04 Nov VAYERA: THE SALVATION IS PREPARED

In this week’s
parashah, the Torah
elaborates on the
story of Yishmael,
how he almost
died from thirst, and
Hashem accepted
his tefillos and saved
him (see 21:15 19).
Several pasukim are
dedicated to this story.
The Radak writes,
“The Torah goes into
detail with all of this
to teach that a person
shouldn’t be afraid if tzaros come his way;
rather, he should trust in Hashem that the
end will be good.”
The Chidushei HaRim zt’l takes notice of
an amazing episode that occurred during
this incident. It states (21:19) “And Hashem
opened her eyes, and she saw a well of
water. And she went and she filled the
pouch with water and gave the lad to drink.”
This seems to imply that while Yishmael
was ill with a high fever and thirsty for
water, the well was stationed there the entire
time; only Hagar didn’t see it until that
moment. The Chidushei HaRim zt’l teaches

that this is how it is with all of Hashem’s
salvations. It is right before us. All that is
needed is for us to recognize it.
This lesson encourages us. Sometimes we
think that there is no hope for our situation,
however, the yeshuah is already there. We
just have to merit that Hashem open our
eyes so we can find it and uncover it.
We say in Tehillim (121) “I shall raise my
eyes to the mountains, from where will my
help come? My help is from Hashem, the
Maker of heaven and earth.” Chasam Sofer
zt’l explains that Hashem created heaven
and earth from nothing, and therefore
Hashem can bring salvation from nothing
as well. Therefore, when it seems that there
is no salvation possible, it isn’t a problem
for Hashem. Hashem created heaven and
earth from nothingness, and He can create a
salvation for you as well!
Pirkei Avos (5:6) states, “Ten things were
created [at the beginning of creation] on
erev Shabbos, during bein hashmashos…
Some add that the ram of Avraham Avinu
was created at that time.”
Ra’v Bartenura explains that this doesn’t
mean that the ram lived for hundreds of
years, from the beginning of creation until

the Akeidah. Rather, it means that at the
beginning of creation, it was decreed that
when Avraham went to Akeidas Yitzchak,
a ram should get caught in a bush. This
saved Yitzchak’s life because the ram was
sacrificed instead of Yitzchak.
Says Reb Mendel Perlmutter zt’l, look how
important it is to protect a Yid from danger
and sorrow, that it is proper for his salvation
to be prepared at the very beginning of
creation. Yitzchak’s salvation was ready
from the beginning of creation; likewise,
everyone’s salvation is prepared from the
beginning of creation.
So, you don’t have to worry. Hashem will
help you. Your needs are prepared and ready
since brias haolam.
The Chofetz Chaim (Zechor l’Miryam
ch.20) teaches:
“In the Torah, we find proof of the great
potential of bitachon from the story of Lot
and the two malachim who came to his home.
When the residents of Sodom surrounded
Lot’s house wanting to kill the malachim,
Lot came out of his house to tell them not to
harm his guests (19:8) ‘Only to these men do
nothing, because they have come under the
shadow of my roof.’ Lot said, ‘They trusted

in me that I will save them from your hands,
and therefore, I plead to you that they be
rewarded for their trust, and you don’t harm
them.’ Let us think about this: We know
that Lot wasn’t righteous, not at all. It states
(Bereishis 13:11) Vayisa Lot Mikedem, and
Chazal say that this means he traveled away
from Hashem. Nevertheless, Lot understood
that his guests should be saved because they
trusted in him. Certainly, kal vachomer…
when one trusts in Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the
Source of compassion, Hakadosh Baruch
Hu will certainly save him from his tzaros.
“Therefore, my brothers and friends,
although there are many tzaros in our
generation, nevertheless, if we will
strengthen ourselves with bitachon and trust
in Hashem with all our heart, Hashem will
certainly save us…”