Vayeitzei – Peninim on the Torah

And Rachel took the teraphim and put them into the camel’s pack-saddle and sat upon them. (31:34)

Rachel sat upon Lavan’s idols, which she had stolen, in an attempt to hide them. Lavan did not ask her to rise when she explained to him that the way of women was upon her. The Zohar Ha’kadosh, however, reveals to us an entirely new explanation for Rachel’s actions. She sat upon the idols because of her utter contempt for them. The teraphim were like many of the other idols which also had the ability to serve as mediums for divining the future. Rachel stole the teraphim, so that Lavan could not use them to find out where Yaakov…

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Moshe Marcovich In Vayeitzei, 5758

She conceived again, and bore a son and declared, “This time let me gratefully praise Hashem; therefore she called his name Yehudah, then she stopped giving birth. (29:35)

In his commentary on this pasuk, Ibn Ezra makes a compelling statement. He interprets Leah’s “gratitude” as if she were saying, “I have had four sons. I, therefore, thank Hashem, for I want no more.” It is as if she were saying, “I have enough; Hashem has been very kind. I am now grateful for everything that He has given me.” Therefore she stopped giving birth. Horav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Shlita, infers from Ibn Ezra that Leah caused her own inability to bear additional children. She claimed that she had had enough. Thus, she stopped conceiving and giving birth. Whether…

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Moshe Marcovich In Vayeitzei, 5758

And he became frightened and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of G-d.” (28:17)

In his second interpretation of this pasuk, Rashi cites the Talmud in Chullin 91, which relates that Yaakov traveled to Charan to find a wife, according to his parents’ request. After a long journey, he reached Charan. When he arrived, he realized that he had passed by Har Ha’Moriah without having stopped to pray there. He was shocked at his oversight. How could he have passed the place where his father and grandfather used to say their tefillos and not take advantage of the opportunity to do the same? He immediately turned around and began the journey all the way…

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Moshe Marcovich In Vayeitzei, 5758

And he dreamt, and behold! A ladder was set earthward and its top reached heavenward. (28:12)

Yaakov saw a ladder in his well-known dream. According to Chazal, the ladder was standing on a slant, the bottom resting in Be’er Sheva with the top parallel to Beis El. The middle of the ladder coincided with the site of the Bais Hamikdash. The Maharal wonders why the ladder stood slanted. The message of the angels ascending and descending would have been equally effective if the ladder had stood straight. While various reasons are suggested for the ladder’s specific position, the Maharal makes a compelling observation which presents a profound lesson. We view each subsequent rung on the ladder…

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And Rachel took the teraphim and put them into the camel’s pack-saddle and sat upon them. (31:34)

She conceived again, and bore a son and declared, “This time let me gratefully praise Hashem; therefore she called his name Yehudah, then she stopped giving birth. (29:35)

And he became frightened and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of G-d.” (28:17)

And he dreamt, and behold! A ladder was set earthward and its top reached heavenward. (28:12)

YEARS

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