Weekly Torah

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Shemot - שמות

ח  וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ-חָדָשׁ, עַל-מִצְרָיִם, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדַע, אֶת-יוֹסֵף. 

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE DIDN'T KNOW YOSEF!?!?!?!

Vayechi

There is a pasuk in vayechi that all commentators talk about and give various interpretations and midrashim. Chapter 49 pasuk 1, yaakov gathers his sons to tell them about what will happen in the end of days.

וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב, אֶל-בָּנָיו; וַיֹּאמֶר, הֵאָסְפוּ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם, אֵת אֲשֶׁר-יִקְרָא אֶתְכֶם, בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים.

And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: 'Gather yourselves together,
that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days.

Most commentators agree that yaakov was going to tell his sons about what will happen when mashiach comes, however he never completed this task because hashem removed the shechina from yaakov and his ability to prophesy departed from him. On the other hand, radak explains that in fact yaakov did carry out the task within his blessings to his sons that followed. The lubavicher rebbe, in likutei sichot, brings an alternative explanation of the pasuk. Yaakov calls for his sons using the words: "he'asfu ve'agida". These 2 words are slightly unusual, but in the context of this pasuk bring extra meaning. He'asfu is a word for gather or assemble, but also contains within it the word 'sof' which means 'end'. Another way of describing g-d is 'ein sof' which means 'there is no end' or 'infinite'. Ein sof is hinted at with the letters 'asf'. It could also mean 'collecter' as in the meaning of the name 'asaf'. The next word 'agida' means 'to tell' but it also has a deeper connotation of imparting from deep within yourself, and giving a part of you to someone else.

For millenia the jewish people have been reading this pasuk and simply dismissing it based on the commentaries and midrash that yaakov was unable to complete the task of telling his sons about the days of mashiach. But what happens when we know the answer without attempting to follow the journey of seeking the answer? If we know the answer then how motivated are you to walk the path?

This is the point of pasuk 49:1. For ages the jews have assiduously attempted to find its meaning. To explain the pasuk has led us in many directions and been a source of vitality in the human effort to understand g-d, our creator. The journey is more important than the destination. This is precisely why the words used here in the torah are "he'asfu ve'agida". In order for you to find the answer, yaakov, through his nevuah (prophecy), is imparting to us all a part of g-ds infinite wisdom to help you along the path to the end.

On the contrary, g-d indeed never removed his shechina from yaakov at this important juncture. Verse 49:1 clearly shows with the use of "he'asfu ve'agida" that in fact the ein sof is with yaakov. It is hidden brilliance. The lesson of the pasuk is that g-d will be with us always on our journey to the end of days.



Chayei Sarah

Free will. Nevua. Greatness. Tefillah.

The introduction of Rivkah is full of curiosity. I want to point out some interesting things to you...

The name Rivkah, i've never really heard it discussed but what is it?

רבקה

I see 2 parts to her name which help me understand her makeup:
■ רב which means 'many, great, goodly, much'.
■ קה - what's that? When do we use that? Let me remind you. If you want to say G-d's name, we say 'yud-kay-vav-kay' (י-ק-ו-ק) where we change the ה to a ק- so we don't use Hashem's name in vain. So קה is actually "י-ה" which is one of the names of G-d.
So Rivkah can be understood to mean the 'greatness of G-d'.

Why is that important?

We don't know a whole lot about Rivkah throughout the Torah. She isn't the subject of many stories, although she plays an important role as the mother of Yaakov and Esav. But is she of considerable importance, not just because she is one of the matriarchs, but because she had something deeper inside of her which guided the course of the Torah for at least 2 parshiot?

Our first of glimpse of Rivkah is where she comes to collect water from the well. Remember that Eliezer makes a special supplication prayer to G-d to help him find a wife for Yitzchak:

"May You so arrange it for me this day that You do kindness with
my master Abraham... Let it be that the maiden to whom I shall say 

'Please tip...etc' and who replies 'Drink, and I will even... etc'
her will You have desginated for Your servant, for Isaac..."

So Eliezer is interceding with Hashem to bring about a particular event so he could know who would be the wife for Isaac. That's fair enough. When faced with a big job do you sometimes ask Hashem directly for a particular outcome for a situation? But would you use the word "arrange" which in the Torah is written as "הקרה-נה לפני" = 'please cause to happen before me'. The main supplication that Eliezer is asking Hashem is to put events in place so such&such and outcome should occur.

But if this is the case what has happened to our treasured FREE-WILL? This event of Rivkah v Eliezer is a classic argument that all events are pre-determined by Hashem.

Rivkah not only walked out to the spring at exactly the right time, but it followed by Rivkah answering with exactly what Eliezer requested. Isn't that curious? So what are the options before us? How are we to understand these events? How is it relevant to us? Neither Rashi or Ramban makes comment about this. I will put forward 4 options that come to mind...

The first option is that Rivkah was of such a beautiful and wonderful nature that she was giving and caring to anyone she met, complete strangers included. When someone asked her for water it was her good nature that simply took control of the entire situation and she offered to give Eliezer water plus his camels. She went above and beyond the call of her duty. Now, if Eliezer looked liked he'd just walked in out of the desert, and was dusty and windswept, and he was alone and his animals were tired and weak, then I could fully appreciate that Rivkah would offer such help. However Eliezer did in fact have other servants with him and therefore it would have been unnecessary to water his camels. Plus Avraham gave Eliezer riches to take with him, so he was obviously wealthy and it therefore would have been expected that he would have servants to do the menial tasks of watering the camels. So was it reasonable for Rivkah to have offered her services to water the camels?

The second option is that Hashem put the words into Rivkah's mouth. G-d virtually took control of her mouth and body and made the words come out as expected and to follow through with the act of watering the camels. The classic comparative example is that Hashem 'hardened' Pharoah's heart in the time of the עשר מכות, so that he refused to let the Jews leave Egypt. Rivkah here was a conduit for G-d's will in the world. Hashem needed to make the events turn out the correct way, because the entire origin and covenant of the Jewish people that was promised to Avraham rested on this moment in history. So G-d got into the driver's seat for a couple of minutes and took over. If that was what actually occurred then it would likely be the only record in Tanach where such an incredible event took place. However, perhaps this offers us the best explanation, because it could simply and easily make pieces of the puzzle come together - if you believe that G-d can simply and easily remove human free-will.

The third and fourth options are similar but not the same. The third option is that Rivkah is a נביאה - a prophetess. This would fit with her name Rivkah as explained earlier, to mean that G-d's shows his greatness through Rivkah. Or that Rivkah is great with G-d. How could she know to utter those words? How could she know to come out at exactly the right moment, precisely following Eliezer's tefillah. That she is a prophetess is a simple explanation but it brings Rivkah into the fully realised aspect of being a great matriarch of the Jewish People. It does fit quite well. The midrash states that she is only a young girl at the time, and yet also later on when her family question if she will go with Eliezer to marry Yitzchak she answers in a decidedly understanding manner and without hesitation - likely well beyond her years in maturity. If you heard the assertion that "G-d was with her", which is never actually stated, but wouldn't it sound to you like a reasonable assumption? Certainly the evidence abounds.

I like the fourth option, which is the most beautiful and spiritual. Take note that when Eliezer comes to Aram Naharaim, the city where Rivkah lived, he made his camels kneel down beside a WELL (באר). But then a few sentences later it is referred to as a SPRING (עין). Later on, when Rivkah came out she 'descended' to the SPRING and then 'ascended'. First a well. Then a spring. What happened in between? Something happened there, and that was Hashem coming into the picture. Eliezer starts davening to Hashem and all of a sudden a spring emerges. Rivkah comes out to perform the service of Hashem and the spring is flowing. It is no longer a well that is simply a vessel containing water, but it is bursting forth with new and fresh water. That is the power of tefillah. Tefillah is the source for allowing Hashem to become more manifest in this world. The difference between the well and the spring is that here we have two good people, but when they work with Hashem then a whole new reality can spring into existence. When Eliezer davened for the event to take place (and take special note that he didn't pray for himself, but for his master Avraham) then Hashem immediately caused a spring to flow and showed how He can play a vital part in our world and in our interpersonal relationships and events. All we need to do, like Eliezer was taught by Avraham, is recognise that we need to call on Hashem in order for the world to give us everything we need and pray for.

Was Rivkah of such holy character that she allowed herself to be the tool of Hashem and help to fill the vessel that Eliezer needed filling? What a display of how humans and G-d can interact to bring the Torah into the world.


----------------------
Just as a side note, i wonder if this was Miriam's 'well' which was brought forth into the world in the twilight of the sixth day of Creation, on the eve of Shabbat. (see Pirkei Avot, ch.5,v.8)


Vayera

Akeidat Yitzchak. What was the test for Avraham here?

After Hashem told Avraham to 'not stretch out your hand', Hashem explained 'for now i know that you are a G-d fearing man, since you have not withheld your son.' 

Is that the proof that Avraham's test was to not withhold his son?

Questions arise, and questions linger over this incident...

■ If Yitzchak was a man at this stage, perhaps it was Yitzchak who passed the test by allowing himself to be submitted.

■ Did Avraham do the right thing by stopping the Akeidah? Perhaps he should have followed through with the sacrifice... Why? First it was G-d that told Avraham to sacrifice his son. Now it was an angel of G-d who told him to not 'stretch out your hand'. Which instruction of Hashem should Avraham have listened to? The first to sacrifice his son, or the second to not? Do you listen to G-d or an angel? Does one take precedence over another?

■ Where is Yitzchak after the Akeidah? There is no mention of him. After the event of the Akeidah, Hashem tells Yitzchak "because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son..." followed by Hashem blessing Avraham.
Hang on.

'You have DONE this thing'? 'You have NOT withheld your son'?

After Hashem's blessing, it also simply says "Avraham returned..." Where is Yitzchak?
After Hashem tells Avraham not to stretch out his hand - where does it say that Avraham stopped?
Rambam brings a midrash that in fact Yitzchak was sacrificed. Some say he drew a bit of blood. Some say he went through all the way with the sacrifice. It's certainly curious. Perhaps some 'alternative religion' theology has gotten mixed in here about the sacrifice and dare I say, resurrection.
Sarah dies a few days later (next week's parashah 'Chayei Sarah') and there is only mention of Avraham to 'eulogize and bewail her'. Yitzchak is neither mentioned during Sarah's burial in the Ma'arat Hamachpela. That must be curious.

■ Following the Akeidah, and because there is no mention of Yitzchak again until Eliezer brings back Rivkah from the East, there is a well known midrash that Yitzchak was studying in the Yeshivah of Shem and Ever. There are sources that say this was in Jerusalem, or possibly Beer Sheva, Tsfat or even somewhere near Damascus. Shem was the son of Noach (Avraham was ten generations from Noach) and Ever (Eber) was Shem's great-grandson. Because there were no Jews at the time, this Yeshivah was mainly for Shem&Ever to spread the idea of the seven Noahide laws to the nations of the world. Basically that everyone should practice moral and ethical behaviour and live with the belief of a monotheism.

Actually, there is an allusion to their Yeshivah and possibly Yitzchak going there in Hashem's final blessing to Avraham after the Akeidah: "... all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your offspring." Avraham's thought process may very well have been: 'Now how do I put that into practice? I know, I'll send my offspring (Yitzchak) straight to my forefather's yeshivah that teaches other cultures/nations about how to live a 'better' way'. The word 'bless' is a translation of the word ברכה, which is also another word for 'pool' - a 'brecha'. The analogy of the connection between brecha (pool) and bracha (blessing) is that the Jewish culture and the Jewish people need to form themselves like an vessel, ready to fill up with the spiritual energy of G-d's blessings. If we can teach other nations the correct principles to conduct themselves in a more appropriate and refined way (conversion to Judaism is not being referred to here) then they shall also receive G-d's blessings.


I heard another interesting concept about Avraham's test of Akeidat Yitzchak. It certainly sits well with me - hear me out?
What was the culture of Avraham's time? Avraham struggled his whole life against unethical and immoral behaviour of the nations and cultures he travelled through. It is well know that human sacrifice existed during that era. Human sacrifice would also have been practiced on children, specifically parents on their own children. Idolatry and human sacrifice go hand-in-hand. Avraham would have known about this. In fact, the culture with that [despicable] practice would have been part of his psyche. He may not have liked it, but it would not have been something so foreign him.

Avraham is told by Hashem to sacrifice his son. You and I today are in shock and disbelief about such a proposal. Why didn't he plead for his son just like he pleaded for Sodom and Gomorrah? Avraham already had a history of speaking out and making special requests (tefillah) to Hashem. What was Avraham's thoughts on the matter. The conventional understanding is that Avraham would have been upset about it, but decided to willingly commit himself to fulfilling G-d's commandment upon him. Right? This is what we all think? Even if it meant that he would be killing the very son which G-d had been promising him for so many years - the same son that would go on to have numerous offspring like the sand of the earth and stars in the sky. The dichotomy is apparent. Is that Avraham's test? That he would fulfil a seemingly barbaric commandment of G-d to prove his faith in Hashem? Perhaps that was not his thought process at all.

When Hashem told Avraham to sacrifice his son, put yourself in Avraham's shoes. Be there in the moment. Okay. G-d's telling me to do something that is part of my regular culture. I'm not even going to think twice about it. I mean, if G-d's telling me to do it, then surely it must be considered an appropriate practice by all the cultures in the world. There was a side of me that thought that such practices were not right, but if G-d is affirming human-child sacrifice - good! I get it. Let's do it. Where is the test? There is no test. There is a commandment. I am not challenging myself on any major issue.

Forward to Akeidat Yitzchak. Yitzchak understands it too. He's all bound up ready to fill the shoes of קרבן like so many other children have done before him. Father & son both think that they're performing a religious rite, the greatest conventional religious wisdom of the time! Here we go...

Hashem: Stop - "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad..."
Avraham: What?
Hashem: "... nor do anything to him...".
Avraham: But... But...

Avraham looks at himself. Looks at the knife in his hand. He wants to do the sacrifice. He wants to do what everyone else in the world is doing. He's come so far in his spiritual journey, reaching a high spiritual and religious level, and now all he has to do is follow through with G-d's commandment to sacrifice his son!
But wait. I look at the knife in my hand, and think, I have a huge urge to slaughter my son - Oy Gevalt. My biggest test, my biggest challenge of my entire life is to put this knife down.

If I may slightly digress with an analogous story that comes to mind... It reminds me of the moment in Schindler's Ark[List] where Schindler has told the German Commandant that of course he has the ability to take away people's lives. Says Schindler, would you like to know what's harder? Here is the real challenge - you actually have the ability to stop yourself from pulling the trigger - you have the ability to give life too. The German Commandant is an analogy for the majority of unethical human culture surrounding Avraham in his era. That a human life could be saved is a miracle. Miraculous during the Holocaust and miraculous for Avraham to put the knife down. At that single moment, the impact of Avraham's effort to shift his mindset to sparing life instead of taking it away made a change to religious practice that reverberates in our culture until today.



Lech-Lecha

Click Here to Print from Google Docs

תמים... TWICE??? A Co-Incidence?

In the first pasuk of Noach, Noach is described as

"...תמים היה בדרתיו..." = simple/perfect/complete in his generations (nb. past tense)

Now in Lech-Lecha, Gen.17:1, Avraham is told by Hashem:

"...התהלך לפני והיה תמים." = walk before me and be perfect. (future tense)

Note the use both times of the word תמים. What does תמים mean? Simple, perfect, complete, pure etc...

I think there is an incredibly strong connection between the 2 uses, and I have not seen it explored ANYWHERE. WHY?

In my blog post last week I preferred the interpretation of 'simple' for the word תמים, in relation to Noach. He simply obeyed G-d's instruction without response. But now in relation to Avraham it is definitely not as clear. How can we reconcile the two uses when there are such stark differences. Noach is quiet, subdued and appeasing of G-d's command. Avraham seems to take every opportunity to ask questions back to G-d. Noach "was" תמים – past tense. Avraham was commanded to walk with G-d and be perfect – future tense. Noach was introduced to us as a צדיק and a תמים immediately from the beginning. Avraham was told to be תמים halfway through the experiences of his life as described in the parashah. Noach was told to build the ark straight away after being told he was תמים – there was relatively little further discussion about his relationship with G-d. Avraham is told to be תמים  just after Sarai removes Hagar from their household and the brit bein habetarim (covenant between the parts), and just before he was told to circumcise himself.

תמים means simple, pure, perfect, complete, innocent, etc. Which interpretation do we choose?

So can we see any similarities in each of their life cycles that might help us draw a conclusion as to the use and meaning of the word תמים? Why did the Torah, why did G-d, use the word תמים for both and is there meant to be a similar understanding of each individual?

In context, there is a similarity between the stage of life that both were up to... Do you see that they had both reached a similar point in their life? Both had been weighed down for much of their life with corruption in their community. There was idol worship, sorcery, 'cloud-readers', etc and social, moral & ethical injustices abounded. Read about the corruption in the world in the last chapter prior to the beginning of Noach (end of Bereshit). Read the first half of Lech-Lecha, about the nonsense going on in Avraham's time and how he had to constantly intervene to make justice in the world. In each of their lives, wasn't it at that point that Hashem intervened in the world to bring about change? On both occasions Hashem saw someone, found someone, in the world, that was different from everyone else.

How did G-d differentiate that person from the rest of the world? He called them תמים.
And there's something a bit peculiar about the word תמים – remember? It's plural.
Did Hashem know that he would need more than one תם to set the world on the correct path?

He needed two = תמים.

Each use of the word is an allusion to the other.

• Noach immediately after being called תמים, built the ark according to G-d's instructions and the world was changed by the flood.
  
• Avram, immediately after being called תמים had his name changed to אברהם and then was told to circumcise himself, and then told he would have Isaac through whom the covenant would be fulfilled.

See how both were given G-dly tasks and roles immediately after being called תמים? The word תמים is an explanation of why each person was chosen for the big jobs that were about to enter the world by utilizing them as the medium for change.

But we still need to sort out how to understand the word תמים…

simple, perfect, complete, innocent, etc ???

You can make up your own mind. Perhaps each one of them was completely innocent of the corruption in the world, and therefore simply perfect people to implement G-d's changes in our world.

Shabbat Shalom from Yerushalayim.
Pesach

ADDENDUM after shabbos
■ biblical year 1948 was the year that avraham was born. (note the modern era year that Israel was born)
■ the war talked about between the kings was the FIRST war in the world. previously there had been no wars ever mentioned occurring. just like with noach, the world was growing more and more corrupt over the generations. 10 generations between adam-noach, 10 generations between noach-avraham. each time the people became lower and more degraded. in noach's time it culminated in the building of the tower of babel. in avraham's time it was the war between the kings. people did not know how to control themselves! their emotions were too much for them to handle and they were too immature to understand how to appropriately relate interpersonally. an example is this: how does a little boy tell a little girl that he likes her? correct, he pulls her hair or does something else stupid (i remember doing this myself when i was little). little immature boys just don't have the maturity to deal appropriately with interpersonal relationships (unless it's about football - and even then it's about 2 teams battling each other!).

in each case of the tower of babel and the war between kings a תמים stepped in to clear up the situation. noach built the ark. avraham came to the rescue of lot (with a miniscule army by comparison to the kings mind you). furthermore, avraham did not take any personal spoils from the war - even though it was offered to him. following this incident was when Hashem bestowed Avram with a ה into his name, and was told that he would have an heir that would continue a covenant with G-d. The Torah was supposed to be for the entire world, but Hashem realised that He could only entrust it to Avraham and his descendants. only Avraham had the ability to master his emotions and had the capability to understand G-d and our place in the world.

Tests of Avraham - think outside the square!

■ Test 1 - Circumcision

My own personal chidush, which may possibly have rude undertones - sorry in advance...

we know Avraham was tested, and one of his tests was circumcision - right? Keep in mind something like this was a little bit out of the ordinary for people of those times (although self-mutilation might have been known about in their corrupt and unethical cultures). Now remember that once Avraham was told that he was going to have a son and heir to carry on the covenant (i.e. the Jewish identity), the NEXT thing he is told to do is..., what? That's right. Now that I (Hashem) have told you that you are still going to have a son one day - NOW I WANT YOU TO CUT A PART OF YOUR PENIS OFF. It's not such a strange thought is it? I'm going to give you a son, but first I want you to cut off a piece from where you actually make children. That's a test! Surely!?!?

■ Test 2 - Akeidat Yitzchak

I've also got another twist on this one, again concerning Avraham's only son - but i'll write it for next weeks commentary... Which part of Akeidat Yitzchak is Avraham's test?

Noach

The first sentence of Noach is curiously fragmented:

אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ-נֹחַ. 

"These are the chronicles of Noach. Noach was righteous.
He was simple (תמים) in his generations. With G-d Noach walked."

תולדות...

תולדות can be interpreted as offspring, history, chronicles, or generations (there are probably others). Rashi for example uses the word offspring, and then explains that the lists of good deeds of his righteousness are in fact his offspring. Being that this is introductory sentence to the parashah then wouldn't 'chronicles' be the ideal word? In many other parshiot, especially during Bereshit, the lives of our ancestors are lived beyond one solitary parashah. But in this case, Noach lived and died in this single parashah - in fact he dies quite sometime before the end of the parashah. Noach's life is encapsulated here.

As far as צדיק, there is no doubt. He was a prophet, since he heard G-d's voice and followed His instructions. But the juxtaposition of צדיק followed by the word תמים is curious.

תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו

What is תמים?

I always thought תם meant 'simple' - like in the Haggadah - the simple son. Conventionally, תם is translated in this pasuk as "perfect". Rashi does not expound on תמים, and i'm not so sure that "perfect" is quite correct either. We really don't know much about Noach at all. He is introduced to us fairly quickly, in that we are first told the world grew corrupt and then Noach found grace (חן) in G-d's eyes. Next thing he's building the ark. 

Modern translations for תמים are: innocent, naive, whole, simple, guileless, entire, ingenuous, honest, blameless, upright, complete, unsophisticated. And why is תמים used in the plural? Surely it should be in the singular תם? Is it because there is the intention to exhibit different aspects of a simple man - a simple jew?

We know that Hashem spoke to Noach, right? There are numerous times in the parashah "G-d spoke to Noach...". Do you recall a time when Noach spoke back to G-d. Where do you see it? I've looked and can't find it. So here is the simplicity. He was not a simpleton or a mute. I have no intention to call this צדיק a fool, or naive, or lacking intelligence. In fact it's just the opposite. Pirke Avot tells us that we should talk little and do much. Do you think that some of these definitions of 'simple' from Answers.com might be worthy of Noach? (i left out some definitions)

http://www.answers.com/topic/simple
   - Having or composed of only one thing, element, or part.
   - Not involved or complicated; easy: a simple task.
   - Being without additions or modifications; mere: a simple "yes" or "no."
   - Having little or no ornamentation; not embellished or adorned: a simple dress.
   - Not elaborate, elegant, or luxurious.
   - Unassuming or unpretentious; not affected.
   - Not guileful or deceitful; sincere.
   - Humble or lowly in condition or rank: a simple woodcutter.

And here is the תמים. Can you be simple in only one way? I think in those times, just as it is today, to be simple is difficult! Noach had a lot of distractions and corruption around him. Do we also have a lot of distractions and corruption around us? Noach had the most difficult job in his time, to listen to G-d and to portray all that is simple and necessary in life - מעשים טובים.

When your teacher is happy with their student, or a parent is happy with their child - do you embellish and put them up on a pedestal and tell them how wonderful they are and go on and on and on? Some do. If you're child or pupil is a צדיק then you don't need to do that. The reward is that you entrust them with responsibility. When a teacher leaves a class, who does he pick to watch over the students while he's gone? When a parent needs one of his kids to look after the others who does he choose? Would you pick someone who is the most intelligent but who is also an egotist and a loudmouth?


Does Hashem go around having casual conversations with people? When words are used, they are for purpose and meaning. So too Noach. The only time Noach finally says something worthy is to his children (after the incident of חם molesting his father and שם and יפת covering their father up). Noach by his words made modifications to the entire world when he cursed and blessed his sons. Who were the offspring of חם? Who were the offspring of שם?

Lead a simple life according to Hashem. It's not easy and it's a challenge. But even if Hashem doesn't talk to you, He will reward you and your family with the strength to float like a life preserver above the sea of corruption.

BERESHIT

During the reading of Bereshit i was contemplating Cain's communications with Hashem and their relevance to tefilla...

R'Daniel has been teaching us about tefilla and how the earlier tefillot between Hashem and man (e.g. Adam, Cain, Hevel, Noach) were all acts of appeasement without man actually making an appeal to Hashem. The conventional wisdom, as explained by R'Daniel, is that Abraham is the first human to make an appeal to Hashem, in specific reference to saving the people of Sdom (eg. "Would you save it for 10, etc...").

You may recall that I challenged R'Daniel on this, by saying that I find Abraham's dialogue with Hashem more of an enquiry, rather than an entreaty to save the people.
R'Daniel made it clear that i was "wrong". (and who likes to be told that they're wrong...?!?)

However, in Bereshit i find that Cain's discourse with Hashem is highly exemplary of tefilla with a purpose of making an appeal to alter Hashem's judgement on him. I find it interesting that Cain makes a point of saying he does not want to hide from Hashem, which is perhaps relevant to אל חטה and wanting to be purged of his sins(Y"K?). And after Cain's appeal Hashem responds by using the word "therefore", which demonstrates that Hashem agrees to Cain's request and concern that his life be spared. Do you think this is in fact the first example of tefilla with supplication in the Torah?