Parashat Toldot

3 Kislev 5773 / 16-17 November 2012
Torah Reading - Genesis 25:19 - 28:9
Haftarah: Malachi 1:1- 2:7

Dedications and calendar follow below

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Can You Dig It?

"And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, that the Philistines had stopped up after the death of Abraham; and he called them by the same names that his father had called them." Genesis 26:18

Our rabbis taught that water is a metaphor for Torah. Both are necessary for life itself. The body cannot survive without water, and the Jewish people cannot survive without Torah.

Bunim of Worka was asked by the people of his town to be their new rebbe. He sought the blessing of Rebbe Yankele of Radzimin. R. Yankele said to him, "I knew your grandfather, and I heard of your father, but what about you?" Bunim replied, "We find that Abraham dug wells and that Isaac did the same, but there is no mention of Jacob digging any wells. The reason is that after Abraham and Isaac had dug their wells and found pure water, their descendant was already able to draw water directly from the spring." R. Yankele put out his hand and said, "Shalom aleikhem, Rebbe of Worka!"

R. Bunim's answer is a bit of a rebuke. Just as Jacob had to do no digging in order to drink deeply, R. Bunim should not have had to prove himself, thanks to the high quality of Torah learning which he had received from his father and grandfather, of which R. Yankele was obviously aware. R. Bunim's sharp reply nevertheless demonstrates his learning.

If we are to have any hope that our children and grandchildren will speak this way of us; if we want our children and grandchildren to drink directly from the wellspring of Judaism, then we need to dig those wells now. Our learning, attitudes, practices and examples will determine whether our descendants will survive in a parched and thirsty land.

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Richard A. Flom - ZSRS '00 - ravflom@yahoo.com
Burbank, CA

rav-rich.blogspot.com/

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"For the sake of Zion I will not be silent; for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still." Isaiah 62:1
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Candle lighting: 4:30 pm

Rabbi Flom will be conducting services this Shabbat morning at Mishkon Tephilo in Venice. Services are at 9:30 am. Torah study follows Kiddush.

Lunch and Learn is an ongoing Adult Education program that meets most Tuesdays to discuss Jewish texts and other topics of Jewish interest. It is open to all regardless of affiliation. Next meeting is November 27, 12:00 noon, at a location to be determined. We will be learning about Hanukkah. Bring a dairy or pareve brown bag lunch.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for all those Palestinian civilians and Israelis injured or displaced by the Gaza conflict.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for all those injured or displaced by the recent storms on the east coast.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Emily Parkhurst Hoggatt and her newborn daughter.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Bobbie Chasen, Selby Horowitz, Pamela Huddleston, Stephanie Kane, Sara Lanxner, Emily Levin, Yitzchak Simcha ben Bayla, Steve Pearlman, Herman Rassp, Helen Reiter, Len Reiter, Adin Ring, Gil Robbins, Rachel Robbins, Judith Sakurai, Helen Tomsky, Betty Varon and Seymour Waterman.

Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):

Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net

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