Jacob Is Standing Behind You — And Here's Why That Matters
Welcome to a journey that begins with Shushan Purim, winds through one of the most profound teachings in all of Pirkei Avot, and ends with one of the most powerful answers to the question every human being secretly asks: “Does my life matter? Do my struggles count? Am I enough?” In this class, we explore the teaching of Akavia Ben Mahalalal — one of the earliest and greatest sages of the Talmud — who offers THREE life-transforming reflections that can protect you from your worst impulses, free you from the grip of repeated mistakes, and reconnect you to your deepest identity. But the deeper magic of this shiur is the Rebbe’s revolutionary interpretation: that these very same three questions are the ones Esav asked Yaakov — and that Yaakov’s answer reveals why YOUR struggles and YOUR obstacles don’t make you lesser. They make you greater. Whether you’ve ever felt like a nobody, whether you’ve ever asked “why should I even try,” or whether you’ve ever felt trapped by your own mistakes — this class is for you. Join Rabbi Greenberg for a teaching that is as psychologically sharp as it is spiritually profound.
🕰️ Detailed Navigation:
📖 Primary Sources & References:
- Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), Chapter 3, Mishna 1 — Akavia Ben Mahalalal
- Megillat Esther — Laws of Shushan Purim (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Megillah)
- Talmud Bavli, Tractate Eduyot — the four disputes of Akavia Ben Mahalalal
- Bereishit (Genesis) 32 — Yaakov’s preparation to meet Esav
- Vayikra (Leviticus) 2:1 — the Mincha offering and “if a nefesh (soul) brings…”
- Talmud Bavli, Avot d’Rabbi Natan — on the “heel” of prayer
- Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov on the value of simple Jews
- Teachings of the Rebbe of Barditchev on Pirkei Avot
In this class
- 0:00Shushan Purim: Why Walled Cities Celebrate a Day Later
- 1:40The Hamans of History and the Hamans of Today
- 2:36Welcome to Chapter 3 of Ethics of the Fathers
- 3:20Who Was Akavia Ben Mahalalal?
- 4:41Why the Greatest Sages Had No Title "Rabbi"
- 6:35The Names Moshe and Avraham: Why No One Used Them for 1,000 Years
- 9:06The Meaning of the Name Akavia (Heel) and Mahalalal (Praise in God)
- 10:43The Hidden Tzaddik Whose Name Was "Adam Baal Shem"
- 11:13Akavia's Controversy: Four Disputes With the Majority
- 12:10The Offer He Refused: Becoming Head of the Sanhedrin
- 13:08The Baal Shem Tov's Defense of Simple Jews and the "Heel Prayer"
- 15:07The Three Things: Mark Well / Reflect Intently
- 15:20"You Will Not Come Into the Handles of Sin" — What Does That Mean?
- 17:30Two Kinds of Sin: Premeditated vs. Opportunistic
- 20:09Why Opportunistic Sin Is Less Severe — But Still Spiritually Dangerous
- 22:13Every Sin Creates a Destructive Angel — You Become Its Hostage
- 23:23Every Mitzvah Also Creates an Angel — and Free Choice Always Remains
- 25:36You Can Never Stop Having Free Choice (Even at Age 98)
- 26:07Three Reflections = Antidote to Three Destructive Traits: Jealousy, Desire, Honor
- 27:57The Rebbe's Reading: Three Audiences for Every Spiritual Teaching
- 28:51Audience 1: The Tzaddik — Just Needs the Three Foundations
- 31:25Audience 2: The Beinoni — Needs to Know the Power of the Soul
- 32:21The Story of the Boy With the Gun on Shabbat Night
- 33:41Audience 3: Those Who've Hit Rock Bottom — Need Spiritual Tough Love
- 35:01Dysfunctional Families in the Torah: Jacob and Esav
- 36:07Esav's Three Questions to Jacob — The Same Three Questions!
- 36:23What Jacob Tells His Family Before Meeting Esav
- 37:45Esav's Three Challenges: You're a Nobody, You'll Fail, Go Back
- 38:26The Answer: "We're Coming From Jacob"
- 39:13The Mincha Offering: Why a Poor Man's Gift Is Called "His Soul"
- 40:09Our Poverty IS Our Soul — We Bring MORE Because We Have Less
- 41:06We Stand on the Shoulders of Greats — AND We Finish Their Job
- 41:52Even in the Messianic Age, Our Generation Will Shine
- 42:01Conclusion: The Greater the Darkness, the Greater Our Light