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“VORTIFY YOURSELF”
Rabbi Yosil Rosenzweig
rebyosil@gmail.com
Parshat VaYishlach
Bereishit (Genesis) 32:4 – 36:43
Haftorah – Obadiah 1:1-21
111210
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This “Vort” is dedicated to the memory of Mickey Bodner A”H. He raised his family to be pillars of their individual communities, Yirei Shamayim and Ba’alei Tzedakah.
V’yiZku LiRot Banim U’Vinei Banim Oskim BaTorah U’vMitzvot Al Yira’el Shalom – And he was worthy of seeing children and grandchildren involved in Torah and Mitzvot, let peace reign over Israel.
Tehei Nishmato Tzerurah B’Tzror HaChaim – May his soul be bound up in the everlasting bond of life.
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Our Parsha includes one of the most monumental events in Jewish history, the renaming of Ya’akov to Yira’el. This event occurs while he is returning home after 34 years away from his parents (14 years in the academy of Shem and Ever; 14 years working Rachel and Layah, and 6 years working for Lavan and accumulating great wealth).
Before he is reunited with his parents, he hears that his brother Eisav is advancing with an army of 400 warriors. He readies himself through prayer and peace offerings, and if that should fail, Ya’akov prepares himself for battle. He divides his entourage in anticipation of the encounter. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, he crosses the River Yabok and encounters a very powerful force. “And Ya’akov was left alone and a MAN struggled with him until the break of dawn” (Bereishit 32:25).
RaShI sites a Gemara (Tractate Chullin 91a) that explains that Ya’akov suddenly remembered that he left a “Patch Katan” (a small jug) on the other bank of the river. It was while searching for the jugs that he encountered the Sar Shel Eisav (the guardian angel of Eisav). What compelled Ya’akov to endanger himself for just a few small jugs?
RaShI goes on to say that the possessions of a Tzaddik (a righteous man) are important to him, for [he knows that] they come through the Grace of HaShem. However, there is another explanation that is very interesting.
The Midrash tells us that thirty four years earlier, when Ya’akov was leaving Eretz Yisra’el to find a wife, Eisav made his son Alifaz (one of his more compassionate offspring, and who was raised on the knee of his uncle Yitzchak) swear to pursue and kill Ya’akov. Ya’akov camped one night and heard strange noises and discovered Elifaz. Elifaz declared to his uncle that he was ordered by his father to kill him. Ya’akov asked Elifaz what was the last lesson that they studied together, and he replied the tradition of Ani Nechshav K’met (a poor person is considered like a dead man). Understanding his uncles point, Alifaz took all of Ya’akov’s possessions and thereby fulfilled his oath to his father.
That night Ya’akov had a dream about angels descending and ascending a ladder stretched to the heavens (last week’s Parsha). One of the angels gave Ya’akov a miraculous Pach Katan (a small jug). This jug contained pure olive oil that when empty, suddenly became full again. Ya’akov used his jug to obtain the funds necessary to finance his trip to Lavan. That was the miraculous jug that Ya’akov left on the banks of the river and returned to retrieve. We’ll get back to the jug later.
As mentioned before, the Angel that fought Ya’akov was the guardian angel of Eisav. In fact, he has many names, Sama’el, Satan, the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination), and Sitra Achra (the other side), just to name a few. They struggled, and the angel realized that he could not overpower Ya’akov. So he struck him on the thigh, wounding him (for this reason Jews don’t eat the hind quarter of cattle [see verse 33]). Then, when the sun began to rise, the angel had to leave, but not before Ya’akov had forced a blessing from Sama’el. Verse 29 reads; “No longer will it be said that your name is Ya’akov, but Yisra’el, for you have striven with the Divine and with man, and you have overcome (Ki Saritah Im Elokim V’Im Anashim VaTuchal).”
Ya’akov (heal) represents the passive Jew. There are times that passivity is the proper approach. But, there are times when the Jewish people must be aggressive, and this is what Yisra’el represents (G-d wrestler). After this name change Ya’akov was not limited to passive responses. He had overcome the most powerful force one could encounter, and a metamorphosis took place in him, he became another being, he became Yisra’el.
For this reason his children became known as the Bnei Yisra’el (the Children of Yisra’el), and the land they inherited became known as Eretz Yisra’el (the Land of Yisra’el). For they are aggressive in nature, they must continually wrestle with HaShem and with man in order to exist.
Let’s return to the Jug. Ya’akov passed this jug on to his son Levi. Eventually it was inherited by Aaron who was anointed with its oil and then anointed the Altar of the Tabernacle with it, and first filled the Menorah with its wondrous oil. It was passed on from High Priest to High Priest until finally after the Maccabees defeated the Greeks/Hellenists and entered the Holy Temple to resume the Holy service they couldn’t find oil to light the seven branched Menorah until someone found a Pach Katan (a small jug) of oil that miraculously stayed lit for eight days.
My friends, Chanukah is almost upon us (the 1st candle is lit the evening of Tuesday, December 20th). And one of the blessings that we say when we light our Menorahs is: Sh’Asah Nisim La’Avotaynu Ba Yamim HaHeim U’baZeman HaZeh (that You have performed miracles for our ancestors in those days and in this time). This blessing might have been said by the Maccabees when they witnessed the miracle of the Jug. And we, who have lived to see the birth pangs of our own redemption, can say the same blessing with total conviction.
But, sometimes we act like Ya’akov when we should be acting like Yisra’el. We must actively see the miracles that are occurring all around us and in every generation, from Auschwitz to the establishment of the State of Yisra’el, from the Six Day War to the return of over a million Soviet Jews to Eretz Yisra’el, from the battles against assimilation to the reawakening of our people all around the globe. True, these battles and these victories have taken their toll. In many ways, like Ya’akov we were also wounded, but we have prevailed.
This Chanukah let us light our Menorahs with the fervor of Jews who not only can make light, but who can see the light. Let us pour forth that never ending Pach Katan that is in each and every one of us. And, let us aggressively allow our light to shine, heralding the miracles that have fashioned us into Children of HaShem.
Shabbat Shalom,
Reb Yosil
Vortify Yourself 