Story on the Parsha
A rich man came to the Sanzer Rov for a Beracha.
The Rebbe asked him, “where are you from?"
"Lemberg." replied the man.
"Tell me, has the melamed already raised the money he needs for marrying off his child?"
"What?" asked the man.
"A month ago, a melamed from Lemberg was here. He claimed his child was engaged, and he had promised a dowry, but couldn't get it together and the mechutanim are threatening to break the engagement. Has it been sorted?" asked the Rebbe.
"How should I know?" answered the man. "I know the melamed, but I never knew he even had a daughter, that she got engaged and doesn't have the funds."
"I don't understand," said the Rebbe. "I am in Sanz and you're in Lemberg, and you don't know?"
"Ah, he told the Rebbe, so the Rebbe knows. But no one told me so how should I know?"
"And you never asked?" asked the Rebbe in amazement?
"Let me explain," answered the man. "Some people have plenty time to shmuz, check out what's news and what's going on. Baruch Hashem, I am not one of those. I am busy all day in business and when I have a spare moment I go to Shul, sit and learn and grab some Olam Habba. When do I have time to check out what's going on with other people?!"
The Rebbe's face lit up. "That's the way a Yid should be, utilizing every spare moment for Torah!"
The rich man's face shone.
"If so," said the Rebbe "you're a Talmid Chacham too, let me ask you a question."
In this week’s Parsha, the Passuk says, "Vaye'avek Ish imo ad alos hashachar - the Malach fought with Yaakov till dawn. Rashi explains that it was the Malach of Eisav - the Satan. A few weeks ahead, the Passuk says that a Malach found Yosef searching for his brothers and asked him what are you looking for. There Rashi explains that it was the Malach Gavriel. In both places it refers to the Malach as "Ish". How did Rashi know that here it was the Satan and there the holy Malach Gavriel?"
The man shrugged his shoulders and waited to hear what the Rebbe had to say.
The Rebbe continued, "it’s very simple. Yaakov asked the Malach to bless him. The Malach replied let me go it’s my turn to say Shira. If he's busy running to say Shira and doesn’t have time to help a Jew and give him a blessing, that's the Satan! But if a Yid is walking around a little lost and a Malach comes to check out what he needs, that’s a very holy Malach!"
And the rich man's face turned crimson red.
