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This week’s reading introduces us to the struggle between the holy patriarch Yaakov and his evil twin brother Esav some four thousand years ago.
The highlight is when their father, Yitzchak, wanted to bless evil Esav, but Yaakov, with the aid of his mother Rivka, cleverly ‘stole’ the blessings.
This family conflict eventually blossomed into the continual war between the Jews and the Jew Haters that has been going on since then, and will be resolved only by the arrival of Moshiach.
The works of Chassidut and Kabala explain that the way that Moshiach will settle it is by revealing that Esav, in his source, is essentially MORE HOLY than Yaakov and when this is revealed, there will be world peace.
This seemingly absurd idea was the reason that Yitzchak wanted to bless evil Esav. And it is also the reason that G-d created Esav (the gentiles) and Yaakov (the Jews) in the first place; for Yaakov to reveal this truth; Esav is higher than Jacob.
To understand this, here are two stories about the fifth Rebbe of Chabad Rebbe Shalom Dovber, (1860 – 1920) nicknamed the Rebbe ReSha’b, whose birthday was last week (20th of Cheshvan)
Rabbi Yaakov Landa was a very close Chassid of the Rebbe ReShab. The Rebbe took an unusual liking to him and even made him his ‘House Rabbi’.
Any Torah questions that arouse in the household of the Rebbe; if a chicken is kosher etc. would be directed to Rabbi Landa. And the devotion of Rabbi Landa to the Rebbe was boundless.
In addition to being a great Scholar, Rabbi Landa was a very knowledgeable in mundane matters especially in home remedies and when the contagious and deadly disease of Typhus (Typhoid Fever) broke out in Russia after the turn of the century, doctors were very reluctant to come in contact with the sick. But unlike them Rav Landa had remedies and did not fear for himself when it came to saving others.
The nature of Typhus was that one affected would first develop a high fever, then lose consciousness and then, either succumb and die or wake and recover
Rav Landa succeeded in healing hundreds but he eventually contracted the disease himself. He became feverish, lost consciousness and his life was hanging in the balance for several weeks until the crisis finally passed and he woke up. But he required weeks to recuperate and every day his bed was moved outside in the fresh air and sunlight.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, when he was unconscious his Holy, precious, Rebbe Resha’b also became seriously ill but …..tragically, passed away.
The Chassidim agreed among themselves not mention a word to Rav Landa about the Rebbe’s passing until he was fully recovered. So, even though he asked everyone that passed by about the Rebbe’s health, the answer was always the same, ‘the Rebbe is fine’.
But he kept asking until one person that didn’t know about this agreement told him the bitter truth.
He was heartbroken.
That evening Rabbi Landa wrote a short letter to the Rebbe requesting that the Rebbe to take him away from this world. He wanted to be with the Rebbe because he felt that life was worth nothing without him.
He folded the letter, put it in small envelope and the next morning when he was taken outside to the sunlight, he waited for the same man to pass, handed him the letter and requested that he put it, unopened, with the other letters on the Rebbe’s grave and tell no one about it.
Two days later the Rebbe’s son, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak (who became the Rebbe in his father’s stead) came to visit Rabbi Landa. He pulled up a chair, sat next to his bed where he was laying in the sunlight and said, “I just was by my father’s grave and he gave me a message to give over to you,”
Rav Landa ushered up all his strength, propped himself up and prepared himself for the Rebbe’s message from ‘beyond’.
“My father said: “Stop making childish requests!'”
The second story occurred several years afterwards.
Rabbi Landa received an offer from some very solid and trustworthy businessmen that he knew well to invest in a venture outside of Russia that was almost sure to bring in big profits. He would invest a portion of the money and be on the board of directors but would not have to leave Russia.
Rabbi Landa had a good business sense and this seemed a sure thing but he did not want make such a decision without consulting the Rebbe. But the Rebbe Resha’b had passed away.
So he set an appointment with the Raayat”z (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak the son and replacement of the Rebbe Resha’b,). But what he longed for was advice from the Rebbe’s father.
As he entered, he noticed a large tractate of the Talmud on the table between them with one page folded over.
The Rebbe Raayat’z pointed to the Talmud and said, “Open it up please.”
Rabbi Landa did as he was told; he opened the book to the folded page and immediately caught his eye a line that said “It is better to invest money near one’s home than far away.”
“This is pure prophesy!” He thought to himself, “He knew what my question would be and how to answer it through this page of the Talmud!”
“Not at all” answered the Rebbe Raayat’z aloud. “It wasn’t my prophesy. Just before you entered, my father was here from the upper worlds and told me to fold over this page of the Talmud and show it to you. It was he that gave the advice!”

This answers our questions about Esav and Yaakov.

Both of the above stories show the importance of this physical world; the domain of Esav. In the first story the Rebbe Resha’b revealed to Rabbi Landa that it is better to stay in this physical world than be in heaven. And in the second story, the Rebbe Resha’b left the ‘upper worlds’ to give advice down here; in the world of Esav.

Metaphorically, Yaakov represents holiness (Jews and the Creator) while Esav represents the mundane (gentiles and the creation).
‘Esav’ means ‘complete’; the creation seems to be a complete and independent, self-sustaining entity.
But, ‘Yaakov’ is the letters “Yud Akav”.  ‘Yud’ is the first and highest letter of G-d’s name and Akev means ‘heels’ i.e the lowest levels of creation. In other words; the creation is incomplete and without Gd, doesn’t even exist.
So, the job of the Jews is to educate all humanity to know that G-d creates everything and that even the ‘heels’ of creation, is a miracle.
That is why the nations, religions and philosophies of the world have opposed Judaism for thousands of years. Because to them, as to Esav, G-d opposes the world: the Creator and the Creation are opposites.
But Moshiach will reveal that to G-d this physical world is VERY precious.
It was here that G-d gave the Torah and it will be here that Moshiach will build the Temple and that the dead will return to physical life. Uniting G-d and the world is called BLESSING!
Then we will clearly see that Esav; the physical creation, is more important to the Creator than the highest of spiritual worlds.
This is because G-d wants us to reveal the true purpose of the CREATION here IN the creation (that’s why the Five books of Moses don’t mention the afterlife).
Yitzchak wanted to bless Esav because he wanted all this to happen quickly and alleviate thousands of years of suffering. But it was impossible. It had to be a long process.
But the Lubavitcher Rebbe said that this process is coming to an end.

Hard to believe but after so many thousands of years of suffering, ours is the generation of Moshiach.
And it all depends on US, NOW. And it should happen any moment now.
We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish faith, hopes, commandments, prayers and suffering. Now it could be that just one more good deed, word or even good thought, can tilt the scales and bring ….

Moshiach NOW!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel

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