parents as role models

Towards the end of the Tanya we see a discussion of how learning Torah differs from the practical mitzwoth.

One of the Alter Rebbe's major points is that Torah, as a pursuit of God, is limited in that the closest we can come is to an awareness of the Existence of God, but we cannot experience His Essence.

Through performing the physical mitzwoth, on the other hand, we are actually binding ourselves to God's Essence. (Note that this includes even (or especially) studying the halachot of the performance of physical mitzwoth because through the study of the performance of the mitzwoth we connect to the Essence of God's Intellect which prescribed the precise boundaries of the mitzwoth.)

My cousin Solly related a dvar Torah he had heard elsewhere regarding Avraham Avinu's tremendous intellectual insight that God existed. The question raised is, after such an insight, why did HaShem have to test Avraham? The Answer lies in the two relationships a person forges with HaShem, one is this intellectual relationship and the other is a relationship built on action and commitment. This second relationship was the one Avraham had to build, this was the purpose of the ten trials he underwent.

What strikes me personally is how one of these aspects of serving God seems very paternal, and the other maternal. Perhaps this is why HaShem gave each of us a mother and a father, to show us that we need to connect to God both through an intellectual awareness of His Existence (Torah study) and through the closeness brought about by ongoing involvement. (Mitzwah performance)

[This bears out some excellent relationship advice: When one's marriage mixes both these means of relationship, understanding and respect (intellectual) as well as shared time and experiences (involvement) there is the potential for a full and rewarding unity.]

fragrant clothes

The Zohar explains that Esav's "festive garments" (bigdei hamudot) were taken from Nimrod when he killed him. This coincidentally was the day Yaakov bought the birthright from him, presumably the day Avraham died.

It's interesting to note that Nimrod, Avraham's foil, was kept around until the death of Avraham, when he no longer served a purpose. Presumably it was only because of Avraham's prayers that Nimrod hung around. It's fitting in a way, that Esav, Avraham's grandson, killed Nimrod, Avraham's Arch-nemesis who threw him into the fire.

Anyways, back to the point at hand: Those very clothes that Esav took from Nimrod were the garments that God made for Adam when He exiled him from the Garden of Eden. Nimrod wore them and they transformed him into a mighty hunter. Still, he was no match for Esav who killed him and took the clothes from him.

Later, it's only when Rivkah gave Yaakov the clothes (how did Rivkah have them? Rashi tells us that Esav didn't trust his own wives with them, so he left them with his mother) and he donned them that they gave off a beautiful aroma. Yitzhak smells this and knows that his son, Yaakov, is worthy of the blessings.

Why did the clothes give off a beautiful scent? Because they had finally returned to their rightful owner. What?Yaakov Avinu is said to have the countenance (literally: beauty) of Adam. What does this mean, how could it possibly be? Adam was an other-worldly celestial being! After the sin, Adam was reduced to mere mortal terms and it was this form that Yaakov resembled.

It is for this reason that Yaakov shared the same spiritual nature with Adam that he was able ultimately to rectify the nature of Adam. His descendants all followed in his Godly ways and received the Torah, at which time the stink of the sin was removed from all his future generations.

That's not the end of the story, we know, since the sin of the golden calf followed shortly afterwards. Still, the stink of the sin of the golden calf is nothing compared to that of the sin in the Garden. When the children of Yaakov clothe themselves in the words of the Torah they too give off a pleasing scent before God and draw down abundant blessing in the world. Think about that the next time you don a Talit or a kipah [or cover your hair--married women] or wear nice clothes for Shabbat.

Be involved in mitzwoth. Fill the world with the aroma of the Garden of Eden.

revealing the crown of the King

Rav Hayyim ibn Atar, in his Ohr HaHayyim, asks a great question on the first words of Parashath VaYeira, "And to him appeared God." ('וירא אליו ה) Why is Avraham, the observer of the appearance, mentioned before God, who actually did the appearing? R' Hayyim points out as well that every other time it mentions God appearing to Avraham, it mentions God first. ("and God appeared to Avraham")

What's different now? This time HaShem appeared to Avraham it is after the Brit Milah. This, the Ohr HaHayyim explains, is the answer to our question, as expressed in Midrash Rabbah, the Avot, the forefathers were the Merkavah ("vehicle") for the Divine Pressence in this world. God revealed Himself upon Avraham Avinu.

Even more than that, all the while that Avraham bore the Brit Milah, HaShem never left Avraham Avinu and so this is the last time that God is recorded as 'revealing Himself' to Avraham before speaking. From now on, God simply speaks to Avraham without needing to be 'revealed' again. The revelation in the beginning of Parashath VaYeira is a lasting revelation.

[Finally, he quotes the Zohar which says: as long as the mark of God (Brit Milah) is upon a person, the Divine Presence rests upon him.]

hastening the end

We've all experienced the thrill of planning something new. We've also all experienced waking up the next morning and wondering what happened to all that energy and drive for our new plan. It just vanished overnight, as quickly as it came.

We aren't always 'energized' and when we are, we usually waste it.

The challenge for today and every day hereafter: whenever you have that burst of energy, invest it in something positive immediately. Don't hesitate, certainly don't wait, act on it, in some small sure-fire way.

This is the midah (attribute) of zrizut - haste.

When you suddenly remember something you did that was less than perfect, stop right where you are and confess before HaShem, do immediate Teshuvah. In the past I've written about how this kind of Teshuvah is the highest, because you are in the heat of the moment, you are reliving the sin and embarrassed by it.

When you think that you would like to be more spiritual or work on one aspect of religious observance or another, or honor the memory of a late (grand-) parent, don't put it off and decide you will plan something special. Stop right there, find something to eat/drink and make a berachah. Or give some tzedaka, learn some Torah, all of the above.

When you find yourself well-practiced at this new discipline, you will be thankful to see that you are bringing your desires into action, you will feel more fulfilled. Even more, you will see how this aspect of zrizut pours over into all aspects of your life. You'll turn off the TV when nothing interesting is on, you will catch yourself sitting mindlessly looking at your phone or out the window and utilize this time.

And then the test becomes: don't get irritated at every one else who isn't there yet. But that's a matter for another time.

I'd like to share one short example of how Avraham Avinu (our forefather) exemplified this trait of zrizut.

When God told Avraham to go and sacrifice Yitzhak (Akeidat Yitzhak) his only son, he didn't tell him where to go, but he knew it would take some time to get there, yet the Noam Elimelech points out something weird about Avraham's behavior: He chopped the wood right then and there, even though he would be carrying it for a few days. Reb Elimelech learns from this that when we are burning with the desire to do something, it's important to manifest this desire physically somehow, so that we don't lose the initial desire entirely. Avraham Avinu chopped the wood for the sacrifice right away in order not to lose his precious initial fervor.

It occurred to me that there is a question about the way we relate to the Akeidah, indeed some commentators suggest Avraham (despite what appears to be the literal understanding of the text of the event) did sacrifice Yitzhak. We even see support for it in references to "Yitzhak's ashes." So the question is: "If he wasn't burnt, then where did these ashes come from?"

I have two answers I'd like to share with you, the first is one that I arrived at a long time ago and it still provides an acceptable answer, but the second drives home our current point of zrizut:

(1) In Bereishith we see that man was created through the union of dust and wind/spirit. At the akeidah, the binding of Yitzhak, he divested himself of the dust component and was left in an entirely spiritual state. His dust [ashes] remained on the altar even though he was not sacrificed.

(2) The ashes of Yitzhak are the ashes of the wood that Avraham chopped in the initial moment of holy fervor and devotion in which he was prepared to sacrifice Yitzhak himself. From this we see that the initial spark of holy devotion is tantamount in the eyes of HaShem to the follow through of the act itself. Even though Yitzhak wasn't burnt, the wood that was prepared for the burning of Yitzhak was elevated to a level as holy as Yitzhak himself being offered.

From here we can learn how crucial it is not to lose that initial spark of inspiration, channel it into something concrete and know that you have already completed the greatest part of your goal.

Perhaps this is why our Rabbis teach that all beginnings are difficult. (כל התחלות קשות)

[Those who delve into this teaching will understand the gravity of motzi zera l'vatalah, HaShem Yishmor.]

bringing your shoulders to bear

וישכם אברהם בבוקר - And Abraham arose early in the morning.

The Noam Elimelech explains that there are two kinds of divine Kindness, hidden and revealed. Hidden kindness is referred to as brains or intellect, (מוחין) revealed kindness is referred to as 'shoulders' (שכם) because it sticks out and is a lot more broad.

Avraham, the father of what is today known as Judaism, was all about bringing hidden kindness down to the level of revelation. That's the true meaning of the passage above: boker/morning is another name for 'Kindness' -- Avraham was always involved in bringing boker/Kindness to the level of שכם - shoulders/revelation.

when words mean more than action

In the end of Masechet Megillah (31b) there is a conversation recorded between HaShem and Avraham Avinu, about what would happen if we anger HaShem and He wants to destroy us. In short, Avraham Avinu asks, what about when there is no Beit HaMikdash and they sin before you, since they can't offer any sacrifices, how will they repair their sins? HaShem replies that He gave us the Torah that outlines the laws and ritual of the sacrifices, whenever we read the Torah of the sacrifices, HaShem accepts that as if we offered the sacrifices themselves and forgives us our transgressions.

It seems to me like perhaps we should learn the Torah of the karbonot whenever we want to work on Teshuvah. This is especially relevant as we are now in the book of VaYikra which contains the teachings pertaining to the various offerings.

HaShem so much wants our Teshuvah and our well-being that He will accept something that is no more than a written account of what should be done as a full apology. This is interesting in the light of what Shmuel HaNavi says to Shaul HaMelech when he saved the animals of Amalek to offer as sacrifices to HaShem: You think HaShem wants your sacrifices? All He wants is for you to listen to His Word.

So, by learning the Torah of the karbonot (Torah being the Word of God) when we cannot currently actually offer the sacrifices, perhaps we are acknowledging the depth of Shmuel HaNavi's words.

On a semi-related note, the RaShaSh z"l Rav Shalom Sharabi, regarding the Tefillah and the Seder on Pesah, explains that mitzwoth that are performed through speech alone illuminate with the inner aspect of HaShem's light, whereas mitzwoth performed through physical acts illuminate with the outer aspect of HaShem's light. So, perhaps in our case here, even though we cannot bring down the outer light, through actually performing the sacrifice, by reading the Torah regarding the sacrifice aloud, we can still awaken and draw down the inner light.

land ho!

In honor of Mosheh Rabbeinu's Yahrtzeit, (7 Adar) i'll mention something i came across yesterday. The Hesed L'Avraham explains that when HaShem originally promised the land of Israel to Avraham's children, He promised him ten lands. When the Jewish People were brought out of Egypt, HaShem gave them only the lands of the seven canaanite nations. Rav Azulai explains that the remaining three lands represent the mind/sechel, while the seven lands represent the seven middoth and the body. It is for this reason that Mosheh Rabbeinu was buried outside of then-current Israel, in part of the three lands, because Mosheh represents the aspect of Da'ath, knowledge, part of the mind rather than the body.

After the final Geulah, R' Azulai adds, the three remaining lands will become part of the land of Israel as well, [and HaShem's promise to Avraham will be complete.]

having your father over for shabbath

I spoke a little bit this past Shabbath about a special relationship with HaShem that is always available to us but especially so on Shabbath.

On Shabbath it is so easy and so close to us to reach out, to extend ourselves a little to HaShem and invite Him into us to spend Shabbath with us, to sit at the Shabbath table of His sons and His daughters.

This is the Neshamah Yetera, the additional Shabbath soul that every Jew receives on Shabbath. The nature of the reception is entirely up to us, when we welcome in this additional soul, and bring it close, recognise how precious it is to us, then we rejoice together in the pleasure of Shabbath.

This relationship is not limited to Shabbath but is open and easiest to us on Shabbath, this is what is meant by the passuk וביום השביעי שבת וינפש - on the seventh day HaShem was [as] nefesh. Nefesh is the lowest of all the spiritual levels of the soul. It is the only level that is clothed entirely within the body, the level that is completely connected to the body. (If I recall correctly even after death the nefesh stays with the body.) On Shabbath HaShem comes down to the lowest levels to truly dwell within us, ושכנתי בתוכם - and I dwell within them.

This is just the smallest bit of a beginning to what the experience of Shabbath is truly meant to be.

One of the best ways to prepare oneself to really be able to make space for and accomodate HaShem as our guest on Shabbath is to accomodate other guests on Shabbath and to recognize within each of them, the Neshama Yetera.

Is it any wonder then, that the first person to actually build such a relationship of closeness with HaShem, Avraham our father, was also known for his unparalleled hospitality? Through hachnasat orchim, inviting guests into our home, we are able to build the spiritual muscles that allow us to bring HaShem into our lives, and what a kindness of HaShem that he gave us Shabbath, the most oppurtune time, to devote our efforts.

the sweetest challenge

לעילוי נשמת עובדיה בן יעקב אהרון ורחל מתנה

I spoke this past sunday at my grandfather's (Albert Jacob's) shloshim. (My father asked each of us not to only talk about our grandfather, but also to teach some Torah as well.) Here are the (paraphrased rough) contents of the speech:

My grandfather, who I called Papa, taught me tremendous depths of wisdom but always through the simplest and most basic of lessons.

When writing a business letter, he said, always start with the other person, don't start with your self. "Dear Sir, I would like.." Was the wrong beginning whereas, "Dear Sir, Would you be willing.." was something closer to acceptable. Put the focus on the person you are writing to. Make them important.

This is such a deep and true lesson that we find the same thing in the Torah. HaShem's name is the third word mentioned in the Torah, while the first is בראשית. Rashi immediately explains that בראשית means that through the Torah (which is called ראשית) HaShem created the world, and that the world was created for Bnei Yisrael. (who is also called ראשית, His first born son.)

But why did Rashi mention the Torah first, and Bnei Yisrael second?

This we can only answer by asking another question about Avraham Avinu and Yitzhak Avinu. Avraham was all about giving without holding anything back. How is it that Yitzhak could be seen as a continuation of Avraham's path, if Yitzhak was all about gevurah, about holding back, about denial? What was the chidush, the revelation, by Yitzhak such that we don't feel that he rejected and rebelled against his father's path, but rather carried it a step further?

To understand the answer to this question I had to understand my loss a little better. Papa was such an upstanding figure, a person with the highest of values, and he always lived up to this astronomical assessment of human capability. Over the past month I've been trying to look at myself through this lens and find a way to live up to what Papa expected of me, but I can't.

So now it's clear to me what I've lost. Papa's values he passed on to me and to all of my family, but as long as those values resided within a body, within the loci of a person, I knew that he would love me and view me mercifully, in a positive light and overlook my failings. Now that he's not here in the same way, I'm left with only the values, the judgements, and without the loving grandfather who always smiled at me. I'm left without his rachamim, his sweet mercies.

This was the chidush of Yitzhak Avinu. Avraham Avinu's path was an unbelievable one, to overcome selfishness utterly, to give everything for HaShem's sake and not to take for one's own sake. But, Avraham's path couldn't really be appreciated as it was. All the converts that Avraham and Sarah Imenu converted were lost to history, they didn't have a continuation in their day. Yitzhak Avinu's din, his judgement, his gevurah, his holding back, it created a background, a framework in which Avraham Avinu's loving kindness could find a continuance a permanence and a true appreciation in the rachamim, the sweet mercies of Yaakov Avinu.

In order to really see this point in its fullest depth we need to examine one more thing, the failing of Elisha ben Avuyah, who turned away from Judaism. In Pirkei Avot, Elisha ben Avuyah says that teaching a child is like writing on a fresh leaf of paper, while teaching the elderly is like writing on a paper that has been degraded through many erasures.

Papa taught me a very simple lesson: When you are doing math, never use a pen, you have to use a pencil. Why? Only a fool uses a pen. In math everyone makes mistakes and you can't erase a pen, use a pencil and you can work out the problems properly.

From this lesson I took away a teaching that solves Elisha ben Avuyah's conundrum, a child learns a little bit and thinks he knows everything and he is correct. He doesn't yet know he will make mistakes. A person more advanced in years has erred many times and sits to learn with the knowledge that he will make many mistakes, misunderstand many points. At the same time, this person also knows that mistakes can be erased and fixed, that life is full of new oppurtunities and that the only way to learn is to take the risk of making mistakes. A child fears errors and upon encountering a difficulty gives up altogether.

Without the knowledge that we are going to screw up, that we are going to make monumental mistakes, we can't truly begin to learn anything at all. This is why the learning of an elderly person is so much more precious for its wisdom and its humility than the learning of a child. This was Acher's mistake. This was my grandfather's lesson.

This also, incidentally answers the question of why Rashi mentioned the Torah first and then Bnei Yisrael.

First we must have the astronomical values, all the laws and the judgements, to propel us to our best efforts our highest goals, six hundred and thirteen mitzwoth, each one rife with hundreds if not thousands of microscopic halachoth. Then, since we know we will fall and screw up along the way, HaShem tells us we are His children, and like a father teaching His child, he will always shower us with sweet mercy, pick us up, and help us to work a little harder, learn a little more. But if he didn't expect the world from us, we'd never be able to grow at all.

Even more important, if he didn't challenge us, then all His love and all His mercy would never mean anything to us either.

I loved Papa, and everything I achieve in this world and the next is because he challenged me to grow beyond any boundaries that ever bound me.

[actually if you've noticed that I've been posting a lot less it is because my writing is temporarily offline--i'm trying to compile all of what I learned from Papa's teachings in a more comprehensive way.]

inheriting emunah

The Pri Ha'aretz hit me pretty hard, the one we quoted recently from Hayyei Sarah. How could it be that everything we're accomplishing ends up feeding the other side? That's depressing, no matter how many victories we have we're still going to screw up tomorrow. At least until we're perfect tzaddikim, which is hard to imagine (for me at least) that this is a milestone within reach.

How can we take away from this a useful lesson that we can apply daily in our lives?

First of all, whenever we say the first berachah of the Amidah, it has a whole new meaning. Magen Avraham--HaShem protects Avraham--from falling to the yetzer hara, through Avraham's emunah and yirah, fear of heaven.

This understanding also gives us hope, because Avraham had no zchut avot to rely on. It was just him versus his yetzer. We, on the other hand, have Avraham's emunah and yirah as a yerushah, an inheritance from our father Avraham. When we are faced with a test of emunah, we can simply say, well, of course I can overcome this test, I have Avraham Avinu's emunah to guide me.

our bread and butter

I was thinking about the passuk I quoted a couple of weeks ago. זכרתי לך חסד נעוריך - HaShem remembers the kindness of our youth.. which was? לכתך אחרי במדבר בארץ לא זרוע - You followed me into the desert, a land that was unplanted. Who wouldn't follow HaShem anywhere, surrounded by the Clouds of Glory, lead by a pillar of cloud and fire day and night?

There's a subtle message here. In the bit about the land being unplanted. We just left Mitzrayim, the land of agriculture, the land not dependent on rain, the land of high technology in the form of leavened bread. Planting was part of the fundamental culture of Egypt. If you didn't plant, grow, and harvest food, you would starve. Their faith was placed squarely on food. Food is what gives us life. If we think back, how did Egypt become the center of the world? They were where the food was at, even when the rest of the world was starving. Egypt meant the constancy of food, the currency of life in those days.

[When we left egypt we didn't have time for our bread to rise, which meant basically we gave up that technology. (Back then you incorporated dough from a previous batch of bread as a starter to get your dough to rise properly. They didn't have yeast or baking soda back then. (To the best of my knowledge) It takes a long time to start fresh and build up until you have dough that rises well --- think of the modern day equivalent, shutting down a nuclear reactor, it can be started again, but it takes a long long time and it's a huge pain. Another similar situation would be shutting down an MRI magnet--which takes days to power up again--at the pace of our society this is like the weeks or months it would take to get a good dough starter going.)]

When we left Egypt to follow HaShem we were declaring a break with everyone else in the world, with the common sense of the world at large. We were leaving behind the safety of the cultivated fields, the safety of the Nile and going to a place where without divine intervention survival was unthinkable. It was a tremendous act of faith on our part and a tremendous kiddush HaShem in the world at large.

That's the חסד נעוריך that HaShem still remembers. We left behind everything that we knew, everyhting that we trusted, just as Avraham Avinu did in parashath לך לך. We showed that we still had the emunah of Avraham to go a different way than the way of the world.

the measure of evil

When HaShem and Avraham finish their discussion about destroying Sdom, most people agree that Avraham gave in to HaShem and the angels went on to destroy Sdom.

I have another idea: The angels went on to judge Sdom and see if Avraham was correct. They were ready and willing to save Sdom. What happened? Sdom in its actions proved that it deserved to be destroyed.

This is clear from the plain reading of the text. The angels went to Lot and ate a meal by him. They didn't mention anything about the destruction until after the entire city had gathered on Lot's doorstep demanding he bring out the visitors.

Specifically the language of this passuk is curious:

טֶרֶם, יִשְׁכָּבוּ, וְאַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר אַנְשֵׁי סְדֹם נָסַבּוּ עַל-הַבַּיִת, מִנַּעַר וְעַד-זָקֵן: כָּל-הָעָם, מִקָּצֶה.

The last word מקצה is unusual. It means from the end. But there's a deeper meaning in this word. קצה has the gematria 195. If you take all the numbers mentioned in Avraham and HaShem's discussion, 50 + 45 + 40 + 30 + 20 + 10 = 195. The same number as the gematria of קצה. Meaning that every person that Avraham tried to argue might be considered a tzaddik in order that Sdom might be saved came out that night and proved his own evil nature. HaShem then, fulfilling His deal with Avraham, found Sdom wanting. At which point the angels intercede, save Lot, and destroy Sdom.

the first jewish parent

Yitzhak Avinu's main midah is Gevurah or Din. The Akeidah was done for him, he needed it, he needed to be able to give of himself wholely to HaShem. For Avraham Avinu, whose main midah is Hesed, kindness, the Akeidah was quite a challenge.

From this we can see that sometimes parents have to totally break their nature in order to provide for their every child exactly what he or she needs, even if it is completely against their instincts.

Avraham served HaShem with every ounce of himself, but to do something totally against his nature in the service of HaShem was a hidush.

From this we can also see that the task of being parents is the most spiritually inspiring and self-fulfilling task HaShem gives us.

unintended consequences

[re: A Simple Jew's post "With their intentions"]

In Rav Yitzchak Ginsburg's Introduction to the Kabbalah of the Ariz"l, (pp. 169-171) he brings down the idea (a favorite of the Baal HaTanya's) that the willingness to sacrifice one's life for the sake of HaShem's name is something that resides at the root of our souls, in a part called the Yechidah. This highest part of the soul is never actually clothed within us, rather it surrounds us from above. It is well beyond our mental faculties, above even our decision-making process.

In light of this, there isn't really a question as to what happens if someone dies in HaShem's name without being given the choice. In essence, we don't really ever have a choice in the matter. Every death for the sake of HaShem's name is holy because it is a revelation of the deepest essence of a Jew.

To me, on some level this would seem to be troubling. A case of no free will, how can we see something as honorable or laudable if there was no choice involved? One obvious answer is that HaShem never really lets any of us choose how and when we die---even if we think it is within our own power. The Mishnah tells us in Pirkei Avoth:
על כרחך אתה חי. ועל כרחך אתה מת. ועל כרחך אתה עתיד ליתן דין וחשבון - against your will you live, and against your will you die, and against your will you will stand trial.

So what is important? What you did all the time between life and death. That's what you are going to stand trial for. That's the more technical answer.

The more spiritual answer is as follows: What's the goal of being a Jew? To bear witness to HaShem as Creator, Master, and King of the world. Choosing right over wrong is only a means to this end. When we choose right over wrong we are bearing witness to the fact that HaShem created us and gave us the commandments to perform along with free will to not perform them.

[In a way an even higher level of this revelation is when we actually break the commandments, proving that we don't have to keep them, and then we do teshuvah and keep those very same commandments. Then we've removed all doubt that HaShem gave us free will, and yet we serve Him because His ways are Emet, truth.]

Through our actions we are revealing our pedigree, that in fact, we are of divine origin. HaShem did create the world and us in it.

When we see the actions of a Jew as the revellation of the underlying Jewish Neshamah, then we can see too how a Jewish death in and of itself is special because it reveals the essence of the Jewish soul that just left this world. The Baal HaTanya even says that a person who dies a Jew, was always a Jew, and a person who dies a non-Jew was never a Jew. (This is a tremendous chidush, because without this definition we always understood than anyone born a Jew is always a Jew. Not so according to the Baal HaTanya, the person's end reveals his true beginning, his true essence. נעוץ תחילתן בסופן)

So, no matter whether a Jew had the choice to die as a Jew or not, the fact that they died for the sake of HaShem's name reveals their spiritual essence, that they are and always were a Jew, that HaShem is the Creator, Master, and King of the world.

[There are many opinions of what is the point of being a Jew. Each of them has their own subtle points and differences, I take my cue from Avraham Avinu. What did he do differently from Noah? He actively engaged the world to glorify HaShem's name.]

pharoah vs. nimrod

I was telling stories to my nephew Hillel Shlomo, not to be confused with my nephew Shlomo Hillel, about Pharoah and Moshe, but I almost didn't get that far. I got side tracked on giving him background story. Mostly, I told him about Avrahams success in the face of Nimrod.

I didn't really have time to think about or process it at the time, but Nimrod is actually the archetype for Pharoah. Everything that went on with Avraham and Nimrod went on with Pharoah and Moshe, in a larger context. Everything except that when the first conflict occurred, there was no nation to speak of, only a belief, only a relationship with God. There was no receiver of that relationship, that belief. In the reddux, with Moshe vs. Pharoah, the difference is the people are there, and they're waiting to inherit that relationship that has been hanging around people-less since Avraham vs. Nimrod. In a way, the burning bush is really Avraham Avinu.