Parshas Toldos -- 28 Mar Chesvan, 5771 / November 5, 2010 -- Vol. 2, Issue 2
In this week’s Parsha, Toldot, Rivka is pregnant with twins whom we know to be Yaakov and Eisav. The pregnancy is a very difficult one and Rivka visits the yeshiva of Shaim and Aiver to inquire as to how her pregnancy would end and to ask them to pray to Hashem to have mercy on her. Shaim receives a prophecy which he relates to Rivka. He reveals that Yaakov and Eisav are destined for conflict. One would be righteous while the other would be wicked. How can two brothers be so opposite and not be able to co-exist?
There were once two brothers who were inseparable. The best of friends, they could be found playing together, studying together and doing their chores together. However, as they grew older they slowly grew apart. One brother, Moshe, grew up to be a very famous lawyer, while the other broth-er, Ephraim, was a janitor. They slowly lost touch, until they hadn’t seen each other in several years.
One day Moshe got engaged and started sending out wedding invitations. The thought crossed his mind whether or not he should invite Ephraim. What would people think if they learned that his brother was a janitor? After all, there would be many important people at the wedding; the mayor, other lawyers, judges, and businessman. Surely they would look down on him if they saw that his brother could not afford an expensive suit let alone a tuxedo. He decided that since his brother didn’t know he was engaged he wouldn’t really miss coming to the wedding, and he didn’t invite him.
When the big day came Moshe’s father came to speak with him before the wedding ceremony. Moshe gave his father a huge hug and big smile but his father’s face was solemn and his arms hung down at his side. “What’s the matter father? Today is my wedding day, you should be overjoyed!” His father looked at him in the eye and replied, “When a brother isn’t a brother, a father isn’t a father!”
When Rivka learned that one of her children would be wicked, she was extremely upset. So Shaim showed her a vision of Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi and the Emperor Antoninus. Rabbi Yehuda was a descendant of Yaakov and Antoninus a descendant of Eisav. Antonius the Roman Emperor befriended Rabbi Yehuda and assisted him. Although Aisav had wicked inclinations, if he would dedicate his strength to helping Yaakov’s service to G-d the two would be an awesome force.
There were once two brothers who were inseparable. The best of friends, they could be found playing together, studying together and doing their chores together. However, as they grew older they slowly grew apart. One brother, Moshe, grew up to be a very famous lawyer, while the other broth-er, Ephraim, was a janitor. They slowly lost touch, until they hadn’t seen each other in several years.
One day Moshe got engaged and started sending out wedding invitations. The thought crossed his mind whether or not he should invite Ephraim. What would people think if they learned that his brother was a janitor? After all, there would be many important people at the wedding; the mayor, other lawyers, judges, and businessman. Surely they would look down on him if they saw that his brother could not afford an expensive suit let alone a tuxedo. He decided that since his brother didn’t know he was engaged he wouldn’t really miss coming to the wedding, and he didn’t invite him.
When the big day came Moshe’s father came to speak with him before the wedding ceremony. Moshe gave his father a huge hug and big smile but his father’s face was solemn and his arms hung down at his side. “What’s the matter father? Today is my wedding day, you should be overjoyed!” His father looked at him in the eye and replied, “When a brother isn’t a brother, a father isn’t a father!”
When Rivka learned that one of her children would be wicked, she was extremely upset. So Shaim showed her a vision of Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi and the Emperor Antoninus. Rabbi Yehuda was a descendant of Yaakov and Antoninus a descendant of Eisav. Antonius the Roman Emperor befriended Rabbi Yehuda and assisted him. Although Aisav had wicked inclinations, if he would dedicate his strength to helping Yaakov’s service to G-d the two would be an awesome force.
