Rabbi Yehoshua Weber speaking at Mishmar Parshas Lech Lecha at Scheiner's Shul

There you go. >> Okay. So, we really in this week's part, we introduced Ishmal. Ishmal was is a son and he's thrown out and we sort of view him as as a Russia, right? As as someone really bad >> was really meant to be bad, right? We see Kamas, that's what we think of. I want to go through the makyus with you and I want to present perhaps a different perspective on Yeshal and a different perspective on Abramov's perspective on so I want to go to sukum that you know you've heard a million times come look at the first um first macar first source I highlighted the really should catch your attention right so um hugger is pregnant um she's um she has she's lost in the desert um she's um she's thirsty she's panicking And tells her it's going to be okay. You were thrown out, but it's going to be okay. And heard you. Look. Um, and because heard you, you will call him who realized heard your pain. >> And because heard your pain, you will call him Yeshal. And you want to know what he's going to be like? Who? He's going to be a What does this mean? How do you touch it? >> A wild dude. >> A wild dude. Right. Rashi for sure. What? Rashi says wild. A gantham. Right. Um that's what you think of. And that's Rashi says Boris. He's like he likes the desert. He's a trapper. He's like wild out there. Zan fiat everyone hates him nowadesh is talking to hugger so it's so hugger is not some you know stupid person she's probably not some rashant she's married to a ravinu right you know the midrasha we know is that she was she started out as an Egyptian princess and she left all that to join Ramavinu's family and aes who is comforting her it's going to be okay and what is he telling her you're going to have a son who's going to be Wild and crazy. He's going to be a goof and everyone's going to hate him, right? Strange, you know, >> it's great. >> Yeah. What's what's the comfort? I mean, what's so exciting about that? >> Right. [laughter] So, that's Rashi. Rashi quotes the madrashim. But is that really what the madrasha mean? I mean, Rashi's calling the madrashim verbatim. It's the language of the medish. So, I want you to go with me and look at the word perah. What does perah mean? Per means bad. Uh, not really. Per means what does perua mean in modern Hebrew? means loose and wild and uncovered. Right. [clears throat and snorts] Uncovering. Right. Um the same word and >> so whenever you have the first two letters it's going to be the same. Ha's famous 19th century rule. Lashnik she says is a mathematical puzzle. And if you look it's really medieval. It goes back to the 10th 11th century. The last letter per right perk is a flower and pri is a fruit and per is outside and per is uncovered. It's all the same. It's growth. It's uninhibited. It's same little and you can do this. I'm sitting in a kiss, right? A chair, right? And I just drank from a coast and I I have something in my kiss in my pocket. >> So what are the common >> when you have two pers two consonants that define a letter, the third just sort of shifts it a little. So a cup, a [laughter] a a chair, a pocket, all hold something. Kiss, pear, a fruit, a flower. um outside it's growing it's uninhibited. So perah doesn't mean bad. It just means he's growing. He's big. He's out there. And I'll tell you most translate this very positively. He's going to be someone really. It's a mother who's panicking who's being told now I know you you know Rashi Rashi quotes the medish. These know the midrashim but they read the midrashim in a little bit of a different way in a positive. He'll have his mother power. His mother was very physically strong. She gave him but at the very same time he's going to have his father's power. He'll be the best of both is not a bad guy does in the end. So doesn't mean that he's that he's a [clears throat] he's a wild crazy guy. Means he's going to be a good guy. >> The end of his life he did something good >> lots of things. So we're going to see he did lot >> to work for. So he has one thing for mine at the end of his life. So it might not it might not just be one thing. He might have been not such a bad guy. Let's let's see let's see the madrash the opposite >> per let's see if we look from before. Okay >> let's go through >> S surah tells Aram he's got to go. [snorts] He doesn't listen to S until Hashem tells him kick him out. >> Well we'll see we can discuss why he has to go. It could be I I'm going to go for a little bit of respect on why he has to go. Okay. So that's this. Look at the Okay. How do we attach it? Sashi says he's gonna be a gif and people are gonna hate him. That's not what he says. He's going to be a great businessman. He's going to be very successful. He's going to um he's going to be very successful. See if Tisha back to back telling you he's going to be very successful. The truth doesn't make sense. Hugger's wandering in the desert. She's she's dejected. She's lost. She's thirsty. She's she was thrown out. She was a good person, right? She let go of Egyptian royalty to join a brahavinu. And now she's just trying to figure it out. So she made some mistakes. So brother tells her it's going to be okay. He's going to be a good guy. He's going to be a he'll have your tunos your strengths. He'll have your husband's strengths. People will like him. He'll do business with people. There's nothing bad going on here. >> Because of the change of the of the wording instead of >> that's how most shiny read it per means. He'll have he'll be fruitful. He'll be like a pri. He'll be successful. It's it's a and again it's it's a woman who's panicking in the desert. And what does tell him tell her? Um don't worry heard that you're suffering and I'm giving you this child. What are you going to tell a woman? Um I heard you're suffering and because I'm giving your child is going to be a Nazi who's going to be Hitler. >> So Rashi quotes the medish. These mash know the madrashim. What do the madrashim mean? The madrashim take a little bit of a flavor. Later on we attention with Arabs. So the madrashim but the core meaning of the is going to be a good successful guy who's going to give you >> why he's asking why is rashi [clears throat] pick the >> know the madrashim they're not going to argue. So so I think rashi just quotes rashi what the way rashi works and this is really a separate discussion. Rashi simply quotes madrashim. He doesn't really explain the pik. He quotes the madrashim. These rishim explain now what do the madrashim mean? The madrashim written later when we're interacting with Arabs and it's dangerous and the s. So they give it that flavor but the simple meaning of the pik according to these rishum is he's going to be a good guy. And the truth isn't really thrown out. How do we know wasn't thrown out? Because look at life. How many children did Ramavo have? >> So we think of two. He had lots of kids. He had before he had he had then he has and then after Saru dies he um he marries hugger maybe she was hugger maybe different but he marries coutura and there's a lot of children and what happens to the children that with this other woman the thrown out but yeshmal is not I want to see the six um come with me to seven uh nine actually all the way into nine the women actually famous lots of so many women shuen so on so forth and what does Abra do okay what does he do he says he sends them out he sends them out he gives them a tonis and he sends them out okay um and they're not part of his life but of when dies who's part of his life who buries him and So there are plenty of other ch children and we read about them and we read that after they're born Abramino gives them a tonus and he sends them far away >> from from this wife Tur might have been hug she might have been a different lady um they're sent away remains part of his life okay and how do we know remains part of his life because when dies what does the tell you they're inhal's involved in burying him So beshmal is still connected to him in middle of his life. This pic tells you he sends away all his children. It doesn't say he sends away. Um we read about about the nvu about being born. The simple reading of nvu is is that hugim is told that he's going to be a good guy. Um he's going to be he's going to do business. He'll be successful that he's he's not [clears throat] you know I'm giving you. So what is going on here withhal? What is withhal? So I want to go travel with you to midrashim that you know you're raised with let's jump ahead right now it's parl let's go to the end of par you have the story of the what is tell of he it's the biggest test of's life take your sona the son that you love and what does ask >> I love both >> and he doesn't know who he's referring to now I want you to see the medish inside so come with me. [snorts] Tells us >> he says stay here with theamar. So 10 seconds later he goes but but this couldn't >> right. So I want to go with some midrashim. I want to come with some madrashim. Okay. >> So cometh me to the medish. Okay. >> Could [clears throat] be. Could be. But you know that medish I want to come to other pukum also. Let's that medish you know um this is before is born okay >> um 12 so this is the end of the weeks of of our par this week and the tells you're going to have a child and he's going to he's going to he'll he'll accomplish he'll carry on he's going to be an a like you and and it's so hard for me to imagine it right he's going to be 100 years old man who's going to be 90 years old so what does that tell um um come to me change her name and you're going to have a child and it's so hard for to manage. So what does say? You know what? Let I mean I'm not going to have a son. It's I'm so old. My wife is so old. Let your live and be my son. And what does tell him? No, you're going to have a son with your with with Sara. But but look at the third line. So is telling him Yeshu is going to be someone who's serious, who counts, who's positive. Now to tell him to tell that he's going to be very big and he'll have 12 children and they're all going to be Nazi. I I don't think there's an it'll be big and they'll all be rash. There's there are lots of not just midashim, but there areim that telling us this story is a little bit more complicated than you think he is. He he's not this Russia when he's a child and he's not this Russia when he's an old man and he's not this Russia in the middle of his life when he's born when he's about to be born tells hugger you're going to have nas you're going to have a really good kid later much later in life and you know dies there are plenty of other children they're not in the picture they're sent away they just don't deserve to be part of it is kraim together with the in middle of's life there stories we all know all the other sons don't count they're not part of the picture but by the aada's already a big you know he's mature if is 37 at the 51 he's a mature man that you want to try to kill a >> I'm sorry >> so there's actually different ways there are different ways of reading that there's rashi but there is now in middle of his life um who thinks is like is ital so in the middle of his life ishmal is really a good person and it's au is a navi and he's a sadic and he's the god lad and he's you know he'savu if he considers to be a very very special person he probably was at the end ofu's lifeal is a sadik or he's he's maybe not like yitzka but he's he certainly has power >> can we learn that he thought just like thought as was good cuz they don't want to get rid of him. So he thought you cuz he k he kicked you out with sorrow. >> So we'll have to talk about why he kicked the out and not so simple why he kicked him out. So I want to but I'm you have all of these madras. Now you're going to tell me again you know the rashi rashi says that why did Abram want to throw what did want to throw out? Because Yeshal tried killing it. That's Rashi. Rashi brings down three of um murder Gile Aras and Desara. That's not what the Raman says. The Raman says he was throwing him out because Yeshal was claiming the Yusha. And the truth is why shouldn't they claim the Let's forget about Ishmal. Why shouldn't Yish? Because >> oh he was the Bkar. So you'll say he was born to hug, right? So but jump a little bit ahead into history. Yakenu marries many women. He marries Raal and Leia and they have children. But he also marries Bill and Zilpa and God and Jacob. Did he say Jacob? God and Usher and Donali. They all get but they're also why are billila so much different than hugger. So is coming from a very sensible place. >> So the ramban says nothing to do with killing zara. He wanted part of the usa >> from bell and zip. had the bris on the 8th day, not the 13th year. >> But Abrau also had it on the 99th year. The mitzvah wasn't given yet. >> He was the first Jew, >> right? So Yesh the same time all together. So all part of the same. >> So simple. >> So I'm just saying Yeshal is is really shouldn't be different than God and Asher and D and Afali. So you have midrashim at the beginning saying midrashim most saying the hugger was told he's going to be a good guy at the end of his life there are plenty of other sons that are thrown out they're not part of the picture um is there at the kafur the other sons m and they're not there in middle of his life by the abra is sort of comparing them to one another and throughout his life comes up tells me he's going to be good have 12 kids >> can I ask you one question >> this has the bottom of the last like five minutes when Hashem said to Hagar your son is going to be a good thing for you >> according to these right >> did Hashem mean he's going to be good to what Hashem thinks is good or to [snorts] what hugger is good when you say >> excellent amazing question >> is Hashem knows what's what you ultimately want you don't know what you want because you have so you don't see Hashem's husband but if you saw husband excellent question excellent question so if you would just focus on this you would say well maybe good the way hugger considers her good but still hugger is painted as a woman who was a princess who left everything to be with her because she wanted something good >> she was >> so she's talking to talking to she is a um maybe not like and all the other stories at the compares them and tells them he will and he'll be the father of 12 umos. Aram for sure wants good. He's part of the kura. So there are plenty of good stories about Yeshal. Now there's a big where Sarah has him thrown out because wants the but the truth is maybe deserves the god got the got the why in the world is different? It's the same exact story. He's it's true there's um there's a maid servant. There's a there's a pelgish who isn't really a regular wife. But why is hugger any different than Bill and Zilpa? So Yeshal maybe should get the Yusha. So Yeshal was coming from a sensible Tina. So why is Abramino throwing him out? So this already I did not make part of the share. But some what the beautiful thing about learning today is is that if you want to write a will now you want to um you want to transfer a deed, you want to what do you do? You go to a lawyer and you write a document and they record it in city hall. But in the ancient world when you wanted to write a will, what did you do? There were no records. There were no lawyers. There's no city hall. What did you do? Who learned supas not long ago? You want to remember if a woman was was sulu when she got married, she gets 200 or she was bu and she only gets 100. How would you remember? >> How she dresses, how she goes out, how she gets married. You make a statement to the whole community to see. And this way you remember. Um there's a beautiful >> in the >> right but right but but but now we keep the but back then they wouldn't right so but I mean they would write it also but they would have a public ceremony Jacob bought the from how did he buy the what does the person tell you how >> Jacob bought Jacob bought why did he buy it with beans isn't that so you know what the say >> you know what the bam say he bought it with money most say most say he bought with money. So why is he busy with beans? He had a whole meal with a lot of people when they served beans so that people should know so that they shouldn't forget a lot of people. >> Okay, a lot of I mean you buy things with money. You don't buy things with beans. But you needed for people to remember so was saying ish you're still my child. I'm not you're not >> money is a common occurrence. Beans is not. >> Yeah. Who who buy who buys [clears throat] the for beans? It's a crazy thing to buy for beans, right? And is worth money. You don't buy it for beans. Even if it's two pots of beans or 10 pots of beans or 20 pots of beans, right? Unless you're So, a lot of say it was a mira for money. I think Raj Bam says it also maybe also, but you want people to remember. So, you have a meal. Yeshal wasn't really thrown out. Yes. State part of Romu's life. And you see it. You see that he's he's you see that he's buried after Sar when Suru dies. Where is Yitzk? They have to get he's in bear. Who lived in >> Ishmal? Ishmo was part of his life. >> But Abra was saying you're not going to get the yusha because the rush is is is is yiddish. So throwing him out wasn't throwing him out. It was making a public statement that you're not getting the maybe I want to come back to this. But still Yesh wanders and Yeshal suffers. If yes is a good guy who tells Hugary he's a good guy but say he's a good guy. Now again with we have problems with his kids. I'm not saying they're all sadikim. There's kamas but there was a lot of good deal right there's a lot of good. [clears throat] >> So there were also for sure but I'm just saying he's not this he's not out out of the box. He's part of the family who considers him like a son right there are two sons. They're exactly the same. Well, I'm not exactly the same is it's a he's not playing a game, right? He's a ve, you know, he's a very it's he's a na'vi. So, if he thinks that is he doesn't, you know, >> I mean did like, you know, as was bad. So, I just >> Oh, right. I don't know if I'll tell you. I don't know if was bad. We make it too simple. I think we confuse our kids by doing that. Maybe he wasn't bad. He got worse. But As it doesn't say choua is says he did. And as didn't stay part of the family stays part of the family from the beginning till the end. He's there at He's there by he's there. As gets something at the end gets nothing. He gets kicked out. Zero. Nothing. No. You show nothing part of it. Zero. >> I He's there at the >> good. The fact that Abra wants to keep him around doesn't make it that he's good. It just means a father loves a son. That's it. >> Let me give you another an upight. It's not really mine. have gross his role develops an idea. Um, so you tell him, but still if you loves him so much, he's kicking him out and he has to wander around. >> Yeah. So it's different gross different. He's he kicks him out and he wanders around. Tell me right before um Aramino kicks out and he wanders around. Aram gets a nav avoir. What's the nava? There's a bris. What is the bris? The Brisbane absurum. What is the Brisbane absurum? >> That's a whole complicated thing. >> So what anyone remember the language of the Brisbane absurum >> right beforeh is thrown down tells him tells what happens to Jews. They're kicked out of their home. They wander the world. How did >> it doesn't sound that great. >> It's an idea. How did Abramavu start his life? >> How did Abramavu become Abramu? >> Wandering around kicked out of his land and he wanders around. >> So Abrau only has one child at this point in the beginning and then even with he has to be thrown out. But Abrau knows that the way you start you become great is you wander. You have to manage on your own. You have to build yourself up. It's something he had to do. right before this story with the problems there's the brisbane where tells them you know just the way there was a for you you became great by wandering by leaving your home by being forced to manage on your own >> this is this is the Jewish dream and right after that there's tension with and Sarah says you know what we have to send hugger away and then next week's par Sarah says you know what we have to send away doesn't want to do it but Then tells him no this is what you have to do. What is the thinking? Maybe this is the brisarum. The brisarum is a repetition of is you wander and you become your own person. The brisaram is that's the way a person becomes his own person. If is indeed I heard you hear he's going to be great is there in middle of his life is there um all along consider it's not but there's a lot there well if right after says the way you become great is by becoming your own person then maybe this is what has to happen to you >> how does he find out that it's he's not the right person >> so he maybe he's not so not the right personitzk is sus child so clearly he's mish but is also a bath and the truth is that's what was telling him you're going to have who's going to establish but you're going to have say that's also bad you know we're living now with all the tensions with the Arabs historically it wasn't this way historically was much better with the >> Arabs on that >> one word that he was >> okay. Yeah, >> it could be. But I'm just saying the idea that we see today are not really the >> Oh, that's an answer. Very, very good. I mean, >> that's a whole thing on that. >> Right. Right. Right. In terms of >> talks about that, we think it's not really that possible. >> Could be. Could be. You should know. We rely on the religion. >> You should know we rely on that married. So, >> right. We rely on that. We rely on that because you know Mitri aren't allowed to marry but you know Egyptians convert were not medactic. So we rely on that. It's a good idea could be. So just let me just sort of summarize right I'm just bringing ideas again. Now there's such tension with kamas with Arabs with this. It wasn't this way until 100 years ago. The big tension was with the Christians. It wasn't really with the Arabs. It was better with them. It wasn't as tense. Um, and you'll see that throughout Ishmam's life, he's held up not as a Yid, but as a path that's relatively good, his birth from death and throughout his life. Um, you do have being thrown out, but maybe that's a statement that that he's not going to get the but another piece to bring to the puzzle is is that maybe in's mind that's okay because that's what he went through. That's how you become a great person. You know what is one of the greatest problems with kids today? I taught for many years um kids today there's there's anxiety and there's depression and there's there's so many there was always there every kid has something >> right 50 years ago people had much less time in in in in Poland 35 you didn't have time to be anxious because you had to get up 4 in the morning and you had to work till 12:00 at night and you slept you just didn't have time to be anxious >> there's also more awareness of it today >> there's more awareness there were always issues there's nothing back then there's there's more stuff that's going affect the youth now than there was back then. >> Sure. Of course. >> So I'm I'm saying there was always stuff for sure. There was always mental illness. There was always crisis. But for sure the rates of anxiety are higher. That's documented. >> And part of it is is that it's a little bit easier >> going on. >> It's also because life is easier and you have time to be anxious. >> More simplicity back then. >> Now back then >> I think life is much easier now that that gives you time to be depressed and be anxious. >> I think life people have more time. People aren't used to pushing themselves. anytime >> because they choose to spend time in the internet, >> right? >> But it's not the tension of getting up early in the morning having to chop wood. I think [laughter] it's you I may be wrong. That's a position. >> I may be wrong. That's a it's separate from the core idea. I hear you. >> I hear you. It's just an idea. But the core I I hear that it's another But the core idea is is that Abra was trying to accomplish two things. First of all, he had to make a statement. It wasn't throwing him out forever. The way you made a statement that his inherence was you send your child out of the house, everyone remembers and he comes back two weeks later. And that's but another piece to the puzzle is is that if he did wonder maybe from a veriness perspective that was a good thing because that's what Rob did. >> That's that's and and and and it's difficult and you have but maybe and maybe but maybe some difficulties and Saras is is a little bit better. >> Okay, that's the idea. >> Dour. Okay. I come for the schnitle.