Results tagged ‘ Vayeitzei ’
Vayeitzei
Rashi
(29;12) relates that Yaakov told Rachel, “If he comes for deceit, I am his
brother in deceit.” Meaning, he is just as much as a trickster as
Lavan. However, in the end Yaakov had to work 14 years in order to marry
Rachel-so we see that Lavan tricked him!?! How could Yaakov say that he’s
Lavan’s brother in deceit if Lavan clearly got the better of
him?
Secondly, after giving birth to Shimon Leah said that she felt
hated (29;33). How could Yaakov allow his wife to feel hated?
Thirdly,
the torah (29;19) relates that Lavan told Yaakov: “It is better that I give her
to you than that I give her to another man.” However, why did Lavan prefer
Yaakov over all other men to marry Rachel? Wouldn’t it had more sense for him to
want Rachel to marry a wicked person like himself?
Fourthly, how
exactly did Lavan know (presumably, since he made the offer) that Yaakov would
work another 7 years just to marry Rachel (29;27)?
why did Yaakov accept the deal and work for another 7 years? He could have at
least argued! Why did he accept working for another 7 years without even putting
up a fight?
Sixthly, the Gemara (Megilah, 13b) states that Rachel was
“modest” because she gave Leah the signs (see: Rashi, 29;25). However, how did
that act show “modesty”? Rashi (29;25) states that she gave Leah the signs in
order to save her from humiliation!?!
Seventhly, how was Rachel doing
Leah a favor by giving her the signs in order to have relations with
Yaakov (Rashi, 29;25) if she felt like Yaakov hated her (29;33)?
Eightly, the torah (27;43) relates that Rivka told Yaakov to go to
Lavan in order to keep safe from Eisav. However, how did Rivka know that Eisav
wouldn’t go there as well?
Lastly,
the question arises: How is a trickster able to manipulate people?
In
order to answer these questions we need to understand: What is trickery? The
torah (25;20) repeats Rivka’s genealogy a second time. Rashi (25;20) explains
that the torah repeated it in order to give her praise for not learn from their
deeds. However, we would have known that she didn’t learn from their deeds even
had the torah not repeated her genealogy (e.g. she gave water to Eliezer and his
camels- 24;18-20)!?!
Rabbi Yochanan Zweig explains that the torah is
telling us Rivka’s roots-meaning, Rivka had the character trait of trickery but
unlike Lavan she used it correctly.
Now, how does a trickster able to
manipulate people? Rabbi Zweig explains that a trickster keeps your desires
close to you so that you start salivating. But then, however, he moves it away
from you. You then become so focused on your desires that you fail to recognize
all the negative consequences of chasing your desires.
Further, Rabbi
Zweig explains that Lavan understood that Yaakov was merely interested in
having children-not love. Therefore, Lavan gave him Leah so that he would be
able to have twice the amount of children. As a result, Lavan knew that Yaakov
would accept Leah as a wife, even though it had to be through trickery. Also,
Lavan made Yaakov work another 7 years, and Yaakov followed through because he
understood that his drive to motivation was to have children and therefore had
no problem with marrying Leah. Thus, Yaakov didn’t know that it was Leah who he
had married because he wasn’t focused on love-just having
children.
Rabbi Zweig relates that Leah felt hated because she felt
like she was merely functioning in order to have children for Yaakov. Yaakov
married Leah only children, whereas he married Rachel for love as well.
Therefore, it wasn’t that Yaakov hated Leah, he was just only interested in her
as a wife in order to have children.
Even further, Rabbi Zweig relates
that Rachel was actually doing a favor for Leah by giving her the signs (even
though she felt hated) because had she not then Leah wouldn’t have been able to
give Yaakov children (and then she would have served no purpose for Yaakov as a
second wife).
Rabbi Zweig relates that Rachel showed modesty by giving
Leah the signs because by giving up the signs she was giving up her space. A
modest person is one who remains in the background and doesn’t need any credit.
This, explains Rabbi Zweig, is what Rachel showed by giving Leah the
signs.
Further,
Rabbi Zweig explains that Yaakov actually tricked Lavan (not the other way
around). And how is that? Rabbi Zweig explains that Yaakov volunteered to work
for the first 7 years. Why did he do that? Rabbi Zweig explains that Rachel and
Leah only left Lavan because he didn’t treat them as strangers (see; 31;15).
Therefore, Yaakov tricked Lavan because he knew that Lavan was all about money,
as he had checked him all over for money when he met him (29;13). Therefore,
Yaakov didn’t get tricked but he actually tricked Lavan by making it loud and
clear that all he really cared about money and because of that he lost his
daughters to Yaakov.
Even further, Rabbi Zweig explains that Lavan
wanted Yaakov over everyone else to marry his daughters because he felt they
could work together as Yaakov’s method of trickery was to give whereas other men
simply wanted to take everything like himself.
In
closing, Rabbi Zweig explains that the character trait of manipulation is
actually a good thing, as long as you use it the right way. Rabbi Zweig explains
that in order to manipulate one has to know the desires of his fellow. This is a
gift that the nation of Israel got from Yaakov-for if you know the desires of
your friend then you could give him what he wants and really help him
grow.
Vayeitzei
Vayeitzei
In this week’s parsha Rachel tells Yaakov (30;1) “Give me children–if not, I am dead.”
From here, the Gemara (Nedarim, 64b) learns that one without children is considered dead.
Interestingly, the Gemara (Yevamos, 64a) relates that Hashem purposely made our forefathers barren because he desires the prayers of the righteous.
However, how could Hashem make them suffer by being barren just so that they would pray to Him? By making them barren He was basically killing them!?!
In order to answer this question, I think we first need to gain a deeper understanding of what tefilah (prayer) is…
The Gemara (Taanit, 2a) refers to tefilah as a “service of the heart.” And why is that? Simply speaking when one prays to Hashem they have to truly concentrate and believe in the words they are saying. Interestingly, the Rambam (Hilchos Tefilah, 4;15) states, “Any prayer said without concentration is not a prayer.” As a result, the Rambam continues, one who prays without concentration should repeat the prayers. In fact, the Rambam actually states that it’s forbidden to pray when one has a troubles mind or heart and will thus be unable to concentrate. In closing, the Rambam states that the sages would suggest that people take 3 days off from praying when in a troubled state of mind in order to give them time to relax and clear their mind (Note: Nowadays we rule differently). Similarly, the next Rambam (Hilchos Tefilah, 4;16) quotes the Gemara (Berachot, 32b) which relates that the sages would wait for 1 hour before and after praying in order to properly clear their minds and concentrate on the prayers. On the importance of concentrating during prayers, the Gemara (Rosh Hashana, 18a) relates 2 similar cases: In the first case, 2 people were confined in bed with the same illness. They both prayers to Hashem but only one of them were answered. In the second case, 2 people were brought into court accused of the same crime. They both prayed to Hashem to be judged favorably but only one of them was answered and proclaimed innocent. The Gemara asks: Why was only one of them answered in both cases? The Gemara answers: Only one of them in each case prayed with concentration (see Rashi)–therefore, only they were answered.
Now, how great is the power of tefilah?
The Mishna (Pirkei Avos, 1;2) states that the world stands on 3 things–one of them is serving G-d (prayer). Additionally, the Nefesh HaChaim (2;13) states that every prayer, even if not answered NEVER goes to waste (it simply gets used for something else). Furthermore, the Vilna Gaon states that tefilah contains the essence of all 613 mitzvot.
However, why is it SO important to pray with concentration and why is prayer so great?
I think we could explain that serving Hashem leads to happiness (which without, one would rather be dead). And why is that? Happiness requires knowledge that everything comes from Hashem–who is always there for us. No money could buy happiness. As we’ve seen throughout history, large sums of money could be lost within seconds (e.g. 1987 stock market crash). Therefore, by praying to Hashem with “all our heart and soul” (as we are commanded to: Devarim, 11;13) we create a strong bond with Him and cause ourselves to realize that He is the source of everything we have. Similarly, the Mishna (Pirkei Avos, 4;1) states: “Who is happy? “He who is happy with his lot.” Meaning, it doesn’t matter how much money you have. Happiness means being content with ones fortune. How does one achieve happiness then? Only by connecting to Hashem can one guarantee that he will only see goodness. The best way to connect to Hashem is through tefilah.
Let’s look in the Torah and see who achieved true happiness…
The Torah (24;1) states: “And Hashem had blessed Avraham with everything.” Surely, however, he didn’t have everything. Rashi (24;1) even mentions that he needed to find a wife for Yitzchak. (Just think: How many parents nowadays go crazy trying to marry off their kids?) Therefore, why did the Torah say that he had everything if he was still lacking? The answer is because Avraham was completely satisfied with his lot and felt as though he lacked nothing. Thus, he had everything. And how did he get this feeling of being completely content? The answer is in the pasuk. “And Hashem had blessed Avraham.” Obviously everything Avraham had came from Hashem–what is the torah telling us? I think the Torah is teaching us here that Avraham only had everything because he realized that everything he had came from Hashem. We find the same thing by Yaakov Avinu when he says (33;11): “Hashem has been gracious to me and inasmuch as I have everything.” Yaakov only felt as though he had everything because he realized that he acquired all of his possessions through Hashem’s graciousness.
I think we could now answer our question…
Hashem wasn’t “killing” our forefathers by making them barren. On the contrary; he was giving them life! And why is that? True life is when one is in the state of happiness–which could only be acquired through connecting with Hashem. Therefore, Hashem gave them a really strong deficiency by making them barren in order so that they would strengthen their avodat Hashem (service of Hashem) to the fullest degree.
Summary: Hashem purposely made our forefathers barren in order so that they would pray to Him (Yevamos, 64a). However, the Gemara (Nedarim, 64b) states that people without children are considered dead. How could Hashem basically temporarily kill our forefathers? The answer is that real life comes from happiness, which could only be fully acquired when prays and truly recognizes that Hashem is in control of the whole world.
mlblogsjasonbehar
Recent Comments