Month: November 2021

Written by: Avrohom S. Moller

This week we begin the story of mechiras Yosef, the selling of Yosef Hatzadik by his brothers. We find many instances in the Torah which highlight the deficiencies and failings of our greatest heroes. Yosef’s brothers are the Godly tribes, the Shivtei Kah, and yet they are faulted with doing an atrocity that defies the imagination. This week, we also have the incident of Yehudah and Tamar which seems to paint the progenitor of Moshiach in a most unflattering and compromised position. Why is it that these people failed in such an exaggerated way and why does the Torah tell us about it?

The Torah wants us to know that the path to greatness is not without obstacles and failures. True heroes have overcome failures and struggles as Yosef’s brothers did. The greatness they achieved in the process surpasses people who are inherently good and uncomplicated. The reality is that a rich life journey is messy and includes many ups and downs before we reach our destination. This is the story of Yosef and his brothers and the story of Yehudah’s ascent to the leadership of Klal Yisroel.

We are preparing to celebrate Chanukah and our victory over the Greek attempt to change our belief system. Greece descends from Yefes, the son of Noach who was blessed that “Hashem shall give beauty to Yefes.” Our sages acknowledge that Greece, in fact, did succeed in refining the aesthetics of physicality, celebrating beautiful art, architecture, theater, music and even philosophy. What was Judaism’s quarrel with the Greek beliefs? It was because Greece saw value only in the physical and the superficial. Being determinists, they denied morality and the principle of freedom of choice making. This reduced all of life to the now and here. There was no judgement, no room to struggle to improve; it was all about your inborn traits and fate.

The Torah is completely at odds with this idea. The Torah says we are all born imperfect and struggle toward perfection. This is why the greatest achievements of our people, including Moshiach himself, come to us in a messy and tortuous process. The point is to demonstrate that it is the journey as much as it is the destination and that we can and should redeem ourselves from the greatest mistakes.
May the coming holiday bring us encouragement and courage to continuously improve ourselves and to believe that we can become better and better!

Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman

In G-d We Trust

In this week’s Parsha, Vayishlach, Yaakov faces a dilemma. He is about to encounter his brother, Esav, who hates him and continues to plot against him. Because of their history, Yaakov has no idea how Esav will behave when they finally meet. The parsha teaches us that Yaakov prepares for this confrontation by doing three things. First, he sends Esav a present. Second, he prepares his camp for war. Third, he prays to Hashem for a peaceful meeting.

The unusual point to note about these preparations is that the Torah also states twice that Vayolen Shom, and Yaakov slept. Two questions arise from this statement. First, how could it be possible for Yaakov to sleep when he is preparing for a confrontation that might conclude with his death? Secondly, why does the Torah assert that Yaakov slept twice?

With these two mentions of Yaakov’s sleeping, the Torah teaches us an important lesson for life. Yaakov did everything he could possibly do to be ready for his encounter with Esav. He sends the customary present, makes the necessary preparations for war, and he prays to Hashem for a successful outcome. At this point, Yaakov understands that there is nothing else he can do to guarantee a positive conclusion when he meets with Esav. He realizes that the meeting between Esav and himself is in Hashem’s hands. Having faith in Hashem, he peacefully sleeps recognizing that not everything is in his control.

This is a valuable lesson for us to emulate. It is only natural for us to fret over circumstances that concern us even when they are not in our control. From Yaakov’s behavior we learn that the first step in dealing with unpleasant situations is to put forth our strongest efforts in the hopes of solving them. The second step is the acknowledgement that sometimes we do not have the ability to control everything and after doing our best, it is time to move on. This step is a difficult position to accept but a crucial one for our own peace of mind and true Bitachon (trust) in Hashem.

Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman

The Ladder of Life

In the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Vayetzei, our forefather Yaakov has a dream. In this dream, G-d shows him a ladder that is on the ground with its top reaching the heavens. Many commentaries explain that G-d used the ladder to convey a message to Yaakov that in addition to following in his father’s footsteps, he needs to continuously grow. The question arises – why is he being given this message now? Shouldn’t this message have been given to him when he was much younger?

Horav Yeruchum Olshin, one of the Roshei Hayeshiva of Beis Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ, points out that this was a critical time in Yaakov’s life. He was about to enter the world of Lavan, his corrupt uncle, and once there he was about to be challenged in ways that he couldn’t imagine. His morals, values and integrity would be put to the test. He recognized that and prayed that when he would eventually return to his father’s home he would have retained the levels of righteousness he had before he had left. However, G-d was telling him that it wasn’t sufficient to just maintain levels of righteousness; one needs to continuously grow. Yaakov’s task while in Lavan’s house was to overcome whatever challenges he might face and continue his spiritual growth.

What a great lesson for all of us. We must realize that our own education in yeshivos and growth in our synagogue life is not enough. We can’t remain stagnant in our growth. Instead, we need to view our interactions of daily living, no matter what the conditions might be, as opportunities for us to continuously develop, mature and flourish. We must emulate our forefather Yaakov and keep climbing the ladder of life.

Written by: Rabbi Avrohom S. Moller

The Torah describes the birth of Yaakov Avinu and Esav and contrasts them right away. Esav is described as ruddy and hairy and his name Esav, means he’s already “made” and finished. In contrast Yaakov’s physical appearance is not mentioned at all. Instead, his behavior of being an “innocent (or wholesome) man always in the study tent” is given as his description. Esav is defined by his external appearance because that is his path in life. He did not see life’s mission as one of constant growth and improvement. He saw the purpose of life to be an ongoing pursuit of desires using his talents and the opportunities for worldly pleasure as they present themselves. This outlook is reflected in his response to the negotiation with Yaakov about the birthright. Esav scoffs at the idea of leadership and responsibility, “I am going to die. What do I need this for?” He is saying that life is short, and he doesn’t have time for that sort of thing. (Remember the bumper sticker – He who dies with most toys wins)

Our great king Dovid was also described as being ruddy. This means that he was also a bold person, capable of bloodshed. The difference between him and Esav is that he spent his life refining his character and struggling with the challenging aspects of his personality. That is a life which is well spent and that is how one achieves greatness.

At the end of the parsha, it is interesting that Esav himself understands that he has missed the potential in his life when he realizes that he won’t receive the blessings of his father. He complains that Yaakov took his firstborn rights. This seems odd since he scoffed at the whole idea earlier in his life. It is obvious that when Esav stood at this major crossroad in his life where his destiny and that of his progeny were  being determined, he was able to comprehend that growth and responsibility are the true purpose of life and that he had missed the mark.

This stark contrast between a life of growth and self-improvement vs. self-indulgence and regression is important to understand early in life. It enables us to set a course that will give us a life of meaning, fulfillment and goodness.