Esau, Ishmael, and the "Scheme" of Machalas: A Shiur at the Home of Rabbi Berland for a Group from Rishon LeZion

During a shiur (Torah class) delivered by Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a at his home on Wednesday evening, the night of the 2nd of Kislev 5785, to a group that arrived from Rishon LeZion, the Rav transitioned from the topics of Igeres bas Machalas and King Hezekiah, through Avraham Avinu (our Patriarch Abraham), Nimrod, and Noah's dove, all the way to Abba Umana. At the end, he returned to the weekly Torah portion, Parashas Toldos, and revealed the scheme of Esau and Ishmael against Yitzchak Avinu (our Patriarch Isaac). The name "Machalas" opened the shiur, and it also concluded it.

"Now it is already Thursday night"

The Rav opened with the subject of Igeres bas Machalas, whom the Gemara describes as the "mother of demons" who goes out on Wednesday nights, and her encounter with Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. "Now it is already Thursday night," the Rav noted with a smile. Regarding Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, he said: "If a demon encountered him, then the demon was the unfortunate one."

"And we will play my music all the days of our lives"

From here, the Rav moved to the verse in Job (Chapter 21): "And their children dance, they lift up the timbrel and harp." In the past, the Rav explained, when a baby was born, they would take a harp, play music for the mother, and dance all night long.

Similarly, King Hezekiah, in Isaiah Chapter 38, promised Hashem: If You heal me, I will play music for You all the days of my life. "And we will play my music all the days of our lives in the House of Hashem." On that very day, the sun moved backward ten degrees. The Rav explained that Hezekiah's father, Ahaz, had closed the synagogues, and Hezekiah did not have a rabbi: "He discovered all on his own that Hashem exists."

"Who created the sun?"

"Avraham also did not have a rabbi," the Rav continued. His father did not teach him Torah, and he discovered everything on his own: He saw the sun and asked who created it, he saw the moon at night, and again the sun in the morning, until he understood that there is a Creator of the world. Then he came to Nimrod and said to him: "Explain to me who created the sun." Nimrod said there is no Creator, and threw him into the fiery furnace.

The Rav brought a hint from the Torah portion, "Because (ekev) Avraham listened to My voice": The word ekev has a gematria (numerical value) of 172, and Avraham lived for 175 years. This means that already at the age of three (175 minus 172), he recognized his Creator, and even then he argued with Nimrod.

"Then he brought that entire generation back in teshuvah (repentance), including his father and his mother."

The Rav cited the holy Zohar, which states that the entire generation returned in teshuvah (repentance) in the merit of Avraham, and even his mother, who had worshipped idols, did teshuvah. And when they threw Avraham into the fire, they asked his brother Haran: "Do you belong to Avraham or to Nimrod?"

Where is Noah's dove?

"The Zohar asks: Where is Noah's dove?" The Rav brought the holy Zohar in Parashas Shelach, which explains that the dove did not return because it is hidden away for the future to come: It will place the crown upon the head of the King Mashiach. Regarding this, it is said: "You place a crown of fine gold (paz) on his head." "Now it is the year 5785 (Tav-Shin-Peh-Zayin)," the Rav emphasized, "You place a crown of fine gold (paz - spelled Peh-Zayin) on his head."

"And an olive leaf torn off (taraf) in its mouth," the Rav said: The word taraf is in the masculine form, because this was a male dove. And the "olive leaf" refers to the King Mashiach, as King David says in Psalms Chapter 52: "But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the House of God." According to the Rav, there is a tower that shines like the sun, and there the dove is hiding together with the King Mashiach.

Abba Umana: "Because I have already vowed everything to charity"

The Rav recounted the story from Tractate Taanis. Abaye, the Rosh Yeshiva, would receive a greeting of "Shalom" from Heaven only on the eve of Shabbos, whereas Abba Umana, who was a bloodletter, received a greeting of "Shalom" every single day. He separated men and women, and he placed the payment box outside, so that anyone who did not have money would not be embarrassed.

Abaye sent two Torah scholars to test him. Abba Umana hosted them, arranged the best bedding in the house for them, and during the night, they took everything. In the morning, on the way to prayer, he saw them selling the items. They asked him how much the items were worth, and he stated the exact price: "I bought this." They said to him: If so, take it back. And he replied:

"I cannot take it... because I have already vowed everything to charity."

Here, the Rav shared a personal story about himself: On the eve of Sukkos, he would build five sukkahs, ten sukkahs, for people who were crying, who were in a state of depression. He would take a few plywood boards, some schach (sukkah roofing), and "by sunset, I would build ten sukkahs."

"To bring a child into the world in holiness"

The Rav dedicated part of the class to the responsibility of parents: "These are the generations of Yitzchak, son of Avraham; Avraham begot Yitzchak." From here, the Rav said, we learn that if there are fathers, there are generations (offspring). One must bring a child into the world in holiness, and if the child does not learn and does not pray, one must ask who is to blame:

"The sons are not to blame."

The Scheme of Esav and Yishmael

The Rav concluded the class with Parashas Toldos. Esav, the Rav said, was the greatest in honoring his father: "He would not cause sorrow to his father. A father is a father, a father comes before everything." He wanted to kill Yaakov, who took the birthright and the blessings from him, and Yitzchak told him, "May God give you of the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth," but Esav was unable to forgive. "Let the days of mourning for my father draw near, and I will kill my brother Yaakov."

So what did he do? He went to Yishmael and told him: Let's make a scheme. I will marry your daughter Machalas, and you will eliminate Yitzchak for me. And so, when his father would no longer be alive, he could kill Yaakov without causing him sorrow. "First thing, there must be no sorrow for father, that is an unbreakable rule."

"It wasn't a wedding at all, it was all a scheme."

Therefore, the Rav said, Yishmael died a moment before the chuppah (wedding canopy), as it is written, "And he took Machalas the daughter of Yishmael... the sister of Nevayos": "Because if Yishmael and Esav join forces, we are lost." And therefore Rashi asks in Parashas Vayishlach: "Was her name Machalas?"

Last week, the Rav discussed, in the previous class at his home, the wonder of the Bris Milah (circumcision) and the mission of Eliezer, the servant of Avraham.