Parshas Vayeshev 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען ... (לז-א)
Yaakov Avinu, already beset with myriad tribulations in his life, is once again faced with hardship: מכירת יוסף is a central theme in this week’s parsha. Yet Yaakov, when faced with adversity, forges on time after time. The name Yisroel represents success ((כי שרית ... ותוכל, while Yaakov denotes the challenges and vicissitudes of life. Perhaps that is the deeper reason his name Yaakov endured and not the new name Yisroel; unlike Avram whose name was permanently changed to Avraham.
There is a fascinating Zohar that encapsulates the correct hashkafa and modus operandi to properly deal with nisyonos. On the posuk, "רבות רעות צדיק ומכלם יצילנו ה'", the Zohar asks the following question: The posuk should have read, "רבות רעות לצדיק", many tzaros to the tzaddik. Leaving out the lamed is not grammatically correct. The answer given there is an eye-opener. The "רבות רעות" is precisely what makes him a tzaddik. Through those very challenges, the person that rises above, actualizes his potential, becoming the best person he was meant to be. Continues the Zohar on the rest of the posuk, "ומכלם יצילנו ה'". The word "יצילנו" in this context doesn’t mean normal rescue. Rather, he says, this "יצילנו" is translated as in the posuk, "וינצלו את מצרים" - they emptied and removed things from Mitzrayim. Thus, "ומכלם" - from these troubles, "יצילנו ה'" - Hashem will extract and cultivate a tzaddik. Hence, Yaakov who internalized this message wasn’t deterred from his mission in life.
In last week’s parsha, Rachel Imeinu, in the throes of labor, was close to death. She named her newborn “Ben Oni” - son of my pain, and Yaakov immediately changed it to “Binyomin” - son of strength. He wasn’t arguing with her; he just understood that the pains of life create and provide strength.
This beautiful machshava from the Zohar should serve as a source of chizuk and inspiration for us in our trek through life.