txt/Chasidut/Izhbitz/Beit Yaakov on Torah/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt

Beit Yaakov on Torah
בית יעקב על התורה
Sefaria Community Translation
https://www.sefaria.org

Beit Yaakov on Torah

Bereshit



Noach



Lech Lecha



Vayera



Siman 1



Siman 2



Siman 3



Siman 4



Siman 5



Siman 6



Siman 7



Siman 8



Siman 9



Siman 10



Siman 11



Siman 12



Siman 13



Siman 14



Siman 15



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Siman 28



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Siman 30



Siman 31



Siman 32



Siman 33



Siman 34



Siman 35



Siman 36



Siman 37



Siman 38



Siman 39



Siman 40



Siman 41

<b>And the Lord remembered Sarah, etc. (Genesis 21:1):</b> Behold until this Parashah, it is speaking about the world of chaos; but from this Parashah and onwards, it is speaking about the world of reparation. And for that reason, it is the fourth Parshah, corresponding to the sefirah (emanation) of Eternity (<i>Netzach</i>). For there in the world of chaos, it is written (Genesis 6:6), "And the Lord regretted, etc. and He became saddened to His heart." Whereas this Parashah hints to the sefirah of Eternity - "Moreover, the Netzach of Israel does not deceive or regret, for He is not a man that He should have regrets" (II Samuel 15:29). And for that reason, "And the Lord remembered Sarah, etc.," was also written in this Parashah. That is because the birth of Sarah was also a change in the world. And we read this section on Rosh Hashanah. For there is a change then as well, since every year on Rosh Hashanah, the root of the creation is aroused - as it is found in the holy Zohar (Tetzaveh 184a).

Chayei Sara



Siman 1



Siman 2



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Siman 5



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Siman 10



Siman 11



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Siman 13



Siman 14



Siman 15



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Siman 18



Siman 19



Siman 20



Siman 21



Siman 22



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Siman 24



Siman 25



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Siman 27



Siman 28



Siman 29



Siman 30



Siman 31



Siman 32



Siman 33



Siman 34



Siman 35



Siman 36



Siman 37

<b>And these are the generations of Yishmael son of Avraham, etc.:</b> The matter of Yishmael being called the son of Avraham more than the other nations that he fathered afterwards is because at the time of Yishmael's birth, his mother Hagar was still the maidservant of Sarah.  As our father Avraham, peace be upon him, was not yet perfected with all types of perfection. That is why there was a little holiness in [Yishmael]. For before a man is perfected, he enters into all sorts of questionable things, since he might gain from them [spiritually]. But with the children that he fathered after Sarah's death when he was perfected with all types of perfection, so that he had no need for any spiritual work at all - given that there was no remaining lack that he needed to perfect - he no longer desired to lower himself and enter into questionable things [from which] he might gain. And because of that, there was no holiness at all or internal power in these children.<sup class="footnote-marker">180</sup><i class="footnote">As explained above in this Parsha, Section 33.</i>And that is why Yishmaelite converts have a greater status than converts from other nations,<sup class="footnote-marker">181</sup><i class="footnote">See below, Parshat Toladot, Section 7, staring  with the words, "Vezehu."</i>as it is found in the holy Zohar (Parshat Yitro 87a); and he is also more choice than his brothers who were born after the perfection of our father Avraham, as it is found in the holy Zohar.<sup class="footnote-marker">182</sup><i class="footnote">See the Kometz Mincha, Section 47, by our Master, Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen.</i>But the main holiness of our father Avraham, peace be upon him, was in his son Yitzchak, who was born to him in his hundredth year, at the time that he switched time periods, before he had all of the perfections. But afterwards, he had all the perfections in him; so the main greatness of the [various] levels was then in him. And this is [the meaning] of that which they said in the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah, Lech Lecha 47), "There is an a fortiori argument about the son of the lady: If they (the Yishmaelites) have courtyards and strongholds, all the more so will every righteous person have a world for himself." For God, may He be blessed, shows 'garments' here in this world. For God forbid that he should have perfection in this world; rather Israel perfects that which is lacking. And it is as it is written (Psalms 135:4), "For the Lord (the diminutive two-letter version of God's name is used here) has chosen Yaakov for Himself." And that is because the name of God is only complete (perfected) through Yaakov and Israel, who complete (perfect) the name. And it is, as it were, that God is obligated to lower Himself to save Israel and to destroy all the opponents and accusers from before Israel. And from the son of the maidservant, we learn an a fortiori argument about the son of the lady: If the son of the maidservant, the entire life of whom only came from the statement of Avraham before God, may He be blessed Genesis 17:18), "If only Yishmael might live before you," and God, may He be blessed, answered him (Genesis 17:20), "And as for Yishmael, I have heard you"; all the more so with the son of the lady, about whom God, may He be blessed, said from His angle and from His will (Genesis 17:21), "But I will establish My covenant with Yitzchak," will this last forever and ever. However it is [like this] because God, may He be blessed, does not want to use this in this world, but only in the world that is truly long. 

Toldot



Vayetzei



Vayishlach



Vayeshev



Miketz



Vayigash



Vayechi