Torah Parallels

פרשת וישלח Parsha Stumpers/Something to Think About Many know the famous Rashi in our parsha which says “with Lavan I have sojourned...and yet I have kept the 613 mitzvos”. However, many do not realize that that is the second explanation Rashi gives. The first is, “I did not become a dignitary or a notable, but rather a mere sojourner. It therefore does not befit you (Eisav) to hate me over the blessings of your father who blessed me, 'Be a lord to your brothers', for it has not yet been fulfilled in me.” Aren't these two explanations in a couple of ways contradictory to each other? The passuk says (32:8), “And Yaakov became very frightened, and it distressed him....” Why was Yaakov afraid? Certainly a yarei shamayim like Yaakov avinu had complete bitachon in Hashem that his encounter with Eisav would be fine. After all, Hashem had promised to be with Yaakov. So, why was Yaakov afraid? What is the difference between the way that Yaakov prepared to go to ...

Parshas Vayishlach Angels in the Outfield By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּשְׁלַח יַעֲקֹב מַלְאָכִים לְפָנָיו אֶל עֵשָׂו אָחִיו אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר שְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם : וַיְצַו אֹתָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לַאדֹנִי לְעֵשָׂו כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וָאֵחַר עַד עָתָּה : וַיְהִי לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר צֹאן וְעֶבֶד וְשִׁפְחָה וָאֶשְׁלְחָה לְהַגִּיד לַאדֹנִי לִמְצֹא חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ “ And Yaakov sent malachim before him to Eisav his brother to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. He charged them saying, “Thus shall you say, 'To My lord, to Eisav, so said your servant Yaakov: I have sojourned with Lavan and have lingered until now. I have acquired ox and donkey, flock, and servant, and maidservant and I am sending to tell my lord to find favor in your eyes.'” - Vayishlach 32:4-6 The Torah 1 describes that after Yaakov left Lavan's house, he sent malachim ahead of him to try to determine what Eisav's feelings were toward him. Although the word malachim could mean either mes...

Parshas Vayeitzei Mirror Mirror on the Wall: Look Within or Be Without By: Daniel Listhaus וַתֵּרֶא רָחֵל כִּי לֹא יָלְדָה לְיַעֲקֹב וַתְּקַנֵּא רָחֵל בַּאֲחֹתָהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל יַעֲקֹב הָבָה לִּי בָנִים וְאִם אַיִן מֵתָה אָנֹכִי : וַיִּחַר אַף יַעֲקֹב בְּרָחֵל וַיֹּאמֶר הֲתַחַת אֱלֹ ק ים אָנֹכִי אֲשֶׁר מָנַע מִמֵּךְ פְּרִי בָטֶן : וַתֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה אֲמָתִי בִלְהָה בֹּא אֵלֶיהָ וְתֵלֵד עַל בִּרְכַּי וְאִבָּנֶה גַם אָנֹכִי מִמֶּנָּה “ Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Yaakov, and Rachel became envious of her sister she said to Yaakov, 'Give me children - if not I am dead.' Yaakov's anger flared up at Rachel, and he said, 'Am I instead of G-d Who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?' She said, 'Here is my maid Bilhah, come to her, that she may bear upon my knees and I too will be built up through her.'” - Vayeitzei 30:1-3 It is hard to imagine the emotional distress that Rachel was going through during the early years of her marriage. First...

פרשת ויצא Parsha Stumpers / Something to Thing About Where is there a ראיה in this week's parsha that one should wear a shtreimel ? Three types of people are called “dead” even while they are alive. All three appear in this week's parsha . What are they and where do they come up in the parsha ? How could Yaakov avinu come into a foreign land and start bossing around the shepherds and telling them that, as Rashi writes, “If you are hired workers, you have not yet completed the day's work. And if the animals are yours, there is still time in the day...”? Eliphaz was sent by Eisav to kill Yaakov. a. Why is this included in kibud av ? b. What did Yaakov do to get out of the situation? c. Why did this satisfy Eliphaz? There are two times other then the episode with the shepherds by the well that Yaakov seems to go on a rant, so to speak, and “lose his cool”. What is the connection between these three times? Who named the shevatim ? Why did Leah only nam...

Parshas Vayeitzei Truth Be Told By: Daniel Listhaus וְלָבָן הָלַךְ לִגְזֹז אֶת צֹאנוֹ וַתִּגְנֹב רָחֵל אֶת הַתְּרָפִים אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ : וַיִּגְנֹב יַעֲקֹב אֶת לֵב לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי עַל בְּלִי הִגִּיד לוֹ כִּי בֹרֵחַ הוּא “ Lavan had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the teraphim that belonged to her father. Yaakov deceived Lavan the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing” - Vayeitzei 31:19-20 In this week's parsha , we continue to follow Yaakov around and learn from his middos (traits) and qualities. We were introduced to Yaakov avinu in parshas Toldos as the “ ish tam yosheiv ohalim ” 1 - the wholesome man who sat and learned Torah. Rashi 2 further describes Yaakov as a person who was real – someone who the way he acted and spoke purely reflected who he was. After learning these things and getting a glimpse of Yaakov's character, a few of the events in this week's parsha should come as a surprise to us. When Yaakov reached his destination near Charan , t...

פרשת תולדות Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About Rashi (25:20) writes that the Torah praised Rivkah that despite being a daughter of a wicked person, and the sister of a wicked person, still she did not learn from their deeds and instead was righteous. Yet, Rashi (25:21) comments that Hashem only answered the tefillos of Yitzchak – because the prayer of a tzadik ben rasha ( a righteous person who is the son of a wicked person) is not comparable to a tzadik ben tzadik (a righteous person who is the son of a righteous person). Why is this so? Shouldn't the tefillos of someone who, despite their background, is a tzadik, be more dear to Hashem than someone who simply “grew up that way”? The Torah relates that Eisav said to Yaakov, “ P our into me , now, some of that very red stuff for I am exhausted”. Did Eisav not know what the food was called th a t he had to say “that red stuff”? What is the significance of eating in this week's pa r sha ? Hashem promise...

Parshas Toldos Eisav's Fables By: Daniel Listhaus וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף : וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו אֶל יַעֲקֹב הַלְעִיטֵנִי נָא מִן הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה כִּי עָיֵף אָנֹכִי עַל כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמוֹ אֱדוֹם : וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב מִכְרָה כַיּוֹם אֶת בְּכֹרָתְךָ לִי : וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ לָמוּת וְלָמָּה זֶּה לִי בְּכֹרָה : וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב הִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי כַּיּוֹם וַיִּשָּׁבַע לוֹ וַיִּמְכֹּר אֶת בְּכֹרָתוֹ לְיַעֲקֹב : וְיַעֲקֹב נָתַן לְעֵשָׂו לֶחֶם וּנְזִיד עֲדָשִׁים וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלַךְ וַיִּבֶז עֵשָׂו אֶת הַבְּכֹרָה “ And Yaakov boiled a stew, and Eisav came in from the field, and he was exhausted. Eisav said to Yaakov, 'Pour into me, now, some of that very red stuff for I am exhausted.' (He therefore called his name Edom.) Yaakov said, 'Sell, as this day, your birthright to me.' And Eisav said, 'Look, I am going to die, so what use to me is a birthright?' Yaakov said, 'Swear to m...