Torah Tidbits Issue 1397 Vayishlach

‫ב"ה‬

ISSUE 1397 DEC 5TH '20 ‫י"ט כסלו תשפ"א‬

‫פרשת וישלח‬

ukah

PARSHAT VAYISHLACH

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fun featuring:

Chanukah

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Rabbi Judah Mischel page 38

YUD TES KISLEV

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WEEKLY INSPIRATION The most important blessing is the blessing of peace. Peace will prevail in the future when it is clearly recognized that all of the different, individual lights are in fact one single light. Therefore the Chanukah blessing, which is directed toward the most distant and sublime future, is not ‘Chanukah lights’, in the plural, but ‘Chanukah light’, in the singular - Lahdlik Ner Shel Chanukah!

Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook zt”l Olat Re’iyah 1,p. 435

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Torah Tidbits Family 04Dear Rabbi Avi Berman Vayishlach Sedra Summary 06Parshat Rabbi Reuven Tradburks He is Not a Candyman 12Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb 18BeRabbiThyself Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l He is a Mystery!

24Rabbi Nachman Winkler Yaakov - Got it All 28Rabbi Shalom Rosner Israel 32OUVirtual Schedule and Chanukah 36Yaakov Rebbetzin Shira Smiles Tes Kislev 38Yud Rabbi Judah Mischel Save a Life - Gain yours

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Shmuel 40Simchat Rabbi Sam Shor Time for “Eino Ben Yomo” 42Calculating Rabbi Ezra Friedman Singular Role 46Reuven’s Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider Story is Our Story 50HisMenachem Persoff Moon Before Kiddush Levana 52The Rabbi Daniel Mann ‫ברוך ה’ לעולם אמן‬ Zemira Ozarowski 54‫ואמן‬Rebbetzin for Women 56Sha'alavim Rabbi Yamin Goldsmith 4 Teens By Teens 60Torah Shoshana Solomyak // Shoham Orzach

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DEAR TORAH TIDBITS FAMILY Rabbi Avi Berman Executive Director, OU Israel We all know that Chanukah is the holiday of light. Have you ever wondered why it falls in the middle of winter? There is a beautiful idea that davka in the midst of winter, when the sun sets early and the weather is cold, that we need to bring light and warmth into our homes and into the world at large.

I think many of us can relate to this more than ever this year. We are yearning for the joy of being together with family and friends. We are yearning for the light of Torah when we attend in-person Shiurim (and while Zoom is an excellent substitute we recognize it is not the same as learning together in the same room). We are praying to return to davening bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;rov am in our Shuls.

While I am very much looking forward to lighting Chanukah candles with my family and basking in the holy light of the Chanukiyot, I must admit that I feel a special warmth of kedusha when I think about Torah Tidbits. Many of our volunteers work tirelessly week after week to ensure that 12,000 copies of Torah Tidbits are distributed throughout the country. Whether they are making phone calls from their homes, coming to the OU Israel Center Wednesday mornings, 4

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

or schlepping TT packages (each person according to his/her situation and comfort level), Torah Tidbits continues to be a beacon of light in these challenging times.

I could not have asked for a more dedicated staff and team of volunteers.

Their dedication and passion inspires me and knows no bounds. Yet, even with an army of volunteers, Torah Tidbits is a major financial undertaking. We have real costs - printing, salaries, deliveries, etc, and advertising is down, resulting in a direct impact on our bottom line. Many of our usual advertisers are unfortunately having extreme challenges - travel, hotels, and other businesses are simply not happening now. It is important to support the businesses that advertise in TT as a method of showing Hakarat Hatov for the Torah they are supporting. If you really want to make them feel good, you can tell them you saw their ad in TT so they feel the impact of their advertising and continue to support this publication which we all love.

As some of you may have noticed, we reduced the number of pages to 64 in order to lower costs and keep publishing TT each week. In order to continue producing Torah Tidbits, we need your support. Each year, we run a Torah Tidbits Appreciation Campaign where we ask our readership to help us publish TT, and each year you have been incredible and come through.

I’d like to thank every one of you who already donated to this year’s campaign from the bottom of my heart.

Unfortunately, to date we have raised significantly less than in past years. While we know times are not easy and many of you are struggling, I urge you to support TT and give to this campaign. For those of you able to give, donations of 360 NIS and above enters you into a raffle for a Hazorfim Chanukiyah (valued at 21,000 NIS) and donations of 180 NIS and above enters you into a raffle for a 1,000 NIS voucher for Gefen Publishing House. I’d like to thank these businesses for generously providing the prizes for this raffle so we could add an element of fun and excitement to our annual campaign. Even if you can’t donate these amounts, I want you to know that every shekel helps and goes directly towards publishing Torah Tidbits.

I hope and pray that you take these words to heart and support Torah Tidbits so we can continuite to publish TT during the pandemic and beyond. I look forward to b’ezrat Hashem sharing the success of the campaign when we raffle off the prizes on the third day of Chanukah (Sunday Dec. 13). I believe that when we act l’shem Shamayim, Hashem helps us succeed.

Please donate so we can collectively ensure the publication of Torah Tidbits and its weekly enhancement to our Shabbat table.

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KI TEITZEI VAYISHLACH ALIYA-BY-ALIYA SEDRA SUMMARY Rabbi Reuven Tradburks Director of RCA Israel Region Yaakov’s challenges never seem to end. He returns to the land of Israel. He is fearful of a confrontation from Esav. He prepares by dividing his entourage. A man fights him through the night, changing his name to Israel from Yaakov at dawn. Yaakov sends gifts to Esav to appease him. Esav runs, hugs Yaakov, kisses him and cries.

Yaakov spurns Esav’s request that they settle together. Dinah is raped by Shechem in Shechem. Shimon and Levi kill the men of the city. Yaakov arrives at Beit El, the place of his ladder dream and builds an altar. Rachel dies giving birth to Binyamin.

Reuven lies with Bilha. Yaakov is reunited with Yitzchak. Esav’s lineage is outlined.

Yaakov’s life is one of travail. Esav want-

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

ed to kill him; he fled for his life. The time with Lavan was full of hard work and deception. He fights with an angel.

On his return home, he never reunites with his mother Rivka. He avoids confrontation with Esav. Dina is raped. The city of Shechem is slaughtered. His dear wife Rachel dies in childbirth. And next week Yosef gets sold. We well understand Chazal’s comment at the beginning of next week’s parsha that Yaakov just sought some peace and quiet.

1st Aliya (32:4-13) Yaakov sends messengers to Esav. Tell Esav that his servant Yaakov has been with Lavan. We have much flock. Word comes back that Esav is approaching with 400 men. Yaakov is afraid; splits his entourage, so at least half will survive. And he prays: While I am undeserving, You promised my progeny would be numerous.

Yaakov does not know what to expect from Esav. Last we heard, Esav wanted to kill Yaakov. Yaakov does not know if he still does. Because, there is a crucial lacuna in our story. Way back when Yaakov stole the blessing from Esav, Esav vowed to kill Yaakov. Rivka warned Yaakov to flee. But she also promised him that she would send word when the coast was clear; when Esav no longer sought to kill Yaakov (27:45).

Where’s his mother Rivka? The one who loved him? Yaakov never got word from her that it is safe to return. Now, he did get assurance from G-d to return and that He would be with him. But does that mean G-d will be with him and protect him from Esav’s desire to kill him? Or that Esav has given up his anger?

2nd Aliya (32:14-30) Yaakov prepares gifts of his livestock for Esav with the message: from your servant Yaakov. A man fights Yaakov overnight, wounding his thigh. At dawn the man tells him his name is Yisrael, for he fought G-d and man and prevailed.

Yaakov does not know if Esav harbors murderous intent. He prepares gifts to appease Esav. Why does he think livestock gifts with a gift card attached, “from your servant Yaakov” will cool Esav’s murderous intent?

Esav wanted to kill Yaakov because Yaakov stole the bracha. What was that bracha?

(27:28-29) “G-d will give you of the fat of the land, much grain and wine. And you will rule: your brother will bow to you.” A 3 part bracha: agricultural success, power and dominance over your brother. Yaakov is telling Esav not to get too worked up about the bracha. Because it never came true. I have no agricultural success, no power and no dominance over you. All I have are animals. No land. Certainly no fat of the land.

And power? I have been a migrant worker with Lavan. And who is bowing to whom?

“From your servant Yaakov”. 3 strikes – no fat of the land, no power, and you are the

‫לעילוי נשמת אבינו היקר‬ ‫ישראל בן בצלאל ויענטה בלומה ז"ל‬

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master, not me. So, no need to fuss over a bracha that was a blank.

3rd Aliya (32:31-33:5) Yaakov wakes with a limp, hence the prohibition of eating the sciatic nerve. He sees Esav. Divides his family. Esav runs to him, hugs, kisses and cries.

Yaakov must have sighed a sigh of relief.

When he heard that Esav was coming with 400 men, he was convinced Esav still sought to kill him – otherwise, why the brigade? And, I never got word from Mom that Esav doesn’t want to kill me. And then Esav ran, hugged, kissed and cried. What a relief.

What changed Esav’s mind? Let’s leave Yaakov’s shoes. And jump into Esav’s. Rivka never sent word of Esav’s change of heart because he didn’t have one. He has every intention to kill Yaakov. Brings his army.

But now he has a change of heart. Why? Perhaps he was convinced by Yaakov that the bracha was a dud and so nothing to get worked up about. But the Torah seems silent on this crucial flip. Why doesn’t it tell us why Esav changed his mind, gave up his intent to kill Yaakov and hugs him instead?

Rav Elchanan Samet has a fascinating suggestion. The Torah is not silent on the

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

change of heart. It tells us exactly. A man fought with Yaakov all night. In the morn, he blesses Yaakov. For Yaakov has prevailed.

Rav Samet suggests that when the Midrash says this man is “saro shel Esav”, Esav’s heavenly angelic counterpart, it is explaining the simple flow of the story. It is this story that explains Esav’s change of heart.

Esav the man is guided by Esav the angel, his heavenly counterpart. There are 2 parallel worlds: this world and its heavenly partner. Esav the man doesn’t know why he changes his mind. His mind was changed by his guardian angel. Esav the angel has tried to fight Yaakov all night unsuccessfully.

The fight with Yaakov is over. Esav’s heavenly “sar”, his angel, admits defeat.

The “sar” blesses Yaakov. And hence, Esav the man’s fight is over too. Esav’s guardian angel changed from murderous intent to blessing – so too Esav the man changes in parallel from murderous intent to reconciliation.The Midrash seems to be the pshat. (My friend Rabbi Shmuel Goldin pointed out this is foreshadowed at the end of last week’s parsha by Yaakov’s sojourn in “machanaim”, literally “double camp” where he encounters angels. There are parallel worlds, the physical and the angelic.)

4th Aliya (33:6-20) Esav is urged to accept Yaakov’s gifts. Esav offers that they live in brotherhood. Yaakov demurs, sending Esav ahead, hinting he will catch up. He turns instead toward the land of Israel. He dwells in Sukkot and then in Shechem. He builds an altar and calls in the name of G-d.

While Yaakov may have tried to convince

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Esav that the bracha of Yitzchak did not come to be, he does not believe it himself.

He goes to Shechem and builds an altar.

Why doesn’t he go immediately to Beit El? Didn’t he make a vow when he had the dream with the ladder that he would return to that spot? And why didn’t he immediately reunite with his mother and father? Why go to Shechem and not Beit El or Chevron? He is following in Avraham’s footsteps – literally. Avraham journeyed from Charan; first stop in the land of Israel was Shechem, where he built an altar.

Yaakov has just journeyed from Charan to the land of Israel, stopping first at Charan and building an altar.

5th Aliya (34:1-35:11) Dina is raped by Shechem in Shechem. The brothers claim they will only ally with people who are circumcised. While the men are recovering Shimon and Levi kill them all. Yaakov is upset. But they counter; “can they make our sister a harlot?” G-d tells Yaakov to go to Beit El and make the promised altar. He does. G-d appears to him and tells him his name is Yisrael not Yaakov. And that nations and Kings will come from him.

The story of the rape of Dina is the first story of the next generation. And the brothers rhetorical comment will be a clarion for the rest of the book – not what they said but what they implied. “Can they make our sister a harlot?”, meaning, and we, her brothers stand idly by? No. We

stand up for our siblings. Thus begins the rest of the book – brothers standing up for brothers. Or not.

6th Aliya (35:12-36:19) G-d affirms the promise of the land to Yaakov. Yaakov builds altars, traveling south. Rachel dies while giving birth to Binyamin. Reuven lies with Bilha. Yaakov goes to Chevron, to Yitzchak. Yitzchak dies at age 180, buried

by Esav and Yaakov.

The pivot to the story of Yaakov’s children is occurring. But it will proceed without Rachel, Yaakov’s dear wife. Her silent voice leaves Yaakov without that wise feminine voice that Avraham had with Sarah and Yitzchak had with Rivka.

Would Yosef have had that special coat, had Yaakov had Rachel’s counsel?

7th Aliya (36:20-43) Esav’s descendants are enumerated: nations and kings.

As with Yishmael, Esav’s family is detailed.

This is the end of the story of who is in the Jewish people and who out. The rest of the Torah is the story of Yaakov and his family, all of who are the Jewish people.

STATS 8th of 54 sedras; 8th of 12 in B’reishit Written on 237 lines; rank 11th 9 Parshi’ot - 6 P’tuchot; 3 S’tumot 153 p’sukim - 4th (1st in B’reishit), tied with No’ach, but more words and letters 1976 words - 6th (4th in B’reishit) 7458 letters 6th (4th in B’reishit)

MITZVOT One mitzvah in Vayishlach , one of 3 in the book of B’reishit. The only prohibition of the Torah’s 365 in B’reishit - Gid HaNasheh 10

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

HAFTORAH OVADIAH 1:1-21 This week’s Haftorah, taken from the book of Ovadiah, describes the punishment that will ultimately be brought upon Edom, the descendant of Esav. This theme relates directly to Esav’s conflict with Yaakov which is highlighted in the Torah reading.

The navi Ovadiah is a convert to Judaism and had his own roots in the Edomite people. The Edomites did not offer to help Judea when they were attacked by the Babyloninans. Many years later the Edomites, who are associated with the Roman Empire, were responsible for destroying the Second Beit Hamikdash and caused untold suffering and pain upon the Jewish nation.

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Although the Roman Empire was one of the most formidable and powerful nations to rule the world, the prophet of Israel reveals the following: “The house of Yaakov shall be fire and the house of Yosef a flame, and the house of Esav shall become stubble, and they shall ignite them and consume them…”.

The Haftorah then describes the division of the Esav’s land amongst the returning exile. This memorable haftorah ends with the well known verse: “And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esav, and the Lord shall have the kingdom.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY H & D with good Health & Nachat - love M

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RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB THE PERSON BY OU Executive Vice President, Emeritus IN THE PARSHA

He is Not a Candyman

I

was privileged to have had several informal conversations with a wellknown sage from a previous generation. I will share two of those conversations with you, dear reader, but since they were “off the record,” I will not mention his name.

Our discussion centered upon one of his favorite topics, Jewish education. He felt that there was much to be proud of in the then-current state of early elementary education, for students of age six to ten years.

The problem, he insisted, was from that age onward through the range of stages of human life.

“We cannot allow teenagers to remain

May the Torah learned on Tuesday, December 8, 22 Kislev be in Loving Memory and ‫לעילוי נשמת‬

Sylvia David a"h

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

with the understanding of the stories of the Torah that they first heard when they were kindergarteners. They then heard what the world refers to as ‘Bible stories,’ and teenagers cannot take ‘Bible stories’ seriously. We must teach them a more mature understanding of the stories of Chumash if their Torah studies are to have an impact upon their minds and souls.”

He went on to argue that if the lessons learned in early grade school are irrelevant, at best, to teenagers, those lessons can certainly not satisfy the intellectual appetites and moral sensitivities of individuals in their twenties, thirties, sixties, and seventies.

I vividly recall leaving his apartment after that conversation. From that moment, I resolved to assure that my lessons, to adolescents as well as to senior citizens, would contain interpretive material adequate to their developmental stages. I would no longer limit my lectures to the surface meaning of Torah texts but would search carefully for deeper meanings, meanings that would resonate with my students “where they were at.”

At a much later conversation, the aforementioned sage told me that he had something to add: “It is not just in teaching texts that we must adjust our teaching to the maturity level of our audience. We must

do so all the more when we discuss the nature of the divine. Very young children are taught to do good deeds, and that then the Almighty will reward them. They come to think of the Almighty as a grand old candyman who distributes candies to good little boys and good little girls. We cannot allow the kindergartner’s perception of the Almighty to persist into adolescence, adulthood, and beyond. Our understanding of the nature of the Lord must grow as we grow older.”

I took this conversation even more seriously than I took the earlier one. It was then that, in my own teaching and writing, I began to speak of the need for “spiritual maturity.”

Since then, I have discovered numerous texts which speak of “spiritual maturity,” albeit in a different terminology. Let me share some of these texts with you.

One text is authored by the great medieval moralist, Rabbenu Yonah of Gerona. His classic work, Shaarei Teshuvah, or “Gates of Repentance,” contains these words: “…Say not to yourselves, ‘The Lord has enabled us to possess this land because of our virtues…’ It is not because of your virtues and your rectitude…” (Deuteronomy 9:45). We have hereby been exhorted not to attribute our success to our righteousness or the uprightness of our hearts, but to believe and to know within our hearts that it derives from the lovingkindness of the Exalted One and from His great goodness, as Jacob our father, may Peace be upon him, said, “I am not worthy of all the mercies and of all the truth” (Genesis 32:11).

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13

Note that this marvelous teaching has its roots in the words of Jacob in this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Vayishlach (Genesis 32:3-36:43). There Jacob returns to the Land of Israel after years of exile.

He prefaces his prayer of gratitude with these memorable words: “Katonti—literally, I am too small—to have merited all of the mercies and all of the truth that You have bestowed upon me…”

Rabbenu Yonah insists that these words in Deuteronomy are not merely spoken to the generation of the Children of Israel near the end of their sojourn in the wilderness. Nor are Jacob’s words just for the historical record. Rather, there is a message here for each of us for all eternity. As the author of the work known as Sma”k (Sefer Mitzvos HaKatan) states so clearly: “One must never be a tzadik in one’s own eyes.”

In the eloquent words of the author of the Derashot HaRan (Sermon 10): “When the Children of Israel are victorious against a mighty enemy, the Almighty is not concerned that they will attribute their victory to their own might. After all, the enemy was much mightier than they. He is much more concerned that, although they will concede that their victory was due to His intervention, they will credit themselves for His assistance, believing that it was their piety that caused Him to perform miracles on their behalf… Man attributes his successes to himself, one way or another.”

Rabbi Bahya ben Asher comments on the verse in this week’s parasha: “We 14

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

must all reflect, in our prayers, upon our own insufficiencies and deficiencies in contrast to the Master whom we serve.

We deserve nothing. He owes us nothing.

Whatever we receive from Him stems from His pure loving kindness.”

The Almighty is not just a “candyman” who doles out goodies to us because of our paltry piety. The successes we experience are drawn from His otzar matnat chinam, His treasure house of freely given gifts.

In our contemporary jargon, we must recognize that our successes are from His “pocket full of freebies.” Then we achieve “spiritual maturity.”

“Spiritual maturity” also informs our personal prayers. We must understand that we need the Lord’s help not only for our physical requirements, our health, wellbeing, and material success. Additionally, we need His help to achieve “spiritual” benefits. We need His support to control our darker passions. We need His encouragement to become better people. We need His help to untangle difficult passages in the course of our Torah studies. We must pray for His succor as we struggle with the moral, ethical, and, yes, political challenges of our times.

Rabbi Avraham Godzinsky, a Holocaust victim, said it well in an essay written shortly before his murder, posthumously published in the collection of his writings, Torat Avraham: One must never delude himself into thinking that the spiritual aspects of his life are in his control, that he is the one

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who improves his behavior, that he is the one who repairs his character, since after all he has free will, and he chooses his way in life on his own. The truth is that all a person can do is to will and to commit to the good. But good actions are ultimately not in his control. Life and health are necessary for effective action, talent and skill are necessary to perform mitzvot, inner strength is necessary to overcome the evil urge. But for life and health and talent and skill, man is utterly dependent upon divine assistance.

After all, we pray daily and give thanks for our intelligence, for our mental capacity to study Torah, for our ability to articulate prayers, for our courage to repent, and so man recognizes that even the spiritual part of him is not his. Man

directs his eyes upwards to the Lord as he says in his prayers, “Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah, connect our hearts to Your mitzvot, and direct our hearts to love and to fear Your Name.”

Is it not poignantly painful, but profoundly edifying, that we owe these elevated words describing “spiritual maturity” to a man whose life was brutally extinguished soon after he wrote these words?

May we all take to heart the need to mature spiritually. Hopefully, we will do so with the help of the words of both a Holocaust martyr and a deliberately unnamed sage who escaped the Holocaust.

Each taught me of the urgency to grow spiritually as we age physically.

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on the Weekly Parsha from COVENANT & Thoughts RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L CONVERSATION

Former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth

May the learning of these Divrei Torah be ‫לעילוי נשמת‬ HaRav Ya'akov Zvi ben David Arieh zt"l The following dvar Torah was submitted to Torah Tidbits from Rabbi Sacks before his passing.

‫לעילוי נשמות‬ ‫פנחס בן יעקב אשר וגולדה בת ישראל דוד אייז ע״ה‬ ‫עזריאל בן אריה לייב ומעניה בת יצחק שרטר ע״ה‬ Dedicated by Dr. Robert Sreter DDS., M.S.

Be Thyself

I

have often argued that the episode in which the Jewish people acquired its name – when Jacob wrestled with an unnamed adversary at night and received the name Israel – is essential to an understanding of what it is to be a Jew. I argue here that this episode is equally critical to understanding what it is to lead.

saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared” (Gen. 32:31).

My suggestion is that we can only understand the passage by reviewing the entirety of Jacob’s life. Jacob was born holding on to Esau’s heel. He bought Esau’s birthright. He stole Esau’s blessing. When his blind father asked him who he was, he replied, “I am Esau, your firstborn.” (Gen. 27:19) Jacob was the child who wanted to be Esau.

There are several theories as to the identity of “the man” who wrestled with the patriarch that night. The Torah calls him a man. The prophet Hosea called him an angel (Hosea 12:4-5). The Sages said it was Samael, guardian angel of Esau and a force for evil.1 Jacob himself was certain it was God. “Jacob called the place Peniel,

Why? Because Esau was the elder. Because Esau was strong, physically mature, a hunter. Above all, Esau was his father’s favourite: “Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebecca loved Jacob” (Gen. 25:28). Jacob is the paradigm of what the French literary theorist and anthropologist Rene Girard called mimetic desire, meaning, we want what someone else wants, because we want to be that someone else.2 The result is tension between Jacob and Esau. This tension rises to an unbearable intensity when Esau discovers that the blessing his father had reserved for him has been acquired by

1 Bereishit Rabbah, 77; Rashi to Genesis 32:35; Zohar I, Vayishlach, 170a.

2 Rene Girard, Violence and the Sacred, Athlone Press, 1988.

18

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

Jacob, and so Esau vows to kill his brother once Isaac is no longer alive.

Jacob flees to his uncle Laban’s home, where he encounters more conflict; he is on his way home when he hears that Esau is coming to meet him with a force of four hundred men. In an unusually strong description of emotion the Torah tells us that Jacob was “very frightened and distressed” (Gen. 32:7) - frightened, no doubt, that Esau was coming to kill him, and perhaps distressed that his brother’s animosity was not without cause.

Jacob had indeed wronged his brother, as we saw earlier. Isaac says to Esau, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” (Gen. 27:35) Centuries later, the prophet Hosea says, “The Lord has a charge to bring against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds. In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God.” (Hos. 12:3-4) Jeremiah uses the name Jacob to mean someone who practises deception: “Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan; for every one of them is a deceiver [akov Yaakov], and every friend a slanderer” (Jer. 9:3).

As long as Jacob sought to be Esau there was tension, conflict, rivalry. Esau felt cheated; Jacob felt fear. That night, about to meet Esau again after an absence of twenty-two years, Jacob wrestles with himself; finally he throws off the image of Esau, the person he wants to be, which he has carried with him all these years. This is the critical moment in Jacob’s life. From now on, he is

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content to be himself. And it is only when we stop wanting to be someone else (in Shakespeare’s words, “desiring this man’s art, and that man’s scope, with what I most enjoy contented least”3) that we can be at peace with ourselves and with the world.

This is one of the great challenges of leadership. It is all too easy for a leader to pursue popularity by being what people want him or her to be - a liberal to liberals, a conservative to conservatives, taking decisions that win temporary acclaim rather than flowing from principle and conviction. Presidential adviser David Gergen once wrote about Bill Clinton that he “isn’t exactly sure who he is yet and tries to define himself by how well others like him. That leads him into all sorts of contradictions, and the view by others that he seems a constant mixture of strengths and weaknesses.”4 Leaders sometimes try to “hold the team together” by saying different things to different people, but eventually these contradictions become clear – especially in the total transparency that modern media impose – and the result is that the leader appears to lack integrity. People will no longer trust their remarks. There is a loss of confidence and authority that may take a long time to restore. The leader may find that their position has become untenable and may be forced to resign. Few things make a leader more unpopular than the pursuit of popularity.

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

3 Shakespeare, “Sonnet 29”.

4 David Gergen, Eyewitness to Power (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001), 328.

Great leaders have the courage to live with unpopularity. Abraham Lincoln was reviled and ridiculed during his lifetime.

In 1864 the New York Times wrote of him: “He has been denounced without end as a perjurer, a usurper, a tyrant, a subverter of the Constitution, a destroyer of the liberties of his country, a reckless desperado, a heartless trifler over the last agonies of an expiring nation.”5 Winston Churchill, until he became Prime Minister during the Second World War, had been written off as a failure. And soon after the war ended, he was defeated in the 1945 General Election.

He himself said that “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King were assassinated. When Margaret Thatcher died, some people celebrated in the streets.

Jacob was not a leader; there was as yet no nation for him to lead. Yet the Torah goes to great lengths to give us an insight into his struggle for identity, because it was not his alone. Most of us have experienced this struggle. (The word avot used to describe Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, means not only “fathers, patriarchs” but also “archetypes”). It is not easy to overcome the desire to be someone else, to want what they have, to be what they are. Most of us have such feelings from time to time.

Girard argues that this has been the main source of conflict throughout history. It can take a lifetime of wrestling before we know who we are and relinquish the desire to be who we are not.

5 John Kane, The Politics of Moral Capital, Cambridge University Press, 2001, 71.

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

More than anyone else in Genesis, Jacob is surrounded by conflict: not just between himself and Esau, but between himself and Laban, between Rachel and Leah, and between his sons, Joseph and his brothers.

It is as if the Torah were telling us that so long as there is a conflict within us, there will be a conflict around us. We have to resolve the tension in ourselves before we can do so for others. We have to be at peace with ourself before we can be at peace with the world.

That is what happens in this week’s parsha. After his wrestling match with the stranger, Jacob undergoes a change of personality, a transformation. He gives back to Esau the blessing he took from him.

The previous day he had given him back the material blessing by sending him hundreds of goats, ewes, rams, camels, cows, bulls and donkeys. Now he gives him back the blessing that said, “Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.” (Gen. 27:29) Jacob bows down seven times to Esau. He calls Esau “my lord,” (33:8) and refers to himself as “your servant.” (33:5) He actually uses the word “blessing”, though this fact is often obscured in translation. He says, “Please take my blessing that has been brought to you.” (33:11) The result is that the two brothers meet and part in peace.

People conflict. They have different interests, passions, desires, temperaments.

Even if they did not, they would still conflict, as every parent knows. Children – and not just children – seek attention, and one cannot attend to everyone equally all the time. Managing the conflicts that affect ev-

ery human group is the work of the leader - and if the leader is not sure of and confident in their identity, the conflicts will persist. Even if the leader sees themself as a peacemaker, the conflicts will still endure.

The only answer is to “know thyself.” We must wrestle with ourselves, as Jacob did on that fateful night, throwing off the person we persistently compare ourselves to, accepting that some people will like us and what we stand for while others will not, understanding that it is better to seek the respect of some than the popularity of all. This may involve a lifetime of struggle, but the outcome is an immense strength.

No one is stronger than one who knows who and what they are.

Shabbat Shalom Questions (Around The Shabbat Table) •

How did Jacob find his inner strength and finally resolve the conflict with his brother?

•

What can you learn about leadership from the fact that we are called the Children of Israel?

•

Does Rabbi Sacks’ theory unite all the other theories mentioned about who wrestled with Jacob that night?

Covenant and Conversation 5781 is kindly supported by the Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation in memory of Maurice and Vivienne Wohl z”l.

These weekly teachings from Rabbi Sacks are part of the ‘Covenant & Conversation’ series on the weekly Torah reading. Read more on www.rabbisacks.org.

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RABBI NACHMAN (NEIL) WINKLER PROBING BY Faculty, OU Israel Center THE PROPHETS l

He is a Mystery!

T

his navi named Ovadya, whose sefer of but one chapter is read for the haftarah this week - who was he? Was he the Ovadya who served the wicked King Achav of Shomron, and yet, was known to be “yareh et Hashem m’od”, very G-d-fearing (Sefer M’lachim I 18; 4)?

Or was he the servant of Yehoshafat, the righteous king of Yehuda from that same era, who was sent by the King to spread the knowledge of Torah throughout the cities of Judea (Divrei HaYamim II 17;7)?

Perhaps he was any of the other 6 or 7 “Ovadyas” that we meet throughout the Tanach in the books of Ezra, Nechemia and Divrei HaYamim I and II. Or perhaps he was none of these! We just don’t know.

He is a mystery!

We do not know when he lived – some parshanim suggest that he was a contemporary of Yirmiyahu and

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GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER 24

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

prophesied during the era of Churban Bayit-the destruction of the first Temple, while others propose that he functioned after the Churban and the subsequent.

Exile. We are also clueless regarding his place of residence, his tribe and his lineage– with R. Meir even suggesting that Ovadya was an actual convert from Edom (Sanhedrin 39b).

Truly, he is a mystery.

But his prophetic message is not.

Sefer Ovadya words and theme are quite clear as he focuses on the treachery and evil of the kingdom of Edom. The obvious connection to our parasha, in which we read of Eisav’s competition with and hatred of Ya’akov, is clear. But the choice of this haftarah reading goes beyond the parasha’s story alone. Throughout Biblical history, Edom stood as one of the most hateful enemies of Israel that, at times, was conquered by Israel but, most of the time, opposed, attacked and invaded the Judean Kingdom. In fact, Chazal saw Edom/Eisav as the arch-enemy of Israel – not only because Eisav had a grandson named Amalek(!) but also because the books of the nevi’im are filled with condemnations of Edom, more so than any other nation.

We read of their treachery in the books of Shoftim and Shmuel A and we find harsh words directed against Eisav’s nation in

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the books of Yishayahu, Yirmiyahu and Yechezkel, in Amos, Malachi and even Tehillim. There is no question that their behavior at the time of the Babylonian invasion that brought the exile to Israel, behavior marked by Edom’s cries of encouragement for the enemy to utterly destroy Yerushalayim, is sufficient enough reason for our prophets to target this nation as Israel’s arch-enemy.

But, perhaps, the enlightening comment of R. Yehuda Kiel, z”l in Da’at Mikra will help us better understand this approach of our Sages. Rav Kiel reveals that Edom was an especially dangerous enemy for he did not war aghainst Israel in order to control her or demand taxes from her residents. Edom, living within limited borders, attempted to take over the Land of Israel and make it the Land of Edom.

The goal of this enemy was to undo the blessing of Avraham and take over the land completely. They hoped to destroy Israel and replace them on their land. This was, therefore, a different adversary. This was a most dangerous foe. It is no wonder, then, that the later Rabbis saw Edom as “morphing” into Roman Empire and, from there, the early Christians as well.

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

But beyond the Jacob vs. Esau parallel, I would like to suggest yet another reason for our Rabbis choice of this selection for our haftarah. When our haftarah closes, we read of all the chieftains and kings that ruled over Edom/Seir – eight kings who ruled Edom before Israel had even one. We leave the parasha with the view of an independent-and powerful-nation that Eisav established. A nation that had already conquered her land and had settled in it. We leave Ya’akov, however, as leading a wandering clan into a land he did not possess. A man whose daughter was kidnapped and ravished, who feared that the surrounding tribes would overwhelm him, whose wife and family matriarch, Rachel, had died in childbirth – in short, a rather small and weak family. And we wonder, sadly, what will be with this tiny group. How could they hope to become a nation when Eisav had already built one?

Our haftarah answers the question and relieves our doubts. The very opening verses of the haftarah proclaim that Edom, feeling secure and untouchable, will be brought down by Hashem and be destroyed. Despite their present situation, they will disappear. And the closing verses tell us that the remnants of Israel will return to inherit her cities while the haughty Edom will be humbled and brought down.

Our doubts are addressed and our future is secured.

It is a fitting coda to the ending of our parasha and a welcome promise to the generations of Jews who asked the questions.

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RABBI SHALOM ROSNER

Rav Kehilla, Nofei HaShemesh Maggid Shiur, Daf Yomi, OU.org Senior Ra"M, Kerem B'Yavneh

Yaakov Got it All )‫ט‬:‫ויאמר עשו יש לי רב (בראשית לג‬ )‫יא‬:‫חנני אלוקים וכי יש לי כל (בראשית לג‬.. ‫ויעקב אמר‬ When Yaakov meets his brother Esav, Yaakov attempts to appease Esav by offering him gifts. Esav refuses and explains – that he does not need any gifts – yesh li rav- I have plenty of wealth.

When Yaakov begs Esav to accept his gifts, Yaakov explains that he was blessed and yesh li kol- I have everything. The Kli Yaakar derives an important lesson from the difference between how each brother described his economic status.

Esav depicts his means by using the phrase yesh li rav- which can be interpreted as I have plenty- but also as I have most of what I want- meaning, I am not fully satisfied with my lot. I seek to obtain more. I am lacking something.

In contrast, Yaakov describes his stature

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

as – yesh li kol – I have everything. Yaakov is not boasting that he is super rich- that would only ignite feelings of jealousy.

Esav might conjecture that Yaakov obtained his wealth due to the blessing he “stole”. Rather, Yaakov is stating that he is totally content with what he has. Nothing is lacking.

True wealth is not dictated by quantity. It is a matter of one’s attitude. One can have millions of dollars, and feel as though it is not enough to maintain the lifestyle they seek. Another can own few assets, but be totally complacent with very little and feel no deficiency.

In fact, we are later told “vayavo Yaakov shalem ir Shehem.” (Bereshit 33:18).

Yaakov arrived in Shehem complete.

Rashi explains shalem in three areas: shalem in his health — he was no longer limping from his battle with the angel of Eisav; shalem in his wealth — all his assets were intact; and shalem in his Torah — he had not forgotten any of his Torah.

The Yam Simchah questions this Rashi: complete in his health and complete in his

Torah we can understand. But complete in his wealth? That is impossible! He transferred livestock and other precious items to Esav. He may have still been affluent, but his wealth was less than it was before gifting the items to his brother.

How can Rashi claim he was complete in his wealth?

The Yam Simchah answers this by quoting the Shelah Hakadosh, who explains the words we recite in the birkas hamazon: v’dorshe Hashem lo yachseru kol tov ‫ודורשי ה’ לא יחסרו כל טוב‬, those who seek out G-d don’t lack anything. We don’t say that those who seek out Hashem have everything, rather that they won’t be lacking anything. Meaning, they won’t feel like they are missing anything. They trust that God provides them with their necessities.

Rav Eliyahu Lopian offers a relevant mashal. Someone visits a friend and notices that his friend does not own even one bottle of medicine. When he leaves his friend’s home, he is very troubled and feels very bad for his friend. He tells his comrade – “this guy is in dire straits!

There’s not even one bottle of medicine in his entire house.” His friend replies,

“Fool! There’s no medicine in his home because he and his family are all healthy!

If they were sick and lacking medicine, that would be bad, but they’re healthy and well, so they don’t need medicine.

That is how one is to view their possessions. We only lack medicine if we are sick and truly need it to be healed. If we don’t have a need for an item, then its absence is immaterial.

In society today, people’s satisfaction with their economic stature is based on those around them. Even if an object is not necessary, if the fellow down the block has it and we don’t, we feel as if we are lacking something. The litmus test of our wealth should not be in comparison to others, but rather whether we possess our essentials. We must learn to appreciate what we have. As Chazal tell us “who is rich- one who is satisfied with their lot.”

Our attitude should be “yesh li kol”. To sincerely believe that Hashem provides us with what we require. We don’t lack anything. Following Esav’s approach, one will never achieve true satisfaction, always feeling that something is lacking.

Yaakov’s path, leads to a rich, meaningful, happy and healthy life.

OU ISRAEL CENTER

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

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Sunday, November 29 - Rabbi Breitowitz shiur was sponsored anonymously in appreciation for the Torah we learn from you each week Monday, November 30 - Rabbi Herschler’s shiur was sponsored by Leah and Bert Weinberg in appreciation for the Torah learned in Rabbi Herschler’s shiur Wednesday, December 2 - Rabbi Manning’s shiur is sponsored by Lynn and Jan Fidler in honor of the 5th anniversary of having made aliyah on the 30th of November 2015 Sunday, December 6 - Rabbi Adler’s Shiur is sponsored anonymously in appreciation of the Torah learning we receive each week Tuesday, December 8 - Rabbi Breitowitz’s shiur is sponsored by Roize Leah Medrez in loving memory of her husband Yoseph Meir ben Moshe z”l Yahrzeit ‫ כ”ג‬Kislev OU ISRAEL CENTER

35

REBBETZIN SHIRA SMILES Faculty, OU Israel Center

Yaakov and Chanukah

O

ne of the beautiful advantages of learning Torah is how multiple layers emerge from the text to teach us a myriad of concepts and lessons that enrich and broaden us. One such example is the prohibition of eating the gid hanasheh, the “displaced tendon” or sciatic nerve of an animal. In his fight with the angel of Eisav, Yaakov Avinu was wounded in his thigh, therefore we are forbidden to consume this part of an animal (Bereisheet 32:25-33). Many people in Tanach found themselves in various unusual circumstances yet we don’t find Torah injunctions to recall these events; what is significant about this encounter that created this law?

We find the Da’at Zekenim’s understanding of this mitzvah stresses the importance of escorting an individual on his journey.

Yaakov Avinu’s family is criticized for leaving their father alone thereby potentially endangering his life. Maharal develops this deeper. When one escorts another, he expresses the feeling that his

‫רפואה שלמה‬ ‫יהודה מאיר בן יקירה‬ 36

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

guest is important, created in the image of Hashem. This message infuses the person with tremendous confidence, fortifying him on his journey. Moreover, the Zohar Hakadosh highlights that accompanying a guest connects him to the Divine Presence which thereby acts as a protective force.

Thus the mitzvah serves as a reminder never to leave another without a feeling of companionship and care.

The Sefer Hachinuch views this as symbolic of an eternal message for the Jewish people.

Just as Yaakov Avinu was injured, we have endured much suffering and torment throughout the ages. Nevertheless, as Yaakov overpowered the angel, ultimately we will vanquish our enemies. Thus the law functions as a cue to stand firm in our commitment and belief that in due time Hashem will save and redeem us.

Rav Wolfson in Emunat Itechah, sees this incident as a precursor to the festival of Chanukah and finds parallel themes. The word ‘nasheh’ connotes forgetting. The Greeks aimed lehashkicham toratechah, to make us forget the Torah. In describing the rehabilitation of Yaakov Avinu, the Torah tells us ‘vayizrach lo hashemesh’, the sun shone for him. Rav Wolfson explains that the word ‘lo’ has the numerical value of 36 reflecting the 36 candles that we light on Chanukah. As Yaakov was healed by the sun, the Jews at the time

of the Chanukah miracle were restored through the light of the Menorah. Truly, throughout history many nations have tried to prevail upon us to forget our uniqueness yet Hashem sends salvation and deliverance. This mitzvah reminds us not only that our relief comes from Hashem, but we as a nation remain strong and resilient in the face of hardship.

Rabbi Breslover in Lemachar Atir correlates Yaakov Avinu’s struggle with Eisav’s angel to the wars we have had with Eisav’s grandson, Amalek, whose iconic philosophy is “asher karchah baderech”, everything occurs by chance.

Chazal describe how Yaakov Avinu clashed fiercely with the angel until dust ascended to the Throne of Glory. The Kli Yakar explains that this blinding effect was meant to induce Yaakov Avinu to deny Hashem, to believe everything is coincidental. The mitzvah of not eating the gid hanasheh is meant to emphasize that nothing is happenstance, Hashem directs and controls everything in life. Every experience has importance and the power to teach; we can never look at anything as mikreh.

lessons inherent in adversity. Rav Schorr in Ohr Gedalyahu further comments that Yaakov Avinu conveyed this message to his sons before his passing, “et asher yikrah etchem beacharit hayamim” (Bereisheet 49;1). The word yikrah, what will happen, is written with an aleph signifying a ‘calling’. Everything that occurs, both on an individual and collective level, is part of our calling to develop and grow in a meaningful direction.

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We find a similar message earlier in the parashah. Yaakov Avinu sends gifts to Eisav and puts a space between each group (Bereisheet 32;17). Midrash Rabbah adds that here Yaakov Avinu implored Hashem to allow a reprieve between the challenges that will befall his children in the future. The Imrei Emet of Gur points out that this reprieve between difficulties is specifically what enables one to contemplate the meaning and OU ISRAEL CENTER

37

RABBI JUDAH OU-NCSY MISCHEL Mashpiah, Executive Director, Camp HASC Dedicated L'Iluy Nishmas HaChaver Shlomo Michael ben Meir z'l

Yud Tes Kislev

T

he Lubavitcher Rebbe’s maternal grandfather, Rav Meir Shlomo Yanovsky, zt’l, (d. 1933), the Rav of Nykolayev, near Odessa, was a towering Rabbinic figure, beloved and respected by his community and all who knew him. When an outbreak of typhus tore through the community, the Rav and so many others were forced to quarantine at a government facility on the outskirts of the town. There, for all intents and purposes, those struck with the illness were left to languish, suffer, and more times than not, die in loneliness, Rachmana litzlan.

Reb Asher Grossman, zy’a, the righteous shochet (ritual slaughterer) of the town was a serious eved Hashem. He had been chosen by the Rebbe Sholom DovBer, the Fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, to edit Sefer Tanya, the magnum opus of the Alter Rebbe, Reb Shneur Zalman of Liadi, for typographical errors. He was also a close and loyal confidant of Rav Meir Shlomo, and couldn’t bear the thought of his dear friend alone and in pain in quarantine.

38

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

Every day, Reb Asher would make the trip to the quarantine facility. Barred from entering the building, Reb Asher would stand beneath a window and read loudly from Sefer Tanya, chanting at the top of his lungs from the eleventh Perek of Iggeres haKodesh: “Ein ra yoreid mi-lemaalah… “No evil descends from above, and everything is truly good… when we come to see our suffering in this world as actual good that has been disguised as the opposite of good… If one works on themselves, with faith, they can come to view it as actual good… al kein hirchiku midas ha-atzvus b’meod chachmei ha-emes, therefore, the wise men who recognize truth distance themselves from the trait of sadness…”

Reb Asher had no idea if Rav Meir Shlomo was able to hear him, yet he continued to make the trip and effort, calling out the encouraging words of the Baal haTanya day after day.

Miraculously, Rav Meir Shlomo had a full recovery. At their emotional reunion, the friends embraced, and Rav Meir said, with tears in his eyes, “How can I ever thank you! You saved my life! When I received the diagnosis and was sent into quarantine, knowing the slim chances of recovery, I was despondent. One evening, laying in bed all alone, I heard the encouraging

words of the Baal haTanya ringing out, I thought I was delirious. But when I heard your voice again, day after day, I began to be filled with strength and optimism, and I knew I was not alone. The words inspired me, and gave me life. You, and the Alter Rebbe, saved my life!”

This Shabbos is Yud Tes Kislev, the day on which the “Ba’al haTanya”, Reb Shneur Zalman of Liadi, known as the Alter Rebbe, was released from imprisonment in Czarist Russia in 1798. Celebrated as “the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus”, the Alter Rebbe’s liberation began a new era in the teaching and spreading of the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, the revelation of the “inner soul” of Torah.

Sefer haYom Yom is a collection of daily aphorisms and sources compiled by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 1944, with the instruction to ‘live with each day’. In the selection marking the Ba’al haTanya’s yahrtzeit, his son, the Tzemach Tzedek is quoted regarding the essence of Chassidus: “The goal of darkei haChassidus, the ways of Chassidus, is that we should all be like one family, united in love according to

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One need not be a ‘card carrying member’ of any specific movement to celebrate this special day or to make efforts toward investing in our relationships, our Jewish practice and life, and infusing them with more joy, vitality, meaning, depth and love.

May Yud Tes Kislev give us life, fill us with light, and bring full salvation and freedom for us all. May we drive away midas haatzvus, all sadness and suffering, leave our ‘quarantine’, and serve Hashem in good health and happiness, “as one family, united in love according to the Torah”.

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OU ISRAEL CENTER

39

SIMCHAT SHMUEL

BY RABBI SAM SHOR

Program Director, OU Israel Center

P

arshat Vayishlach finds Yaakov Avinu as he is about to re-encounter his twin brother Eisav, and he is quite worried about that meeting. Before he goes to sleep that evening, he utters a tefilla, using language that should seem familiar to each of us.

‫ַעקֹב֒ ֱאל ֵֹקי֙ ָא ִב֣י ַא ְב ָר ָה֔ם וֵאל ֵֹק֖י ָא ִב֣י י ְִצ ָח֑ק ה’ ָהא ֵֹמ֣ר‬ ֲ ‫ֹּאמר֮ י‬ ֶ ‫ַוי‬ ‫֥יבה ִע ָּֽמ ְך‬ ָ ‫יט‬ ִ ‫ְא‬ ֵ ‫שוּב ְל ַא ְר ְצ ָ ֛ך ו ְּלמו ַֹל ְד ְּת ָך֖ ו‬ ֧ ׁ ‫ֵא ַל֗י‬ Then Yaakov said, “G-d of my father Abraham and G-d of my father Yitzchak, Hashem, who said to me, ‘Return to your native land and I will deal bountifully with you.’

Yaakov Avinu, at this moment of great personal crisis, employs very similar language as we, his descendants, verbalize when we daven, invoking the merit of his father Avraham and grandfather Yitzchak before him (we of course add Yaakov’s names well).

and this experience has an impact for his descendants for all eternity.

Yaakov himself is physically changed, his identity is transformed, and there is an implication for all subsequent generations to refrain from eating from the gid hanasheh.

How might this entire episode come to teach us about the goals of tefila and its impact and implication in each of our lives? What is the experience of tefila really meant to be for each of us?

Rav Kook zt’l (as cited in the Sefer Mishnat HaRav, edited by Rav Moshe Zvi Nerya zt’l) explained the transformative capacity inherent within the experience of tefila.

And Yaakov was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.

The difference between one who davens and one who does not do so, is not simply that one individual sets aside time each day for tefila while the other one does not, rather there is an existential difference. The world view of these two individuals are completely different - those moments spent each day in tefila leave a lasting imprint on the entire day...

Seemingly, Yaakov has uttered his tefila, entered into a deep contemplative state and internal struggle. He emerges from this dream-like experience, and he has received a new name - Yisrael. He has been injured and impaired in his leg,

Yehi Ratzon, especially during these challenging and unprecedented times, may each of us gain strength and the clarity to grasp the great gift of transformation and growth that is inherent within each and every tefila.

Subsequently the Torah tells us:

‫ׁש ַחר‬ ָּֽ ‫מוֹ ַע֖ד ֲעל֥וֹת ַה‬ ֔ ּ ‫יש ִע‬ ֙ ׁ ‫ֵא ֵב֥ק ִא‬ ָ ‫ַעקֹ֖ב ְל ַב ּ ֑דוֹ ַו ּי‬ ֲ ‫ָת֥ר י‬ ֵ ‫ַו ִּי ּו‬

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

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OU ISRAEL CENTER

41

OU KASHRUT RABBI EZRA FRIEDMAN PAGE BY Director, The Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education

Calculating Time for an “Eino Ben Yomo” Utensil

F

lavor that remains in a utensil for a certain period of time becomes undesirable. Based on various sources, our Sages ruled that undesirable flavor does not prohibit the new food that was cooked in the utensil. Flavor that becomes undesirable is called notein taam lifgam. Within the first twenty-four hours the flavor is still viable, and the utensil is called “ben yomo “. Once that time has passed, the utensil has a different status, called “eino (not) ben yomo”. Even though our Sages strictly prohibited using an eino ben yomo utensil improperly (whether for non-kosher food or milk and meat cooked

42

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

together-one after another), food cooked subsequently might not be prohibited.

Thus, the halacha of notein taam lifgam/ eino ben yomo utensils is very relevant in the modern kosher kitchen when accidentally using a milk pot for meat or vice versa.

The time needed to make a utensil eino ben yomo Early authorities debate how much time is needed for the flavor to become halachically distasteful (notein taam lifgam). According to Rashi (Avodah Zara 76a) and Tosfot (ibid), the time needed is one full night from dusk (3 stars in the sky) until dawn (90 minutes before sunrise).

The next day the utensil is considered eino ben yomo /notein taam lifgam, and any food cooked in it would be permissible to eat. Rashi and Tosfot assert that favor which remains through the night would change the status of the flavor, as opposed to any twelve hour interval during the day. The Rosh (Avodah Zara 5:36) and Rashbam (see Hagahot Oshri 5:9) disagree, bringing proof from different sources that twenty four hours without cooking is the time needed in order to make a utensil eino ben yomo. In the Beit Yosef (YD 103), it is clear that Rav Yosef Caro rules like the Rosh and Rashbam. However, in the Shulchan Aruch (YD 103:7) he brings cases where a full night would suffice. Overall,

The OU Israel Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education was created to raise awareness and educate the public in all areas of Kashrut in Israel. Rabbi Ezra Friedman, a Rabbinic Field Representative for the OU is the Center's director.

most later authorities (see Yabia Omer YD 7:6) strictly hold that twenty four hours is the required time to change the status of the utensil to eino ben yomo. In order to explain the Shulchan Aruch, Rav Akiva Eiger (YD 103:7) points out that in any case of doubt, Rav Yosef Caro relies on the lenient opinion of Rashi and Tosfot.

It is clear that in both industrial and home settings, we must certainly hold by the more stringent approach, as this is the accepted ruling. However, in cases of need, many poskim will rely on a full night to be considered sufficient. In cases of need, a Rav should be informed if the utensil sat for a full night without use.

Does heating or cooking restart the eino ben yomo/notein taam lifgam clock?

Early authorities address whether cooking food or heating up water will affect the twenty-four hour period. The Sefer HaTeruma (75) rules that if water

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or anything else was cooked during the twenty-four hour interval, the clock restarts. The Sma”k (213 elaborates on the Sefer HaTeruma’s innovation. He explains that when a utensil has been used with non-kosher food, the water or subsequent food cooked within twentyfour hours becomes prohibited from the non-kosher flavor in the utensil. As such, the water is a new issur (prohibition) and fresh prohibited flavor reenters the utensil. The Sma”k himself disagrees with this concept and claims that even when water or any other food is cooked in a ben yomo non-kosher pot, the count of twenty-four hours does not change. There is much discussion in the Shulchan Aruch (see Rema YD 103:7) and later authorities regarding the issue of cooking during the twenty-four hour interval. The accepted standard is that any cooking during this twenty-four hour period restarts the eino ben yomo clock. Based on this (among other factors), the OU is extremely careful Get 25% Off if you Order now handmade in Beit El, with everything included

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OU ISRAEL CENTER

43

when kashering factory machinery to wait twenty-four hours before any type of kashering. Because it is common for industrial machinery to go through a cleaning process called CPI, the OU insists on a full twenty-four hours for the machinery to be idle after the CPI, with no cooking activity (even water) allowed.

Only then, when the factory equipment holds the status of eino ben yomo, does the kashering process begin.

Counting twenty four hours from a meat or milk utensil Later authorities (Shach 94:2) clarify that the concern raised by the Sefer HaTeruma regarding cooking water or other food in a ben yomo utensil only relates to nonkosher food. However, a kosher meat or

44

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

milk utensil has a different rule entirely.

They explain that the Sefer HaTerumaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ruling is based on the concept that whenever anything is cooked in a nonkosher utensil it becomes a new nonkosher food which re-enters the utensil.

However, cooking parve food in a kosher utensil during the twenty-four hours after milk/meat is irrelevant, since the original flavor is completely permissible and the food cooked in it during the interval remains kosher. All poskim agree that if water or parve food was heated during the twenty-four hour interval required to establish the eino ben yomo status, it has no effect on a kosher meat or milk utensil (see Pri Chadash 94:2; Kaf Hachaim 94:52).

There are many practical applications of this concept. For example, a meat pot

washed in a hot dishwasher during the twenty-four period after being used to cook meat retains its timing, regardless of the hot dishwasher. The same would apply to cooking parve in a meat pot two hours after cooking meat: the clock for the pot’s eino ben yomo status would not be pushed to two hours later as a result of cooking the parve food.

To summarize: •

There is a dispute how much time is needed to qualify a utensil as eino ben yomo. The accepted halacha is twenty four hours.

•

Heating water or food in a non-kosher utensil resets the clock for eino ben yomo, and requires counting twenty four hours from this subsequent use.

•

Based on #2, the OU is extremely careful not to kasher utensils that are ben yomo. Even after the CPI cleaning process, waiting twenty-four hours without activity is required.

•

A kosher meat or milk pot is not affected by parve cooking activity during the twenty four hour interval.

•

Washing kosher utensils in a hot dishwasher does not affect the ben yomo time, and one may count from the time he cooked the meat/milk dish.

Kashrut Questions in Israel?

Call or Whatsapp Rabbi Friedman at 050-200-4432 OU ISRAEL CENTER

45

RABBI AARON Editor, Torah Tidbits GOLDSCHEIDER

Reuven’s Singular Role Reuven’s Misdeed Following the death of Leah, Reuven, her eldest son, responds in dramatic and, ostensibly, disturbing fashion. “Reuven went and lay with Bilhah” (35:22).

According to Rashi, Reuven did not actually commit this infraction in the literal sense.

Rather this is what transpired: “When Rachel died, Yaakov took his bed which was placed regularly in the tent of Rachel... and placed it in the tent of Bilhah. Reuven came and resented the insult to his mother and said, ‘If my mother was subordinate to Rachel, must she also be subordinate to Rachel’s handmaid?’ Therefore, he rearranged Yaakov’s bed by moving it to Leah’s tent” (Rashi, 35:22).

Undermining Yaakov’s Authority Rabbi Soloveitchik, commenting on this embarrassing incident, posited that Reuven’s act was not only a serious transgression in its own right but it had devastating consequences. Reuven’s lack of respect toward his father undermined Yaakov’s authority in his own household.

The ensuing loss of respect for Yaakov trickled down among his brethren. Reuven 46

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

undermining Yaakov’s authority played out even more seriously with the sale of Yosef. Reuven’s disregard for his father’s feelings and for his father’s jurisdiction in the home opened the door for the brothers to brazenly act as they did with the sale of Yosef.1 Yaakov/Yisrael The Rav detected a startling hint to this notion in the wording of the pasuk regarding Reuven’s transgression of switching the beds. Strangely, the pasuk transitions abruptly, first employing the name Yisrael (twice) and then Yaakov.

A single pasuk employing both names is perplexing.

‫וילך ראובן וישכב את בלהה פלגש אביו וישמע ישראל‬...“ ”‫ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר‬ Rabbi Soloveitchik taught that the name Yisrael represents the free, powerful Jew, while Yaakov is the name which represents the Jew in a state of subservience. Therefore the pasuk pivots. Prior to Reuven’s sin 1 Even according to the commentaries that claim that the brothers had convened a court and found Yosef guilty and deserving of the punishment of death, the brothers were guilty of not conferring with their father and turning to their elder for guidance and direction. (M’ipneinei Harav, Schachter p. 280)

Yaakov was respected and commanded the honor he deserved. However, Reuven’s sin and disrespect changed that. Moreover, Reuven’s sin set in motion a series of events leading to Yosef’s sale and the exile to Egypt. The Rav taught: “Reuven’s actions altered a historical trajectory that was to be victorious, as represented by the name Yisrael, to one of servitude and dependence, as represented by the name Yaakov” (Mesorat HaRav Chumash, Lustiger, p. 265).

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The Ramifications of Reuven’s Sin We shed even more light on Reuven’s role by examining his behavior at the time of the sale of Yosef. Strangely, during the actual sale of Yosef, Reuven was not present. Where was he? Rashi quotes the answer found in the midrash: “Rabbi Eleazar said: He was taken up with fasting and sackcloth, and when he became free he went and looked into the pit.” (B’reishit Rabbah 37:19) Concerning which transgression was Reuven engaged in repentance? It is referring to the misdeed he committed earlier by ‘moving the bed of his father.’

But why, asks Rabbi Soloveitchik, did Reuven choose this specific occasion to repent for that earlier act? The Rav, brilliantly suggested, because only now did Reuven finally recognize the staggering implications of his sin. After the brothers witnessed Reuven acting in a disrespectful manner toward their father in the Bilhah incident, their own respect for Yaakov declined. Therefore, after hearing their threat to kill Yosef, ‘He [Reuven] was taken

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47

up with his fasting and sackcloth.’ His earlier sin had broader implications.

Loss of Stature Sadly, Reuven’s awful misstep impacted on his loss of eminence. As the eldest child, Reuven’s destiny was to attain both ‘kingship’ and ‘priesthood’. Yaakov, however, perceived that Reuven’s personality was not suited for either position (B’reishit 49:4). Yaakov criticized Reuvens’s haste and impulsiveness. He was “unstable as water.” Spilled water runs every which way. Reuven’s decisions were rash. A king or leader requires measured, deliberate and appropriate action under pressure. The Rav suggested that retreating into mourning and sackcloth at the critical moment of the sale of Yosef was a mistake.

He should have protected Yosef (Mesorat HaRav, B’reishit, Lustiger p.358).

‘The Sons of Yaakov Were Twelve’ Nevertheless, a matter of prime importance must be emphasized regarding Reuven’s character and position within the family unit: Reuven never loses his place within the family of Israel. The very verse which describes his transgression concludes with the phrase “...the sons of Yaakov were twelve” (35:22). Although Yaakov was aware of what Reuven had done, the Torah indicates that Yaakov did not banish or disinherit Reuven. To the contrary, despite the sin that caused him to lose the

privileges of the firstborn (49:4), not only was he not rejected, he continued to be listed first among his brothers (Ramban, Sforno).

This fact that Reuven retains his standing as one of the illustrious children of Yaakov and father of a tribe of Israel is reiterated and reinforced at the time of Yaakov’s death. Not only is he offered the first blessing but at the conclusion of Yaakov’s blessings the Torah emphasizes, “All these are the tribes of Israel - twelve- and this is what their father spoke to them and he blessed them; he blessed each according to his appropriate blessing.” (49:28). The Torah reiterates the point made in 35:22, that there were twelve tribes.

Moshe’s Concern At the end of the book of Devarim as the Torah comes to a close the misconduct of Reuven appears to still be hovering over his personality. When Moshe offers his final blessings to each tribe, he addresses the tribe of Reuven with a striking expression: “May Reuven live and not die, and may his population be included in the count.”

What is the meaning of this phrase?

Apparently there was still a concern that Reuven find his rightful place among his brothers, the tribes of Israel. According to Rashi, Moshe’s intent is that Reuven merit a place in the world to come - ‘...and not die’ - although he transgressed with the episode of Bilhah (Rashi 33:6).

Safeguarding His Place Considering the serious nature of Reuvens’s transgression, how does one justify the

48

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

fact that he maintained his coveted role among the tribes? In the words of Moshe, every tribe is essential, including Reuven: Yachad Shivtei Yisrael - “The tribes of Israel in Unity” (Devarim 33:5).

A Model for ‘Baalei Teshuva’ A penetrating answer is suggested by Rabbi Moshe Wolfson shlit’a, Mashgicah Ruchani of Mesivta Torah V’daat in his work ‘Tzion Ve’areha’ (pp. 21-22). He cites an exquisite midrashic teaching (B’resheit Rabbah, Parshat Vayeshev, 84:19): “God said to Reuven, ‘Up until now, no one ever sinned in my presence and then did penance after sinning. As a reward, one of your descendants will be the first in his generation to do penance. And who was that person, Hoshea the prophet, as it is written, “Return O Israel” (Hoshea 14:2).

As is well known, Hoshea’s prophecy opens with the words, “Return O, Israel, unto the Lord thy God; for you have stumbled in your iniquity (14:2). This prophecy was chosen as the haftarah for Shabbat Shuva, on the last Shabbat before Yom Kippur.

Hashem rewarded Reuven by placing the prophecy of Teshuva on the lips of his descendant.

Rabbi Wolfson cites a Chassidic teaching from the ‘Pri Tzaddik’ who posits that the sin of Reuven is made public by the Torah because Reuven is a role model for all baalei teshuva. All who seek to return from their mistakes and missteps can look toward Reuven as a paradigm of repentance.

The episode of the sale of Yosef is one of the

most tragic events of the Torah. What was Reuvens’s role in this narrative? It must be noted that Reuven opposed his brothers.

Although he could not protect Yosef openly against his brothers, he hoped to be able to find a way to save him. When the Torah reports that Reuven returned to the pit to save his brother Yosef, the Torah employs the word ‘va’yashav’: “Va’yashav Reuven el habor…” (37:29). The same word is employed a second time in the following verse, ‘va’yashav el echav…”

Surely the choice of this word has deeper significance. The word va’yashav contains the same word as teshuva, repentance.

Apparently, the Sages saw in this word the hint to revealing Reuven’s true legacy.

Namely his efforts to repair and make amends.

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DIVREI MENACHEM

BY MENACHEM PERSOFF

Special Projects Consultant, OU Israel Center mpersoff@ou.org

His Story is Our Story

Y

aakov’s story is basically our story. How does one wrestle with one’s belief in God when everyone around thinks otherwise? How do we respond to a world that is generally antagonistic to our world-view and code of ethics? When we look forward, from where do we garner our strength and inspiration?

Yaakov is due to encounter his brother Esav who, as far as he is concerned, last spoke of killing him. That was a long time ago. But Yaakov has only experienced angst and deceit in Lavan’s house; years of backbreaking toil and shenanigans have been his companions up to this point. Now Yaakov is preparing for the confrontation.

Yaakov is full of fear and trepidation.

Having made arrangements to secure his family’s safety, he crosses the Yabbok Ford – ‫ – מעבר יבק‬and he is left alone. And then, a man (‘someone’) wrestled with him until the break of day (Bereishit 32:25).

What happened to Yaakov on that auspicious night? And of what import is it that Yaakov crossed over the Yabbok spring? Look carefully: The Hebrew 50

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

name for Yabbok has the same letters as Yaakov’s name ‫יעקב‬, minus the letter ‫ – ע‬the ‘eye’ that sees. The Hebrew word for the ford is “Ma’avar” - ‫מעבר‬, from the root ‫עבר‬, implying that Yaakov was about to undergo a significant transition. Yes, Yaakov was about to see and comprehend something that was to change his life.

Up to this point, Yaakov was named “Yaakov.” The name has two unfortunate connotations. The first is the association with a heel, namely the heel of Esav to which Yaakov clung at his birth. The second meaning is that of deceit, as when Esav declared, “Does he call himself Yaakov because he has already gone behind my back (‫ )ויעקבני‬twice?” (ibid, 27:36).

Yaakov has to have had a low image of himself with a name like that. He had said to Hashem, “I have become too small for all the kindnesses…You rendered Your servant” (ibid, 32:31). True, that was a sign of Yaakov’s humility, but his declaration also reflected his uncertainty about his worth – and his future.

Now Yaakov is about to confront the ‘man’ who wrestles with him. For Chazal, this is Esav’s guardian angel, replete with “orb, scepter, and sword.” The skirmish represents the eternal battle between good

and evil. It recalls to mind the message to Rivka that the twins in her womb were two nations: “One shall be mightier than the other, and the mighty one will serve the lesser” (ibid 25:23). For the Chassidic masters, the ‘man’ is our evil inclination.

But, perhaps, the ‘someone’ that fought Yaakov that fateful night was his selfimage. Who am I? Am I ready for the meet with Esav? Is my name “Yaakov” up for the tidings ahead?

So the angel steps forward and tells Yaakov, after a long struggle, that his name will now be “Yisra’el.” Yaakov has a stronger side represented in that name that, perhaps, he hadn’t seen before. He can overcome adversity; he can be princely. Yaakov had had a dream as the sun went down – but now the light is dawning. He can now climb the ladder of which he dreamed.

Now, as Yisrael, he can throw off that old image and be a light unto the nations as Hashem had blessed him (ibid 28:14).

But the “someone” had wounded Yaakov in the thigh, perhaps to remind him (and us) that we are vulnerable, if not fragile.

The other nations can still ascend, and we can yet fall. Notably, Yaakov was not called Yisrael permanently (as Avraham became eternally “Avraham”). It appears that to deserve the appellation “Yisra’el,” we, as Yaakov’s descendants, need to earn that title. Apparently, we each need to take that time out to wrestle with “the other side” – or with that ‘someone,’ ourselves.

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FROM THE VIRTUAL DESK OF THE

OU VEBBE REBBE RAV DANIEL MANN

The Necessity to See the Moon Before Kiddush Levana Question: Last week clouds covered the moon after some of us began Kiddush Levana. Can the remainder rely on their “testimony” to join the beracha?

Answer: Many early sources (Yerushalmi, Berachot 9:2; Sanhedrin 42a, in some texts; Rambam, Berachot 10:16; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 426:1) present the seeing of the moon as the presumed prompt for making the beracha, saying: “One who sees the moon …” This is despite the fact that we do not need testimony to know that it is there. If the beracha were a matter of the tzibbur, one could argue that if (most of) the minyan saw it, others could join the beracha if it began properly.

However, Kiddush Levana is a beracha of the individual, and it is but a preference to do so among others (Be’ur Halacha to 426:2). Therefore, each individual needs the conditions to make the beracha.

Usually, when it was seen moments before, 52

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

it is likely to again be seen soon thereafter.

However, there are still conceptual and practical matters to consider.

Is it critical to be able to see the moon, even in a case in which it will not be visible before the end of the beracha’s period? The Radbaz (I:341) says that a beracha made while the moon is covered is levatala, modeling it after Borei Meorei Ha’esh at Havdala. The Terumat Hadeshen (I:35) instructs that one should wait until Motzaei Shabbat for Kiddush Levana only if it leaves enough days for there not be concern of constant cloud cover. This implies that it can absolutely not be done with cloud cover.

Yet, there is a minority opinion that if constant clouds will prevent doing Kiddush Levana that month, one can do it without seeing the moon (Adnei Paz, OC 426). Conceptually, this may depend on the nature of the beracha. If we thank Hashem for the new month (as the simple reading of the beracha suggests), represented by the new moon, then seeing it is perhaps less important.

We do not need to see it when we daily bless Hashem for making the sun and the moon (Yotzer Hame’orot)!

A major source that minimizes the need to see the moon is the Shut Maharshal (47), who says that a blind person (suma)

The Orthodox Union - via its website - fields questions of all types in areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of them are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli zt”l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and OU Israel’s Torah Tidbits.

can make the beracha. Many accept this opinion (see Mishna Berura 426:1), although many disagree (see Be’ur Halacha ad loc., VIII, OC 22). In contrast, a suma does not make the beracha on light at Havdala (Shulchan Aruch, OC 298:13).

However, many sources posit that the beracha is on the light. The p’sukim on the creation of the sun and moon stress the moon’s light-giving attribute (see Bereishit 1:14-18). In fact, the Rama (OC 426:1) says we must do Kiddush Levana late enough to not only see the moon but also benefit from its light. Even the Maharshal, who obligates a suma, requires benefit in terms of time and possibly place, just that not each person needs to personally benefit directly.

A few questions may hinge on how fundamental to the beracha the light or the benefit from it is. If it is like other berachot on seeing elements of nature and praising Hashem for creation (which the Rambam ibid implies), it would not seem critical that if, subsequently, during the beracha, it is covered (compare to the beracha on thunder/lightning). If the beracha is on receiving benefit from the light, it is more likely to need to continue throughout (see two opinions in Be’ur Halacha to 426:1).

The accepted opinion is that one should believe it will last throughout the main beracha (until … mechadesh chodashim),

but if one started, he can continue. There is also a machloket in the other direction, when there is enough light to benefit, but the moon is not clearly visible (see Shut R. Yaakov MiLisa, OC 7).

Arguably, the beracha’s nature might impact on a variation of your case – if the one who saw the moon made the beracha also intending to do so on behalf of those who did not. The beracha was valid due to the sighting, but the benefit did not extend to the one who listened.

(The possibility of someone making the beracha and including a suma in it may be instructive – see Yabia Omer IX, OC 94 – whether or not it is a proof is beyond our scope.)

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53

TOWARDS MEANINGFUL REBBETZIN ZEMIRA OZAROWSKI TEFILLA BY Director of OU Israel L’Ayla Women’s Initiative

‫ברוך ה’ לעולם אמן‬ ‫ואמן‬

W

e discussed last week that the paragraphs of the Hallelukas form a beautiful symphony, as slowly the light of recognition of Hashem spreads first from the individual, then to the nation, and finally to the world. The entire world has been swept up in the excitement and they finally call out in unison (‫ – כל הנשמה תהלל קה‬Every single soul joins together in praise) and they exclaim –‫!!ברוך ה’ לעולם אמן ואמן‬ The four statements of ‫ ברוך‬that we make in this small paragraph, may arguably parallel the circles of praise found in the Hallelukahs.

)‫ יג‬,‫ברוך ה’ לעולם אמן ואמן (תהלים פט‬- Hashem is “blessed” forever, Amen and Amen - This might be the simple praise of the individual. )‫ כא‬,‫ברוך ה’ מציון שכן ירושלים הללוקה (תהלים קלה‬Hashem is “blessed” from Zion, He who dwells in Yerushalayim. - This is the praise of the Jewish people, as a nation. ‫ברוך ה’ אלקים אלקי ישראל עשה נפלאות לבדו‬ )‫ יח‬,‫ (תהלים עב‬- Hashem is “blessed”, the G-d of Israel, He who performs amazing phenomenon on his own. - This might be 54

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

the praise of the forces of nature who see firsthand the awesomeness of the intricate system of nature.

‫וברוך שם כבודו לעולם וימלא כבודו את כל הארץ‬ )‫ יט‬,‫ אמן ואמן (תהלים עב‬- “And blessed” is His glorious name forever, and His glory will fill the entire earth, Amen and Amen. - This is the praise of the entire world, joining together in praise.

Traditionally, this paragraph is said when one completes all of Sefer Tehillim. How fitting then to conclude the main part of Pesukei dzimra with this paragraph! As we mentioned last week, the five paragraphs of the Hallelukahs are in actuality the last 5 perakim of Tehillim. We conclude now with the traditional ‫ ברוך ה’ לעולם‬as if to say, we unfortunately don’t have time to say all of Tehillim every morning, but we did our best and please consider it as if we actually said all of the praises found in the entire 150 perakim of Tehillim! ...To be continued next week

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DIVREI TORAH FROM YESHIVOT AND SEMINARIES Torah Tidbits is proud to highlight the many outstanding Rabbis and teachers that lead the various Yeshivot and Seminaries here in Israel.

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Rabbi Yamin Goldsmith Rosh Midrasha Sha’alvim for Women The Death of Rivkah the Nurse In Parshas Vayishlach, the Torah tells us a seemingly insignificant piece of trivia in the history of Klal Yisrael and in the life of Yaakov Avinu and Rivka Imeinu:

‫ית־אל ַּת ַחת‬ ֵ ‫ַת ָּק ֵבר ִמ ַּת ַחת ְל ֵֽב‬ ִּ ‫ֶקת ִר ְב ָקה ו‬ ֶ ‫ַתמׇת ְּדב ָֹרה ֵמינ‬ ָּ ‫ו‬ )‫ח‬:‫ָה ַא ּלוֹן ַו ִי ְּק ָרא ְׁשמוֹ ַא ּלוֹן ָּבכוּת (בראשית לה‬ Devorah, Rivka’s nurse, died and she was buried below Beit El, under the oak and [the area] was named Weeping Oak (Alon Bachut).

The is the first and last time we hear 56

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

about this nurse Devorah. Why does the Torah tell us about Devorah’s death?

What possible import could this piece of information teach us?

Shada”l (Rav Shmuel David Luzzatto, d.

1865) suggests that this episode and these details convey for us a powerful message: Devorah had, for years, worked hard raising Rivka’s children. She left her land and her home to travel with Rivka and to work selflessly for her and her family.

And now, upon Devorah’s death, Yaakov took the time and energy to bury her and to express his appreciation and respect for what she had done for him and his family. Devorah’s efforts, after so many years, could easily have been forgotten and disregarded, especially by Yaakov who, at this point, was quite wealthy and powerful. And who was Devorah anyway?

A nursemaid from years past? But that did not deter Yaakov from expressing his deep appreciation and respect for a woman who had given to his family so devotedly.

Yaakov buried her and cried for her and, by so doing, taught his descendants an indelible lesson regarding true gratitude.

Rashi (Rav Shlomo Yitzchaki, d. 1105) and other mefarshim see Devorah’s death - and the Torah’s mentioning of this seemingly insignificant event - in a different light.

Rashi says that in order to understand the relevance of Devorah’s death, we must go back to Parshas Toldos: when Eisav threatened Yaakov’s life, Rivka sent Yaakov to Lavan’s home and she said that Yaakov must stay in Lavan’s until…

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Rashi in our parsha tells us the way Rivka sent Yaakov a message that it was safe for him to return was by sending Devorah, Rivka’s nurse. And Devorah died, as described in our pasuk , Devorah died on way home. the

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some questions unanswered. For example, why did Rivka send Devorah, of all people, to bring Yaakov home from Lavan’s house?

The Sifri on Parshas V’zos Habracha says that Devorah was 133 years old when she went to get Yaakov! Why would Rivka send such an elderly woman to get Yaakov?

presence, whose very life experiences, whose wisdom was acquired from the past.

Rivka wanted Yaakov to see Devorah and the last generation that she represented.

She wanted Yaakov to interact with the past and learn from it. To remember where he came from before he moved forward.

Rav Dov Zev Weinberger shlit”a in the 3rd volume of his sefer Shemen Hatov explains Rivka’s approach in the following way: Yaakov had been away from home for 22 years. He had been exposed to many base and ignoble traits such as dishonesty, envy, lust for money, etc. And now he was the head of a large household, about to take over the legacy and destiny of his father and his grandfather. How could Rivka ensure that Yaakov would faithfully continue the job that Yitzchak and Avraham had begun?

In the rest of the world that we are familiar with, aging is viewed negatively. Go to Hollywood, or go to Wall Street or to a high-tech firm where the young and the youthful are celebrated and the elderly are often ignored… or worse, chas v’Shalom.

Out with the old; in with the new!

Rivka knew that there was one thing that would ensure Bnei Yisrael’s success despite Yaakov’s experiences at Lavan’s house: Rivka sent a woman from the last generation, an elderly woman whose very

But in the world of Torah, in the real world of Torah truth, the opposite is true! We honor the last generation and hang on their every word of wisdom that they can share. We grill them for their stories, we ask them for their insights, and we honor them and what they represent.

That is what Rivka wanted Yaakov to learn: You, Yakov, are becoming the leader and guardian of the Jewish People. Do not ignore the past, build on it! Surround yourself by the Devorah’s of the world, hear what they have to say and build on their acumen and expertise.

Bnei Yisrael always moves forward, but we do so by learning from the wise and experienced members of our glorious nation.

58

TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

Real Life Rescues Saving Her Own Husband’s Life

1221

Geulah Pollak has been a United Hatzalah volunteer EMT for the past 4 years. She has previous experience as a first responder but took hiatus for about 10 years prior to joining United Hatzalah due to a mild injury. “I always wanted to get back into the field and become a first responder once again so that I could help others,” the veteran EMT said. “Once I was able to get back into it I joined United Hatzalah, and I am thankful that I did because I have saved numerous lives as a result, one of them was my own husband.”

The incident with Geulah’s husband occurred in their family home in Kiryat Ata a number of months back when he was working in the yard. “My husband is in his early 60s and suffers from diabetes,” Geulah recounted the story. “I was sitting inside when all of a sudden, my son came over to me and told me that something was wrong with Dad. I rushed over and saw my husband sitting on the swing pale and grey. I immediately knew he was having a heart attack. I grabbed my medical kit and gave him his medication and called dispatch asking them to send an ambulance as I began to treat my own husband. A United Hatzalah volunteer arrived very quickly as did a mobile intensive care ambulance.”

The story continued when Geulah’s husband sustained a full cardiac arrest in the hospital two days later. “He was under observation and his heart gave out. They took him to surgery and put in a stent. The fact that we caught the incident early before the cardiac arrest occurred likely saved his life,” Geulah said.

“It’s not easy to treat someone who is close to you. Usually, when we respond to emergencies we put up an emotional block between ourselves and the patients so that we can do our jobs and give them the care that they need without reacting emotionally. But in this instance, the patient was my own husband. I don’t wish this experience on anyone. While I forced myself to keep reacting and keep doing what needed to get done to save him I had to continuously review the protocol in my head to make sure I was doing things correctly. Thankfully I succeeded because he returned home to us a week after he received the stent and is still with me today.”

Geula was surprised to find out that before her son had found her husband n the swing, he had actually collapsed and was completely unconscious for a few minutes. “While my husband was at the hospital, I looked through the footage from our security camera in the garden, which happened to catch the incident. While watching the footage I saw my husband collapse on the ground and lay there for a few minutes, unconscious, before he was able to get up and sit on the swing. To see my husband in this situation was not easy. My diagnosis of him was what enabled me to call for help and save his life. My experience as a trained EMT and ambulance driver is what saved him. It really brought home for me the message that one of the most important jobs of an EMT is to identify a dangerous situation as early as possible, even before it develops into a full-blown medical emergency.”

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TORAH 4 TEENS

BY TEENS NCSY ISRAEL Shoshana Solomyak Jerusalem Chapter Director Tears and Compassion In Parshat Vayishlach we are told that Rachel died in Beit Lechem and Yaakov buried her there.

‫ַצ֧ב‬ ֵּ ‫ַת ָּק ֵבר֙ ְּב ֶד ֶ֣ר ְך ֶא ְפ ָר ָ֔תה ִה֖וא ֵּב֥ית ָֽל ֶחם׃ ַו ּי‬ ִּ ‫ַת ָ֖מת ָר ֵח֑ל ו‬ ָּ ‫״ו‬ ‫ד־ה ּֽיוֹם׃״‬ ַ ‫ת־ר ֵח֖ל ַע‬ ָ ‫ֻר ָת ּ֑ה ִה֛וא ַמ ֶּצ ֶ֥בת ְק ֻֽב ַר‬ ָ ‫ל־קב‬ ְ ‫ַעקֹ֛ב ַמ ֵּצ ָב֖ה ַע‬ ֲ‫י‬ .)‫כ׳‬-‫י״ט‬:‫(בראשית ל״ה‬ A midrash in Bereshit Rabbah explains that Rachel was specifically buried in Beit Lechem instead of Maarat Hamachpela so that she could cry and daven for her children as they passed Beit Lechem on their way into exile.

The obvious question is why was Rachel specifically chosen to be the one to cry for her children? Rashi explains that this was Rachel’s reward for the kindness she had

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

shown in giving over the signs that Yaakov had given her, over to her sister, Leah. It was these signs that Yaakov gave to Rachel that enabled Leah to marry Yaakov and not be embarrassed.

Oftentimes when we think about signs, we envision a secret handshake or code of some sort. However, the Daat Zekeinim explains that the signs that Rachel gave to Leah were teaching her about niddah, challah, and lighting candles. Unlike a secret handshake which would be very obvious that it was a secret between two people, Rachel was able to casually teach Leah these laws without her even knowing that this was a secret sign between Rachel and Yaakov. Therefore, it is possible that Rachel did not only give the signs to her sister, but that she gave her the signs in a way that Leah wouldn’t even know that she was not the one who Yaakov really wanted to marry! Proof of this idea is that in ‫בראשית פרק ח פסוק טו‬, Leah accuses Rachel of stealing her husband as she says,

”‫ת־דו ָּד ֵא֖י ְּבנִ ֑י‬ ּ ‫יש֔י ו ְָל ַק ַ֕חת ַּג֥ם ֶא‬ ִׁ ‫ת־א‬ ִ ‫“ה ְמ ַעט֙ ַק ְח ֵּת ְ֣ך ֶא‬ ַ “Was it not enough to steal my husband, now you want to steal my son’s flowers as well?!”

Rachel was the one who enabled Leah to marry Yaakov by giving her the signs, and yet, Leah’s accusation is so biting that it causes one to think that perhaps Rachel

never even told Leah that she was the one who Yaakov was supposed to marry.

Rachel was chosen to cry on behalf of Bnei Yisrael because of the way that she was willing to sacrifice for her sister in such a selfless way. Someone whose intense compassion drives them to completely put the needs of others before his/her own is someone who is worthy of praying for G-d’s compassion on behalf of others.

May we all be zoche to learn from the tears of Rachel and to tap into the compassion that will enable us to give to others genuinely and whole-heartedly.

Shabbat Shalom!

Shoham Orzach 11th Grade, Jerusalem Believing and Doing Can a brother’s reunion have an unexpected turn? In this week’s parsha, Yaakov is terrified of seeing his brother, Esav. As we know Esav was the one who was ‘supposed to’ get the blessing from their father Yitzchak, however, Yaakov ended up stealing it. As it says in Bereishit 32: 8, “‫ַעקֹ֛ב ְמאֹ֖ד‬ ֲ ‫ִיר֧א י‬ ָ ‫”וַ ּי‬. However, by the request of God, Yaakov arranges a meeting with his brother anyways.

Life is full of the unknown. There are events which will leave you frozen and unable to comprehend what happened because you deeply imagined that the worst. But, like Yaakov, it’s important that we trust in Hashem and know that whatever happens is because of Him and

that all will be good in the end.

However, it is also important to not merely to trust in Hashem, but to put in our own effort as well. Just like the episode in which Yaakov gave Esav gifts in order to try to convince his brother not to kill him, we have to try to help ourselves in addition to requesting Hashem for help.

.)‫יד‬:‫ׂ֥ו ָא ִֽחיו” (בראשית לב‬ ‫ן־ה ָּב֧א ְבָיד֛וֹ ִמנְ ָח֖ה ְל ֵע ָש‬ ַ ‫ִק֞ח ִמ‬ ַּ ‫“ַו ּי‬ We have to work for what we want, even in regards to our own safety and wellbeing.

This way we will earn it and feel a sense of true accomplishment - and it will not just be handed down to us.

Shabbat Shalom!

-----------------------------------NCSY Israel is the premier organization in Israel, dedicated to connect, inspire, empower, and help teen olim with "Klita" to the Land of Israel by encouraging passionate Judaism through Torah and Tradition. Find out more at israel.ncsy.org

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TORAH TIDBITS / VAYISHLACH 5781

OU ISRAEL CENTER

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