Parashat Vayishlach
From Zissil
Warning: You are not logged in.
Your IP address will be recorded in this page's edit history.The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
==Meeting Esav== | ==Meeting Esav== | ||
===Messengers to Esav=== | ===Messengers to Esav=== | ||
− | Yackov sent real angels<ref>Rashi Berashis 32:4</ref> ahead of him as messengers to his brother Esov to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. They were to Esav how Yackov has lived as a guest with Lavan. He had not been made an officer or a dignitary but had remained a stranger in their land, unlike Yitzchak's blessing that Yackov would become a master over his brothers and was therefore not worth hating him since it had not been fulfilled.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 32:5">Rashi Berashis 32:5</ref>. Additionally Yackov | + | Yackov sent real angels<ref>Rashi Berashis 32:4</ref> ahead of him as messengers to his brother Esov to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. They were to Esav how Yackov has lived as a guest with Lavan. He had not been made an officer or a dignitary but had remained a stranger in their land, unlike Yitzchak's blessing that Yackov would become a master over his brothers and was therefore not worth hating him since it had not been fulfilled.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 32:5">Rashi Berashis 32:5</ref>. Additionally by using the word 'גרתי' which has a numerical equivalence of 613, Yackov was informing Esov, that despite having lived with the wicked Lavan he had kept the 613 commandments, and I did not learn from his evil deeds, therefore he had protection on his side.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 32:5"/> |
− | Due to all this Yackov had been held up until this point from returning. There he had acquired oxen and donkeys, flocks, servants, and maidservants which were neither from the from the heavens or earth not matching Yitzchok's blessing “of the dew of the heavens and the fatness of the earth”.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 32:6">Rashi Berashis 32:6</ref | + | Due to all this Yackov had been held up until this point from returning. There he had acquired oxen and donkeys, flocks, servants, and maidservants which were neither from the from the heavens or earth not matching Yitzchok's blessing “of the dew of the heavens and the fatness of the earth”.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 32:6">Rashi Berashis 32:6</ref> He was now sending the messengers to inform Esov that Yackov was coming to him<ref name="Rashi Berashis 32:6"/> in peace and seeking his love<ref name="Rashi Berashis 32:6"/> so he may find favor in Esov's eyes. |
− | + | ||
The angels returned to Yackov, informing him how Esav, whom he had called his 'brother' was still behaving like the 'wicked Esav' and with great hatred<ref>Rashi Berashis 32:7</ref> was advancing to attack him along with 400 men. | The angels returned to Yackov, informing him how Esav, whom he had called his 'brother' was still behaving like the 'wicked Esav' and with great hatred<ref>Rashi Berashis 32:7</ref> was advancing to attack him along with 400 men. | ||
Line 35: | Line 34: | ||
# 200 ewes (adult female sheep) | # 200 ewes (adult female sheep) | ||
# 20 twenty rams (adult male sheep) | # 20 twenty rams (adult male sheep) | ||
− | + | # 30 nursing camels with their young children | |
− | # 30 nursing camels with their young children | + | |
#40 cows (female cows) | #40 cows (female cows) | ||
# 10 bulls (male cows) | # 10 bulls (male cows) | ||
# 20 she donkeys (female donkeys) | # 20 she donkeys (female donkeys) | ||
− | # 10 he donkeys (male donkeys) | + | # 10 he donkeys (male donkeys) |
====Space Between the Flocks==== | ====Space Between the Flocks==== | ||
− | Yackov then sent each flock with an individual servant. He instructed his servants to travel | + | Yackov then sent each flock with an individual servant. He instructed his servants to travel in front of him and gaps of space between each other as they proceeded and not to mix together. |
Yackov knew that the time was not ready to fight Esav and if done now he would loose, he therefore spread out the fight over time. By giving Esav the gift, he was in essence handing Edom and the Yetzer Hara the ability to prosecute the Jews over the years.<ref>Shover Zadim Parashat Vayishlach</ref> By placing spaces between the flocks, Yackov managed to invoke a great leniency in this oppression; that going forward even amidst the suffering there would always be breaks and good elements as well. The main suffering is the exaggeration of the situation, where one's mind becomes confounded, feeling like he is being attacked from every direction with absolutely no relief, leading to the feeling of helplessness, causing him to giving up, despair and not be able to cry out to Hashem, which in turn continues to intensifies the suffering. This is even greater than then the actual suffering itself and is the main tool of the Yetzer Hara. Now after Yackov's achievement, one would be able to analyze the situation and break it up in his mind, seeing how even the suffering is limited and that Hashem is also providing good elements and spacing even amidst the suffering, allowing him to cry out to Hashem, survive and move forward.<ref>Likutay Halachos, Hilchos Kilay Behama 4:8</ref> | Yackov knew that the time was not ready to fight Esav and if done now he would loose, he therefore spread out the fight over time. By giving Esav the gift, he was in essence handing Edom and the Yetzer Hara the ability to prosecute the Jews over the years.<ref>Shover Zadim Parashat Vayishlach</ref> By placing spaces between the flocks, Yackov managed to invoke a great leniency in this oppression; that going forward even amidst the suffering there would always be breaks and good elements as well. The main suffering is the exaggeration of the situation, where one's mind becomes confounded, feeling like he is being attacked from every direction with absolutely no relief, leading to the feeling of helplessness, causing him to giving up, despair and not be able to cry out to Hashem, which in turn continues to intensifies the suffering. This is even greater than then the actual suffering itself and is the main tool of the Yetzer Hara. Now after Yackov's achievement, one would be able to analyze the situation and break it up in his mind, seeing how even the suffering is limited and that Hashem is also providing good elements and spacing even amidst the suffering, allowing him to cry out to Hashem, survive and move forward.<ref>Likutay Halachos, Hilchos Kilay Behama 4:8</ref> | ||
ּ | ּ | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
===Crossing of Yabok=== | ===Crossing of Yabok=== | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
===Fighting the Angel=== | ===Fighting the Angel=== | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
===The Meeting=== | ===The Meeting=== | ||
− | |||
==Incident of Dena== | ==Incident of Dena== |