Parshat Vayishlach
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The Book of Genesis Parshat Vayishlach A free excerpt from the Kehot Publication Society's new Chumash Breishis/Book of Genesis with commentary based on the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, produced by Chabad of California. The full volume is available for purchase at www.kehot.com. For personal use only. All rights reserved. The right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form, requires permission in writing from Chabad of California, Inc. THE TORAH - CHUMASH BEREISHIT WITH AN INTERPOLATED ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY BASED ON THE WORKS OF THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE ¢ȱȚȱŘŖŖŞ THE TORAH - CHUMASHby BEMIDBAR ȱȱ ,) $ $)'&%") $"( )'$(")%$ $ %##$)'- ( %$ ) ,%'!( % ) "ȱȱ*+) ' Chabad of California ŝŚŗȱ ¢¢ȱǰȱȱǰȱȱşŖŖŘŚ?@IB978DQ řŗŖȬŘŖŞȬŝśŗŗȱȦȱ¡ȱřŗŖȬŘŖŞȬśŞŗŗ2I 81214?61<96?B>91>3 ȱ¢ Kehot Publication&E2<9C8542I Society ŝŝŖȱȱ ¢ǰȱ¢ǰȱ ȱȱŗŗŘŗřKehot Publication Society 1CD5B>&1B;G1IB??;<I>$5G-?B; ŝŗŞȬŝŝŚȬŚŖŖŖȱȦȱ¡ȱŝŗŞȬŝŝŚȬŘŝŗŞ 1H Order Department: Řşŗȱ ȱǰȱ¢ǰȱ ȱȱŗŗŘŗřOrder Department: ŝŗŞȬŝŝŞȬŖŘŘŜȱȦȱ¡ȱŝŗŞȬŝŝŞȬŚŗŚŞ !9>7CD?>F5>E5 B??;<I>$5G-?B; 1H ǯǯ GGG;58?D?><9>53?= ȱȱǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ <<B978DCB5C5BF549>3<E49>7D85B978DD?B5@B?4E35D89C2??;ȱȱǰȱȱ¢ȱǰȱ ȱǰ ?B@?BD9?>CD85B5?69>1>I6?B=G9D8?ED@5B=9CC9?>ȱ ǰȱȱȱȱǰȱ ǯ 9>GB9D9>76B?=81214?61<96?B>91>3 ȱ ȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȂ ¢ȱǰȱ ǯ)85!58?D<?7?9C1DB145=1B; ?6#5B;?C">I?>5989>E38>3 DZȱşŝŞȬŖȬŞŘŜŜȬŖŗşŖȬŗ DZȱşŝŞȬŖȬŞŘŜŜȬŖŗşśȬŘȱǻǼȱ ($ Published in the United States of America 5$-+3*'&+/4*' /+4'&4#4'30( .'2+%# The Book of Genesis Parshat Vayishlach GENESIS Bereishit Noach Lech Lecha Vayeira Chayei Sarah Toldot Vayeitzei Vayishlach 8 Vayeishev Mikeitz Vayigash Vayechi EXODUS Shemot Vaeira Bo Beshalach Yitro Mishpatim Terumah Tetzaveh Ki Tisa Vayakheil Pekudei LEVITICUS Vayikra Tzav Shemini Tazria Metzora Acharei Mot Kedoshim Emor Behar Bechukotai NUMBERS Bemidbar Naso Beha’alotecha Shelach Korach Chukat Balak Pinchas Matot Masei DEUTERONOMY Devarim Va’etchanan Eikev Re’eh Ğ Ki Teitzei Ki Tavo Netzavim Vayeilech Ha’azinu Vezot Habrachah q j°n¾q VayishlachŨ Overview Ğȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱparashah, AVayeitzeiǰȱ ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱPara-- shat Vayishlachǯȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱ Esau: the parashahȱȱ ȱȱȱȱĞȱ ¢ȱ¢ȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȂȱǰȱȱȱȱȱȂȱȱȱȱ Ȃȱȱȱȱȱǯȱȱȱȱȯȱȱ ȱ Ȃȱǰȱȱȱȱȱȱǰȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȯȬȬ ȱȱȱȱȱęȱȱȱ ȂȱDZȱ ȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȂȱȱȱȱ¡ȱȱȱȱȱǯ Ȃȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱ ȱ¢ȱȱȱĴȱȱȱȱ ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ¢ȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱǯȱȱȱȱȬȬ ¢ȱȱȱȱ ǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱǯ ȱ ȱ ȱȱparashat Toldotǰȱ ȱȱȱȱ ǰȱȱȱȱȱȱ ¡ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ Ȃȱ ȱȱȂȱȱDZȱȱ¢ȱȂȱȱ¢ǰȱ¢ȱȬȬ Ȭǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱǰȱ ȱǰȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȂȱȱǯȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱ ȱ ȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱǰȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ¢ȱ ȱęȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱǯȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȂȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱǯ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ ǯȱ ȱ ȱȱȱȂȱȱȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱȱȱȂȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ¢ǰȱȱ ȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱǯ ȱȱȱǰȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱǻȱȱȱȱ ȱǼDZȱȱǰȱȱȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ Ŭūŭ OVERVIEW OF VAYISHLACH ȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱ ǯȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ Ȃȱ ȱ¢ȱȱȱȱ ǰȱȱ ȱȱǯ ȱȱǰȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱ ǰȱȱȱȱ ȱǰȱȱ ȱ¢ȱȱ£ȱȱǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ ǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱǯȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȂȱǰȱȱ ȯȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ¢ǰȱ ĴȱȱĞ¢ȱǰȱȱȱȱ£ȱȯȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ Ȃȱǰȱ¢ȱȱ ȱĚĴȱ ȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȱǯ ȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱ ȱȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ Ȃȱȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱǰȱ ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȦȱǯȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȬȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȂȱȂȱȬȬ ȱȱȱȱǰȱ ȱȱǯȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ǯ ȱȱȱȱparashahǰȱǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ Ȃȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ Ȃȱǰȱ ȱ ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱ ȱȱ ȱǯȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ Ȃȱȱȱ ǰȱȱȱȱȱȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ¢¢ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ¢ȱȱȱȱ ǯ ǰȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȂȱȱȱȱȱǰȱȱȬȬ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ Ȃȱȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ parashah, VayishlachȱǻȃȱȱȄǼǰȱȱȱ ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱěȱȱȱȱǯȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ǰȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱ Ȃȱ ȱ ȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱĚ¢ȱȱȱ¢ȱǯ ȱ¢ȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱDzȱĴȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱ¡ǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ¢ȱȱȱȱǯȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱǯȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱ ǰȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ¢¢ȱ ȱ ǯȱ ȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱ ȱȱ¢ȱ ȱǰȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯȱ ȱǰȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȬȬ ȱǰȱȬȱȱ¢ȱȱ¢ȱȱ¢ȱǯ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ǰȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱǯȱȱ Ȃȱȱȱȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱ ȱ Dzȱǰȱ ȱȱȱ ¢ȱȱ ǰȱȱȱȱ ¢ȱ ȱȱęȱȱȱȱǰȱ strength, and inspiration. ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱǰȱ ȱȱ¢ȱȱĚȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱ¢ȱȱǯȱĚȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱǰȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱȱĚ ȱȱȱ ȱȱ ȱ ȱȱȱǯȱ¢ȱȱ ŬūŮ OVERVIEW OF VAYISHLACH ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱęȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱĴȱȱ ȱȱȱȱǯ ȱȱǰȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȂȱȬȬ ǰȱ ȱȱ¢ȱȱȱǰȱ ȱ ȱȱ¢ȱ¢ȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱǰȱ¢£ȱȱ¢ȱ ȱȱ¢ȱ ȱ ǯȱȱ ȱ ǰȱȱȱȱȱ¡ȱȱ¢ȱȱȱ ȱȱȱ ȱȱęȱȱȱȱȱǰȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱ ȱǯȱ ǰȱȱ ȱȂȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ Ȃȱȱȱ¢ȱęȱȱ¢ȱǰȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱ ȱȱȂȱęȱęȱ ȱȱȱȱȱęȱǯ1 1. Torah OrǰȱǯȱŘŚȬŘŜDzȱSefer HaSichot 5748ǰȱǯȱŗǰȱǯȱŗřŞȬŗŚŚDzȱHitva’aduyot 5743ǰȱǯȱŗǰȱǯȱśŝŗȬśŝŘǯ Ŭūů FIRST READING X ONKELOS W 4 ns rm qu n u j~ n s lq q jzu r j_~ q L n r~Qr°ow~ p Or rjT nr~jqs^lvq bq j¯n½q ~ no{ j r jq~jn u ~ l r{oqj 5 s jq ou qu sk~ql q º Oj~s v ¿s] sO~oT rs~^ qjq Ë vk~_ oj° Qno° r{ojn su nju jou oju qoj rrn s lqj u r jqql~q jnu Qq o~vr nÊ jOq·] rrw n sOlvq ]Ñ j¸jqT qr~¿s^ L r°o j Qns~vq n slq rju q nr s~j nru r jq~ju n jqj~ r nrl q ns u L r jn¯jp] pj ~sQ Ë Ol vq ˯ ] T nw njvq6 rÊvrwq ~ r ru jzq~j n su nj r~ru q j n r jzu rj oju nl q Ñvpo j¶Qo w~s jnOns~vq] n·qjT r jj¯p~vr X RASHI W n qr~~ ruq~ sl q s z n njq n rr r{l qu n no{ r jq~ zru q nr~j q n r~j q s lq q jznuq n qr zu q ~n s ru ~o s pr~rou qjznu n qr zu q qu n 4 u rru n jnu prr nju p z r ou ru no{ pp~j nr jz q qs pp~j ppu sl q s z pr~r~n s j q{ no{lq~s u n jqu u rsju~ o u ru q ru nu n sj jquq~ rr rjqu qu sol q os~ rr~ s z ou jq s jnuq ns~~ s j{n~ qjr j o~o~u ru p~u zr j ns~q nu qj r j jzp~r n sj jquq~u jr os~ so~j rju q jn~s ol p zr p q~j nj ok nq joup z r nr~ o r z nl~ p z pr oju ~o s jnpr ~~ o r nl~ p z q nsj n qsju r jqu~ur njqo ju nu jqu o ~ q r ru nu r p rl q~ zou q ju r ju n nu jqr~s j nu jqr z sj n r jqj nu jqu r z rrrr ¡¥§³¢¥ ¥´£³² X CHASIDIC INSIGHTS W In fact, the very name of this parashah, Vayishlach, “He in an environment hostile to holiness. Not only was he Dispatched,” conveys the idea that in dealing with not distracted or deterred by the physical reality that Esau, a realm of Divine concealment, we ourselves surrounded him, he was able to imbue that very reality must remain completely aloof from it and cleanse our-- with holiness.14 ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ Ĵȱ ȱ Dzȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȃȄȱ should descend to deal with Esau. This detachment Tȱ Ȃȱęȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ enables us to achieve our goal of transforming Esau.13 observance teaches us how we are to present ourselves 5 Even though I have been sojourning with Laban all to the non-Jewish world. We might have thought that these years, I have continued to faithfully observe ȱęȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȬ ȱ ȱȱęȱ the Torah’s commandments: The word for “sojourner” highlight our commonality, downplaying our Jewish-- (ger) also connotes “foreigner.” Jacob was thus allud-- ness and Jewish practice. From Jacob we learn that we ing to the fact that the materialistic realm of Laban was should not be ashamed of our Torah observance—in ȃȄȱȱ¢ȱȱDzȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ fact, we should highlight it. Exuding pride in our God-- was the Torah and its commandments. This awareness ly mission not only does not undermine our esteem in 15 enabled him to faithfully observe the Torah’s precepts the eyes of the world, it enhances it. [ INNER DIMENSIONS \ [5] I have been sojourning with Laban…I have de-- (1) As we have seen, Laban alludes to the “super-- layed my return until now: As we have seen, Isaac nal whiteness” (loven ha-elyon), or non-composite wanted to bless Esau, recognizing his older son’s uniformity of God’s simple essence. By living with ȱ ȱ ǻȱ Ğ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ Tohu). Laban while observing the commandments, Jacob Rebecca, however, realized that Esau’s potential accessed Laban’s source in holiness, an energy that could only be revealed by Jacob, and instructed Ja-- transcends the natural order. For twenty years, Ja-- ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱ ȱȱęȱȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ Dzȱ ȱ Ȭ- elevate Esau.16 cess culminated with Laban’s kissing Jacob’s chil-- Now that Jacob was going to meet Esau, he had dren, which meant that Jacob and his entire domain 17 to explain why he had tarried so long with Laban ȱȱ¢ȱȱȂȱĞ¢ȱǯ Jacob ȱȱȱȱȱȱęȱǯȱ ȱ¡Ȭ- then had the capacity to elevate Esau, and therefore plained that his sojourn with Laban had to precede immediately set about doing so. his meeting with Esau for two reasons, one relating (2) Esau embodied a greater evil than Laban did. Ja-- to Laban’s supernal self, the second to his terrestrial ȱȱȱ ȱȱȱǰȱęȱȬ- manifestation: ǰȱȱȱȱȱ ǰȱȱęȱǯ18 12. See Sefer HaSichot 5703ǰȱǯȱŗśśǰȱȱȱȱȱ£DZȱȃ ȱ¢ȱȱȱ'¢'ȱȱȱDzȱȱȱȬ- mained with him.” 13. Likutei Sichot, vol. 5, pp. 392-395. 14. Likutei Sichot, vol. 1, pp. 68-69. 15. Sichot Kodesh 5737, vol. 1, p. 270. 16. Above on 27:4. 17. See above on 32:1. 18. Sefer HaMa'amarim Melukat, vol. 2, pp. 191-192, and sources cited there. ŬūŰ 432 Genesis 32:4-6 VAYISHLACH Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau 32:4 ȱ¢ȱĚȱȱȬȬ ȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱ his brother Esau.