Lech L'chah 5770: The Other Woman

The thread of the dysfunctional families of Bereishis continues. The story of Sarah the Matriarch (née Sarai) seems sensational and pitiful.

The Torah first informs us of Sarah’s infertility at the end of parshas Noach (Bereishis 11.30). Textually, this precedes the biblical wedding announcement of Avraham and Sarah. We can almost sense trouble brewing. Fast forward five chapters to the end of Lech Lecha and more than ten years since Avraham’s relocation and we now sense Sarah’s frustration.

God promises that Avraham will be the patriarch of a great nation. Yet with Avraham in his eighties, there are no sons. In an act of desperation, Sarah encourages Avraham to take Hagar, her Egyptian slave so that Avraham can father a son. What can she hope to gain declaring that “perhaps I will be built up from her"? We can just imagine the surprise of both women when Hagar immediately conceives.

Hagar uncharacteristically assumes an air of superiority over Sarah because of her success in carrying Avraham’s progeny in contrast to Sarah’s failure. Sarah is indignant over the disrespect of her slave. Or maybe there is more egging her on. She turns on Avraham and seeks to lay the blame at his feet! Avraham shrugs it off and tells Sarah to do with Hagar as she wishes. So, Sarah torments Hagar until Hagar flees.

Recalling that Sarah is the primal Matriarch, we marvel at this behavior. First, how does a slave suddenly show contempt for her mistress? And how does the righteous Sarah come to treat Hagar so cruelly? How does infertility affect Avraham and Sarah? God promised Avraham an heir; Did God make this same promise to Sarah?

Noach 5770 EXTRA: Mystery Word

This morning we came across Bereishis 9.20:

 וַיָּחֶל נֹחַ אִישׁ הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּטַּע כָּרֶם:

And Noach began a master of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.

...or at least this seems the literal translation. Of course, Torah analysis is not always what it seems. And as is so often the case, we ran out of time.


Rashi renders it this way (citing the midrash): 

ויחל: עשה עצמו חולין, שהיה לו לעסוק תחלה בנטיעה אחרת

began: he made himself profane, for he should have first engaged in planting something different. [Bereishis Rabbah 36:3]

Rashi leaves us puzzled. Has he re-cast ויחל from the root חולין (profane)? Do we suppose Rashi inserts some words and keeps "He began" and fills the missing information about what it is that he began? Perhaps "He began to make himself profane"?


R' SR Hirsch inserts two missing words: And Noach began to be the man of the earth...He makes no comments and thus must be totally at ease with the construct.


Dr Everett Fox who translates the Torah most literally, puts it this way: "And Noach was the first man of the soil." This ties in neatly with the Medrash. See the Rashi at Bereishis 5.29.


How do you translate this verse?

Noach 5770: The Rise and Fall of Noach

When we consider parshas Noach, we quickly realize that for the most part, this portion is about Noach (Noah) the man. Oh sure, there’s a flood and a collapsed skyscraper and much more and yet...we strive to analyze his unusual personality. Usually, our focus is on page one:

• “Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generation; Noach walked with God. (Bereishis 6.9)”

Noach had great qualities but why does the text stipulate “in his generation” as if to qualify his superlatives?

It is useful to attempt an holistic view of his life and the text is most obliging. Noach really had three careers:

• Agriculture Innovator “And he named him Noach, saying, 'This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands from the ground, which God cursed.'" (ibid 5.29)
• Chosen Boat Builder and Sailor “Make an ark of gopher wood for yourself...” (ibid 6.14). “On that very day Noach...entered into the ark” (ibid 7.13)
• Vintner “And Noach began to be a master of the soil, and he planted a vineyard” (ibid 9.20)

Noach experienced quite a meteoric rise and crash. He advances from noted implement craftsman to the ultimate religionist of his day. He is chosen by God to survive a total annihilation of life on land and tasked with seeding a rebirth. Successful at preserving species of both land and air, Noach emerges triumphantly from the ark. He is showered with blessings and a covenant. What comes next is perplexing.

Noach virtually immerses himself in viticulture and winemaking...and imbibes in his product to excess. How do we explain this sudden shift in behavior? How does this diluvian hero morph into the drunken patriarch of a dysfunctional family? What do we make of this man who has no dialog until his fall from grace (ibid 6.8)? 

Is there an important lesson the Torah is imparting by presenting the life of Noach?

Bereishis 5770: Fatal Rivalry

As a whole, Bereishis the book lays the foundation of the evolution of the Bnei Yisroel, the Nation of Israel. It does not escape us (or Rashi for that matter) that Bereishis is nearly all narrative and almost bereft of commandments. Is the Torah not a book of laws? 

When we take a cursory survey of Bereishis, we find murder, mayhem, kidnap, deception, immorality, favoritism, vandalism and the list goes on. Why does the Torah present us with these lurid crimes? The Ramban (Nachmanides) who likes to identify the theme of each of the five books, sees Bereishis as a series of ethical lessons that teach people the ways of faith. We will look for that message in every tale we examine in Bereishis.

Bereishis, the parshah has two important themes:

• Creating the perfect world
• The consequences of acts that are contrary to this creation

The tragedy of Cain and Abel provides just such a setback to the creation drama. The fourth chapter of Bereishis lays out an open and shut case of cold-blooded murder: In a jealous rage after a snubbed sacrifice, Cain slays his younger brother. Confronted by God, Cain shrugs it off. God presents the evidence and Cain is sentenced. 

What do we make of this story? “Thou shalt not murder?” The text could have said just that. That God will judge the guilty? No, this chapter hints to much more than a quick read reveals.

Not only does the Torah introduce the concept of sacrifice, it teaches that offerings can be accepted or refused. Why is Cain's offering refused?

God engages Cain in casual conversation, inquiring as to Abel's whereabouts. Does God not know what has occurred? Compare the responses to the confrontation with Adam and Eve after they transgress. See chapter 3, verse 9.

Can we undo sin? Does sin tempt us? How can we best respond? 

Does Cain's punishment fit the crime? Does he show any remorse?

What are the contemporary lessons learned from Cain's moral dilemmas?