1847-1905
Rav Yehuda Aryeh Leib ben Rav Avraham Mordechai Alter (1847-1905) lived in Gur, Poland. His father died young so he was raised by his grandfather, the Gerrer Rebbe (the Chidushei HaRim). He replaced his grandfather 4 years after his death. His derashot over 35 years as the Gerrer Rebbe were collected by a student and are published chronologically, not by order of the parasha, with the same theme with slight nuance given over in many different years.
Bereishit
Bereishit 1:1
Hashem looked in the Torah to make the world as creation was for the benefit of the creations and made in a way to worship Hashem through every part of it (5634), and even now the world continues to exist only because of the tzaddikim who are osek and keep the Torah, which is the blueprint of the world (5642)
Bereishit
Bereishit 3:23
Adam was sent to work, and now that is necessary, but there are different levels of work/Torah balance, and in every job and part of life there is the light of Torah to bring out - that is our shlichut (5644)
Noach
Noach 6:9
Noach and Avraham both needed help, but those on Avraham's madrega get help in a way in which they don't seem to need it (5634); the world needed Noach's madrega in order to later get to Avraham's (5639), and Noach needed the zechut of all the dorot before his while Avraham relied on his own zechut (5639); Noach prepared himself to get Hashem's help, but in a normal and natural way, while Avraham already kept the Torah so he had supernatural ability to spread its light (5644)
Lech Lecha
Lech Lecha 12:1
Why didn't Hashem tell Avraham where he is going? Part of EY and our role is to be mevatel our ratzon to His ratzon (5632). Why are we not told Avraham's backstory? Hashem is always telling people Lech Lecha, and only Avraham chose to hear it (5632). Why not show him right away? If you try to listen you will get to hear more (5634). It was hard for Avraham to leave everyone behind that he was being mekarev so Hashem needed to give him a tzivuy (5641). We can never be complacent where we are and always need to be ascending to the next level (5656).
Vayera
Vayera 22:2
We get reward for each madrega of Avraham, for being willing to slaughter his son, his only son, his beloved son (5637).
Vayera
Vayera 22:12
Nisayon-Nes - through the nisayon Avraham passed we are zocheh now to nissim (5635). Avraham was oved me-ahava, which is higher than yira. So why is yira mentioned? His avodat Hashem put his ratzon in sync with Hashem and so even though Hashem didn't really want Yitzhak killed, Avraham followed the instructions anyway - that was the nisayon, to go against the feeling of doing what Hashem wants (5641).
Chayei Sarah
Chayei Sarah 24:34
Eliezer opened with stating that he was Avraham's eved, and was zocheh to go from cursed to blessed. We can also do that through our mitzvot and emunah (5632). He faithfully acted as Avraham's eved and was zocheh to be blessed, so too we should use our emunah in galut, and during the week for Shabbat (5634). Eliezer didn't daven to be free, as he preferred being the best eved, and we can all learn to be the best in our current circumstances (5639).
Chayei Sarah
Chayei Sarah 24:39
Eliezer was concerned whether his plans would get in the way of fulfulling his shlichut, so he davened for success (5632). We can't fathom the high level our Avot were on so it is hard to learn from them, so instead we can learn a lot from their servant, which is why this parasha is so detailed (5641).
Toldot
Toldot 27:3
Yitzhak wanted to bless Eisav so that he would do teshuva; Eisav was also interested but was never able to take it from a thought to in practice, which is why only his head ended up in Ma'arat Hamachpela (5644).
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