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

-Noam Shmuel Ben Simcha

_R’ Simcha Yitzchak Ben Mirela Yudka

-Chaya Rochel Ettel Bas Shulamis

-Chaya Rochel Bas Shulamis

-Miriam Yaffa Bas Chana Freida

-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 וישלח 

Yaakov’s 3 Part PreP

     In פַּרָשַׁת וַיִּשְׁלַחַ,

 יַעַקֹב אָבִינוּ finally meets up with his brother  עֵשָׂו. The חַכָמִים teach us that יַעַקֹב prepared for this meeting in three ways:

 

(1) יַעַקֹב prepared a gift for עֵשָׂו to make peace.

(2) יַעַקֹב prepared his family for war in case עֵשָׂו still hated him.

(3) יַעַקֹב prayed to ה׳ for protection.

 

Question: What can we learn from these three steps?

 

Answer: Step 1 was to try to make peace. We learn from step 1 that we always choose peace first if we can avoid fighting. Sometimes, we think that it’s okay to fight because we’re “right” or because “we know we’re going to win.” But, a Jew always prefers peace over fighting!

 

     Step 2 was to prepare for war. We learn from step 2 that we need to protect ourselves. Yes, we always choose peace first. That was יַעַקֹב’s first choice! But, if someone tries to fight with us anyway, then we have to protect ourselves.

 

     Step 3 was to Daven to ה׳. This is the most important step! We learn from step 3 that even if we tried our best with steps 1 and 2, it is not enough if ה׳ won’t protect us. Even if we try to make peace and do everything in our power to protect ourselves, we still always need ה׳’s help. We have to Daven to ה׳.

     We can remember these 3 steps for life with 3 P’s.

(1) Peace, (2) Protect, and (3) Prayer.  Let us always try to make peace, protect ourselves, and pray to Hashem. Have a wonderful שבת!

                                  

Rabbi Eisenberg, Grade 3