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Noach | 6th Cheshvan 5781 | October 24th, 2020  | Issue 864
 
This edition is dedicated
in loving memory of
Mordechai Yosef ben Yitzchak David Friedland z"l
Menashe z"l ben Mordechai Yosef z"l and Miriam Friedland
Mazal Tov to Rabbi Eli and Avia Eidelberg (Washington, 2000-04) on the engagement of their daughter, Atara, to Itai Glustein
Mazal Tov to Rabbi Moshe and Hasida Pinchuk (Melbourne 1998-2001) on the marriage of their daughter, Hadas, to Meir Vanhotzker
 Mazal Tov to our friends Rabbi Ilan and Shira Lavan on their Aliyah.
Rabbi Ilan served as Head of Judaic Studies at the Moriah School in Sydney
What is in this week's newsletter
 Dedicated in memory of Yaakov Aharonov z"l


Shlichut of a Nation


Mordechai Hadad
Former Shaliach in Montreal (2016-17)
Currently a student at Ariel University
Click HERE for the PDF version
 
Following the culmination of the great flood, Hashem makes a covenant with Noach[1]. The wording of this covenant bears similarity to the wording of the famous covenant made later between Hashem and Avraham Avinu;[2] the big difference between them is their tone. While by Noach the tone of the covenant is businesslike, the tone used with Avraham is personal. Hashem was not looking to make a deal with Avraham, he was looking to establish an eternal and intimate relationship.

Could the second and obviously better covenant have been made ten generations earlier? What was Noach missing that prevented him from being worthy of this covenant? What about the other righteous individuals who preceded Avraham, such as Enoch, Methuselah, Shem, Eber, and Ashur?[3] Were none of these men worthy?

To answer this question we need to understand the terms of each covenant. The covenant with Noach is one sided. Hashem promises to never destroy the world and its inhabitants, while no pledge is requested of, nor provided by Noach. (The seven Noahide Laws, some of which are mentioned right before the covenant, are understood by Chazal to predate Noach by ten generations.[4] Along with the first and most basic commandment given to man, “be fruitful and multiply,” these laws are merely reiterated now.) By Avraham, however, both sides bear responsibility. Hashem promises Avraham a land and a nation, but instructs Avraham to go in his ways and closes with covenant with the commandment of circumcision. In addition, the covenant with Avraham is conducted as a dialogue while no response from Noach is mentioned by his covenant.

Avraham’s covenant requires work. Being part of the Jewish nation requires work. One of the goals we have as a nation is to be a light to the world. With this in mind, let's return to our original question: Why wait for Avraham?
Although we don’t know much about the aforementioned righteous people, there are a couple of sources which provide relevant insights, including Midrash Tehillim:[5]
Five stood right in the world: Noach, Shem, Ever, Ashur and Avraham. Noach didn’t dedicate himself to God, rather he planted a vineyard. Shem and Ever shut themselves away, Ashur said “How can I live amongst these sinners” and left, as it says: from the land came Ashur. Avrahams righteousness stands forever: He said I will not abandon Hashem.

Avraham displayed a quality that was lacking in those who lived before him. He looked at the world and saw corruption, but instead of turning away from the world like the others mentioned, he took action to fix it. This trait is displayed in the majority of stories we know about Avraham and this is what made him worthy of a covenant of responsibility.

As the nation promised to Avraham in the merit of this attribute, we have the responsibility to continue in his way of taking initiative and being what Hashem and the world need us to be.
 
[1] Breishit 9:9-17
[2] Breishit 17:1-21
[3] See for example Rambam Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 1:2
[4] Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 56b
[5] Midrash Tehillim 118
 
comments: mjhadad18@gmail.com 

 

For more Divrei Torah on the parsha click here

In preparation for Israel's national 'Aliyah Day', we are proud to share the story of the Chejfec family, who made Aliyah this year


Tell us about yourself –

We are the Chejfec (חפץ) family.

My name is Felipe (39) and together with my wife Fernanda Silnik (38), we have 3 children. Sarah (7), Ilan (6) and Yael (3).


When did you make Aliyah and where do you come from?

We made Aliyah on May 13th, 2020. That day was LAG BAOMER!!!

We were born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

Why did you make Aliyah?

I believe that in every Jew’s heart who lives in the Diaspora, there is a small fire of hope to live one day in Israel, which with the passing of the years fades or becomes a torch of hope (Atikva). In my case, this fire got bigger once I became a father. In the country I lived in, I couldn’t give my children the best. Today, I am confident that I can give my children the best.

 

Hebrew + Torah + Am Israel + The land of Israel = HAPPINESS.

 

When and where were you introduced to Torah MiTzion’s shlichim and how did they influence your connection to Israel and your decision to make Aliyah?

 

We first met Torah MiTzion’s shlichim about 6 years ago in Buenos Aires. We began to take part in “LA CASA” Synagogue. We approached the synagogue because the founders are our friends. There, we met an incredible team of Rabbis and shlichim that didn’t exist in Argentina until then. A place for Zionist prayer.

In that process, we met more than 7 shlichim who made our Aliyah an amazing experience, which stays in our memory. 

For us the shlichim of Torah MiTzion are Malajim (angels). They have always been happy since we met them. They created for us a bridge between Argentina and Israel; they helped us find a city in Israel that meets our needs; they found for us a contact who speaks Spanish; when we came for an exploratory visit, we met Rabbi Tzvi Alon. When we arrived, the shlichim came to meet us at the airport; they made us feel like we came home; they prepared meals for us and decorated our apartment in Israel. To this day, they continue to help us a LOT with our life here in Israel: they continue to call and strengthen us, passing some information or translating something to Hebrew.

Can you tell us about experiences you had when you made Aliyah, especially during the Corona Pandemic?

For us it was a miracle, and we really feel Hashem helps throughout the process.

We planned our Aliyah one year ago, without imagining that the Corona pandemic was going to be a protagonist in our history.

 

In January 2019 once my wife returned from an exploratory trip in Israel, to see the children’s schools and meet the principal and teachers, we finally decided to take our final step and move to Israel. The date was set with the Sojnut (Jewish Agency) for May 4th, 2020.

But on March 14th, the worst nightmare began. The Argentine president announced the closure of all the country's airports, leaving us trapped in Buenos Aires. To be honest, I went into a very big depression for a month, but Hashem slapped me in the face and showed me that He runs the world and no one else but Him.

 

Through the Hebrew ulpan that we did in Argentina, the beginning of the miracle appeared. The Israeli embassy in Argentina announced on its website that a rescue flight would be carried out for Israeli citizens in Argentina that would allow them to return home. The hopes of including olim chadashim increased with the passage of time until they gave the final OK. The date - May 13th, 2020. What was that date? Lag Baomer!!! Our flight was to take place during Lag Baomer. That day they opened Argentina’s international airport especially for this single flight to leave!!!

When we finished our quarantine, we went out and celebrated, just before Shavuot!!!

 

 

I want to deeply thank all the people who made and make it possible for the shlichim to participate in this process.

Thank you all very much for making it true. That love for another Jew is what saved us, saves us and will save us with the arrival of the Mashiach.

Today more than ever: Am Israel Jai.
Yeshivat Torah Mitzion (TMY) in Montreal in a special Rosh Chodesh Minyan in BIBA
Placing a mezuzah at the entrance to the bachurim's building in Montevideo
Memphis Shlichim have launched a new initiative, short videos about places in the parasha. This week Rabbi Israel Wende talks about "Ben Hinnom Valley"
To view, click here
Kibbutz Yad Mordechai was established in 1943 by pioneers of the HaShomer HaTsa'ir nucleus from Poland, and is named after Mordechai Anielewicz, the leader of the Warsaw ghetto uprising.

Kibbutz Yad Mordechai has about 550 residents, of which about 320 are kibbutz members.
The kibbutz places great emphasis on the field of culture. The kibbutz has a number of tourist sites: a petting zoo, the Honey and Bee Museum, a battle reconstruction site and a museum commemorating Holocaust and Revival. 
The kibbutz has traditional agricultural industries (field crops, orchards), chicken coops and a large, modern barn that houses hundreds of dairy cows. In addition, the Yad Mordechai apiary is known throughout the country, and it also hosts a biotechnology company for advanced agriculture.

In 1948 during the War of Independence, the kibbutz experienced heavy fighting against Egyptian forces. The Egyptian army assigned an entire brigade in an effort to conquer the kibbutz. After long days of hard fighting it was overrun. In Operation Yoav, the IDF liberated the kibbutz again. With the cessation of the fighting and the liberation of the kibbutz, the women and children returned to their homes and, together with the remaining men, began rehabilitation in the renovation and construction of the kibbutz, as it is today.
Be a Partner in Spreading Torat Eretz Yisael!
Donate Here

Torah MiTzion was established in 1995 with the goal of strengthening Jewish communities around the globe and infusing them with love for Torah, the Jewish People and the State of Israel.

Over the past 25 years more than 1,500 shlichim and shlichot have inspired and enriched their host communities through high impact formal and informal educational programs.


 

Like https://www.facebook.com/ShlichutTorahMitzion/?fref=ts on Facebook

Our friend Benjy Singer has a very useful website,  www.israelb.org, which contains accurate and fresh information of what's going on in the Religious Anglo Community in Israel.
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Torah MiTzion · King George · 54 · Jerusalem 71109 · Israel