Parshah • December 2023
Vayishlach – You Too Are Jacob’s Messenger
Jacob sends messengers to appease his alienated brother Eisav. We too are messengers sent out by the Jacob of our era, the Alter Rebbe, whose freedom from Czarist prison we…
Jacob sends messengers to appease his alienated brother Eisav. We too are messengers sent out by the Jacob of our era, the Alter Rebbe, whose freedom from Czarist prison we…
Yaakov’s stay with Lavan is described as ‘garti’ – a temporary stay or estrangement. He never viewed amassing wealth with the rich Lavan as his goal, and viewed his stay…
The battle between the brothers Jacob and Eisav has other worldly dimensions. We note that the war is also fought with their respective angels. Peace will one day ensue, with…
Dinah is an enigmatic figure in the Bible. She features centrally in our Parsha of Vayishlach. The context is the Jewish people’s desert wanderings and a temporary stay near the…
This week’s Parsha, VaYishlach, begins with Yaakov sending a peace delegation to his brother Eisav whom he fears is seeking to wage war against him. He provides the delegation members…
Eisav’s hatred and jealousy of his brother Jacob, spilled over into threat of open warfare. Family internecine rivalries always bring out the worst in people because of the deeper sensitivities…
Very often the battle doesn’t have to be fought and argument doesn’t have to be won. More successful is a strategy that creates peace and harmony through loving kindness and…
Before confronting his brother Esav, Jacob is confronted by a strange enemy – Esav’s guardian angel whom he wrestles. Each of us wrestles with our inner ‘demons’ and this battle…
Angels — what are they? Not cherubic faces with wings — these are cherubs. Angels are forces that maintain existence. But we also create angels with our thoughts, words and…