Inheriting Traditions

Rashi explains that one must not sell one's land in the Land of Israel unless one has absolutely no other choice. If one sells for, say, speculative reasons, one may find oneself impoverished.

This rule of owning Gentile (i.e. Canaanite) slaves (as opposed to Jewish servants), is rooted in the status of Canaan as a slave since the days of Noah. The status was conferred upon Canaan in retribution for his having uncovered the nakedness of Noah, his grandfather. The curse is connected with the original pollutant introduced into Eve by the serpent having conjoined with her. If one has been raised in an environment that was hostile to Torah, one is not nearly as blameworthy…

Having been created in the image of G‑d, Jews are called brothers.

The Zohar (Sullam edition, page 7) explains that when Israel performs G-d's laws, G-d considers them as if they had created G-d Himself, so to speak.

A person must set aside a specific place for his Torah study and prayers, etc. He should not let this become a matter of chance.

The Torah distinguishes between wicked people who are the children of wicked parents and those who did not see such wicked examples while growing up. The latter deserve to be punished much more harshly than those who have never had a model of proper conduct. Similarly, if one has been raised in an environment that was hostile to Torah, one is not nearly as blameworthy for not following the dictates of the Torah as one is if one had the good fortune to be raised in a community of Torah observant Jews.

G-d remembers that we had the advantage of having the patriarchs as role models. We also had the advantage of having been given the Holy Land. In spite of these benefits, we breached the holy covenant with G-d. The Torah, therefore, exhorts us to consider our additional responsibility.

[Adapted by Eliyahu Munk.]