בס”ד
This D’var Torah should be a Zechus L’Ilui Nishmas my sister, Kayla Rus Bas Bunim Tuvia A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my paternal grandfather Moshe Ben Yosef A”H, my paternal grandmother Channah Freidel Bas Avraham A”H, my uncle Reuven Nachum Ben Moshe & my great aunt Rivkah Sorah Bas Zev Yehuda HaKohein,
It should also be in Zechus L’Refuah Shileimah for:
-My father Bunim Tuvia Ben Channa Freidel
-My grandmother Shulamis Bas Etta
-MY BROTHER: MENACHEM MENDEL SHLOMO BEN CHAYA ROCHEL
-HaRav Shlomo Ben Shayna Zelda
-Mordechai Shlomo Ben Sarah Tili
-Shmuel Ben Bluma
-Noam Shmuel Ben Simcha
_R’ Simcha Yitzchak Ben Mirela Yudka
-Chaya Rochel Ettel Bas Shulamis
-And all of the Cholei Yisrael, especially those suffering from COVID-19 and the Meiron tragedy.
-It should also be a Z’chus for an Aliyah of the holy Neshamos of HaRav HaGa’on V’Sar HaTorah Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Ben HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky A”H, Dovid Avraham Ben Chiya Kehas—R’ Dovid Winiarz ZT”L, Miriam Liba Bas Aharon—Rebbetzin Weiss A”H, as well as the Neshamos of those whose lives were taken by terrorists (Hashem Yikom Damam), COVID-19, and the Meiron tragedy.
-It should also be a Z’chus for success for Tzaha”l as well as the rest of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and in the Galus.
פרשת תולדות
“The Secret Weapon”
פַּרָשַׁת תּוֹלְדוֹת begins the battle of the brothers. Although brothers are supposed to be on the same team, in this case, one brother was a צַדִיק and the other was a רָשָׁע. But, that is not the only difference between them. In this battle, יַעַקֹב אָבִינוּ and עֵשָׂו have very different secret weapons.
Question: What were their secret weapons? What is the main weapon of the צַדִיק and the main weapon of the רָשָׁע?
Answer: Let’s ask their father, יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ. When יַעַקֹב came in dressed as עֵשָׂו to snatch the בְּרָכוֹת like רִבְקָה אִמֵינוּ commanded him to, יִצְחָק wasn’t sure which son it was. All he knew was one thing:
“הַקֹּל קוֹל יַֽעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָֽׂו”
“The voice is the voice of Yaakov, and the hands are the hands of Eisav.”
This is the secret difference between the brothers. יַעַקֹב’s power is his voice, while עֵשָׂו’s power is in his hands.
We are the children of יַעַקֹב. We don’t need to use our hands to fight when we want something. The weapon of the צַדִיק is so much more powerful. We have our voice and our words to talk pleasantly and respectfully. With our voices, we sing, Daven to Hashem, and speak holy words of Torah.
But, like all weapons, our voices are not only powerful, but they can be dangerous. If we are not careful, חַס ושָׁלוֹם, we might use our voices to insult people or speak לָשׁוֹן הָרַע. Instead, we should use our power of the voice to build people up and give compliments. Let’s be responsible for our incredible power and use the “voice of יַעַקֹב” the right way.
Have a wonderful שבת!
Rabbi Eisenberg, Grade 3