Vayishlach – Page 5 – Peninim on the Torah

הצילני נא מיד אחי מיד עשו כי ירא אנכי אותו

Rescue me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisav, because I fear him. (32:12)

Rashi explains the apparent redundancy continued in the pasuk: Miyad achi, miyad Eisav; “From the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisav.” Sometimes Eisav acts like my brother, showing love and friendship which conceal his true, nefarious intentions. Other times Eisav acts like the evil person that he is, challenging me and stirring up adversity for me to overcome. Both the Kedushas Levi and the Chozeh m’Lublin write that Yaakov Avinu prayed to Hashem to spare him the challenge of Eisav, the yetzer hora, evil inclination, who was coming at him in the form of Eisav, his “dear”…

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וישאל יעקב ויאמר הגידה נא שמך ויאמר למה זה תשאל לשמי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5776

Then Yaakov inquired, and he said, “Divulge if you please, your name.” And he said, “Why then do you inquire of my name?” (32:30)

Yaakov Avinu wanted to know the name of the angel with whom he had wrestled – and won. The angel responded, “Why do you inquire of my name?” The commentators debate if this was a question, more or less, as if the angel were replying, “What difference does it make to you what my name is? You cannot do anything about it. I am not reachable by name.” Others contend that his response was actually his name. In other words: “Why do you ask my name?” is the actual name of the angel. Horav Shabsi Yudelevitz, zl, explains this. When…

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וישא את עיניו וירא את הנשים ואת הילדים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5776

(Eisav) raised his eyes and saw the women and children. (33:5)

In his commentary to Parashas Toldos, Horav Mordechai Druk, zl, observes the glaring contrast between Yitzchak Avinu and his errant son, Eisav. The Rav begins with the maxim, “A person sees what he wants to see,” or, alternatively, “a person sees who he is.” We are creatures of habit, our human nature comprising who we are and how we live. Indeed, our nature most often dictates our perspective, how we perceive people and situations. Who we are determines how we look at concepts, events, people. A ben Torah whose life is molded by the Torah which he studies and to…

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ותצא דינה בת לאה... לראות בבנות הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5776

And Dinah – the daughter of Leah… went out… to look over the daughters of the land. (34:1)

The Midrash Tanchuma makes a startling statement concerning Dinah’s journey to observe the girls of the land. Poretz geder yishchenu nachash, “One who breaches the fence will/should be bitten by a snake.” (This term is used in the Talmud Avodah Zarah 27b and is based upon a pasuk in Koheles 10:8, “He who breaks down a wall will be bitten by a snake.”) This is strong terminology to be applied to Dinah. Chazal continue: “Her father and brothers were sitting in the bais hamedrash studying Torah, and she went out to observe the girls of the land. As a result,…

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ויענו בני יעקב את שכם ואת חמור אביו במרמה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5776

The sons of Yaakov answered Shechem, and his father, Chamor, with guile. (34:13)

Rashi defines the word mirmah, guile, b’chochmah, with cleverness. One who reads the narrative and delves into what occurred and the response of Yaakov Avinu’s sons to the moral incursion into their family, might discover mirmah, more as deceit than cleverness. Their intention was to convince the men of Shechem to have Brisim, circumcisions, for the purpose of weakening them physically. From the very beginning, the intention of Yaakov’s sons was to avenge the degradation of their family. Why is this considered to be “clever”? Horav Yeruchem Levovitz, zl, explains that ramaus, deceit, swindle, is a term that applies to…

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ויצו אותם לאמר כה תאמרון לאדוני לעשו, כה אמר עבדך יעקב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5775

He charged them, saying, “Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord, to Eisav, so said your servant Yaakov.’” (32:5)

A number of ambiguities seem to surround the meeting between Yaakov Avinu and his brother, Eisav. Midrash Rabbah posits that Eisav was not on his way to confront Yaakov; rather, our Patriarch instigated the meeting. Yaakov is compared to one who grabs the ear of a dog (Mishlei 26:17) and, as a result, the dog bites him. According to the Midrash, Hashem said to Yaakov, “Eisav is journeying along his way, and you initiate a meeting with him by sending him a message implying that you are his servant, Yaakov.” Chazal indicate that Yaakov erred by getting involved with Eisav….

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קטנתי מכל החסדים ומכל האמת אשר עשית את עבדך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5775

I have been diminished by all of the kindness and by all the truth that You have done Your servant. (32:11)

Rashi explains that Yaakov Avinu feared that his merits had been reduced as a result of the kindness and truth that Hashem had performed for him. He was concerned that, since the time that Hashem had promised to be with him, he had become soiled with sin, and this sin would cause him to be given over to Eisav. Rashi seems to be making two statements. First, the Patriarch was worried that the merits which might have protected him had been reduced by his acceptance of Hashem’s favors. True, he possessed many z’chusim, but he was spared until now from…

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קטנתי מכל החסדים ומכל האמת אשר עשית את עבדך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5775

I have been diminished by all of the kindnesses and by all of the truth. (32:11)

Kindness is neither an absolute nor a definitive term. Thus, the statement, “all of the kindnesses,” is an appropriate statement. Varied types of kindnesses come in different sizes, shapes and forms. To pay gratitude for all of the kindnesses that Yaakov Avinu received from Hashem is an unqualified statement. There are many kindnesses. Truth, however, is unequivocal. It is conclusive and unmitigated. There is only one truth. There is no “whole” truth versus a “half” – truth, because a half-truth is a full lie! Something is either one hundred percent true, or one hundred percent false. No grey area exists…

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ותמת דבורה מינקת רבקה ותקבר מתחת לבית קל תחת האלון. ויקרא שמו אלון בכות

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5775

Devorah, the wet-nurse of Rivkah, died, and she was buried below Bais-Kel, below the plateau; and he named it Allon-Bachus. (35:8)

One expects the Torah to record the lives of the Jewish nation’s most distinguished, intriguing figures. Indeed, the Avos and Imahos, Patriarchs and Matriarchs, were individuals without peer. Their lives represented the Jewish mission; their enduring legacy is the Jewish nation, who are their progeny. Understandably, their lives obscure the lives of those whose impact on the future was less compelling. We are rarely introduced to one of those “obscure” individuals, a person whose impact on the future of the nation, while not as significant as that of the Avos and Imahos, still left an impression. In this parsha we…

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ורוח תשימו בין עדר ובין עדר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5774

And leave a space between drove and drove. (32:17)

The Midrash Rabbah quotes a poignant request made by Yaakov Avinu of Hashem: “Yaakov said to HaKodesh Baruch Hu, ‘Ribbono Shel Olam! If adversity/troubles/pain will (be decreed) to come upon my children, please do not send them one following (immediately) after another; but rather, leave (a) space between them!’ This is to be implied from the word revach, ‘space’ between the flocks of sheep.” Horav Yaakov Galinsky, Shlita, wonders what is the meaning of “space” between troubles? How does space make a difference? The Maggid quotes an explanation which he heard from the Steipler Gaon, zl, given during a group…

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הצילני נא מיד אחי מיד עשו כי ירא אנכי אותו

Rescue me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisav, because I fear him. (32:12)

וישאל יעקב ויאמר הגידה נא שמך ויאמר למה זה תשאל לשמי

Then Yaakov inquired, and he said, “Divulge if you please, your name.” And he said, “Why then do you inquire of my name?” (32:30)

וישא את עיניו וירא את הנשים ואת הילדים

(Eisav) raised his eyes and saw the women and children. (33:5)

ותצא דינה בת לאה... לראות בבנות הארץ

And Dinah – the daughter of Leah… went out… to look over the daughters of the land. (34:1)

ויענו בני יעקב את שכם ואת חמור אביו במרמה

The sons of Yaakov answered Shechem, and his father, Chamor, with guile. (34:13)

ויצו אותם לאמר כה תאמרון לאדוני לעשו, כה אמר עבדך יעקב

He charged them, saying, “Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord, to Eisav, so said your servant Yaakov.’” (32:5)

קטנתי מכל החסדים ומכל האמת אשר עשית את עבדך

I have been diminished by all of the kindness and by all the truth that You have done Your servant. (32:11)

קטנתי מכל החסדים ומכל האמת אשר עשית את עבדך

I have been diminished by all of the kindnesses and by all of the truth. (32:11)

ותמת דבורה מינקת רבקה ותקבר מתחת לבית קל תחת האלון. ויקרא שמו אלון בכות

Devorah, the wet-nurse of Rivkah, died, and she was buried below Bais-Kel, below the plateau; and he named it Allon-Bachus. (35:8)

ורוח תשימו בין עדר ובין עדר

And leave a space between drove and drove. (32:17)

YEARS

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