Lessons from וישלח

The של״ה הקודש summarizes each Parsha with lessons to be learned. The lessons from וישלח are as follows:

When one prays and asks something from Hashem, he should be specific in what he asks for. Yakov asked to be saved "from his brother, from Eisav."

From the words קטונתי מכל החסדים we learn that one should live frugally so as not to use up one's merits.

From והיה המחנה הנשאר לפליטה we learn that one should spread out his investments in different places as Yakov divided up his camp.

From the Pasuk, הסירו את אלוהי הניכר, to remove false deities, we are taught to clean our homes of foreign and impure objects. We must keep our homes holy as in והיה מחניך קדוש, "Your camp should be holy." Shavua Tov

Yakov Avinu

Yakov Avinu is a very complicated personality. On the one hand, he is forced to deal with very low people such as Lavan and Eisav. But on the other hand, he's on the level to fight with a spiritual being like an angel.

It is obvious that Yakov had attained a very high level of holiness as was also attested by the dream that he had with the ladder and the angels.

The manner in which he was able to be so connected to the spiritual world and at the same time, have his feet on the ground to deal with pure evil, is both remarkable and an example of something we are to strive towards.

The Rabbis have a saying that יעקב לא מת. The Pasuk in the Torah was ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות, that Yisrael was going to die but not Yakov. The של״ה הקודש said that this was learned from the words, ותחי רוח יעקב , that Yakov's spirit lived. At that time, he had תחיית המתים and he never died. He was very much like אליהו הנביא in that he comes on numerous occasions to help his children.

We say מעשה אבות סימן לבנים, that what happened to the Avot is a sign for the children. There is a great deal to be learned from Yakov Avinu. Shabbat Shalom

Pause and Reflect

  The Ramchal spoke about the importance of being able to "pause and reflect." This means that we need to take regular moments where we stop and think about the direction we are going, and what we are achieving.

The inability to do this, causes us to wander aimlessly without being able to see if the path we are taking is the right one.

The Ramchal says further that if a person never does this, he is on a lower level than an animal. An animal uses its G-d given instincts to separate itself from danger. It is constantly on the lookout for potential attackers and it tries to find shelter from animals of prey.

If a person never stops to think about what he's doing and just continues to act according to how he feels, and he does not look at the potential danger of his behavior, he is lower than an animal.

One of the tricks of the יצר הרע is to keep us so occupied, that we don't have the time to think. We must take the Ramchal's advise to regularly on a daily basis, do some self reflection that will help get us back on track to serve Hashem and live according to His laws in the proper way.

Needs of the Soul

There is a great deal written in the Mussar books such as מסילת ישרים and ספר הישר about how one needs to focus his concentration on the needs of his soul. The tendency is to worry about our physical and material needs, without realizing that our spiritual needs might be the key to eliminating such worries.

The truly holy individuals are the ones who are detached from the physical world. Material satisfaction is of very little consequence when one feels Hashem's Presence close to him at all times. That spiritual joy far surpasses anything attained in the physical world.

We need to be reminded from time to time of the existence of our soul altogether- especially when our lives become so hectic on a day to day basis. We need to reiterate the fact that our souls have needs just as the body does. Our souls have an eternal aspect about them. And finally, our souls are the source for what ultimately gives us peace of mind and contentment.

Reward and Punishment

Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi, who has become very popular with his internet lectures, tells the story of how he became a Baal Teshuva. It is based on the Rambam's details of the Torah's penal system.

The Torah enumerates four death penalties for various transgressions. There is stoning, burning by fire, decapitation, and strangulation. In addition, there is also Karet as well as מיתה בידי שמים, death at the hands of Heaven. There are also 207 cases of lashes in the Torah. And finally, there are monetary penalties for various sins such as stealing and rape and seduction.

Rabbi Mizrachi was confronted by a relative who asked how he could be so sure that the punishments in the Torah would not be implemented. Was he willing to risk that the Torah was outdated and these penalties did not apply any longer?

This made Rabbi Mizrachi think a great deal. He came to the conclusion that it was not worth taking such a risk. This was the single event that motivated him to return to Judaism and allowed him to become an extremely influential rabbi.

Reward and punishment is not something that we should take lightly. We need to wake up and more carefully observe the Torah and Mitzvot.

מודה אני

The first chief rabbi of Israel, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook זצ״ל, made an interesting observation about the מודה אני prayer that we say every morning.

The prayer gives thanks to Hashem for restoring our souls after a night's sleep. The Rabbis say that sleep is a fraction of actual death. Therefore, we are not to take for granted that we were given the blessing of being able to wake up each morning.

Rav Kook wrote that an individual who takes this prayer seriously each day, and says it with a great deal of Kavana, is on a very high spiritual level. Before tending to his daily needs, his very first instinct when he opens his eyes is, "Thank you Hashem for letting me live another day."

His high level of spirituality prioritizes for him, his order of priorities. First acknowledge Hashem's Chesed, then go about your business of the day. This will also help a person deal with his daily challenges in the right perspective. Our dependence on G-d comes before everything else. Think about this tomorrow when you say מודה אני.

A Lesson from Mother Rachel

Shavua Tov. Rav Elazar Abuchatzeira זצ״ל used to say that there was a huge message to be learned from the devoted behavior of Rachel Imeinu.

Rachel obviously knew of her father's plan to switch Leah as Yakov's bride. However, she also knew that if she would have protested and exposed her father's devious plot, it would have destroyed her sister. Leah would have been a laughing stock, she may have had to marry Eisav, and she certainly would not have been remembered as a matriarch. Hashem later rewarded Rachel for her loyalty.

Rav Elazar said that we learn from this not to be ruthless. Even if we are right and the other side may have acted improperly, we will see no blessing if we destroy that person. A Jew is always expected to act with compassion even when wronged. This lesson was taught by our Mother Rachel.

Lessons from פרשת ויצא

The של״ה הקודש ends each Parsha with lessons to be learned from each Parsha. There are several from פרשת ויצא:

When we visit a historic site, we should stand in awe of it as Yakov did after his dream. We should also treat our synagogues and בתי מדרש with respect.

We should not ask Hashem for more than the necessities of life as Yakov asked for bread to eat and clothing to wear. לחם לאכול ובגד ללבוש.

One should always speak politely as Yakov asked, אחי, מאין אתם.

Yakov reprimanded the shepherds for leaving work early. He said, עוד היום גדול, meaning there's plenty of daylight. This is a hint that we should do תשובה while there is still time.

The Pasuk of וגללו את האבן that Yakov removed the stone from the well is a רמז that we should remove all of the obstacles preventing the גאולה.

Nice lessons to be learned from פרשת ויצא. Shabbat Shalom

An Honest Day's Work

The של״ה הקודש says that an important lesson learned from the Parsha, is the importance of putting in an honest day's work. This is learned from Yakov Avinu when he reprimanded the other shepherds for leaving their job too early in the day. Their answer was that they were unable to remove the heavy stone that was on the well.

Yakov also set the example of hard work with the diligence that he worked for Lavan for twenty years. He barely rested and worked days and nights.

We are to learn from this that when we are hired to do a job, we are expected to do it well. If we are paid by the hour, we are to be certain that we work a full hour and that we do not cheat or mislead our employer. Aside from it being the proper thing to do, if we are religious and we don't act properly, it would be a Chilul Hashem.

עבודה זרה

The Rambam in the Mishna Torah says that there are fifty one out of the 613 Mitzvot that fall under the category of עבודה זרה. He explains that idol worship first began when individuals began substituting Hashem's awesome creations for G-d Himself.

It began with worshipping the sun instead of viewing the sun as a proof of Hashem's power and might. Instead of the sun being the vehicle to intensify our belief in G-d, people got sidetracked and turned the vehicle into a deity.

The Rabbis tell us בכל דרכיו דעיהו, in all your ways, know Him. This means that we are to be aware of Hashem's Presence in everything we do. Even when we exercise, we don't make the exercise the ultimate, but it is a means of serving G-d better with a healthy, well tuned body.

Anything can become עבודה זרה if we give it too much importance and we take G-d out of the equation. Even Halacha can become עבודה זרה if we stop seeing at as a means of getting closer to Hashem and it becomes an end in itself.

מעשר כספים

Rav Avraham Yosef, the son of Rav Ovadia זצ״ל, made an interesting observation regarding מעשר כספים, the obligation to give one tenth of our income to צדקה.Although there are three opinions on the subject, Torah obligation, rabbinic obligation, or custom, Rav Yosef emphatically claims it is a rabbinic obligation for the simple reason that the מעשר that we take for fruits and vegetables, are also rabbinic nowadays. When the majority of Jews were farmers, the tithing was taken from crops. For others whose income may have come from commerce, the מעשר was paid with money.Rav Yosef goes on to say that because it is rabbinical, families who are struggling and have difficulty in "finishing the month", they should view their charity as supporting the members of their households. They do not need to give outside of their homes.The obligation to give ten or even twenty per cent of income, applies only to those who can afford it. His opinion makes sense and is worth sharing. But, on the other hand, we should bear in mind the importance of charity and the power it gives. The rabbis say, צדקה תציל ממות, charity saves one from death.One needs to do careful soul searching to be certain that this Mitzva is not taken lightly.

ערלה

We came across some interesting details about the Mitzva of ערלה in our Talmud class today. It is well known that we must wait three years before the fruit of a newly planted tree may be eaten.What is not so well known is how to calculate these three years. The Halacha is that the counting goes from Rosh Hashana. This means that as long as a tree was planted thirty days before Rosh Hashana, it counts as one year. Therefore, the shortest amount of time to eat from the fruit of a new tree would be twenty five months.The longest amount of time would theoretically be thirty six months and twenty nine days.This thirty days before Rosh Hashana rule also applies to the year of Shmitta. If planting took place thirty or more days before Rosh Hashana that would begin the Shmitta year, the planting would be considered a sixth year planting. If planting took place less than thirty days before, it would be viewed as seventh year planting, which is forbidden. In such a case, whatever was planted would have to be uprooted. Interesting Halacha.

Rebuke Brings Peace

Shavua Tov. One final message from the Parsha from the של״ה הקודש. There is a Pasuk that says והוכיח יצחק את אבימלך, that Yitzchak rebuked Avimelech about the wells that belonged to Yitzchak that Avimelech filled up.This section is followed by a treaty that followed between them. From here the Rabbis learn that תוכחה מביא לידי שלום, that sincere rebuke leads to peace. It's preferred that when someone wrongs us that we not keep this to ourselves, but let the other side know what they've done.This is especially true when the wrong done is caused by monetary loss, bodily harm or shaming. One of the classic brilliant remarks made by Shlomo Hamelech in Mishlei is, "Rebuke a wise man and you gain a friend. Rebuke a fool, and you gain an enemy."Pirkei Avot also lists אהוב את התוכחות, loving rebuke, as one of the forty eight ways to acquire the Torah.

Outsmarting Eisav

The story of Yakov taking the Bracha from Eisav is one of the more puzzling stories in the Torah. And despite this incident, we say תתן אמת ליעקב, that Yakov stands out for his truthfulness.The של״ה הקדוש tries to explain this from a more mystical level in terms of how Eisav represented the קליפה and the pollution brought into the world by the snake. The snake is known for its trickery and deceit. Yakov had to defeat the evil of Eisav with some trickery of his own.Another explanation comes from the Tehillim and the Book of Shmuel. There is a clear recommendation that one has to know what he's dealing with. If one's interaction is with a Tzaddik, he could let down his guard and be totally open. But when dealing with an evil crook like Eisav, you have to outsmart him as Yakov did. Shabbat Shalom

מאה שערים

There is an interesting Pasuk in this week's Parsha, תולדות. Speaking of Yitzchak's tremendous wealth it says, "וימצא בשנה ההיא מאה שערים", that he found that year 100 measures. (The word שער can mean "gate" or "measure" as in שער יציג).The Midrash says that Yitzchak received 100 times more than what was reasonably expected. The Torah bothered to give a measurement in order to tell us that the Patriarchs were careful to set the example of giving tithes or a tenth of their earnings.Avraham gave 10% to מלכי צדק who was referred to as a כהן. (The של״ה הקודש claims that אהרון הכהן was a reincarnation of מלכי צדק). Yaakov made a pledge to Hashem that he would give מעשר, or a tenth of what he received. And Yitzchak carefully measured his harvest to be sure that he gave his מעשר.The message here is to emphasize the importance of giving our own מעשר to צדקה. We see from Yitzchak the abundant blessings that are received because of the fulfillment of this difficult Mitzva.

מאה שעריםThere is an interesting Pasuk in this week's Parsha, תולדות. Speaking of Yitzchak's tremendous wealth it says, "וימצא בשנה ההיא מאה שערים", that he found that year 100 measures. (The word שער can mean "gate" or "measure" as in שער יציג).The Midrash says that Yitzchak received 100 times more than what was reasonably expected. The Torah bothered to give a measurement in order to tell us that the Patriarchs were careful to set the example of giving tithes or a tenth of their earnings.Avraham gave 10% to מלכי צדק who was referred to as a כהן. (The של״ה הקודש claims that אהרון הכהן was a reincarnation of מלכי צדק). Yaakov made a pledge to Hashem that he would give מעשר, or a tenth of what he received. And Yitzchak carefully measured his harvest to be sure that he gave his מעשר.The message here is to emphasize the importance of giving our own מעשר to צדקה. We see from Yitzchak the abundant blessings that are received because of the fulfillment of this difficult Mitzva.

שכל and יצר

The ספר הישר of Rabbeinu Tam speaks of the war between the יצר הרע and one's שכל. Sometimes we use the word שכל to mean common sense but here it means more in that the שכל if used properly will help a person make the right choices.Rabbeinu Tam is reminding us that the יצר and the שכל are two powerful sources within every human being. The struggle between the two is described as an all out war. We should never give ourselves the credit for overcoming the יצר.It is Hashem's kindness that allows us to be victorious over the יצר. It is likely that Hashem sees how hard we are trying to walk in His ways and may appreciate the acts of kindness that we do for others that gives the שכל the edge in this battle.Humility is the key in every situation and without Hashem's love and direction, we would not succeed.It is even written that Rabbi Akiva could also have fallen with the other three rabbis that entered the Pardes. Only because of Hashem's mercy, was he able to come out unscathed.

More on Laziness

We mentioned the problem of עצלות or laziness as a major obstacle in the performance of Mitzvot. We also defined זריזות or alacrity as the opposite positive trait to laziness.The Orchot Tzaddikim describes the עצלן as the master of making excuses to get out of doing things that he knows he ought to do. One of his best excuses is that there are others that are lazier than him, so considering everything, he's not so bad.A person must take hold of himself to be self motivated. Many shy away from a religious way of life because they don't have the proper discipline.The Orchot Tzaddikim says that one can direct his laziness in a positive way. If he is being enticed to do a sin, or to go somewhere that he knows is bad for him, that's the time to use laziness skills to prevent oneself from doing the wrong thing.If the rabbis wrote so much about laziness, then it must be something to be very much aware of.

חברון

The importance of the city of Chevron is wmphasized in פרשת חיי שרה. It is the second holiest city in Israel and the first area that was purchased by a Jew, Avraham Avinu.Avraham understood that there was something special about this city as it was the gateway to the Garden of Eden. He was offered it as a gift but insisted on paying an exorbitant amount so that it was known that it belonged to the Jews.The Midrash says that Adam and Eve felt they were unworthy to be buried together with such special people as Avraham and Sarah. The latter appeased Adam and Eve and assured them they would be good neighbors in eternity.Every morning in the Beit Hamikdash, the Kohanim looked to the south to Chevron, to see the first signs of morning. When they did, they shouted the word, "Barkai" to announce the morning. Chevron was and is a very special place, indeed.

Sarah's Fulfilled Life

Shavua Tov. There is an interesting explanation to the death of שרה אמינו. Most commentators connect her death to עקידת יצחק and the grief she felt caused her soul to leave her.Another way of looking at this episode was that the Akeida was the very incident that gave Sarah, the ultimate satisfaction and contentment as a Jewish mother.The goal of every Jew is to raise their children and grandchildren in the way of Judaism according to the example they set and the values they instill in them. This is a lifelong task that is usually never completely fulfilled.In Sarah's case, Yitzchak was everything she had in terms of the future. When she heard of her son's incredible faith and willingness to sanctify Hashem's name at the Akeida, her life was done. Yitzchak had surpassed her in a way beyond anything she could have taught him. She died a happy woman.We should follow Sarah's example of making it our biggest priority to never stop trying to teach our children right from wrong, holy from profane, and important from unimportant. Hopefully, our children will listen and glean from our wisdom and experience.