On Monday, the night of 11 Marcheshvan, Parashat Vayera – the day of the yahrzeit of Rachel Emeinu, a shiur was held at the home of Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a for students of the Kollel of “Chut Shel Chesed.”  Below is a summary of the shiur:

Moreinu HaRav shlit”a began the shiur on the subject of the weekly Torah portions.   He first began with Parashat Lech-Lecha, on the verse, “If only Yishmael would live before You,” bringing the Zohar on this verse, that Rabbi Shimon cried and said that all the suffering and murders which the Jewish people would endure from the Arabs until the coming of the redeemer are because of this very verse. Afterwards, he returned to Parashat Vayera and discussed the prophecy of the angels, “…at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”  From there, he transitioned to the incident of Shimon and Levi in Shechem, and likewise the first brit with Aner and Eshkol in Hevron, who died because they didn’t believe in Avraham Avinu. Afterwards, the Rav returned to the subject of the announcement given to Sarah Emeinu, and brought the “Heichal HaBracha,” who asks why Sarah laughed – did she not believe?  Rather, the answer is that Sarah Emeinu didn’t laugh, but rather cried: “I don’t want this desire again; I want only holiness!”  The Rav spoke with flaming fire about the holiness of a person and brought Chayei Moharan on this, that Rabbeinu was disgusted by this desire.  He also brought the Rambam that a pious person is one who doesn’t have this desire at all.  The Rav also added that we came to the world to fight the evil inclination, and if a person closes his eyes, then another 10,000 people will repent!  Every movement that a person makes transforms into goodness!  This is the reason that Yitzchak was born specifically when Sarah returned to her youthful days, so that Yitzchak would teach all the Jewish people to fight the evil inclination and to repent. Toward the end of the shiur, the Rav spoke about the level of living in the Land of Israel, and the severity of living outside it.  He quoted the words of the “Or Sameach” and Sifri regarding the seriousness of the prohibition of living outside of Israel.  At the end of the shiur, he explained that there are three cantillation lines (p’sak), which is the secret of Sarah saying first that she didn’t laugh, but rather cried.  The second line is when she explains “because she feared,” that she feared desires.  The third line is in “no, you laughed,” that Hashem replied to her that this is the purpose of our existence in this world, that we will have desires and fight them! [caption id="attachment_53449" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Before the shiur[/caption] [caption id="attachment_53450" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Moreinu HaRav shlit"a giving the shiur[/caption]