Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayishlach

The following is a brief summary of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

 

In Bereishis 32:5, Yaakov tells his messengers to say to Esav that Yaakov had lived with Lavan. In so doing, the Torah uses the word "Garti". Rashi learns from here that Yaakov was saying that he had lived with Lavan and despite the fact, he kept the 613 mitzvos as 613 is the numerical value of Garti.

 

R' Frand commented that when one talks to a person, he needs to speak in the language that appeals to the person that he is speaking with.  By way of example, if you were to meet a football player who plays at MetLife stadium, it will not impress the player if you tell him - you play football at MetLife stadium, I finished Shas at MetLife stadium. So why does it make a difference to Esav that Yaakov kept the 613 mitzvos? Esav has no interest in mitzvos and hearing this makes no impression on him.

 

R' Frand answered the question based on a vort said by R' Mordechai Druk in the Sefer Darash Mordechai. He explains that Yaakov had an agenda to try to get Esav not to hate him. He called Esav his master and referred to himself as your slave. Another tactic was appealing to Esav based on Esav's view that Yaakov was a rosha because Esav believed that Yaakov was faking while being in the beis medrash. Yaakov was saying to Esav, no this was not an act.

 

R' Frand quoted the following example from R' Druk's sefer. One day R' Druk was late running to give a shiur. He passed a Shames who was trying to get a tenth man for a minyan. R' Druk apologized for not being able to be the 10th man because he was late for the shiur. The Shames then said to R' Druk - you are running for money because you are getting paid to give the shiur, have you ever done anything for free?

 

The problem with the Shames' question and thinking was that R' Druk never got paid for giving a shiur. However, to the Shames who gets paid for his job, R' Druk must have been giving the shiur for money. R' Frand then quoted an expression - what Peter says about Paul says more about Peter than it does about Paul.

 

This was the same thing that happened with Yaakov and Esav. Yaakov says to Esav, I was with Lavan for 20 years. You think that I am just acting frum? No! You may be a faker, but I was with Lavan for 20 years and although there was no one else there who would have known I was doing something wrong, I kept the mitzvos because I am no faker.

 

R' Frand also said a separate vort in connection with the issur to eat the Gid Hanesheh. The Chinuch writes that the reason for this mitzva is to show that the Jews will never be destroyed. Throughout Jewish history they will be tortured by the other nations who will try to wipe them out, but the other nations will be unsuccessful. The mitzva arises because the angel of Esav tried to end Yaakov and his lineage by striking at Yaakov's thigh, but he was unable to end Yaakov.

 

R' Frand quoted a story from R' Matisyahu Solomon (who he said should have a refuah sheleima). When R' Solomon was learning in Gateshead, it was a very small yeshiva. There was not enough room for all the boys to have their gemaras out on the table at the same time. There was a town called Wallsend about 10 miles from Gateshead. The town drew its name from the wall that Hadrian built to protect England from the Scots and to keep them out of England. People still come to visit and see the pile of rubble where the wall once stood.

 

One day, a non religious Jewish journalist came from America to write a story about Wallsend. While in the town, the writer suddenly remembered that he had yahrtzheit. He asked, are there any Jews here? He was told that there was a yeshiva in Gateshead and the journalist went to the yeshiva. When he entered the yeshiva, he heard the boys arguing in Torah and one student say to the other, R' Akiva held... The journalist had heard of R' Akiva and was struck by the irony. Hadrian was the Roman leader who had R' Akiva killed for teaching Torah. Now, two thousand years later, Hadrian's wall had collapsed and lay as rubble and the teachings of R' Akiva are being discussed and learned. Upon his return to America, the journalist wrote about his visit to Wallsend and began the article by quoting the irony.

 

This is the message and promise of the Gid Hanesheh. The other nations may attack the Jews and make life difficult, but they will always survive.

 

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Monday's Musings on Sports - The Dirt Always Wins

Astute fans of the NBA are aware that tonight is not the opening night of the season for any particular team. Tonight is not even the first night that any NBA team has played at home, since every team in the NBA has already played at least five home games. Yet tonight is a night that many Brooklyn Nets fans have been belatedly waiting for. Because tonight is finally opening night.

After years of planning and nomadic living in Newark, the newly minted "Brooklyn Nets" finally completed their new home at the intersection of Flatbush The NBA had indulged the Nets by scheduling the Knicks to play the opening game for both teams at the new arena. The game was scheduled for Thursday November 1, 2012, but was postponed in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

 

The postponement of the game was not without controversy. Immediately after the storm, the Nets management had indicated that they wanted the game to go forward, notwithstanding the fact that the City had barely begun to clean up after the storm and the LIRR and subways were only running on a limited schedule. However, Mayor Bloomberg stepped in and requested that the game be cancelled because he felt that the City was not ready for a basketball game in downtown Brooklyn on Thursday. Curiously, the Mayor had no problem with the Knick game against the Miami Heat going forward on Friday. I am unsure how the traffic and neighborhood disruption was more severe in downtown Brooklyn where they had power, whereas Manhattan below 30th Street (two block south of the Garden) did not have electricity. Still the Nets did not argue with the mayor and acceded to his wishes.

 

Meanwhile, the Mayor caught his comeuppance for his utter arrogance in insisting that the New York City Marathon go forward on the Sunday after the storm, notwithstanding the utter devastation in Staten Island. The public was ruthless in its (correct) criticism of the Mayor's use of police to secure the parade route, while people were still trapped in their homes. The media was even more cutting and several papers ran pictures of generators which had been deployed to support the marathon instead of giving life sustaining power to neighborhoods without electricity.

 

After suffering through two days of withering attacks, the Mayor finally agreed to cancel the Marathon on Friday afternoon, just a few hours before the Knick game was played.

 

As an avid sports fan, I had significant issues with the way that Mayor Bloomberg appeared to play favorites in pushing forward with some sporting events, while burying others. But to his credit, the Nets outspoken owner, Mikhail Prokorov, did not speak out or question the decision.

 

So tonight the Nets finally played their "opening night" game and defeated the Knicks. I have the feeling that had this game been played on the true "opening night", the result might have been different as the Nets have begun to gel as a team over the last two weeks. By not pushing forward and demanding that the game be played, the W wound up in the Nets column instead of the Knicks'.

 

The decision to keep one's mouth shut when necessary has a deep connection to Parshas Vayeitzei. In the beginning of the parsha, Hashem tells Yaakov that his children will be like the dirt of the land. This reference is rather puzzling, since it follows more flowery metaphors like the stars in the sky or the sand on the beach. R' Mansour explains that the reason for the reference is to tell Yaakov that the Jews will be like the dirt-although it is constantly stepped on, the dirt does not go away and eventually will cover the person doing the walking, because the dirt always wins.

 

We see a similar concept by Rachel when she is confronted by Leah in connection with Rachel's request for the dudaim flowers. When Rachel makes her request, Leah responds - you stole my husband and now you want my son's flowers? If I was Rachel,  I would have smacked her across the face, both literally and figuratively. It would have well been within Rachel's right to respond, "your husband? If I did not give you the signs to save you from embarrassment, I would have married him first!" Instead, Rachel keeps her mouth shut and not long after she is rewarded with her first child.

 

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Sunday Night Suds - Saranac 4059' Porter

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Brewery's 4059' Porter.

 

I got tipped off to the new Saranac Winter box brews by my good friend Dan R. who besides being an excellent little league coach, is also a knowledgeable beer guy who even brews his own beer. After being alerted that these beers were available locally, I did a quick check with the Va'ad of  Detroit and was assured that all of the new brews are certified kosher. Then it was off to Beverage Barn on Jericho Turnpike to pick up a 12 pack. [While there I also picked up a 12 pack of Mrs KB's new favorite Saranac product --- the Saranac Blueberry Blonde Ale which they are blowing out at $10.99].

 

The Saranac Winter Box has two of their better winter seasonal beers - the Chocolate Lager (reviewed here - http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2011/12/sunday-night-suds-saranac-chocolate.html ) and the Big Moose Ale (http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/11/sunday-night-suds-saranac-big-moose-ale.html ) along with four new varieties - a Red IPA, Black Bear Bock, Belgian Pale Ale and the 4059' Porter.

 

The 4059' Porter derives its name from an Adirondack peak called Porter Mountain which stands (can you guess?) 4059' feet above sea level. But more interesting than the name is the beer itself. This is a sipping beer, not something that you would gulp down or even drink with a light meal. It is a brew which is true to the Porter style as you are struck by the coffee and burnt chocolate smell the moment that you open the bottle. The beer pours a dark brown, nearly black color with some tan foam which stuck around for at least half an hour.

 

What makes this beer more than just a heavy dark brew is the interesting way that the chocolate comes to the forefront after the coffee flavors have faded. There is a bit of a bitter aftertaste which is not unpleasant, but again not something that you would want to accompany a light meal.

 

Saranac 4059' Porter is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit as is every other beer produced at the Matt Brewery plant in Utica, NY. Keep in mind, Saranac has begun to brew some of its High Peaks series off site and these bottles do not have kosher certification from the Va'ad of Detroit.

 

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the 4059' Porter, please follow this link - www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/86601.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayeitzei

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce this vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

 

This week's parsha contains the story of Yaakov's marriage to Rachel and Leah which resulted from Lavan's attempts to interfere with Yaakov's choice of marrying Rachel. One of the more famous questions on this story is how can Yaakov marry sisters if this was later banned by the Torah?

 

R' Frand quoted the Ksav Sofer who had an interesting answer to the story and a link to the story later in the Parsha. In Bereishis 30:14-15, Rachel approaches Leah and asks for the dudai'm - the special flowers with a segulah for fertility. When Rachel asks Leah for the flowers, Leah says to Rachel, you have taken my husband and now you want the flowers too? Rachel should have responded to her- this was my husband! I gave you the signs so that you would not be embarrassed, but it should have been me first. However, Rachel does not give this response.

 

R' Frand next quoted the Ramban who explains that the issur to marry sisters is not an arayos problem but one of tzror or rivalry. If one sister was jealous of the other it would create tremendous friction in the house. This can be seen by the fact that after one sister dies, the husband can now marry another sister.

 

However, Rachel tells Yaakov, I am OK with the marriage and therefore Yaakov goes forward with marrying both Leah and Rachel.

 

The Ksav Sofer explains that Yaakov was aware that Rachel truly was OK with the marriage because he learned that Rachel had given Leah the signs so that she would not be embarrassed. However, he was concerned that maybe down the road, Rachel would come to regret her actions and then he could retroactive have a tzror problem. If so, it could render the marriage a sham and the children chas v'shalom would become mamzerim.

 

This could perhaps be the reason why Rachel has no children up until this point. Once Yaakov sees that she is quiet when challenged by Leah, he knows that she really was mochel. A few short pesukim later, Rachel finally has children, because we see that she truly was mochel.

 

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Sunday Night Suds - Samuel Adams Tasman Red

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Samuel Adams Tasman Red IPA.

I picked up this brew about four months ago in the Beverage Barn on Jericho Turnpike in Garden City Park. Generally, I would not keep a beer around and let it age more than a year after it was bottled, but the bottle suggested aging the beer would allow the flavors to develop, so I decided to give it a shot.

I have heard different rules about how long one could or should leave a beer around before drinking it. Leaving aside my friend Charlie H's rule (never leave a beer around because someone else might drink it), the general rule of thumb is that a beer should be consumed within six months of bottling. However, when dealing with beer with a higher alcohol content, this rule is relaxed because the beer can continue to mature in the bottle (unlike scotch and other hard alcohol). As the Tasman Red has a 6.75% abv, it fell on the higher end of the scale for American IPAs and had a decent chance of improving with age.

I finally opened this bottle on Friday Night when we hosted our first tisch of the winter. With a number of our friends sitting around with divrei Torah and zemiros, it just seemed the right time to open a bottle with a Rebbi like figure on the label. (The one Rav at the table asked me if that was the Rogechover on the bottle, but I don't know if he was being serious or not).

The beer poured a dark red, almost brown and much deeper hue than I was expecting. The ale was very floral with a little pine, but also plenty of malt. The richness of the brew was also quite striking and it paired very well with the accelerated Friday Night Cholent. It was well received by all who tried it (including Mrs KB). At a little more than $5 for a 22 oz bottle I will not be buying another one soon, but it is one keep in the back of my mind as we draw closer to the holidays.

The Samuel Adams Tasman Red IPA under the Kosher Supervision of the Star-K. Like many other Samuel Adams brews, this bottle does not have the Star-K certification mark on the label.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the Tasman Red, please follow this link - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/74530 .

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Toldos

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce this vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

 

In this week's parsha, the Torah relates the conversation between Hashem and Yitzchak when Yitzchak desired to leave the land of Israel. After being informed that he must stay in Israel, Hashem tells Yitzchak of the brachos that he will receive and that they are due to Avraham's listening to Hashem and keeping the laws, commandments and Torah.

 

R' Frand quoted the Ramban who learns from this pasuk that the Avos kept the entire Torah before it was given. However, the Ramban then questions - if the Avos kept the whole Torah, how could Yaakov marry two sisters? The Ramban answers that the Avos only kept the whole Torah before it was given while they were in Eretz Yisrael. However, since the story took place in Haran which was outside of Eretz Yisrael, he could marry two sisters.

 

R' Frand then quoted R' Yaakov Kaminetsky who explains that the Ramban was stating that the reason that Yaakov married two sisters was because he gave his word to Rachel that he would marry her. After he got tricked into marrying Leah, he still had to keep his word and therefore he married Rachel. Yes, it is true that one cannot marry two sisters, but the Ramban (as interpreted by R' Yaakov Kaminetsky) is explaining that this is merely a chumrah and should not be an impediment to Yaakov marrying Rachel as she should not be bound by his mistake.

 

The problem with this explanation of the Ramban is that one must wonder - what question was the Ramban answering when he said that this was merely a chumrah which should not prevent Yaakov from marrying Rachel?

 

R' Frand quoted R' Kaminetsky who explains that there is a general principal that Hashem does not allow a Tzaddik to fall through a mistaken occurrence. Thus, the Ramban was bothered, how could Hashem allow Yaakov to be tricked into marrying Leah, when it would mean that Yaakov would be halachically prevented from marrying Rachel? The answer that the Ramban gives is that Yaakov was outside of Israel and therefore the bar to marrying two sisters did not apply.

 

R' Frand then developed this vort to explain that R' Kaminetsky meant by this that one should always keep his word. R' Frand did this by telling two stories about R' Yaakov. The first story related to how R' Yaakov started putting on Rabbeinu Tam tefillin at the end of his life. Why did he do so? The story is told that when R' Kaminetsky was younger, he was approached by someone who said - why don't you wear Rabbeinu Tam's tefillin like the Chofetz Chaim did when he was older? He answered, when I get to be the age of the Choftez Chaim, I will wear it. Fifty some odd years later, when R' Yaakov reached the age that the Chofetz Chaim started wearing the Rabbeinu Tam tefillin, R' Yaakov started wearing the tefillin. Why? Because you keep your word.

 

The second story related to eating gebruchts on Pesach. R' Yaakov did not eat gebruchts, but allowed his family to do so. Why? Because when R' Yaakov was a young man, he was in yeshiva over Pesach and he was assigned out to a family to eat with them over Pesach. R' Yaakov had some concerns about the kashrus of the family and needed a way to escape eating with them without hurting their feelings. He decided to tell the yeshiva that he could not eat there because he did not eat gebruchts and they served that food on Pesach. Since this was his personal problem, he himself did not eat gebruchts because he said that he does not eat it. But his family could eat gebruchts.

 

R' Frand closed the vort by repeating that to R' Yaakov, one's word is his word. A chumrah does not trump your word. That a man is not allowed to marry two sisters is only an issue to the Avos when they were living in Eretz Yisrael. But since the story took place in Haran, Yaakov was able to keep his word.

 

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Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Red Hoptober Ale

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium's Red Hoptober Ale.

 

The Red Hoptober Ale is one of New Belgium's newest offerings and the seasonal limited edition in this fall's Folly Pack. The experts at beer advocate classifies the Red Hoptober as an American Amber or Red Ale which is classified as:

 

[A] catch all for any beer less than a Dark Ale in color, ranging from amber (duh) to deep red hues. This style of beer tends to focus on the malts, but hop character can range from low to high. Expect a balanced beer, with toasted malt characters and a light fruitiness in most examples. The range can run from a basic ale, to American brewers who brew faux-Oktoberfest style beers that are actually ales instead of lagers.

 

The New Belgium website indicates that the beer is made with five different kinds of hops including Centennial and Cascade varieties which I am familiar with and Nugget, Target and El Dorado hops, which I have never heard of. The website states that the El Dorado hops add a "distinct piney flavor" but I did not detect any pine-like influence. Instead, I was struck my malts which harmonized with the citrusy Centennial and Cascade hops and make this beer a brew that can be sipped or consumed with larger gulps.

 

I would recommend this beer with spicy poultry or fish dishes. If you have tried this with a meal that worked for you, please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts.

 

New Belgium Red Hoptober Ale is under the Kosher Supervision of the Scroll-K of Colorado. Although the beer does not bear the kosher symbol on the label, it can be found on the bottom of the Folly Pack box. Please note that not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision. For a list of the New Belgium brews currently under supervision, please click on the link on the left side of my home page for my latest Kosher Beer List.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Red Hoptober Ale, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/83434. As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Chaye Sarah

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce this vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

 

Rabbi Frand quoted a pasuk in Mishlei that states that one who chases after Tzedakah and Chesed  will live a long life and find Tzedakah and Kavod. The Midrash on Parshas Noach says that Avraham was a Rodef Tzedakah and also that he was a Ba'al Chesed because he buried Sarah. Avraham also lived a long life. Avraham merited this long life because Avraham adopted Hashem's traits, so Hashem gave him these rewards.

 

R' Frand asked - why is Avraham's paradigm act of kindness the burial of his wife? Every human being buries a dead relative. Meanwhile, the angels come and Avraham thinks that they are idol worshippers and Avraham busies himself with their meal and still this is not a significant Chesed event.

 

R' Frand quoted a Sefer called Me'oras Mordechai which writes that there are people who will do tremendous chesed for others, but will not help out at home. They may help a stranger change a flat, but they won't help with the laundry if their wife had a hard day.

 

R' Frand next quoted R' Chaim Vital who writes that there are men who do chesed with the rest of the world, but are not nice in their own homes. These men when they come to shamayim will expect entry to Gan Eden. Woe to them, as they don't understand that the first step of chesed is at home.

 

R' Frand quoted a story where a young man came to complain to R' Shach that no matter how late shabbos started, his wife was never ready. R' Shach responded - pick up the broom and help your wife.

 

This is the message of the Medrash - Avraham's chesed began in the home and spread beyond it.

 

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Belated Sunday Night Suds - Lakefront Eastside Dark Lager

This week's (belated) Sunday Night Suds looks at Lakefront Brewery's Eastside Dark Lager.

 

The Lakefront Eastside Dark Lager is yet another entry into the (somewhat) newly former category of dark lager which seems to grow on a monthly basis. However, unlike some of the more recent dark lagers, Lakefront is already closing in on its 5th year of brewing Eastside Dark Lager.

 

The experts at BA classify the Eastside Dark Lager as a Munich Dunkel Lager, which they define as:

 

An old friend of Bavaria, Munich Dunkels are smooth, rich and complex, but without being heady or heavy. They boast brilliant ruby hues from the large amounts of Munich malts used, and these malts also lend a fuller-bodied beer. The decoction brewing process also lends much depth and richness. Bitterness is often moderate, with just enough to balance out any sweetness. Hop varieties used tend to be of the German noble varieties, like: Tetnang and Hallertau.

 

The Eastside Dark Lager is certainly smooth and not much like many of the beers which are calling themselves "dark lagers." The beer has a richness to it which is almost approaching stout, with a creamy chocolate backbone. I would prefer a little more carbonation (especially since the beer calls itself a lager) but on the whole, it is a pretty complete beer.

 

I would recommend the Eastside Dark Lager with charred meat dishes or stews as the flavor will hold its own, but not drown out the food. Since the Eastside Dark Lager is one of the more readily available Lakefront products, you can experiment and see which flavor combos work for you.

 

Lakefront Brewery's Eastside Dark Lager is under the kosher supervision of the Star-K (there is even a Star-K on the label). For the experts' take on the Eastside Dark Lager, please click here http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/2220.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayera

Due to significant Hurricane Sandy related issues, we were unable to broadcast the Rabbi Frand Shiur this evening in West Hempstead and instead showed the 2009 shiur for Parshas Vayera. I hope to possibly reproduce this year's vort in a Motzei Shabbos post. However, rather than leave this page dark, I have reproduced the 2009 vort below. As always, any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

 

In Bereishis 19:29, the Torah recites that when Hashem destroyed the cities of the plain (S'dom and Amorrah) that Hashem remembered Avraham, so he sent Lot out from the upheaval when he overturned the cities.

 

Rashi asks why does the pasuk say that Hashem remembered Avraham since it was Lot who was remembered and saved? Rashi answers that Lot knew that when Avraham went down to Egypt (in Parshas Lech Lecha) that Sarah was really Avraham's wife and not his sister and he did not reveal the secret, therefore Hashem remembered his connection with Avraham and saved Lot.

 

Rabbi Frand then quoted the Maharal (Sefer Gur Aryeh) who asked why not just say that Lot was saved because of Hashem's love for Avraham rather than because of Lot's staying quiet? Additionally, if we were to discuss Lot's significant act we should mention that he followed Avraham out of Haran in the beginning of Lech Lecha.

 

Rabbi Frand said that the Maharal answers that the z'chus for Lot's being saved is a great "sod" and that Lot's staying quiet formed a connection and bond with Avraham. R' Frand prefaced that he did not truly understand the concept and was translating the Maharal's answer. He urged those listening to look up the Maharal inside and stated that he wanted to give the answer from the Tolner Rav instead.

 

The Tolner Rav began his answer by citing to Pirkei Avos 5:22 that a person who has the following three attributes is a talmid of Avraham - Ayin Tova (gives charitably to others) Ruach Nemucha (humble spirit - not being self impressed) and Nefesh Shefeilah (not being too materialistic). He quotes the Maharal that every person is born stingy wanting to have it all and for others to have less. One must fight their very nature to be happy that someone else has the same as you. The Mishna does not state that anyone who has emunah is a talmid of Avraham - rather the person must modify his natural inclinations and be like these character traits of Avraham in order to be a talmid of his.

 

The Tolner Rav then states that Lot was connected to Avraham based on his not revealing Sarah's identity because Lot also fought human nature to hold back from speaking. A person who hears a secret feels compelled to tell the secret. While knowledge is power, being the one who reveals the knowledge is the way to achieve greater stature.

 

Rabbi Frand then offered the following hypothetical scenario - Avraham and Sarah come to Egypt and are greeted by the King. Everone is talking about Avraham and his "sister." Meanwhile Lot is in a bar and hears the people talking. He could have opened his mouth in order to appear important and say "I know the real dish on Avraham's sister..." But Lot conquers his nature and does not reveal the secret.

 

Rabbi Frand then mentioned that the Tolner Rav said that Lot was the gilgul for Yehuda and that the neshoma then came back again as Boaz. Lot started the process of conquering his yetzer to speak out when he kept quiet about Sarah. This was later refined when (as Yehuda) he quashed the need for self-preservation and opened his mouth to say that Tamar was right. All of this culminated with Boaz where he could have rationalized to himself that since he and Ruth were single there was no problem with them being intimate. Instead, Boaz conquered his yetzer and was only with Ruth after they married.

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