PARSHAS VAYISHLACH 5781

STAM TORAH

PARSHAS VAYISHLACH 5781[1]

“WHAT’S IN A NAME”

Dedicated l’refuah shelimah for נטע יצחק בן רחל

          Uri Zohar was once celebrated as “the top
comedian, television and radio talk-show host, social satirist, actor, and film
producer on the Israeli scene.” Today, Rabbi Uri Zohar is perhaps Israel’s
foremost ba’al teshuvah, or returnee to traditional Jewish
observance. He often
says, “You are looking at the happiest man in the world! I was forty years old
and I had everything imaginable. I was a movie star and producer, and I had a
tremendous amount of publicity. I rubbed shoulders with all the big movers in
showbiz. Yet my life had no meaning. When I discovered the beauty of Torah and
mitzvos, I gave up everything I had, and found new happiness and meaning worth
more than all I had ever possessed.

          “For all
his fabled billions, Bill Gates is not nearly as wealthy as I am. If you were
to offer me all of his money in exchange for my agreement not to don tefillin
just tomorrow morning, I wouldn’t hesitate one second before refusing. Is he
capable of such a refusal?”

          “Yaakov
was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. When he
perceived that he could not overcome him, he struck the ball of his thighbone;
and the ball of Yaakov’s thighbone became dislocated as he wrestled with him.
Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn has broken.” And he said, “I will not
let you go unless you have blessed me.” He said to him, “What is your
name?” He said, “Yaakov”. He said, “No longer will it be
said that your name is Yaakov, but Yisroel, for you have striven with the
divine and with men and you have overcome.” Then Yaakov inquired, and he
said, “Tell, if you please, what is your name.” And he said,
“Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there.”[2]

          The
confrontation of Yaakov and the angel of Eisav is symbolic of our perpetual
struggle with our evil inclination. Through understanding how Yaakov prevailed
over the angel, we too can learn the secret of overcoming our own inclination.

          The
Kli Yakar explains that the confrontation of Yaakov with the angel of Eisav
transpired at night, when Yaakov was alone and vulnerable. When one is feeling
lonely or down, that is when he is most vulnerable. In the sunlight when one
feels inner joy, we aren’t as vulnerable, but the wily yester hara bides his
time patiently.

          When
asked, Yaakov immediately told the angel his own name, so why did the angel
refuse to reciprocate? Furthermore, why was it so important for Yaakov to know
the name of the angel at all?

          Rabbi
Leib Chasman[3]
explains that the name of a person symbolizes his inner essence and strength. Tradition
is that every couple is blessed with divine insight when they choose a name for
their child.[4]

          When
Yaakov asked the name of the angel, he wanted to know the essence of his
strength. This was all the more important because it was the Angel of Eisav,
the Satan.

          In
overcoming the angel Yaakov attained new heights of greatness. The angel felt
compelled to change Yaakov’s name to a more befitting title that represented
the fact that Yaakov “strove with men and the divine and had
overcome”. After his own name was changed, Yaakov turned to the angel and
asked him what his underlying strength was. The truth is that the angel
answered Yaakov’s question. He replied to Yaakov, “My name is: Why do
you ask my name? That is my title and essence. Do you know how I convince
people to sin and fall prey to evil? I tell people not to ask questions. I
cause dark to appear as light and I cause evil to appear as good. I tell people
they absolutely need to have things that will end up hurting them. My strength
lies in convincing people not to understand things clearly. Don’t ask
questions! Just do it!”

          As
a result of that epic struggle between Yaakov and the angel, we do not eat from
the Gid Hanashe[5].
The Gemara[6] records a
dispute between two Amoraim whether the Gid Hanashe has any taste. The Gemara
concludes that it is tasteless. If so, why does the Torah forbid us from eating
it; why would anyone care to eat it anyway?

          Rabbi
Avigdor Nebenzhal, the Rabbi of the Old City of Yerushalyim, explains that the
aforementioned question bring out the exact lesson the Torah wants to convey
with this prohibition. We think our evil inclination wants us to enjoy life and
‘live it up’. However, in truth, our evil inclination is our greatest enemy in
the world.

          The
Chovas Halvavos[7]
explains that our evil inclination ideally wants us to suffer in this world and
in the next world. However, it understands that if he would try to get us to
give up everything, we wouldn’t follow his lead. Instead, he makes this world seem
alluring and inviting so that we fall prey to sin and exchange our eternal
world for this finite world. But when granted the opportunity, our evil
inclination will seek to make us miserable with everything.

          Rabbi
Yaakov Kamenetzky noted that we often don’t realize when our evil inclination
is at work. Searching for a suit can be an arduous process.  After going to a few stores and trying on
quite a few suits, he may finally find a suit that strikes his fancy. He will
then have it checked for shatnez and then has it altered by his tailor. When he
finally emerges from the tailor with his brand-new suit, he should be ecstatic.
Yet at that moment he may be seized by feelings of doubt. That is the work of
his evil inclination, trying to strip him of the happiness he should be
feeling.

          Our
evil inclination takes things that are tasteless and void of meaning and spices
them up. We foolishly follow his lead. As soon as he ensnares us to commit a
sin, he leaves us face the guilt and shame of our actions.

          The
essence of the Evil Inclination is “Why do you ask my name?” His name
is the ability to falsify names and cloud our thinking and sense of balance and
integrity. Yaakov overcame the angel by maintaining the struggle until the
crack of dawn. As soon as the sun arose, the angel’s strength was sapped, and
Yaakov was able to defeat him.

          The
yetzer hara’s strength lies in the darkness – the darkness of night and the
darkness of our spirit. We overcome him by shining the light of truth upon him
and the thoughts he plants within us. Often, we need the assistance of others
to help us shine that light. In the blinding light of truth his energy
dwindles.

          “Why
is it that you ask my name?”

          “Let
me go, for the dawn has broken”

Rabbi
Dani Staum

stamtorah@gmail.com