Parashas Vayishlach
16 Kislev 5769
December 13, 2008

Daf Yomi: Kiddushin 66

Guest Author:
Rabbi Chaim Komendant
Young Israel Council of Rabbis

 

 

 

This week’s D’var Torah is dedicated to two individuals: L’zecher nishmas Yehoshua A’H ben Asher Nisan Neiro Yaeru who was niftar at a young age just before Rosh Hashana. May his Neshama have an aliyah and may his parents, wife, children and extended family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. May I please ask the readership to also include in their prayers a young yeshiva student in my son’s Yeshiva - Shlomo Yakov Yonasan ben Chana Raizel who is fighting for his life with a life threatening disease. May he be Zocheh to a refuah shelaima bekorov and may his parents see much nachas from him in the years to come.

 

 “Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn,” etc (Bereishis 32:25-32). The story of Yaakov Avinu and the Angel of Eisav raises many questions.

 

Why did the attack occur at the crossing of the river Yabok?

 

Who was the attacker?

 

Why did this incident occur only to Yaakov Avinu and not to Avraham Avinu or Yitzchak Avinu?

 

What is the significance to us?

 

 To answer the first question, we must understand that the river Yabok represents the initial boundary into Eretz Canaan. This is the inheritance that Yaakov received from Yitzchok and from the sale of the birthright by Eisav to Yaakov so many years before. It is important to note that, geographically, today the river Yabok is known as Nahr ez-Zerqa (because of its blue waters) and is a tributary of the Jordan River that is located half way between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. The river has deep banks and is a natural boundary. In Biblical times, the river formed the boundary between Ammon and the Emorites (see Devarim 3:16 and Yeshoshua 12:4) and part of the river formed the boundaries between the Kingdoms of Sichon and Og (see Yehoshua 11:22). In addition, part of the river divided the Gilead into two parts (see Devarim 3:12,16 and Yehoshua 12:2-6). Understanding that the river is the initial boundary into Eretz Hakodesh, the Angel of Eisav should naturally begin the long anticipated confrontation between Yaakov and Eisav.

 

Why didn’t this incident occur to Avraham Avinu or Yitzchok Avinu? R’ Elchanan Wasserman in Kovetz Igros explains that Avraham Avinu’s pillar was the pillar of kindness. The Yetzer Hara is not interested in attacking someone who is kind. Yitzchok Avinu’s pillar was justice and, again, that is not something that the Yetzer Hara is concerned with. However, Yaakov Avinu’s pillar was Torah. That is what the Yetzer Hara is concerned with. The Jewish people’s existence from its inception was due to the acceptance and learning of the Torah and the vehicle through which man can understand who HaShem is. It is also the vehicle through which a Jew is able to receive his portion in Olam Haba. The Torah is the reason for the creation of the world. That is why the Angel of Eisav came to battle Yaakov and not Avraham or Yitzchok. The future of the Jewish people would be built upon the Torah, and if the Satan could kill the Av (Patriarch) who represents the pillar of Torah, Eisav would regain all of the blessings he had sold and lost.

 

To fully understand who this “Angel of Eisav” was, the Kli Yakar gives a lengthy discussion to 32:25 (which I recommend the reader to see in detail). He states that the name of the Angel of Eisav was Sama-el and proves that he is none other than the Yetza Hara. (See Bava Basra 16a for a discussion that the Satan is in fact the Yetzer Hara). The Angel of Eisav and the greatest of the Avos – Yaakov were engaged in a battle that had future portent for Yaakov’s children. The battle was for the very existence and soul of the B’nei Yaakov. The Yetzer Hara will do anything in its power to block a Jew from performing mitzvos. It should be noted that this battle is always done under the “cover of darkness.”

 

Let me quote a story from the Maggid of Yerushalayim, Rabbi Shalom Schadron, who quoted it from his rebbe.

 

There was once a simple villager who never in his life had the opportunity to see a movie or attend the theater. He didn’t even know these things existed. One day, he was in a large city and walked through the streets. He saw a large building with its doors wide open. He looked in through the doors and saw that the building contained many rows of seats. He also saw pictures moving across the wall, while people sat in the seats and watched. Immediately he bought a ticket to see this marvelous sight.

 

He hesitantly entered the hall and looked around. He saw that the hall was in total darkness while on the wall he saw people walking, standing, sitting and talking. To him it was truly an amazing sight. Since he was so far away and he had very weak vision, he was unable to clearly see the people walking on the giant wall. He strained his eyes to see but it did not help. What was he to do?

 

He had a large flashlight in his pocket. Quickly, he took it out, turned it on and pointed it towards the wall. He thought that with the light on, he would be able to see much better. There were loud shouts as people repeatedly screamed at him – “Fool! Shut the light!” The fact is that with the light on it was impossible to see the pictures on the wall. There was nothing to be seen, just a blank white wall. The people on the wall had vanished. “Did they all run away?” the villager wondered.

 

The villager defended himself. “What do you want from me?” he asked. “All I wanted was to see from a distance. I paid the full price of a ticket.” However, the poor simple villager did not understand.

 

In the audience was one intelligent person who realized that the villager did not come to make trouble with the flashlight but was just an innocent man who did not realize what he was doing. This man stood up, grabbed the villager’s arm and said firmly, “turn off your light. You have no idea what you have done. Here, we see only when we sit in the dark. When there is light, we can’t see anything.” 

 

R’ Shalom explained that they want the dark! Only then can they enjoy! We must hang a huge sign over the outside world and say, “HERE WE SEE ONLY IN THE DARK.” This is what the Angel of Eisav revealed to Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov Avinu, whose pillar is Torah, was attacked because it was the ultimate battle between light and darkness. The Yetzer Hara represents darkness and will do whatever it can to prevent someone from being attached to the Torah and the light that shines from it.

 

R’ Shalom continued to explain that when two enemies fight and one wins, the loser is forced to reveal his military secrets to the victor. When Yaakov triumphed over the angel, Yaakov had won the right to ask his name, his essence, and to demand that he reveal his secret: “How do you, Yetzer Hara, draw the whole world after you? Tell me your name! Reveal your secrets and your essence!”

 

The angel replied: “Why is it that you ask my name? No questions. No thinking. – I am dark.” If a person doesn’t stop to think, if he walks in darkness, he is drawn to follow me. In the dark, everything looks so brightly illuminated when it shines. However, when a bit of light shines on your mind-when a ray of light beams into your heart-when you try to understand and you ask a few questions and delve a little deeper, all the illusionary pictures vanish! Since the images were of nothing, only simulations of reality, they disappear when there is light. “Why is it that you ask my name? That is my name.”

 

This has been the history of the Jewish people from the beginning. The outside world is only made up of images that when the light of truth shines on it, those images disappear. It is true that through the generations people have succumbed to the images of the outside world, but when the light of Torah illuminates it, the fallacy of the falsehood disappears. The light of morning follows the long darkness. The darkness represents the long exile that we experience. 

 

We see in our day, as countless of our people search and find the light of Torah and a Torah lifestyle, they bring the light to their lives and reconnect with Yaakov Avinu – the Pillar of Torah. That is why the secular world and non-Jewish world fights so vehemently to destroy this light. It is the continuation of the battle between Yaakov Avinu and the Angel of Eisav. But surely know that, just as the morning came at the end of the battle and the Angel admitted defeat, the light of the redemption is beginning to shine if we only see it. May we merit to see the full range of light and the coming of Mashiach! Shabbat shalom!