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Parshat Vayishlach 5771

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Parshat Vayishlach 5771 Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi Volume 2 Number 34 Brought to you by Naaleh.com Parshat Vayishlach: Struggle For Simcha Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shira Smiles The quintessential battle between Yaakov sake. At other times he blinds our perception almost no language that has as many and Esav signifies the eternal struggle of to think we are doing a mitzvah when we are expressions of joy as Hebrew because it is the good and evil inclinations. Yaakov actually sinning. one of the most central tenets of Judaism. prayed, “Save me from the hands of my When the angel parted from Yaakov he When we feel that we’re missing something, brother, from the hands of Esav.” Rav Rice called him Yisrael. The Chatam Sofer cites a we often feel sad. A Jew’s soul naturally notes that this seeming repetition connotes gemara that notes that while Avraham thirsts for spirituality. Filling this void with the double guise of Esav, who will remained Avraham, Yaakov’s name material things only creates a false sense of sometimes appear as an enemy and switches back and forth from Yaakov to happiness. We need to ask ourselves, “How sometimes as a friend. When he seems like Yisrael. Yisrael connotes spiritual perfection much do I enjoy Torah and mitzvot and our brother, we need to be most vigilant. and the angel indicates that at this level he developing a connection with Hashem?” If Similarly, the Torah writes that Esav will not attack. However, Hashem, who we don’t feel a bond with our Creator, then embraced Yaakov and kissed him, understands human frailty, recognizes that there is no desire to create beauty and joy in “Vayishakeihu.” The commentaries take we will still remain “Yaakov” and even when the relationship. We need to work on two different approaches to this kiss. Some we falter, He will not leave us. Life is about bringing Hashem into our personal lives and explain that Eisav’s brotherly feelings were struggle in the “Yaakov” state while yearning infusing our avoda with passion and enthusi- aroused and he kissed Yaakov. Others for the ultimate “Yisrael” state. This is the asm. When we have an awareness of where explain that Eisav actually bit him and challenge of emuna. we come from, our achievements and goals, Yaakov’s neck miraculously turned to Rav Arush notes that those who live with and where we are ultimately headed, then marble. Just as marble cannot become emuna are happy and confident, while those we can begin to understand the purpose of tameh, Yaakov’s neck proved impervious to who do not find life unbearable. life. the venomous impurity that Esav wanted to When we’re down in the “Yaakov” state, inject within him. In Shearim B’Tefilah, Rav Pincus writes that we must learn to see Hashem as our Hashem is still there with us, but ultimately In the same vein, some say the archangel master. The struggle of Esav is the battle we must yearn for the “Yisrael” state. May of Esav came as a rasha and others say he with the evil inclination, which tries to make our efforts to grow help us attain true simcha appeared in the guise of a tzaddik to teach us think we’re in control. We must realize and shleimut. us that on a metaphysical level Esav will that life is not about the “I,” but about fight Yaakov in two ways. Hashem. Our most potent weapon in this The Yetzer Hara comes in dual guises too. struggle is the midda of simcha, which Sometimes he entices us to do evil for evil’s sensitizes us to hashgacha pratit. There is The Power of The Soul: The Tzaddik Within You #4 Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Eliezer Miller Our holy writings teach us that Hashem’s The Chiddushei Harim taught that each Jew the Jewish people to Hashem. main purpose in forming the world was to has a spark, an inner tzaddik, which is Similarly, the foundation of prayer is to create a relationship with us. The way to protected by Hashem. It is about this very connect to Hashem. Tefila is service of the attach oneself to Hashem is to bind oneself spark that we say “magen avraham.” heart. Through prayer we break through the to one’s Divine inner spark and through that Hashem shields it and nothing can barriers separating us from Hashem. The to connect to the “shoresh haelyon,” the extinguish it. When we sin, a partition rises Maharsha in Kedushin writes that tefila has Upper Source. up around the spark and our natural love for the power to change nature. A person must The Nefesh Hachaim writes that the Hashem is dulled. Yet we must believe that never give up hope, for when he succeeds keruvim served as a symbol of Hashem’s it is still there and will burn forever no matter in connecting to Hashem, who transcends closeness to us. When the Jews did His how far we may stray. natural boundaries, he too can merit to go will, the two keruvim faced each other. The keruvim were atop the aron, which held beyond nature. When they sinned, their backs were turned. the luchot. This teaches that our connection Hashem yearns to hear the prayers that Hashem’s great love for us and the with Hashem is dependent on Torah. The stem from our inner spark. He desires His significance he placed on developing a aron would carry its carriers. People who revelation in this world. May we merit to bond with us can be discerned from the fact study the Torah find that it sustains them. expand the tzaddik inside of ourselves to that the keruvim were in the holiest place in The Zohar writes that the world reached a reach ever greater heights in avodat the Beit Hamikdash. Just as Hashem’s love certain perfection when the Beit Hamikdash Hashem. for us is everlasting, so is our love for Him. was built as the keruvim served to connect Help support Naaleh by searching the web! For more information visit www.iGive/Naaleh.com & www.iSearchiGive/Naaleh.com visit us online at: www.naaleh.com | for questions, suggestions, or dedication opportunities, email [email protected] 1 Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi Volume 2 Number 34 Brought to you by Naaleh.com Tree of Life: A Woman’s Relationship To Torah - #1 Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller Chazal tell us, “Histakel b’orayta ubara only Torah really works. The yetzer hara takes being and the reasoning behind it do not alma.” Hashem looked into the Torah and the world with its existing components and resonate with most women. Maharal notes created the world. What is the implication of makes evil out of it. It is the force that makes that emuna – faith – is feminine, while emet – this in our own lives? First, Torah is the us think that evil is creative. We all confuse truth – is masculine. Emet means seeing blueprint of the world. Second, we good with evil at times, by seeing the physical things as they are by knowing Torah well. This pre-existed the Torah. The world was world as more vivid than the spiritual world involves studying the technicalities of created as a backdrop to the soul’s need for and letting it overtake us. Only Torah can cure halacha, such as what is prohibited and free choice and Torah is the key. Our us of this spiritual blindness. permitted. This movement is from above to collective soul, the part that makes us one, is What should a woman’s relationship to Torah below. Emuna is looking at the world, perceiv- as close to the essence of Hashem as be? Women have a part in Torah that is ing Hashem, and uplifting physicality. Emuna anything can possibly be. We are complex distinctly their own. Historically a Jewish moves from below to above. Men achieve beings. When we sin, our animal self woman’s connection to Torah was mostly perfection by encountering the yetzer hara overtakes our spiritual self. We constantly experiential and largely osmosis. However, and beating it. Torah gives us guidelines to do struggle and the only way to strengthen our within the last century, Hashem has brought this. Women are drawn to the part of Torah, spiritual selves is through Torah. Therefore, women to a more direct access to Torah. This which focuses on the inner self. Torah had to be created before the world is not because we’ve changed, but rather The Yetzer Hara makes us feel autonomous came into existence. because Hashem is taking us to a different and distant from Hashem. The only way to Chazal tell us, “Barati yetzer hara, barati place. Although today there is more of an return is to go back to the pattern in which Torah tavlin.” I created the evil inclination and intellectual connection, women are still drawn Hashem created the world. The only real I created the Torah as its spice. People try to to the feminine aspects of Torah. Studies that weapon we have is Torah. drive evil out of their lives in myriad ways but are technical and analyze the entire mosaic of Rebbetzin’s Perspective III Class 1 Excerpted from Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller’s Question and Answer series on Naaleh.com Question: other possibilities and ways to spend time is where I am supposed to be and I am Although children did not come easily that are fulfilling and interesting.
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