Yaakov Sent Malachim to Get Esav to Repent:
The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 75:11) says that Yaakov sent these messengers to convince Esav to do teshuva. Shem M’Shmuel (5672) quotes the Avnei Nezer of Sochatchov zy”a as explaining that the reason Yaakov Avinu used actual angels to send the message to Esav, rather than using human messengers, was because he knew that only angels could get Esav to repent. Human beings could not succeed in bringing him back to the fold.
The Angels’ Tears:
Sefer Oz Yomru (written by Rav Yitzchok Aharon Goldberger shlita, a Rov in the community of Pupa-Williamsburg) relates an incredible story that he heard from a descendant of the Ruzhiner Rebbe zy”a:
Every Motzoei Shabbos, the Ruzhiner Rebbe would drink a cup of hot tea to fulfill the mitzvah of having something hot after Shabbos. One week, the gabbai brought the Rebbe his tea. He left the room but peaked in through the keyhole and saw that the Rebbe was not drinking. He checked several times and saw that the Rebbe was not drinking his tea. Finally, he built up the nerve to ask why he wasn’t drinking.
The Rebbe replied, “You should know that just like there are two malachim that accompany every Jew from shul to his house on the night of Shabbos, there also are two ‘weekday angels’ that accompany a person through the days of the week.
“One time, the Shabbos malachim and the weekday malachim of simple Jews met each other. The weekday angels made a request of the Shabbos angels and said: Our Jews are immersed in worldly matters. Please give them a bit of the influence of the holiness of Shabbos in order to cleanse and purify them. And the Shabbos angels agreed to do this. Tonight, the two pairs of angels met again, and the Shabbos angels reported that they had not succeeded in instilling the Jews with the holiness of Shabbos, and the pairs of angels parted with tears in their eyes.”
The Rebbe concluded, “How can I drink tea while the angels are crying?”
He Gave Himself Over to Hashem:
Rashi says that Yaakov sent “malachim mamash” (literal angels). Sefer Ohr L’Shomayim explains by citing the Gemara (Chulin 5B, see also Tosafos Bechoros 44B) that says: “The world is only sustained by one who makes himself like an animal, as is stated (Tehillim 36:7): ‘Hashem saves both man and beast.’”
This is hard to understand. How can a man make himself like an animal?
He answers that the meaning of this is that if a person truly wants to serve Hashem, he must give himself over to Him completely and accept that he can do nothing without Him. He should commit fully to allow Hashem to guide him and to even accept that his choices are actually the will of Hashem, and he cannot choose to do anything unless He plants the thought in his mind.
With this idea in mind, he explains the verse of “you shall choose life” (Devarim 30:19) to mean that one should recognize that his choices actually come from Hashem, the source of all life.
Therefore, when one davens to Hashem, he should only ask for a “free gift”, rather than thinking that he deserves anything. This is hinted to from the verse (Shemos 34:7): “He creates chesed for alafim (thousands).” This can mean that He creates chesed for people who are called “alafim”, which can be translated to mean “animals” (as in Devarim 7:13: ‘Shegar alfecha...’) in the sense that they consider themselves to be underserving of anything on their own and fully dependant on Hashem kindness.
Accordingly, the Gemara is saying that the world is sustained by those make themselves like animals by annulling themselves completely to Hashem. The Ohr L’Shomayim adds: “One who does this will merit seeing Eliyahu Hanavi, as ‘Eliyahu’ has the same gematriah as ‘beheima’ (animal).”
He thus explains that Yaakov was able to send actual malachim because he was on this level of self-nullification, as is seen from his words (Bereishis 32:10): “I have become small from all of His kindness...” Since he was on this level, he was able to interact with real angels.
Mercy for Future Generations:
The Chidushei Harim zy”a writes that Yaakov Avinu had been promised by Hashem that He would never abandon him, and he fully accepted this, as the Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 68:2) states that when Yaakov left Beer Sheva for Charab, he said, “My help is from Hashem, who created Heaven and earth. No man can harm me.” Still and all, he saw with ruach hakodesh that it was good for him to be distressed and to beg Hashem for mercy, as if he had no guarantee for his safety. The reason for this was so that he should create merits for future generations so that when they would be in perilous situations, they could receive this Divine mercy as well.
Tzedakah Leads to Anavah:
My ancestor, Rav Mordchele of Nadovrna zy”a (Maamar Mordechai), said that we see from this verse that one merits humility through the performance of good deeds. Yaakov said that he became small “from all the kindness”. Through acts of kindness and tzedakah, he merited humility.
Observing the Torah Brings Parnassah:
The Medrash states (Vayikroh Rabbah 35:6): “The loaf of bread and the stick are given together from Shomayim. If you observe the Torah, you will have the bread to eat. If you do not, you will get struck by the stick.”
Sefer Divrei Yisroel writes that this concept is hinted to in this pasuk. The words “ki bamakli avarti” can be translated to mean that if one transgresses (“avarti”) the Torah, he gets the stick. It then says “v’atah” (and now), and Chazal say (Bereishis Rabbah 21:6) that the word “v’atah” always connotes teshuva. Thus, the pasuk can be read as saying that if one does teshuva, he will have “two camps”, meaning that he will have wealth and honor.
The Value of Suffering:
Rav Chaim Eliyahu Sternberg zt”l (Kovetz Eliyahu, Ois 203) quotes the Shomrei Emunim zy”a as relating that the wife of Rav Yitzchok of Neshchiz zy”a once became very sick with a painful stomach ailment. She was suffering tremendously and she asked her husband, “You facilitate yeshuos for thousands of people. Why don’t you provide me with a cure?”
Rav Yitzchok answered, “One time when I did ‘aliyas neshama’ and my soul ascended to the Upper world, I saw that a certain man was being brought to judgment. His sins and merits were weighed and it was determined that his sins weighed more, so the verdict was that he must be sent to Gehenim. When he was given over to the angel that was to lead him to his destination, a huge malach appeared and said, ‘I have a defense for this man!’
“This large angel brought forth massive sacks full of the suffering this man endured in his life and placed them on the scale, which weighed it down to the side of good. A new verdict was declared and the man was allowed to enter Gan Eden.”
Rav Yitzchok told his wife, “You see how valuable suffering is in the World of Truth!”
The Yeitzer Hara Pretends to be Your Brother:
The Kedushas Levi explains that “Esav” is representative of the yeitzer hara. Accordingly, Yaakov was asking to be saved from the yeitzer hara at times when it tries to act like “a brother” and seduce him to sin by pretending to be his friend and convincing him that this is the right thing to do.
This is the way of the yeitzer hara. It connects to a person by acting like a brother who cares about him and deceives him into thinking that an aveirah is actually a good thing to do. Therefore, one must be incredibly careful to recognize the truth and not to fall into this trap.
Don’t Try to Hard to Find the Truth:
While it is true that one must search for the truth, it is also true that one should not search too hard, as this can lead one away from avodas Hashem.
Sefer Avkas Rochlim (Diburei Kodesh, Perek 10-11, Ois 145) states that the Bais Avrohom of Slonim zy”a once related a story about R’ Hershel of Ostropoli. Rav Hershele once invited some guests to a meal, but all he served them was a cup of water. He told them, “I planned on serving you a lavish meal of delectable food. I went to buy meat and the butcher told me that his meat was ‘as delicious as the fattiest meat you ever tasted.’ I understood from his words that fat is even better than standard meat, so I went to buy that. The storekeeper who I went to told me that his fat was ‘as delicious as oil’. I understood from this oil is even tastier, so I went to buy that. When I got to the oil seller, and he told me that his oil is ‘as clear as water.’ I understood from this that the very best thing is water. So that is what I served you!”
We see from this story that if a person seeks the truth a little too much will not be left with much.
It Is Bribery:
The residents of the city of Satmar once complained to the Rebbe that the government had appointed a new judge who was a big antisemite. They were afraid that he would do all he could to hurt them.
The Rebbe said, “I want to meet him!”
When the man was walking down the street, someone pointed him out to the Rebbe. The Rebbe said, “I don’t know what you think is wrong with this man. He looks fine to me. It looks like he has hands... Go quickly and give him a bribe. The hands of Esav desire a present from Yaakov!”
With this in mind, he explained the words of the Hagadah Shel Pesach: “And Hakadosh Boruch Hu saves us ‘from their hands.’” This can be read as saying that Hashem saves us by giving them hands to take bribes.
Torah Protects From the Yeitzer Hara:
Sefer Ohr Yitzchok explains this pasuk by citing the Gemara (Kiddushin 30B) that says that Hashem created the yeitzer hara and He created Torah as its antidote. This means that through Torah study, all the desires and evil intentions in the worlds can be transformed into good, and the yeitzer hara has no power over Klal Yisroel when they learn Torah.
When Klal Yisroel learn Torah on this level, they are referred to as “Yisroel.” When they do not study Torah like they should, however, they are referred to as “Yaakov.” When the Jewish people are “Yaakov”, the yeitzer hara can cause them harm.
Accordingly, the pasuk can be read as saying that “Yaakov” remained alone – without Torah. Therefore, the “man” – the yeitzer hara – was able to struggle with them.
Two Strategies of the Yeitzer Hara:
The Gemara (Chulin 91A) says that there are two opinions regarding this story. One opinion is that the “man” had the appearance of talmid chochom, and one opinion is that that he looked like a gentile.
The Avnei Nezer of Sochatchov zy”a (quoted by his son, the Shem M’Shmuel) says that the yeitzer hara has two strategies that it uses to cause people to sin. It sometimes appears like a non-Jew and tries to persuade people to rebel and commit aveiros. Other times, it looks like a talmid chochom and tries to convince people that an aveirah is actually a great mitzvah. Therefore, one must avoid both forms of the yeitzer hara.
Creating an Abundance of Goodness for Bnei Torah:
The Zohar Hakadosh says (Vayishlach 171A) that the injury to Yaakov’s hip was a hint that Torah scholars would not be fully supported by the wealthy people of society and they would remain poor.
The Sanzer Rov zy”a states that we see that after Yaakov saw this, he grabbed onto the angel and begged for his blessing. The angel then said that his name would no longer be Yaakov, which was a name that symbolized that Torah scholars would be poor and would not be fully provided for by rich men. Instead, his name would be Yisroel, which is a name that symbolizes a position of leadership. He was saying that Torah scholars will be treated with honor and respect, and wealthy people will come to them seeking blessings and guidance and would, therefore, help them financially.
Salvation Through Stories of Tzadikim:
The Shinova Rov zy”a was once traveling by wagon and he asked his shamash to light his pipe because he wanted to smoke. However, the wind was blowing strongly and every time the shamash tried to light the pipe it was extinguished.
The Rov then began to bemoan the fact that his generation did not have the power to accomplish what previous generations could do. To illustrate, he related a story about Rav Menachem Mendel of Rimanov zy”a. One Friday, it was very hot outside and the windows of Rav Menachem Mendel’s home had to be kept open because of the heat. After the Shabbos candles were lit, gusts of wind blew in through the window and it looked like the candles were going to be extinguished. Rav Menachem Mendel walked over to the window and said, “Hashem, I don’t need the candles to stay lit for my honor. It is for Your honor!”
Suddenly, the wind stopped blowing into the house, even though it was still windy outside. After saying this story, the Shinova Rov asked his shamash to try again to light the pipe. Amazingly, although the wind continued to blow, it did not extinguish the fire and the pipe was able to be lit.
Those present wondered why the Rov had said that this generation could not accomplish what previous generations could, when they had seen that the Rov performed the same act as Rav Menachem Mendel of Rimanov. The Rov realized that this was what they were thinking, so he said, “Don’t think that what I did was a miracle. I cannot perform miracles. But when one wants a miracle to occur, he should say a story about a tzadik who caused a mofes to happen, and the power of the story will allow a miracle to occur now as well. Since I am not able to do miracles, I related the miraculous story of the Rimanover, and the power of that story did what it did.”
He Hinted to the Golus and Geulah:
The Ohev Yisroel writes that the letters of the word “es” in this pasuk are an acronym for “Tisha B’Av.” Thus, this verse is hinting that Klal Yisroel does not eat on Tisha B’Av.
The previous pasuk says that Yaakov was “limping on his thigh”, which is a hint to golus. However, it says that “the sun rose on him.” Rashi says that in order to heal Yaakov, Hashem made the sun rise quickly. This is a hint that Moshiach should come quickly and heal all of Klal Yisroel.
Avrohom Worried About His Offspring Every Rosh Chodesh:
The following story is related in Sefer Otzar Hasipurim:
The Baal Shem Tov zy”a had a close student named Rav Dovid Farkas zt”l. At one point, Rav Dovid decided that he wanted to move to Eretz Yisroel. Before leaving, he went to obtain permission to leave from his Rebbi. The Besht told him, “I agree to let you go but I ask you, Dovid, to make sure not to go crazy.”
He then gave his blessing and Rav Dovid went on his way.
In the middle of the journey, the shipped made a stop on an island. It was early in the morning and Rav Dovid hadn’t davened Shacharis yet, so he got off the ship and went to see if there were any Jewish homes on the island where he could daven. He thought that he had plenty of time, as the ship usually stopped for several hours before embarking again.
He started to ask the other passengers if anyone knew if any Jews lived on this island and they told him that the island was completely uninhabited. No one lived there!
Suddenly, an old man with a long white beard approached him and asked, “Are you R’ Dovid Farkas?” When he said that he was, the man asked what he was looking for, and he said that he needed a place to daven Shacharis. The man said, “Come with me.” He led him into a house and gave him an empty room to daven in.
When he finished, the man served him a nice meal and asked, “How are the Jewish people doing in golus? Are they well?” Rav Dovid replied, “Hashem has not abandoned them.” The man then asked, “Do they have a livelihood?” Rav Dovid gave the same response and the old man asked, “Are the non-Jews causing them a lot of trouble?” Rav Dovid answered, “Hashem protects them.” The old man continued to ask about every detail of life for Klal Yisroel and Rav Dovid kept saying that Hashem has not abandoned them.
At the end of the conversation, the old man said, “The ship is about to leave. You have to go now.” He accompanied him to the ship and waved goodbye. Rav Dovid boarded the ship but soon realized that it was not the same ship he was on before. He discovered that the ship going to Eretz Yisroel had left without him and he was now on a different ship that was headed from Eretz Yisroel back to Europe.
Rav Dovid was very upset when he realized that after all of his efforts and all the work he put into his trip, he was now headed back home. He laid his head down in dismay. As he sat there, he began to think about what just happened. He had been told that no one lived on that island... so where did that old man come from? It struck him that something remarkable had occurred and he hadn’t even thought to ask the...
