Weekly Parsha

Refuah Sheimah: "May it be Your will, LORD my G-d, and the G-d of my forefathers, that You quickly send refuah sh'lemah (complete healing) from heaven, spiritual healing and physical healing to Ben Waistein (Benyiamin ben Elisheva) from Israel.

Continue praying for : Stuart Holtzclaw and Randy Shute from Syracuse, NY, Teddy Welz, Miriam (Mariana) "bat Zulay", Adina (Heidi) "bat Sarah" e Yosefa (Josie) "bat Sharon", Rafael ben Gladis e Esther Bracha "bat Sarah".

Vayetze

Genesis 28:10 - 32:3

The word "vayetze" (וַיֵּצֵא) means "and he went out" or "and he left".

This week we have the trials and tribulations of Jacob living with and working for his father-in-law, Laban. Jacob agreed to work as a shepherd 7 years for Rachel only to have Laban switch daughters on him at the marriage ceremony. This is why we have the badekin ('covering' ceremony) where the groom sees the face of his bride to ensure he is marrying the right woman before he covers her with the veil.

As Jacob tries to build his equity, Laban changes their agreement time after time. After 20 years, the Almighty tells Jacob the time has come to return to the land of Canaan. Jacob and his household secretly leave only to be pursued by Laban who has claims to put forth. The story ends with peace and blessings between Jacob and Laban.

"Jacob spoke up and said to Laban, 'What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have (so) hotly pursued me?' "(Gen. 31:36)

When Rachel left, she stole her father's idols and concealed them. Laban pursued Jacob and angrily demanded, "Why did you steal my gods?" (Gen. 31:30)

One of the Torah commentaries said that Jacob's statement, in addition to being a complaint against Laban, was also a self-reprimand by Jacob. In essence Jacob was saying, "Here Laban forms a search group to pursue me for seven days in order to retrieve his worthless idols. And am I, knowing the true G-d, exerting as much effort to come close to Him?"

How much we value something is indicated by how much effort we are willing to exert to acquire or retain it. A recovering drug addict may not attend a recovery group because he doesn't have a car. However, if he wanted to buy cocaine he'd walk miles even in icy weather to get his drug!

When Jacob saw the effort that Laban exerted to retrieve his idols, he took himself to task. Seeing the effort that some people put forth for things of questionable importance, we should do a soul-searching on how much effort we are ready to expend for clarifying our beliefs and observing the mitzvot.

An atheist cannot find G-d for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman.

The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.

Torat Emet: The Word of God is absolute Truth. Only those living in lies find it painful.

Shabbat Shalom!

R.  Ovadiah Tank

Online Learning

Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College in New York, where he teaches classes on Talmud, Jewish History, and Contemporary Jewish Law. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern utility and meaning in ancient wisdom texts and is pleased to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming to communities around the world. 

Rabbi Tank was educated at Yeshivas in New York and Miami. He studied Biblical Archeology at Bar Ilan University and Jewish Studies at Harvard University. Rabbi Tank has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and he is also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations. Rabbi Tank is the director of international affairs at the World Jewish Confederation in the United States and He is member of the White House National Religious Leaders , an Executive Office of the President of the United States in Washington, D.C.