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Vayera - Mind wide open 

10/16/2013

4 Comments

 
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In this week's parsha Hagar and her son Yishmael are sent away from Avraham's house because they are a bad influence on Yitzchak. Hagar was dehydrated and near death when she cried out to God. Then  "God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water." - Berashis 21:19     

Rabbi Nosson Sherman in his intrduction to Kohelet notes the verse does not say that God created a well, rather it says God opened Hagar's eyes, the well was their all along. So why had she not seen the well the entire time?
 
Hagar did not see the well because its exisistance was not in her worldview. Her thinking  was that of materialistic, cause and effect universe. She believed that no water could flow in the desert and so she could not see the well. She thought it was impossible. She could neither see it, nor envision it. This is in direct contrast to Avraham's worldview. 

The very existance of the Jewish people as a nation, from its inception,  is based on an impossible miracle. Yitzchak was the first Jewish baby, when Sarah was told she would conceive, although she had passed her child bearing years, she laughed because she thought it was impossible. Avraham understood that possible and impossible are just synonyms for human blindness.

Avraham and his descendents the Jewish people are tasked with opening the eyes of the world, they do this not only through teaching, but by virtue of the miracle of their existance. Just as the creation of the Jewish people is a miracle so to the creation of every Jewish child is a supernatural event, just ask any parent. 

Great leaders have a healthy disregard for the impossible. 

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small people who find it easier to live in the world they have been given, then to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinon. Impossible is not a declaration. Its a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.    Impossible is nothing. " - Muhhamed Ali 

Shabbat Shalom 
Dan Epstein

'Textualizing my life experience by contextualizing the Torah', based on a teaching of  Rav Dov Lerea. 

4 Comments
ari
10/16/2013 09:42:26 pm

why do you say avraham understood but sarah didn't? they both laughed in disbelief

Reply
Dan Epstein
10/17/2013 02:15:56 am

I did not see in the text where Avraham laughed . In Genesis 18:12 the text says "Sarah laughed" then God asks Avraham in 18:13 "Why did Sarah laugh?" Let me know if I am missing something.

It is interesting to point out that Sarah told Avraham to expel Hagar, Women in general have Binah or a deeper understanding of peoples true nature . God tells Avraham "whatever Sarah tells you to do listen" some say this indicates Sarah was a greater prophet then Avraham

Reply
Dan Epstein
10/17/2013 05:16:04 am

I apologize Ari , you are 100% correct and I was mistaken.

In Berashis 17:17 Avraham is told about his son and the Chumash says ויצחק . On this term the Onkelis translation in to Aramaic renders this word as rejoiced . In the case of Sarah it is translated as laughed. A few differences should be noted in the two situations.

Avraham was told directly by God, he was genuinely happy with this news . Sarah on the other hand overheard a conversation from a group of strange travelers who she might have felt were attempting to flatter their gracious host. Also in Sara's case she laughed to herself indicating it was more of a mocking laugh then a laugh of joy.

Great question , thanks for the feedback .

Reply
Esther link
10/17/2013 09:14:03 am

B"H
So Hagar did not see the well, and Sarah laughed at what she heard about her becoming a Mom at an advanced age. Two jaded ladies. Avrohom, who had withstood 10 tests or was about to withstand them -an incredibly strong man-, could also hardly believe his ears that he would be a father through Sarah. Rebbetzin Jungreis teaches that Sarah was a gilgul of Chava. Adam listened to Chava and what a mess ensued. Avrohom, listened to Sarah twice: when she said to father a child with Hagar, when she told her husband to send the handmaiden and child away. (I've heard people blame Sarah for what has ensued in terms of animosity with the descendents of Ishmael, and I'm repeating here what I have heard other people say.) But the fact that Sarah lit candles since the age of three -according to some- to bring light to the world as Tikkun precisely on the eve of Shabbat when the sin of eating the forbidden fruit was committed, meant the level of Kedusha surrounding Sarah. HaShem told Avrohom Avinu to listen to her. Further to UMJC.org: "Sarah's Shabbat candles never went out - the light from them was a means to peace in her tent and for spiritual growth for her family." Avrohom could build a family with peace and spiritual growth -what could have been perceived as impossible in his time and place-, and as they say: if you build it, they will come.

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