These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Series on the weekly portion: #1354 – Should I Stay in the US to Take Care of My Parents or Make Aliya to Eretz Yisroel? Good Shabbos!
The Gemara says (Brachos 7b) that from the time the world was created, no one used the term “adon” (master) until Avram came along and called the Almighty “Adon,” as it is written “And he said, ‘Ado-shem‘ how will I know that I will inherit it?” (Bereshis 15:8). The Maggid of Vilna wrote a Chumash commentary called Ishei Yisrael. The Maggid of Vilna raised the question, why do the morning prayers begin with the recital of “Adon Olam” (Master of the World)? (Many of us only begin the morning prayers with Adon Olam on Rosh Hoshana and Yom Kippur; however, in virtually all siddurim, Adon Olam is printed right at the beginning of every day’s morning prayers.)
The Maggid of Vilna answered his question by citing a Gemara in Maseches Tamid (30a): The morning Tamid offering was slaughtered as early as possible. The Gemara says that when the approximate time for slaughtering the Korban Tamid arrived, the person in charge sent a designated individual to check on the status of the sky. When the time arrived, the designated person proclaimed “Bar-ka-ee” (indicating that the time had arrived). At that point, the person in charge asked: “Has the eastern sky lit up all the way to Chevron?” (which is southwest of Yerushalyim, so the sun usually rises later there). If the answer was in the affirmative, the shechting (ritual slaughter) of the Tamid would proceed. Now, if the sun had already risen in Yerushalyim, why was it important that the sky also be illuminated all the way to Chevron? The answer is that as we start the avodas hayom (daily service) in the Beis Hamikdash, we want to invoke the zechus avos (patriarchal merit) of those who are buried in Chevron.
The Maggid of Vilna says that it is for a similar reason that we begin Shacharis with the words “Adon Olam,” because it was Avraham who first called the Ribono shel Olam by the name Adon. Therefore, to invoke his memory, we begin our prayers by invoking the title “Adon Olam“.
Transcribed by David Twersky; Jerusalem [email protected]
Edited by Dovid Hoffman; Baltimore, MD [email protected]
This week’s write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissochar Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Series on the weekly Torah portion. A listing of the halachic portions for Parshas Lech Lecha is provided be low:
- # 028 – Conversion (Geirus)
- # 070 – Bris Milah: The Metzizah Controversy
- # 119 – Conversion for Ulterior Motives
- # 166 – The Childless Couple in Halacha
- # 212 – Non-Jews and the Mitzvah of Kibbud Av
- # 256 – Mohel and Baby: Who Goes to Whom
- # 302 – The Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisroel
- # 346 – Trading Terrorists for Hostages
- # 390 – Geirus — Mitzvah, Reshus, or Issur?
- # 434 – Anesthesia During Milah
- # 478 – Sandik — Can You Change Your Mind?
- # 522 – Calling Avraham, Avrum
- # 566 – Learning Vs. Saving A Life
- # 610 – The Widow & the Divorcee: How Long Must they wait to remarry
- # 654 – Sonei Matonos Yichye – Refusing Gifts
- # 698 – Did the Avos Keep the Torah?
- # 742 – Can You Change Your Mazel?
- # 786 – The On-Time vs. the Delayed Bris
- # 830 – Standing for A Chosen and Kallah At The Chupah
- # 874 – Saving Some-One’s Soul- How Far Must You Go?
- # 918 – Hidur Mitzvah – How Important?
- # 961 – Tying Shoes – Not As Simple As You Think
- #1005 – Inviting People to a Bris – Good Idea or Bad?
- #1049 – Honoring Your Wife
- #1092 – The Baal Teshuva Who Wants To Convert His Non-Jewish Girlfriend
- #1135 – “Schar Pe’sios” – Should You Walk Or Drive To Shul (on weekdays)
- #1178 – Shabbos Milah of A Child Whose Parents Are Not Shomrei Shabbos
- #1222 – Milah For The Son of a Jewish Father and a Non Jewish Mother
- #1266 – The Syrian Sefardic Community’s Ban on Conversion
- #1310 – Giving Gifts to Non-Jews
- #1354 – Should I Stay in the US to Take Care of My Parents or Make Aliya to Eretz Yisroel?
- #1398 – Meshaneh Makom Meshaneh Mazel – Changing Your Mazel
- #1442 – The Importance of Always Staying With The Same Host
- #1486 – Quantity vs. Quality – What wins?
- #1530 – Receiving Gifts: A Good or Bad Idea?
- (2022) – A Postponed Bris Milah – Never on a Thursday?
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