Thursday, September 30, 2021

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Bereishis

The following is a brief summary of some 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.

The first vort that Rabbi Frand said this evening related to the emergence of the plant growth in the second perek of the parsha. In Bereishis 2:5 the Torah states וְכֹ֣ל | שִׂ֣יחַ הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה טֶ֚רֶם יִֽהְיֶ֣ה בָאָ֔רֶץ וְכָל־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה טֶ֣רֶם יִצְמָ֑ח כִּי֩ לֹ֨א הִמְטִ֜יר יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאָדָ֣ם אַ֔יִן לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה . From the plain language of the pasuk we see that Hashem did not cause the plants to emerge because there had not yet been rain and there was no man to work the land.

Rashi explains that the reason that the rain had not fallen (triggering plant growth) was because man did not realize that rain was needed for growth and had not prayed to Hashem for the rain to fall.

R' Frand said that there is an important lesson from this Rashi - something may be destined to occur, but Hashem will not bring it about until the person prays for it. Hashem created the world and knew that the plants could not grow without rain, but He waited until man prayed for the rain, because the power of prayer is needed to unlock the rain.

R' Frand tied this into the concept of shidduchim as well. Although 40 days prior to the creation of the embryo there is a Bas Kol which identifies who that person will be marry, the actual shidduch will not come to fruition without prayer.

R' Frand quoted R' Mordechai Druk (sp?) who notes that if a person forgot to say Mashiv HaRuach U'Morid HaGeshem, he must repeat Shemoneh Esreh. However, if a person forgets Ya'aleh V'Yavo in certain prayers he is not required to repeat them. Why not? Because rain is tied to prayer and it will only come if it is prayed for.

R' Frand also quoted the Maharal in Gur Aryeh, who writes that it is forbidden to do something for someone else if that person will not recognize and thank the do-er. Hashem did not bring the rain before man was created, because until man recognized Hashem and asked for the rain, there was no reason to send it.

R' Frand said a second vort in connection with the grant of clothing to Adam and Chava in Bereishis 3:23 - וַיַּ֩עַשׂ֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים לְאָדָ֧ם וּלְאִשְׁתּ֛וֹ כָּתְנ֥וֹת ע֖וֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵֽׁם. R' Frand noted that the gift of clothing to Adam and Chava after they (and the snake and the ground) were told their respective curses. But the clothing was not simply material. There are many medrashim about the clothes, including that the word ע֖וֹר actually refers to clothing made of the hidden light, or that the clothes had special properties which allowed Esav to hunt while drawing the animals to him. 

But even beyond the clothing itself, the pasuk notes that Hashem dressed Adam and Chava Himself. While Hashem may have felt a need to give them clothes after they recognized their nakedness, why did He personally dress them?

R' Frand answered that the key is in the pasuk before the clothes are given in which the Torah writes וַיִּקְרָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם שֵׁ֥ם אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ חַוָּ֑ה כִּ֛י הִ֥וא הָֽיְתָ֖ה אֵ֥ם כָּל־חָֽי - Adam called her Chava because she was the mother of life. R' Frand quipped that Adam could have called her death, because prior to her sin there was no death in the world. However, Adam did not get angry at Chava for her mistake (as most men would do if a spouse made a doozy of a mistake like this). 

When Hashem saw that Adam gave his wife Chizuk rather than getting angry at her, Hashem personally bestowed the miraculous clothes on them.

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