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Yeshivat Nahar Shalom

6 Shilo Street (corner of Agrippas Street)

Jerusalem, Israel

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More in The Weekly Parasha

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva - Chizuk for the 9th of Cheshvan - Part 2

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva - Chizuk for the 9th of Cheshvan - Part 1

    When Hashem told Avraham to count the stars if he was able, Rabbi Meir Shapiro of Lublin noted that every sensible person knows it is physically impossible to count the stars or know their exact number. Yet, upon hearing the command, Avraham immediately began counting. He did not say to himself that since it was impossible anyway, there was no point in starting; instead, he recognized that since the Creator commanded it, his task was simply to count. In response, Hashem told him, "So shall your seed be". This teaches that Avraham's descendants would behave similarly—they would not look at an impossible challenge, despair, and freeze, but would act without despair.

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva - Chizuk for the 8th of Cheshvan

    Avraham our father trusted in Hashem with ultimate trust. When Hashem told him, "I am a shield to you with ultimate trust," Avraham surrendered himself to danger for the holiness of Hashem by going to war with the four kings so there would be no desecration of Hashem's name. Therefore, the blessing concludes: "Blessed are You, Hashem, Shield of Avraham"—not "Helper of Avraham," but Shield of Avraham, reflecting his absolute trust.

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    It is written in the holy Zohar that when Noah emerged from the ark, he saw the world in total desolation. He began weeping and praying to the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: "Master of the Universe, why did You do so?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "A foolish shepherd! Why did you not pray beforehand? Only now you pray? How long did I speak with you! You did not ask of Me even once that I should be patient—not even once! If you had prayed even once, everything would have ended well."

  • Explanation of the Haftarah of Parshat Noah

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  • One Should Continually Remember the Generation of the Flood

    It says, in every single generation there are certain sparks of them. In all generations they come—whether those from the generation of the Flood or those who create problems and troubles, they exist in every generation. They rise up against us.

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    Where does 300 come from? 300 cubits is the (Gematria value of) Shin of the Serpent, make 300 cubits the length of the ark. 50 cubits its width is the (Gematria value of) Nun of the Serpent. What is left? A good part. We said in the Serpent the evil part is Chet, the good part is Nun and Shin; the Shin is 300 cubits length of the ark, the Nun is 50 cubits width. What (good) is left from the S"M angel? Aleph, Lamed. Lamed (Gematria value of 30) is 30 cubits its height, and the Aleph (Gematria value of 1) is "and finish it to a cubit upward". And then thus will be saved whoever needs to be saved, enter inside—and be saved.

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    When Eve was questioned, she said, "The serpent deceived me [Hishiani], and I ate." In the writings of the Ben Ish Chai, it is explained that Hishiani hints at a spiritual blemish inflicted upon two Divine Names: Adnut (Aleph-Dalet-Nun-Yud) and Sh-addai (Shin-Dalet-Yud). By removing the letter Dalet from both Names, what remains from Adnut is Ani ("I/me"), and the remaining letters rearrange to form Hishiani (or Shai Ani, "a gift to me").

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    And we have learned from here that you should not say that the Torah created the world, but rather the Holy One, blessed be He, through His looking into the Torah created the world, and it turns out that the Holy One, blessed be He, is Himself the artisan, and the Torah was before Him corresponding to Him as an artisan as well (for the Holy One, blessed be He, depicted in the Torah the entire reality)

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    This Haftarah is read on the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, because it speaks of repentance, and this is relevant to the day, as it is the time of repentance.

  • Stories for Rosh Hashana by the Gaon, Rosh HaKollel Rabbi Yosef Shmueli - based on the words of the Head of the Yeshiva, Rabbi Benayahu Y. Shmueli

    Eight times King David cried out "my son," and with each time he cried out, he raised Avshalom to a higher level, until he brought him out of the seven levels of Gehenna (Hell) and brought him into the Garden of Eden. Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz prayed to Hashem at the Monument of Avshalom with these words: "Master of the Universe, how much did Avshalom sin against his father David, and how much did he pursue him? And what did David the King do? He mourned for him, prayed for him, and cried out: 'My son Avshalom, my son...' to bring him out from the seven levels of terrible Gehenom and bring him into the Garden of Eden.

  • An Explanation of the Haftarah Nitzavim

    Hashem will not keep silent and there will be no rest before Him, until He takes retribution on the nations that distressed Israel, and the salvation will be revealed before the eyes of all.

The Weekly Parasha

Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva - Chizuk for the 9th of Cheshvan - Part 2

By Yeshivat Nahar Shalom Staff•October 20, 2026
Sarah Hagar and Yishmaeldivorce of Rabbi Yitzchak Blazerrabbi levin stops an abortion lawa 25% decrease in childbirthmoniter where daughters study

The following is based on Rabbi Shmueli's Hebrew Chizuk video for the 9th of MarCheshvan 5787

Rabbi Shmueli

The Matriarch Sarah, Hagar, and the Nature of Yishmael

Hagar was Sarah's maidservant, originating from the time Sarah our mother was with Pharaoh, who witnessed her good deeds and righteous household. Pharaoh took her, stating it was better for her to be a maidservant there rather than a mistress in another house. Consequently, it is written, "And she had an Egyptian maidservant, whose name was Hagar," which signifies "this is your reward".

According to the Zohar, when Sarah afflicted Hagar and "she fled from before her," Sarah sinned with this affliction, and Abraham consented to it. As a result, Hashem heard her affliction and gave her a son who would become a wild man destined to afflict the seed of Abraham and Sarah, as the Ramban notes. The Zohar laments the hour when Yishmael was born, and Rabbeinu Bachya states that no nation in the world hates Israel more than the sons of Yishmael. The Holy Zohar teaches that the sons of Yishmael are destined to arouse all the nations to come to Jerusalem. The Ramak explains that the nations will make peace among themselves and turn against Israel to destroy them, but Hashem will destroy them all here. Furthermore, the Ramban writes that the entire generation will become guilty, Torah will be forgotten from Israel, brazenness and boldness will multiply, and nothing will remain except the commandment of circumcision, through which they will be saved.

When the angel told Hagar, "Behold, you shall conceive, and you will bear a son," and to call his name Yishmael, Sarah had previously placed an evil eye on Hagar, causing her to miscarry the first pregnancy. Only later, after being expelled from Avraham's house, did the angel tell Hagar to return and bear Yishmael. Sages questioned why the Torah elaborated so extensively on Yishmael's future and why Sarah belittled the first pregnancy. Sarah knew from the outset that the first child would embody the worst wickedness in the world, which is why she caused the miscarriage. This demonstrates that sometimes it is fitting for a pregnancy to fail due to the greatness of the prospective wickedness.

Historical Parallels: Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer, Nicholas II, and the Abortion Law

The book Kochvei Or discusses Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer, a student of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, who authored the responsa Pri Yitzchak. He lacked children, and when his wife reached menopause at the age of fifty, she asked him for a divorce, citing the precedent of Sarah our mother asking Avraham to take another wife.

He didn't want to agree but she took her husband to a rabbinical court asking them to agree with her demands.

Because of the decree of Rabbeinu Gershom, he was forced to grant the divorce. He subsequently remarried, and a son and three daughters were born to him. He always cared for the livelihood of his divorcée, declaring that "mine and yours belong to her".

A striking historical parallel involves Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, a fierce hater of Jews who reigned 150 years ago. He instituted a law granting any policeman an extra five rubles for catching a Jewish person wandering without permission. At age 23, the heir to the throne traveled to the Far East for a meeting in Japan, where a Japanese citizen shot and nearly killed him; his cousin saved him, but a metal plate remained on his forehead, cementing a deep hatred for the Japanese. During the subsequent war between Japan and Russia, this wicked ruler conscripted Jews against their will not to defend Russian soil, but to preserve his tyrannical rule while constantly instigating pogroms. Ultimately, the Bolsheviks conspired against him, murdering him, his family, and all that he possessed. While one Gur Chassid expressed regret that the Japanese citizen hadn't finished the job earlier, another remarked that one cannot know if an even worse tyrant would arise. Indeed a worse tyrant, namely, Stalin, a mass murderer, followed by the Nazis.

The Struggle Over An Abortion Law

In the year 5707 (1947), the government sought to enact a law supporting and permitting abortions, championed by Minister of Justice Shmuel Tamir. The Council of Great Torah Sages dispatched a delegation to persuade him, including Rabbi Raphael Levin, the older son of Rabbi Aryeh Levin. Everyone expected Shmuel Tamir to be unyielding in his support for abortions. However, Rabbi Raphael Levin shared a story about his father; a pregnant woman and her husband came to Rabbi Aryeh Levin in distress because the husband, immersed in medical studies, demanded an abortion due to financial inability to sustain a child. Rabbi Aryeh Levin convinced them to continue the pregnancy, promising them various forms of advancement, and the resulting child was none other than Shmuel Tamir himself. When Rabbi Raphael Levin told him, "You are the Minister of Justice; it is fortunate there was no abortion law back then, or you would not be here today—neither minister nor anything else," Tamir was stunned. He made a phone call to verify the story, and upon confirming it was true, declared, "I do not support abortions," and dropped the law.

Contemporary Educational Challenges and Birth Rates

Reports indicate that among religious communities specifically, there is currently a 25% decrease in childbirth. This trend is linked to new Ministry of Education curricula introduced to girls in their studies, which teach them to meticulously calculate life choices based on financial planning: how much the husband earns, how much the wife earns, and what material lifestyle they desire before bringing children into the world.

This materialist calculus has become mandatory teaching within Haredi education. This raises deep concerns regarding the spiritual trajectory of the people of Israel. Consequently, parents are urged to carefully monitor where their daughters study and consider transitioning them to holy, traditional educational environments that impart proper spiritual values.

Parables and Tales: The Pickpocket and the Infant with the Golden Watch

The scriptural description of Yishmael as a wild man whose hand is against everyone reflects the innate nature of the Yishmaelites from birth—an inherent drive to test, plunder, loot, and steal, as witnessed in France and other places.

A traditional folk tale describes a master pickpocket living in a village near London who specialized in pickpocketing and decided to move to the big city for more lucrative targets. While boarding a London train, his own wallet was pickpocketed. Spotting a woman angering passengers, he skillfully pickpocketed her to retrieve his own wallet, leading to mutual professional respect and their subsequent marriage. After a year, a son was born to them, but the doctor sorrowfully informed them that the baby suffered from a strange defect: his right palm was tightly closed and pressed against his chest. All medical attempts to open it failed, shattering the couple's dream of raising a master pickpocket.

Desperate, they sought out a famous professor renowned as an expert, paying him heavily under the table. The doctor placed the baby on the bed, pulled out a gold watch, and began dangling it before the infant's eyes. To everyone's astonishment, the baby immediately opened his hand, released his grip, and grabbed the watch. The mystery was solved: at birth, the baby had clutched the midwife's diamond ring, but he opened his hand this time because the watch was worth more.

Commemorations, Yahrtzeits, and Spiritual Legacies

Today marks the yahrtzeit of the Rosh, Rabbi Asher ben Rabbi Yechiel, whose merit should protect us. He was renowned as a supreme genius in Torah, Halacha, teaching, legal rulings, clarity, and exalted holiness. As Maran writes, every member of the Rosh's family is considered holy. He served as the Rabbi in Spain for 22 years and passed away in Toledo at the age of 78.

Today also marks the yahrtzeit of Rabbi David Laniado. During the Hebron riots of 5689 (1929), he was living in Hebron. When he and his family entered a cave, rioters came, discovered them, and blocked the cave entrance. Through intense prayer and crying out to Hashem, they were ultimately saved by a miracle.