בּ"ה
Parshas Vayishlach
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‘And Yaakov remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until the rise of dawn. And he [the “man”] saw that he was not able to [overcome] him [Yaakov], and he touched in the “spoon” of his thigh, and the “spoon” of Yaakov’s thigh was dislocated in wrestling with him. And he [the “man”] said to him [Yaakov]; “Send me away, for dawn has risen. . .’ (Bereishis 32:25-27)
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Who was this man? Rashi zt”l quotes that our Rabbis say it was the Angel of Esav, (whom is said to be the Satan).
We learn a huge lesson from this account for our own lives: Rachmana Litzlan, the Yetzer Hara (whom the Satan can represent) is almost always trying to attack -- or wrestle -- us. If not in one way then likely in another. But of course, we fight back. And we are stronger than the Yetzer Hara, and with the Help of Hashem, we overcome it. So what does the Yetzer Hara sometimes then do when he sees ‘that he cannot overcome us’?
He ‘strikes the “spoon” of our thigh-bone’.* The pelvic bones, says the wonderful Mussar sefer Orchos Tzaddikim, and thighs, represent the foundation.
What does the Yetzer Hara do? It tries to strike at our foundation -- our Emunah (faith in Hashem and His Truths), the very foundation of all of our good deeds, etc. It tries to give us questions in our faith.
But then what can we do to beat it? How can we “heal” the strikes of doubt that the Yetzer Hara throws at our Emunah? Doubt-full questions shot at our faith obviously can be answered, but nevertheless they are hard to overcome and put us in a very difficult situation! However, the holy Torah alludes to us the answer: When did the Satan have to go? When dawn broke -- i.e. it became light. And there is no greater light than from Hashem and His Torah.
Learning Torah and trying to connect to Hashem are two extremely important steps to beating the Yetzer Hara. And not only that, but the Gemara (Shabbos 33b) quotes the verse (33:18) ‘And Yaakov came whole. . .’ and says: “And Rav says: Whole in his body. . .” On that, explains Rashi zt”l that Yaakov Avinu had healed. Meaning that through our Torah learning, any blow that was, Chas V’Shalom inflicted upon us by the Yetzer Hara can also even be healed.
The Light of Avodas Hashem (the Service of Hashem) and Torah is always there, ready for us to illuminate our lives with it, ridding away the darkness of the Yetzer Hara.
(Tal U’Matar)
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* See Rashi zt”l on this verse, to the words ויגע בכף ירכו.
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‘And Yaakov asked, and he said: “Tell, please, your name.” And he [the Angel] said; “Why is this that you ask for my name?” And he blessed him [Yaakov] there.’ (Bereishis 32:30)
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Explains the Kedushas Tzion [the second Bobover Rebbe -- HaRav Ben-Tzion Halberstam zt”l]; the Yetzer Hara,* didn’t want to say his name, because his strength is when he is concealed and people do not know that he is there. Afterall, nobody desires to listen to the Yetzer Hara, who is trying to harm us.
But the Yetzer Hara tries to deceive people and tell them that a transgression is a Mitzvah [or just an okay thing to do]. And people aren’t aware that he is the one giving the counsel, Rachmana Litzlan! His strength comes from his ambiguity.
(Quoted in Torah Wellsprings)
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* Represented by the Angel who fought with Yaakov Avinu. See above.
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‘And Esav ran towards him, and he embraced him, and he fell upon his neck and he kissed him, and they wept.’ (Bereishis 33:4)
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In a Torah Scroll, there are dots on the word ‘וישקהו’ -- ‘and he kissed him’: Quotes Rashi zt”l, there is a debate in a Baraisa of Sifri about this: Some interpret the dots on top of the word to mean that although Esav kissed Yaakov Avinu, he did not kiss him with all his heart. However, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (zt”l) holds that at that time, he actually kissed him with all his heart.
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‘And Esav said; “There is to me much -- יש לי רב”’ (Bereishis 33:9)
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‘And Yaakov said. . . “There is to me everything -- יש לי כל.”’ (Bereishis 33:10-11)
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The Chofetz Chaim zt”l tells us to look at Rashi zt”l’s commentary to this discrepancy in language, but he also suggests his own insight: With these two words, he says, -- רב, ‘much’, and כל, ‘all’, Yaakov Avinu and Esav expressed their Hashkafos (views) about This World:
Esav said “There is to me much”, meaning that yes, he had much, but ‘when one has one-hundred, they want two-hundred,’ as our Sages say, [and he was the embodiment of this]. But Yaakov Avinu said; “There is to me everything”, meaning, continues the Chofetz Chaim, “I lack nothing.”
Esav set his eyes upon the money and desires of the world, he concludes, while Yaakov Avinu was satisfied with what he had.
(Chofetz Chaim al HaTorah)
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|~Maaseh~| Reb Michoel would say Bircas HaMazon with great concentration and intent, and from inside a Bentcher. One of his grandchildren once inquired of him about his special devotion in this Mitzvah. Reb Michoel answered with the following episode:
When he was a child, in Poland before WWII, HaRav Meir Shapiro zt”l paid a visit to his cheder in order to test the boys. They knew the answers very well, and, after finishing, he gave them a “prize”: He told over to them the words of the Be’er Heiteiv, who brings the words of the Sefer HaChinuch, that anyone who says Bircas HaMazon slowly, word after word and from inside a Siddur [or Bentcher, likely], will not lack any food during his whole lifetime!
“When I heard these words, they made a strong impact on my heart, and I felt that Rabbi Shapiro was talking directly to me.” he added. From that moment on, young Michoel felt an urge to take special care when Bentching, having kavanah (concentration) for each and every word he said.
Soon after, WWII broke out. One day, young Michoel found himself standing before the Nazis in a “selektzia,” “selection”. All women, children, and elderly went to the left, sadly, to their deaths, while the strong and able ones went the other way to intense and backbreaking labor. Being taller than others his age, young Michoel tiptoed to make himself look even taller, and to his delight, he was sent to the right for labor. Soon thereafter, each one was asked what they were used to work at. Being a young lad, poor Michoel had never worked and was in a dilemma not having what to answer.
Suddenly, a voice behind him whispered in his ear, “Tell them you are a good cook and I am your helper!” When his turn came to answer, he said as he was told to and miraculously they were both given a job in the kitchen! With this alone he saw how the words of the Sefer HaChinuch came true: In the kitchen, although they were in the concentration camps, food was unlimited. He had a continuous supply of basic foods. Because of this, he looked better and healthier than other inmates. Even so, Michoel never stopped his saying Bircas HaMazon with extra care and kavanah.* If he ever calculated that he would be unable to bentch slowly, he preferred to forgo a meal, rather than to bentch hastily!
One day a German General visited the kitchen and noticed that this Jewish lad looked better and fatter than the other inmates. This got him annoyed. “Where do you think you are?” he yelled at young Michoel. “Do you think this is some hotel? Is this a place to fatten young lads?!” He demanded that Michoel follow him outside. Once outside, he handed him a small hammer and commanded him to dig a bunker one meter deep and one meter long. “If you finish it within the next couple of hours, you’ll be allowed back in to the kitchen!” he bellowed at young Michoel.
Poor Michoel! His world turned black for him. If until now he thought he was living in a much better situation in the camps, from now on his dreams were slashed. How could he ever get anywhere with this small hammer? He knew his fate was near. But he still did not despair. He turned Heavenward and asked Hashem to have mercy on him.
Shortly thereafter, a truck stopped a few meters away from where Michoel stood. A bunch of SS soldiers got out and when they saw Michoel -- a young Jewish lad with a hammer in hand -- they got very angry and began pelting him with vegetables from the truck. In a short time he was covered with potatoes, carrots, and cucumbers! Not to forget all the curses and bruises that he endured.
Michoel felt the hand of Hashem, though, as he received hundreds of veggies at his feet. Even so, with all that bounty, as it were, he was still far from a salvation. The bunker needed to be dug!
Michoel still clung to his bitochon (trust in Hashem) and hoped that rescue would come shortly. Not an hour passed, and another truckload of soldiers got out. This time it was Polish soldiers. When they saw all that stuff, they were certain that Michoel was in charge and begged of him permission to take some vegetables. Michoel struck on a brainwave: He told them that if they would dig a pit of two meters in a short time, they would get most of the veggies.
They returned to their truck and came out with tools. Within a very short time the pit was dug and they received their reward! Michoel had clearly seen now how the promise of the Sefer HaChinuch really came true! With tears in his eyes, he made his way to the kitchen and called the officer. The fellow came out to look at Michoel’s work and was speechless! He rubbed his eyes to see whether he was dreaming!
He added that he always heard that the Jews had a special protection from Above. Now his seeing was believing. Saying so, he let Michoel return to the kitchen and he stayed at this post until the end of the war. From that day on, Michoel vowed to keep his minhag tov (good custom) and take extra care when saying Bircas HaMazon.
(Story related in Shabbos Gems)
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* A Bentcher, obviously, would have been extremely difficult to procure in the camps.
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Gut and meaningful Shabbos to all!
