Kayla Kupietzky, Barnard College

This week's Parsha, Parshat Vayishlach, is a pivotal chapter in the story of Yaakov. One of the most famous episodes in this Parsha is the mysterious wrestling match between Yaakov and a Malach, which takes place as he is about to encounter his brother, Esav after years of separation. The Torah tells us that Yaakov wrestles with a man until dawn, and when the man sees that he cannot overpower Yaakov, he touches Yaakov’s hip, causing it to dislocate. Despite this, Yaakov refuses to let the man go until he receives a blessing. The man then renames Yaakov "Yisrael," meaning “one who struggles with G-d” or “one who prevails with G-d” (Breishit 32:28).

Rabbi Lord Jonathon Sacks looks at this definitive moment in Yaakov’s life and analyzes the ways in which it represents Yaakov as a leader; specifically, his role as a complex and unconventional hero.

Unlike the other Avot, Yaakov does not possess the same qualities of courage, kindness, faith, or leadership. Instead, his life is characterized by consistent conflict and struggle, particularly with his brother Esav, his father-in-law Lavan, his wives Leah and Rachel (and Bilhah and Zilpa), and his children, whose rivalry led to the Jewish People’s exile in Egypt. Yaakov’s life is marked by a series of contentious transactions, including his acquisition of Esav’s Bechora and Bracha from Yitzchak, which ultimately led him into increasingly difficult situations. His deceit, especially when he disguised himself to deceive his blind father, caused him to flee his home and ultimately led to a life of struggle and conflict.

Throughout Jewish Mesorah, Yaakov is portrayed by two contrasting images. One of these depictions is from the Midrash where Yaakov is depicted as a morally pure figure who was committed to righteousness from the moment he was in the womb. His actions, such as acquiring Esav’s Bechora and Bracha, are interpreted as driven by high moral motives, like preventing Esav from engaging in idolatry.

This version of Yaakov is idealized and embodies integrity and simplicity. On the other hand, the Torah presents a more nuanced and less flattering picture of Yaakov. The text reveals him as a flawed human being, someone who, similar to other figures the Tanach, struggles with his own weaknesses and challenges. Unlike other religious traditions that elevate their heroes to divine or semi-divine status, the Torah’s portrayal of Jacob emphasizes his human fallibility.

Rabbi Sacks suggests that Yaakov's life, marked by tension and conflict, parallels the experience of struggle faced by many individuals throughout their spiritual journeys. He explains that Yaakov is portrayed as a figure who did not have an easy path, but ultimately achieved a lasting legacy. His struggles, particularly his wrestling with the Malach, led to his transformation into "Israel," a new identity that reflects his personal growth and spiritual journey. And even after receiving his new name, Yaakov is still referred to by his old name, suggesting that his internal struggle continued throughout his life.

Rabbi Sacks concludes that Yaakov’s story has the ability to provide comfort for those who find Emunah difficult, showing that struggles with faith are not a sign of failure but rather, they are a path to deeper understanding and connection with Hashem. Ultimately, we can look to Yaakov as our father in faith and for guidance when our Emunah may not come as naturally.

Adi Beniluz, Brown university

Unlike Parashat Vayeshev, Vayetzeh focuses on Yaakov— he journeys to Charan, dreams of Angels and a ladder, sleeps on stones (like a propper Israeli), works for Lavan, gets scammed, works more, builds a beautiful family called Am Yisrael (Chai!), gets coerced to stay and ultimately leaves towards Eretz Yisrael (to which I hope we all merit to leave towards in the near future, Be’ezrat Hashem), makes a covenant of peace with Lavan, and again encounters Angels. 

The Parsha is structured as a chiasmus (an A-B-C-B-A literary structure)… of course as a proper Frisch graduate, I must analyze Mrs. Goldfischer’s beloved chiasmus… 

The structure is as follows: 

A the angel encounter on the way to Charan; 

B the Pillar Covenant with God

C Yaakov in Charan in the house of Lavan

B the Pillar Covenant with Lavan

A the angel encounter upon leaving Charan. 

The Torah often uses Chiastic structures to highlight a process of growth or change and to “frame” the climax of the structure (the “picture” in the frame). The parallels in our parsha guide our understanding of Yaakov's time in the house of Lavan – the center of the structure – and how this time transformed him. 

A the angel encounters

The angel encounters demonstrate Yaakov’s growth during his time with Lavan. At first, Yaakov experiences angels through a dream, while at the end, he merits a higher form of prophecy as angels appear to him physically. Additionally, in the first encounter, Yaakov “stumbles” upon the holy place, while at the close of the Parsha, the angels initiate the encounter and accompany Yaakov. It is clear that between these two events, Yaakov undergoes a process in which he becomes worthy of a higher level of Nevuah. 

B Pillar Covenants

The Parsha begins with God’s promise to Yaakov that He will deliver Bnei Yisrael to Israel; a promise to build a future together. Throughout Yaakov’s time at the House of Lavan, he becomes more worthy of this Nevuah and others. The Parsha concludes with a covenant between Lavan and Yaakov, which, in contrast to the Covenant with God, is characterized by separation and distrust. 

C Yaakov in House of Lavan

During Yaakov’s time with Lavan, a “debrothering” process occurs. Yaakov originally tells Rachel he is the brother of Lavan, and Rashi (29:12) cites a midrash that explains this brotherhood as one born out of a similarity in character and use of trickery. Yaakov knows how to negotiate a good deal and takes advantage of Eisav by bargaining the birthright from Eisav (his actual brother). Further, he deceives his own father to protect this purchase. 

Yaakov spent his years with Lavan working hard, and acting with honesty and loyalty. Lavan rewarded this honesty with trickery and more work. When Yaakov leaves the House of Lavan, he leaves his own character of trickery behind as well and is “debrothered” from Lavan. This is a true moment of transformation for Yaakov. 

B  Pillar Covenants

Let’s return to the Covenant with Lavan to understand Yaakov’s growth. In this Covenant, Yaakov attributes his successes in Lavan’s House, despite Lavan’s dishonesty, to God. Yaakov could have attributed this success to his own hard work, initiative, and bargaining with Lavan. Rather than celebrating his own skills, Yaakov recognizes God’s guidance and calls out Lavan’s trickery. Yaakov is upset by Lavan’s deception, despite their brotherhood; he reflects upon his exploitation of his own brother. 

A the angel encounters

At this point, Yaakov is departing from his “internal Lavan” – their shared characteristics – as well as the external Lavan and becomes worthy of higher level prophecy and Divine (Providence) accompaniment. 

Finally, I would like to conclude by connecting this chiastic structure to my own life: I grew up in New Jersey, Florida, then Israel, Florida, and finally New Jersey. These places are clearly tiered in Holiness with New Jersey at the bottom and Israel highlighted as the peak and essence of my life. Each part of this journey has framed my value system, identity, and lifestyle, and from each I have grown tremendously. While ultimately I hope to return to Israel, these places serve as the framework that shaped me. 

I am grateful to have returned to the Holy Land last year, and this year I am privileged to live in Divine Providence— which is evidently only one Holiness-tier below Eretz HaKodesh, based on the structure. I bless us all that in our time at Brown we merit a process of growth in knowledge and character that will prepare us for the next part of our journey and that we constantly push ourselves to be more worthy of Hashem’s daily presence in our lives. 

https://www.etzion.org.il/en/tanakh/torah/sefer-bereishit/parashat-vayetze/vayetze-angels-pillars-and-brothers-0

Eyal Lubin, university of Pennsylvania

28 Marcheshvan 5785 | November 29, 2024 | Parshat Toldot

Like father, like son. This seems to be a common theme throughout Parshat Toldot, and, really, the entirety of Sefer Bereishit. It would be difficult to study the stories of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov without gaining some insight into the Torah idea of a proper father-son relationship. Through the Avot, we can begin to understand the unfortunate reality of grief and the complex labyrinth of familial dispute. We can see for ourselves the impact of a positive role model and the importance of instilling good values from a young age. Perhaps most important of all, we can follow the lineage of an inheritance passed down from generation to generation; an inheritance that is clearly not just based in happenstance, but requires active engagement, constant and continual affirmation. As Jews, we have been granted a tremendous birthright, not as an immutable right, but as a legacy to claim and embody throughout our day-to-day lives. In an often-overshadowed portion of this week’s Parsha, we find Yitzchak in a very similar situation to that which his father before him had experienced years prior. “Go out from your land and go to the land which I will tell you.” No further explanation needed. Accompanying this is Hashem’s promise to Yitzchak of numerous offspring, nationwide acclaim, the Land of Israel (BH), etc., you know the drill. I’m getting Brit Deja Vu. The Ramban points out these eerie similarities and begs the question: Hashem didn’t need to promise any of these things to Yitzchak! He had already promised them to Avraham, thus entitling Yitzchak to the birthright by default. So why does Hashem need to relay the covenant to Yitzchak? We know Hashem does not change His mind, and we know Yitzchak knew this. So what gives? The answer, the Ramban elucidates, does not lie in pure inheritance, but in action. Hashem wanted to form a Brit with each and every one of the Avot because they were each individually worthy of it. Each one had acted in a manner worthy of the covenant, each one had earned his right to the inheritance. Rav Dovid Zvi Hoffman adds that that the use of the double language of “בארץ גור ...בארץ שכן “is to emphasize the different levels of Yitzchak’s trial. First, Hashem commands Yitzchak to go and reside (שכן (wherever He tells him. He then directs Yitzchak to dwell (גור (in that land as a complete stranger. To live there, hour after hour, day after day, in perpetual visitation. This is what it means to be worthy of the covenant. To truly and wholeheartedly embody the legacy of his father and to pass down those values to his children. It was not a one-time deal for Yitzchak (or any of the other Avot); it was a perpetual covenant with G-d, fulfilled throughout every moment of every day. That is exactly how we must view it. Every moment is an opportunity for us to realize and actualize the inheritance into which we were born. As I said earlier, this legacy is ours to claim; let us have the strength and the motivation to live it fully and pass it forward for generations. Shabbat Shalom!

Bailey spitz, university of maryland

21 Marcheshvan 5785 | November 22, 2024 | Parshat Chayei Sarah

"ואברהם זקן בא בימים, וה׳ ברך את אברהם בכל" "Now Avraham was old, well on in his years, and Hashem had blessed Avraham with everything.”

This passuk is recited by some every Rosh Chodesh at the end of Hallel, and it is found in this week's parsha. While I was reading the Parsha I found the placement of the Passuk extremely interesting. It is found immediately after Avraham closes the deal on buying Mearat Hamachpela and land in Chevron, and followed by Avraham making Eliezer his servant swear to find a wife for Yitzchak.

What I found so interesting about it is that the Passuk literally states Avraham was blessed with everything, but then follows with him requesting something very big from his servant. How is it possible that he was blessed with , all, כל if he literally in the next line makes a request to ensure the security of his future?!

The answer I think is found in the meaning of כל. Hashem promises two things over and over to Avraham: 1. A great nation will come from him through Yitzchak 2. That nation will inherit the land of Israel. Avraham, when he was buying the land of Meirat Hamchpala in Hebron, was securing the promise Hashem had already made that his own descendants would inherit the land of Israel. When Avraham buys this land he is enacting and beginning to fulfill the promise of Hashem. And there the Parsha interjects with this Passuk, because everything Hashem had promised to bless Avraham with ( כל) was beginning to come true. However the reason why he immediately then turns to his servant and instructs him to find a wife for Yitzchak is to act on beginning to fulfill the other part of the promise. Yitzchak needs to continue his nation. Avraham actively makes sure that will happen. Hashem promises Avraham these blessings, but Avraham still actively pursues them.

I think there is an important lesson for us to learn in Avraham’s actions: We must trust in our faith in Hashem that he will be there for us, but we also must actively pursue the goals we wish to achieve. That is why the pasuk is interjected in the middle of Avraham’s two actions. To show that he is not acting because he doesn't believe Hashem will fulfill his promise, he is acting because he knows that in order for the promise to be fulfilled he must demonstrate his faithfulness through action.

Every Rosh Chodesh when we say this Passuk after Hallel, where we praise Hashem for all he has done for us and will do, we remind ourselves that Hashem will continue to fulfill his promises for us if we hold up our end of the bargain and continue to express our faith and commitment to Him.

sarit marmor, mcmaster university

7 Marcheshvan 5785 | November 8, 2024 | Parshat Lech-Lecha

In this week’s parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha, in perek יג pasuk טז Hashem tells Avraham (still Avram at the time): 

וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ אִם־יוּכַ֣ל אִ֗ישׁ לִמְנוֹת֙ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ גַּֽם־זַרְעֲךָ֖ יִמָּנֶֽה׃

I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too can be counted.

This statement is clearly meant to be a blessing, setting the guidelines for the unimaginable size of a nation that starts with Avraham, just like the dust of the earth. Yet later on in the parsha, when Hashem comes to Avraham in a vision, He says to him in perek טו pasuk ה: 

וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃

[Then in the vision, God] took him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them”—continuing, “So shall your offspring be.”

After looking at both these pesukim the obvious questions emerge: Why is there the need to compare the Jewish nation to dust and stars? What is the connection between them? 

In Masechet Megillah, Rabbi Yehuda Bar Ilai states that the dust and stars come together to teach us that when the Jewish nation descends, we descend to dust, but when we rise, we are like the stars above. In his commentary on pasuk ה, Haemek Davar writes that while the comparison to dust was already made, the shimmering stars represent the importance of each Jew. Additionally, the Radak comments that just as it is impossible to think of a world without stars and dust, so too it is impossible to think of a world without the Jewish people. 

The combination of these commentaries draws on the critical message of recognizing that dust and stars can oftentimes be ignored, or forgotten, as they are merely elements on earth that exist everywhere at all times. Yet without their presence, the world would be a different place! This echoes a strong message about the impact that each individual can have on shaping the narrative of the Jewish nation, especially in today’s world. Though we are a people that make up less than 1% of the global population, we are constantly being given opportunities to shine our light upon the world amidst the challenges we may face. Whether it’s by standing up for Israel on campus or running an event that brings the community together, the image of the dust and stars that Hashem conveyed to Avraham thousands of years ago can be used in 2024 as an inspiration for us to continue to build our communities and stand up for our people. 

Zachary Magerman, Yeshiva university

30 Tishrei 5785 | November 1, 2024 | Parshat Noach

A few years ago, over Pesach break, I went to Paris with a few friends of mine. Shabbos in Paris, after a long week of touring, was supposed to be our day to relax and refresh. But as we checked into our new Airbnb on Friday afternoon, we immediately recognized the problematic situation we found ourselves in. In order to access the apartment we needed to: a) type a code into an electric keypad, b) press a button on a fob to open the door to the building, and c) carry a key with us to unlock the door (and there was no Eruv). Additionally we soon learned why we were able to find such a nice apartment at such a reasonable price: the tenant wasn’t legally allowed to rent out his apartment. While preparing for Shabbos we called almost every Rabbi the four of us knew for any leniency we could find, to make it so we wouldn’t be stuck outside of our apartment. The Chabad we were davening at was over an hour away so we knew it would still be a challenge. As we hid the fob in the courtyard of the building, I had one thing on my mind, and that was asking Hashem: “Why? Why cause us so much stress and put us in this risky situation?” In those moments I received no answers.

When we returned to the road outside of our apartment at around 2am, we expected no one to be outside and got ready for a long night. But as we looked around a bit, we noticed a group of four people— 2 men and 2 women— on the other side of the street. 2 of us (who looked the least intimidating) went up to them and asked them if they spoke any English and could help us. One of the women responded in broken English, basically saying “Yes I do, what do you need?”

We tried to explain our situation: “Well you see we are religious Jews and because of our religious obligations we can’t use electricity but we can tell you the code! And we hid a remote behind this tree that we can’t press but you can press it! But you have to go pick it up and we can show you where it is, but we can’t touch it ourselves and we need you to put it back behind the tree when you are done…” 

We would have completely understood if this woman thought we were crazy, but instead she responded “Oh sure, I can do all of that, do you mind if my friend comes with me to help?” Shocked and gleefully we responded “Yes! Of course!” As we brought her over to the keypad to type in the code, she mentioned to us that she’s heard of this before, this religious thing that we were observing. “The Sabbath” my friend asked, expecting her to know the vernacular most commonly used. “No, that’s not it” she replied, “but it’s similar, it’s uh…” “Shabbat?” I asked, to which she responded “Yes, Shabbat! That’s it, I have a friend who used to do Shabbat.” After she completed each step of getting us into our building, we thanked her many times and went up to our Airbnb. As I got ready for bed, I only had one thing on my mind, but this time it was “Thank you Hashem! Now I see why you put us through that stress, to show us you are truly with us! What’re the odds we found a nice woman who was happy to help us immediately when we got back and she knew what Shabbat was! It must be Hashem!” The anxiety I had been feeling before had turned completely into joy. 

In this week's Parsha, the Baal Shem Tov has an insight that reflects on just that. The first Passuk in this week's Parsha comments on how Noach was an איש צדיק תמים to which the Baal Shem Tov comments that a צדיק is someone who finds pleasure in their עבודת השם. How do they do that? He continues by saying that he heard in the name of the רמב״ן that it’s by embracing the שמחה together with the יירא. Finally, he explains his main point as follows:

במקום שיש יראה אין גילה, ובמקום גילה אין יראה, כי אם בעבודת השם יתברך נמצא שבמקום יראה יש שמחה

The Baal Shem Tov is saying that the pinnacle עבודת השם doesn’t come from pure אהבה, but from אהבה born for יירא, from the times where you are lost and scared and turn to Hashem because you don’t understand his plan, and then you are shown the light and the love and happiness is overwhelming and takes the place of that fear. You can appreciate the highest of highs because you remember what it’s like to be at the lowest of lows.

This is why we say שבע יפול צדיק, because the צדיק’s form of עבודת השם is one where you have דווקא fallen down and are now getting back up again. We should all be זוכה to embrace the lows as opportunities for יראה and the highs as an opportunity for אהבה and שמחה, and we should recognize that whatever point of that journey we are at, Hashem placed us there, and we are exactly where we are meant to be. Good Shabbos!

Zach Gold, Johns Hopkins University

& Bailey Spitz, University of Maryland

9 Tishrei 5785 | October 11,2024 | Yom Kippur

One of the most recognizable lines of the Yamim Noraim davening is  “ותשובה תפילה וצדקה מעבירין את רוע הגזרה” . We all know it well and say it 3 times a year, but did you know you’re actually revealing the secret sauce of Yavneh when you say this line? 

When we unpack it, we’re really reading a three-ingredient list to making an impact on our post-Yom Kippur fates: first add the repentance, then mix in the davening and finish it off with some charity. We are told to begin with introspection and reflection on our current state and past actions, then go talk to Hashem about how we’re going to improve on this for the coming year and ask Him for help and, finally, finish off by taking actionable steps towards improvement based on our conversations with Hashem. If this sounds familiar, that means you listened well over the Fall shabbaton! Not only is this the secret ingredient list for inscribing ourselves in the book of life, but it’s really the 3 key steps to making any impactful change (especially on your campus…): understand the current environment and situation, develop a plan for how you are going to improve or add to this reality, actualize on these plans and make a difference. 

We are really enjoying seeing the grant requests, mentorship meetings, national initiatives, and all other facets of Yavneh moving at full steam ahead since the start of the semester and we can’t wait to see what else this year holds!

Gmar Chatimah Tova!

Bailey & Zach