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 Vaishlach, Yaakov returns home after working for Laban for 20 years. Upon his entry into the Holy Land, he is faced by his brother Eisav accompanied by 400 men. וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּ֤אנוּ אֶל־אָחִ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־עֵשָׂ֔ו וְגַם֙ הֹלֵ֣ךְ לִקְרָֽאתְךָ֔ וְאַרְבַּע־מֵא֥וֹת אִ֖ישׁ עִמּֽוֹ׃   The messengers returned to Yaakov saying, We came to your brother, to Eisav, and he is also coming to meet you; and there are four hundred אַרְבַּע־מֵא֥וֹת men with him.   What's interesting about the number 400 is that it is the gematria of the Hebrew letter tav , which in the Ashuri script that is currently used to write the scrolls of Torah is written as  ת According to the Talmud, Ezra was the first to mandate that the scrolls of Torah be written in the Ashuri script rather than in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet used formerly. According to the Talmud, prior to Ezra the scrolls of Torah had been written in Paleo-Hebrew ( Ktav Ivri ), and Ezra switched...

In parsha Vaishlach, Yaakov returns home after working for Laban for 20 years. Upon his entry into the Holy Land, he is faced by his brother Eisav accompanied by 400 men. Yaakov sends gifts to Eisav in order to mollify his (Eisav's) anger. When they finally meet, there is this curious verbal exchange between them: וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מִ֥י לְךָ֛ כָּל־הַמַּחֲנֶ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּגָ֑שְׁתִּי וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לִמְצֹא־חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵ֥י אֲדֹנִֽי׃ He [Eisav] said, What do you have to do with that whole camp that approached me? He [Yaakov] said, It was to find favor in the eyes of my master. (Gen 33:8) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר עֵשָׂ֖ו יֶשׁ־לִ֣י רָ֑ב אָחִ֕י יְהִ֥י לְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁר־לָֽךְ׃ Eisav said, I have much . My brother, let what you have be yours (Gen 33:9)   The exact expression that Eisav used is יֶשׁ־לִ֣י רָ֑ב   "yesh li rav " - I have much . Eisav tries to persuade Yaakov to keep the gifts to himself. Upon hearing this, Yaakov does not give up, and responds: קַח־נָ֤א אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻבָ֣את לָ֔ך...