Rabbi Mansour 2010 5771
Shabbat Morning Class
פרשת חיי שרה
This week’s Parasha tells the story of Avraham Avinu instructing his
trusted servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son Yishak. The Torah
astonishingly devotes sixty seven Pesukim in telling this story!
Pasuk ' מב begins; " ואבא היום אל העין "–"I came today to the well".
Eliezer tells the family of Rivkah that he arrived today at the well and
proceeds to describe all the miraculous events that occurred, proving that
Rivkah is the chosen one for Yishak. Rashi comments on this Pasuk:
"היום יצאתי והיום באתי מכאן שקפצה לו הארץ.אמר ר' אחא יפה שיחתן של עבדי
אבות לפני המקום מתורתן של בנים" - "Today I left and today I arrived. From
here we see that the land jumped to him. R’ Acha says, the simple talk of
the servants of the Avot is more precious to Hashem than the Torah of their
children"!
Rashi explains that when Eliezer left Avraham Avinu he experienced
קפיצת הדרך . His destination miraculously came closer to him and enabled
him to complete a journey- that would normally take several days- in only
one day. Rashi then comments that from the amount of Pesukim devoted
to this incident, we see how precious even the "small talk" of the servants
of the Avot is before Hashem. There are many complex laws of the Torah
learnt from only a single letter, but here the Torah devotes sixty seven
Pesukim to a story involving the servant of Avraham Avinu!
The miracle of קפיצת הדרך was accomplished by the great Sadikim
using a certain name of Hashem. This name is א-ה-ו-ה . This name comes
from the first Pasuk in the Torah " ."בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ
By contemplating and having certain Kavanot on this name, the Sadikim
are able to either; a) bring themselves closer to their destination, b) Bring
the destination closer to them. This depends on how they use the name.
With א-ה-ו-ה ; they are able to bring themselves closer to their destination.
When they reconfigure the name to spell; ו-ה-א-ה , they bring the
destination closer to them!
The Torah hints to this holy name in the above mentioned Pasuk. The
Roshei Tevot (first letters) of ; " ואבא היום אל העין " is ו-ה-א-ה -the name of
קפיצת הדרך , that causes the earth to move closer to you. This is what Rashi
was alluding to when he comments " מכאן שקפצה לו הארץ "-"from here",
meaning; from this holy name hidden in these words ( ו-ה-א-ה ), is how it
happened that the land moved towards Eliezer!
This is why Rashi waits until this Pasuk (which is 42 Pesukim into the
story), to comment on how much Hashem values the simple talk of the
servants of the Avot. Seemingly, Rashi should have mentioned this at the
onset of the story! Why wait for Pasuk 42?! We now understand that Rashi
was showing us that it is from this Pasuk that we see how in even the
"simple words" of Eliezer were hinted the names of Hashem!! This is the
Pasuk that illustrates Rashi’s point!
From whom did Eliezer learn this holy name? Obviously, from his
master and teacher Avraham Avinu. In his instructions to Eliezer, Avraham
Avinu made him swear in the name of Hashem that is; "אלקי השמים ואלקי
ר''ת א-ה-ו-ה) הארץ" ). He chose this reference to Hashem, in order to teach
Eliezer this holy name of א -ה-ו-ה . The numerical value of this name is 17.
Pasuk 10 speaks of Eliezer’s departure and says; " -"וילך, וכל טוב אדניו בידו
"he departed and all the good of his master was in his hand". The word טוב
equals 17. The Pasuk shows us that in his departure to Haran, he used this
name that equals 17 in order to expedite the trip.
Eliezer’s miraculous journey to find a wife for Yishak exemplifies the
miracles occurring even in today’s time, surrounding the circumstances of a
man and woman’s finding each other for marriage. Many of us have
incredible stories of how and when we met our spouses, and how the hand
of Hashem was evident throughout.
A Jewish wedding and the union between husband and wife have
great importance and deep meaning to it. We are obligated at a wedding to
rejoice with the bride and groom, and someone that enjoys the meal of a
Chatan without making him happy violates five transgressions (this is why
the custom is that the bride’s family pays for the wedding meal. This will
prevent someone from benefiting from a Chatan’s meal without making the
Chatan happy- it is not called "the meal of the Chatan" if the bride is
paying!). If a person properly rejoices with the Chatan he merits having
clarity in his study of Torah.
We see from here the great significance in making the Chatan happy
and the ramifications of doing so. This begs the question; why would we
need to cheer up a groom?! This is the night of his life! He has a new wife,
new clothing, and is about to begin an exciting new life. What would he be
feeling sad about that would necessitate cheering him up?!
The explanation is that the groom realizes "what he just got himself
into". He is now a married man. Until now, he was able to live rent free and
worry free with his parents. Now he must face the "real world" and provide
for not only himself but for a wife and family! It is this realization of the
financial responsibility he has just incurred that makes the Chatan anxious,
and it is our job to lift his spirits.
How do we lift his spirits? By reassuring the Chatan that Hashem will
provide for his needs, and that it is precisely because he is getting married
that he will now be blessed with the finances to pay for it all!
This is seen from the story of Eliezer which-as mentioned-is symbolic
of all Jewish marriages. The miracle of Eliezer was " ואבוא היום אל העין "-the
land "came to him" using the name of א -ה -ו-ה . The land symbolizes material
and physical things. By making the land come to him, Eliezer showed that
the result of marriage is that the material blessings of prosperity and money
come to the man. This is why we wish the Chatan " סימן טוב ומזל טוב "- the
word טוב equals 17, and as mentioned, this is the same Gematriyah as the
name א-ה-ו-ה . We hint to the Chatan that just like this holy name caused
the earth to "jump" towards Eliezer, so too the earth and the material
blessing it represents will jump towards you! This is why we dance in front
of the Chatan. Dancing consists of jumping up and down; we show the
Chatan "look, the earth and its blessings will now jump towards you"!!
This explains the custom to invite the Chatan for an Aliyah to the Torah on
the Shabbat before his wedding and when the Chatan is finished, the
people throw wheat or rice at him. The wheat represents the earthly
blessing that he is about to experience!
This is another understanding of what it says " מצה אשה מצה טוב "-"if
you’ve found a wife you’ve found good". If you’ve married a woman you
have accessed the blessings that are represented by 17 ) טוב ), and the
name א-ה-ו-ה , when the earth (material blessings) will jump to you! It also
says " לא טוב היות אדם לבדו "-"it is no good for a man to be alone". If a man
does not get married he lacks this blessing of טוב and .א-ה-ו-ה
How exactly does this work? Why when a man gets married does he
merit this material blessing? What is it about marriage that triggers
heavenly abundance? The answer is based upon the deeper ramifications
of the union of man and woman in marriage.
The Shechinah of Hashem is with us in this world (as it says ושכנתי
בתוכם ). Our job is to reunite Hashem with his Shechina (these are very
deep and esoteric concepts that we are oversimplifying for our purposes).
Before we perform certain Misvot we say " "לשם יחוד קןדשא ברוך הוא ושכינתיה
- the Misvah we are about to perform should unify Hashem with his
Shechinah.
The Shechinah is synonymous with the name of Hashem of .א-דני
The numerical value of the name א-דני is 65. The numerical value of the
name of Hashem י-ה-ו-ה is 26. When we are successful in merging Hashem
with his Shechinah, we merge these two names and we come to a total of
91. 91 is the numerical value of the special name of Hashem of Parnasah;
פאי (the first letters of פותח את ידך ). When a man unites with a woman in
marriage, this in turn causes a heavenly unification of Hashem with his
Shechinah. This unification causes the two names of א-דני and הויה to
merge resulting in 91. This 91 activates the name of Hashem פאי , and
causes Parnasah and blessing to rain down upon them. This is why at the
time of a marriage; a man merits the blessing of Parnasah. This is another
reason why Rav Shemuel Bar Yishak juggled three myrtles in front of the
Chatan (see 2009 notes on Parashat Chayei Sarah). The three myrtles
correspond to the three letters of the name פאי , which the Chatan "brings
down" at this time!
This is also symbolized in the act of the Chatan stepping on a glass
cup under the Chupah (every action under the Chupah has great
significance. For example; it is said that if the bride places her right foot
above the right foot of the Chatan, she will control him throughout their
marriage!). The name of Hashem of אלקים equals 86. This is also the
numerical value of the word הטבע -nature. Hashem "hides" himself in the
nature, and everything that is considered nature is of course really
Hashem. Another word that equals 86 is כוס -cup. The Chatan breaks a cup
or a glass under the Chupah to symbolize that through this marriage he is
"breaking the 86 )"טבע ). He is defying the natural cause of events, and even
though now is a time that seemingly should begin a difficult period of
providing for a family, it will really be the onset of great blessing for him.
The greater the harmony is in the home, the greater the blessing is
for the man and the stronger his connection to the financial blessing
represented by the union of Hashem and his Shechinah activating -פאי
Parnasah. It says that one argument pushes away 100 Parnasah’s! The
better the relationship is between man and wife, the more financial success
the husband will enjoy! This is why Rava advised his students (Gemarah
Baba Metziah 59A). " אוקירו לנשייכו כי הינו דתתעתרו "-"respect your wives so
that you will become wealthy", as the Pasuk says " ולאברם הטיב בעבורה "-"to
Avram they were good to on her account".
There is another spiritual effect that marriage has. This is to break our
association with the angels of the סיטרא אחרא (side of impurity). When a
man is born he does not have a wife. The female angel of impurity לילית
(not to be pronounced), attaches itself to the man to try and be his mate.
This causes difficulties for a man, and creates great tests of impurity for
him. When a female is born, the male angel of impurity סמאל (not to be
pronounced) attaches to her in order to be her mate. This too causes a
certain impurity in the woman. (We refer to these two angels in the Amidah
when we say; וכל אויבך וכל שונאך מהרה יכרתו ). When a man and woman
unite in marriage, they sever their bond to these angles! The man breaks
away from לילית and the woman from סמאל . This is indeed cause for great
celebration!
How careful must we be in our approach and our attitude towards
weddings? A wedding is a moment of heavenly unifications and
disconnection from spiritual impurities! We must of course dress
appropriately and have the proper reverence at this auspicious time!
The names of these angels of impurity total 611 ( 131 =סמאל ,
480 =לילית , 131+480=611). The learning of Torah breaks the strength of
these angels. 611 =תורה , showing that it counteracts the affects of these
angels. This is the meaning of what it says; "בראתי יצר הרע בראתי תורה
תבלין" -"I created a Yeser Hara and I created the Torah as the antidote for
it". The 611 ) תורה ) is the antidote to the Yeser Hara (the angels of impurity
that total 611).
This is also alluded to in the Gemarah Shabbat 43A, where it says
כופין את הסל לפני האפרוחין" "-"we may turn over a basket for little chicks". The
Zohar calls the little children studying Torah; אפרוחון . The Gemarah’s
deeper message is that we are כופין (force or subjugate) סל -the word סל
stands for the two angels לילית and סמאל . Through אפרוחון -the pure study of
Torah by the children.
We also find this union of Hashem and his Shechinah, and the
breaking of the power of the impure angels on the holy day of Shabbat. It
says that in the beginning, Sunday "married" Monday, Tuesday married
Wednesday, and Thursday married Friday. The only day left without a mate
was Shabbat. The Shabbat asked Hashem; what about my mate? "Don’t
worry"; Hashem responded "the Jewish people will be your mate". Every
seventh day we marry the Shabbat. That is why we say to the Shabbat;
באי כלה, באי כלה" "-"come my bride, come my bride"! We wear our finest
garments and eat the finest foods, in honor of our wedding to Shabbat! This
"marriage" causes the unification and "wedding" between Hashem and his
Shechinah, and breaks the connection of the angel’s סמ and לילי ! This is
hinted in the word שבת .שבת equals 702. When we add the names of
Hashem א-דני and הויה (that merge through the Shechinah uniting with
Hashem), we get 91. The names of לילי and סמ (whom we disconnect from)
total 611. 611+91=702 ( שבת )! From this we see that what is taking place
every Shabbat is the unification of קודשא בריך הוא ושכינתיה -(Hashem with is
Shechinah) and the breaking of the forces of the angels of impurity!
This is why Shabbat is called; מקור הברכה the source of blessing and
Parnasah. This is because we are combining the names of (שכינה) א-דני
with הויה that total 91 and connect to Hashem’s name of Parnasah; פאי
(91)!!
How wondrous and lofty are the ramifications of the Shabbat Kodesh!
We unite the holiness of Hashem with his Shechinah, we cause the
combining of names of Hashem to bring down blessing and prosperity, and
we shatter the forces of the angels of impurity. By respecting the holy
Shabbat (as well as our spouses) we bring down the maximum blessing
and שפע . May we merit to bring about the ultimate unification of
קודשא בריך הוא ושכינתיה with the ! משיח צדקנו אמן
