Dear Friends;
This year’s Parshiyot Vayeitzei vort is being sponsored by Danny and Amy Michaels of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated Lilui Nishmas for the Yahrtaeit of Danny’s Dad Avraham Pinchas ben Yoel Meir and for the safety of the Chayalim and the liberation of all remaining deceased hostages and their return home for Jewish ritual burial, as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Skriloff family, many thanks for your sponsorship and for your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShavua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShavua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
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In Parshat Toldos, Torah relates:
“Yaakov was a wholesome man…” (Sefer Breish’t, Perek 25, posuk 27 as rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Chumash)
The Artscroll Stone Chumash provides this commentary about Yaakov (page 127):
Yaakov… was morally wholesome [Ish Tam], saying what he thought and never being duplicitous [adjective: marked or characterized by duplicity: noun — deceitfulness in speech or conduct, as by speaking or acting in two different ways to different people concerning the same matter], and spending all his time in the study tents of Shem and Eiver.
Rabbi Moshe Weissman provides additional commentary, in his “The Midrash Says” for Sefer Breish’t for our Parshat Vayeitzei regarding Yaakov’s having received the Bracha that Yitzchak had intended for Eisev (page 272) :
“…He [Yaakov] fled to the Beit Hamidrash of Sheim and Eiver. (Rabbi Weissman citing Azulei Ba’alei Brit Avraham B’Sheim Chazal — This statement has an asterisk which notes: His decision was certainly motivated by the consideration of fortifying himself with Torah-study before entering the house of the idol worshiper and magician Lavan.) He stayed there… for fourteen years and studied Torah. Yaakov learned so diligently that he never once lay down to sleep in a bed during the entire period.” (Rabbi Weissman citing Breish’t Rabbah Samech Het)
As has been indicated in Parshat Toldos, Yaakov did not allow this “Ish Tam” character trait to dominate him. Seemingly, he knew when and where to act otherwise, such as from his demand for the birthright from Esav in exchange for the lentil soup. These traits surely seem to have been inculcated to Yaakov as a result of Rivka Imeinu’s nurturing. We later learned that when Yaakov introduced himself to Rachel upon removing the stone from atop of the well, he told her (citing of Sefer Breish’t Perek 29, posuk 12 as rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Chumash):
“…He[Yaakov] was her father’s relative…”
Artscroll Stone Chumash provides a commentary on Sefer Breish’t Perek 29, posuk 12:
“‘…He was her father’s relative.” [literally, brother] In addition to the plain meaning that Yaakov introduced himself to Rachel as her relative, Rashi cites the midrashic interpretation; He [Yaakov] intimated [adjective: made known indirectly; hinted or implied] that should Lavan try to cheat him, he could defend himself as being Lavan’s brother in deceit; but if Lavan dealt honorably, Yaakov would act with all of the integrity expected of the son of Rivka. Or HaChaim elaborates that Yaakov was surely not threatening to match Lavan’s thievery. Rather, he meant to say that he would defend himself strenuously, but only within the law.
Aharon Yaakov Greenberg, in his Sefer “Torah Gems,” presents slightly different wording regarding Yaakov’s introducing himself to Rachel (page 203) :
Rashi [comments] on Sefer Breish’t, Perek 29, posuk 12, “And Yaakov told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman in being sly.” Sages tell us (Torah Gems citing Kohelet Rabbah 7) that whoever is merciful where he should be cruel will eventually be cruel where he should be merciful. The point is that a person has to know how to act in different circumstances, sometimes one way to further Hashem’s will, and other times the exact opposite way for the same end.
The entire Yaakov/Lavan experience, as Torah expresses in our Parshat Vayeitzei, seems a lesson regarding situations where one needs to confront cunning with cunning, and regarding other situations where truthfulness, honesty and kindness are a necessity.
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, in his Sefer “Growth Through Torah cites Rashi, the Rebbe from Lublin and quotes the Sages in a short vort entitled: Master your traits to use what is appropriate in every situation (pages 62 – 63) ;
Rashi defines the word “tam” as a person who is not skilled in deceiving others. As is his heart, so are his words.
Yaakov was not called a “tam,” but an “ish tam.” That is, he was a master over the trait of being a “tam.” He was totally honest, a man of great integrity. But in those situations where it was appropriate to use cunning strategy to accomplish something, he was able to do so.
This, said the Rebbe of Lublin, is the way we should be with all traits. A person needs to be the master over all of his traits. Even the most negative traits have situations when they are appropriate. As the Sages say, “Whoever is compassionate where he should be cruel will eventually be cruel where should be compassionate.” If one fails to apply so-called negative traits in their proper times, he will end up applying them when it is wrong to do so. (Rabbi Pliskin citing Maayanah Shel Torah)
Having discussed the pshat of Yaakov being an “ish tam” and being a master over the traits of honesty, intergrity, but also cunning, Rabbi David Feinstein, in his Sefer, “Kol Dodi,” (pages 57 – 58) renders to English Perek 29, posukim 27 – 28 and discusses Lavan’s deceit in substituting Leah, rather than Rachel, in marriage to Yaakov and Yaakov’s acquiescence [noun: giving tacit assent; agreement or consent by silence or without objection; compliance] to it.
“Complete this week [of wedding celebrations for Leah] and this one [Rachel] also will be given to you for the work which you will do for me for another seven years. And Yaakov did so…”
Why did Yaakov agree to Lavan’s proposal without protest? Under any legal system, he could certainly have claimed that the seven years he had already worked were for Rachel, not Leah; therefore he now had the right to marry Rachel without further payment. If Lavan had tricked him into marrying Leah, it was Lavan’s error, but Yaakov owed him nothing for her, especially since Yaakov had taken pains to make it clear that he wanted only Rachel. [Rabbi Feinstein refers to Rashi on Perek 29, posuk 18]
Lavan’s claim that it was not proper for a younger daughter to marry before her older sister was no defense. Even if it were true, Lavan should have said so before the seven years started. Why, then, did Yaakov ignore his rights and acquiesce to Lavan’s trickery without protest.
Yaakov’s behavior was motivated by his strong respect for the feelings of another human being. He knew that if he had insisted on his right to marry Rachel without further payment, Leah’s self-esteem would have been shattered. …Leah would see that her new husband was willing to work seven years for her sister but did not consider her worth even one day of his time.
It could, therefore, be said that the deceitful Lavan played upon his recognition, as weakness, of Yaakov’s trait of kindness by tricking him into marrying Leah and then making his proposal to Yaakov of waiting a week before then marrying Rachel in exchange for working for him for an additional seven years. The art of making the deal?
In a similar deceitful way, Hamas and their terrorist partners deceived Israel for years by claiming peaceful intentions while building hundreds of tunnels, tooling up with rockets, weapons, munitions and actually preparing for major war and invasion of Israel.
Israel’s military generals and politicos, rather than meeting deception and cunning with the same, opted for compassion for the residents of Gaza by supplying them with supplies — seized by Hamas for their own profit, water, electricity and other utilities, mobile phone sim cards and more. These same military high command echelons and politicos, out of political agenda and ideology, poo-poo’ed Hamas preparations for war with military commanders actually displaying cruelty toward the female border guards stationed in the towns bordering Gaza, intimidating them and threatening them with court martial proceedings should make further reports regarding Hamas preparations for an invasion of Israel. The result: invasion of Israel, over 1,200 initial cruel, animalistic fatalities, playing upon Israel’s vulnerabilities, i.e. traits of valuing the lives of even Gaza’s “civilians as well as the IDF generals calibrating their military actions out of concern for the hostages then held by Hamas and their terror partners.
With the war in a current status of “ceasefire,” aka “hudna,” we observe the ongoing attempts at “the art of deal-making,” B’Ezrat Hashem NOT at Israel’s expense or vulnerability.
May our government and military bring about the total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators and the entire terror cabal, B’Yad Hashem, and become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions — heavy munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.”
May we see, from here on, that border guard personnel at all points of possible danger are listened to and treated with respect and dignity. May we see our Chayalim totally eradicate Hamas, Islamic Jihad, those so-called “civilians(sic)” who collaborated on 7 October, as well as Hezbollah, the Houthies, the Mullahs of Iran and all their terror accomplices while liberating the remains of all deceased hostages and their return home for Jewish ritual burials, B’Yad Hashem and mandated by a government secure in it’s foremost service of, and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael. May these words come to fruition B’Esrat Hashem.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his fifth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman as well as the recoveries of the remains of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Shabbos!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of https://sefer-torah.com/ The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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