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Shabbat Parashat Vayishlach | 5770

Vayishlach | 12 Kislev 5770 | 05/12/2009

Parashat Hashavuah: A Parting Gift

We usually think of Yaakov, in his interaction with Eisav upon his return, to have acted meekly to avoid possible conflict with Eisav. Anything to survive! The gemara (Sota 41b) actually gives two explanations of what Yaakov meant by saying that seeing Eisav was like seeing an angel. One was (false) flattery; the other was a semi-veiled threat: I have handled your angel; I can handle you if need to. Let us explore another example in which Yaakov may have been at once conciliatory and assertive. We start with an apparent contradiction.

Ask the Rabbi: Pat haba’ah b’kisnin

How can it be that whether or not you wash on pizza depends on how much you eat? I would think that either it is bread or it is not bread.

Ein Ayah: Displaying the Good in Everything

Whoever sees a dead person [being taken to burial] and does not escort him violates: “One who scoffs at a poor person blasphemes his Maker” (Mishlei 17:5). And if he does escort him, what is his reward? About him the pasuk (ibid. 19:17) says: “One who has compassion for the poor is like one who lends to Hashem” [the words for escorting and lending have the same letters] and, “One who has compassion toward the poor shows respect to Him” (ibid. 14:31).

P’ninat Mishpat: Firing Teachers – part II

Last time, we saw various opinions if the ruling that one may replace a Torah teacher with a better one is referring to within the period of the employment agreement and whether it is referring to firing with pay or without.

Hemdat HaDaf HaYomi: A Mistake in Measurement in a Real- Estate Transaction (103b)

This week we will continue to discuss an issue that we dealt with two weeks ago in the Hemdat Hadaf Hayomi for Parshat Toldot. There we learned that when a deal was made on a certain amount of merchandise, and the merchandise was found to be lacking, according to Rashbam the sale is void, while according to the R"I Migash the sale is valid, and the seller must complete the required amount. If he cannot complete the amount, according to the Ramban the sale is void, while according to the Rashba the sale is valid and the buyer subtracts the value of the missing merchandise from the purchase price.

Vayishlach 5770
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Vayishlach 5770

Hemdat Yamim is dedicated in memory of
R. Yona Avraham
ben Shmuel Storfer z”l

This week’s Hemdat Yamim is dedicated in loving memory of
R' Meir ben
Yechezkel Shraga
Brachfeld
o.b.m

Hemdat Yamim is endowed by
Les & Ethel Sutker of Chicago, Illinois in loving memory of
Max and Mary Sutker and
Louis and Lillian Klein, z”l.

A weekly divrei Torah leaflet: A Glimpse at the Parasha, Ask the Rabbi, From the writings of Harav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, zt”l, Pninat Mishpat (Jewish Monetary Law).

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