Long Island Torah Network
  • Home
  • Locations
    • East Northport
    • Huntington
    • Merrick
  • Programs
    • Lulav and Ethrog
    • Catalog >
      • Hebrew
      • Jewish Values
      • Holidays
      • Jewish Living
      • Jewish History
      • Text Study
    • Hebrew School
    • Beis Medrash Night
    • Telephone and Online Learning >
      • Special Classes
      • Daily Audio Learning
      • Torah on ZOOM
    • Learning and Lox
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Mission
    • L.I.T.N. Video
  • News and Recent Events
    • Chanukah Event
    • 2019 L.I.T.N. Dinner
  • Publications/Media
    • SederBox
    • Our Video
    • L.I.T.N. 2017 Dinner
    • Torah Minute >
      • Tzav / Pesach - From Generation to Generation
      • Vayikra - Mitzvos - From Hashem with Love
      • Purim - Seeing the Hand of G-d
      • Vayigash - Torah Study - Key to Our Nation's Survival
      • Chayei Sarah - Kindness and Respect
      • Vayeirah - Respect the Person, Reject the Misdeed
      • Lech Lecha - The Opportunity of a Challenge
      • Noach - The Power of Appreciation
      • Bereishis - Importance of Character Development
      • Yom Kippur - A Priceless Opportunity
      • Yom Kippur - Take the First Step to Greatness
      • Rosh Hashana - G-d Loves Us - Let's Build Our Relationship
      • Shoftim - The Dignity of Every Human Being
      • Balak - The Greatness of Torah Study
      • Chukas - Torah-A Gift for All of Us
      • Korach- Capacity for Growth
      • Shlach- The Power of Speech
      • Beha'aloscha - Mitzvos - The Greatest Gift and Opportunity
      • Naso -New Stage - New Opportunities
      • Naso - Every Mitzvah is a Big Mitzvah
      • Shavuos - The Freedom of the Torah
      • Bechukosai - Our Relationship with Hashem - An Eternal Bond
      • Behar - Torah Transmission - From Sinai to the Present
      • Acharei Mos-Kedoshim - The Divine Spark in Every Human Being
      • Pesach - Internalizing the Message
      • Tetzaveh - The Power of a First Impression
      • Terumah - Doing the Best We Can
      • Mishpatim - In Someone Else's Shoes
      • Yisro - Finding Happiness with what we Have
      • Beshalach - Knowing Who We Are
      • Bo - Seeing the Hand of G-d
      • Va'eirah - Generation to Generation - Influence and Impact
      • Shemos - Empathy - Do we Have Enough?
      • Vayechi - Our Relationships with People - Our Relationship with G-D
      • Vayechi - Seeking Advice
      • Chanukah - The Source of our Strength
      • Vayeishev - From Generation to Generation
      • Vayishlach - The Purpose of our Possesions
      • Vayeitzei - Great Interpersonal Conduct - Making it Even Better
      • Toldos - Just Say it
      • Bereishis - Greatness of Humanity
      • Sukkos - Happiness for us and all our People
      • Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement- A Time to Thank
      • Vayeilech - Shabbos Shuva - The Impact on Others
      • Nitzavim - Rosh Hashana
      • Ki Savo - The Future of Judaism
      • Ki Savo - My Idea or Yours?
      • Ki Savo - Every Day a New Opportunity
      • Ki Seitzei - Strength is Being Aware of Weakness
      • Va'eschanan-Nachamu - Hashem is Always with Us
      • Va'eschanan-Nachamu - Miztvos - Recipe for Spiritual Well-being
      • Tisha B'Av - A Day of Mourning, A Day of Hope
      • Devarim Tisha B'Av- I Can Bring World Peace?
      • Devarim - Prayers are Always Answered
      • Devarim-Tisha B'Av - Torah-It's Already Ours
      • Matos-Masei- It's Not "Just Words"
      • Matos Masei- Appreciating Our Worth - The Key to Growth
      • Korach - The Power of Community
      • Metzora - Pesach - G-d's Love for Me
      • Tazria-Metzorah - The Action or the Attitude
      • Tazria - Avoiding Slander - More Opportunities than Ever
      • Shmini - Difficulty of Accepting Criticism
      • Pekudei - I Wish I Could
      • Vayakhel - Inspire Ourselves and We Can Do it
      • Ki Sisa - Sensitivity to Feelings
      • Yisro - Of Course I'm Aware! - It's Obvious!
      • Bo - Appreciating Every Detail
      • Ki Seitzei - Working Together with Sensitivity
      • Re'eh - The Torah's Mitzvos- The Perfect Prescription
      • Eikev - Mitzvos - For Hashem or for Us?
      • Pinchas - The Impact of an Experience
      • Pinchas - Seeing is Believing
      • Va'eirah - Do I Really Know who I Am?
      • Va'eirah - G-d's Kindness - A Force Like No Other
      • Tetzaveh - Purim - Seize the Moment
      • Torah Inspirations - Parshas B'Shalach
      • Toldos - The Impact of our Environment
      • Nitzavim-Vayeilech - Change-We Could Do It
      • The Situation in Israel - How We Can Help
    • Snapshot >
      • Parshas Vayikra
      • Parshas Tetzaveh
      • Parshas Vayigash
      • Parshas Vayeishev
      • Parshas Vayishlach
      • Parshas Vayeitzei
      • Parshas Vayeitzei
      • Parshas Toldos
      • Parshas Chayei Sarah
      • Parshas Vayeirah
      • Parshas Lech Lecha
      • Parshas Pinchas
      • Parshas Balak
      • Parshas Chukas
      • Parshas Korach
      • Parshas Shlach
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Naso
      • Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
      • Parshas Emor
      • Achrei Mos-Kedoshim
      • Parshas Tazria-Metzorah
      • Parshas Shmini
      • Parshas Pekudei
      • Parshas Vayakhel
      • Parshas Ki Sisa
      • Parshas Terumah
      • Parshas Mishpatim
      • Parshas Yisro
      • Parshas Beshalach
      • Parshas Bo
      • Parshas Va'eirah
      • Parshas Shemos
      • Parshas Vayechi
      • Parshas Noach
      • Parshas Vayeilech
      • Parshas Ki Savo
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Vayechi
    • A Closer Look >
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Noach CL
      • Parshas Ki Savo
      • Parshas Tazria-Metzora
      • Parshas Vayikra CL
      • Parshas Pekudei CL
      • Parshas Vayakhel CL
      • Parshas Ki Sisa CL
      • Parshas Tetzaveh
      • Parshas Terumah
      • Parshas Mishpatim CL
      • Parshas Yisro CL
      • Parshas Beshalach CL
      • Parshas Shemos CL
      • Parshas Vayechi CL
      • Parshas Vayigash CL
      • Parshas Vayeisheiv CL
      • Parshas Vayishlach CL
      • Parshas Vayeitzei CL
      • Parshas Toldos CL
      • Parshas Chayei Sarah CL
      • Parshas Vayeirah CL
      • Parshas Korach
      • Sh'lach
      • Parshas Yisro
      • Parshas B'shalach
      • Haazinu
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Vayakhel
      • Parshas Shemos
      • Parshas Vayechi
      • Parshas Vayigash
      • Parshas Vayaishev
      • Vayishlach
      • Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
      • Parshas Emor
      • Achrei Mos-Kedoshim
      • Parshas Shmini
      • Parshas Vayeitzei
      • Parshas Noach
    • Thoughts and Perspectives on the Coronavirus situation
    • Call-In Archives
    • Relationships Seminar
    • Elul >
      • One By One
    • Thoughts for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
    • Yom Kippur Overview
    • Sukkos - Meanings, Observances and Traditions
    • Chanukah - History, Meaning, and Observance >
      • Laws of Chanukah Candle Lighting
    • The Tenth of Teveth
    • Purim
    • Pesach - Passover
    • Three Weeks and Nine Days
    • Shavuos
    • Tisha B'Av
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Ask the Rabbi

  The Parsha

Picture

Vayishlach
The Text:
               (After their emotional reunion, Esau offers to have some of his men escort Jacob on his journey. Jacob politely declines.)

Rabbi Yannai, when he traveled to the Imperial Court (on communal business), would first look into this Parsha (to learn from Jacob’s example how to behave towards the hostile Romans); and he never accepted a Roman escort (just as Jacob rejected Esau’s offer). Once Rabbi Yannai neglected to look at the Parsha, and accepted a Roman escort. They had not yet reached Akko when he had to sell his cloak (to bribe his way out of the Romans’ clutches).

                                                                                                                                                         [Midrash, as interpreted by Ramban]
The Question:

How could Rabbi Yannai make such an obvious mistake? He’s faced this situation before, and done the right thing every time, just as Jacob showed us. Did Rabbi Yannai suddenly forget the Torah’s explicit message?

The Answer:
“Don’t associate with Esau and his kind.” It’s a simple principle, and Rabbi Yannai surely remembered it. Clearly, he thought this situation was different – and if we had been there, he could have explained why, and probably convinced us that he was right. But in reality, the situation was not different; what was different was Rabbi Yannai. By neglecting to re-read the Torah, he found himself a bit less in touch with its wisdom, and made a nearly fatal error in judgment.

The Message:
The Torah teaches us broad, general principles – honesty, kindness, faith, charity. These are basic concepts. “I know that already,” we think. But life is full of confusing dilemmas: Should I be honest or tactful? Decisive or deliberate? Should I volunteer for the community, or does charity begin at home? Should I give to others or attend to my own needs? The Torah does have the answers; but we can’t get it right without taking the time to study, analyze and reflect on the Torah’s messages. By immersing ourselves in Torah wisdom, we can slowly begin to internalize its principles, so that they guide the decisions we make every day of our lives.




​Click below to open a printable pdf
vayishlach_snapshot_and_closer_look_template_final.pdf
File Size: 896 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File