Transcript
Good morning, may it be a good morning, may it be a good day for כלל ישראל, עם ישראל Klal Yisrael, Am Yisrael. We should hear בשורות טובות ישועות ונחמות besoros tovos yeshuos v'nechamos, please God. A day in which the hostages are all returned home, all of them, in which our soldiers can go home after a sweeping victory, please God.I want to thank our parsha series sponsors for the year, Becky and Avi Katz and family, in memory of David Grossman, Becky's father. Our learning is לעילוי נשמת דוד בן מנחם מנש l'iluy nishmas David ben Menachem Manash. We're very grateful to the Katz family. Also this morning sponsored by Golda Sadowsky in honor of רבי יהודה לייב בן דוד קרצר Rabbi Yehuda Leib ben David Kurtzer, our dear friends, Rabbi and Mrs. Kurtzer, her dear aunt and uncle. Should be well, and it is great to have them back. We are in פרשת ויצא Parshas Vayetzei, page 144, Artscroll Stone Chumash. And the book of בראשית Bereishis continues to unfold the narrative, the introduction to our אבות ואמהות avos v'imahos, our matriarchs and patriarchs. מעשה אבות סימן לבנים Ma'aseh avos siman l'banim, all that they went through and go through, all that we're learning, studying, extracting, extrapolating from them are not mere lessons of the past, they're not parts of history, but rather they are instructions for our destiny. They tell us what, how we can live going forward. They tell us about our lives now and going forward. Stay afterwards, please, we're going to complete the entire ספר תהילים Sefer Tehillim as we do each and every week and after every שיעור shiur. Thirty people stay, we divide all תהילים Tehillim and finish it rather quickly. And we continue to make available to you in the lobby, Israeli flags, American flags, put both on your car, stand proudly as patriots of America and Americans who support, of course, Israel.פרק כ\"ח פסוק י' Perek chaf ches, pasuk yud, the very opening of פרשת ויצא Parshas Vayetzei. וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה Vayetzei Yaakov mi'Be'er Sheva vayelech Charana. The parsha begins, Yaakov leaves Be'er Sheva. He departs and he heads towards Charan. And we begin with the תפארת שמואל Tiferes Shmuel. We've been learning this wonderful sefer, which we only have the first few parshios, I don't know if more are out, but they generously shared with me only through ויחי Vayechi, through ספר בראשית Sefer Bereishis. The תפארת שמואל Tiferes Shmuel of Shmuel Berenbaum was the ראש ישיבה Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir in Brooklyn. He has incredible insights, really beautiful, this תפארת שמואל Tiferes Shmuel. I highly recommend it and am very grateful for it.Rashi says, ויצא vayetzei. Yaakov departed. Yaakov went out. לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לִכְתֹּב אֶלָּא וַיֵּלֶךְ יַעֲקֹב חָרָנָה Lo hayah tzarich lichtov ela vayelech Yaakov Charana. Why do we care, why do we need to know what gate he left from, where he departed from? All we care about is וילך vayelech, he went, חרנה Charana. וְלָמָּה הִזְכִּיר יְצִיאָתוֹ V'lama hizkir yetziyaso? Why does it matter that he left? All that should matter is where he went. אלא מגיד שיציאת צדיק מן המקום עושה רושם Ela magid she'yetzi'as tzadik min hamakom oseh roshem. One of the most famous Rashis in the Torah, you all certainly know it. This teaches that when a person leaves a place, it has an impact. When someone departs, עושה רושם oseh roshem, it makes an impact. שבזמן שהצדיק בעיר הוא הודה, הוא זיוה, הוא הדרה She'b'zman she'hatzadik ba'ir, hu hodah, hu zivah, hu hadarah. When a person, a tzadik, when a righteous one is in the city, that presence is felt. They are the glory, they are the righteousness, they are the splendor of the city. ביצא משם B'yotzo misham, when a person leaves, when that righteous person leaves, פנה הודה, פנה זיוה, פנה הדרה panah hodah, panah zivah, panah hadarah. So with them departs the splendor, the righteousness, the glow, all of those wonderful things. Asks Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, the תפארת שמואל Tiferes Shmuel, צריך ביאור, למה מדגיש הכתוב את חשיבותו של הצדיק דווקא ביציאתו מן המקום? כל זמן שהצדיק בעיר הוא עושה רושם tzarich biur, lama madgish hakasuv es chashivuso shel hatzadik davka b'yetziyaso min hamakom? Kol zman shehatzadik ba'ir hu oseh roshem. Why are we teaching this lesson specifically when the righteous person leaves? Did we neglect? Did we take for granted? Did we forget when the righteous person was present in the city what that meant? The influence they had, the difference that they made? We're first noting and noticing their impact when they leave? Why not talk about it while they're there? ויעקב אבינו הרי דר בבאר שבע V'Yaakov Avinu harei dar b'Be'er Sheva, Yaakov Avinu lived in Be'er Sheva how long? How long? Gets the membership award. How long was he a member in Be'er Sheva? 63 years. ודאי עשתה דירתו של הצדיק רושם שם V'vadai astah diraso shel hatzadik roshem sham. 63 years. That is a membership, you get one year free or something. That's pretty good. That's like going on a yoga rendezvous, how many days in a row? Carvel, how many days in a row? Menchie's, I mean in trouble, I'm not leaving anyone out. Whatever the reward program is, 63 years of living in Be'er Sheva, that is incredible longevity. וודאי עשתה דירתו של הצדיק רושם שם V'vadai astah diraso shel hatzadik roshem sham. Surely, Yaakov's presence, 63 years in the city of Be'er Sheva made a difference. אם כן למה לא כתבה התורה עניין זה בהיות יעקב בבאר שבע Im kein lama lo kasva haTorah inyan zeh b'heyos Yaakov b'Be'er Sheva? We wait after 63 years, he retires, he moves down to Boca, and that's when we say, \"Ooh, we're going to really miss him in Teaneck. We're going to really miss him in the Five Towns.\" 63 years he says nobody said boo. 63 years nobody noticed I live there. 63 years I barely got a good Shabbos. And now when he leaves, צדיק עושה רושם tzadik oseh roshem, \"Ooh, we're gonna really miss you.\" Why don't we talk about it while he's there? וכן יש להקשות, אמרתי איתא בסוף מסכת סוטה V'chein yesh l'hakshos, amarti itah b'sof Maseches Sotah. You could ask, says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, moreover, the Gemara at the end of מסכת סוטה דף מ\"ט Maseches Sotah daf mem tes, תנו רבנן, משמת רבי אליעזר, נגנז ספר תורה. משמת רבי יהושע, בטלה עצה ומחשבה. משמת רבי עקיבא, בטלה זרוע תורה Tanu Rabbanan, mishemes Rabbi Eliezer, nignaz Sefer Torah. Mishemes Rabbi Yehoshua, batlah eitzah u'machshava. Mishemes Rabbi Akiva, batlah zroah Torah. The Gemara there lists several righteous people when they expired, when they died, when they left this world, with them we lost a certain quality. With them we lost certain exceptional מידה midah. משמת רבי אלעזר בן עזריה בטלו עטרות חכמה Mishemes Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah batlu atros chachmah, we lost wisdom. The קשה, אבל, למה כשחיו רבי אליעזר, רבי יהושע, רבי עקיבא kasha, aval, lama k'shechayu Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Akiva, why do we talk about when they died, the world was bereft? When they died, the world was lost of that quality. It was absent. There was a vacuum of that מידה midah. Why do we wait until they die to talk about what the world is missing? Why don't we say when they lived, the world really had contact and access with this incredible quality? למה הזכירו חז\"ל מעלתם רק משמסו Lama hizkiru Chazal ma'alasam rak mi'shemeisu? ויש לומר V'yesh lomar. Says the תפארת שמואל Tiferes Shmuel, שמא היה הכתוב shema hayah hakasuv, there's a new `שואל` shoel's going to be huge. שמא היה הכתוב אומר shema hayah hakasuv omer, שמציאות הצדיק בעיר עושה רושם she'metzius hatzadik b'ir oseh roshem, because had the pasuk said that the מציאות metzius of a tzadik in the city is what makes the quality, לא היינו יודעים שביציאתו מסתלק הרושם lo hayinu yodim she'b'yetziyaso mistalek ha'roshem. Let's say we talked about all 63 years Yaakov was there, wow, what a difference, what an impact he made. So you would have known that while he lived there, he had an influence. But you might not have known that when he left, anyone noticed? היה סברה לומר שמציאותו עושה רושם חזק כל כך שאף כשהוא יוצא מן המקום נשאר אותו רושם Hayah svara lomar she'metziyuso oseh roshem chazak kol kach, she'af k'shehu yotzei min hamakom nishar oso roshem. I might have come to the other conclusion that that righteous person, their righteousness was so potent, so powerful, so strong that even long after they left, it could still be felt. I wouldn't have known that once they left, it was gone, it was absent. I would have concluded exactly the opposite, that their powerful, potent influence was so strong, even after they left, it was felt. ולפיכך מדגיש הכתוב, שביציאת הצדיק מסתלק הרושם, ואז מבינים לתפוס ההזדמנות ללמוד ממעשיו הטובים, ללמוד ממעלותיו U'l'fichach madgish ha'kasuv, she'b'yetzi'as hatzadik mistalek ha'roshem, v'az mevinim litpos ha'hizdamnus lilmod m'ma'asav hatovim, lilmod m'ma'alosav mimeinu. What's the Torah trying to tell us? You know, it's very sad to me as a Rav, I officiate a lot of funerals, I attend a lot of funerals, and more often than I'd like to admit, I learn about, hear about someone, and I say, \"I wish I knew this while they were alive.\" How much I would have, how many questions I would have wanted to ask. How many stories I'd want to hear. How much inspiration, motivation I wish I would draw. I wish I knew this about the person while they were alive. It's only when we know that they're going to leave, we lose the access and the opportunity, that's what makes us appreciate, take advantage while they're here. The Torah's trying to communicate, you have a צדיק בעיר tzadik ba'ir, if there are righteous men and women who live in your city, in your vicinity, if they're Holocaust survivors, whose אמונה emunah and ביטחון bitachon and their capacity to endure, their resilience to rebuild, take advantage of every moment. Because don't ever think that the רושם roshem, that the impact, the influence that they make is so strong that you can always get it later. Even after they're gone, you'll continue to draw from it. No, that when a tzadik leaves, either they leave because they've moved and migrated or they leave because they've we've lost them, know that we've lost their influence. מצינו שלאחר שהצדיק מסתלק מן העולם מעינינו, מרגישים כולם בהעדרו Matzinu she'le'achar she'hatzadik mistalek min ha'olam me'eineinu, margishim kulam b'he'edro. Once they leave, then everyone says, \"Ooh, we really miss them. Ooh, something's missing. Ooh, something's absent. Oh, I wish.\" וכל אחד מצטער, למה לא השתדלנו להיות יוסף במשך ימי חיותו בעולם הזה V'chol echad mitztaer, lama lo hishtadalnu l'hiyos yoser b'meshech yemei chayuso ba'olam hazeh? Why didn't we take advantage? Why didn't we come close? Why didn't we learn and listen? ולמה לא למד ממנו יותר V'lama lo lamad mimenu yoser? וזה מה שבאה התורה ללמדנו כאן V'zeh mah she'ba'ah haTorah l'lamdeinu kan, that's what the Torah is teaching us here. יציאת צדיק מן העיר Yetzi'as tzadik min ha'ir, when a tzadik leaves, know that. And why is Rashi teaching us that? Not only a piece of history that when Yaakov left Be'er Sheva, after 63 years, he won the lifetime membership award, 63 straight years, Yaakov, ooh-ah. It's not just to teach us history, it's to teach us in our time. It's a parsha perspective for today. Look around. There are amazing people and they won't always be here. Please God, they'll make aliyah and they'll live in Israel. And we'll follow them, maybe not to the same city. Or after 120, they're going to leave this world. Don't wait until it's too late, because when a tzadik leaves a city, it makes a רושם roshem. Don't wait until we lose that opportunity. The Lavosheinu of Rav Druk, in his wonderful new sefer, also addresses this Rashi. Know when a tzadik leaves. Listen to his insight. ידו הקושיא, מדוע דווקא לגבי יעקב אבינו Yadua hakushya, madua davka l'gabai Yaakov Avinu? Why don't we teach this earlier? Avraham, Avraham migrated and moved. Why don't we talk about Avraham when he left the city, ooh, what a party. They made a goodbye party because they felt his absence. They knew they would miss him so. When Yitzchak moved, ooh, they felt it. Why do we wait until Yaakov to learn this lesson? Why do we wait until Yaakov to draw and to teach this teaching? ודרשו חז\"ל שיציאת צדיק מן המקום עושה רושם V'darshu Chazal she'yetzi'as tzadik min hamakom oseh roshem, מדוע לא נאמר כן לגבי שאר האבות madua lo ne'emar kein l'gabai she'ar ha'avos? אף באברהם מצינו Af b'Avraham matzinu, שאמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא, לך לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך she'amar lo Hakadosh Baruch Hu, lech lecha me'artzecha u'mimoladetecha u'mibeis avicha. Who's the first person that we learn, the first test that we're taught is move, migrate, pick up and leave. Why did the Torah say, \"And then they really missed Avraham because when a tzadik leaves, it makes a רושם roshem\"? Why don't we talk about his יציאה מן המקום yetziah min hamakom? Yitzchak, ויהי רעב בארץ מלבד הרעב הראשון vayehi ra'av ba'aretz milvad hara'av harishon, וילך יצחק אל אבימלך מלך פלישתים גררה vayelech Yitzchak el Avimelech melech Plishtim Gerara. Yitzchak also moved, he migrated. Why don't we talk about when Yitzchak left, when he moved to Gerar, why don't we talk, ooh, it made such a difference. Ooh, they missed him. Why do we wait until Yaakov? צריך להבין איפה באמת היתה יציאתו של יעקב Tzarich l'havin eifo b'emes hayta yetziyaso shel Yaakov, כה רב רושם יותר מיציאתם ko rav roshem yoser m'yetziyasam? Why was that רושם roshem, why was the impact of Yaakov's migration felt even more than Avraham and Yitzchak? Listen to what Rav Druk says. לפי פשוטו יש מקום לבאר, כי משמעות הדברים הפך ממה שזה נראה L'fi pshuto yesh makom l'va'er, ki mashma'us hadvarim hefech m'mah she'zeh nir'eh. Because the Torah is trying to teach us the opposite of what we would have thought, counterintuitive. רק אצל יעקב הוצרך הכתוב לומר שיציאתו מן העיר עושה רושם Rak eitzel Yaakov hutzrach ha'kasuv lomar she'yetziyaso min ha'ir oseh roshem. Avraham and Yitzchak, we don't have to be taught. You know why? Because Avraham, what was Avraham's personality? Avraham was a great influencer. Avraham had an enormous following online and offline. He was a public speaker, scholar in residence, sought after, flown around the world. Avraham had his soapbox and he got up and he preached and he taught ethical monotheism. Avraham was a superstar. Everybody knew Avraham. So Avraham would move, it's obvious, irreplaceable. Everybody is replaceable. Everybody's replaceable. But Avraham, irreplaceable superstar, spokesperson, transformational leader. Avraham's charisma would be obvious that if Avraham moved and migrated, if he left, you'd feel it, you'd know it. But what about Yaakov? What about Yaakov? What did Yaakov do? Did Yaakov have a popular podcast? Was Yaakov on a soapbox preaching and teaching and `דרשנ`'ן darshoning? Was Yaakov transforming the world with his charisma? Yaakov was an איש תם יושב אהלים ish tam yoshev ohalim. He sat and he שטייג'ט shteiged. He was in the בית מדרש beis medrash from morning till night. So you'll say, he took up space in the בית מדרש beis medrash. We didn't really hear from him much, we didn't see him much. He sat and he שטייג'ט shteiged and he learned. One should know that the protective element and quality, the power of the קול קול יעקב kol kol Yaakov, the Torah and the תפילה tefillah what it does for a community, for a city, that invisible, seemingly invisible, the person that was dismissed, the person that just sat in the corner, taking up space, their sitting and שטייגען shteiging, their learning, their דאווענען'ן davening, that is what is protecting the city, the community. And when they leave, ooh-ah, you'll notice. Not only because you'll notice that their chair is empty at the Kollel Boker and the afternoon Kollel and the night seder, their chair is empty at the שיעורים shiurim and the learning. Not just because you'll notice their chair is empty and you're missing that person, their קול תורה kol Torah, their contribution to the symphony of Torah, but because metaphysically, the impact that they made through the righteousness that they had. So Avraham left, it's obvious that when he left, you'd feel it. But Yaakov, one might have thought, this meek, quiet, modest, soft-spoken `מתמיד` masmid, who's going to really notice? The answer is, the community will notice when they see, when they feel that he's no longer, that he's no longer there. Retroactively. ובאופן נוסף יש לבאר, אומר הרב דרוק, offers another interpretation. על ידי שנתדקדק בלשון חז\"ל שאמרו, מכאן שיציאת צדיק מן המקום עושה רושם U'v'ofen nosaf yesh l'va'er, omer HaRav Druk, al yedei she'nitdakdek b'lashon Chazal she'amru, mikan she'yetzi'as tzadik min hamakom oseh roshem. From here we learn that when a righteous person leaves, it makes a רושם roshem. שדווקא כאשר הצדיק יוצא מן העיר, אז נעשה רושם בעיר וניכר שנחסר מן העיר הודו, זיוו והדרו She'davka ka'asher hatzadik yotze min ha'ir, az na'aseh roshem ba'ir v'nikar she'nechsar min ha'ir hodo, zivo v'hadaro. אך כאשר היה הצדיק בעיר, לא הרגישו עדיין כולם את הודו, זיוו והדרו Ach ka'asher hayah hatzadik ba'ir, lo hirgishu adayin kulam es hodo, zivo v'hadaro. So, what it means is that when the righteous person is in the city, sometimes we fail to realize and recognize and appreciate just what kind of impact they're making. We think they're modest and soft-spoken, we don't feel their charisma, their leadership, their name is not listed for their monumental contribution and donation. They're just sitting in the corner שטייגען shteiging, learning, they're righteousness, they're just דאווענען'ן davening, they come a little earlier, they stay a little bit later, they say a little more תהילים Tehillim, they just walk around with their צדקות tzidkus and we don't even realize. פנה הודו, זיוו והדרו Panah hodo, zivo, v'hadaro, we don't even realize the glory, the splendor, the impact that it makes. That's why it says ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע vayetzei Yaakov mi'Be'er Sheva, שביציאתו אז ניכר שנחסר מן העיר she'b'yetziyaso az nikar she'nechsar min ha'ir. It was only when they leave that the community, the city gets a little darker. You lose a little bit of that light, you lose a little bit of that radiance. שכאשר הצדיק נמצא בעיר, והאנשים נמצאים סביב אותו העיר, אינם מרגישים השפעתו של הצדיק את האור שהוא משפיע She'ka'asher hatzadik nimtza ba'ir, v'ha'anashim nimtza'im sviv oso ha'ir, einam margishim hashpa'aso shel hatzadik, es ha'or shehu mashpia. הם תופסים את מציאות Hem tofsam es metziyus הזו כפשוטה ומובנת מאליה, לא מכירים מציאות אחרת hazu k'pshuta u'muvenes me'eleha, lo makirim metziyus acheres. They don't know any other way, they take it for granted. We take it for granted. We don't begin to appreciate what we have until it's missing, until we go elsewhere. We have an incredible community, amazingly diverse and truly extraordinary men and women. And you know when people learn that and realize that and first appreciate that? When they go elsewhere. Or when those people leave, they leave 'cause they move or they leave 'cause we've lost them, then people say, \"Wow, you know, there's something special. There's something special.\" It shouldn't have to take for that. That's what happened for Yaakov Avinu too, with יציאתו מן העיר עושה רושם yetziyaso min ha'ir oseh roshem. You understand what Rav Druk is being מדייק medayek in the language. יציאתו Yetziyaso, it's when they leave. What do you mean, the רושם roshem was created when they were here? Why is it that the יציאה yetziah makes the רושם roshem? You hear the דיוק diyuk? What should make the impact is while they live here. Not when they leave, it makes an impact. It's when they leave, only now does it make an impact of how impactful they were. All along they were making an impact, but nobody noticed. We took it for granted. It was simply a given. It's only when they leave that now it makes an impact of just how impactful they were. And that's why the language is, יציאתו מן העיר עושה רושם yetziyaso min ha'ir oseh roshem. The רושם roshem it makes is just how impactful they were. Rav Druk goes on a little bit more, but we're going to move on. We're going to get past the first pasuk this week. No commitment. יא יא Ya ya. פרק כ\"ח פסוק י\"א Perek chaf ches pasuk yud alef, second pasuk of our parsha. So, Yaakov left. He left the city. We don't just, we're not just taught וילך חרנה vayelech Charana, we're not just given his destination, we're also given his departure. ויפגע במקום וילן שם כי בא השמש Vayifga ba'makom vayalen sham ki va hashemesh, and he encounters the place and he rests his head because the sun had set. ויקח מאבני המקום וישם מראשתיו Vayikach me'avnei hamakom vayasem me'ra'ashosav, so he takes the stones of the city, of this place, he puts it under his weary head. וישכב במקום ההוא Vayishkav ba'makom hahu, and he hops a `דרימל` drimel, he takes a `שלוף` shluff, he puts his head down. He puts his head down. וישכב במקום ההוא Vayishkav ba'makom hahu. It's time for a nap. It's time for a nap. What is this `מקום` makom? What's he doing? He's taking a nap. Ooh-ah. When we think of our most righteous people, we think they never sleep. We learn about Rav Chaim's schedule and Rav Elyashiv's schedule and this one's schedule and the other righteous person's schedule, what are we taught? What do the biography say? Superhuman. They never slept. We're introduced to Yaakov, and what's our introduction? וישכב במקום ההוא וילן שם Vayishkav ba'makom hahu, vayalen sham. He says, I got a `חברותא` chavrusa with the `שלוף` shluff `רבי` rebbe. I got a `חברותא` chavrusa with my pillow. With the Shinover. `שינה` Sheina, I'm going to sleep. That's Yaakov, sleep. So Rashi tells us, שאמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, צדיק זה בא לבית מלוני ויפטר בלא לינה? She'amar Hakadosh Baruch Hu, tzadik zeh ba l'veis meloni v'yiftor b'lo linah? This tzadik is going to come to my inn and he's going to leave and he's not going to have a good sleep? That's considered inhospitable. יש להסביר כאן Yesh l'hasbir kan, asks the Tiferes Shmuel Berenbaum, הקדוש ברוך הוא שינה את כל טבע העולם Hakadosh Baruch Hu shinah es kol teva ha'olam. Now the sun, was it set to set? Was it scheduled to set? It set early. God interfered with nature because he wanted Yaakov to go to sleep. `להבדיל` Lehavdil, you take the daytime flight to Israel, 1 o'clock El Al, Miami-Tel Aviv. It's a rough flight. Why is it a rough flight? Because you fly from 1 o'clock and you land at 1 a.m. and you land right when you'd be going to sleep except that it's 7 o'clock in the morning and you're supposed to be starting your day. It's a rough, I'm not asking anyone to have pity on anyone who gets to go on that flight, I'm just saying it's a rough schedule. So what do you do? What do they do? It's remarkable, the new airplanes, they serve you your meal, and then they press some magic button, and the windows, even if the shade is open, it's pitch black. And all of a sudden they dim the lights, and it's now 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and it feels like the middle of the night. You know what else makes it feel like the middle of the night? A couple glasses of wine, an Ambien, a little, I don't know, what's the vitamin you don't even need the prescription for? A little melatonin. Every Jew's got a whole pharmacy on every El Al flight. Whatever you need, it's a traveling CVS, the whole flight. So they do, the ריבונו של עולם Ribbono Shel Olam says, I want Yaakov to sleep. He hasn't slept in a long time, he's got to sleep. What will I do? So, בא השמש ba hashemesh. We're going to, we're going to make the windows dark. It's going to feel dark. Why? I understand on the El Al flight why they do that. First of all, the more asleep you are, the less they have to take care of you and hear you and be bothered by you. But why, why do they, I understand the El Al flight, you're going to land and you need some `שלוף` shluff. Hashem had to make the sun set, Hashem had to make Yaakov sleep. What's going on over here, a miracle? ואינינו שהקדוש ברוך הוא הכניס אורח ליתן ליעקב מקום לינה על ידי ששינה הטבע V'hineinu she'Hakadosh Baruch Hu hichnis oreach l'tein l'Yaakov makom linah al yedei she'shinah ha'teva. You know what Hashem was modeling for us? What kind of hospitality, what kind of host he was. וזה בא להורות חשיבות של הכנסת אורחים V'zeh ba l'horos chashivus shel hachnasas orchim. Rashi quotes this `חז\"ל` Chazal, Rashi, it's later on `פסוק י\"ז` pasuk yud zayin, but Rashi says, `הקדוש ברוך הוא` Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, \"Yaakov's visiting in my house. Yaakov's under my care, and I'm not going to make a nice bed for him? I'm not going to have the window shades for him? I'm not going to set the thermostat for him? I'm not going to have the machine with the white noise for him? I'm not going to create the environment as perfect as I can for him to `שלוף` shluff?\" Ooh, that's what Hashem does a miracle for? Yes. Hashem interferes, intervenes with nature to be the greatest `מכניס אורח` machnis oreach, to model for us the value of hospitality. That's what the Gemara in `סוטה י\"ד` Sotah yud daled tells us. `אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני, מאי דכתיב, אחרי השם אלוקיכם תלכו, וכי אפשר לאדם להלך אחר שכינה` Amar Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani, mai d'chsiv, acharei Hashem Elokeichem teleichu, v'chi efshar l'adam l'halech achar Shechinah? What does it mean we're supposed to emulate, imitate, we're supposed to follow in Hashem's footsteps? Is that really possible? `הלא כתיב כי השם אלוקיך אש אוכלה הוא` Halo chsiv ki Hashem Elokecha eish ochlah hu. God is an all-consuming God. So how do you imitate, how do you emulate Hashem? `אלא להלך אחר מידותיו של הקדוש ברוך הוא` Ela l'halech achar midosav shel Hakadosh Baruch Hu. We imitate Hashem not in his core character, that we can't, he's infinite and omnipotent. How do we imitate Hashem? By following his behavior. `מה הוא מלביש ערומים` Mah hu malbish arumim, Hashem clothes the naked, clothe the naked. He visits the sick, visit the sick. He comforts the mourner, comfort the mourner. וכן על דרך זה יש ללמוד V'chein al derech zeh yesh lilmod, and similarly learn here, says Rav Berenbaum, `כמו שהקדוש ברוך הוא עשה ושינה טבע הבריאה` k'mo she'Hakadosh Baruch Hu asah v'shinah teva ha'briah, Hashem went to such an extent, Hashem went to such a crazy extent that he interfered with the rules of nature to make the conditions as optimal as possible to offer the best hospitality he could. Why did he do that? So that you and I will follow those footsteps. `אחרי השם אלוקיכם תלכו` Acharei Hashem Elokeichem teleichu. Put in the effort, make the conditions in your home as optimal as possible. Find out the dietary restrictions of your guests. Make them their favorite foods. Put the snacks in their room. Leave the extra water bottle. Leave your comfort zone and set the thermostat to their liking, even though it'll cost you a few more shekel with FPNL. If `הקדוש ברוך הוא` Hakadosh Baruch Hu changed the rules of nature to model that what does `הכנסת אורחים` hachnasas orchim demand? Not, be grateful I gave you a room. Be grateful I gave you a meal. You get what you get and you don't get upset. `הקדוש ברוך הוא` Hakadosh Baruch Hu didn't say that. He said, \"You're under my care? Ooh, I'm going to make it dark. I'm going to do the blackout shades.\" I've wondered, how come nobody brought `טרסים` trisim to America? Why did nobody bring `טרסים` trisim? You know in Israel the `טרסים` trisim, the little rope, and you let, now it's electric, fancy-schmancy, but the rope that you lower the `טרסים` trisim, they black out, Shabbos morning you wake up, it's 11 o'clock in the morning, you thought it was the middle of the night, you missed all the shul 'cause it was pitch black in the room. How come no one brought `טרסים` trisim to America? I'm giving you the business, 10% back to the shul. Get `טרסים` trisim to be hurricane-approved, bring them to America, to Florida, Texas, the Panhandle. I'm giving it to you. I don't have time, I don't have the head. Your business, 10% back to the shul. `הקדוש ברוך הוא` Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, \"I made it optimal conditions, that's what `הכנסת אורחים` hachnasas orchim means.\" He did that to teach us, that's what it has to mean for us as well. Rashi continues. ויקח מאבני המקום Vayikach me'avnei hamakom, Yaakov took from the stones of the place, and he put them around his head. עשאן כמין מרזב סביב לראשו Asan k'min marzev saviv l'rosho, שירא מפני החיות רעות she'yorei mipnei hachayos ra'os. Why did he put it around his head? As a little boundary, a little barrier, a little protection, in case the wild animals would come in the middle of the night, Yaakov would be A-okay. Why? Because he put some stones around his head. What happened with these stones, with these rocks? התחילו מריבות זו עם זו Hischilu merivos zu im zu. They started to fight with one another. זאת אומרת עלי יניח צדיק זה את ראשו וזאת אומרת עלי יניח Zos omeres alai yaniach tzadik zeh es rosho v'zos omeres alai yaniach. This one said, \"I want him to put his head on me.\" And this one said, \"It's not fair, I want him to put his head on me.\" And they were arguing and debating and fighting and vying which one would be the one that the great Yaakov would rest his head on. `הקדוש ברוך הוא` Hakadosh Baruch Hu didn't say, what in the world is the matter with you? First of all, stones don't talk, stones don't have feelings. He didn't say, what's the matter with you? What are you fighting about? You get what you get and you don't get upset. Whoever gets the luck of the draw, whoever has the `מזל` mazal that Yaakov puts his head on them, the rest of you be quiet, `שא שטיל` sha shtil. He doesn't say that. What did Hashem do? מיד עשאן הקדוש ברוך הוא אבן אחת Miyad asan Hakadosh Baruch Hu even achas. Immediately Hashem combined them and integrated them into one stone. וזהו שנאמר, ויקח את האבן אשר שם מראשתיו V'zehu she'ne'emar, vayikach es ha'even asher sam me'ra'ashosav. And that's why it says he took the stone, the stone. It began. Where did Rashi get this from? How did `חז\"ל` Chazal know this? They were bothered by a question that you've been fast asleep to. What was the question? The pasuk begins, `ויקח מ` Vayikach mei אבני avnei. `אבני` Avnei is, `לשון רבים` lashon rabbim, plural. And then it ends by saying, `ויקח את ה` vayikach es ha אבן even. So which is it? Did he take the plural stones or how `אבן` even, the one singular stone? `אלא מה` Ela mai, they concluded it began as several stones. They had this fight, this wrestling match. Hashem combined them into one and then there was one. Says the `תפארת שמואל` Tiferes Shmuel, `וצריך להבין מה חשב יעקב אבינו כי אין מרזב ששם סביב ראשו ישמרהו מפני חיות רעות` V'tzarich l'havin mah chashav Yaakov Avinu, ki ein marzev she'sam sviv rosho yishmereihu mipnei chayos ra'os. What was Yaakov thinking? An animal, a wild animal is going to come attack him. I have no idea what wild animal he was worried about. A hyena, a rhinoceros, a lion, a tiger, a cheetah, I have no idea what he was worried about. A lizard, an iguana. Whatever he was worried about, whatever he was worried about, the little three-inch stone was not going to protect him. What was going on? `מה תועלת יש בשמירה זו` Mah to'eles yesh b'shmirah zu? What exactly was Yaakov thinking? That ever bother you? We've all learned this Rashi our whole lives. But we don't stop to ask, what exactly is Yaakov thinking? How is this going to protect him? First of all, why did he only put it around his head? What about the rest of his body? His legs, his arms? He was willing to give up? His heart, his lungs, his liver, he was willing to give up? Why only around his head? Says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, `ויש לומר, דבאמת חשב יעקב אבינו שלא יוכל לעשות שמירה טובה יותר מזו, כי הרי חמה שקעה פתאום שלא בזמנה` V'yesh lomar, d'b'emes chashav Yaakov Avinu shelo yuchal la'asos shmirah tova yoser m'zu, ki harei chamah shaka pisom shelo b'zmanah. Yaakov did not have time to do more. He couldn't build a fortress. He couldn't build a shelter. He didn't have time, the sun was setting, unexpectedly, the sun was setting not on schedule. He opened his app, his `זמנים` zmanim and he said, \"What's going on over here? It's setting earlier than it's supposed to.\" He didn't have time to build a fortress or a shelter. All he had time to was to put these simple stones around his head. So he did the `השתדלות` hishtadlus he could in that moment. ועשה כל מה שיוכל להקיף את ראשו אפילו לרגע V'asah kol mah she'yuchal l'hakif es rosho afilu l'rega. ולאחר שעשה את כל השתדלות הלך לישון בביטחון בהקדוש ברוך הוא שישמרהו V'le'achar she'asah es kol ha'hishtadlus halach lishon b'bitachon b'Hakadosh Baruch Hu she'yishmereihu. Says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, there's a powerful lesson to be learned here, and what is that lesson? In life, sometimes all we can do is our `השתדלות` hishtadlus. In this moment, maybe more is demanded of us, maybe we would be better and smarter to do more, but we can't. We don't have the energy, we don't have the time, we don't have the resources. This is what we can do. This is the `השתדלות` hishtadlus, this is the initiative we can take. And what Hashem wants us to do and feel is, once we take our initiative, once we do our part, we let go and let God. So you look and you say, it's silly, a bunch of stones around his head. But Yaakov didn't feel that was silly. Yaakov said, if Hashem wants wild animals to harm me, they could harm me even if I build a fortress. If he wants to protect me, he'll protect me, even if I have nothing. Ah, so why bother with these stones? Because the lesson in life is that you have to do `השתדלות` hishtadlus. I'm in the middle of my article for this week about this. Should we sit back and learn and say Tehillim and tell the army, what are you doing? Come back to Yeshiva. Tell the Hesder boys, put down your gun, go learn. And everything's going to be okay. That's not the way of the world that we live in. That was not the way of the world when Yaakov confronts Esav. He prepares in three ways: for war, diplomacy, and `תפילה` tefillah. Throughout Tanach, David Hamelech is a warrior with an army, and David Hamelech has generals, and Tanach is filled with Jewish kings. They don't say, put down the weapon, go learn. Don't go to the doctor, sit and say Tehillim. There is an extreme version, and there maybe is a level of righteousness of people who could qualify, but that is not the prescription for Am Yisrael as a whole. We're taught and told `השתדלות` hishtadlus. You have to balance `השתדלות` hishtadlus and `ביטחון` bitachon. So, anyone who thinks, close the Tehillim, why bother? We've got the greatest army, the most unparallel IDF, military superiority, their resolve, their tenacity, their resilience, they are absolutely incredible. So close the safer, close the Tehillim. We've got the incredible army. is wrong. That is not what we believe. We believe that it is Hashem. When a person's in surgery, we `דאווען` daven that the surgeon is successful, we `דאווען` daven, who is the one who will guide his hand? Hashem. So we don't say, I got the best surgeon, I got the best doctor, I flew to the best hospital. I got the doctor you can never get into. Everybody knows the Jackie Mason of Shalom routine. My doctor's so good, nobody could ever see him. to see him, it's impossible, you can't get in. Everybody knows. What do we do? You go to the best doctor on the planet and then you go to the waiting room during the surgery and you pour out your heart in the תהלים Tehillim. And it is the combination of the doctor's expertise, of the doctor's years of experience, of the doctor's qualifications, being guided by the רבונו של עולם Ribono Shel Olam in our תפילה tefilla. It's that combination that brings the result. And has anyone ever said, never say thank you to the doctor. Because if you thank the doctor, you might mistakenly believe that it's the doctor who saved rather than Hashem. That's not our השקפה hashkafa. Our השקפה hashkafa is הכרת הטוב hakaras hatov. You say thank you to the doctor because הרבי שלוחים למקום harbei shluchim laMakom. Hashem chose that doctor to bring that healing.We have to דאווען daven for and endlessly thank our precious soldiers who put their lives on the line and who are the שלוחים shluchim of Hashem. We are in awe and we have endless gratitude and we will forever be in debt to them. And there's not a contradiction between this השקפה hashkafa. I have a lot more to say if I ever get to this article for it. That's always been our way. To indeed, never fear putting our soldiers on a pedestal, never fear being grateful toward them, while at the same time recognizing who guides their hand, who brings their success, who protects our people, it's Hashem. You know who knows that best? The soldiers. That's why they're putting on those ציצית tzitzis and asking for those תפילין tefillin and singing and dancing to אל תירא ישראל אין לנו על מי להישען, אנחנו בנים מאמינים ובני מאמינים Al tira Yisrael, ein lanu al mi l'hisha'en, anachnu banim ma'aminim u'vnei ma'aminim. You think those soldiers don't know it? They're the ones teaching it to us. Follow their example, lean in and ride their אמונה emunah. It's absolutely extraordinary. And that is this combination. And you see it in our פרשה parsha. Why am I bringing this up now? Because hopefully this will help me write the article if I speak it out. Giving you the little preview. But because that's what the תפארת שמואל Tiferes Shmuel is saying. It doesn't say, יעקב Yaakov said, I'm just going to lie here, let the hyenas and the lions and the iguanas come. Hashem wants to protect me, he'll protect me. What does יעקב אבינו Yaakov Avinu say? We believe in something called השתדלות hishtadlus. We believe in something called initiative. I got to go to the doctor. I've got to get ceramic vests. I've got to have soldiers on a front. I've got to put rocks around my head. If it's cold out, I got to put on a coat. I want to know, I'm not going to say anything specific. To the people who are endorsing this אמונה emunah that we don't need, do they get in a car and not put on a seatbelt? Put on a seatbelt. Why? If Hashem wants you to live, you'll live without needing a seatbelt. Is putting on a seatbelt a lack of אמונה וביטחון emunah u'bitachon? Is there something wrong with wearing a seatbelt? There's something wrong with not wearing a seatbelt. Because Hashem says, I invented the seatbelt. I taught you the ingenuity. I gave someone, who's very wealthy right now, the idea of the seatbelt. And use it, and wear it, because that's the השתדלות hishtadlus you have to have. וכן מצינו לדוד המלך כשברח מאבשלום בנו שרדף אחריו להורגו, עשה כל השתדלות שהיה יכולתו לעשות V'chein matzinu l'Dovid HaMelech k'shebarach me'Avshalom bno she'radaf acharav l'hargo, asa kol hishtadlus she'hayah b'yecholto la'asos. writes the תפארת שמואל Tiferes Shmuel, דוד המלך Dovid HaMelech, when he was running and fleeing from his son Avshalom who tries to kill him, he did all the השתדלות hishtadlus that he could. ובד בבד בטח בקדוש ברוך הוא והתפלל אליו U'vad b'vad batach baKadosh Baruch Hu v'hispalel eilav. And simultaneously, in parallel, at the exact same time, it has never been a contradiction. It has never been a source of confusion. It has always been a Jewish way to do our השתדלות hishtadlus and to have our ביטחון bitachon. And the two complement and the two go hand in hand. מזמור לדוד בברחו מפני אבשלום בנו Mizmor l'Dovid b'vorcho mipnei Avshalom bno. ואתה ה' מגן בעדי כבודי ומרים ראשי... אני שכבתי ואישנה הקיצותי כי ה' יסמכני V'atah Hashem magen ba'adi, k'vodi u'meirim roshi... ani shachavti v'ishana hekitzosi ki Hashem yismacheini. And דוד המלך Dovid HaMelech wrote a whole קפיטל תהלים kapitel Tehillim about it. Hashem, I'm doing my השתדלות hishtadlus, but while I take up my effort, while I do my initiative, I'm also relying on you. I'm also surrendering to you. לה' הישועה על עמך ברכתך סלה LaShem ha'yeshua al amcha bircha'secha selah. שאחר השתדלותו she'achar hishtadluso, after the initiative and effort, he could have gone to sleep with ביטחון bitachon. We have to do that combination. I take my initiative and my effort, and then I don't worry or panic. If I worry or panic, I don't really believe in Hashem, I put all my faith in my effort. So I have to put my faith in my... I have to take my effort and then I have to put my faith in Hashem. And it's that combination which is the winning combination and always was. It's what יעקב אבינו Yaakov Avinu is exhibiting now with the rocks around his head. It's what דוד המלך Dovid HaMelech exhibited when he ran away. It's what עם ישראל Am Yisrael are exhibiting right now. Our precious soldiers who are prepared and are fighting a war on our behalf. They're taking their initiative while simultaneously putting on their ציצית tzitzis and learning their דף יומי Daf Yomi in a tank and wearing their תפילין tefillin and singing אל תירא ישראל Al tira Yisrael because אנחנו מאמינים בני מאמינים anachnu ma'aminim bnei ma'aminim. This is what we always have and what we always will believe. We are not worried or confused by it whatsoever. The לב עושש בכתיב רב דרוק Lev Oshesh b'ktiv Rav Druck, back to a piece by רב דרוק Rav Druck. Back to a piece by רב דרוק Rav Druck.רש\"י Rashi also tells us, הקשה הגדולה מה הועיל דבר זה שעשה הקדוש ברוך הוא Hakushya gedolah, mah ho'il davar zeh she'asa haKadosh Baruch Hu. A new question this year I never thought of. It's an amazing thing about the פרשה parsha. Every year you could read it and every year you say, I learned that a billion times, but I never thought of that question. I never thought of that answer, that insight. The rocks were all arguing, each one said what? I want the צדיק tzaddik to rest on me. So Hashem combined them all so that it would resolve the argument. How'd that resolve the argument? Yaakov's head didn't get any bigger. Yaakov's head was the same size and it would still only fit on whichever piece of this now combined rock would be under his head. How'd you resolve the fight? How'd it resolve the argument? It's a great question. Never thought of it before. מה הועיל דבר זה שעשה הקדוש ברוך הוא לאבן אחת, הלא מריבה ביניהם היצתה על כן שרצה כל אחת ואחת מהן שעליה יניח הצדיק את ראשו, אם כן אף לאחר שנעשו לאבן אחת לא נפתרה הבעיה Mah ho'il davar zeh she'asa haKadosh Baruch Hu l'even achas, halo m'rivah beineihem haytza al kein she'ratza kol achas v'achas meihen she'aleha yaniach ha'tzaddik es rosho, im kein af l'achar she'na'asu l'even achas, lo nift'ra ha'ba'ayah. You didn't solve the problem. Yaakov's head is the same size. So whichever rock will have him resting on it will still be the only rock. So the fact that you combined all the rocks into one, what did that solve? A גוואלדיקע קשיא gevaldige kashe. Listen to what Rav Druck answers. התשובה פשוטה, כי כאשר נעשו כל י\"ב אבנים כאבן אחת כגוף אחד, שוב נחשב שהצדיק מניח את ראשו על כל האבן Ha'tshuva p'shuta, ki ka'asher na'asu kol yud-beis avanim k'even achas k'guf echad, shuv nechshav she'ha'tzaddik maniach es rosho al kol ha'even. You know what was accomplished when you combined them? When rocks saw themselves as 12 separate rocks, they were competing. But when they were combined and unified, when they were united and integrated into one, I don't care that that part of me is that Yaakov's resting on why, because it's all me. It's all me. When the left arm is hurt, the right arm feels the pain. When the right arm gets pleasure, the left arm is grateful. Because when you're גוף אחד guf echad, when you are united and integrated as one, there's no more competition. There's no more, how come you're on you, not me? When it's on you, it is on me. That's how you're one. That's how it's one. And that's how אחדות achdus works. Because you understand, this is not some silly חדר cheder, גן gan, kindergarten idea. There were 12 rocks, they were arguing and Hashem made them one. What was this מדרש midrash really all about? What's it telling and teaching us? 20-something years ago when I was privileged to be installed as the rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue, a great honor and privilege of my life, I gave a דרשה drasha, it was פרשת ויצא Parshas Vayeitzei. And I spoke about this מדרש midrash. And what did I say which is essentially the theme and motto of our community? What Yaakov was dreaming was, what am I going to do? I'm going to have 12 sons. And they're going to be competing and comparing and fighting and arguing. Each one is going to think it has the monopoly on the truth. It's my השקפה hashkafa, it's my דרך derech, it's my נוסח nusach, it's my מנין minyan. It's my way. And הקדוש ברוך הוא haKadosh Baruch Hu showed him, no, the answer is, combine them into one. Don't have 12 breakaway shuls, 12 dinners, 12 boards of director, 12 fundraisers, 12 separate shuls. Have one shul on one campus, 12 מנינים minyanim. Let each not feel it has to conform. Let each feel that it doesn't have to conform to the other. Don't force people to forfeit who they are. Let them be 12, but let them be united and integrated, let them be unified and combined. Unity, not uniformity, diversity, not divisiveness. כי איש אחד בלב אחד k'ish echad b'lev echad, that is the motto. That's what I spoke about then, that's what we still fight for and work on today. That's what Yaakov was worried about. Yaakov is the first one whom מיטתו שלמה mitaso shleima. Yaakov is the בחיר אבות b'chir avos because Avram didn't have this problem. You know why? Sarah said, \"Chuck יִשְׁמָעֵאל Yishmael.\" He's out. So it was easy. You didn't have to worry about it. יִשְׁמָעֵאל Yishmael was just out. And Yitzchak didn't worry about it, you know why? יעקב Yaakov and עשו Esav. עשו Esav was out. But Yaakov's now the first one to have this fear. Why? Because Yaakov's מיטתו שלמה mitaso shleima, he's got 12 sons and they're all legit. They're all part of the Jewish story, part of the destiny and future. But he's worried what's going to be? They're not going to be talking to each other. These 12 breakaway shuls one from the other, competing, not talking, marginalizing, disparaging, judging, criticizing, arguing, debating, what's going to be? Each one is going to want me to rest my head on them. What does that mean? Each one is going to claim to be to have a monopoly, to be the only legitimate heir to my legacy. Each one wants me, Yaakov, to rest my head on them because each one wants to say, my דרך הלימוד derech halimud, my דרך החיים derech hachaim, my השקפה hashkafa, that is the only legitimate one. That is the only true one. That is the only real and righteous one. So Yaakov has reason to fear, right? Fast forward to תשפ\"ד Taf Shin Pei Daled, does he have reason to fear? He has reason to fear. But Hashem reveals to him in this dream, you know what the answer is? Combine them into one. One עם ישראל Am Yisrael, one כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael, one עם הנצח Am HaNetzach. And then it's not competing or comparing, it's not judging or criticizing, then it's אלו ואלו דברי אלוקים חיים eilu v'eilu divrei Elokim chaim, and שבעים פנים לתורה shivim panim laTorah. Then they're all working as one. And they take joy and pride and they also feel the pain and hurt when the other. And are we not seeing that? We're seeing some breaches and breaks to it, but don't focus on that. Don't talk about that. Don't give oxygen to that. Focus on how we've come together. It's extraordinary. How the walls have come crumbling down. How segments of the community who you never imagined would feel the pain of the other are feeling unbearable pain for the other. Segments of the community you never thought would step up and help are stepping up and helping, are uniting together with this image and this vision of coming together as one. And this is Rav Druck's answer. Ah, how'd you solve the problem? Yaakov's head is the same size. He's still only lying on the stone that's under him. So the answer is, yeah, כל זמן kol zman that it's 12 separate stones, only the one that's under him gets to say, I am the true heir to Yaakov. Yaakov's resting on me. But once you combine them into one, even though he's only resting on part of it, he's really resting on all of it because they are one. Because they are one. That's the answer. If Yechezkel Abramsky says to how you can be נושא בעול עם חברו nosei b'ol im chaveiro. And he talks about not only נושא בעול עם חברו nosei b'ol im chaveiro, not only do you feel the pain of the other, not only do you lift and carry the burden of the other when they go through a hard time. The Alter of Kelm says, which is harder, to feel the pain of somebody else or to share in the שמחה simcha of someone else? So he writes, I shared this many times. He writes, it's harder to share in the שמחה simcha of someone else. You know why? When someone's going through a hard time, you know what you say? Thank God that's not me. So let me at least help them. I'll cook them a meal, I'll drive them, I'll write them a note, I'll check in and visit them. Thank God that's not me. Let me at least help them. But when someone has a שמחה simcha, you know what you say? Wait a second. Why isn't that me? I should be having a child. My children should be getting married. I should find my בשערט bashert. I should have won the lottery. It should be me. Then it's much harder to be נושא nosei in the שמחה simcha of חברו chaveiro. So Rav Yechezkel Abramsky writes, and by the way, I saw research that in fact, modern psychology has caught up to what the Torah always knew and also endorses. Do you know how you can share in the joy and happiness of someone else? When you see them as an extension of you. When their success is not taking away from yours, but their success is your success. Their joy, their breakthrough, their achievement is yours. That's why the גמרא Gemara says, בכל אדם מקנא b'chol adam m'kanei, everybody competes and gets jealous of others, חוץ מבנו ובתלמידו chutz mi'bno u'v'salmido. Your children and your students, you don't compete with. If your child makes more money than you, you say, \"That's great.\" They know more Torah than you, that's fantastic. They have more friends, they're more popular than you, that's amazing. It's a really unhealthy person who is competing with their children. Why? Why is it that healthy people don't feel any competition with their own children? Because children are an extension of them. Their success, their happiness, it's all them. I would argue the same thing is true in marriage. I've seen marriages where there's a competition, the husband and wife, who is more acclaimed, who is more appreciated, who has more success. That's revealing a crack in that marriage. But if it's really והיו לבשר אחד v'hayu l'vasar echad, a marriage in which you really come together, nothing makes you happier than your spouse's success, then people who praise them, then their achievement, an accomplishment, because you're you're an extension of one another. And that's what the parsha is teaching. That's what יעקב אבינו Yaakov Avinu was learning before he sets out, right? We're at the point of the פרשה parsha, Yaakov didn't get married yet. He didn't start having these 12 children yet. Before he begins that process, Hashem is already revealing to him in this dream, that don't let them compete. Combine them. When they are one, then they will take pride in each other's success. Ah, the צדיק tzaddik is lying on that piece of our rock? No. We're one now. So if he's lying on you, he's lying on me. It's all of our combined success. We're all together. We're all as, we're all as one. We're all as one. It goes on Rav Drucki has much more on this, but I want to go ווייטער veiter and see more. The אמרות טהרות Amros Tehoros, our first אמרות טהרות Amros Tehoros of the day, the רחמסטריווקא Rachmastrivka. And he says the following. Because the פסוק pasuk continues, ויפגע במקום ההוא Vayifga bamakom hahu. What is this מקום makom? I didn't tell you I'd get that much further past the first פסוק pasuk. I just said past the first פסוק pasuk. What is ויפגע במקום vayifga bamakom? What is the מקום makom? Where is he? Yaakov encountered the place. Which place? Could you be more generic, more ambiguous, more mysterious? What is במקום b'makom? What is this place that Yaakov encountered? So the צפת תור Tzeifas Torah he quotes the אמרות טהרות Amros Tehoros, quotes the תולדות יצחק Toldos Yitzchak. ויפגע במקום, לא נאמר באיזה מקום היה זה. ומבואר בדברי עשו הוא ראה יעקב אבינו את חורבן בית המקדש Vayifga bamakom, lo ne'emar b'eizeh makom hayah zeh. U'm'voar b'divrei Esav, hu ra'ah Yaakov Avinu es churban Beis Hamikdash. In that moment, Yaakov Avinu was anticipating, he saw there would be a חורבן churban, there would be a destruction of the בתי מקדש Batei Mikdash, וכל הד' גליות v'chol hadaled galuyos, and there would be four exiles that the Jewish people would live through. It would not be smooth sailing. It wasn't going to be all good times, געשמאק geshmak to be a Yid. Yaakov Avinu at the beginning of this Jewish journey already prophesized, he anticipated and he saw that we're going to go through hard times. There will be four exiles, there would be a period of destruction. There will be the war of תשפ\"ד Taf Shin Pei Daled. וישאר בצער גדול מזה Vayishaer b'tza'ar gadol mizeh, there will be incredible anguish and grief. 62 soldiers, 240 hostages, 1200 murders. עד שלא היה יכול להתפלל כלל Ad shelo hayah yachol l'hispallel klal. And Yaakov was paralyzed, debilitated. In all of that pain, he couldn't pray. He couldn't דאווענען daven. ואף על פי כן חיזק את עצמו ועמד להתפלל V'af al pi kein chizak es atzmo v'amad l'hispallel. And nevertheless, he gave himself חזק chizuk, got himself going, and found the capacity to daven. ועל דבר זה גופא התפלל אף על הדורות הבאים v'al davar zeh gufa hispalel af al hadoros habaim. And what was his תפילה tefilla? What was his תפילה tefilla Yaakov? ויפגע במקום Vayifga bamakom, he davened in that place. And what was his תפילה tefilla? What was the place he was in? You encounter someone going through a hard time? Hopefully, we only know all people going through good times. If someone's ever going through a difficult time and you ask them how are you doing, or more accurately, you ask them how are you doing today? They might say, I'm in a bad place. I'm in a dark place. Why are they invoking the word place? You're in the same place you always are. At Starbucks, at shul, at home. What place are you talking about? When you want to say I'm struggling, I'm suffering, I feel distant from Hashem. I don't have the energy, the hope, the optimism, the faith. People will say, \"I'm in a bad place.\" \"I'm in a dark place.\" Why are they using that word place? Says the תולדות יצחק Toldos Yitzchak, ויפגע במקום vayifga bamakom. Yaakov was in a bad place. He saw and he understood there would be חורבן churban, there would be destruction and devastation and loss and grief and sadness and broken dreams. He was in a bad place. And what did he do from that bad place? He found the will and the drive to daven. And what did he daven for? What he davened for was that when כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael would be in a bad place, that we too would find the capacity to daven. The בעל שם טוב Baal Shem Tov says this is the פשט pshat. You're listening? Was worth coming today for this בעל שם Baal Shem. You're ready? Said the בעל שם טוב, זכותו יגן עלינו z'chuso yagen aleinu. Says later in ספר דברים Sefer Devarim, ובקשתם משם U'vikashtem misham, the name of one of Rav Soloveitchik's great essays and books, ובקשתם משם U'vikashtem misham. ובקשתם משם את ה' אלוקיך ומצאת U'vikashtem misham es Hashem Elokecha u'matzasa. You will seek, you will desire to find Hashem from that place and you will find him. When do we read this? Tisha B'Av morning. It's in דברים Devarim. ובקשתם משם, ובקשתם, ובקשתם מי שם U'vikashtem misham, u'vikashtem, u'vikashtem mi sham. From there, and you'll find him. Where's there? Where's the there? מאיזה מצב שפל שאתה נמצא בו, אף משם תוכל לבקש את ה' me'eizeh matzav shafel she'ata nimtza bo, af misham tuchal l'vakesh es Hashem. Said the בעל שם Baal Shem, even when you're in a place of שם sham. שם Sham means there, not here. Here means I'm in a good place. I'm in a happy place. I'm in a holy place. Where's there? There is I'm in a bad place. I'm in a dark place. ובקשתם *u'vikashtem*, you're looking, you're searching, ומצאת *u'matzasa*. You know where you can find Hashem? Even when it's ובקשתם משם *u'vikashtem mi'sham*. Even when you say it feels hopeless and helpless, I'm in a dark place. And that's what it means, ויפגע במקום *vayifga bamakom*. שיעקב אבינו ביקש והתפלל, אם ימצא באיזה מקום מצב שיגיעו זרעו *She'Yaakov Avinu bikesh v'hispalel, im yimatzeh b'eizeh makom matzav she'yagi'u zar'o*. Wherever that מקום makom will be. What Yaakov davened for was that his children and his grandchildren, ויפגע במקום *vayifga bamakom*, he encountered the place. And he davened, whatever place my children and grandchildren will be in, a good place, a happy place, a sad place, a dark place, whatever place they'll be in in life, whatever they'll respond when someone says how are you doing today? I'm in a good place. I'm in a bad place. Whatever place they'll be in, ויפגע במקום *Vayifga bamakom*, the place, they will always be able to daven. Wherever our place, they will always find Hashem, they will always find the will to be able to daven. That's what the בית אהרן Beis Aharon says. ויפגע במקום, שיעקב אבינו התפלל על עצמו, שיהיה יכול לעבוד את ה' בכל מקום שיהיה *Vayifga bamakom, she'Yaakov Avinu hispalel al atzmo, she'yehe yachol la'avod es Hashem b'chol makom she'yeheyeh*. In whatever place he will be in. And that's what the קרלינער, ר' שלמה קרלין *Karliner, Reb Shlomo Karlin* says, the Medrash tells us, בכל לבבך, שלא יהא לבך חלוק על המקום *b'chol levavcha, shelo yehe libcha chaluk al haMakom*. With all of your heart, all of your hearts. שיש כמה פעמים שאדם נמצא במצבים שסובר שאין עבודתו נחת רוח להשם יתברך כי הוא לא עושה כראוי *Sheyesh kama pa'amim she'adam nimtza b'matzavim she'sover she'ein avodaso nachas ruach laShem Yisborach ki hu lo oseh ka'ra'ui*. Sometimes we feel Hashem doesn't love me, where is Hashem? How could this happen? We're in a bad place. We feel far away. שלא יהא לבך חלוק על המקום *shelo yehe libcha chaluk al haMakom*. Even when you feel far away, don't be so far away from המקום *haMakom*. ויפגע במקום *Vayifga bamakom*. We spoke about this I think last week or a few weeks ago and we could add this to our list of המקום ינחם אתכם *haMakom yenachem eschem*, ברוך המקום ברוך הוא *Baruch haMakom Baruch Hu*. When we see the word המקום *haMakom*, ויפגע במקום *Vayifga bamakom*. Whenever we use the name of Hashem, מקום *Makom*, what are we referring to? מקום *Makom* means the מקום *Makom* is talking about when we are in a bad place, far away from Hashem, from Hashem's place. Rav Soloveitchik also speaks about this. Says the Rav, Rav Soloveitchik also deals with ויפגע במקום *vayifga bamakom*. The paradigmatic figure who found Hashem despite his transcendence is the prophet יחזקאל *Yechezkel*. יחזקאל's *Yechezkel's* prophetic revelation took place not in the בית המקדש *Beis Hamikdash*, nor in the land of Israel. Rather, this is the word that the Rav used. Where did יחזקאל's *Yechezkel's* prophetic revelation take place? In a concentration camp in the midst of the bitter Babylonian exile. Where? על נהרות בבל שם ישבנו גם בכינו *Al naharos Bavel sham yashavnu gam bachinu*. Yet, despite the fact that it was a time of acute הסתר פנים *hester panim*, the heavens opened up and יחזקאל *Yechezkel* saw the vision of Hashem. When יחזקאל *Yechezkel* declared, ברוך כבוד ה' ממקומו *Baruch k'vod Hashem mimkomo*, what we say in our davening, comes from יחזקאל *Yechezkel*. Blessed is the glory of Hashem, what word does he use יחזקאל *Yechezkel*? ממקומו *mimkomo*. He was referring to the huge distance between Hashem and his people. Yaakov similarly encountered Hashem in a time of travail, penniless, fleeing his brother, on the road to exile. Yaakov also perceived Hashem as מקום *Makom*. You gotta love it when the חסידישע ספרים *chassidishe sforim* and the Rav, when they all say the same thing. ויפגע במקום *Vayifga bamakom*. He's adding another connection, another element, that יחזקאל *Yechezkel* from גלות בבל *Galus Bavel* and coming from that dark place introduced when we say ברוך כבוד ה' ממקומו *Baruch k'vod Hashem mimkomo*. We can see the glory of Hashem even ממקומו *mimkomo*. ובקשתם *U'vikashtem* from where? משם *misham*. חז\"ל *Chazal* interpret the word מקום *makom* continues the Rav in the context of תפילה *tefilla*, both in regard to Yaakov and Avraham. חז\"ל *Chazal* indicate that Avraham instituted the שחרית *Shacharis* prayer based on the pasuk, וישכם אברהם בבוקר אל המקום אשר עמד שם *Vayashkem Avraham baboker el haMakom asher amad sham*. When Avraham introduced שחרית *Shacharis*, where was he standing? מקום *Makom*. And, based on this pasuk in which the word מקום *makom* also appears, they suggest Yaakov instituted מעריב *Maariv*. The word מקום *makom* has the connotation of an appointment, a date, a rendezvous in a certain place at a certain time. תפילה *Tefilla* is a rendezvous with Hashem, which ideally takes place at a specific time and at a specific place every day. That's why the word מקום *makom* is used. מקום *Makom* means rendezvous in time and in place. תפילה *Tefilla* should be a rendezvous in time and place with Hashem. That's why the Torah uses the word מקום *makom* for Avraham for שחרית *Shacharis*, and the Torah uses the word מקום *makom* for Yaakov here for מעריב *Maariv*. He's ראשו מגיע השמימה *rosho magia hashamayma*. פסוק י\"ב *Pasuk yud-beis*. Third pasuk. ויחלום והנה סולם מוצב ארצה וראשו מגיע השמימה והנה מלאכי אלוהים עולים ויורדים בו *Vayachalom v'hinei sulam mutzav artza v'rosho magia hashamayma, v'hinei malachei Elokim olim v'yordim bo*. And the angels are going up and going down. We all know the angels are going in the wrong direction. What is the image of this of this ladder? So two ideas of the אמרות טהרות *Amros Tehoros* and then one idea from Rav Sternbach, which will round us out. And cover the first tenth of what I wanted to share with you. So what does it mean that this ladder was rooted on the ground but stretched up to the heavens? So the פנים יפות *Panim Yafos*, the אמרות טהרות *Amros Tehoros* quotes, teaches us, what does it mean to be rooted on the ground? ארצה *Artza*. כלומר, כפי הערך שאדם מרגיש שהוא בחינת סולם מוצב ארצה, בענוה ושפלות, ראשו מגיע השמימה *Klomer, k'fi ha'erech she'adam margish she'hu b'chinas sulam mutzav artza, b'anava v'shiflus, rosho magia hashamayma*. The more rooted you are in the ground, what does it mean to be rooted in the ground? Humility. Then ראשו מגיע השמימה *rosho magia hashamayma*. If you want to go high spiritually, you have to go low with modesty and humility. The higher you think you are, the harder it is to pierce the heavens. If you want to pierce the heavens with רוחניות *ruchnius*, only when you're מוצב ארצה *mutzav artza* can you be ראשו מגיע השמימה *rosho magia hashamayma*. Isn't that a beautiful פנים יפות *Panim Yafos*? If you want to experience, so this is a good metric. If somebody's struggling to connect to תפילה *tefilla*, if they're struggling to connect to אמונה *emunah*, if they're struggling to connect to spirituality, the first place to check is, am I practicing enough humility and modesty? Am I struggling with arrogance and envy? Because those are the obstacles that interfere with ראשו מגיע השמימה *rosho magia hashamayma*. When you're מוצב ארצה *mutzav artza*, then you could be ראשו מגיע השמימה *rosho magia hashamayma*. But if you're not מוצב ארצה *mutzav artza*, if you don't have the humility, then you can't be ראשו מגיע השמימה *rosho magia hashamayma*. You're going to struggle to ascend to pierce the heavens, to be able to find Hashem. The second idea the אמרות טהרות *Amros Tehoros* quotes about this is the אויב ישראל *Ohev Yisrael*, the great הייליגער אפטער רב *heiliger Apter Rav*. And the Apter Rav, says the following. He says סולם מוצב ארצה, כלומר שאדם מוצב בתוך ארציות וגשמיות, וראשו מגיע השמימה *sulam mutzav artza, klomer she'adam mutzav b'soch artziyus v'gashmiyus, v'rosho magia hashamayma*. צריך לעשות הכל לשם שמיים *tzarich la'asos hakol l'shem shamayim*. We live a life that's מוצב ארצה *mutzav artza*. You have to live in the physical world. You have to live in the here and now. So that's relates to what we were talking about before. The connection of השתדלות *hishtadlus* and אמונה *emunah*, initiative with faith. You have to live מוצב ארצה *mutzav artza*. You have to have an army, you have to have soldiers, they have to have weapons. You have to go to the doctor, you have to go to work, you have to earn a living. You have to live in the ארצה *artza*. You have to be מוצב ארצה *mutzav artza*. You have to live in the physical world. You have to live in the here and now. But while we live there, while our ladder is rooted there, we also have to be ראשו מגיע השמימה *rosho magia hashamayma*. We have to know what will bring success at work and in business. What will be success in the courtroom, the operating room, and the boardroom? What will be success in the battlefield? Only when it's ראשו מגיע השמימה *rosho magia hashamayma*. It is that combination that has always been the formula of a Yid. The connection of השתדלות *hishtadlus* and אמונה *emunah* and ביטחון *bitachon*. Of initiative, our effort, but our faith. And that says the Apter Rav is the פשט *pshat* of מוצב ארצה *mutzav artza*, but ראשו מגיע השמימה *rosho magia hashamayma*. We have to connect all of that. What does Rav Sternbach say? Rav Sternbach says the following. נמציא סולם, רש\"י *Nimtza sulam, Rashi* tells us this סולם *sulam*, where was it? רגליו *Raglav*, the feet of the ladder were in באר שבע *Be'er Sheva*. The ראשו *rosho*, the head of the ladder was in בית אל *Beis El*. מגיע אמצע שיפוע נגד ירושלים *Magia emtza shipu'a neged Yerushalayim*. So if the, it's a long ladder. The feet of the ladder are in באר שבע *Be'er Sheva*, and the top of the ladder is in בית אל *Beis El*. What does the ladder go over? The slope of the ladder passes over ירושלים *Yerushalayim*. In his ספר טעם ודעת *Sefer Taam V'daas*, Rav Moshe Sternbach שליט\"א *shlita* explains the ladder represents our effort to bridge heaven and earth. מוצב ארצה *Mutzav artza*, the ladder being rooted on the ground are the מצוות *mitzvos* we do in this world. Reaching up to the heavens represents that the מצוות *mitzvos* that we do in the here and now in this world climb that ladder, that stairway to heaven to reach Hashem. And where does it stretch over to get there? The קודש הקדשים *Kodesh HaKodashim*. Because that's the window through which our תפילות *tfilos* ascend. So we create the angels with our good deeds that climb up that ladder. And when we make mistakes, when we fall short, we bring the angels down the ladder. This insight is given by countless commentators, but Rav Sternbach takes it one step further. And listen to what he says. He says, since there were corporations and careers, people have been trying to climb, he doesn't say this, this is my metaphor. What word do we use in the vernacular? We say, trying to climb the corporate ladder. What's the corporate ladder? IBM they have ladders? Microsoft they have ladders? Corporations? When you go to work, Corporate America, Chase, Regeneron, there are ladders? There's no ladders. What's the corporate ladder? It's a euphemism. It means to go from an entry-level position to get to senior management, to become a senior executive. Career advancement follows higher rungs on a ladder with the goal to climb higher and higher, to have seniority, to have power, to make more money. Says Rav Sternbach, we don't believe in the corporate ladder. That is not the dream that Yaakov had. Rav Sternbach draws our attention to one particular word in the רש\"י *Rashi*. What's the word in the רש\"י *Rashi*? שיפועו *Shipu'o*. What does that mean? A ladder never stands straight. If you try to stand the ladder straight, what's going to happen? It will topple over and fall on your head and you deserve it, because everybody knows you can't stand the ladder up straight. What is necessary to make a ladder work? A ladder has to lean against a wall. A ladder has to be on an angle. שיפוע *Shipua*. When one is standing on the ladder resting on a rung, says Rav Sternbach, listen to this. Unlike the corporate ladder where when you climb it, you're higher than others, the ladder that Yaakov dreamt of is on an angle, which means that whatever rung you're on, you're not higher or lower than anyone else. All equally have the heavens above them. and the earth below them. Every rung you look up you see שמים shamayim, every rung you look down you see ארץ aretz. Each rung you look up and down and see the same thing. And though the rung represents advancement in a direction, nobody is in fact higher, nobody has more or less access to or connection with the heavens or the earth. Every one of us, says רב Rav Sternbach, is on our own rung. We are on our own climb. And looking in front or behind us will only distract us and divert us from our personal ambition and from pursuing our unique mission.Don't climb a corporate ladder to get above others, climb יעקב Yaakov's ladder on an angle where we all equally see the heavens above and the earth below, and we're just trying to make progress. We're just trying to go forward. לכל אחד יש בסולם שלב משלו, ואין למעלה ואין למטה, שלכל אדם נועד תפקיד בעצמו, וכפי שורש נשמתו, כן חייב למלא תפקידו. Lechol echad yesh basulam shlav mishelo, v'ein l'maalah v'ein l'matah, shelechol adam no'ad tafkid b'atzmo, u'chefi shoresh nishmaso, kein chayav l'malei tafkido. We each have a different job. We each start out on a different rung on the ladder. We're each climbing in the same direction, but we start on a different rung. And each of us have to find where we're meant to be. President Teddy Roosevelt once said, \"Comparison is the thief of joy.\" Comparison is the thief of joy. Don't look where else everyone else is on the ladder. Don't rob yourself of the joy of your life. Just go forward. Just go on your way. And that שיפוע shipua, the angle of this ladder, makes all the difference here.We just got started. There's a lot more to say. Please stay, remain for תהילים Tehillim. If you're not yet part of the פרשה Parsha Perspective WhatsApp group, you're missing out on bonus דברי תורה divrei Torah, the פרשה parsha write-up, the schedule. So join the פרשה Parsha WhatsApp group so you can stay informed. Please stay now for תהילים Tehillim. Please take flags on your way out. We continue tomorrow, 10 minutes of meaning and
