The Library

"Vayelech Yakov Charanah" - Yakov left with the intention of reaching Charan. Later on, it says "Vayelech artzah bnei kedem."The Meshech Chochmah explains: originally Yakov left with the intent on running and hiding with his mother's family, in Charan, to keep himself saf...

“And Jacob said to his brothers: ‘Gather stones’.” ~ Genesis 31:46 Jacob only had one brother, Esau. Moreover, it’s disrespectful to instruct those who aren’t obligated to obey. So Jacob must be speaking to his sons. Yet the verse refers to them as his brothers - ...

A Gerrer chasid took leave from his Rebbe before departing on a business trip to Paris. The Rebbe had a request for him, can he please buy some Cuban cigars for the Rebbe in Paris? The Chasid gladly agreed, thrilled at the chance to be of service to his Rebbe! While in Pa...

Vayehav Yitzchok ess Eisav .... v'Rivkah oheves ess Yaakov.Rivkah was not as great as Yitzchok. She was not able to love Eisav. Therefore, she only loved Yaakov. Yitzchok loved Eisav! [He also loved Yaakov, but that is not a chiddush!]What?! Why would Yitzchok love a Rash...

Veyitain veyachzor veyitain. Why twice? Ba'al aveida mechazer achar aveidaso. Ta'isi ke'seh oved. The yidden are the aveidah of the RBSO. The bracha was that the RBSO should give. And even though some Yidden aren't worthy or even aware of their need to receive, we ask tha...

Rashi says that Yaakov was entitled to the bechorah because, if you put two balls in a narrow tube, the one going in first will come out last. One could wonder whether this is accurate since babies move around in the womb. Moreover, Rashi already commented that there had ...

"Yaakov was sitting in Tents." While most explain this to say that Yaakov was in the Beis Midrash learning Torah - some meforshim say that he dwelled in the Tents -The Tent of Rachel & The Tent of Leah.The obvious question on this explanation is that Yaakov at this p...

(27:29) 'Cursed be those who curse you, blessed be those who bless you' Rashi points out that Yitzchok and Bil'om spoke in the opposite way: Bil'om 1st mentioned the blessing and then the curse. Rashi says, this is because tzadikim start off with suffering and end up wit...

'Vayizak za'akah, gedoloh ad me'od', 'vayistom eisov es yaakov'. I think that perhaps the initial pain and scream are understandable, he was human after all, and it was an immense shock and disappointment. However, here is an amazing example of how our resentments can ca...

Yitzchak Prayed...For She Was Barren: Baal HaTurim Notes Inverted Structure. At the end of Parshas Chayei Sarah, the Torah mentions the descendants of Eisav and concludes with the words "These were the years of Ishmael's life: a hundred years and thirty years and seven ...

The pasuk tells us that Esav was “tzayid befiv’. The common understanding of this is that Esav tricked Yitschok into thinking that he was really a righteous person and Chazal tell us that he would ask Yitschok halachic questions such as whether maser needs to be taken fro...

Everyone wonders, why did Yitzchok want to give the berachos to Aisav – it's true that Aisav managed to fool him to think he was a tzadik, but he certainly knew that Yaakov was the one who sat and learned Torah all day while Aisav had shortcomings (see Rashi on 27-21). I...

*Twelve Princes* It would not be a bad idea for contemporary descendants of Ishmael -- and for all of us -- to reflect on the individual names of Ishmael's 12 sons, who all became princes and fathers of Ishmaelite nations."These are the names of Ishmael's sons in order...

The Torah tells us in great detail about Avraham Avinu. Avraham excelled in Midas HaChessed. His life is covered in the parshiyos of Lech Lecha, Vayera, and Chayei Sarah. The Torah goes on and on about Avraham Avinu's Chesed with the malochim who came to visit him, with h...

Even after Rivkah told Eliezer that there is room for him to spend the nights in their home, he still stayed standing at the spring until Lavan came running out to great him. Vatakam Rivkah.... vateilachnu acharei ha'ish (24:61) Rivkah went behind Eliezer. The gemoro sa...

I once heard this powerful idea from R’ Mattisyahu Salamon Shlita. Most Rishonim say that the last Nisayon of Avraham Avinu was the Akeida. However, Rabeinu Yona says that the last Nisayon was the burial of Sara. The question is obvious. After having been through the Akei...

Yitzchak is a lashon of simcha/laughter. Lasuach can be understood as a lashon of hachna'a, like ma tishtochachi nafshi. Generally, when a person humbles himself and bends to the authority of another that brings sadness because it limits and controls you. But if a perso...

It says in this week's Parsha that the malachim said to Lot: "Escape with your life. Run away and DON'T LOOK BACK." Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. When escaping from the Yetzer Hara, we dare not look back. Feeling guilt and shame from the p...