ואברהם זקן בא בימים וה' ברך את אברהם בכל. על דרך ששמעתי מאדוני אבי זקיני זללה"ה נשיו הטו את לבבו (מלכים א י״א:ד׳) אבל כאן וה' ברך את אברהם בכל גימטריא בן, והמשכיל יבין: (דגל מחנה אפרים פ' חיי).
And Abraham was old, well advanced in years; and G-d had blessed Abraham with everything. (Genesis 24:1) Based upon what I heard from my grandfather on the verse: “It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods…” (I Kings 11:4), we see here that [when Abraham was old] “G-d had blessed Abraham with everything.” “Everything” – bakol – has the numerical value of ben – “son.”1The words בכל and בן both have the numerical value of 52. The wise will understand this.2The verse says “For the ways of the L-rd are right; the just walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them” (Hosea 14:10). The Torah is comprised of two aspects – spirit and matter, revelation and concealment, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. Thus, the Talmud states: “If a person is unworthy, the Torah becomes a potion of death for him; if he is worthy, it is a potion of life” (Yoma 72b). These two aspects also correspond to the spiritual paradigms of Giver and Receiver, or Lights and Vessels, and Kabbalistically, are represented by the Masculine and Feminine dimensions of creation. Only when they are united can harmony reign in the universe. Even then, however, the influence must be from above to below – from giver to receiver, spirit to matter. When the aspect of receiver dominates, then the vessel can be too strong, and the light can be concealed. This model applies to every word of the Torah, and is the meaning of the verse: “his wives turned away his heart.” Abraham, however, merited “everything” – i.e. a son. He learned Torah from the side of light and revelation. Along these lines, the Degel Machane Ephraim (parashas Masai) writes: “I heard from my grandfather, in the name of the sefer Bris Menucha, that if you see a Torah scholar who has incorrect opinions and acts improperly, he certainly has drunk from the ‘bitter waters.’” Thus, the Rabbis taught in Pirkei Avos (1:11): “Sages, be careful with your words, lest you incur the penalty of exile, and be banished to a place of evil waters, and the disciples who follow you there will drink and die (spiritually) and consequently, the Name of Heaven will be desecrated.” Degel Machane Ephraim, Chayeh Sarah
ואברהם זקן בא בימים וה' ברך את אברהם בכל. על דרך ששמעתי מאדוני אבי זקיני זללה"ה נשיו הטו את לבבו (מלכים א י״א:ד׳) אבל כאן וה' ברך את אברהם בכל גימטריא בן, והמשכיל יבין:
(דגל מחנה אפרים פ' חיי).
And Abraham was old, well advanced in years; and G-d had blessed Abraham with everything. (Genesis 24:1)
Based upon what I heard from my grandfather on the verse: “It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods…” (I Kings 11:4), we see here that [when Abraham was old] “G-d had blessed Abraham with everything.”
“Everything” – bakol – has the numerical value of ben – “son.”1The words בכל and בן both have the numerical value of 52. The wise will understand this.2The verse says “For the ways of the L-rd are right; the just walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them” (Hosea 14:10). The Torah is comprised of two aspects – spirit and matter, revelation and concealment, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. Thus, the Talmud states: “If a person is unworthy, the Torah becomes a potion of death for him; if he is worthy, it is a potion of life” (Yoma 72b). These two aspects also correspond to the spiritual paradigms of Giver and Receiver, or Lights and Vessels, and Kabbalistically, are represented by the Masculine and Feminine dimensions of creation. Only when they are united can harmony reign in the universe. Even then, however, the influence must be from above to below – from giver to receiver, spirit to matter. When the aspect of receiver dominates, then the vessel can be too strong, and the light can be concealed. This model applies to every word of the Torah, and is the meaning of the verse: “his wives turned away his heart.” Abraham, however, merited “everything” – i.e. a son. He learned Torah from the side of light and revelation.
Along these lines, the Degel Machane Ephraim (parashas Masai) writes: “I heard from my grandfather, in the name of the sefer Bris Menucha, that if you see a Torah scholar who has incorrect opinions and acts improperly, he certainly has drunk from the ‘bitter waters.’” Thus, the Rabbis taught in Pirkei Avos (1:11): “Sages, be careful with your words, lest you incur the penalty of exile, and be banished to a place of evil waters, and the disciples who follow you there will drink and die (spiritually) and consequently, the Name of Heaven will be desecrated.”
Degel Machane Ephraim, Chayeh Sarah