Parshat Vayishlach

 This page is dedicated to categorizing and slightly expanding the blurbs of each article on the parsha. Instead of presenting here per how things were written chronologically (in the order of the years each was written), the goal is to divide in the order of the narrative's subject matter.

OVERALL PARSHA ESSAYS

Thanking God Even When the Going Gets Really Rough - a lesson in finding reasons to be grateful amidst all the reasons we have to complain

Coming of Age Properly - Through the different narratives within the parsha, we get to watch Yaakov's sons come of age, and how he relates to them through their choices, some of which are quite troubling , both objectively and from Yaakov's perspective. This is not to say they were necessarily wrong in all cases, but a message of a parent needing to be a parent shines through. So where was Yaakov successful, and where did he fail?

Finding Silver Linings - The events in Shechem, the death of Rachel, and the story with Reuven were huge setbacks in Yaakov's life. And yet he somehow pulled through, much better than he did after the sale of Yosef. How did he do that?

Preparing for the Encounter With Eisav

Of Faith (And Animals) - Should Yaakov have sent SO MANY animals to Eisav in order to appease him? Could it be he overdid it? Is it possible that his descendants needed to pay a penalty for Yaakov's lack of trust in God that all would be ok, a notion demonstrated by the perceived need to "shmear" Eisav with this exorbitant gift?

Fear of the Unknown - Yaakov's concerns over Eisav's intentions, on the one hand, are justified, if one lives life governed by fear. Yaakov's "fear" of Eisav can be identified or defined in different ways. Is it a lack of trust in God? Or perhaps it is the fear that is most common to human beings, of feeling out of control and simply not knowing what is going to be...

He Was Afraid - and it Distressed Him - Another attempt at grasping hold of Yaakov's fear, this time with a presentation of the views of many commentators. Ultimately, fear is what we make it. We can embrace our inability to see the future, or we can let it destroy us. 

The Music of Katonti - What is the proper reading and proper "trop" (cantillation mark) on the word קטנתי, which Yaakov uses to describe his feelings of inadequacy, and his feeling that perhaps, through prayer God will do for Yaakov once again, even if Yaakov feels himself to be undeserving. As it turns out, different manuscripts and different printed texts have two options, perhaps suggesting that the proper reading might be different for Ashkenazim and Sefardim

The Fight With the Man

And Yaakov was Left Alone - a fulfillment of a later prophesy of Bilaam, “Yaakov was left alone” is not just a one-time story that opened the door to a one-time physical confrontation. It is the story of the Jewish people. In this essay we explore how a speech of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik from the 1960s remains poignantly relevant 60+ years later

Yaakov as a Fighter - in holding his own against a man who the Rabbis teach us was a supernatural being, we find Yaakov having to use a strategy that not only helps him overpower his adversary, but also to use actual moves that prevented much greater harm than the mere injuring of Yaakov's thigh. How did Yaakov fight then? What values did he bring to his defense? How does that inform our people today?

Meeting Eisav

When the Going Gets Tough, Do the Tough Split? - the word ויחץ is used twice to describe how Yaakov divides up his family in preparation for meeting with Yaakov. Different commentaries present wildly different perspectives on what these efforts say about Yaakov's faith or lack thereof. Let the reader decide as to how each splitting of the camp demonstrates where Yaakov's headspace was focused.

Another View of Eisav's 400 Men - When Eisav and Yaakov meet, we do not find Yaakov's fears of an attack actualized in any way. If so, for what purpose was Eisav accompanied by 400 men? Torah Temimah has a unique perspective. 

Vayishakehu - What Happened When Eisav and Yaakov Met? - In this essay we explore what Eisav did, and what he intended, under the banner of the word וישקהו, which appears in the Torah with a dot over each letter, an anomaly of the stylistics of the Torah's narrative presentation. Was it a kiss? Does it have anything to do with drinking? Was anything going on beneath the surface? Or was the encounter a genuine one of brothers being reunited after many decades

But the Children... - "the" excuse for some of the choices we make - Instead of telling Eisav what he really thinks, Yaakov points to the "little ones" as the reason why he will not continue along with Eisav in order to live in the land of Seir. There is certainly what to be said about living near family. But there is also what to be said about living in the community that you feel is best for your immediate family. That is what drives Yaakov's decisions. 

Shechem

Milah L'Shem Shamayim only please - the circumcision of the people of Shechem were for ulterior motives that had nothing to do with monotheism. Perhaps this is what led it to bring about their downfall. 

במרמה - With Trickery or Wisdom? - there are different ways to define the word, different ways to even present how the word was used, and who said it. Overall, the question is were the brothers being deceitful or were they fighting fire with fire, knowing the Shechemites weren't exactly on the up and up?

The Pain of the People of Shechem - Suggesting that the third day after circumcision is the most painful day is only one way of explaining the word כאבים in describing the feeling of the Shechemites after their collective circumcisions. A different way to look at their plight is their realization that for all the women they were promised they'd marry from Yaakov's family, there was only ONE, and she was essentially "taken" by Shechem! "Regret" might be a more appropriate description of their experience

Shimon - Flawed Tribe (also for Vayetze, Vayeshev, Miketz, Vaychi) - a host of tidbits and comments noting the troubling nature of Shimon the man, and subsequently the tribe that bears his name a host of tidbits and comments noting the troubling nature of Shimon the man, and subsequently the tribe that bears his name  

Death of Devorah and Rachel

Rachel's Death - Tragedy Beyond Words - a small exploration of how Yosef should have been treated, and how the aftermath of a young parent impacts the orphaned children. Rachel's death shortly after childbirth made it that Binyamin never knew his mother and that Yosef essentially grew up without his mother. While we often note the loss Yaakov experienced, this essay tackles the loss from the perspective of her bereft sons. 

Death of Devorah - a shorter thought, we explore who Devorah was (or may have been) and the significance of her being buried at the side of a road, under a tree

Reuven and Bilhah

Reuven and Bilhah - Husband/Wife, Father/Son - The commentaries dispute whether Reuven did what the Torah seems to imply (though in his defense, the language is a little vague) or whether the text means something else. Maskil L'David in particular has a very creative and unique interpretation. Ultimately, Reuven's sin was getting involved in an arena that was none of his business, namely his father's marriage(s). 

Death of Yitzchak & Eisav (?)

Death of Eisav? - When did Eisav die? A popular approach suggests at Yaakov's funeral, but there is another Midrash (presented side by side in Yalkut Shimoni) that Eisav was killed at Yitzchak's funeral. The essay includes links to two audio classes on the subject.