Shabbat

Portion Toledote – Brotherly Confusion – the Nice or the Good

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשישי, 25 נובמבר 2022 12:57
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Portion Toledote – Brotherly Confusion – the Nice or the Good

The portion starts off with the birth of twin boys to Isaac and Rebecca. It immediately follows with their first joint business deal which goes bad later.

TWINS ain't the PROBLEM – it's the World View that the Almighty sent Abraham to fix!

Imagine having twins 3000 years before Pampers - not at all easy to deal with.
 
And the local ruler-madman Nimrod becomes the role-model for one (Esau), while the other brother (Jacob) is influenced by the High Priest of the Almighty (Malki-Tzedek – see in the earlier portion).

 

Isaac says "I am going to die, so I want to bless my children first." This causes another level of hatred between the brothers!

What's nice, and what's good. 
 
Esau is nice to his Dad.
 
Jacob listens to his Mom, Respects his Dad - and tries for years to not be led into a war with his brother.
 
The Hidden Torah – Kabala – gives us hints – on How to Maximize the Good in a tough world.
 
Early Hassidic Rebbes tried to bring to us as the Inspiration Needed to Help Judaism Fix World Hatred.

 

When our great, great grandmother – Isaac's holy wife Rebecca'- finds a way to calm things for some years, we hope the competitiveness is resolved – but look at the world today. Competition at the World Cup sports in Qatar is a healing? So why no kosher food is allowed for 10000 Jewish sports fans? 
Who bombed Ukraine to be without power for the winter? And
Look at all the mass shootings in the US last week!

 So this week let's learn a little bit from Rebbe Elimelech from Lizensk (very dear to me

 

 because this week I finished another Hebrew draft of my version of Ohel Elimelech – adapted from the Sefer Ohel Elimelech - stories of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizensk  

Rebbe Elimelech talks in a number of places about physical versus spiritual needs in the world – not to denigrate either approach or need – or want.

According to the Kabala interpreted by the Rebbe – there is a SPIRITUAL value or aspect in every PHYSICAL thing or action. Esau says "who needs that – who needs to carry on the traditions from Abraham and Isaac" (until later when he missed the boat, as it were). He says "I have a lot".

Jacob says "I have everything" – even the spirituality you (Esau) need to give life-energy to your physical existence". 
According to Reb Elimelech: Today: You want to win at the World Cup? How? Without spiritual energy, Russia, Ukraine, Arab countries – and also the West – will decline and disintegrate.

Imagine if the Israeli and Chabad visitors made a nice KOSHER Shabbat meal in Doha, Qatar and invited THIS SHABBAT all the world leaders to participate…

Who knows.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz