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Home -> 5783 -> Vayishlach

ולא אחר הנער לעשות הדבר כי חפץ בבת יעקב

Sruly Schnair
In Vayishlach, 5783

The youth did not delay doing the thing, for he wanted Yaakov’s daughter. (34:19)

One who reads the story of Shechem’s obsession with Dinah bas Yaakov must be taken aback. As prince of the country, Shechem could have had anything/anyone that he wanted. Yet, due to his compelling desire for Dinah, he risked his life and the lives of all his countrymen. Is this rational? To be driven by such desire is ludicrous, bordering on insanity. Yet, it happened. One powerful lesson may be derived: Nothing stands in the way of one’s will. It is a two-way street. One can either ride his ratzon, will, to extraordinary success, or plummet down to the nadir…

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Home -> 5783 -> Vayeitzei

ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע ... ויפגע במקום וילן שם

Sruly Schnair
In Vayeitzei, 5783

Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva … He encountered the place and spent the night. (28:10,11)

Chazal (Megillah 17a) glean from the word sham, there, that this was the first time the Patriarch lay down to sleep. He had spent the past fourteen years “hidden” within the yeshivah of Shem and Eivar. I use the word “hidden” to underscore that Yaakov Avinu became a part of the yeshivah in such a manner that no one even knew he was there. He studied day and night, focused on one thing: learning Torah. The question that should be addressed is how Chazal knew that Yaakov was in the yeshivah. Simply put, after calculating Yaakov’s age at present and…

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Home -> 5783 -> Vayeitzei

ויפגע במקום וילן שם

Sruly Schnair
In Vayeitzei, 5783

He encountered the place and spent the night there. (28:11)

This was no ordinary place. It was Har HaMoriah, where Avraham Avinu bound Yitzchak (Avinu) on the Mizbayach, Altar, which would later serve as the site of the Bais Hamikdash. Chazal interpret the word vayifga, “he encountered,” as “he prayed.” Yaakov Avinu’s encounter was of a spiritual nature. He encountered Hashem. Since it was evening, this is when the Patriarch initiated Tefillas Arvis, the Evening Prayer. Chazal (Chullin 91:13) teach that originally Yaakov had passed the place without giving it a second thought. When he reached Charan, he realized that he had passed the place where his father and grandfather…

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Home -> 5783 -> Vayeitzei

וייקץ יעקב משנתו ויאמר אכן יש ד' במקום הזה ואנכי לא ידעתי

Sruly Schnair
In Vayeitzei, 5783

Yaakov awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely Hashem is present in this place and I did not know.” (28:16)

Rashi explains that after discovering the level of holiness of the place in which he presently was, Yaakov Avinu was lamenting having slept. How does one dare to sleep in such a holy place? The Brisker Rav, zl, would become emotional when thinking about Yaakov’s reaction to discovering that he was in a consecrated place. The Patriarch had escaped from his brother, Eisav, who was bent on killing him.  On the way, he was waylaid by Elifaz, who took away all of his money. Therefore, since he had just received a prophecy that assured him, U’shemarticha b’chol asher teilech; “I…

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Home -> 5783 -> Vayeitzei

ויזכר אלקים את רחל

Sruly Schnair
In Vayeitzei, 5783

Hashem remembered Rachel. (30:22)

Rachel Imeinu was mevater, relinquished, that which she deserved in order to preserve her sister’s esteem. If Yaakov Avinu would have discovered that Leah had been exchanged for Rachel, it would have posed an embarrassing situation for Leah. To spare her the shame, Rachel gave up what was hers. Horav Yeruchem Levovitz, zl, adds that Rachel’s actions to spare her sister from humiliation also breached the trust Yaakov had in her. The Patriarch knew that Lavan was a swindler who would find some way to break his word at the very last moment. Thus, he made a pact with Rachel,…

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Home -> 5783 -> Toldos

ויעתר לו ד' ותהר רבקה אשתו

Sruly Schnair
In Toldos, 5783

Hashem allowed Himself to be entreated by him, and his wife, Rivkah, conceived. (25:21)

Yitzchak Avinu and Rivkah Imeinu both prayed for a child. Hashem replied affirmatively to Yitzchak’s prayer – rather than to Rivkah’s. Rashi explains: “There is no comparison between the prayer of a tzaddik ben tzaddik, the righteous child of a righteous person, to that of a tzaddik ben rasha, a righteous person, the child of a wicked person.” The question is well-known; the answer is also well-known; the “why” however, is not. One would think that after all that Rivkah endured in the home of her youth, she would achieve greater recognition. She achieved tzaddeikes status, despite being the daughter…

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Home -> 5783 -> Toldos

ותאמר אם כן למה זה אנכי

Sruly Schnair
In Toldos, 5783

And she said, “If so, why is it that I am thus?” (25:22)

Rivkah was experiencing what she perceived to be a strange pregnancy. Something unusual was occurring in her body. When she walked by a house of (monotheistic) prayer, a house of learning, she felt the fetus within her womb gravitating toward it. Likewise, when she passed by a house that catered to idol worship, she once again felt a pulling to leave and embrace the idols. What kind of child was she carrying? Rashi explains the words, Lamah zeh anochi; “Why is it that I am?” Why is it that I am desiring and praying for pregnancy? Had I known that…

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Home -> 5783 -> Toldos

ויגדלו הנערים

Sruly Schnair
In Toldos, 5783

The lads grew up. (25:27)

Rashi writes that when the twins turned thirteen-years-old they went their separate ways. Yaakov Avinu gravitated to the bais hamedrash, while Eisav ha’rasha leaned toward idol worship. It must be noted that their transformation (especially in Eisav) did not just happen in a moment. Their spiritual destination was not a fate accompli. They neither ran nor walked – they gravitated to their respective choices of worship. Indeed, growing up, Eisav was far from being a devoted idolater. On the contrary, he viewed himself as a tzaddik, a righteous and virtuous person. After all, he was so meticulous in his mitzvah…

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Home -> 5783 -> Chayei Sarah

ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים

Sruly Schnair
In Chayei Sarah, 5783

Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years. (23:1)

Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 58:3) relate an intriguing story. Rabbi Akiva was giving a profound, intricate shiur, lecture. He noticed that his students were drifting off. In order to arouse them from their “slumber,” he presented them with a question (more like a riddle): Why did Esther merit to reign over 127 countries? He answered: She was a descendant of Sarah Imeinu who had lived 127 years. The question is rhetorical; the answer is beguiling. What does one have to do with the other? It is not as if Esther actually reigned over 127 countries. She was married to King Achashveirosh…

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Home -> 5783 -> Chayei Sarah

ויקם אברהם מעל פני מתו וידבר אל בני חת

Sruly Schnair
In Chayei Sarah, 5783

Avraham rose up from the presence of his dead and spoke to bnei Cheis. (23:3)

The Torah is circumspect concerning its text, spelling of each word and overall locution. No word is superfluous, no spelling is ignored. Chazal derive volumes of halachah from every nuance, every seeming redundancy. As the message of its Divine Author, nothing in the Torah is to be taken capriciously. As such, it is intriguing to note that the words, bnei Cheis (children of Cheis), are mentioned nine times in our parshah and once in Parashas Vayechi (49:32). It is not as if these were laudable people. They were idolaters who were greedy and selfish – among other things. Yet, the…

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