Parshas Vayishlach
11 maamarim of the tzaddikim on this week's reading, each in Hebrew and English with a takeaway.
Lehavas David
Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz ›Lehavas David · Rav Dovid Matisyohu RabinowitzStanding Apart: The Merit That Brings RedemptionEven when we have sunk very low in exile, one merit holds firm: keeping ourselves apart from the ways of the nations and clinging to the tradition of our fathers. Yaakov Avinu…Lehavas David · Rav Dovid Matisyohu RabinowitzPeace in Exile: Yaakov's Prayer against BrotherhoodYaakov did not fear Esav's battle; he feared his brotherhood. Harsh bondage keeps Israel united and strong, while ease and friendship among the nations draw us to mingle and learn…Lehavas David · Rav Dovid Matisyohu RabinowitzThe Small Jugs: Holy Money through FaithWhenever we feel that our income came from our own running and effort, we are bowing, in a small way, to “the dust of our feet.” Yaakov fought this battle for all generations and…Lehavas David · Rav Dovid Matisyohu RabinowitzAlone with Hashem: Yaakov's Struggle Until DawnWe are asked to be “alone” in two ways: set apart from the nations by holding fast to the customs and tradition of our fathers, and alone with Hashem in our Torah and prayer…Lehavas David · Rav Dovid Matisyohu RabinowitzWhole in His Wealth: Hashem's Honor in EverythingEverything was created for Hashem's honor, and one who sees that honor in what he owns makes his money as whole as his Torah. Avraham's coin teaches us not to wait for old age…
Yismach Yisroel
Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok Dancyger ›Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerYaakov's Fear and the Power of TrustWhen a person feels his deeds give him no claim on Heaven, he must not wait to repair himself first. He should pray at once and trust in Hashem's boundless kindness for the sake…Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerA Quarrel Not His Own: Merit for His ChildrenYaakov's bowing before Esav cost him a slight blemish, yet he chose it, saving his merit and prayers for his children instead of spending them on himself. A true father and leader…Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerYaakov's Fear as a Shield for His DescendantsThe fear Yaakov and Moshe felt despite Hashem's promise did not come from weak faith, but from the tzaddik's way of making his own merits small and others' great, and Hashem…Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerShabbos: Truth, Boundaries and Unearned GraceShabbos is the inner point of time that sin cannot touch, but a person reaches its light through the holy words of Shabbos, and when he feels fallen, through truth and emunah…Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerYaakov's Fear, Humility and Trust for Later GenerationsFear and a sense of distance from Hashem do not prove that a person has been abandoned; Yaakov's distress was given him so that he would pray for sinful later generations…Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerArousing the Hidden Source of MercyHashem's deepest mercy is aroused not by our confident efforts but by an honest sense of our lowliness that asks Him to act for His own sake. Then He looks past our sins to the…