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But the Hebrew of the phrase, "Lama zeh tish’al lishmi," is quite unusual. The word "zeh-this" seems superfluous here; the sentence would make much better sense without it if it simply said: "Lama tish’al lishmi?"
Now, we know that there are no punctuation marks in the Torah; in fact even the separation between words is subject to interpretation. So, if you read the last word ("lishmi") as two words instead of just one, you get the phrase, "lama zeh tish’al li: sh’mi," meaning, "‘Why Do You Ask Me This?" is, in fact, my actual name!"
To explain: Rashi identifies Yakov’s adversary as Esav’s guardian angel, a malevolent figure who means to do harm to Yakov & his (Torah) way of life. And so, his self-declared name, & essence, make a lot of sense. For the philosophy of, "Don’t ask me any questions!" is indeed a serious threat to Torah learning & the acquisition of spiritual knowledge. It is davka via the asking of probing & penetrating questions that we confront & challenge the subject at hand, & ultimately arrive at the truth.
Every Yeshiva student who has ever learned Gemara knows that the Rebbe gives you one point for a great answer, but two points for a great question!
Too often, students are told, "Why do you ask me this? Don’t ask me any questions! Accept whatever you are told, without any doubt or delay!" To question authority is deemed heresy, blasphemy, apikorsis! But that is a very wrong & dangerous attitude; the entire Talmud, in fact, is one long series of questions - & the search for answers.
After the Exodus from Egypt, Moshe tells Bnei Yisrael (Ex. 13:14): "V’haya ki yish’alcha bin’cha machar laymor: Mah Zot?" And it shall be, when your child asks you tomorrow what is this (the Pesach ritual), you shall tell him….etc." With a touch of Rabbinic license, we can read the phrase a bit creatively: "When your child asks you a question, then you know there will certainly be a tomorrow," a bright future for the Jewish People.
The mark of a Jew, no question, is the Question Mark.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
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Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
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As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
