IDENTIFYING THE THEME OF PARSHAS LECH LECHA {המלצר נושא}

Okay, welcome and welcome everyone. We have amazing material today. So, let's get right to start right away. First of all, you may have seen the safer before the tsaddik, which by the way you could get for with free shipping from dj.com or you could get it for free at safer. dj.com. A very interesting news, the [snorts] tsaddik 50th yard site is coming up. You get to this. And I've been speaking to Kushlewsky. There are going to be big events in Jerusalem in honor of the yard site. So, I decided in honor of the 50th yard site I'm coming out with volume two. So, it has to go out to print very soon. So, if anybody wants to be basically, it's unpublished letters of the tsaddik Anna. That I have in my possession. Yeah, they're right there by the way in that messy I have a I'll show it to them. I'll show them to you. I have unpublished letters of the tsaddik Anna. Um I must have about 30 of them. Each one with tiny letters. These are written in the '60s and the '70s to my grandfather. Never published. It's pretty cool. Um Here by the way, I have his stamp over here. >> [snorts] >> Um In his stamp it says that he published a on the Shulchan Aruch called Aruch Hashulchan Avnei Nezer. And until recently no one had any idea what this was referring to. But actually, if you go on you'll find there is a commentary on the Shulchan Aruch called Aruch Hashulchan Avnei Nezer. And it was written anonymously and nobody knew who he wrote he wrote it until if you look you could tell from his stamp that tsaddik is the author of that period. So, this volume is actually going to have for the first time ever published part of the Sadiq Ronanas Kitzur Shulchan Aruch with his parish on it. And other biographical information. Anybody wants to be or wants more information, please let us know. Okay. The theme of Parshas Lech Lecha Hameltsar Noiseh Hameltsar Noiseh. >> [snorts] >> I have to say that last year when this idea was percolating in my mind, does the parsha have a theme? I thought it was such a great idea and I had so little insight into any parsha what the theme was. And even though we were able to get through Breishis and Shemois, what is the theme of Lech Lecha? Do you realize what a difficult question that is? What is the theme of Parshas Lech Lecha? And you'll say, "What do you mean? Avram going out of his house. Come on, that's the theme of the parsha?" Okay, first Avram leaves. Then there's a hunger in the land of Israel so he has to go down to Mitzrayim. Then he goes back to Eretz Yisrael. Then Lot is captured. Then Avram Avinu rescues Lot and he fights the four kings. Then it's the Bris Bein HaBesarim. And then Avram Avinu is given the mitzvah of Bris Milah. What What in the world is Is there one common theme in Lech Lecha? What's the theme? So, I was thinking and I was thinking, I want to share with you three approaches. The theme of Parshas Lech Lecha could be encapsulated in the following two words. Lech Lecha. Go for your benefit. How is it to Avraham's benefit to leave? Hashem told him, "This is going to be let taivaska or a great nation. Even if you don't see it that way. You'll become a great nation. I will bless you with money. And you will become renowned. And then Parshas Lech Lecha goes on to delineate exactly how these promises came to fruition. So, Hashem tells Abraham Lech Lecha, and by the way, he also said Lech Lecha, go to make Eretz Yisrael yours. Look how the entire Parsha is now a description of the of the name of the Parsha, Lech Lecha. For example, Hashem says V'es Lecha Go Go Go. So, in this week's Parsha, Abraham is promised, go to Eretz Yisrael, you'll have a child. He has a child. He has Yishmael. And the Malach comes and says, V'harba he'll be a very great nation. But then, Abraham is promised, no, Lo Yirashcha Zeh, that's not even who I'm talking about. It's And then Hashem tells him, Havei Na Mi Shamayim Hashamayima, the kid you're going to have, try to count the stars, Im Tuchal Zar'acha. And then Abraham is promised, Aval Sarah Ishtecha Yoledet Lecha Ben. So, Abraham Avinu in this week's Parsha, by going to Eretz Yisrael, he was Zocheh to the first promise, V'es Lecha Go Go Go. He had Yishmael. He was promised Yishmael would be a great nation, and he was vouchsafed that he would have another son, that his offspring would be more numerous than the stars. Fine. Then, >> [clears throat] >> let's go to the next promise. V'avarechecha, you'll have a lot of money. Sure enough, as soon as Abraham Avinu steps foot in into Eretz Yisrael, he has to go to Mitzrayim. Paro he gives him a lot of wealth. Well, Avram hated by Avira, by he lights say no back of a hammer him by Avod him who is a voice by a soy noise or camel him. And then Avram come by Miknah by Kasef also Avram had a lot of money. Not only that, he was also to the Agad Lash Macha. Rashi brings down that all the the kings gathered in a place called Emek Hamelah. Rashi brings Emek Shehushvu Kol Umos Vihimlichu Es Avram Aleihem Linosiu Likotsin. The United Nations gathered together and they uh they issued a memorandum, they issued a proclamation that they all agree that Avraham should be the king of the world. Can you imagine such a thing happening? It's a little bit hard to imagine. But that's what happened in the place called Emek Hamelah. So, Avram Avinu was to produce be the progenitor of a great nation, he was to wealth, and he was to renown. And also, he was to I would say to Vihi Bracha. Hashem said, "You will be a the target, you will be the address when people give blessing. Like we find when Avram Avinu met up with Shem Vayivarechehu Vayomar Baruch Avram Likel Elyon Koneh Shamayim Va'aretz. And Hashem says, "Lech Lecha. Go to the land, it will become yours." And indeed, Avram goes there. Vaya'avor Avram Ba'aretz. And when he gets there, as soon as he gets there, Hashem promises him the land will belong to you, and Hashem makes a covenant with Avraham that the land will be his. So, if you wanted to know, what is the theme of Lech Lecha? What is the subject matter of Lech Lecha? The subject is one thing. That Hashem told Avram, "Go to Eretz Yisrael and things will be good for you in many ways." And all of those things came to be. Okay, that's Lech Lecha. That's one approach to Lech Lecha. >> [snorts] >> Here's another approach. The world had gone haywire. Parshas Noach ended, "Vayamas Terach b'Charan." Rashi says the nun is upside down. The nun is backward, excuse me. Why? Cuz until Avram came to the world, there was anger in the world. Why? Because there have already been four major disasters and setbacks to God's plan for mankind. God created Adam Harishon and he told him, "Do me a favor. You want to eat bananas, mangoes, you can even eat avocado. It's very high in omega-3. Just don't eat the fruit." And Adam Harishon couldn't listen, he ate the fruit. Next, Kayin and Hevel. Not only Kayin takes no responsibility for his brother, he murders his brother, and when Hashem says, "What happened?" Kayin said, "Who do you think I am? Hashem anochi?" Then, Noach. Noach is a tzaddik, but he's supposed to be influencing his people. He's supposed to be influencing the generation. Nope. No luck. Noach, he had no followers. Nobody listened to him. Nobody paid attention to him. He couldn't save one person on the teivah. What about the generation of the flood? Nope. They destroyed They were mashchis ara. What about the haflagah? No, they were promulgating false ideology. One man comes to the scene, and in one parsha, he puts man back on course, and he rectifies all the tohu va vohu of the first 2,000 years of creation and he ushers in a new era. Parshas Lech Lecha is Avraham Avinu revolutionizing the trajectory of human history. Hashem tells Avraham, you know, the last time I asked someone to do something, he didn't listen. You want to go to Eretz Yisrael? What does Avraham say? Not a word. He just goes. He doesn't say one word. He rectifies the sin of the Eitz HaDaas. Kayin killed Hevel. He said, "HaShem ochi anochi?" No. Avraham says, "VaYishma Avram ki nishba ochiv." Avraham risks his life to save his brother Lot. That's why it says the emphasis on "VaYishma Avram ki nishba ochiv." Noach couldn't couldn't influence anyone. Avraham, "V'es ha'nefesh asher asu b'Charan." He garners thousands of talmidim. The Dor Haflagah builds a Migdal to promulgate their false ideology. "VaYiven sham mizbe'ach la'Hashem vaYikra b'shem Hashem." Avraham Avinu creates this altar and he travels around proclaiming the name of Hashem. And then finally, the generation of the flood, they sinned. They were mashchisei zera. They wasted seed. Avraham of They didn't preserve the kedusha of bris milah. Lech Lecha ends. "Va'Avraham ben tisha v'teisha shanah What is Lech Lecha? Lech Lecha is a complete rectification and revamp of the trajectory of Hashem's plan for Adam. That is Lech Lecha. Case closed. Now, Avraham Avinu, he achieved what needed to be achieved. VaYera will be a new topic. I have a good idea for VaYera. I got VaYera is basically the only parsha I have back pocket, and it's out of this world. That's Lech Lecha. But then this morning I encountered a Ramban at the end of the parsha, and I think there's another important theme. If we could say one theme of parshas Lech Lecha, >> [snorts] >> Avraham Avinu is promised Eretz Yisrael. Does anybody know how many times Avraham Avinu is promised Eretz Yisrael? He's promised Eretz Yisrael four times in parshas Lech Lecha. Where? He's promised Eretz Yisrael in perek Yud Gimmel pasuk Yud Daled, sona in achorae tzefona v'negma v'yama v'keidma. He's promised Eretz Yisrael in perek Tes Vav pasuk Yud Ches, bayom hahu karas Hashem es Avraham bris leimor, "L'zaracha es ha'aretz hazos." Okay, I'm sorry. The first one is Yud Beis Zayin, "L'zaracha es ha'aretz hazos." Then Yud Gimmel, Yud Daled, sona in achorae tzefona v'negma v'yama. Then Tes Vav Yud Ches, bayom hahu karas Hashem es Avraham bris leimor, "L'zaracha es ha'aretz hazos." at the bris bein ha'besarim. And then at the end of the parsha in the context of milah, kasha Hashem said, "I'll give it to you l'achuzas olam." The Ramban, you could look perek Tes Vav pasuk Yud Ches, is bothered. I don't know why I didn't put up the mar'ei mekomos, but it's okay. This last one was a late addition. The Ramban is bothered, why is Avraham promised Eretz Yisrael four times in parshas Lech Lecha? The Ramban says each time the promise increases and something is added that wasn't the the first time. The first time Hashem just said, "L'cha ul'zaracha l'zaracha es ha'aretz hazos." But to only the land Then the second time when Abraham increased says, "I'll show you what I'll give you the whole land." So not in a way that you can see. I'll give you everything that you could see. The third time Hashem gave him the boundaries and all the 10 nations. And he was curious that even if you sin we'll still keep the land. And the fourth time Hashem at the Hashem said to us meaning even if we're ever exiled, the land still belongs to us. And not only that, if you live there I'll be for you as a God. And not only that, I will not guide you through an intermediary. I'll guide you myself. So what do we see? What is the theme of the parashah? It it is Abraham and taking eternal possession of Israel for him and his descendants eternally. And it builds up a Hadagga. First only the land that Abraham went to until Shechem. Then whatever he could see. Then all the 10 nations with a guarantee that even if we sin and then finally the end of the parashah that even if we're exiled it will still be ours. So we could say you know again you know what the theme of is. Go through Israel so that you could take eternal possession of it. is the parashah of acquisition of the land of Israel for all their descendants for all eternity. That is the theme of the parashah. The parashah from beginning until end that is one common theme that could also be encapsulated in the two words called of Lecha of Lech Rebbe, that is offering number one.