Discussion of selected verses of the parsha through the lens of Mussar.
Bullet Points /key phrases:
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God’s promise to Sarah fulfilled - Isaac's birth on Rosh HaShanah
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Sarah demands Ishmael's [and Hagar’s] [expulsion from Abraham's household due to the negative influence he posed for Isaac
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The treaty between Abraham and Abimelech, king of the Philistines.
The Torah does not identify Rosh Hashanah as “Rosh Hashanah.” Rather, it identifies the first of the seventh month as a day on which the horn — namely, the shofar — is sounded.
The Zohar says that when a person leaves this world, Hashem shows him what he could have become during his sojourn in this world. The soul emits a primal cry of anguish for failing to fulfill its task. Every Jew is charged with a unique purpose. Unfortunately many of us fall short. How can we avoid this? From time to time, a person should make a chesbon hanefesh (soul accounting) to get a clear sense of where he’s at. He should find a mentor to lead him on the right track and study the Torah, Hashem’s guidebook for life. ~ Naaleh.com
One must be happy on Rosh Hashanah, and yet one must cry. ~ R’ Nachman of Breslov
(א) וַֽיהֹוָ֛ה פָּקַ֥ד אֶת־שָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמָ֑ר וַיַּ֧עַשׂ יְהֹוָ֛ה לְשָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר׃ (ב) וַתַּ֩הַר֩ וַתֵּ֨לֶד שָׂרָ֧ה לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם בֵּ֖ן לִזְקֻנָ֑יו לַמּוֹעֵ֕ד אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים׃
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַתְּשׁוּבָה וְהַצְּעָקָה יָפָה לָעוֹלָם. בַּעֲשָׂרָה הַיָּמִים שֶׁבֵּין רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים הִיא יָפָה בְּיוֹתֵר וּמִתְקַבֶּלֶת הִיא מִיָּד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נה ו) "דִּרְשׁוּ ה' בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ". בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּיָחִיד אֲבָל צִבּוּר כָּל זְמַן שֶׁעוֹשִׂים תְּשׁוּבָה וְצוֹעֲקִין בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם הֵם נַעֲנִין שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד ז) "כַּה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּכָל קָרְאֵנוּ אֵלָיו":
Even though repentance and calling out [to God] are desirable at all times, during the ten days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, they are even more desirable and will be accepted immediately as [Isaiah 55:6] states: "Seek God when He is to be found." "דִּרְשׁוּ ה' בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ" When does the above apply? To an individual. However, in regard to a community, whenever they repent and cry out wholeheartedly, they are answered immediately as [Deuteronomy 4:7] states: "[What nation is so great that they have God close to them,] as God, our Lord, is whenever we call Him."
Remembrance {Zichronot) or as here, 'taking note' is one of the primary themes of Rosh Hashanah. The other two are 'Kingship' (Malchuyot) and "Shofarot".
Sarah is an aspect of SaRah, the trait of malkhut (kingship), as Rashi explains: sheh’SaRah (since she ruled) over the entire world. ~Likutei Moharan
Malchut is sovereignty. It’s saying, “I’ll be who I want to be and I won’t defined by the outside.” When the Russian refusnik, Natan Sharansky, crossed the bridge to freedom the media asked him, “How does it feel to be free?” He answered, “I was always free.” That’s malchut. Rabbi Tauber tells how when he was a young child in the concentration camps his mother had him wear the one garment he had, inside out all week. On Shabbat, she would turn it so the right side faced out. That’s malchut. ~Based on a shiur by Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller
As the making mentioned there means that a gift was granted to the world...R. Levi said: She increased the light of the luminaries: ‘making’ is mentioned here, viz. GOD HAS MADE FOR ME, while elsewhere it says, And God made the two lights (Gen. I, 16) ~ B'reishit Rabbah 53:8
R. Berekhyah the Priest said: What is the meaning of EVERYONE WHO HEARS WILL LAUGH FOR ME? Surely not that everyone heard! But what is the meaning of EVERYONE WHO HEARS? That the Holy One increased the light of the sun and the moon. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 1:16): AND GOD MADE THE TWO LIGHTS THE GREATER ONES. Therefore: EVERYONE WHO HEARS WILL LAUGH FOR ME. ~Midrash Tanchuma Buber
“Who would have said to Abraham
That Sarah would suckle children!
Yet I have borne a son in his old age.”
This is also the meaning of YiTZChaK being the aspect of Elohim, as it is written, “Elohim has brought me TZChoK (laughter).” ~Likutei Moharan
Two prominent themes throughout are God’s promises (of land and descendants) and his blessing. The texts revolve around the question of whether and how God will fulfill his promises, and how people will effect the transfer of the blessing. Each generation portrayed in the narratives must deal with the inherent tensions raised by these questions, since their resolution does not occur easily. ~Everett Fox
The concept of Rosh Hashanah as the day of G‑d’s “coronation” as king of the universe explains a most puzzling paradox in the nature of the day. On the one hand, Rosh Hashanah is when we stand before the Supreme King and tremulously accept the “yoke of His sovereignty.” On the other hand, it is a festival (yom tov), celebrated amidst much feasting and rejoicing—a day on which we are enjoined to “eat sumptuous foods and drink sweet beverages, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared, for the day is holy to our L‑rd; do not be distressed, for the joy of the L‑rd is your strength” ~Nehemiah 8:10).
Numbers play an important role in the Patriarchal stories...that the life spans of the Patriarchs (see Sarna 1966) fit into a highly ordered pattern. Avraham lives for 175 years, equaling 7 × 52; Yitzhak, for 180 years, equaling 5 × 62; and Yaakov, for 147 years, or 3 × 72. This is unmistakably a purposeful scheme, meant to convey that human history is orderly and meaningful...Avraham lives for 75 years in the lifetime of his father and 75 years in the lifetime of his son, while Yaakov spends 20 years away from his father, with Yosef roughly following suit in the next generation. ~Everett Fox
(ח) וַיִּגְדַּ֥ל הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַיִּגָּמַ֑ל וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אַבְרָהָם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה גָד֔וֹל בְּי֖וֹם הִגָּמֵ֥ל אֶת־יִצְחָֽק׃ (ט) וַתֵּ֨רֶא שָׂרָ֜ה אֶֽת־בֶּן־הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָ֥ה לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם מְצַחֵֽק׃ (י) וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם גָּרֵ֛שׁ הָאָמָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את וְאֶת־בְּנָ֑הּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִירַשׁ֙ בֶּן־הָאָמָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את עִם־בְּנִ֖י עִם־יִצְחָֽק׃ (יא) וַיֵּ֧רַע הַדָּבָ֛ר מְאֹ֖ד בְּעֵינֵ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם עַ֖ל אוֹדֹ֥ת בְּנֽוֹ׃ (יב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֗ם אַל־יֵרַ֤ע בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ עַל־הַנַּ֣עַר וְעַל־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֛יךָ שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלָ֑הּ כִּ֣י בְיִצְחָ֔ק יִקָּרֵ֥א לְךָ֖ זָֽרַע׃
(8) The child grew up and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. (9) Sarah saw the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing. (10) She said to Abraham, “Cast out that slave-woman and her son, for the son of that slave shall not share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” (11) The matter distressed Abraham greatly, for it concerned a son of his. (12) But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed over the boy or your slave; whatever Sarah tells you, do as she says, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be continued*continued Lit. “called.” for you.
צָחַק (v) heb
- to laugh, mock, play, to jest, to sport, play, make sport, toy with, make a toy of.
המידה השישית - כי החסיד לא יקדים עסק מעסקיו עד ישלים מצוות הבורא יתברך. כי מצאנו כל דבר שציוה הבורא יתברך, {את אברהם} לא הקדים שום מעשה עד שהשלים מצות האל יתברך, כי הנה בברית מילה אמר (בראשית יז) ״ויעל אלהים מעל אברהם״. וכתיב (בראשית יז) ״בעצם היום הזה נמול אברהם״. ולא הקדים שום עסק עד השלים המצוה. ואמר בישמעאל (בראשית כ״א:י״ב) ״כל אשר תאמר אליך שרה שמע בקולה כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע״. וכתיב אחריו (בראשית כ״א:י״ד) ״וישכם אברהם בבקר ויקח לחם וחמת מים ויתן אל הגר שם על שכמה ואת הילד וישלחה״. ולמדנו מזה, כי בחלום הלילה נאמר לו הדבר, ועל כן השכים בבקר, בטרם שיעשה שום מעשה, להשלים מצות האל יתברך.
The sixth quality: The pious man will not put any personal matter ahead of his service to God, until he has first fulfilled the commandment of his Creator, blessed be He. For we find that in any matter which the Creator, blessed be He, commanded Abraham, Abraham did not perform any one of his personal acts before fulfilling the commandment of God, blessed be He. Thus, in the covenant of circumcision, it is said (Genesis 17:22), “And God went up from Abraham.” And it is further written (ibid., 17:26), “In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised,” and he did not perform any personal act until he had fulfilled the commandment. It is said in the case of Ishmael (ibid., 21:12), “In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice, for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee.” It is written immediately after this (ibid., 21:14), “And Abraham arose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting in on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away.” We learn from this that in the dream of the night it was told to him, and therefore, he rose early in the morning before doing any other deed in order to fulfill the command of God, blessed be He.
(13) As for the son of the slave-woman, I will make a nation of him, too, for he is your seed.” (14) Early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar. He placed them over her shoulder, together with the child, and sent her away. And she wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. (15) When the water was gone from the skin, she left the child under one of the bushes, (16) and went and sat down at a distance, a bowshot away; for she thought, “Let me not look on as the child dies.” And sitting thus afar, she burst into tears.