The Parshah in a Nutshell Vayeira Genesis 18:1-22:24

G-d reveals Himself to Abraham three days after the first Jew's circumcision at age 99; but Abraham rushes off to prepare a meal for three guests who appear in the desert heat. One of the three -- who are angels disguised as men -- announces that, in exactly one year, the barren Sarah will give birth to a son. Sarah laughs. Abraham pleads with G-d to spare the wicked city of Sodom. Two of the three disguised angels arrive in the doomed city, where Abraham's nephew, Lot, extends his hospitality to them and protects them from the evil intentions of a Sodomite mob. The two guests reveal that they have come to overturn the place, and to save Lot and his family. Lot's wife turns into a pillar of salt when she disobeys the command not to look back at the burning city as they flee. While taking shelter in a cave, Lot's two daughters (believing that they and their father are the only ones left alive in the world) get their father drunk, lie with him, and become pregnant. The two sons born from this incident father the nations of Moab and Amon. Abraham moves to Gerar, where the Philistine king Avimelech takes Sarah -- who is presented as Abraham's sister -- to his palace. In a dream, G-d warns Avimelech that he will die unless he returns the woman to her husband. Abraham explains that he feared he would be killed over the beautiful Sarah. G-d remembers His promise to Sarah and gives her and Abraham a son, who is named Isaac (Yitzchak, meaning "will laugh"). Isaac is circumcised at the age of eight days; Abraham is 100 years old, and Sarah 90, at their child's birth. Hagar and Ishmael are banished from Abraham's home and wander in the desert; G-d hears the cry of the dying lad and saves his life by showing his mother a well. Avimelech makes a treaty with Abraham at Be'er Sheva, where Abraham gives him seven sheep as a sign of their truce. G-d tests Abraham's devotion by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. Isaac is bound and placed on the altar, and Abraham raises the knife to slaughter his son. A voice from heaven calls to stop him; a ram, caught in the undergrowth by its horns, is offered in Isaac's place. Abraham receives the news of the birth of a daughter, Rebecca, to his nephew Bethuel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Parshas Vayera

The Value of a Friend's Advice


And God appeared to him in the plains of Mamre (Bereishis 18:1).
The Midrash relates that when Hashem commanded Avraham to circumcise himself and his entire household, Avraham sought the advice of his three confederates - Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Aner told him that the bris would weaken him and render him vulnerable to attack from relatives of the four kings he had just vanquished. Eshkol stressed that the operation itself, with the attendant loss of blood, was life threatening. Mamre, however, told Avraham that having experienced Hashem's deliverance from Nimrod's furnace and the miraculous victory over four mighty kings, he should trust in Hashem and follow His command. For this advice Mamre was rewarded by Hashem appearing to Avraham on his estate.

There are several difficulties with this Midrash. Most importantly, why did Avraham feel the necessity to seek advice whether to fulfill God's command? And if he needed advice, why did he not go to the beds medrash of Shem or Ever, rather than ask Aner, Eshkol and Mamre? And if two out of the three emphasized the danger involved, why did Avraham listen to Mamre, who stressed the need for trust in Hashem? Finally, why was Mamre rewarded for giving Avraham obvious advice rather than Aner and Eshkol punished for attempting to dissuade him.

To answer these questions, we must first understand the essence of friendship and the value of a friend. Chazal teach that before Hashem created man, He first consulted with the angels. From this we learn that one should seek advice even from those on a lower spiritual level. Similarly, the commentators to Pirkei Avos comment on the Mishnah (16), ". . . acquire a friend for yourself" - even one at a lower spiritual level. But why should one seek the advice of a friend who is beneath him?

Everyone's perspective is highly subjective and biased with respect to all matters concerning himself. His desires blind his eyes from anything other than the object of his desires and prevent him from weighing the pros and cons objectively. For this reason, writes Meiri in his commentary to Proverbs (20:18), one needs the perspective of someone who is removed from all the subjective biases that cloud one's vision, someone who can weigh the situation without having to contend with a welter of strong desires. A friend need not be at a higher spiritual level, or even as high, to offer valuable advice; he need only be free of the particular desires which render one incapable of objectivity.

So important is objective advice that Rabbeinu Yonah in Sha'arei Teshuvah (3:53) learns that the prohibition, "Do not put a stumbling block before the blind," applies not just to giving bad advice, but requires us to provide good advice as well. Depriving someone of objective counsel is itself putting a stumbling block before him. Without such counsel he will certainly err.

Rashba in his response (I:48) goes a step further. Even if one has already reached a definite decision, Rashba says, he should still seek the advice of others, since it is not only the action which is important, but also the feelings and intentions that go with it.

The purpose of a friend's advice is to provide an objective view of the issue at hand. Therefore the friend must not introduce his own biases, emotions, and subjectivity. His task is not to imagine himself with the same dilemma, but rather to ask himself, "If I were he, without his subjective bias, what would I do?"

Avraham never doubted that he would fulfill G-d's command concerning the bris. Nevertheless he still sought the advice of his three confederates to gain a more objective view of his situation, just as Rashba says one should do. And he went precisely to those who could perhaps put themselves in his place, because they themselves had experience with a bris. Because Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre were boalei bris Avraham, confederates in a forged bond, they had the potential to relate to the concept of bris.

Aner and Eshkol did not give him bad advice. In fact, the Midrash never says explicitly that they advised him not to perform the mitzvah. Rather they considered what they would do if faced with a similar command and advised Avraham accordingly. By focusing on the dangers involved, they in effect advised Avraham to perform the mitzvah with such fears uppermost in his mind. This was not bad advice, but no advice at all because they failed to put themselves into Avraham's position, minus his bias and subjectivity.

Mamre, by contrast, projected himself into Avraham's place and advised him on the basis of Avraham's frame of reference and experience of Divine protection. Hence Avraham's thoughts while undergoing the bris centered on faith and trust that Hashem would assist him in fulfilling this command as He had assisted him throughout his life.

For freeing himself from his own subjective perspective, Mamre was rewarded by God's appearing in his portion. Objectivity is the precondition for recognition of the truth, i.e., the recognition of God Himself.

Through God's revelation to Avraham in the plains of Mamre we learn that receiving guests is greater than receiving God's presence, for Avraham interrupted his communion with God to run to greet the three angels disguised as men. Entertaining guests requires consideration of another's needs and shedding one's own narrow subjectivity. The ability to attain objectivity allows perception of the truth of the Divine on a constant basis. Thus the ability to properly treat guests is superior to a one-time revelation of God's presence.

We pray three times a day, ''Restore our judges as in earliest times and our counselors as at first ...." May we all merit to both receive and provide objective advice so that we can live our lives according to the principles of righteousness set down by our judges of old. And in this way, "... God will remove from us sorrow and groaning."

 

 

 

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Parashat Vayeira from 5762
Divine or Mundane?
a'donai (Gen. 18:3; 19:18 and elsewhere) In the first verse referred to, Rashi quotes the Sages who disagree as to whether this noun is the sacred (Divine) name or a mundane noun meaning 'my masters'. The Ramban's opinion cannot be determined as there are a number of versions of his commentary on this point. In the second verse referred to, Rashi quotes the opinion of the Sages (Shavuot 35b), that the name is sacred, whereas R' A. ibn Ezra maintains that it is mundane and the Nun has a Kamatz simply because it is at the end of a verse. It should be noted that in what is known as the 'pausal form' Patach frequently is replaced by Kamatz. (R' Chavel in his notes to Rabbeinu Bechayah Gen. 18:3 S.V. vehu chol indicates that there is also an early source for the opinion of R' A. ibn Ezra - Pesikta Zutreta 19:2.) It may be thought that the implication of the explanation by R' A. ibn Ezra is that the Kamatz either is the pausal form or somehow turns the word into the Divine name. However this raises the difficulty that we find a parallel to the pausal form elsewhere; e.g. Yishma:el as a verb the Mem has a Patach but here a Kamatz; Nata:n as a verb the Tav has a Patach but here a Kamatz; Yitzcha:k as a verb the Chet has a Patach but here a Kamatz. Perhaps, as this phonetic peculiarity occurs only in proper nouns and the Adnut name, we can say that it indicates proper nouns (which denote a particular entity and not a class), and occurs in Adnut to give it the character of a proper noun (the Divine being a particular entity and not a class) in addition to its mundane meaning 'my masters'.


* * * *
A Family of Roots?

himaleit (Gen. 19:17) Rashi explains that this is 'an expression of release' and words of this root have a similar meaning throughout the Tanach such as vehimlita zachar (Isaiah 66:7)'the embryo was released from the womb', ketzipor nimleta (Psalms 124:7) 'as a bird escaped', lo yachelu malet masa (Isia. 46:2) 'they could not release the load'. It is clear that Rashi maintains that there is a similarity of meaning between the roots Mem, Lamed, Tet and Shin, Mem, Tet. We have noted elsewhere that in his Dictionary, Jastrow (entry Shin, Mem, Tet) relates the root Shin, Mem, Tet to the root Mem, Vav, Tet. Following Rashi it is possible that we now have three roots in the Mem-Tet root family: Mem, Lamed, Tet; Shin, Mem, Tet; and Mem, Vav, Tet.


* * * *
va:mati (Gen. 19:19) ('I will die') - Why does the Vav have a Kamatz and the Tav a Dagesh Chazak?

The Vav changes this verb from past tense to future and one might have expected the same points as in veshavti (Gen. 28:21) ('I will return') where the Vav has a Sheva. However here, because va:mati is at the end of the verse, the pausal form causes the position of the stress to return to its original syllable (the second last, rather than the last to which the Vav conversive pushed it). As a result the Vav is before the stressed syllable. When Vav comes before the stressed syllable its Sheva is replaced by a Kamatz.

The root of the word is Mem, Vav, Tav and if we follow the pointing of the word veshavti we would have a Tav in the position of the Bet [v] giving us a cluster of two Tavs with a silent Sheva between them. What happens in this and in similar cases is that the two Tavs merge, and the Dagesh indicates that the pronunciation is equivalent to two Tavs.


* * * *
How is vayatzeiv (Gen. 21:28) ('put') formed?

Let us compare vayatzeiv to vayaksheiv (Malachi 3:16) ('He listened'). The root is Kuf, Shin, Bet and it is in the Hiph'il conjugation with Vav conversive (yakshiv>vayaksheiv). In our case the root of vayatzeiv is Yud, Tzade, Bet, which is one of a small group of verbs sometimes called Chasrei Pei-Yud-Tzade (This name means that the first letter of the root is a Yud, which is sometimes dropped, and is followed by a Tzade.) When the Yud is in a position in the verb where one would expect a Sheva nach the Yud is dropped and there is a Dagesh in the Tsade (just as in Chasrei Pei-Nun). According to the example vayaksheiv we obtain vayaytzeiv but the Yud of the root is absorbed in the Tzade and the Tzade has a Dagesh Chazak (forte) so we obtain yaytziv> vayaytzeiv> vayatzeiv, or one can derive it yaytziv> yatziv> vayatzeiv.

These comments have been put into book form for publication in English and Hebrew. Dedications are available for both books.

I will be pleased to have comments on these notes on the Parasha.
Good Shabbos, Meshullam Klarberg, 35/4 Meshech Chochma, Kiryat Sefer, Israel 71919
E-mail address: fredit@bezeqint.net

 

 

 

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DEIAH VEDIBUR - INFORMATION & INSIGHT
A Window Into the Chareidi World
http://www.shemayisrael.com/chareidi/
PARSHAS VAYEIRO
18 Cheshvan 5770 - November 5, 2009


NEWS

87th National Agudah Convention about Areivus

by Dei'ah Vedibur Staff

For decades, the premier forum for taking action on some of the
toughest issues of the day - in a meaningful way and under
the direction of Gedolim - has been the Agudah convention.

http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/agudahvyr70.htm

***********

Rescue Operation Brings Yemenite Jews to US

By A. Ben Aharon

US officials have been running a clandestine operation to take
Jews out of Yemen reports the Wall Street Journal.

The move follows growing violence toward Jewish communities in
the midst of power struggles between the government and Al Qaeda
extremists.

http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/ayemenvyr70.htm

***********

Intel Announces that Employees at its Jerusalem Facility
Won't Work on Shabbos After All

By Yechiel Sever

Torah-true Jewry and other Jerusalem residents who feel a
special affinity for Shabbos Kodesh were pleased by the
outcome of efforts to prevent chilul Shabbos and a breach
in the walls of Shabbos in the holy city of Jerusalem -
the "Palace of the King" - by persuading Intel to shut down
its planned Shabbos operations there.

http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/VYR70aintel.htm

***********

Alei Siach Launches High-Level Study Program for Learning
Disabled Adults

by Yated Ne'eman Staff

Alei Siach is not sitting on its laurels. In addition to
various recent advances, they have announced a new high-level
study program for Alei Siach participants age 21 and over with
major learning disabilities and slightly deficient or average
intelligence. The program will provide the students an opportunity
to feel they, too, can study successfully and advance.

http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/VYR70alearndsbld.htm

***********

Rav Yitzchok Zeev Chevroni zt"l

By Yechiel Sever

Gedolei Yisroel, roshei yeshivos, the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas
Chevron, rabbonim and dayonim led yeshiva students past and present
as they lay to rest Rav Yitzchok Zeev Chevroni zt"l, the nosi of
Yeshivas Chevron, who helped support and maintain the yeshiva, with
its 1,200 student beis medrash, located in Jerusalem's Givat Mordechai
neighborhood. He passed away last week after a lifetime of dedicated
hard work to establish and build one of the great Torah institutions
in Eretz Yisroel.

http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/VYR70archevroni.htm

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If you’re wondering what Abraham looked like …see the man on the right with his hands over his heart praying….

Extract from the Standard of Ur… Lyre Player and Singer, Ur 4750 BC.(?)
Scene showing The Bull Lyre being played.

Box Made from Lapis Lazuli inlayed with mother of pearl

(Discovered in Ur 1929). British Museum London

 

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November 05, 2009 7-Eleven Hot Chocolate and French Vanilla Cappuccino Brands: 7-Eleven   Products: 1. Hot Chocolate 16 oz. UPC #5254850010 2. French Vanilla Cappuccino 16 oz. UPC #5254850008 Company: 7-Eleven, Inc. – Dallas, TX Issue: These products contain dairy ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel, but the dairy designation has been inadvertently omitted. Future packaging will be revised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today's A Torah Minute is in memory of Chaya Annaelle bat Dahlia Z L Dedicated to Brigitte & Ari by the Uzan Family To sponsor ATorahMinute please call 516 487 6676 x123 or visit the link after the Torah Minute.  Wayyera: Getting help with humility by Rabbi Ya'aqob Menashe (Links to the audio appear after the text) It says in Parashath Wayyera, "And he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing over him". This gives us a hint that if a person looks at those who are below him, it will be impossible for him to be humble, because he will always see that he is superior to the other in one or more areas and will become arrogant. If, however, he looks only at people who are greater or more important than he is, he will be able to be humble because he will see that he is lacking in one or more areas vis-a-vis the others. We are told that when a person does a Miswah (commandment) that one of the Righteous  from early times was very particular about, a spark from that righteous person enters him and assists him in the performance of that Miswah. We can now explain the verse "And he lifted his eyes and saw", as telling us that we should look at those who are greater than we are and, as a result, we will surely become humble. The words "And behold three men were standing over him" refers to the three Saddiqim (righteous) who were known for their humility, Abraham Abinu (our father Abraham), Moshe Rabbenu and Dawid Hammelekh (King David), 'a"h. When a person starts going down the path of humility, these three Saddiqim stand over him to assist him. (Benayahu, Parashath Wayyera) Click here to download today's audio     Click here to visit ATorahMinute.com   Subscribe Please let your family, friends and colleagues know about this important new website. They can also sign up at: http://www.atorahminute.com Sponsor  Website sponsorships available. Please call (516) 487-6676 x 123, or visit  http://www.atorahminute.com/sponsoring A project of Midrash BEN ISH HAI and midrash.org   (c) Rabbi Ya'aqob Menashe,  ATorahMinute.com

To sponsor ATorahMinute, please call 516 487 6676 x123 or visit: atorahminute.com/sponsoring To subscribe to ATorahMinute please visit: atorahminute.com/subscribe About For the first year, which ended with the 100th Hillula of the Ben Ish Hai on 13th Elul 5769 (September '09), Rabbi Ya'aqob Menashe gave Halakhoth and pearls of Torah from the Ben Ish Hai, Hakham Yoseph Hayyim, 'a"h. The daily bulletins continue to feature the Ben Ish Hai and also include a wide variety of sources. Spread the word Please forward your daily emails to your contacts, but remove the "manage your subscription" link at the bottom, so they don't unsubscribe you by mistake. Brought to you by ATorahMinute.com is a  project of Midrash BEN ISH HAI.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attention: Ne pas voir le Chabbate comme:"cela est interdit (assour), cela est permis (moutar)" mais il faut connaitre et vivre l'interiorite du Chabbate et ces interdits reels et permis reels ne font qu'exprimer et permettre de realiser le sens profond et existentiel du Chabbate. En rester a la seule conscience de "permis-interdit" est absurde, idiot et injurieux. Ici, etudier donc ce qu'est le Chabbate (lien).
http://www.modia.org/chabbate/index.html


L'heure de l'allumage des lumieres de ce Chabbate:
Beer Cheva 16h28. Cannes 17h00. Haifa 16h14. Jerusalem 16h10. Lille 16h58. Grenoble 17h01. Marseille 17h07. Londres 18h20. Los Angeles 16h38. Lyon 17h03. Miami 17h19. Montreal 16h18. New York 16h29. Nice 16h58. Paris 17h04. Strasbourg 16h45. Tel Aviv 16h24. Toronto 16h45. Toulouse 17h22. Vancouver 16h26.

http://www.modia.org/infos/israel2/bulletin1109.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ZERO TO 1/60TH: HOW TO EMPOWER AN HOUR

Spiritual growth can appear surprisingly slow. But therein lies its
power. A proven technique to uplift yourself from a thoroughly grounded
motivational speaker!

7 minutes that will be very well spent

http://www.jwisdom.com/shows/509/




~~~~

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Through faith man experiences the meaning of the world; through action
he is to give to it a meaning."

--- Leo Baeck




**<>**<>**<>**<>****<>**<>**<>**<>**


[ J E W I S H L I V I N G ]



---> thought
Choosing to hear
By Rabbi Berel Wein

Attune yourself to the angel right next to you

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/wein/wein_listening.php3





---> JWisdom.com
Zero to 1/60th: How to Empower An Hour
By Gavriel Aryeh Sanders

Spiritual growth can appear surprisingly slow. But therein lies its
power. A proven technique to uplift yourself from a thoroughly grounded
motivational speaker!

7 minutes that will be very well spent.

http://www.jwisdom.com/shows/509/



---> reality check
The mullahs' big week
By Caroline B. Glick

Thirty years after Iran's first criminal challenge to the US and the
free world as a whole, no one seems to care when their criminality is so
graphically exposed

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1109/glick110609.php3



---> past & present
A Fallen Wall for Fallen Man
By Suzanne Fields

POWERFUL!

http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/fields110609.php3







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[ D A I L Y I N S P I R A T I O N ]

NEW SERIES!

"Building Your Self-Image and the self-image of others"

This series can change your life. And the life of your spouse, your
children, your friends and your employees.

Every success story begins with a positive attitude. This series will
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For decades, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin has been motivating people to believe
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our abilities and appreciating our talents to coping with setbacks and
and dealing with failures, this series has it all.

TODAY: Some Benefits of a Low Self-Image

http://jewishworldreview.com/inspiration/self_image.php3






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* Ripleys Believe It Or Not!
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* Bliss
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* Bottom Liners
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* The Born Loser
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* Herman
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* Mallard Filmore
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* Moderately Confused
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* Momma
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* One Big Happy
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* Prickly City
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* State of the Union
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* The Wizard of Id
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* Dry Bones
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* Chuck Asay
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http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/stahler/stahler.php3

* Gary Varvel
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/varvel/varvel.php3

* Michael Ramirez
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/ramirez/ramirez.php3






*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:**:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*



[ PoliticalMavens.com H I G H L I G H T S ]


* Walid Phares: Fort Hood: The largest 'Terror act' since 9/11
http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2009/11/05/largest-terror-since-911/

* Judith A. Klinghoffer: Absurdity of politically correct instant
analysis
http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2009/11/03/absurdity-of-politically-correct-instant-analysis/

* Cory Franklin: Just Because You Are Rich, Doesn't Mean You Are Smart
http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2009/11/03/rich-smart/





<^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^>


[ T O D A Y I N H I S T O R Y ]


On this day in . . .


* 1869, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Rutgers University defeats
Princeton University, 6-4, in the first official intercollegiate
American football game

* 1888, Benjamin Harrison won the presidential election, defeating
incumbent Grover Cleveland with enough electoral votes, even though
Cleveland led in the popular vote

* 1918, the Second Polish Republic is proclaimed in Poland

* 1935, before the New York section of the Institute of Radio Engineers,
Edwin Armstrong presents his paper "A Method of Reducing Disturbances in
Radio Signaling by a System of Frequency Modulation," i.e. FM radio.

* 1941, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin addresses the Soviet Union for only
the second time during his three-decade rule. He states that even though
350,000 troops were killed in German attacks so far, that the Germans
have lost 4.5 million soldiers (a wild exaggeration) and that Soviet
victory was near

* 1943, Russia recaptures Kiev. Before withdrawing, Germans destroy most
of the city's ancient buildings

* 1944, Plutonium is first produced at the Hanford Atomic Facility,
subsequently used in the Fat Man Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan

* 1963, following the November 1 coup and execution of President Ngo
Dinh Diem, coup leader General Duong Van Minh takes over leadership of
South Vietnam

* 1965, Cuba and the United States formally agree to start an airlift
for Cubans who want to go to the United States. By 1971, 250,000 Cubans
will take advantage of this program

* 1971, the United States Atomic Energy Commission tests the largest
U.S. underground hydrogen bomb, code-named Cannikin, on Amchitka Island
in the Aleutians

* 1975, the Green March begins as 300,000 unarmed Moroccans converge on
the southern city of Tarfaya and wait for a signal from King Hassan II
of Morocco to cross into Western Sahara

* 1985, in Colombia, leftist guerrillas of the April 19 Movement seize
control of the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, eventually killing 115
people, 11 of them Supreme Court justices

* 1997, the Clinton administration warned Iraq it could face military
action or economic sanctions if it continued to bar U.N. weapons
inspection

* 1998, two suicide bombers, practitioners of that "religion of peace",
blew themselves up but ONLY managed to injure a couple of dozen
bystanders in crowded open-air market in Jerusalem

* 2003, the U.S. Mint unveiled the new nickel

* 2004, the designers of SpaceShipOne, the first privately manned rocket
to burst into space, were handed a $10 million check and the Ansari X
Prize trophy

* 2006, Saddam Hussein is sentenced to death. He was sentenced to die
December 30th of the same year






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[ L I F E S T Y L E S ]


* Tech Maven by Mark Kellner: A puzzling compatibility idea
http://jewishworldreview.com/1109/kellner110509.php3

* Fannie Mae to rent foreclosed homes to their owners
http://jewishworldreview.com/1109/fannie_rent.php3

* Dr. Peter H. Gott: Dip in the lake relieves pain
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/gott1.asp

* Bruce Williams on JWR: Spouse's judgment sentences couple to poverty;
difference between a living trust and an irrevocable trust; more
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/bruce1.asp




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[ I N S I G H T ]


* Wesley Pruden: Corpse sits up, gets nice salute
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/pruden110609.php3

* Argus Hamilton skewers politics and contemporary "culture"
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1109/hamilton110509.php3

* Greg Crosby: Florence Caesar
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/crosby110609.php3

* Dave Weinbaum: Soon to be outted: My trip to the White House
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/dave/weinbaum110609.php3

* Diana West: Election victories useless if we lose our way of life
http://jewishworldreview.com/1109/west110609.php3

* Arnold Ahlert: A Clueless Commander-in-Chief
http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2009/11/05/a-clueless-commander-in-chief/

* The Medicine Man by Michael Arnold Glueck: The Affordable Health Care
for America Act (H.R. 3962) --- Dividing, Penalizing and Anti-Tort
Reform http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1109/medicine.men110609.php3

* Jonah Goldberg: The End of an Era That Never Began (THOUGHT
PROVOKING!)
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/jonah110609.php3

* Linda Chavez: Blueprint for GOP Victories
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/chavez101609.php3

* David Limbaugh: White House Postelection Arrogance
http://jewishworldreview.com/david/limbaugh110609.php3

* Rich Lowry: Obama's mandate gap
http://jewishworldreview.com/1109/lowry110609.php3

* Mona Charen: Are You with Us or with Them? (SPOT ON!)
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/charen110609.php3

* Michelle Malkin: The Death of Deliberative Democracy
http://jewishworldreview.com/michelle/malkin.php3

* Bill O'Reilly: Visiting the White House
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/oreilly.php3

* Charles Krauthammer: Communism's Enablers and Excusers
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/krauthammer110609.php3

* Thomas Sowell: The 'Costs'of Medical Care, Part IV
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell110609.php3


~~
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SPIEGEL ONLINE

INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER

Compiled on November 6, 2009, 06:18 PM CET

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERVIEW WITH LECH WALESA 'It's Good that Gorbachev Was a Weak Politician' The world is looking to Berlin as the city celebrates 20 years since the fall of the Wall. But in an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, Lech Walesa, the man who led Solidarnosc, says that the collapse of communism started in the Polish shipyards -- and that East German "deserters" endangered his ultimate success. Photo Gallery: The Father of Solidarity

OBAMA, EUROPE AND AFGHANISTAN 'We Don't Have Simple Answers' US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon talks to SPIEGEL ONLINE about progress in Afghanistan, America's relationship with the new German government and the urgent need for the US to restore its moral authority.

'SHOOT THEM IN THE HEAD' World Cup Hosts Brazil and South Africa Crack Down on Crime There are 50 murders a day in South Africa, the host country of the 2010 football World Cup. And Brazil, host of both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, also suffers from extreme violence. With a view to the high-profile events, the two countries are now attempting to crack down on rampant crime -- and are using ruthless tactics to do so. Photo Gallery: No Sporting Chance for Criminals

SPIEGEL BERLIN WALL QUIZ Take a Bash At a Cold War Icon It symbolized the divisions that split the world during the Cold War. Then on Nov. 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall came crashing down. But do you know when it went up? Who played rock'n'roll in its shadow? And who uttered the famous words that brought it tumbling down? Get those little gray cells working and brace yourself for the very revolutionary SPIEGEL Berlin Wall Quiz.

WHERE THE BERLIN WALL FIRST FELL Historic Border Crossing Finally Gets a Facelift The former border crossing at Bornholmer Strasse may have been the spot where the Iron Curtain cracked wide open, but 20 years on there is little in this drab corner of East Berlin to indicate its historic significance. That is set to change now that Berlin has commissioned a firm of architects to create a new square to commemorate the events of Nov. 9, 1989. Photo Gallery: Berlin's Historic Border Crossing SPIEGEL 360: 20 Years After the Wall

ACHTUNG BERLIN! U2 Rock Out at Iconic Brandenburg Gate Irish rock stars U2 preformed a free concert at Berlin's historic Brandenburg Gate on Thursday as part of the MTV European Music Awards. The six-set gig helped kick off celebrations to mark 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Photo Gallery: U2 Rock Out at the Brandenburg Gate

STASI FILES REVISITED The Banalities and Betrayals of Life in East Germany A West German dessert. A "flour box." A female driver. The East German secret police took an interest in all manner of banal details as it oppressed its citizenry. Now that Germany is celebrating 20 years since the fall of the Wall, more people than ever are taking a look into their Stasi files.

THE WORLD FROM BERLIN On Nord Stream Pipeline, 'Germany Must Take a Selfish Stand' The Swedish and Finnish governments have finally consented to the construction of an ambitious new gas pipeline from Russia to Central Europe after years of opposition. German commentators welcome the removal of this last obstacle to the project but express reservations about Russian geopolitical ambitions.

HUGGING THE PANDA Gerhard Schröder Opens Doors for German Companies in China Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has gotten a lot of criticism for his ties to Russian energy companies. But he also has become an "old friend of the Chinese people," helping German businesses forge links with Chinese companies -- and earning his own fair share of consulting fees. SPIEGEL 360: Our Full Coverage of China

ANGER AT US CARMAKER GM Management 'Reminds One of Socialism' GM's about-face has angered both Opel workers and European governments. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, union leader and Opel board member Armin Schild blasts GM for mismanagement and says that the US company is uninterested in saving the Opel brand. Photo Gallery: Workers Unite Against GM Decision

SPANISH BANKS EXPAND Seeking New Worlds to Conquer Flush with cash and facing hard times at home, Spanish companies are again looking abroad.

PICTURE THIS Attack Of the Swine

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Project Genesis Lifeline News from Project Genesis and Torah.org Volume XVII Number 4 - Vayera - Genesis 18:1-22:24 To sponsor an edition of the Project Genesis Lifeline, click here.

In This Issue: Note from the Director The Timeless Rav Hirsch - Our Newest Class at Torah.org Do Angels Talk to Women? from JewishAnswers.org Lot's Redeeming Quality New Installments of our Ongoing Classes This Week's Torah Reading: Vayera Featured Article: God Sends Messengers to Avraham and Sarah Note from the Director In our Torah reading this week, Hagar takes her son Yishmael (Ishmael) out into the desert, and then is afraid that he will die of thirst. An angel then says to Hagar that G-d has seen her son "where he is," and G-d opens her eyes and she finds a well of water. Commentaries explain that G-d was well aware of the evil acts that Yishmael would do in the future, much less his descendants, but judged him to be righteous based upon his deeds at that time -- judging him "where he is" rather than "where he will be." If a person tries to improve in a particular area, and fails repeatedly, then he or she can feel it's time to give up, to "throw in the towel." The Torah tells us that G-d doesn't look at it that way. At the moment that someone is doing better, he is doing better -- and is called "righteous" even if he's going to fall back into his bad habits tomorrow. As King Solomon says in Proverbs 24:16, "a righteous man falls repeatedly, and gets up." Everyone makes mistakes, everyone does the wrong thing sometimes. The difference is that the righteous person gets up and keeps trying! We have the great honor this week of announcing a brand new class in our Advanced section, from Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein -- studying "The Timeless Rav Hirsch" on the weekly parsha. Please see below for more information about this exciting new class. Finally, a Mazal Tov to Stephen Hanmer and Kate Menken on the birth of their baby boy this morning! Good Shabbos! Rabbi Yaakov Menken Director, Project Genesis - Torah.org BACK TO TOP This week's Lifeline is sponsored by OlehPhone.com, the Internet Phone Service built for you! With dramatic cost savings, features you've never heard of before (Shabbos Call Block, for example), and an ongoing commitment to innovation and growth, OlehPhone offers revolutionary improvements to your home and business communications. Check them out at OlehPhone.com, and sign up to experience lower costs and improved service!   The Timeless Rav Hirsch - Our Newest Class at Torah.org For two years, Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, Director of Project Next Step of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles and Sydney M Irmas Professor of Jewish Law and Ethics at Loyola Law School, has graced us with his translation and explanation of the Nesivos Shalom, for advanced readers. With that course of study now concluded, his sons have prevailed upon Rabbi Adlerstein to offer something else in its place: a weekly shiur on the parsha, from "The Timeless Rav Hirsch." The writings of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch deeply resonate with many people today, as they have since the time he penned them in the middle of the nineteenth century. Rabbi Hirsch's teachings, tireless effort and deep trust in HaShem recreated a community of modern, Torah-faithful Jews in Frankfurt that had all but disappeared. Each week, Rabbi Adlerstein will present a thought of RSRH on the parshah, primarily taken from Rabbi Hirsch's great commentary on the Torah. Recognizing that his language is often a barrier to students, Rabbi Adlerstein will take his thought and completely retool and reframe it. The author hopes that the kernel thought will be faithful to RSRH, while the development will remain the responsibility of the author. You can subscribe to this class by visiting our Subscription Center, or by sending a blank email to ravhirsch-subscribe@torah.org. Do Angels Talk to Women? from JewishAnswers.org Question: My son would like to know why in the Torah Portion of Vayera (Genesis 18) when the guests, who the Commentaries say were really angels, bring news to Sarah that she would have a child, why was the guest facing Abraham and not Sarah? I thought perhaps it was an issue of modesty. Do you know why it was told to Abraham and not to Sarah directly? Answer: Hello, thanks for the interesting question. It seems to me that the simplest answer is that the guests were talking to Abraham and not to Sarah. As the verse says, she was in the tent, preparing the food; Abraham was outside with the guests, serving it. I guess you could call that a modesty issue, or just their normal division of labor. Certainly angels sometimes speak to women as well as men; there are a number of such cases in the Bible, such as Hagar experience with the angel (Genesis 16:7-12). All the Best, Michoel Reach Lot's Redeeming Quality TorahMedia.com Listen to a short 2 minute clip from Rabbi Eliezer Kwass on Parshas Vayera. Rabbi Kwass contrasts Lot to both Abraham and Noah. Although Lot did not follow in either one's footsteps, Ruth a descendant of Lot emulated both Abraham and Noah's qualities. Listen Now, or Free Download New to TorahMedia is She Sacrificed Her Clothes As an Offering to Hashem by Rabbi Avrohom M. Alter. Also new, is When God Played Peacemaker by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky. For premium members, check out 3 new lectures from Rabbi Paysach Krohn: Blessing the Sun, Surviving the Recession, and Honoring Your Parents. Capalon Communications keeps the lights on at Torah.org, while hosting over 100 other web sites for Torah and Jewish outreach. The majority of Capalon's consultants are now living in Israel, meaning your choice of Capalon supports Israel's economy, helps provide Torah on the Internet, and gains your company truly professional service and expertise. Whether you are exploring Internet telephony, need a face-lift for your web site, or need a team of programmers for a new Internet-based application, talk to Capalon -- you'll be doing well and doing good!   BACK TO TOP New Installments of our Ongoing Classes Estates - Nachalos by Rabbi Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld The order of inheritance is son, daughter, and father [as it says "If a man dies and has no son you shall pass his estate to his daughter..."(1)]. If an heir is no longer alive his heirs inherit in his place in the same sequence.... Read more in Halacha Overview Do Not Steal1 Part 14 by Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen In the previous week we discussed instances in which it may be permitted to borrow an item without permission. The Rabbis teach us that, when certain conditions are fulfilled, one is also allowed to borrow items that are used to perform mitzvos... Read more in Jewish Values Birds of Prey by Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld Many years ago, when I was a teenager in high school, I happened to overhear someone make a nasty (but witty) comment about one of my siblings. It shook me at the time, for I had previously considered the fellow particularly nice and menschlach (I... Read more in Maimonides on Life Ignorance is not Bliss by Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld We all slip into this trap now and then. Does G-d really have nothing more important to worry about than how long my socks are or how long I wait between meat and dairy? I\'m a good person!... Read more in Pirkei Avos Flattery by Rabbi Daniel Travis Flattering a person falsely, especially if he is an evil person, is considered a very serious offense, yet Yaakov flattered Esav profusely. Such purposeful flattery of evil people in this world is only permitted when one's life is in danger or when... Read more in Priceless Integrity Da'at Tevunot - The Knowing Heart by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman  like to ?present an essential and overarching principle? Ramchal offers, to help explain many things about the world, about G-d interactions with it, and about the whys and wherefores of wrong and injustice. And it this.... Read more in Ramchal Chapter 90 by Rabbi Y Reuven Rubin Print Version Email this article to a friend Chapter 90 There is a hypothesis that says: "use it or lose it." What it refers to is that given any part of ones being, if you don't exercise it, that part will atrophy and wither away.... Read more in Rhythm of the Heart The Path of the Just by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman Wee told ironically enough that bstinence? our next trait, s the beginning of piety? which is a trait further down the line. What Ramchal point? For one thing, he means to underscore the fact that iety?is actually the main thrust of... Read more in Spiritual Excellence A Meeting of Eyes by Rabbi Daniel Travis When people eyes meet, a deeper level of communication is achieved. For this reason, one of the most important aspects of body language is where we direct our eyes. When reciting Kedusha, it is customary to lift one head towards the heavens as... Read more in Tefilah: Waking up Jewish Glimpses of Jewish Femininity (Part 2) by Mrs. Leah Kohn As the title, "Glimpses of Jewish Femininity" suggests, this series touches on only a few of the many reasons behind the Torah's high regard for women. The previous class explored the origin and implications of Jewish feminine modesty - one of the... Read more in Women in Judaism BACK TO TOP New Torah.org classes on Vayera Vayera by Rabbi Shlomo Katz Read more in Hamaayan Rabbi Frand on Parshas Vayeira by Rabbi Yissocher Frand Read more in Rav Frand AMEN! by Rabbi Label Lam Read more in DvarTorah God Sends Messengers to Avraham and Sarah by Rabbi Berel Wein Read more in Rabbi Wein First Impressions by Rabbi Naftali Reich Read more in Legacy Avimelech vs. Pharaoh by Rabbi Pinchas Winston Read more in Perceptions Read previous years' classes on Vayera on Torah.org: Beyond Pshat by Rabbi Yosef Kalatzky Drasha by Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky DvarTorah by Rabbi Label Lam Edutainment Weekly by Jon Erlbaum Hamaayan by Shlomo Katz Kol Hakollel by Rabbi Pinchas Avruch Legacy by Rabbi Naftali Reich LifeLine by Rabbi Yaakov Menken Olas Shabbos by Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann Parsha Insights by Rabbi Yisroel Ciner Perceptions by Rabbi Pinchas Winston Rabbi Wein by Rabbi Berel Wein Rabbi Zweig on the Parsha by Rabbi Yochanan Zweig Rabbi's Notebook by Rabbi Aron Tendler Rav Frand by Rabbi Yissocher Frand Short Vorts by Rabbi Chaim Flom Table Talk by Rabbi Raymond Beyda The Living Law by Rabbi Osher Chaim Levene BACK TO TOP Featured Article: God Sends Messengers to Avraham and Sarah By Rabbi Berel Wein http://torah.org/learning/rabbiwein/5770/vayera.html God appears to Avraham in the opening verse of this week parsha. How does God appear to him? The rabbis teach us that He appears to him in the form of a visitor there to cheer him in his illness and pain after the rite of circumcision. The Jewish value of visiting and cheering the sick stems from our imitation of this Godly virtue as first revealed to Avraham. In this instance, God reveals Himself to Avraham through three Bedouin Arabs who are apparently searching for a place to rest, eat and drink. The apparent Arabs are angels and messengers of God. It is one of the great attributes of the house of Avraham and Sarah that visitors can enter their home as Arab desert dwellers and leave as angels. It is these wayfarers that deliver to Avraham and Sarah the message of continuity and eternity of Jewish life. Sarah will give birth to Yitzchak after decades of being a barren woman. Earlier, God informed Avraham of this momentous news directly. Yet Sarah, the direct recipient of this blessing, He somehow chooses to inform in an indirect manner through the unknown strange visitors that arrive at her tent and that she hospitably feeds. There is a great insight in this chosen method of God, so to speak, in delivering the message to Sarah through seemingly human auspices. God often, if not constantly in our times, talks to us through seemingly human messengers. If we are able to listen carefully to what others say to us, oftentimes we will hear a divine message communicated to us through a human conduit. I think that this also explains why Sarah was initially bemused by the words of the angel. She evidently thought that it was just a throw-away promise of a wandering Bedouin Arab and reacted accordingly. At the outset she did not hear the voice of God in the words of the angel that addressed her. Therefore she did not take those words seriously. God reprimands her for this attitude and asks hy did Sarah not take these words seriously??br /> Avraham who heard the tidings from God directly realized that the message was true and serious. Sarah had to believe what she thought was a human wish and therefore discounted it. But God demanded from her, as He does from each of us, that we pay proper attention to what other humans say to us. Perhaps in their statements and words we can realize that God Himself, so to speak, is talking to us. God has many messengers and many ways of reaching us individually but we must be attuned to hear the messages that emanate from Heaven. They should never be allowed to fall on deaf or inattentive ears and minds. To a great extent this ability to listen to the otherwise unheard voice of Heaven is the measure of a Jew and of his ability to accomplish in life. Eventually Sarah hears and believes - and through this Yitzchak is born and Jewish continuity is assured and protected. Shabat shalom. Rabbi Berel Wein BACK TO TOP     LifeLine, Copyright © 2009 by Torah.org Questions or comments? Email feedback@torah.org. Join the Jewish Learning Revolution! Torah.org: The Judaism Site brings this and a host of other classes to you every week. Visit http://torah.org or email learn@torah.org to get your own free copy of this mailing. Need to change or stop your subscription? Please visit our subscription center, http://torah.org/subscribe/ -- see the links on that page. Permission is granted to redistribute, but please give proper attribution and copyright to the author and Torah.org. Both the author and Torah.org reserve certain rights. Email copyrights@torah.org for full information.