In this week’s Parsha, Yaakov Avinu gave an extra present to Yosef, the city of Shechem. Yaakov Avinu said to Yosef, "I am giving you Shechem which I took from the Emori with my sword and my bow and arrow - becharbi uvekashti."
The question is, was Yaakov the one who conquered Shechem, wasn't it Shimon and Levi!?
Secondly, Yaakov Avinu said that he conquered Shechem with his sword and his bow and arrow. A sword is used close up, an arrow is shot from a distance. Shimon and Levi went round from house to house with their swords. Where does an arrow come into the story?
To understand this we must have a look at the translation of the Targum. The Targum on the words "becharbi uvekashti" doesn't translate it in its natural context, but translates it that it refers to Yaakov Avinu's prayer, "betzlosi uva'usi" – "with my prayers and my requests."
The Beis Halevi explains there are two sorts of weapons. A sword is naturally very sharp and by just by making contact the sword is fatal. On the other hand an arrow is not naturally sharp. The power of the arrow is the force generated by pulling the arrow back as much as possible.
There are two sorts of prayer. Tzelosi, are the prayers made by the Anshei Knesses Hagedola which were composed with Ruach Hakodesh, which we pray three times a day. These prayers are naturally powerful. That is compared to the sword that is naturally sharp.
Ba'usi are the personal Tefillos that each and every one of us compose ourselves and pray in our wording. Those don't have the natural power to reach Heaven but depend on how much concentration and sincerity we invest in those prayers, just like the arrow that must be drawn back as close as possible to the heart.
That is how the Beis Halevi explains the comparison between the two different sorts of prayer and the two sorts of weapons.
Rav Yankel Galinsky continues and explains that now we know that the weapons of Yaakov Avinu were Prayer we can answer our original question.
Yaakov Avinu said to Yosef, "do you really think that Shimon and Levi conquered Shechem with their swords? I conquered it with my Tefillah. Without my prayers Shimon and Levi would never have been successful!"
And whose prayers did they have?
The prayers of Yaakov Avinu, the pillar of Torah. Yaakov Avinu who spent his whole life studying Torah had the merits that his prayers saved Shimon and Levi. Yes, we must do our Hishtadlus but the secret of success is Tefillah! The Tefillah of a Tzaddik, the prayers of those Tzaddikim sitting and studying Torah bring the Heavenly success to those on the battlefield.
We see this over and over again in Jewish history. In Parshas Mattos, Moshe got together 12,000 soldiers, 1,000 from each tribe, for the battle against Midyan. The Midrash writes that from every tribe there were 1,000 infantry, 1,000 guarding their possessions and 1,000 that were praying!
We need soldiers at the front, we need soldiers watching over their possessions, but why 12,000 for prayers? Couldn't all of Klal Yisrael pray for the soldiers?
The Midrash is teaching us an important lesson. The soldiers praying are just as important as the ones at the battlefront! And we need their prayer to win!
However, not only do we need the prayers for fighting at war. We need prayers for our success in everything we do.
Rav Galinsky was once on a fundraising trip in the United States. His driver told him of a certain wealthy man who was very charitable but wouldn’t give any money to support any Torah Institutions.
Rav Galinsky asked his driver to take him to visit the man. But he added a request that the driver come inside together with him. They rang on the door and were warmly welcomed inside.
The man listened carefully to Rav Galinsky but he then expressed that he doesn’t believe in supporting Torah as a principle. Hillel worked as a wood chopper, Rabbi Yochanan Hasandlar was a shoemaker, Rashi sold wines, the Rambam and the Ramban were Doctors. The Chafetz Chaim helped his wife in her store. The Rashash was a banker, Raabbi Efraim Zalman Margulies and the Chayei Adam worked, the Yaavetz had a printing press. The man had definitely done very good homework.
Rav Galinsky listened very carefully to the man and replied, “I am very impressed that you are a person with principles. I would therefore like to ask you your advice and opinion to help me solve a dispute between me and my driver.”
The driver looked in shock, he wasn’t aware that he had any dispute with Rav Galinsky.
Rav Galinsky continued, “I am raising funds to support Torah study and people donate funds knowing that their donations reach the holy cause. My kind driver also appreciates the special opportunity he has to give his share, and he drives me around free of charge. However, he asked me to cover the costs of the gas (petrol). He doesn’t mind to volunteer his time but doesn’t see why he has to pay the gas from his own pocket. I hold that I have no way of paying him. My only money is from the donations that were given for Torah not gas. What is your opinion, who is right? Please think it over carefully and give me your verdict.”
Both the driver and the host looked at Rav Galinsky in amazement. The driver had never asked to be paid and the host who replied that obviously the driver was in the right.
“The driver is a Tzaddik that he isn’t charging you, but all the donations are thanks for him transporting you, he definitely deserves his expenses, without gas you won’t get anywhere.”
“I will be honest,” replied Rav Galinsky, “I agree with you. Please can you give me a Gemarah Maseches Berachos.”
The man started to get a little nervous. Rav Galinsky opened the Gemarah to the end of the second perek. The Gemarah says that there is a Bas Kol – a Heavenly voice that called out every day, the whole world is sustained in the merit of Chanina my son (Rav Chanina ben Dosa), and Chanina my son is enough for him a small amount of carobs from Shabbos to Shabbos.
“It is true that you work and earn profits, but the whole world is supported in the merit of those that study Torah. They are your driver. They aren’t asking for a percentage, but at least give them some gas to help them continue to help you.”
The man admitted and gave a generous contribution to Rav Galinsky. But he had a question. “If the whole world is supported in their merit, why do they only have a few carobs? Don’t they deserve to live comfortably too?”
Rav Galisky replied, “I will answer your question with the following story.”
Baron Rothchild received a telegram. A large chain store in Poland was about to declare bankruptcy, and the business could be bought at less than half its value. But the deal had to be paid in cash. Baron decided to grab the deal and sent a telegram to say he would be arriving on Wednesday.
The worker in the post office knew the secret that Rothchild would be travelling with a large sum of money on Wednesday from Vienna to Warsaw. He took advantage of the information and for a nice sum of money; he shared the information with a group of gangsters.
Wednesday ten people boarded the first class carriage. Eight were planning to make a balagan while the other two would rob Rothchild of his money, get off the train and escape with the money. Just to be sure, three more boarded the second class and another three boarded the third class where the paupers travelled. They checked all the carriages but Rothchild was nowhere to be seen. By the time the train had passed through Czechoslovakia, the gang members gave up and got off the train in disappointment.
The train arrived in Warsaw. The wealthy people alighted from the first class, the businessmen from the second class and the paupers from the third class. At the back there was a carriage for horses. From that carriage came out a man covered in straw and dirt. He slipped off his coat to reveal a fancy suit, white shirt and tie. He walked out the station, stopped a horse and wagon and gave the driver the address of the hotel.
But Rothchild never realized that he walked into a wagon hired by the mafia. After a few minutes two men came on to the wagon grabbed his bag, threw him off the wagon and drove away.
Rothchild pulled himself together, stopped another wagon and travelled to his hotel; there he met up with his secretary who had one suitcase with fresh clothing and a second bag with all his money.
Rav Galinsky continued, “we live in a world full of robbers and gangsters trying to grab everything we have. They are challenges and the temptations that exist in every generation. We are travelling through this world to our final destination in Olam Habba. The temptations are smiling and winking to us all the time, the crooks are ambushing us to try and catch us.
The Ben Torah gives away his life for Torah study and invests himself fully in the world of Torah study, to stock up and accumulate more and more spiritual possessions, treasures more valuable than gold and silver. But how does he make sure that he won’t be carried away by all the temptations and not be addicted to worldly pleasures?
He travels in the third class carriage with all the paupers; that way he will arrive with all his treasures safely.”
As the Mishna in Avos says, the way of Torah is to live modestly on a low standard. Such a person is fortunate in this world and in Olam Habba. His Torah studies and prayers support the world and saves the world.
The Chafetz Chaim lived in a small poor apartment. The floor was earth and the furniture was bare. One day his Rebbitzen complained, “look, the neighbors are renovating their home, carpeting the floors, fancy wallpaper and paint on the walls and brand new furniture!”
The Chafetz Chaim replied, “Hashem blessed you with a husband who spends all day learning Torah, children successfully growing in their Torah studies and the Torah lightens up your home. The neighbors sadly don’t have any of that, so at least let them have some new furniture and carpets instead, at least a little Olam Hazeh.”
Zevulun, rejoice on your business travels and Yissachar in your tents of Torah. Zevulun who appreciates Torah, who realizes that all his success is thanks to Yissachar studying Torah and therefore supports Torah, he can rejoice because through his support of Torah he receives a share in Yissachar’s Torah.
