Back in 1996, Rabbi Finman was asked to speak to the niece of one of his students. After spending many hours answering her questions, the woman gave Rabbi Finman her e-mail address. Rabbi Finman wrote the woman a note and included in it a short insight into that week's Parsha and a short Chasidic story.
Realizing that this was something no one was yet doing,, Rabbi Finman sent the missive to his mailing list of about 30 people. Requests from recipients friends came pouring in. The next week Rabbi Finman sent the e-Parsha to 100 people. Within a year more than 2000 people were receiving it. Today, more than 14,000 receive the e-Parsha weekly and the requests keep coming in.
Vayeitzei 5786
Toldos 5786
Chaya Sora 5786
Vayera 5786
Lech 5786
Vayeitzei 5786
Please click on the link below to receive the e-Parsha in the way cool HTML version right to your inbox. http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1103523647591&p=oi
=====================================
This week's YouParsha Vayeitzei https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgyYiwKsTXQ – Jacob’s Dream
======================
The Patriarch Jacob married four women in Parshas Vayeitzei - Genesis 28:10 - 32:3. Jacob was the first person to have more than one wife after the flood. A simple reason was that Jacob was promised by Hashem to have a large family. The matriarchs were not prolific child-bearers. Jacob needed many wives to have 12 tribes. Another reason for four wives is that the throne of Glory was surrounded by four camps of angels. The four wives represent the four camps.
Rashi explains that the matriarch Leah had weak eyes because she cried a great deal. She believed her fate was that she would marry Esau. Jacob replaced Esau when he acquired the birthright from Esau. Leah gave birth to half the tribes, as she and Esau-now replaced by Jacob- were the benefactors of that birthright.
Birthright in Hebrew is B'CHoR. Beis has a numerical value of 2, Ch equals 20 and Reish is 200 - units, 10's and 100's. According to the Kaballa - units correspond to action, 10's to intellect and 100's to desire. Avrohom achieved the level of units - he had Yishmoel from a second wife. Yitschok reached 10's - he had Esau from the same wife. Yaakov reached divine will (referred to as the supernal Laban - Yaakov's father-in-law - meaning whiteness. White has no impurities - Jacob's sons were all righteous) as all of his sons - from four different camps - comprised what was to become the Jewish people.
Yaakov was told that his children would spread to the East, West North and South (four wives - four camps). The Jewish people have endured four exiles: Egypt, Babylon, Greece and Rome. Our dispersal among the nations was to rectify the world and elevate this lowly state of existence - making it a dwelling for G'd. Ultimately, the four exiles perfect the Jewish people so that we would be able to appreciate the Messianic revelation. As in the smelting process - the majority of the dross is disposed of immediately. The fine impurities require specific diligence. We are at the stage, in this exile, of removing those fine impurities that pose opposition to the definitive G'dly expression of Moshiach. One small act of kindness, by any one of us, could result in the final purification.
======================
Sivan 5567/1807 was the time of the famed Zhlobiner wedding between the grandson of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and the granddaughter of the Alter Rebbe - the first Chabad Rebbe. The chupah took place on Friday afternoon, as was the custom in those times, and the festive meal would follow on Friday night.
On the morning of the wedding day, the wife of the Alter Rebbe came in anguish to her husband. She had willingly agreed to prepare the entire Friday night meal, as was the custom that the meals of the first Shabbos after the wedding should be prepared by the kallah's side, but there was a significant problem. There was no fish available! Rabbi Levi Yitzchak had a custom to eat fish at mitzvah and festive meals. if there was no fish, he would simply recite Kiddush and eat some bread, but would not eat anything else. This would surely be unfitting for such a joyous occasion.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman told her to consult Rabbi Levi Yitzchak. When the Berditchever heard about the dilemma, he asked in wonder, "Could it be that there will not be fish for Shabbos? Are there no rivers in this town?" The messenger of the Chabad Rebbetzen responded, "The Dnieper River flows nearby, but the river does not have fish." Upon hearing this, the Berditchever summoned his mechutan - the Alter Rebbe, to join him at the bank of the river. When they arrived there, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak removed a handkerchief and waved it over the river, all the while humming verses from the Shabbos song Azamer b'Shvachin. He shouted the seventh stanza, "vinunin im rachashin - for fish and fowl " Suddenly, schools of fish swam towards them from all directions. People ran to get their nets and soon their buckets were filled with fish in honor of the holy Shabbat day.
============================================
Listen Weekly to the Jewish Hour Podcast. www.rabbifinman.com. Now available on iTunes, spotify, audacy, and wherever you park your podcasts.
The Torah e-Parsha is a project of Jewish Ferndale. For information on sponsoring the Torah e-Parsha in memory or for the recovery of a loved one, in honor of a simcha or you just feel like being nice, contact via reply. All contributions are tax deductible. Please forward this message to as many friends and associates as you like. © 2025 by Herschel Finman.
Contact Rabbi Finman for information on sponsoring the e-Parsha
