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.
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.