Parashat Vayishlach: Oil in the Dark

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Good evening, everyone. I’m sending you this message L’ilui nishmas Harav Shlomo Ben Rav Yitzchok. You know Parshas Vayishlach is called by Chazal “Parasha d’Galut”, the parashah of the exile. And it’s very strange—because if we’re speaking about exile, we should have spoken about it last week, Parshas Vayeitzei, when Yaakov Avinu was in Charan for 20 years. That was his exile. So the question is: why did Chazal call specifically Parshas Vayishlach the parashah of exile? And the answer is because this week we read the confrontation between Yaakov and Esav, and this takes place in Eretz Yisrael—which means: when we speak about being exiled, about facing challenges, a person can be exiled in his own country. If you’re not safe, if you do not feel at home, sometimes you can feel in your own home that it’s not really your home. And this is the essence of this parashah: the confrontation between Am Yisrael and the nations of the world—as it is prepared, as it is Yaakov who is paving the way for us and showing us how we must behave when we have to interact with them. Now in this parashah, Yaakov Avinu faces many, many challenges. First of all, he prepares to meet Esav. Then there will be this very powerful struggle with an angel—an unknown person, an unknown enemy—and Yaakov will be victorious, and he will receive the name Yisrael. Then we have the story of Yaakov arriving in Shechem, and we mention that Avraham Avinu bought Me’aras HaMachpelah, and Yaakov came to Shechem and bought a specific field near Har Gerizim and Har Eival , because that was where Am Yisrael would eventually receive the Torah again when they entered Eretz Yisrael. Then we have the story of Dinah, who will be kidnapped and raped by Shechem, and then the vengeance of Shimon and Levi, who will go to free their sister and kill all the inhabitants of Shechem. And as the Rambam said, this was carefully thought about: they did it because they said that according to the law of the Torah, they all had to be killed, because they agreed with what Shechem had done; they did not bring him to justice, so they were guilty as much as him. And then we learn about the death of Rivkah, and the death of Rachel with the birth of Binyamin when giving birth to Binyamin. And I heard something very interesting this week. We know that one of the reasons for Rachel’s death—although we can never understand the real cheshbonos of Hakadosh Baruch Hu—one of them is: when she was very hurt and wanted Yaakov to pray for her, she said: “Ten Li Banim Veim ayin, meisah anochi”—if you don’t pray for me, I’m going to die; I can’t survive like this. And our sages teach us something extremely important: Al yiftach adam peh laSatan—do not say words that can be “caught” by the Satan, because bris k’rusah l’sfasayim: it has been decided in Heaven that the words a person pronounces are never said in vain. And she said “im ayin meisah anochi”—and that is what happened. Which means: when we do not want something to happen, we should never, ever pronounce the words that express what we would not want to happen. But another very interesting reason: when she stole the idols of her father—although she did it absolutely l’shem Shamayim, and it had to be a moral lesson for her children that we may not be in an environment of avodah zarah—she wanted to save her father spiritually. She caused her father, Lavan, aggravation by taking them. Lavan was a rasha—he definitely didn’t deserve consideration after what he did to Yaakov—but even so, it was her father, and she pained him. And Chazal say Hashem is medakdek with tzaddikim like the breadth of a hair, and she should not have aggravated her father. The Midrash says that is one of the reasons that caused her death. But we know that mainly Hashem said: I want you buried in Beis Lechem, so that when her children go into exile they should have a place to come and pray and cry out, and she will take their defense.

Why is this parashah read before Chanukah?

Now why is this parashah read before Chanukah? Because we are told: Ma’aseh avos siman labanim—Yaakov teaches us how to confront our enemies when he is about to confront Esav. And the Chafetz Chaim used to say that when leaders and great talmidei chachamim had to go meet authorities to plead for Am Yisrael, they would read Parshas Vayishlach to learn how to interact with the non-Jews. And it’s told that when President Begin had to go to America for the Camp David peace accords with Arafat and President Carter, he asked Rav Shach for advice—how should he behave there? Rav Shach told him: if you want to know how to behave, read and study carefully Parshas Vayishlach, and it will teach you how to behave. So we are speaking about being exiled in our land. And that is what happened at the time of the Greek domination, when they conquered Eretz Yisrael. We were in Eretz Yisrael, but it was a very dark and tragic period—and that is when the miracle of Chanukah took place.

What does Yaakov teach us?

So what does Yaakov teach us? Chazal tell us he prepared himself in three ways: Doron, Tefillah, and Milchamah to face Esav, the non jewish world.

Doron

Doron—he sent gifts, very big gifts, to Esav. But he gave Esav the feeling: it’s not as if he was “giving.” He kept saying: please do me a favor—accept it; it is my greatest pleasure that you take it.

Chazal say all the animals he sent to Esav were animals with blemishes—animals that were not fit to be offered as a korban or could not be eaten. He knew exactly what he was sending. He didn’t send the best, but it was impressive in number. And the Midrash says Yaakov bows again and again, adopting an attitude of extreme humility. Why not stand straight? Chazal say: Bilaam compared us to a cedar tree when he came to bless us—strong and tall. But in the times of the kings the prophet Achiyah HaShiloni (after Shlomo Hamelech) when he came to rebuke Am Israel to do a teshuva compared us to a reed. Why is the “curse” of Achiyah better than Bilaam’s blessing? Because a cedar stands erect, but the Midrash says in a hurricane it can snap. A reed bends and bends because it is soft and has deep roots, and after the storm it stands again. And the reed grows near water—water is Torah. There are times in history when we cannot stand straight; we must behave with humility. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai is the example: when he wanted to save Am Israel from the romans siege he left Yerushalayim in a coffin as the bironim (“mafia groups”) didn’t want to surrender and let him get out. He met the Roman general, and asked for Yavneh— the talmidei chchamim were able to leave Yerushalayim and that saved Torah after the Churban of the second temple.

Tefillah

Tefillah—Yaakov doesn’t just say, “Hashem save me.” He speaks in great detail: You are the G’d of my forefathers, You told me to return, I’m not worthy of all the miracles. Chazal say: when a person is in danger, it’s not enough to say, “Help me.” Hashem is a loving Father; He wants to hear exactly what we need, in our own words, in detail—like Yaakov.

Milchamah

Milchamah -war—he prepares strategically. He splits the family into two camps. And we’ve always seen in history: when Am Yisrael is in danger in one place, there is often another place open. Spain → Turkey/Morocco. WWII → America. Vehaya hamachana asher nishar lepleyta

Vayivater Yaakov Levado

Then Yaakov brings his family across the river, and he realizes he forgot pachim ketanim, little objects. Why go back in the middle of the night? Vayivater Yaakov Levado Rashi says: a tzaddik knows that whatever Hashem gives may not be abandoned. Everything has a purpose. But Chazal teach us something else: he went back in the alef bet the bet is similar to the taf, read lekado he went back for a pach shemen—a little jar of oil. Some say it was the jar of holy oil from Har HaMoriah, later passed on to Moshe Rabbeinue, used in the Mishkan and to anoint kings. Another Midrash says the oil came from holy olives from the olive branch brought back to Noach by the pigeon that got it from gan eden. As a sign of gratitude to Hashem Noach makes a korban to Hashem with this olive oil, as he was very touched—passed from Noach to Shem to Avraham to Yaakov. So we now have a connection to oil—and oil connects us to Chanukah.

“Hatzileini na miyad achi, miyad Esav.”

Yaakov says: “Hatzileini na miyad achi, miyad Esav.” The most dangerous enemy is one who comes like a brother. When it’s Esav, you know who you’re dealing with. When he comes “as a brother,” it’s more dangerous. And Yaakov’s struggle with the angel is not just a physical struggle. His vision was blurred, he couldn't see exactly who he was fighting, at times it looked like a sage and at times on the contrary he looked like a real murderer. It is an allusion to the struggle of exile—until Mashiach: sometimes in Eretz Yisrael, sometimes outside; but until the geulah, there is exile. Why does it start when he goes back for the oil? Because oil represents purity: oil does not mix with other liquids. If you pour oil into water, it won’t mix; it floats above. So too “Hen am levadad yishkon”—Am Yisrael cannot “mix.” Whenever we tried to fully assimilate, catastrophes followed. Nazi Germany showed this tragically: even Jews who had converted were still persecuted as Jews. And this was exactly the Greek fight: not only to conquer, but to make us “like them.” Culture, sports, translation of Torah in 70 laguages—“be like us.” The fist thing they did when they came to Yerushalayim, they went to the soreg, the fence warning non-Jews not to enter further to the Beis Hamikdash, and made 13 breaches in it as we say “Parzu Chomot Migdalai”—saying: you are no different. Yaakov says: even if you are alone, every Jew has a spark of kedushah—like the oil—and you must struggle to preserve this kedusha. There are times of darkness, when you cannot see clearly, but you must keep fighting and not distance yourself from Torah. Staying loyal to our spiritual legacy is what saves us.

Why did the sar of Esav attack Yaakov?

Why did the sar of Esav attack Yaakov, and not Avraham or Yitzchak? Because Yaakov is “ish tam yoshev ohalim”—the one who studied Torah, the one transmitting Torah to his children. The sar of Esav tries to make him fall spiritually. Yaakov refuses, I will cling to the Tora until the angel wounds him in the hip. Chazal say it hints to the children, the future generations—there will be times we’ll be wounded and hurt, and times when they will attack our children spiritually. In the times of the greeks there were terrible laws either you abandon the Tora or we will kill you. But Yaakov teaches: never give up. Another explanation: the yerech-hip supports the body—an allusion to those who support Torah. There will be times of poverty, when money is scarce, yet we must continue to support Torah. They say in the generation of Rabbi Yehudah BeRabi Ilai, six students learned Torah under one tallis, cover—so poor, yet they didn’t give up on Tora. Or As the Rambam says what is this wound? In times of gzeirot shmad like the story of chana and her 7 sons, Am Israel will always survive just like Yaakov.

Shechem, isolation, and Chanukah

And then the same thing we see: when Yaakov comes to Shechem, he comes to Shechem and he is going to buy a house there. Why? Because he wants to show very clearly: he wants to live in isolation. He doesn’t want to come into contact with the inhabitants of Shechem. Even though for his cattle he builds something temporary—Sukkos—but for his family he builds a bayis. He is saying: we do not want a connection with those around us. And that is exactly the connection to Chanukah. When did the downfall of Am Yisrael start? When there were Misyavnim—those who became assimilated, those who adopted the way of life of the Greeks. That was the beginning of the downfall of Am Yisrael—until the tremendous mesirus nefesh of the Chashmonaim, who came and said: we will not let impurity into our lives. And they stood up, and they fought, and they were victorious. So just like Yaakov built a house to be in isolation—“hen am levadad yishkon”—so too the Greeks made breaches at the entrance of the Beis HaMikdash. And one of their decrees was that all Jewish homes had to remove their doors: you may not be isolated. You must be part of us. You have to become just like us and learn from our civilization and our ways. And this is what Vayishlach is teaching us: hen am levadad yishkon—our strength is when we stand up for ourselves, just like Yaakov did, when we don’t give up, and we continue struggling.

“Benyamin.”

And there can be times that are very difficult—like the birth of Binyamin and the tragic death of Rachel Imeinu. It’s such a sad moment: she won’t have the merit to raise her child. And what does Yaakov say? No—“Benyamin.” As sad and difficult as things may be, we pick ourselves up, and we say: Hashem will give us strength. Hashem will give us courage. And that is how we continue in life.

A story about wealth, purpose, and brachah

I want to tell you a very interesting story I heard. Since we spoke about the way a person connects to his wealth and possessions—just like Yaakov says, I don’t throw anything away; whatever Hashem gives me has a purpose. There was a young man in Bnei Brak who had a daughter who was very sick, with a very rare disease. She had to travel for a very complex treatment—apparently in England—and for this treatment he needed $150,000. He decided he would travel to London, raise the money, and then bring his daughter over for the treatment. He went to the airport, and as he was sitting at the gate waiting for his flight, he was extremely nervous, thinking: how will I raise $150,000? He had no clue. A man sitting next to him says, “You look very nervous—what’s the matter?” They spoke, and finally he said, “I have to go to London. I have a very sick daughter, and I need $150,000—the price the doctor is demanding.” The man says, “How much?” He says, “$150,000—and it could save her life.” And the man says, “I’ll tell you the truth. I have in my case $150,000. I’m flying now to London to sign a business deal—once in a lifetime—that could make me very wealthy for years. But you say you need $150,000… and if Hashem made me meet you here, and you need exactly that amount… I will give up on the business deal.” And he takes out the money and gives it to the young man. The young man doesn’t know how to react. The man says, “In that case, I’m not flying,” and he leaves the airport. The other one says, “I have no more deal,” and he leaves too. A few weeks later the man who gave the money receives a call from the young man. He says: “You won’t believe it. Baruch Hashem, my daughter had the treatment. It was very complex, but it was successful—she’s cured and totally fine. But listen to the rest. When they began the operation, they saw the diagnosis they had given was not the right one. The doctor had developed a technique for this rare condition, but he had never tried it before. He told us: ‘There’s no way your daughter can survive—unless I try this new technique. I believe it has a chance.’ Baruch Hashem, she recuperated—an open miracle. And because she was the first patient, the doctor said: ‘I’m returning you the $150,000. You do not have to pay. Because I was able to use my technique for the first time, I’m not taking money.’” So the young man returned the money to the donor. A short while later, the businessman traveled to London. He went to sign the deal he had missed months earlier. And when he arrived, they told him: instead of needing $150,000, now they only needed $50,000. He said, “What happened?” They said, “The price has gone down. The benefits will be the same, but you have to pay much less now.” So he said: you see—he used the opportunity to use his money to help a fellow Jew. And what did Hashem do? Hashem sent him tremendous blessing, and he only gained through it. So we should hear only good news. Have a wonderful Shabbos. And all my love from Yerushalayim.