In Memory of Mr.

Max Glass

In Memory of Mr. Jack Gindi

Likutei Ohr
Volume II : Issue III
Editor-in-Chief: Asher Naghi 14 Senior Editor: Micah Hyman 14 Ariel Amsellem 15 Managing Editors: Eitan Meisels 15 Michael Somekh 15 Layout Editor: Yair Fax 14 Marketing: Yosef Hier 16 Distributors: Mitchell Silberberg 14 Michael Lazovsky 14 Jordan Lustman 15 Sta Advisor: Rabbi Arye Sufrin

The Pamphlet of Light

Parshat Lech-Lecha

A publication of YULA Boys High School

Rabbi Joseph Schreiber

In the Merit of Korbanot

The Flame of Our Ancestors

"It is better for my enemy to see good in me than for me to see evil in him. - Yiddish Proverb

Tellah Gems
Yonah Hiller 14

He said, My Lord, Hashem, Elokim : Whereby shall I know that I am to inherit it? (Bereshit 15:8). In the above verse in Parshat Lech Lecha, Avraham responds to HaKadosh Baruch Hus assertion that he and his descendants will inherit the Land of Israel. This Pasuk poses a blatant dilemna. Certainly Avraham, one of the greates Tzadikim in the history of the world, would never have doubted Hashems promulgation! Rather, as Rashi explains, Avraham actually wondered what he would need to teach his descendants in order to help them atone for their sins, so that they may remain in the land. The Gemara in Masechet Megillah (31b) describes the conversation between Avraham and Hashem in greater detail. Avraham asked, Master of the Universe, perhaps, Heaven forbid, Israel will sin before you, and You will do unto them as You did to the Generation of the Flood or the Generation of the Dispersion? No! Hashem said. Avraham responded, Master of the Universe, whereby shall I know? Hashem answered him, Bring me three calves... Hashem informed Avraham that through the merit of the Korbanot, or offerings, Israel could achieve atonement and remain in the Eretz Yisroel . Avraham then replied, Master of the Universe, that is fine for the times when the Holy Temple does exist, but in times when the Holy Temple does not exist, what will be with your people? I have already established for them the (scriptual) sections of the offerings, Hashem retorted. Whenever they read from them, I will consider it as if they were bringing an offering before Me, and I will forgive them for all of their sins. It is clear that although Avraham was not doubting Hashems promise, he was very concerned that Klal Yisroel might be punished for their sins and iniquities, just as the Generation of the Flood or the Generation of the Dispersion were. The Bait Halevi asks: In order for Bnei Yisroel to be destroyed, the nation would certainly have to sin BMeizid , purposely and knowingly, not BShogeg , unknowingly or unwittingly. If this is so, then it is difficult to understand Hashems response of Bring me three calves in other words, the merit of Korbanot will achieve atonement for Klal Yisroels intentional sins. Korbanot are never brought or offered for sins performed BMeizid . They are only offered as atonement for sins performed BShogeg!? The Bait Halevi answers that it is most difficult to imagine that the Children of Israel could ever be so wicked that they might actually be sinning BMeizid from the outset. However, in the event that they begin sinning BShogeg, and they, time and time again, repeat the misdeed, sinning can become light in their eyes. Desensitization can lead to, Heaven forbid, committing sins BMeizid . Yet all of this will only occur if they do not repent and receive atonement for their BShogeg sins. Hashem was telling Avraham that since Israel has the merit of Korbanot, they will receive atonement for sins they commit BShogeg , and, in this way, sinning will never become light in their eyes Klal Yisroel will not commit sins BMeizid , and God will ensure that they remain in the land!

We recite Kiddush every Shabbat in order to sanctify, recognize, and remember the holiness of the day. Saying Kiddush helps set the proper tone for Shabbat; it assists us in recognizing how holy and special the day truly is. Similarly, we must prepare ourselves for Davening by setting the right mood, attaining the proper mindset, before approaching HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Chazal set up a part of the Davening the Pesukei Dezimra, which has the main purpose of preparing us for the Amida. Additionally, it is ones own, personal obligation to prepare mentally for your appointment with God. A Mishnah in Brachot teaches us that the Chasidim Harishonim used to prepare for an hour before Davening. In fact, some today have similar preparation processes in which they will simply cogitate for long periods of time before they approach Hashem. Of course we are not expected to do the same; however, it is vital to recognize the importance of personal, mental preparation. Even a mere couple of minutes, or even a couple of seconds, makes a big difference and will result in a more intimate Tefillah experience. If we put in the time to prepare for Davening, Hashem will see our dedication and, BEzrat Hashem, accept our prayers.

Avraham: Lessons from the Road

Alan Gindi 17
In the beginning of this weeks Parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha, Hashem commands Avraham to leave his home and migrate to a new land. In return, Hashem promises Avraham fame, family, and fortune because these are the three parts of life that do not thrive while traveling. Avraham, with complete Bitachon in Hashem, relocates to Canaan with his family. Eventually, a famine strikes the land, and Avraham is forced to go down to Egypt. Upon his arrival in Egypt, Avraham asks Sarah to deny that she is married to him, so that they would not take Sarah and kill Avraham. Avraham was ultimately right because Pharaohs officers tell Pharaoh about how beautiful Sarah is, and Pharaoh orders her to his palace. Rashi then asks a question on these Psukim: The verse that tells that Avraham and Sarah went to Egypt reads, When it came to pass when Avraham came to Egypt (Bereshit 12:14). The Torah should have written, And it came to pass when they came to Egypt. After all, Sarah was there too! It was not just Avraham who journeyed to Egypt. The Torahs failure to mention Sarah teaches us that Sarah hid in Avrahams trunk, and only when the officers demanded that the trunk be opened did they see her. Once this occurred, Hashem plagued Pharaoh and his household with an illness. Rashi comments that Pharaoh was plagued with a disease which made having relations painful. After, Pharaoh asks Avraham why he lied, saying that Sarah was his sister. Pharaoh demanded that Avraham take Sarah and leave. Another question that arises on a different portion of the Parsha is what happened to Lot during this time? He joined Avraham on his trip to Egypt, yet there is no mention of him at all. Perhaps Lots actions were omitted because he made no major impact on the events that took place. Clearly, the Torah is teaching us that without action, a persons presence can be practically meaningless. Later, Rashi explains that on the way back to his home, Avraham went via the route that he came and stayed in the places that he had resided at before. Rashi explains that Avraham travelled on the same route because he wanted to repay all of the debts he had accrued on his journey to Egypt. He did not want people to assume that a man devoted to Hashem was not honest and forthright. Sometimes a deeper look into the Parsha and its Midrashim can be extremely enlightening into how we, in modern times, should behave. We must take example from our righteous ancestors in order to improve.

Halachic Illuminations
From Rabbi Nachum Sauer
There is a Mitzvah not a Chiyuv to eat a Melava Malkah on Motzei Shabbat in order to escort the Shabbat HaMalkah, the Shabbat Queen, out with a feast. One only needs to eat a Kezayit of any food to be Yotzei Melava Malkah, but LeChatchilah, one should have bread. Even more ideally, one should have meat or some other cooked food. Nonetheless, if a person feels that he cannot eat a large Seudah for Melava Malkah because he is full from Shabbat, one can be Yotzei Melava Malkah with some Mezonot or even with some fruits or vegetables. The Mishneh Berurah adds that one should have a nice white tablecloth during the Melava Malkah. The Mishneh Berurah posits that since the Melava Malkah is about escorting the Shabbat Queen out, LeChatchila, one should eat it immediately after Shabbats conclusion. If one feels that he cannot eat it so early, one may delay the Melava Malkah, but one should avoid serious work until after the meal. Moreover, one should not delay the Melava Malkah past Chatzot HaLayla, midnight. If one has limited funds, he should spend that money on the three meals of Shabbat: Friday night dinner, Shabbat lunch, and Seudat Shlishit because the Melava Malkah does not have the same degree of Chiyuv as the other meals are. Our sages tell us that each person has a small bone in their body that does not decompose after death and burial because it is nourished exclusively from the Melava Malkah meal. This bone is the nucleus from which our bodies are resurrected during Techiyat HaMeitim.

Compiled By Your Senior Editor Micah Hyman

A Human Tzadik

Jack Kirschenbaum 14

One of the best aspects of our Torah is that the its characters are human. They make mistakes. One of the earliest examples of this concept takes place in this weeks Parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha. When Avraham journeys to Egypt to avoid the famine in Canaan, he warns Sarah that, "It will come to pass when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife,' and they will slay me and let you live. Please say [that] you are my sister, in order that it go well with me because of you, and that my soul may live because of you (Bereshit 12:11-13). How could Avraham possibly describe Sarah as unmarried and let her be taken away!? Sarah would certainly be abused in the hands of the debauched Egyptians. Avraham blatantly puts Sarah at the risk of sexual exploitation in order to protect himself, yet he went to save his estranged nephew Lot, who had been kidnapped, without demur? The Ramban is also disturbed by Avraham's actions, but he rationalizes Avraham's iniquity by saying that although Avraham did sin, he was in real danger of losing his life. The Ramban's proof to this is that when Avraham leaves with Sarah, Pharaoh designated armed guards whose sole job was to protect the righteous couple. Although the Ramban puts Avraham's sin in a better light, what he says next gives us a valuable lesson. He sees Avraham's actions as a prime example of Ma'Aseh Avot Siman La'Banim, the idea that the actions of our biblical forefathers influence the future events of the Jewish people. The Ramban believes that Avraham's sin was one of the causes that led to the enslavement of the Jews in Egypt. When learning this story, I kept trying to think of reasons to rationalize what Avraham did because I was working under the false impression that Avraham could do no wrong. It is even more powerful to understand that although Avraham was one of the greatest Tzadikim of all time, he was still prone to make mistakes. When we struggle with certain Mitzvot or we make mistakes, it is comforting to know that we are not and do not need to be perfect. What is important is that we work on ourselves in order to become better people. In the Zechut of Avrahams Miztvot, may we merit to improve in our service to Hashem to the best of our abilities.

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