Torah Thoughts

In Parsha Vaishlach Yaakov returns to Eretz Yisroel after 22 years of working for Laban and learns that his brother Eisav is marching with 400 men towards him in order to kill him. Yaakov becomes frightened and begins to prepare for the encounter. He prayed to Hashem and said that he has become small קָטֹ֜נְתִּי מִכֹּ֤ל הַחֲסָדִים֙ וּמִכׇּל־הָ֣אֱמֶ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתָ אֶת־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ I have become small because of all of the loving kindnesses and all of the truth that You have done with Your servant. ( Bereishis 32:11 )   Rashi Explains that the term katanti  קָטֹ֜נְתִּי means small, unworthy, humble. Further on we read that Yaakov returned to the other side of the Yabbok river, which Rashi explains he went there to get small jars   וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר׃ And Jacob remained alone ( Bereishis 32:25 ) Which Rashi explains that he had forgotten some small , katanim jars and he returned for them (Chullin 91a)....

In Parsha Vayetzei we read that Yaakov worked for Rochel 7 years, but it seemed to him like a few short days because he loved her. וַיַּעֲבֹ֧ד יַעֲקֹ֛ב בְּרָחֵ֖ל שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיִּהְי֤וּ בְעֵינָיו֙ כְּיָמִ֣ים אֲחָדִ֔ים בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹ אֹתָֽהּ׃ So Yaakov worked seven years for Rochel, but in his eyes they seemed like few days because of his love for her. ( Genesis 29:20 )   We see from this, that because Yaakov's labor of 7 years was a labor of love, they seemed to him as only a few days. It is interesting to note that the translation "a few days" is not quite precise, because the translated expression "like a few days", in the original Hebrew, literally means "like single days" because  k' yamim echadim כְּיָמִ֣ים אֲחָדִ֔ים literally means  like  single days .    What could that mean?   Interestingly, we find this term in the very beginning of Torah, in parsha Bereishis, where it says: וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים  ׀ ...

 In Parsha Vayetzei we learn that when Yaakov met Rochel for the first time, he kissed her, raised his voice, and cried. וַיִּשַּׁ֥ק יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְרָחֵ֑ל וַיִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת־קֹל֖וֹ וַיֵּֽבְךְּ׃ Then Yaakov kissed Rochel, raised his voice and cried ( Genesis 29:11 )   Which Rashi explains   ויבך  AND HE WEPT - He wept because he came with empty hands. He thought: Eliezer, my grandfather’s servant, brought with him rings, bracelets and all good things, but I have nothing with me (Genesis Rabbah 70:12).   Rashi explains why Yaakov wept, but he does not explain why he kissed her. It seems that kissing a girl in public by a tzaddik, for whom modesty is paramount, raises a bigger question about propriety than merely weeping. Rashi says that he cried because he was robbed by Esau's son Eliphas along the way and did not bring any engagement gifts for his future bride Rochel. This is our clue: just as his weeping was for the lack of a gift for Rochel, s...

  In parsha Toldos we learn that, while Yaakov was cooking red lentil stew, Eisav came home exhausted, and asked Yaakov to pour some of that red stuff into his mouth: וַיָּ֥זֶד יַעֲקֹ֖ב נָזִ֑יד וַיָּבֹ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו מִן־הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וְה֥וּא עָיֵֽף׃ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַלְעִיטֵ֤נִי נָא֙ מִן־הָאָדֹ֤ם הָאָדֹם֙ הַזֶּ֔ה כִּ֥י עָיֵ֖ף אָנֹ֑כִי עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא־שְׁמ֖וֹ אֱדֽוֹם׃ Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stuff, for I am exhausted”—which is why he was named Edom.  (Genesis 25:29-30) Which Rashi explains means: "I will open my mouth and you pour it all in".  Now, this seems like a very odd request, and should raise a red flag of suspicion. Have you ever heard such a wild request made by an adult hairy man, asking his host to pour a pot full of stew into his mouth, while he keeps his mouth wide open? Why not simply ask the host to give him a very large plate of stew with a ver...

In parsha Toldos, we read that  וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב יִצְחָ֛ק אֶת־עֵשָׂ֖ו כִּי־צַ֣יִד בְּפִ֑יו וְרִבְקָ֖ה אֹהֶ֥בֶת אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב And Isaac loved Eisav, because of  trapped meat  (צַ֣יִד - tzaid)  in his mouth, while Rivkah loved Yaakov. ( Bereishit 25:28) Rashi explains: בפיו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ בְּפִיו שֶׁל יִצְחָק. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ בְּפִיו שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, שֶׁהָיָה צָד אוֹתוֹ וּמְרַמֵּהוּ בִדְבָרָיו: As the Targum renders it: in Isaac’s mouth (i.e. Isaac ate the trapped meat he brought home). But its Midrashic explanation is: there was hunting  ( צַ֣יִד - tzaid )   in Eisav's   mouth, meaning that he used to entrap and deceive him by his words (Genesis Rabbah 63:10). Question: How can a tzaddik such as Isaac be entrapped and fooled by Eisav with a piece of meat (tzaid)? The Midrash says that Eisav would ask questions about tithing salt and straw every time he came into the house of Isaac. Can a tzaddik really be...