Vayishlach - 6th Portion

Join me as we learn for Friday the sixth Torah reading of parish. Yesterday we spoke about how was captured by the people of Jacob's move out of the people of out of the place of heading towards back to Basel where he brought a sacrifice to God and the passing of D'vorah and Drifka. Today we continue with the birth of binyam that he was blessed with in yesterday's Torah reading verse 12 chapter 35 and the land I will give you the land that I gave it will be given to you and to your children after you I will give this land verse 13 and God ascended from above him in the place that he spoke to him from the place that he spoke to him. Rashi over here says something interesting and he tells us that I don't understand I don't know why the verse has to tell us that he ascended from the place that he spoke to that means according to the simple interpretation Rashi does not understand why the Torah tells us this verse 14 then erected a monument in the place that God spoke to him a monument a stone and he poured on it oil. He poured on it a wine libation, I'm sorry. And he poured a wine liation on it. And then he poured on it as well. Verse 15, then named the place that God had spoken to him. That God spoke to him in that place. Verse 16. And they then journeyed onward from Bale and there was still some distance of land to Ephra to come to Ephrael and went into labor but she had difficulty giving birth. What does the word mean? So we translate it as a plot of land. Rashi explains as follows. explains referring to as that he mentions many times meaning a lot great a long distance the med says over here it's talking about the word means it's talking about that it was in the time of the summer that it was very hot so therefore the ground was very uh had a lot of holes in it like the word kabir comes from a civ that has a lot of holes in it. That the plow was then plowing the ground was common. Winter passed and yet it still didn't come the uh it was very difficult for people to it was people still were walking on the area. So therefore it was a very difficult spot and still in all the verse is telling us that Jacob did not bring her didn't go bury her in the city. That means it wasn't difficult to walk on the roads and therefore he shouldn't have had a problem to go a little bit further. This however does not fit into the simple interpretation of the verse because we find later on by who was the king of the book of kings. It says and he went a big plot of a big distance of land and therefore he says I say is the measurement of land which a person walks and it's about like the length of a para or more like you tell to a person a distance of land amount of time that you can plow the distance this area the area of a field. It's the same way when you tell a person plow this area of field as much as the plows can go. So too when you tell a person about distance about how much a person can walk. Verse 17. And as when her bel when her as when her labor became severe and the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid because this too is a son for you." Verse 17 besides that they had a child already having another son explains with every single one of the tribes a twin girl was born and within two twin girls were born therefore he says therefore the Torah uses the terminology because you are still going to have another one besides and the girl there's another twin coming to as well. Verse 18 as she breathed her last as she died as she was dying. And she called the boy's name Beni, the son of my sorrow, the but however his father called him Ben Yamin Benjamin, the son of my south Rashi Beni. What's the name Ben mean? Ben Sari the son of my pain of my troubles that he she was suffering at the moment that when she was dying. Binyam Rashi says near it seems to me that his father called him this name because he's the only one that was born in the land of Kanan which is south of of where he was the south of when a person comes from this would be the south as it says but of in the south in the land of excuse me or as it says that he was traveling south. Therefore, he called him Binyamin Benyamin, the son of my south because the right side is the south when you're facing east as the verse says north and right which is referring to south you created them. Therefore, if you look at the word binyam here has two another interpretation, a son of old age was born when he was older already that the word always can also mean years like we find in another verse. He says to the end of days and it has a final at the end. Verse 19 and died and she was buried on the road leading to Ephas which this is Bethlehem. Verse 20 erected a tombstone tombstone on her grave. This remained the tombstone on Rachel's grave until this very day. Verse 21. And yes, Israel traveled on and he but he and he pitched his tent from he pitches then beyond mdal to migdal rashi verse I'm sorry the verse 22 and it was as he rested as he uh as he resided in that region Israel and Ruain went and moved his father's bed which to Bilah's tent and had relations with Billah which his father which was his father's concubine and his father heard about it. What does this mean? Let's understand what happened here. Verse 22, what was going on? because he delayed coming to see his father Yitzk which was at the time invites happened to him because he was delaying his travels. What does the wordish mean? Not that was the one that God forbid did something but because he went and moved the bed without permission and he moved it from Raul's tent into Leia's tent from Baha's tent I'm sorry into Leia's tent the Torah considers like if he was the one that did it why did he do it and ruin the room and move the bed without permission of his father because of his mother's respect because when died he took his bed that was usually in Raul's tent and not in any other tent and he put it in tent which Bill was the concubine of Raul Ruain Ruven came along and he demanded he stood up for his mother's was disgrace. He said if my mother meaning was always here that there was is it was also a wife to my father Yakov but she was always there that means these two women there in the in the Aramaic language means means a pain one for the other meaning that the if Jacob is married to the two sisters and that means Rah was also married and Leia was also married to Yakov therefore imitates me. Should the bondswoman, should the maidservant of my of my aunt of my mother's sister now become also on part of my mother as our second wife? The bill. Therefore, he went along and he moved it back and he moved his mother or he moved Yakov's bed into his mother's tent. And the Torah considers it that he did something wrong that he slept with her because since that was considered because he moved it without permission. Later on we see that in the blessings of Jacob he is punished because of it. Verse 20 and Jacob had uh 12 sons. Who are Jacob's 12 sons? Verse 23. [snorts] Ben Leak. The children of Leia was the the children of Leo. the firstborn of Jacob was what does it mean? Even though we just saw that Yahu did something wrong which was that he went uh to the that he went and moved the bed without permission as we see starting a new idea meaning this is not a continuation of the previous thing after the Benjamin's birth it tells us once Benjamin was born now Jacob's bed so to speak his family was complete and now they're worthy of being counted And therefore the Torah counts them here and the rabbis teach us over here something very why does it have the verse which talks about Ruain's mistake sin at the same in the same verse telling us that Jacob had 12 sons telling us to teach us that they're all equal and they're all righteous and they're all great that even though Ruvane did something wrong the sin here did not cause that he should be different than any of his brothers. It wasn't a sin of such severity that should cause that he should be on a less level than the rest of his brothers that were all righteous which tells us the next rashi. Why is he called over here the firstborn of Jacob? Even though he did something wrong and he cursed him out for what he did still calls him his firstborn the firstborn of he is the firstborn to be able to inherit double from all the other brothers. He's the firstborn that because of that he should be able to bring the sacrifices and only because of and therefore actually until the sin of the golden calf the firstborn were going to be the ones to serve in the holy temple as well as when they count the Jewish people he would be the first one to be counted the only way that only time Yseph was comp considered firstborn was to when it came to the tribes that Yseph's family was split into two that he got a double portion in the tribes. But for everything else was still considered the firstborn. The children of Ben the children of Bahra the bonds women of Rahul and and the children of Zila the bondwoman of Leah Godsher are God and Usher and Yakiv. These are the children, the sons of Jacob that were born to him in pan. Verse 27 finally made it to his father. He returns home is where was his father in Arba? He was in the plains of Mam which is in Kirat Arba which is where lived there for all these years. So this is now in the year 2208 of the creation where YaKob finally comes home after being 20 years by Lavan and his travels all along the way. He comes home to his father Yituk Rashi. Verse 27 Mamray. Why was he called Mamray? Shame Hamisher. That was the area of the plains of Mamray. Curious Arab was the name of the city. Mamre curious Abra meaning El Misher. He came to the plane of Mamry which is shell cury arba which bel which is part of the city of curious arba if you may ask if you just could have said the plane which is curious why do you have to why do you have to say it this way this is the usual terminology of the verse anything that has the name double name of made up of two for example He's going to put a hey, it's going to put it in the beginning of the word. Like for example, and that means on the name of the space. It will give you then the he to tell you the place, but it's on the name of it that he puts the he at it. The Torah now continues with um verse 28. And the days of was 100 years and 80 years. 180 years lived. Verse 29. And it was in the year 2228. That means that he lived 5 years longer than Ara. A lived until 175. Yik lived until 180. And the year 228, which is that the time that passed, and he breathed his last and passed away, and he passed away, and he gathered unto his people old with this days fulfilled and his sons and buried him in the cave of the which was in. So Rashi tells us over here something as we know that the Torah was not written in chronological order and he says as follows there is no before and after in the Torah the Torah was not written in chronological order why because something over here glaringly we see is different the actual sale of Yseph which we learn later on in next week's paran actually happened 12 years before passing If you do the math was born because if he was a 180 when he died, how old was Jacob? 120. If you take out 60 out of 180, you're left with 120. For Nim, Ysef was sold when he was 17. in the year that was sold was only 108. So what do you have here? That means this was 12 years before how do you have the number of years when Jacob was 63 was blessed by his father 14 years he was learning and hiding in the in the yeshiva. So what do you have now? at 77. And then 14 years for by love and for his wives and then for another 14 years who was born was born because only after was born to after gave birth to did he tell his wives it's time for me to go back. So that means after 14 years being by how old was he at the time if you do the math 91 17 years later was when Ysef was sold what do you have if you do the math 63 he was when he got the blessings 14 in the house of a 14 years that he worked for 17 years where how old was he and he was sold you have a total of 108 so it was so What do we see from here? That this verse that's telling us about Yitik's passing happened way after next week's Torah reading, Yseph's being being sold. So we see from here that the Torah was not is not written in chronological order. Another thing is explained and another proof that Jacob is only 108 at this time because from when Yseph was is sold until Yakov came down to Egypt was 22 years. as it says was 30 years old. So because 17 plus 13 makes it 30 years of seven years of plenty and two years of hunger that's 22 years and he says his life was 130 years at the time when Ysephold was 108 verse chapter 36 these are the children of Asov who Asov eventually becomes was who is nicknamed Adam and the kingdom of Edom. As of Asov took wives from amongst the daughters of Kanan who did his wife's names the daughter of Alama the daughter of Rashi the daughter of Alon. Who is this? So Rashi tells us something unique. This is the same lady Busmas, the daughter of Aloyas. And she was called Busmas. She was called bus mass because since she would bring incense to dial trees. Who is Aliva? Heis. She is called Yehudis. Which later on Yehudis, the daughter of Bir, the wife of As that we mentioned before. For who? Yehudes. Asov gave her the name or nicknamed her to say that she denies an idolatry because any person who denies an idolatry is called as we see later on by because he didn't agree with him to make his to try to confuse his father and think that he married a proper woman. So he said oh look this woman doesn't believe in idolatry. really was all a show the daughter of Anna the daughter of how did she have two fathers if it's the daughter of she's not the daughter of just telling us Anna was the daughter was the son of that was married his daughter-in-law Anna the wife of therefore came from both of them we don't know which one was from them. What is this telling us? They're all illegitimate children because the each one was in intermarried with one another and they committed adultery with one another and therefore these children were all illegitimate. Verse three. And Bosmas who was nicknamed was the daughter of Yeshal and the sister of Rashi Basmas. Interesting that this woman Basmason was called before Malas was called. What is this telling us? The med says as follows and three people are automatically forgiven under sins a convert who converts one who goes up to fame one who the day that he gets married and we learned it from here she was called because her sins were forgiven on the day that she married the sister of Because the reason that married her is when I married so therefore she was called he was the one that took care of her because of that she was called by the name of because made sure she was able to get married and took care of her so therefore she was given that name. One of the interesting things that the Reb points out over here is that where do we learn that a bride and groom on the day of their are forgiven on their sins from none other than Asov on the day who we married. Why Asov? There's so many other people that get married that the Torah could have told us and who do we learn from teaching us a very important lesson that Asov was considered a Jew though he may have not observed the commandments but at the same time also teaches us that no matter where a Jew may be he may be as evil as Asaf but still and only has the opportunity that God forgives him on his sins on the day of his marriage and he has a time to start again from scratch even more so that marriage represents the relationship that the Jewish people have with God teaching ing us that any person who brings a person closer to Yiddishkite and helps them have that relationship with Hashem is their day of marriage and they too are forgiven on the day of their sins on the day of their marriage from all their sins. On the day that they bring somebody closer to are forgiven as well. The Torah now continues on verse four. Gave birth to Asav the fellow named Alisa and gave birth to verse five of yel and gave birth to yushum and these are the children ofan that were given birth to him in the land of Kanan. Rashi and Alivama gave birth. Who did she give birth to again? Who is this mom? He was illegitimate child. Why? He was also the son of because he married Alifas went and married his father's wife who see later on when he talks about the generals of Alifas. This fellow Korak is counted amongst them. So you see that this Alifas gave birth to him from Alama who was his wife his father's wife. Verse six and took his wives as Banov and his sons as and his daughters and all of his household and his cattle and all his animals is called and everything that acquired and all his belongings. Everything is all his possessions that he acquired in the land of Kanan. and he moved to another region away from his brother Yakov. What does it mean to another region to find a place to live? Because he did not want to be next to his brother Yakov. Verse seven, why did he have to leave? Because for their property was too abundant from them unable to live together in the land of where they originally were from which means around was no longer able to support them to support them because of their livestock. What does this mean? Rashi explains as follows. Verse seven, because they had so much flock, there was not enough pasture for all their animals. The medish explains because of his brother because of the document that he owned the lean of the decree that God said that you're be a stranger amongst your children that will be on the children of Omar said to himself let me get out of here I don't have a part of this land not in gift that it was given to me not in up paying up the document that I'm going to go down to Egypt and ultimately I'm going to get back the land. That's not happening for me. Why? Because he realized he sold his right to the firstborn. Another reason is because he was embarrassed by the very fact that he sold the right to the firstborn and he had no rights to the land. Verse eight and as settled the mount se is known by verse n of and these are the descendants of who was the prognator of the and he was the one that brought the adom into the world is on mount sah what does it mean verse Natal didn't it already tell us who the children of Asaf are these are the children that his children gave birth once he moved to seer so this is his children and grandchildren that he eventually gave birth to these are the children of Asava Benad the son of Isov the wife of Asov rul benbas the son of basmas is the wife Then verse 11 and the children of Alifas were his tamer the children of of verse 12n who was Tim was a concubine for Alis of the son of Asavas and she gave birth to Malik the sonik these are the children of Asav the wife of Asavi verse 12 Timnah was his concubine why is he telling us the of and what's special about that this is telling us the greatness of that all these special people all the important people the elite of the land were looking to see how they can marry in to's family who is Tim she was the daughter of a great individual Timna the sister of Leon was Timna and who was Leighton from the ministers and generals from the place of from the people of seas from the the people that live there and the original elites of this place of semis I'm not going to be able to merit to marry you I can't marry you at least let me be your however he talks about that was the daughter of he counts them among the children of Alifas. What does this teacher that married the wife of Seir and Timna was a child that came from them and when his own daughter got older his daughter became his concubine that's why it says he's not counted with the children of he was the sister of from the sister but not from the father. So you see over here how Alifas was not the most moral individual and you can see how he intermarried and had relations with his father's wives and even his sister's wives and so on his brother all the different families that he had his own children. Verse 13. These are the children of these are the children of As the wife of Asaf. Verse 14. These were the children of Alama, the daughter of Annab, the daughter of Steven as the wife of As. And she gave birth. Verse 15. These are the generals. These are the sons, the tribal chiefs of As the son of Alifas. As the firstborn of Asan, the chief alie, the chief alaz and chief verse 15. What does it mean? Chief, they were the heads of their families. [snorts] 16ief. These are the chiefs of which lived in the land of Adam and they're the children of verse 17. These are the children of the son of these are the generals of Asav. The son of Asav the general general Zar Shama general Misah. These are the generals of the chiefs of Raul in the land of Edin. And these are the children of Basmas, the wife of Asov. Verse 18. And these are the children of Aliv as the wife of As the chief alum chief Yalam. Alfie Aliva. These are the chiefs of Alivama Anna. The daughter of Anna as the wife of Asov. Verse 19 as what we just said were all the children of Asov. and their chiefs who edim and their tribal chiefs who ed this is the people of Adam and this as was called Adam. This concludes the Torah reading for Friday, the sixth Torah reading.