fasted regularly. Rav Hirsh died at a young age.
In this way, we will ful-
Small Prophecies
Sarah’s Pain
The Last Moments in the Life of a Tzadeikes
By Rav Moshe Shternbuch
The following was
written by Rabbi Daniel
Yaakov Travis based on a
drasha given on leil Shab-
bos by Rav Moshe Shtern-
buch, Rosh Av Beis Din of
the Eidah Hachareidis of
Yerushalayim.
•••••
JEWISH SUFFERING
“Why does the Torah juxtapose the death of
Sarah to Akeidas Yitzchok? When Sarah heard
that Yitzchak was almost sacrificed during
the Akeidah, her soul left her and she died”
(Rashi, Bereishis 23:3).
Although Avrohom accepted the nisayon of
the Akeidah with full faith, Rashi implies that
Sarah died from the shock of hearing about
Yitzchok’s near-death experience. Sarah Imei-
nu was a great tzadeikes. In some ways, she
was even greater than Avrohom Avinu. Why
wasn’t she able to accept the Almighty’s com-
mand with similar composure?
Sarah was a bastion of emunah. She in no
way doubted the righteousness of Hashem’s
decrees, and did not have the slightest pang
of regret when she heard that Avrohom had
taken Yitzchok to sacrifice him, at Hashem’s
command. The pain that caused her death was
rooted much deeper in the essence of her per-
sonality.
Chazal tell us, “Ma’aseh avos siman la-
bonim - The actions of the forefathers are a sign
[of what is to come for their] descendants.”
Sarah understood that if her son Yitzchok had
been subjected to such a difficult test, this was
a foretaste of what her offspring would experi-
ence throughout all of the succeeding genera-
tions. Her empathy for all of the pain that the
Jewish people would endure was great enough
to cause her demise.
When the Holocaust began, Rav Shtern-
buch was a young bochur in England. He
remembers hearing that one rebbe in Poland
told another that they had nothing to fear, for
surely Hashem would not send them trials that
they could not withstand. The other admor re-
sponded, “That is exactly what I am afraid of.
The Jewish people can withstand pain without
limit, and who knows what the extent of this
tragedy will be.”
In every generation, the Almighty sends the
Jewish people challenges to test us and bring
out the greatness of His chosen nation. Klal
Yisroel’s endurance despite countless agoniz-
ing nisyonos defies logical explanation. We
inherited our extraordinary fortitude from the
strength that both Avrohom and Yitzchok dis-
played during the Akeidah.
LIVING SANCTIFIED
Another way we can understand Sarah’s
pain was as an expression of disappointment.
During the Akeidah, Yitzchok Avinu had come
very close to dying al kiddush Hashem. Dy-
ing while sanctifying Hashem’s name is a very
high level, yet there is an even greater accom-
plishment that a Jew must strive for - living al
kiddush Hashem.
Sarah had worked her whole life to incul-
cate in her son Yitzchok the understanding that
a Jew’s ultimate task in this world is to sanctify
Hashem’s name with one’s life. When she saw
that the Almighty had almost taken Yitzchok’s
life al Kiddush Hashem, she worried that per-
haps her son was not worthy of the exalted
goal of living to glorify the Divine name. Her
disappointment was so great that it caused her
soul to leave this world.
All of his life, the Bais Yosef yearned to die
3 Kislev 5770 • November 20 2009
bounds of halacha.
al kiddush Hashem. He asked the malach who
accompanied him how he could achieve this
and was given exact instructions. Although he
followed the malach’s instructions to the let-
ter, the Bais Yosef did not die sanctifying the
Almighty’s name.
The Bais Yosef questioned the malach about
what he had done wrong. Like Sarah, the angel
replied that living to sanctify Hashem is even
greater than dying for this cause. He need not
worry that he did not die while performing this
mitzvah.
POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION
The Torah generally speaks with brevity
and precision. Yet, when describing the trans-
action in which Avrohom purchased the burial
plot in the Me’aras Hamachpeilah, the Torah
describes the procedure at great length. What
is the reason for this unusually detailed de-
scription?
The people who a person is buried near
will, to some extent, be his “neighbors” for
eternity. Therefore, tzaddikim take every pre-
caution to ensure that they will be buried next
to other righteous individuals. For this reason,
the Torah describes at length how much effort,
how much time, and how much money Avro-
hom Avinu expended to secure the Me’aras
Hamachpeilah as the burial place for Sarah
and the other Avos and Imahos.
Rav Shternbuch was once involved with
a situation where a person who did not keep
Shabbos was about to be buried next to Jews
who were shomer Shabbos. Rav Shternbuch
protested, and tried to stop the funeral. The
parties involved were extremely upset and in-
sisted that Rav Shternbuch allow them to carry
out the burial as planned.
Rav Shternbuch argued that it was actually
in the niftar’s best interest that he be buried
in another part of the cemetery. When the de-
ceased would go to Shomayim, they would ask
him why he hadn’t kept Shabbos. If he would
reply that it had been too difficult, they would
show him his “neighbors” who had been able
to keep Shabbos properly. This would cause
him to be judged more harshly.
MEASURED TEARS
After Sarah’s burial, Avrohom proceeded
to mourn and eulogize her. When describing
Avrohom Avinu’s actions, the Torah writes a
small chof in the word bachah (crying). What
is the reason for this deviation?
Shortly after Hagar married Avrohom, she
began to rebuke Sarah. Sarah felt that Avro-
hom was not standing up for her honor and she
told her husband, “The Almighty will judge be-
tween you and I [to determine who is greater]”
(Bereishis 16:5). In doing so, she was “asking
for judgment” and this caused her premature
demise.
The Baal Haturim (Bereishis 23:2) writes
that this is one of the reasons that the chof is
written small. Since Sarah had in some way
hastened her own death by requesting judg-
ment, Avrohom could not eulogize her fully.
While he delivered a hesped, the full honor
that a tzadeikes like Sarah deserved was not
received.
Tzaddikim are in complete control of their
emotions, and every action is guided solely
by their crystal-clear perception of the Divine
will, as seen through the prism of halacha. Al-
though Avrohom loved Sarah dearly, he knew
that one may not deliver a complete eulogy for
a person who played even a small part in tak-
ing their own life. Avrohom did not let his feel-
ings cloud his unshakable commitment to the
halacha under the circumstances.
Rav Hirsh Levinson was a son-in-law of the
Chofetz Chaim and was known to be a great
tzaddik. Among his many righteous acts, he
YATED NE’EMAN
Although the Chofetz Chaim held his son-
in-law in the highest esteem, when it came
time to deliver hespeidim, the Chofetz Chaim
did not know if he should say a eulogy for him.
By fasting so much, Rav Hirsh might have
contributed to his own early death. Perhaps he
Halacha should be the guiding light of our lives,
and all other considerations should be resolved
within the bounds of halacha.
was considered like someone who had taken
his own life and one was prohibited from say-
ing a hesped for him. Therefore, the Chofetz
Chaim hesitated to eulogize him.
After great internal struggle, the Chofetz
Chaim broke down crying. Rav Hirsh Levin-
son was a great tzaddik who had acted l’sheim
Shomayim, completely for the sake of Heaven.
As such, it was definitely permitted to eulogize
him.
Although we are not on the level of the Avos
or the Chofetz Chaim, we can certainly take
inspiration from their deeds. Halacha should
be the guiding light of our lives, and all other
considerations should be resolved within the
Parshas Toldos
Scent of Eden
By Rabbi Aaron Fink
As Yaakov Avinu dons the bigdei chamu-
dos of Eisav Harasha, the impersonation of
his brother is complete. He places goat skins
on his neck and hands, and he enters the
chamber of Yitzchok Avinu with the delica-
cies prepared by his mother. Something else
accompanies him, too. As Yitzchok verifies
Yaakov’s identity, he tenders a fatherly kiss,
and notices a fragrant aroma streaming forth
from Yaakov’s wardrobe and gives him a
bracha. As he does so, Yitzchok exclaims,
“Re’ey rei’ach beni krei’ach hasodeh asher
beracho Hashem.” Chazal explain this to
mean that the aroma of Gan Eden emanated
from the very clothing Yaakov put on to visit
his father.
One cannot help but wonder, why now?
It is the man that makes the clothes
and not vice versa.
What was so unusual? After all, the bigdei
chamudos that Yaakov was wearing were the
very same special clothes that Eisav himself
wore when he went to serve his father. Didn’t
the aroma of Gan Eden accompany them
when Eisav wore them too? Apparently not.
Indeed, it is the man that makes the clothes
and not vice versa.
Chazal teach that Eisav’s bigdei chamudos
was really the special cloak that Eisav took
from Nimrod. This garment had a long his-
tory. It was the same outfit that Hashem Yis-
borach, kevayachol, fashioned for Adam and
Chava. He used the kosnos ohr to clothe them
after He evicted them from Gan Eden. But if
these clothes were given to Adam and Chava
after they were thrown out of Gan Eden, how
do they carry its aroma?
The answer is found in our understanding
of that first cloak. Though the posuk spells
the word ohr with the letter Ayin, meaning
leather, the Medrash says that in the Torah
of Rabi Meir, the word ohr was written with
an Alef, meaning light. How are we to under-
stand this Chazal?
Life in Gan Eden before the sin of Adam
and Chava was supernatural. Wheat stalks
fill Sarah’s prayers that her descendents would
live lives al Kkiddush Hashem and hopefully
be spared from the further travails, such as
those we have encountered throughout the
generations.
•••••
Rav Shternbuch’s shiurim on the parsha are
being prepared to be published by Feldheim
Publishers as a sefer. For information about
dedication opportunities, ideas for the title of
the sefer, or shailos for the rov, contact dytra-
vis@actcom.com.
•••••
Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel of Kollel Toras
Chaim in Yerushalayim, and is the author of
Shaylos U’Teshuvos Toras Chaim and “Pray-
ing With Joy - A Daily Tefilla Companion,”
a practical daily guide to improving one’s
prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers.
For more information about his work, contact
dytravis@actcom.com.
grew from kernels into the finest cakes, right
out of the ground. There was no need to fur-
ther refine its nature. Its spiritual potential
and physical essence were the perfect harmo-
nious blend that Hashem Yisborach intended.
All that changed after the chet of Adam
Harishon. No longer would the world pro-
duce a naturally finished product. Though
man could no longer enjoy the instant kedu-
shah which surrounded him in Gan Eden, all
was not lost. Hashem still gave us the op-
portunity to sanctify this world. But now we
would have to do it on our own. Hashem, in
His infinite kindness, enabled us to recreate
the essential Gan Eden experience.
With hard work, we are able to spiritualize
the world gifted to us. We can imbue all that
we touch with ruchniyus. We can transform
the olam hagashmi, symbolized by leather
(ohr with an ayin), into light, a spiritual lumi-
nescence - the ohr with an Alef. In so doing,
we recreate the essence of Gan Eden in our
lives today. This is the message of Rabi Meir.
Indeed, this essence of Gan Eden was
mastered by Yaakov Avinu, the ish tam yo-
sheiv ohalim. He, with his middah of emes,
was able to impart all the qualities of His
ruchniyus and transform whatever gashmiyus
came his way into a cheftzah shel kedushah,
mastering and harnessing its total spiritual
potential. This is the koach that enables
Yaakov to produce the twelve shevatim. Ap-
proaching Yitzchok Avinu with the mitzvah
maximized to its fullest potential, the aroma
of Gan Eden was now with him as well. It
is thus no wonder that Eisav Harasha could
never produce that fragrant scent while he
wore those clothes. Only a Yaakov Avinu
could bring out their kedushah to the fullest.
We, his children, have that same potential.
We can bring the essence of Gan Eden to the
world each day. It is our ultimate tachlis and
makes Hashem so very proud of all that we,
His children, can achieve.
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