Part II
The first part discussed the greatness of
mal'ochim and of Yaakov Ovinu in that he used them as
messengers as it says at the beginning of parshas
Vayishlach. It then points out that Eisov was not
impressed by the mal'ochim because he was used to
them. It then discussed the importance of kosher
money and how much great tzaddikim value it, and
concluded with a story about Heavenly intercession for R'
Chaim of Volozhin to enable him to say a brocho to
drink by sending him someone to answer omein.
A Penny's Worth
Here is the story which I heard from HaRav Lopian, which
goes all the way back to HaRav Chaim Volozhiner, who related
it himself: There was once a bochur in Volozhin who
died l'a, a young man. It is known that in Volozhin,
the sound of Torah learning could be heard around the clock,
without any interruption. As soon as one contingent of
bochurim left, another would immediately enter. It
was Rav Chaim's custom to enter the beis hamedrash
several times nightly, after midnight, to see how the
bochurim were learning.
As Rav Chaim stood in the passageway on his way out after
one of his visits, he saw the bochur who had passed
away standing in the passage. R' Chaim asked him, "What are
you doing here? Your place is already in the Upper World."
The bochur replied that upon arriving before the
heavenly Court, all his actions had been scrutinized and he
had been found to be a tzaddik in every way. The
verdict was issued that he deserved Gan Eden and he
was joyfully taken to the gates. A single mal'ach
stood in front of the gate and said that he would not let
him inside because he was guilty of stealing.
What had happened was that before travelling once from the
yeshiva, as he stood at the railway station, he had
remembered a debt to his landlady of seven groschen.
(Rav Chaim instituted that the bochurim took their
meals in the houses where they stayed.) Just before he had
to go, he gave seven groshcen of his to the friend
who had accompanied him and asked him to pass it on to the
landlady. The friend returned to yeshiva however, and forgot
. . . and that is why he was not being allowed into Gan
Eden.
He had tried telling the Heavenly Court that it had been his
friend's mistake, not his own. This argument was accepted
and it was decreed that he would be allowed to descend into
this world in order to rectify this sin. Rav Chaim told him
that he would arrange for the money to be paid for him. He
then blessed him with Sholom and a peaceful repose
and the bochur flitted away. Rav Chaim related this
story to HaRav Zundel of Salant zt'l, and he told it
to R' Yisroel.
(When I repeated this story about HaRav Chaim in the beis
haknesses Zichron Moshe [in Yerushalayim's Geulah
neighborhood], sons of the Brisker Rov zt'l, were
present. They told it to their father, mentioning to him
that I'd said that I heard the story from Rav Elya, who had
heard it from Reb Hirsch Broide, who heard it from the Alter
of Kelm, who heard it from Rav Yisroel Salanter, who heard
it from Rav Zundel of Salant, who was Rav Chaim's
talmid.
When they said that the Alter of Kelm had heard it from Rav
Yisroel, he interrupted and said that they didn't need to
continue with whom Rav Yisroel had heard it from, for, "We
do not investigate a cohen's lineage further back
than an ancestor who was known to have served upon the
mizbeiach!" In other words, demonstrating the
reliability of Rav Yisroel's source is like searching
further back than the mizbeiach!)
There is another story, which has already appeared in print,
which took place in the time of the Arizal concerning one of
his talmidim who was a great tzaddik as well
as being very wealthy. This man owned two factories; in one,
men were employed and in the other one, women, so as to
avoid any mingling. On one occasion, when this talmid
entered his master's presence, the Arizal looked at his face
and in a tone of rebuke told him that there was a sign upon
his forehead which showed that he was guilty of robbery
R'l.
The talmid was shocked. He took two purses full of
money and went first to the men's factory and announced that
anyone who had any monetary claim on him, could come and
take what he felt he was owed him from the purse. Then he
repeated this announcement in the women's factory. All the
employees declared that they had no claims upon him, with
the sole exception of one of the women workers, who went
over to the purse on the table and took out one small coin,
which she said was owed to her for her work. Since it was
only a small amount, she had been ashamed to ask him for
it.
The talmid returned to the Arizal, who told him that
his sin was gone and he had been forgiven, with the mark
having been removed from his forehead. We can see from here
how serious the sin of stealing is. That is why the money
which belongs to tzaddikim is precious to them. Money
which comes to them in a fitting way, as a result of loyalty
and of having toiled for it, so as to make quite sure that
they do not stumble into theft or trickery, is indeed
precious to them.
Eisov's Merits . . . and his Weakness
Let us return to Yaakov and Eisov. What was Yaakov's fear at
the prospect of the impending confrontation with Eisov?
Could it have been on account of Eisov's strength? Doesn't
the posuk tell us that, "Yaakov rolled the stone from
the opening of the well"? And don't Chazal comment that he
did so with the same ease that one removes the stopper from
a bottle? See the Medrash, which speaks about Yaakov
Ovinu's great strength. [Obviously, this was not what
frightened him about meeting Eisov.]
Chazal tell us that he was afraid because of two merits
which Eisov possessed, and which he lacked. These were from
the two mitzvos which Eisov had fulfilled: living in Eretz
Yisroel and honoring his father.
Yaakov had been separated from his father for twenty-two
years and although he had gone in fulfillment of his
father's command, the fact was that he had not fulfilled the
mitzva for all that time, whereas Eisov had. Chazal quote
his having said, "I honored Father throughout my life" --
and if he testified thus about himself, he must have
fulfilled the mitzva on the highest level -- yet he added
that, "I nevertheless failed to reach half of Eisov's level
of honoring his father."
In order to influence Eisov in his favor Yaakov, who was
afraid because of his brother's mitzvos, sent him a gift of
herds of goats, sheep, lambs etc. Did he expect to impress
Eisov with such a gift? Eisov was a wealthy man himself!
And in order to magnify the effect of the gift, as Rashi
explains, Yaakov commanded those who delivered it to leave
spaces between all the different herds. Eisov already had
extensive herds of his own; why would this have an
effect?
We see that nonetheless, the gift did have the desired
effect: "And he kissed him." Although there are dots above
this word, which indicate that it was not a wholehearted
greeting, it is still amazing to contemplate the idea of
Eisov having made any kind of reconciliation, after having
felt such hatred for his brother as to express his
intentions of killing him as soon as their father passed
away. How did Yaakov's present achieve such a significant
result?
Our master and teacher HaRav Yehudah Leib Chasman
zt'l, repeated Chazal's words on the posuk,
"The tzaddik's lips recognize [another person's]
wishes," in other words, "The tzaddik's lips know how
to appease." How did Yaakov do this with goats and sheep?
The answer lies in the words, "recognize wishes." He knew
what a rasha desires and he knew that Eisov would be
appeased by the gift of animals. "Reshoim are
controlled by their hearts," and their hearts and wishes are
for their animalistic desires. [As we mentioned earlier,]
Chazal tell us in the holy Zohar that although Eisov
was great, "his heart was no good." Although he possessed
the head of a savant, his heart was swayed by lust and
pride. This is why he was subdued by the sight of goats and
donkeys. Yaakov Ovinu realized all this for, "The
tzaddik's lips recognize [another person's]
wishes!"
Two Worlds, Two Views
"And he [Eisov] lifted his eyes and saw . . . and he said,
`Who are these of yours?' " (33:5). We find that with
Yitzchok Ovinu, upon Eliezer's return from Padan Arom
bringing Rivkoh with him, the posuk (24:63) says, "He
saw, and behold camels were coming," whereas with Eisov, the
posuk says, "And he saw the women." Eisov's question,
"Who are these of yours?" and Yaakov's reply, "The children,
with whom G-d has favored your servant," need to be
understood. What exactly did each of them mean with his
words?
Chazal (in Tanna Devei Eliyohu), tell us that,
"Yaakov said to Eisov, `Brother Eisov, we are two brothers,
and there are two worlds before us, Olom Hazeh and
Olom Haboh. If you want, you take Olom Hazeh,
and I'll take Olom Haboh.' At that time, Eisov took
Olom Hazeh, and Yaakov, Olom Haboh." How was
it possible for Yaakov to "take" Olom Haboh? Is it
something that can be taken without first toiling in order
to acquire it?
The subject of their agreement however, was how to live
their lives in this world. It is possible to live a life of
Olom Hazeh, or to live a life of Olom Haboh in
Olom Hazeh, as the Mesillas Yeshorim writes,
"The general principle is that man was not created for the
station which he occupies in Olom Hazeh, but for his
station in Olom Haboh." His position in Olom
Hazeh is a means of attaining his position in Olom
Haboh.
This was the crux of the argument between Yaakov and Eisov.
Eisov also wanted Olom Haboh, and he argued that it
was possible to enjoy the pleasures of Olom Hazeh and
to attain Olom Haboh as well. Yaakov's argument
however is illustrated by a moshol which was given of
a man travelling through the desert who is thirsty. He finds
water but it is salty. Obviously, the more he drinks of it,
the more thirsty he will become. It is the same with worldly
pleasures. "Nobody dies having attained even half of his
desires." One should therefore only take the minimum
necessary for living, to attain Olom Haboh. This is
why Eisov scorned the bechoroh.
The Tanna Devei Eliyohu explains that when Eisov saw
Yaakov's wives and children, his question was, "How do you
come to have Olom Hazeh?" Yaakov said to Eisov, "I
have everything [that I need]" (33:11), whereas Eisov
said to Yaakov, "I [only] have a lot" (33:9). Eisov then
proposed that they remain together and make a partnership,
each of them getting half of Olom Hazeh and half of
Olom Haboh, like Yissochor and Zevulun (posuk
12). To this Yaakov replied (posuk 13), "The
children are tender." He told Eisov, "They cannot stand up
to the suffering. Everything in Olom Hazeh is a test
and if they live a life of worldly luxury, they will be
unable to withstand temptation. How can I give them half of
Olom Hazeh?"
Ultimately, "Eisov returned that day on his way to Sei'ir"
(16), whereas "Yaakov travelled to Succos" and "Yaakov came
complete to Shochet," (pesukim 17-18), on which Rashi
comments, "[He was] complete bodily; his possessions were
intact and his Torah was complete." This comes to teach us
that the entire purpose of Olom Hazeh is to serve as
the antechamber to Olom Haboh. Whoever lives
accordingly, merits both worlds, Olom Hazeh as well
as Olom Haboh.
May Hashem merit us to follow in the footsteps of our
forefathers, omein seloh!
