1310 essays
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Essays on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays and Jewish thought.
Parsha Vayishlach – The World of Otherness Perhaps, Jacob’s fear of fighting with Esau was that if he acquired some negative traits as a consequence of his need to engage in violence it would scar his spiritual genetic makeup. And as a result, the “otherness” of his progeny would be lost. His descendants would be made ordinary and incapable Parsha Vayishlach – Trust in Trust There is a famous adage stated by the third Chabad Rebbe; known as the Tzemach Tzedek that echoes this idea: “Think positive and it will be positive.” Parsha Vayishlach – We Envy You! The Alter Rebbe referred to Moses’ vaunted praise as the most humble man on the face of the earth and asked: How could Moses be so humble when he knew his towering greatness? Moses was given a preview of all future generations of Jews. When he saw the final generation before the coming of Moshiach a Parsha Vayishlach – The Wrestlers We have instruments that G-d put at our disposal, such as the internet, fax machines, computers etc. Some view these technological marvels as the “angel of Esau” that must be fought because of their negative influence. It makes more sense to view the tools of modern technology as positive instrument Parsha Vayishlach – Torah Power When a person is alive, even if it is a day old, it has the capacity to instill fear in the animal. When a person loses his or her appreciation for life, he or she becomes vulnerable to the attack from all directions. There is something mystical about life that threatens the most formidable foe. Parsha Vayishlach – When Was the Last Time You Rode Your Donkey? Most material acquisitions are made by people who subordinate themselves to their material possessions; they crave them, they cherish them, they live for them. Jacob, conversely, makes sure that his material possessions are subordinated to him; they are only used to serve Jacob’s true and intrinsic Parsha Vayishlach – Wholly, Wholly, Wholly One might have reached the erroneous conclusion that there is some good in suffering because of the heroic responses that it elicits. The Torah, by telling us that Jacob returned whole in terms of his body, wishes to impress upon us that suffering is not a permanent fixture in G-d’s plan for the wor Parsha Vayishlach – Wrestling There are times in our lives that we stand alone; we feel isolated and lonely. This is not all bad. When we do not have others to look at and interact with, we become introspective. We begin to think more seriously about who we are and what is our purpose in life. These periods of introspection can Parsha Vayeitzei – A Thousand-Fold Blessing The purpose G-d had intended for all the nations of the world is to bring perfection to the natural order of the world. By virtue of their observance of the Seven Noahide commandments that are geared to preserve the civility of the world, they ensure that the world is a perfectly natural one. The Je Parsha Vayeitzei – Charan or Rina: Anger or Joy? There are two ways a person can go through life’s difficulties. One can be to see in all of the hardships G-d’s wrath— charan. And there are those who make an effort, or are naturally inclined, to see the positive in everything. They see rina/joy as opposed to charan/wrath. Parsha Vayeitzei – Dream but Don’t Sleep A dream is the bridge between reality and fantasy. A prophetic dream is the bridge between an other-worldly experience and our human mind. To make the prophecy accessible to the world of human reality, it comes through the medium of a dream. When we sleep our souls withdraw from our physical existen Parsha Vayeitzei – From B’er Sheva to Charan Charan was a place that aroused anger; where the wily and devious Laban lived and idolatry was rampant. There was no respect for G-d or for others. No wonder our Sages state that Charan was a place where G-d’s wrath was aroused. And yet it was in Charan that Jacob married Rachel and Leah; and it was Parsha Vayeitzei – Going Up or Down? One can thrive amidst adversity in golus, yet that same person will fervently ask G-d repeatedly in his prayers to bring Moshiach. We must make sure that we never make peace with the golus and work incessantly and tirelessly to bring it to an end. As a people and as individuals we have become so acc Parsha Vayeitzei – Holy or Lowly? Jacob states that “whoever stole the idols will not live.” This was not intended as a curse. Jacob was merely stating a fact that a Jew cannot possibly survive with the worshipping of Laban’s gods. Parsha Vayeitzei – Don’t Runt From, Run to Before Jacob fled to Charan he stopped in the Academy of Shem and Ever to study Torah for fourteen years. This “short” diversion was intended to reorient Jacob towards a positive focus on his journey rather than just escaping his brother Esau’s anger. Jacob was totally focused on the positive nature Parsha Vayeitzei – Joy and More Joy Rabbi Nochum of Chernobyl, the famous Chassidic Master, remarked: “Rachel and Leah both desired the same thing—Jacob. However, what Leah received through crying Rachel achieved with joy.” Parsha Vayeitzei – Lo and Behold A Jew cannot bear to see the suffering of others and will speak out. When he or she sees injustice or lack of care for one of G-d’s creatures, the Jew cannot remain silent. A Jew cannot sit idle, period. Every moment counts, and every second of life was given to us as a resource intended for us to d Parsha Vayeitzei – Name Your Price! For Jacob marriage was a Mitzvah par excellence. His love and passion for Rachel was not simply of a romantic nature. Rather it was motivated by his passion to be the one to forge another link in the chain that started with Abraham and Isaac, and would end with the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai Parsha Vayeitzei – Nineteen: The Incorruptible Core The Talmud states Jacob never died. Jacob represents immortality more than any other righteous person because he had the exclusive responsibility of establishing the Jewish nation. He had to insure that the Jewish nation would acquire the power of immortality, so as their progenitor he too had to po Parsha Vayeitzei – Priorities There are times when we may be tempted to undertake projects that are new and exciting, at the expense of older and less glamorous, but, more important, responsibilities. This attitude is rooted in selfishness, looking for projects that will satisfy our egos, rather than fulfilling that which is imp