Torah Parallels

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Vayishlach The Wholesome Man By: Daniel Listhaus וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב שָׁלֵם עִיר שְׁכֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בְּבֹאוֹ מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם וַיִּחַן אֶת פְּנֵי הָעִיר “And Yaakov came intact to the city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan, upon his coming from Paddan-aram, and he encamped before the city.” -Vayishlach 33:18             After fighting with the malach (angel) of Eisav and meeting up with Eisav himself after so many years, the Torah testifies that Yaakov did not merely survive his life's circumstances, but rather emerged complete and intact. Rashi [1] explains that Yaakov came out complete in every facet a man has to deal with: his body, his money, and his relationship with Hashem. [2] Indeed, despite the fact that Yaakov was injured while fighting with the malach of Eisav, that he had given a tremendous amount of money to Eisav as a gift in order to appease him, and that he had spent so many years in the

~ Something to Think About ~ פרשת וישלח Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus (32:4) Rashi explains that Yaakov sent angels to his brother Eisav. Why did he have to send angels as opposed to regular messengers? (32:5) 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 contradictory to each other in the sense that one is meant to scare Eisav and the other is to calm him? (32:5) How could Yaakov claim to have kept all 613  mitzvos  if some were not even possible to do yet? (32:5-6) Why did Yaakov focus on tryin

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ 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 whose actions and speech 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 sur

~ Something to Think About ~ ויצא פרשת    Parsha Stumpers By: Daniel Listhaus Three types of people are called “dead” even while they are alive. All three appear in this week's parsha and Rashi . What are they and where do they come up in the parsha ? (28:11) What is the significance of naming a city? Who is allowed to name a city? (28:11) Rashi comments that the stones were all fighting which would be the one to have Yaakov’s head rest on. Since when do rocks fight? (28:12) Rashi writes that the angels first ascended the ladder before the others descended. Shouldn’t it have been the opposite in order for Yaakov not to be left alone even for a moment without “protection”? (28:13) Rashi writes that Hashem attached His Name to Yitzchak because Yitzchak was 1. blind and 2. confined to his house -  and therefore as if he was dead. Why does Rashi add in that Yitzchak was “confined to his house”? (28:15