Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Vayishlach "For Appearance's Sake . . ." Volume 24, No. 8 18 Kislev 5770 December 5, 2009 Today's Learning: Nach: Melachim I 11-12 Parah 11:3-4 O.C. 370:8-371:2 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Bava Batra 96 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi):31 Begin reciting "Ve'tain tal u'matar" on Motzai Shabbat The Midrash Tanchuma on this week's parashah expounds on the verse (Mishlei 25:26), "Like a muddied spring and a dirtied fountain, so is a righteous one who bows before an evildoer." Says the midrash: We read in our parashah (32:5) that Yaakov instructed his servants to say, "To my lord, to Esav! So said your servant Yaakov . . ." Here the Torah teaches us derech eretz / proper behavior, i.e., to show respect to the monarch. At first glance, the midrash would appear to be criticizing Yaakov, comparing him to a muddy spring. However, the midrash concludes that we learn proper behavior from Yaakov. What then is the midrash teaching? R' Avraham Meir Rosen z"l (Warsaw; 19th century) explains: The midrash is wondering how Yaakov could act subserviently toward Esav. After all, Yitzchak gave Yaakov the blessing of, "Be a lord to your brothers, and your mother's sons will prostrate themselves to you," and Hashem confirmed that blessing! Wasn't Yaakov in effect rejecting that blessing when he acted subserviently to Esav? The midrash answers by citing the verse, "Like a muddied spring and a dirtied fountain, so is a righteous one who bows before an evildoer." A healthy spring may become muddy, but it will not remain muddy for long because the new waters will wash away the mud. A healthy fountain may appear filthy, but it is superficial because the waters will wash away any filth. Similarly, a "healthy" tzaddik, i.e., one who knows his own worth, has no trouble acting subserviently to evildoers because he knows it is temporary, and he knows it is only for appearance's sake. A tzaddik understands that it is G-d's will that the evil be ascendant for a time, but that that condition will not last forever. This is why we are commanded to show respect to a monarch, even if he is evil. (Be'ur Ha'amarim) ********* "Yaakov became very frightened . . ." (32:8) R' Moshe ben Maimon z"l (Rambam; 1135-1204) writes: It is not necessary for a prophet to be perfect in every way. However, any shortcoming that a prophet has is a "curtain" that separates him from G-d and "clouds" the prophetic vision that he sees. This is what our Sages mean when they say that Moshe Rabbeinu saw a clear vision, but other prophets saw only a cloudy vision. As proof that a prophet can be imperfect, Rambam cites our verse, in which Yaakov is frightened of Esav. This fear apparently reflects a shortcoming, however subtle, in Yaakov Avinu's bitachon / trust in Hashem. R' Avraham Halevi Horowitz z"l (16th century; father of the Shelah Hakadosh) asks: Why does Rambam fault Yaakov? After all, our Sages explain that the reason for Yaakov's fear was his concern that he had sinned and lost Hashem's protection. Furthermore, commentaries observe, even a person who has bitachon is not permitted to casually walk into a life-threatening situation! R' Yosef Jacobs shlita (Yerushalayim) defends Rambam: Certainly Yaakov was correct to take steps to protect himself, e.g., by sending gifts to Esav and preparing for war. He was right to be cautious in case he had sinned and did not deserve to be saved miraculously, but he still should not have been frightened. That fear showed that his bitachon was not at the level that was expected of a person of Yaakov's stature. (Shemoneh Perakim im Be'ur Ve'inuyim, ch.7) R' Elchanan Wasserman z"l Hy"d (rosh yeshiva in Baranowicz, Poland; killed in the Holocaust) also defends Rambam. He writes: Hashem had promised Yaakov special protection. It was that special protection that Yaakov was afraid he had lost due to some sin. Even so, Rambam is teaching us, Yaakov was not excused from having the basic level of bitachon that is a mitzvah applicable to *every* person. The overwhelming majority of people have never been promised special protection by G-d; nevertheless, we are expected to have bitachon that Hashem will act kindly toward us. Such bitachon would have led Yaakov not to be frightened. [Even if having bitachon does not guarantee a "happy" outcome, it reflects a person's confidence that G-d will never abandon him, which saves him from being frightened.] (Kovetz Ma'amarim: Ma'amar Al Ha'bitachon) R' Shlomo Eliasoff z"l (1841-1926; leading early 20th century kabbalist; grandfather of R' Yosef Shalom Elyashiv shlita) writes: Why do our Sages criticize Yaakov for fearing that his sins had nullified G-d's promise to protect him; isn't a person supposed to be a yerei chet / one who fears sin? He answers: To be a yerei chet means to avoid situations where one might be tempted to sin; it does not mean to live in fear that one's sins will bring G-d's wrath on him. To the contrary, if G-d has made a promise to a person, it is wrong for a person to consider himself unworthy of seeing the fulfillment of that promise. This, writes R' Eliasoff, was Yaakov's error, and this was also the error of the Generation of the Exodus. The reason that generation repeatedly fell from the high spiritual level on which it existed was that the members of that generation did not believe in their own potential. (Quoted in Likkutei Niglot Leshem Shvo V'achlamah) ******** "Yaakov was left `levado' / alone . . ." (32:25) The Midrash Rabbah states that this verse equates Yaakov's "aloneness" with Hashem's "aloneness." About Yaakov it says, "Yaakov was left `levado' / alone," and about G-d it says, "Hashem `levado' / alone will be exalted on that day." What is this midrash teaching us? R' Itamar Schwartz shlita (Yerushalayim) explains: G-d implanted the feeling of loneliness in man for a reason. Specifically, man feels lonely so that he will search for G-d and make Him his "companion." G-d, too, is "lonely" in the sense that He is waiting for man to search for him. R' Schwartz adds: Most people who feel lonely try to mitigate this feeling by surrounding themselves with friends. One who automatically reacts in this way, without thinking about the reason that loneliness was created, is missing the point and overlooking a gift that G-d has given him. (Blvavi Mishkan Evneh II p.99) ******** "Yaakov's sons arrived from the field, when they heard; the men were distressed, and they were very angry, for he had committed an outrage in Yisrael . . . Such a thing shall not be done." (32:7) What is added by the expression, "Such a thing shall not be done"? R' Shlomo Kluger z"l (1784-1869; rabbi of Brody, Galicia) explains: Yaakov's sons were not distressed only because of what had happened to their sister Dinah. They were distressed by the fact that such a thing could have happened. They understood that nothing happens to a tzaddik in a vacuum; if he suffers, it is probably because he has sinned. "Such a thing shall not be done" means that such a thing could not occur randomly. They were distressed because they assumed that the family had sinned in some way and had forfeited G-d's protection. (Chochmat Ha'Torah) ******** "He said, `No longer will it be said that your name is Yaakov, but Yisrael, for you have struggled with the Divine and with man and have overcome." (32:29) R' Shaul Yisraeli z"l (1909-1995; rabbi of Kfar Ha'roeh, Israel and a rosh yeshiva in Yeshivat Merkaz Harav) asks: Since Yaakov left the struggle with the angel with a dislocated thigh, in what sense can it be said that Yaakov overcame the angel? He answers: Our Sages say that the angel with whom Yaakov fought was the guardian angel of Esav and is synonymous with the yezter hara and the satan. The Gemara (Chullin 91a) also says that this angel first appeared to Yaakov in the guise of a Torah scholar. The struggle was not a physical one, but rather a spiritual one. Only when the angel could not weaken Yaakov spiritually did it resort to harming him physically. Yaakov won the fight because his adversary did not succeed in representing Torah falsely and had to show his true colors as an enemy of religion. (Siach Shaul) ******** Keep Shabbat Every Day! R' Moshe ben Nachman z"l (Ramban; 1194-1270) comments on the verse (Shmot 20:8), "Remember the day of Shabbat to sanctify it," as follows: The peshat / simple meaning of this verse is that it is a mitzvah to remember Shabbat every day, for when we do so, we will remember Creation every day, which, in turn, will lead us to acknowledge that the world has a Creator. In the Mechilta [a midrash] we read, "Do not count as others count. Rather, count in the name of Shabbat." This means that we should not be like the gentile nations that name the days of the week after astronomical bodies or mythological figures. Rather, we call the days, "The first day of Shabbat," "The second day of Shabbat," etc. This is a mitzvah that we are commanded to observe, this is the peshat of this verse, and so R' Avraham [ibn Ezra z"l] explained the verse. (Commentary on the Torah) R' Yisrael Meir Hakohen z"l (the Chafetz Chaim; died 1933) adds: It follows that, when referring to an event that occurred last week, one should not say, "Last week, on such-and-such a day, . . ." Rather, one should say, "Before last Shabbat, on such-and-such a day . . ." (Shem Olam ch.4) Elsewhere, the Chafetz Chaim quotes R' Yehonatan Wolliner z"l (Lubatch, Poland; 19th century), who writes: Before performing any act on a weekday which would be prohibited on Shabbat, a person should say to himself, "This act is prohibited on Shabbat." There are two benefits to this practice: (1) it will remind a person not to perform that prohibited act on Shabbat; and (2) one will thereby fulfill the mitzvah to remember Shabbat every day. (Marganita Tava No. 30)