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Torah Portion

The Trials of Jacob
Prepare Us for Life

to participate in the later miracle of
Chanukah. He was preparing for it
by setting aside the oil containers
that would later play a role in that
miracle.
Yaakov is set upon by a human
form possessing super-human
aakov returns to his par-
strength. But Yaakov perseveres and,
ents' homestead after 20
although he does not win, neither is
years. He is criticized by
Yaakov conquered by him. The
the ancients for choosing
struggle ends in a draw; and Yaakov
the shortest route, which took him
returns from the struggle limping —
directly through his brother Esau's
unfortunately an apparent precursor
territory.
of later history.
Why did he have to look for trou-
Must Israel always
ble? Has he forgotten that
emerge from a battle with
almost 36 years earlier he
serious scars and handi-
had fled from his parents'
caps?
home to escape the murder-
Yaakov must still endure
ous wrath of Esau? The
the loss of his beloved
questions are many, the
Rachel, moments after she
answers few.
has given birth to their son
The Talmud tells us that
Binyomin. Yaakov has no
Yaakov prepared himself for
options; he must bury Rachel
the inevitable confrontation
at the side of the road.
with Esau in three ways. He
In order that later genera-
RABBI
AVIE
prayed to God for life-saving
tions
of his children will
SHAPIRO
help. He prepared a series of
know
where to find her bur-
Special to the
gifts which he then sent
ial
spot,
Yaakov erects a mon-
Jewish News
ahead to play on Esau's emo-
ument over Rachel's grave.
tions. Finally, he was ready
The Midrash explains
for battle, just in case that became
that God wanted Rachel to be
the only way to deal with Esau.
buried there so that years later, when
On the way, Yaakov transported
the Israelite captives were led into
his family across a body of water and
exile following the Babylonian
then returned to the first side
destruction of the first Temple, the
because he had forgotten something.
Israelite victims would stop at
The Talmud says, Sha-chach pachim
Rachel's grave to offer prayers. There
ketanim. (He forgot small vessels).
is hope for our children's future as
The literal meaning: Yaakov inad-
they return from the lands of their
vertently left items of importance to
enemies. May it be so, soon in our
him; and now, having realized they
days. ❑
were missing, he remembered where
he last saw them.
The Talmudists suggest that the
pachim ketanim that he forgot is a
reference to an ancient law. It says
that if a person has traveled forward
and suddenly remembers several
What were the two possibilities
items of questionable value, the indi-
that Yaakov feared as the out-
vidual should forget about them.
come
if Esau chose to be unfor-
Yaakov forgot about that law and
giving? Why do we think that
felt a connection to those - vessels.
Yaakov may have known ahead
Why?
of time about the story of
Talmud sources offer two explana-
Chanukah? What is the connec-
tions. First, the material possessions
tion between Rachel's burial
of the righteous are more near to
place
and the Jews who were led
them than their own physical selves.
into
exile
by the Babylonians
Since righteous people are sensitive
after they destroyed the First
to the sin of wasting useful materi-
Temple?
als, their care for the preservation of
those possessions overrides their con-
cern for their own safety.
?.k&
It has been suggested the vessels
left behind were containers of oil.
Avie Shapiro is in his 13th year as the
Through his heavenly gift of
director of religious services for the
prophetic knowledge, Yaakov hoped
Jewish Home &Aging Services,
Fleischman Residence, West Bloomfield

Shabbat Vayishlach:
Genesis 32:4-36.43;
Hosea 11:7112:12.

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