Toldos - Simplicity and Trickery

Why did Yakov need to obtain the blessings of Esav through trickery? How do we understand this in light of Yakov's unique attribute being Emes-Truth? What is the idea of Yakov's appearance being the same as Adam's? Why is the snake described as being 'crafty?' How does one properly employ the ideas of simplicity and trickery?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 22:12

Toldos - Chamber of Exchanges

Why does Yaakov have to trick Esav to give him the spiritual firstborn rights? Why does he have to trick his father Yitzchak to get the blessings? Why didn't Hashem just cause Yaakov to be born first? Why was Yosef a younger brother when he, too, could have been born earlier and avoided the trouble? How could justify 'stealing' the blessings? What is the concept of the 'chamber of exchanges?'

Find out in this week's parsha podcast

Running time: 24:06

Toldos - Clothes of Dominion

What were the special clothes that Rivka made sure Yakov wore when he stole the blessings from Esav? Why did wild animals become docile when they saw these garments? Why did Esav wear them whenever he served his father? How were they connected to Adam's naming of all the animals? Why did they give Adam dominion over all of the creations in the world? Why does Adam name all the animals right in the middle of the Torah's account of Hashem's creation of Eve? Why is Yakov sent to marry immediately after he receives the blessings? Why does Yakov include animal descriptions in his blessings of his children?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 24:58

Vayetze - Spiritual Transitions

Why does the ladder represent so many different things: the temple, Mount Sinai, four exiles? Why do the angels who destroyed sodom return here? Why were they out of commision for 138 years? Why are they all of a sudden returned to their post now? How could the angels say something wrong? What does it mean that Hashem hovers over the ladder or Yakov?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 21:04

Vayechi - Hastening the End of Days

What is the goal of Yakov when he gathers his sons? Why is he unable to reveal the End? Why does his rebuke to Reuven, Shimon and Levi involve a directive to be careful about being hasty? What is the difference between Asifa-gathering and Kibbutz-gathering? How does waiting for the end paradoxically hasten its arrival?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running Time: 20:20

Vayechi - Finding Good Points

Why is Yakov unable to bless Yosef's sons? How is Yosef able to bring back the divine presence so Yakov can bless them? What is the difference between the approach of Yakov and Yosef? What is the concept of finding good points, even in those who are evil?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Vayigash - Love and Tears

What is the significance of Yosef's tears? Why does he only cry on the shoulder of Benjamin, whereas he kisses and cries with each of the other brothers? What is the significance of the numerical values of Yosef and Yakov's names? What is the concept of the kiss? What is the concept of tears?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time:  19:59

Vayetzei - Yakov's dream, Yosef's dreams

What is the concept of Yakov's dream, and dreams in general? Why is Yakov's dream global, while Yosef's seems to be personal? Why does Yosef's involve people, while Yakov's involves angels? Why does Yakov have his dream after being chased by Esav, while Yosef has his dream before being chased by his brothers? What is the fundamental difference between Yakov's work in this world, as opposed to Yosef's?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 24:07

Toldos - Spiritual Power

Why does the Torah preface the story of Yakov (Jacob) and Esav with the statement that Abraham birthed Isaac? What is the significance of the fact that Isaac was forty years old when he got married? What is the spiritual power of the circumcision of Ishmael at age thirteen? What is the spiritual power of Isaac's binding? What is the spiritual inheritance that Jacob is given and in turn gives to us?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 23:53

Vayechi - Lesson of Beit Shemesh

Why does Yakov wait until he is about to die to give his sons rebuke? What is the power of the tzaddik? What is the true nature of the town of Beit Shemesh? What is the power of focusing on good points?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 21:19

Vayishlach - Keep the fire burning

How does one hold onto spiritual inspiration? How can one face the resistance of others, and oneself, when one is seeking that inspiration? What is the lesson of Yakov in his interaction with Esav?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 18:44

Keep the fire burning

One of my earliest memories as a child is awakening suddenly in the middle of the night, being brought by my parents out of the house, waiting in the car, and watching as the fire engines pulled up to our home. The scare was short-lived as the firemen discovered the source of the smoke in our home. The chimney of our fireplace, which was in use at the time, had been somewhat blocked by birds' nests, unbeknownst to us. The result was that the smoke had nowhere to go, and began to filter into our home, creating a potentially dangerous situation. The nests were summarily cleared, and our home once again returned to being its usual warm and smoke-free environment.

Recently, in pondering this event, I realized that it holds a powerful lesson for a healthy approach to ruchniyus.

Many of us are searching for something that will inspire us in our service of Hashem, something that we and our children can latch onto. In the face of the challenges that we as a community are confronting, the imperative to discover that inspiration becomes all the more pressing. We are looking for that fire that will warm our homes, filling up our lives and the lives of our families.

There are times when we believe we may have discovered that source of spiritual energy. Whether it is an inspiring Torah idea we have heard in a shiur, or it is a moving story that has caused us to stop and think, our new discovery can sometimes propel us forward and become a potential theme in our lives. We may often wish to share this idea with our spouse, with our children, and with others, and we sincerely attempt to live with the newfound knowledge we have acquired.

Suddenly, though, we can find ourselves encountering resistance. Here we are, trying to grow, trying to maintain the fire we have discovered, trying to hold on to that inspiration we have found, and others may not be as excited as we. We may even find our own fire starting to burn out, as we watch the smoke start to fill our lives. What is it exactly that serves as the birds' nests in the nimshal, and how do we clear them out so our inspiration can continue to burn brightly, remaining uncompromised?

To learn the secret to maintaining inspiration, we need to look to our avos hakedoshim for their personal example.

Yakov Avinu had been commanded by Hashem to gather his family and all of his possessions in order to return to Eretz Yisrael and begin the destiny of the Jewish people there. The promises Hashem had made to him years before, as he ran from his home toward Charan, would now begin to be fulfilled. He could also already see the beginning of the fulfillment of the brachos his father had given him, with the family he now had and the wealth he had amassed.

Yakov's return was a time of intense inspiration, as Rashi tells us (Bereshis 31:3), Hashem had promised that He would rest His Shechina on Yakov at this time. And at that very moment of his return, he was faced with powerful resistance in the form of Esav, who came out to greet his homecoming with four hundred armed men.

It is remarkably instructive to follow Yakov Avinu's approach to his brother's opposition. Firstly, if we look carefully at his tefillah at this perilous moment, we discover the surprising fact that he does not try to bypass nor deny his feelings, but rather, he is quite open and honest with Hashem about the emotions he is experiencing. He is not ashamed to admit that he is afraid of Esav, despite Hashem's promise of protection (See Rashi, Bereshis 28:15).

It is also important to note that based on Hashem's promise, Yakov could easily have decided to fight Esav and could have expected a miraculous victory. Yet, he completely gives himself over to the hand of Hashem, not even relying on any merits of his own to save himself. Furthermore,it seems that Yakov completely surrenders to Esav, giving him a lavish gift, and bowing to him seven times. Paradoxically, Yakov's seeming surrender earns him a complete victory to the point that not only does Esav no longer wish to fight, he even offers to accompany him and protect him.

Yakov's approach is a profound lesson in addressing the resistance we often encounter when we are in the process of spiritual growth. The fire of our inspiration is burning within us, yet there is something blocking the airflow, creating threatening smoke and opposition.

The first step is to use Yakov's strategy and acknowledge the resistance, which sometimes can manifest as a fear similar to Yakov's. We must be honest with ourselves and Hashem, even as we are aware that He is only interested in our best spiritual welfare. This could be comparable to the recognition that there is a bird's nest preventing proper air circulation.

The second step is to completely surrender ourselves to Hashem, not depending on ourselves in any way - whether it is our spiritual merits or our own hishtadlus. We turn to Him and ask Him for guidance. This could be comparable to calling the fire department, as the resistance we have encountered is too challenging to manage on our own.

At this point, the resistance that we have faced is released. Counterintuitively, this occurs through our seeming submission, and we find ourselves watching as Hashem transforms the conflict into peace, much as Yakov's submission to Esav transformed the latter's anger into love. Our willingness to acknowledge the resistance and to surrender to it takes the air out of the balloon, giving us the emotional space to redouble our spiritual efforts. The bird's nest is removed, and the airflow is once again restored, as the flame of inspiration again receives the life-giving oxygen it needs to continue to burn inside of us.

Bechukosai - the missing letter vav's & current events

Why does the verse refer to Hashem remembering Yakov before redemption? Why isn't the name Yisrael used? Why is it spelled with an extra letter Vav? Why is the vav taken from Eliyahu? What do Eliyahu and Yakov represent? What is the lesson of Yosef? How does it apply to current events?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 26:38

I will just mention that this podcast is very connected to the previous post, the video with Glenn Beck. I plan to soon put out another Moshiach Podcast that will deal with what is going on right now. I have not written recently because things have just been so obvious as to what is going on, it is almost impossible not to see it; but I realize that we live in a world of masks, and the mask needs to be removed, so I will bl'n try to put something together next week.

Acharei - Seducing the Satan

Why do we seem to offer a sacrifice to the Other Side on Yom Kippur? Why does the atonement occur then? Why do we offer the exact same type of animal to Hashem as to the Other Side? Is Yakov sincere in his gift to Esav and his admission that Esav should have the blessings? What does it mean that Esav will 'return' in the end? Why does the Satan lack power on Yom Kippur?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 13:39

Mishpatim - Seeing and hearing

Why is the first of the Mishpatim specifically the law of the Jewish slave? What is the significance of the fact that his ear is pierced at the doorpost? Why is he reminded of what he 'heard' at Sinai, as opposed to what he 'saw?' How is he remember what he 'heard' if he wasn't there? What is the significance of his 'six' years of work? Why do the Jewish people accept the word of Hashem multiple times? Why does the first time only involve a statement of 'we will do,' as opposed to the second time where they also said, 'we will listen?' What is the significance of the twelve monuments? Why does Moshe go to sleep in the middle? What is the parallel to Yakov and his twelve sons?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Vayigash - Climax and culmination

How do we view the tikkun of the reunification of the family of Yisrael? How do we understand the dichotomy of the redemptive qualities of this event, as opposed to the fact that it is the start of the Egyptian exile? Why does Yakov return to Beer Sheva on the way down to Egypt? Why is the topic of conversation in Paroh's interaction with Yakov all about his difficult life? What is the background behind the location of Goshen being a safe haven for the Jewish people? Why are the Jewish people counted at this time?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Vayishlach - Yakov, Rochel and Binyomin

Why is Yakov given another name? What is the significance of the name Yisrael? Why is it given immediately before Binyomin's birth? Why does Rochel die as Binyomin is born? What is the secret spiritual power of Binyomin?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 24:12

Toldos - Beginnings and Ends

How do we understand the unusual fact that Yakov is named for the heel (ekev)? What is the significance of the fact that Yakov was holding Esav's heel as they were being born? Why is Yakov so intent on purchasing the first-born rights and getting the blessings of the firstborn? Why does the Torah interrupt the story of Yakov and Esav with the story of Yitzchok digging the wells in Gerar?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 17:38

Yom Kippur - Bribing the Satan

What is the secret of the goat that was sent to the wilderness? How can we conceive of the concept of a bribe for the Satan? What is the parallel to the story of Yakov and Esav? How does this apply to our unique times?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 22:39

Shavuos and redemption

What is the deeper significance of the custom to stay up all night learning Torah? Why did the Jewish people wake up late on the morning of receiving the Torah? What is the parallel to Yakov who also had a contrasting night of sleep and being awake? What is the connection to the future redemption?

Find out in this special edition of the Parsha Podcast.