, gives us a good deal of the background, how idolatry came into being, and how Avraham Avinu understood, wrestled with the fact that if there is a world, there has to be a world maker, known by many as the watchmaker theory. The world is too big for us to understand. But if there's a watch, for sure, the pieces just didn't fall off the table by themselves and fall together and closed, and now have a working watch, but rather if there is a watch, there has to be a watchmaker. If there is a world, there has to be a world maker. And he would taught, when he, at the age of 40, says the Rambam, was so convinced of this fact that he could not keep it to himself, but rather went out, challenged, debated people on this point. And he broke the slomim, the idols, showing them that they have zero power. It's worthless and wrong to bow down to them, and they are to be smashed and broken. And therefore, when he had convinced too many, the king Nimrod wanted to kill him. He was miraculously saved, and he went to Haran. And he continued to preach, reach out to the entire world, teaching that there is one God, and only he is it worthy to serve. And he went from city to city, and gathered many persons, and I quote from the Rambam, he had achdus Hakadosh ahavah, until he had gathered unto him alafim a thousands, urivavos, and tens of thousands. And they were anshei the members of base Avraham, and he implanted in their hearts this great principle. He composed many books, according to the Gemara in Avodah Zarah, Yud Daled Amud Bet, no less than 400 perhaps essays. We don't know the size of these books. He taught this principle to Yitzchak, who in turn taught taught it to others and specifically Yaakov. He pointed Yaakov as the teacher of this. Yaakov taught to whoever came to him. And Yaakov taught Derech Hashem, the way of God, U'Lishmor Mitzvos Avraham. And to observe the mitzvos that Avraham were preaching, which is, we have to say, the seven mitzvos Bnei Noach. God gave Noach when he came out of the Tevah. The seven mitzvos. And this is what Avraham Avinu taught. The Rambam teaches us that he had thousands of disciples. So, I'd like to ask the obvious question, that when Yaakov comes down to Egypt, why is it that he has but 70 souls? The immediate family, children, grandchildren. What happened to all the converts? So, I'd like to suggest a very fascinating answer given by Rav Moshe Avigdor Amiel, Zechrono Livracha, who was the Rav Rashi of Yafo-Tel Aviv. An excellent Darshan. And he suggests the following idea. What does it mean when the Torah tells us that when Avraham complies with Hashem. He takes Sarai, he takes his nephew Lot, he takes his possessions and the nefesh asher asu be Haran, the souls that he had made in Haran. Now, we know that you cannot make a soul. As much as people have tried in the laboratory, you cannot make a soul. So, what does it mean the souls that Avram made? So, Rashi teaches that Avram converted the men and Sarai converted the women. Now, we don't have the exact curriculum as to what it is that he taught them, but you have to say he taught them Zion misvos b'nei Noach, the seven misvos of Noach. But, what was special about this quote conversion? So, Rav Amiel suggests very sharply the following. Hanefesh asher asu be Haran, the conversion was teaching man that man is no longer a subject, he's no longer, excuse me, an object, but rather he is a subject. He's important. Now, what does that mean? Watch. We find in last week's parsha of Noach, Hashem says, "Keitz kol basar ba lefanai." The end of all flesh, referring to man and mankind as flesh. "Hishchis kol basar." All of mankind has become corrupt. Ouch. Man was reduced to basar, flesh. Now comes Avraham Avinu and says, "I have to tell you, everybody, that you are not flesh. What are you? You're a nefesh. You have a soul. You were created in the image of God. You are important. You are that subject, not simply an object. Wow." and this idea that Avram taught this concept of nefesh applies especially in the area of marriage. Whereby Avram says to Sarai, "Tell them you're my sister in order that nafshi be glolech. In order that my soul will be saved." His soul, when it interacts with Sarai, his soul is elevated through marriage. And that's why I'd like to point out a very interesting phenomena regarding marriage. We, the Jewish people, under the chuppah, have two ceremonies. Originally, these two ceremonies were separated. They are the erusin, betrothal, which is the closest thing to a halachic engagement, and then the nisuin, which is the actual marriage of the sheva brachot. And >> [clears throat] >> the bracha is such a strange one. The bracha says, "Asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, we thank God who commanded us with and sanctified us with His commandments and with His commandments, v'tzivanu, and He commanded us al ha'arayot, regarding the forbidden sexual relations, regarding forbidden unions." Why would we start a bracha with that which is forbidden to us? And we continue, "Who forbade betrothed women to us that after the ring ceremony, which is she's betrothed, she's still prohibited to have intimacy with her husband until after the sheva brachot under the chuppah." And the point behind this is a beautiful one that before there is that connection between the husband and wife of for you the a hard they become one flesh prior to that there is this spiritual connection of the see all the royal ones that which is prohibited to them but there is at that time not a physical but first comes a spiritual connection between the husband and wife. What a beautiful idea and this is what makes Jewish marriage different from marriage in the secular and world at large. So the idea that is being communicated we are all these many converts. No, he did not convert them with Shabbos, filling, Torah Mishpacha and Kashes. He converted them that they should realize wow, how special, how important they are. How special, how important we are when we realize that we are not only but sir but we are but I shall the fish and this beautiful acolation which I have a menu to with the people then has given us that very special closeness with all the royal ones and truly it's ascertained through marriage as I have a good as you bought who says the royal stick we all them this character relationship between the two of us is one of Erison, is one of Nefesh, and that is eternal. How blessed we are to be of the family of Avram. Shabbat Shalom to all.