Parshas Chayei Sara

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zekaini Moiri R'
Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel
Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchok Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben Rav Shmuel,
Daniel Feivish ben R' Yaakov Yitzchak, Eliyahu ben R, Mordechai
Haleivi,

In perek chaf dalid posuk beis Avraham was sending Eliezer out to find
a wife for Yitzchak. The posuk says "Vayomer Avraham el avdo zikein
beiso hamoshel b'chol asher l, sim na yadcha tachas yireichi" "Avraham
said to his slave, the elder of his household who controlled all that
was his: Place your hand under my thigh"

 Rashi explains that when one makes a shvua they must take in their
hand an object that is used for mitzvos such as a Sefer Torah or
Tefillin. Since mila was Avraham's first mitzva and it came to him
through pain, and it was chaviv to him, he used that for his shvua.

The Gur Aryeh and the Mascil L'Dovid explain Rashi. Rashi was bothered
why Avraham didn't just take a pair of tefillin for the shvua? Min
hadin that is more proper for a shvua. Rashi explains, that Mila was
chaviv to him and therefore he b'davka wanted to use it.

The Rosh Yeshiva Ztl explains that we see that Avraham had a special
love for his first mitzva. If Avraham felt this and therefore used
Mila instead of Tefillin, it must be a correct hargasha. The Rosh
Yeshiva continues that this is not only regarding the first mitzva but
to any first thing.

The Story is told of Rav Leizer Yudel Finkel ztl that every year on
the day that he had given his first shiur as Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir,
he would make a seuda. He forever wanted to remember his "first shiur"

These passed few weeks have turned the world upside down.. Now is a
time for first times! My second Seder Rosh Chabura told me, "when
things like this happen so close to you, when Bachurim who are kimaat
part of your family are taken so suddenly, you must dig deep. You have
to take something that you know is difficult for you, something that
you know you need work in and start working". We all must take on
something and make ourselves better people. How can we just keep going
on as the same people after such a blow? We owe it to Dani and Eli,
and we owe it to ourselves as well. Life does go on, but that doesn't
mean we need to or should forget. If we take one thing and change
ourselves, start doing something new for the first time, we will never
forget it or the reason why we began that new inyun of growth. That
growth will allow us to keep Dani and Eli close to us, and give them
tremendous zechusim.
 Good Shabbos

--
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Lech Lecha

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zekaini Moiri R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, my cousin Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchok Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben Rav Shmuel...

In the first posuk in this weeks parsha Hashem says to Avraham (Avram) Avinu "Lech Lecha Mei'artzecha u'mimoliditicha umibeis avicha el ha'aretz asher arecha" Rav Akiva Mibartenura al Ha'Torah says the reason why Hashem meintioned these three was to explain the reason why Hashem was giving Avraham this mitzvah to leave.  All three of these were filled with rishaim,and your land,your house and your family are the places you learn your derech in life from.The Rosh Yeshivah Ztl says that we see from the Bartenura,a tremendous yesod.  Avraham Avinu, the person who recognized Hashem at three years old, broke his own fathers idols, and was moser nefesh for Yidishkeit by being thrown into a kivshan Ha'eish, still could have been mushpaah from the hashpaah of his surrounding and the hashpaah of his family,and therefore had to leave.If our father, Avram Avinu, can be mushpaah from his surrounding, imagine us.We think we have ourselves set in who we are and we are good enough to withstand hashpaah, but this is obviously not true.  We have to do whatever we can to remove ourselves from things that can influence us in a negative way.. Good Shabbos