Parashat Vayétsé 5769 in english
Rav David Daniel Hacohen שליט״א
Summary
On parashat Vayétsé, the Rav explains why, in Ya'akov's dream at Beit El, the angels were jealous and why Hashem stood beside him like a father fanning his child. Rashi speaks of protection from the heat, while the Midrash speaks of protection from flies and mosquitoes, and the Rav shows that the two agree. He draws on the Gemara about Elisha and the Shunamite woman, and on Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropoli, who writes that the angel in charge of the keri is called the fly. Ya'akov was the only one of the Patriarchs who never experienced it, which gave his face a place on the Throne of Glory, so the angels wanted to make him lose this merit by heat. From this the Rav draws a practical lesson: guarding the eyes, and looking at the tzitzit, is the first step to overcome the evil inclination and to live happily.
Highlights
- 0:10 Ya'akov's dream: the ladder and the angels going up and down Angels The Patriarchs
- 0:50 The angels see Ya'akov's face on the Throne and become jealous Angels The Patriarchs
- 1:41 Hashem protects Ya'akov like a father fanning his child The Patriarchs
- 2:56 Rashi speaks of heat, the Midrash of flies and mosquitoes Halacha
- 4:02 How the Shunamite woman knew Elisha was a holy man The righteous
- 7:16 Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropoli: the angel of the keri is called the fly Angels Kabbalah
- 9:01 Why the angels envied Ya'akov, who never experienced the keri The Patriarchs Character traits
- 10:46 The angels used the heat to make Ya'akov lose his merit Angels The Patriarchs
- 12:05 The ba'al teshuva stands where even the righteous cannot Repentance The righteous
- 12:53 First step toward holiness: guarding the eyes Mussar The evil inclination
- 13:39 The tzitzit help us not to follow our eyes and heart Mitzvot The evil inclination
- 14:58 Overcoming the evil inclination brings a truly happy life Joy The evil inclination