Peninim on the Torah

“His brothers saw that it was he whom their father loved most of all his brothers, and so they hated him; and they could not speak to him peaceably.” (37:4)

How often do we clash with someone and matters get out of hand to the point that it blossoms into a full-blown dispute? Suddenly, friends are not speaking to one another, and enmity creeps in. The first step towards any form of resolution is a meeting: sit down at the table, face each other and talk it out. Air out your differences and, before long, it becomes apparent that it really is not an important conflict. As long as people are willing to meet and talk it out, to attempt to solve their problems, to seek a reconciliation – there is…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5762

“And Timnah was a concubine of Elifaz, son of Eisav, and she bore Amalek to Elifaz.” (36:12)

We have before us Amalek’s roots. The archenemy of the Jewish people, the one who stands for evil – Amalek – is Eisav’s grandson. Amalek, a nation whose cruelty knew no bound and whose viciousness was unparalleled, was the son of Elifaz and his concubine, Timnah. Who was Timnah? Chazal tell us that Timnah descended from royalty. She was the sister of Lotan, one of the chiefs of Seir. Yet, she was so anxious to marry a descendant of Avraham that she said to Elifaz, “If I am unworthy to become your wife, let me at least be your concubine!” Chazal go…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5762

“Eisav took his wives… all the members of his household…and all his possessions… and went to a land because of his brother Yaakov.” (36:6)

Rashi cites the Midrash attributing Eisav’s departure “because of his brother Yaakov.” Eisav said, “There is an obligation to fulfill the debt of Ki ger yiheyeh zarecha, “Your offspring shall be sojourners,” i.e. the decree of exile, which was placed upon the offspring of Yitzchak. I will leave from here because I want to have no portion, neither of the gift that has been given to Yitzchak nor of the payment of the contract.” Eisav understood that the blessings that were Yitzchak’s were accompanied by a “debt” of servitude, a debt of exile. The Torah was given only to those who…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5762

“And he took his two wives, his two handmaids, and his eleven sons.” (32:23)

There seems to be a child missing. Yaakov had eleven sons and one daughter. What happened to Dinah, Yaakov’s daughter? Rashi tells us that Yaakov hid her in a box, so that Eisav would not see her and want to take her for a wife. Yaakov was punished for this when Dinah went out and was violated by Shechem. He should have been sensitive to his brother’s needs. Who knows? Perhaps Dinah might have influenced Eisav to initiate a positive change in his life. This is enigmatic. How can we expect Yaakov to marry his daughter to such an evil person…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5762

When my brother Eisav meets you and asks you, saying, “Whose are you, where are you going, and whose are these that are before you?” (32:18)

Upon coming to this pasuk, the Chidushei HaRim, z.l., would turn to his chassidim and say, “Note how these three questions have a strong similarity to the three queries which Chazal teach us are the fundamental questions a Jew must ask of himself. Know these things, and you will not come into the grip of sin: know from where you came; where you are going; and before Whom you will give justification and reckoning (Pirkei Avos 3:1). Chazal give us the three keys to our spiritual survival. Are they different than the questions Eisav asked?” “We derive an important lesson from…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayishlach, 5762

“Yaakov became very frightened, and it distressed him, so he divided the people with him.” (32:8)

Should Yaakov Avinu have been scared? Should the person with whom Hashem spoke and promised that He would be with him and guard him wherever he went be afraid? Should the individual who was greeted by guardian angels be distressed? There is a reason why even the great saint Yaakov should fear – “he divided the people with him.” There was a rift among his people. This gave Yaakov reason to fear. If there was no peace among his people, they would become easy prey for Eisav. As long as a unified front prevailed, as long as harmony reigned in the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayeitzei, 5762

“This time I will gratefully praise Hashem”; therefore she called his name Yehudah.” (29:35)

Leah gave birth to her fourth son, an event that evoked a tremendous sense of gratitude within her. She understood that Hashem was giving her more than her share. As Rashi explains, Leah saw b’Ruach HaKodesh, with Divine Inspiration, that Yaakov Avinu would father twelve sons. Since he had four wives, she conjectured that each would be blessed with three sons. Upon giving birth to her fourth son, she was overjoyed with the realization that she had received more than her share. In the Talmud Berachos 7b, Chazal declare that, “From the time of Creation, there was no one who praised…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayeitzei, 5762

“Hashem saw that Leah was unloved…but Rachel remained barren.” (29:31)

What relationship exists between the fact that Hashem saw that Leah was not loved and Rachel’s infertility? The Alter, z.l., m’Kelm explains that it was specifically Leah’s feeling of being hated that catalyzed Rachel’s barrenness. Leah did so much – she should not have had to feel that her entrance into the Patriarchal home was under question. Rachel should have done everything within her power to assuage her feelings of guilt. This is enigmatic. We are referring here to Rachel Imeinu who relinquished her right to marry Yaakov first, just so that her sister would not be humiliated. She suffered in…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayeitzei, 5762

And he (Yaakov) said, “I will work for you seven years, for Rachel your younger daughter.” (29:18)

Chazal teach us that Yaakov Avinu was taken to task for offering to remain in Lavan’s employ and not seeking to return home to his parents. He ended up being away from home for a total of thirty-six years, of which he spent fourteen studying Torah in the Yeshivah of Ever. For the duration of time he spent studying Torah, he was not criticized for failing to honor his parents. For the next twenty years that he spent in the house of Lavan and two years traveling, Chazal feel that Yaakov was derelict in regard to fulfilling the mitzvah of…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5762

“Eisav harbored hatred toward Yaakov because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him.” (27:41)

The Ozrover Rebbe, z.l., notes the deep-seated hatred that Eisav manifests for Yaakov. The Torah writes that Eisav hated Yaakov because of the blessing that his father had given him. It had nothing to do with Yaakov’s taking the blessing away from Eisav. The mere fact that Yaakov was blessed was enough to ignite this inexplicable hatred within Eisav. We now understand Chazal’s axiom, “Halachah, it is a halachic maxim that Eisav hates Yaakov.” This means that Eisav’s hatred has no rationale. A halachah is a rule or statement, which at times defies rationale. It is an absolute which transcends human…

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“His brothers saw that it was he whom their father loved most of all his brothers, and so they hated him; and they could not speak to him peaceably.” (37:4)

“And Timnah was a concubine of Elifaz, son of Eisav, and she bore Amalek to Elifaz.” (36:12)

“Eisav took his wives… all the members of his household…and all his possessions… and went to a land because of his brother Yaakov.” (36:6)

“And he took his two wives, his two handmaids, and his eleven sons.” (32:23)

When my brother Eisav meets you and asks you, saying, “Whose are you, where are you going, and whose are these that are before you?” (32:18)

“Yaakov became very frightened, and it distressed him, so he divided the people with him.” (32:8)

“This time I will gratefully praise Hashem”; therefore she called his name Yehudah.” (29:35)

“Hashem saw that Leah was unloved…but Rachel remained barren.” (29:31)

And he (Yaakov) said, “I will work for you seven years, for Rachel your younger daughter.” (29:18)

“Eisav harbored hatred toward Yaakov because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him.” (27:41)

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