“Va’yeh’che’rad Yitzchak cha’ra’dah g’dolah ahd m’ode va’yomer ‘Mi ay’foh hu ha’tzad tza’yid va’ya’vei li va’oh’chal mikol b’terem ta’vo va’ah’va’r’chei’hu? Gam baruch yee’yeh!’ – And Yitzchak trembled a great trembling and said, ‘Who – where – is the one who caught game, brought it to me, and I ate of everything when you had not yet come, and I blessed him? He shall also be blessed!’” [Genesis 27:33]

“’Kach na es beer’cha’see asher hu’vas lach ki  cha’na’nee Elokim v’chee yesh li kol.’ va’yeef’tzar bo ba’yee’kach – [And Yaakov said to his brother Eisav] Please accept my homage which was brought to you, inasmuch as G-d has been gracious to me and inasmuch as I have everything.’ He urged him and he accepted.” [Genesis 33:11]

R’ Shlomo Wolbe zt”l  writes:  In parshas Vayishlach (this week’s parsha), in anticipation of his meeting with Eisav, Yaakov sent a peace offering of numerous animals, with the hope that his generous gift would assuage any ill feelings that Eisav might have had toward him. After receiving Yaakov's present, Eisav tried convincing Yaakov to take back his gift since he was not lacking monetarily. In response, Yaakov pushed Eisav to accept the gift, "for Hashem has been gracious to me and I have everything (kol)" [Genesis 33:11]. While the simple translation of "kol" certainly refers to Yaakov's many materialistic acquisitions, Chazal explained Yaakov's response in reference to the spiritual arena.

The Gemara tells us that "Hashem gave three people a taste of the next world while they were still living in this world: Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. This can be deduced from that which we find that the Torah writes "bakol" in reference to Avraham; "mi'kol" in reference to Yitzchak; and "kol" in reference to Yaakov." [Bava Basra 16b]. Subsequently, the Gemara makes another statement regarding the above pesukim: "There were three people whom the Yetzer Hara did not rule over: Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. This can be deduced from that which we find written in the Torah: "bakol" in reference to Avraham; "mi'kol" in reference to Yitzchak; and "kol" in reference to Yaakov"!

What is the meaning of these two Talmudic statements and how can they be reconciled?

Rabbi Wolbe continues:  Our aim in this world is to reach a level where we ‘taste’ Olam Haba while still a resident here in Olam Hazeh. How does one achieve such a goal? It is achieved when one does not merely ‘rule over’ his Yetzer Hara – but one actually succeeds in causing his Yetzer Hara to become subservient to him. In other words, the evil inclination is channeled toward the positive and thus transformed into something positive and something good.

This is alluded to by our Sages when they interpreted the well-known verse in Shema, “You shall love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart [=l’vav’cha], with all your soul, and with all your might.” [Deuteronomy 6:5]. When the Torah wrote, “with all your heart,” the more accurate translation would actually be “with all your hearts” – because in Hebrew, the word ‘heart’ is written with two veises (as if it should be read lev-lev). Our Sages thus taught us: the Torah is teaching us to serve G-d with both your good inclination (yetzer hatov) and your evil inclination (yetzer hara) – since even the evil inclination can be transformed into a tool which is used to achieve love of Hashem.

Rabbi Wolbe concludes that it is the purpose of Judaism is to take all of our talents and all of our desires and channel them toward serving G-d, avodas Hashem. We are meant to marry, to enjoy our food, to sleep and to  talk – as long as the goal behind these actions is serving Hashem. Our aim in this world is to reach a level where we ‘taste’ Olam Haba – even while still living in this world. There is nothing greater, nothing more fulfilling and nothing better  than living an otherworldly existence – right here on earth!

Humililty and the Blessing of Kol

R’ Eliyahu Hoffman tells us that with regard to our forefathers - Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov - they were  all blessed with kol/everything i.e. there was no form of good they did not receive [Rashi on Bava Basra 17a].” This is the source to our prayer at the end of the Birkas Hamazon (Grace after Meals): Just as our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov, were blessed - bakol-mikol-kol - so too may He bless us all together.

What did the Avos do to merit such comprehensive blessings? The Gemara (Sotah 5a) implies it came to them in the merit of their humility. When we humble ourselves, then their blessings will be perpetuated within us, as we read in a verse from Job: “The haughty will be reduced, while those who humble themselves, like all [ki-kol] they will leap” [Iyov 24:24] i.e. like Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, who merited the blessing of kol.

R’ Hoffman continues: The Gemara relates a challenge that the administering angels put to the Holy One, Blessed is He, regarding the Birkas Kohanim (the Priestly Blessings):

Master of the Universe: Did You not write in Your Torah that You do not show favor and do not accept bribes [Deutoronomy 10:17]? However, You do show favor to Israel, as it says (in the Priestly Blessing), “May Hashem show favor to you, and grant you peace!”  Replied the A-lmighty: “How can I not show them favor? I wrote in the Torah, “And you shall eat, and you shall be satisfied, and you shall bless Hashem your G-d.” [Devarim 8:10] i.e. the mitzvah to recite Birkas Hamazon only applies if one has eaten his full. And yet, My People are particular to recite it even when they’ve eaten only an egg-sized, or even an olive sized portion of bread!” [Berachos 20b]

How does our scrupulousness to recite Grace even over a small portion explain Hashem showing us favor? R’ Bunim of P’shischa explains: Even a relatively small present can still be extremely valuable to its recipient if it is accepted with humility and if the recipient knows that all the Giver presents to us is significant. By reciting Grace after eating (even on small amounts), we recognize that all of our food, along with everything we have, are the gifts of Hashem. In return, Hashem shows us ‘favor’ by rejoicing with us, rewarding us handsomely for our Torah and mitzvos, and bestowing upon us the blessing of kol.

The Hand of My Brother, the Hand of Eisav

“ Ha’tzee’lai’nee na mi’yad achi, mi’yad Eisav – Rescue me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisav” [Genesis 32:12]

In the Artscroll Torah Treasury, Rabbi Moshe M. Leiber asks:  Since Eisav was Yaakov’s only brother, why does he say bother ‘my brother’ and ‘Eisav’?

He answers:  The Bais HaLevi explains that this is another instance on which events in the lives of the Patriarchs serve as a harbinger of their descendant’s future (ma’a’sei Avos siman la’banim). The extended exile at the hands of Eisav and his progeny will express itself in two forms:

Wars, pogroms and persecutions are the ‘Eisav’ manifestation of this exile, as our enemies seek the physical annihilation of the Jewish people.  However, if this method fails, Eisav adopts the loving face and kindly demeanor of ‘my brother,’ seeking to lull us into a spiritual complacency which will allow him to gradually weaken and eventually unravel our faith and connection to G-d. This is a far more insidious form of exile, as the Sages taught, “One who causes another to sin is worse than one who murders him” [Bamidbar Rabbah 21:5].

Jacob prayed not only that Eisav should not kill him, but more importantly, that he be saved from the spiritual danger inherent in a close relationship with ‘my brother.’ Both prayers were answered, for immediately after they met, “Eisav started back that day on his way toward Seir” [Genesis 33:16].

R’ Akiva Eiger offers a homiletical interpretation of a Mishnah [Berachos 30b] which conveys this very idea:

The Mishnah teaches that “Even if the king greets one [during prayer], he should not respond. Even if a snake is poised by his heel [ready to bite], he should not interrupt.”

Sometimes we are hosted by a ruler who ostensibly seeks our peace and welfare. Other times we find ourselves threatened by snakelike powers that are poised, ready to ‘bite’ and deal us a fatal blow. These situations are equally threatening to our Judaism and to our spiritual link to G-d. The Mishnah teaches that we must never ‘interrupt’ our ongoing dialogue with Him nor should we respond too warmly to brotherly overtures of peace and friendship.

R’ Zalman Sorotzkin submits that in our times, the ‘Eisav’ threat comes from the east, while the spiritual poison of ‘brotherhood’ comes from the west. The hatred incited by Moslem fundamentalists from the east, as well as the more insidious destruction inherent in the lure of western values, both jeopardize Jewish integrity and survival.