HaMaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Vayishlach Volume VI/Number 8 (242) 16 Kislev 5752/November 23, 1991 Parasha Overview Ramban writes: "This Parasha was written to teach us that Hashem saved His servant [Yaakov] from one stronger than he [i.e. Esav], and it teaches that Yaakov did not rely on his own righteousness, but rather helped himself to the extent of his own power. This Parasha also contains a hint of the future, in that everything that happened to Yaakov descendants in their dealings with Esav's descendants. We should therefore adopt the same three- pronged approach that Yaakov did, praying to Hashem for salvation and giving gifts to Esav, while at the same time preparing for war." (The Midrash alludes to this when stating that the early sages used to review this Parasha whenever they were called upon to lobby imperial officials in Rome.) Later in the Parasha we see that Yaakov did not rely on a miracle at any time (not only in his dealings with Esav). Thus we read that Yaakov took a first step towards realizing the fulfillment of Hashem's promise to the "Avot" (Patriarchs) by buying land in Israel (R' Akiva Yosef Schlesinger, quoted in Eim Habanim Semaichah). In his famous essay Ikvita D'meshicha (written in 1938), R' Elchanan Wasserman HY"D) elaborated on the above Ramban, and noted that in our century the prophecies of Parashat Vayishlach are coming true. The outstanding feature of our times, according to R' Elchanan, is the tendency of many Jews to seek solutions to their problems outside the framework of Torah. Just as when Yaakov met Esav he lined up his family with the children of the concubines first, and then son of his primary wife (Rachel) last, so today, wrote R' Elchanan (in the name of the "Vilna Gaon"), Torah scholars are pushed to the rear and other would-be "leaders" come forward. At the same time, the messenger of Esav who could not defeat Yaakov in a one-on-one battle is now capturing Yaakov's children through new "Avodot Zarot" (forms of idolatry) - R' Elchanan refers to these as "-isms" (e.g. Nationalism, Socialism, and Communism) - that tear Jews away from Torah. "What can a person do to be saved from the birth-pangs of Mashiach?" The Gemara asks. "Let him study Torah and perform acts of kindness." Chazal teach that the injury which Yaakov sustained to his thigh alludes to Esav's ability to weaken the financial support for Torah. (Yaakov, the "dweller in tents," represents the Torah scholar, and his thigh was literally what supported him.) Fittingly, this week's Haftara (the entire book of Ovadiah)* is the prophecy of one descendant of Esav who rejected his ancestor's ways: Ovadiah the convert, who single-handedly supported 100 Torah scholars and prophets who the evil king of Yisrael, Achav, sought to kill. Chazal teach the it was the merit of this act which propelled Ovadiah into the ranks of the prophets. Ovadiah alludes to the above idea in the verse, "In Har Tzeon [Zion] there will be salvation..." (1:17), for "Tzeon" represents Torah scholars. "Tzeon" is related to "Metzuyan" meaning "outstanding"; Hashem's love for Tzeon alludes to His attachment to those places which stand-out as houses of study. Furthermore, the "Gematria" of "Tzeon" (=156) equals that of "Yosef", alluding to the verse, "A wise man will listen and add ["Yosef"] understanding." (R' Yosef Chaim of Baghdad: Birkat Chaim). Interestingly, Yosef the son of Yaakov is described by the prophets and by Chazal as the ultimate threat to Esav and his ideas. According to the Vilna Gaon, the redemption that will be brought about by Yosef (in defeating Esav) occurs any time we take actions that hasten the redemption, if we recognize that our success ultimately depends on Hashem (R' Meir Schlesinger, Shlita). *Some Sephardic congregations read instead Hoshea 11:7-12:12 which we discussed last week. The idea expressed by R' Yosef Chaim above is found elsewhere in the Haftara as well, such as in its first verse, which states, "We have heard an announcement from Hashem..." R' Zvi Elimelech of Dinov notes that "Hashem" sometimes refers as well to those who study Torah (see Devarim 11:22 and Rashi there). As long as Esav does not disturb those who study Torah, he is safe. When, however, he causes Torah scholars to call out in pain to G-d (i.e. to "announce" their suffering), then Esav's downfall will begin. (Kli Haro'im) We read in the Parasha that Esav said to his brother, "Let us travel together." Yaakov responded, "You, sir, go ahead, and I will travel at my own pace and at the pace of my children until I reach your land." However, the Torah does not record that Yaakov ever visited Esav. Was Yaakov lying? No! Rashi explains that Yaakov was referring to the time of Mashiach when, as the Haftara prophesies, "The saviors will go forth from Har Tzeon to judge [the inhabitants of] Har Esav." In the meantime, notes R' Hirsch (commenting on verse 33:16), "Esav returned to his way," i.e. his old ways. Someday, however, the brotherly affection demonstrated in this brief meeting will be realized by the descendants of these two men (R' Hirsch). On that day, as Ovadiah concludes, "Rulership will belong to Hashem [alone]." ************************************ "And Yaakov said to his household..., 'Remove the foreign gods which are among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes'." (35:2) Rashi writes that this refers to the foreign gods which Yaakov's sons picked up in Shechem. Is it really possible that these righteous men collected idols in Shechem, and kept them with them until now? No! Rashi is not referring to physical idols. Rather the foreign gods which Yaakov refers to are the evil influences which "rubbed-off" on Yaakov's sons when they dealt with the people of Shechem. Even when one goes to make war against evil, one must be wary of evil's influence. (R' Meshulam David Soloveitchek, Shlita) ************************************ "And [Yaakov arose that night and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven children, and crossed the Yabok [River] crossing" (B'reishit 32:33). Where was Dina [Yaakov's twelfth child]? Yaakov had hid her so that Esav would not see her and desire her. Yaakov was punished for this, for if Esav had married Dina, she might have caused him to repent. (B'reishit Rabbah) Granted that the Torah refers to Yaakov's eleven children, when he actually had twelve at the time, but how does the Midrash know that the missing child was Yaakov's daughter, Dina? Perhaps she was present and one of her brothers was missing! The Vilna Gaon explains that Dina's absence is learned from another Midrash. There it states that the reason the Bet Hamikdash was built in Binyamin's territory is that he did not bow down to Esav. [He had not yet been born.] This proves that Yaakov's eleven other sons did bow down to Esav, for if they had not, the Bet Hamikdash could have been built in the territory of one of them. The Gaon's answer demonstrates the severity of the sin of honoring a "Rasha" - an evil person - such as Esav. After all, the Bet Hamikdash was built in Binyamin's territory because he did not bow down to Esav, yet the reason Binyamin did not do so was only that he had not yet been born! However, honoring an "Esav", like all great sins, causes a blemish on the sinner's very being, and leaves him a changed person. Only Binyamin, who did not have this blemish, could have the Bet Hamikdash on his land. (R' Shimon Muller: Shai Latorah) ************************************ R' Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin ("Netziv") The fourth and last Rosh Yeshiva of the original Volozhin Yeshiva was one of the most unusual scholars of the 19th century. In principle, his program of study continued his predecessors' incessant search for the "P'shat" - simple, contextual meaning - of the Talmud and the Halacha that was derived from it. However, Netziv brought a new tool to this quest: the literature of the "Geonim." [For a discussion of the period and works of the Geonim, the sages who flourished in Bavel from 589 to 1038, the reader is referred to Hamaayan for Parashot Terumah, Acharei and Emor of last year.] Before the Netziv, students of Torah were not accustomed to studying the geonic literature such as Halachot Gedolot ("Behag") and She'iltot D'rav Achai. However, in an essay entitled Kidmat Ha'emek (published as a preface to He'emek She'ailah, Netziv's commentary to the She'iltot) Netziv explained his view that the works of the Geonim and those of the Rishonim (1038-1492) are two different, but complimentary, sides of the "Torah-coin." There have always been two methods of Torah study, Netziv wrote: one which he calls "Dat" ("law"), and another named "Eish" ("fire"). "Law" refers to the transmission from teacher to student of definitive Halachot, and was the method of study, according to the Netziv, of the tribe of Levi, later, of the Talmud Yerushalmi, and finally, of the Geonim. "Fire", on the other hand, refers to investigation - constructing and reconstructing laws from the first-principles given to Moshe at Har Sinai. This was the style of the tribe of Yehuda, later, of the Talmud Bavli, and finally of the Rishonim. Only when these are combined, however, does one have the whole Torah which Hashem gave "from His right hand, 'Eish-dat' to us" (Devarim 33:2). It was Netziv's philosophy on this matter which led him to write such unusual works as his commentaries to the She'iltot and some early Midrashim. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Daily Mishnah Midot 5:3-4 (Learn two Mishnayot every day) Daily Halacha Orach Chaim (Mishnah Berura) 321:10-12 (Learn three paragraphs each day) Daf Yomi Sukkah 25 (Learn two sides of a page each day) Shmirat Halashon: 9:3-4 or Guard Your Tongue: "Rechilus" 9:9-10 Rambam - 1 Chapter / Day Hilchot Dayot: Chapter 2 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:P166,N327,P167,N328,N199; Su:P156,N197,N198; M:N200,N201,P158 Tu:P157,Mishneh Torah, End of Laws of Chometz and Matzah:Text of the Hagaddah. P170. W:P168; Th:P169; F:P171 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this week's HaMaayan is sponsored by: The Edeson families on the first Yahrzeit of Mr. Joseph Edeson, A"H ************************************ SPECIAL GIFT OFFER For a limited time only, all HaMaayan sponsors will receive free of charge (upon request) a diskette copy of all of last year's issues of HaMaayan. Sponsorships begin at $18.00