I hope the ideas contained below, will provide you with some topics for discussion, at your Shabbos table.

One of the most uplifting, but little known, life stories of recent times, is that of Rabbi Shlomoh Zalman Aurbach of Jerusalem(1910-1995). For example, when his wife of over fifty years passed away, it was a Shabbos. At the end of the Shabbos, Rabbi Aurbach was coming down the stairs of the hospital where she had died. On the way he met a pupil who knew nothing about the sad news.
He went over to his Rabbi and told him that his wife had just given birth to a baby daughter. Rabbi Aurbach, with a big smile, wished him Mazeltov and enquired after the welfare of the mother and child. He then went on to ask whether she would be going to a nursing home, for mothers and babies, in order to recuperate. All this was done with same beaming expression on his face. Too often we become so engrossed in our own problems, that we become oblivios to the situations and needs of others. The above episode, was a sharp reminder, to those who witnessed it, not to make that mistake.
This is the meaning of the fourth verse in this weeks Sedra, in which Hashem says “And also I have heard the cries of the Jewish people” What does the word “also” refer to?. Rashi says tt means, in addition to making a covenant with them, I have also heard their cries. But the Chasam Sofer says, The word also, refers to the people who had listened to the cries. Hasem said, in addition to the Jews (themselves in slavery) who listened in sympathy to the cries of their fellow Jews, I have also listened. In other words, although indivdual Jews were themselves in great suffering,. They still managed to be attuned to, and listen to, the cries of their fellow Jews.
This is surely a great lesson. Even if we have problems ourselves, we should still remain sensitive to the situations of others, including their difficulties and their Simchas.
Question on the Parshah;
When the plague of hail occurred, it struck people and animals. See Chapter 9 Verse 10. Rashi asks how did theEgyptians have any cattle left, were they not all killed in the plague of Pestilence, which preceeded the plague of hail? Rashi says that people who feared Hashem, brought their animals inside, and those animals did not suffer from the Pestilence; as it says in Verse 3, ”your cattle which are in the field”.
The problem is, why does it not mention with the plague of Pestilence, like it does with the plague of hail, that those who feared Hashem brought their cattle in.?
Answer;
It did not require so much fear of Hashem to bring in their cattle, when threatened with Pestilence, because Pestilence happened quite often in those days. But life threatening hail never happened, therefore only those who really feared Hashem brought their cattle in.
SOURCES; Rivah on the Torah.
If you have any comments, answers, or information, on any of the above, please
E-mail me, or tell me.
My E-mail address is mail@rabbij.plus.com
Have a wonderful Shabbos
Jacob Rubinstein (Rabbi)
SHABBOS
TABLE-TALK
Parshas Vayeiro 5770

I hope the ideas contained below, will provide you with some topics for discussion, at your Shabbos table.

One of the most uplifting, but little known, life stories of recent times, is that of Rabbi Shlomoh Zalman Aurbach of Jerusalem(1910-1995). For example, when his wife of over fifty years passed away, it was a Shabbos. At the end of the Shabbos, Rabbi Aurbach was coming down the stairs of the hospital where she had died. On the way he met a pupil who knew nothing about the sad news.

He went over to his Rabbi and told him that his wife had just given birth to a baby daughter. Rabbi Aurbach, with a big smile, wished him Mazeltov and enquired after the welfare of the mother and child. He then went on to ask whether she would be going to a nursing home for mothers and babies, in order to recuperate. All this was done with the same beaming expression on his face. Too often we become so engrossed in our own problems, that we become oblivios to the situations and needs of others. The above episode, was a sharp reminder, to those who witnessed it, not to make that mistake.

This is the meaning of the fourth verse in this weeks Sedra, in which Hashem says “And also I have heard the cries of the Jewish people” What does the word “also” refer to?. Rashi says tt means, in addition to making a covenant with them, I have also heard their cries. But the Chasam Sofer says, The word also, refers to the people who had listened to the cries. Hashem said, in addition to the Jews (themselves in slavery) who listened in sympathy to the cries of their fellow Jews, I have also listened. In other words, although indivdual Jews were themselves in great suffering,. They still managed to be attuned to, and listen to, the cries of their fellow Jews.
This is surely a great lesson. Even if we have problems ourselves, we should still remain sensitive to the situations of others, including their difficulties and their Simchas.

_________________________
Question on the Parshah;

When the plague of hail occurred, it struck people and animals. See Chapter 9 Verse 10. Rashi asks how did the Egyptians have any cattle left, were they not all killed in the plague of Pestilence, which preceeded the plague of hail? Rashi answers that people who feared Hashem, brought their animals inside, and those animals did not suffer from the Pestilence; as it says in Verse 3, ”your cattle which are in the field”.
The problem is, in that case, why does it not mention with the plague of Pestilence, that those who feared Hashem brought their cattle in?

Answer;

It did not require so much fear of Hashem to bring in their cattle, when threatened with Pestilence, because Pestilence happened quite often in those days, so it is not mentioned there. But life threatening hail never happened, therefore only those who really feared Hashem brought their cattle in, when threatened with the hail. That is why it is mentioned in connection with the plague of hail.

SOURCES; Rivah on the Torah.