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Rashi says Yakov was afraid that either he would be killed, or be forced to kill his brother. Another suggestion is that Yakov's fear stemmed from the fact that Esav had 2 great merits going for him: He did not leave Eretz Yisrael, while Yakov did; & he excelled in the Mitzva of Kibud Av V’Aym, which Yakov was unable to do during his 36 years apart from his father Yitzchak.
But wait a second: Didn’t Yakov have an abundance of Mitzvot & merits himself that would far outweigh those of Esav, & surely serve to protect him in his hour of need?!
Perhaps the intent here is to emphasize that one can never underestimate the awesome power of any single Mitzva, particularly those as pervasive as living in Israel & honoring parents. And so I would like to share with you a
true & amazing story that is the ultimate proof of this.
Several weeks ago, I ran into a couple we know, & they remarked that they had just come back from the Bar Mitzva of their grandson in New York, in honor of which the family had commissioned a Sefer Torah. "We have warm regards for you," they said, "from someone we met who told us that today, he is a religious Jew only because of you."
Now, this is not something I hear every day! I quickly asked for his name, but they didn’t remember, so I handed them my phone to call their son in New York, & he told me the name. When I heard it, my mind immediately flashed back 40 years to a vivid and exceptional memory.
I was the NCSY (National Conference of Synagogue Youth) youth director in Dallas, & one day our group's president came running into my office. "You won’t believe this," she said excitedly, "but I just passed by the public school & saw a boy wearing a kipa!" Now, this may occur periodically in Israel or even New York, but it certainly doesn’t happen very often - if ever - in Dallas, Texas, where a child attending the state public school wears a kipa. So we jumped in the car, drove to the school & found the young boy. He told us that he had once read in a book that Jews cover their heads as a reminder that G-d is always above us. He asked his parents if he was Jewish, and they said of course he was. He then insisted that his parents buy him a kipa. They did, reluctantly, assuming that he would wear it only on Jewish holidays, but he insisted on wearing it everywhere, all the time. They tried to dissuade him from wearing it at school, but he would simply not be moved. Despite the strange looks & taunts he endured from the other kids, he wore that kipa every single day. And that is how we came to notice him.
Well, in short, we brought that boy into our NCSY group, took him to Shabbatonim and introduced him to observant Judaism. Eventually, we convinced his parents to enroll him in a Jewish day school, where he excelled, & then he moved on to Yeshiva. I left Dallas for Israel soon after that, and that was the last I heard about him. Until now.
"How did you happen to meet him?" I asked our friends. They shot me a puzzled look. "Meet him?!" they said. "He was the Sofer who wrote the Torah that we dedicated!"
The power of just one - seemingly small - Mitzva, the act of putting a kipa on your head and then keeping it there. It was enough to change a life - which then went on to change so many more lives.
Now I think about it every time I have an opportunity to do a Mitzva - large or "small."
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
