Why was he called Yaakov?

וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֞ן יָצָ֣א אָחִ֗יו וְיָדֹ֤ו אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙ בַּעֲקֵ֣ב עֵשָׂ֔ו וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמֹ֖ו יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְיִצְחָ֛ק בֶּן־שִׁשִּׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה בְּלֶ֥דֶת אֹתָֽם, after that his brother emerged with his hand grasping  on to the…

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The written record of an event necessarily creates images in the mind’s eye. The more dramatic the imagery, the clearer and deeper are the event’s optics seared in the readers’ consciousness. Consider how powerful a picture is evoked when at birth Ya’akov grabs Eaisav’s heel (Bereshith 25:26).

To ascribe the Torah’s description of Rivka’s pregnancy and her twins birth (Bereshith 25:22-26) to literary flourish would completely miss scripture’s message. Often the Chassidic greats ZT’L…

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Transforming the Sins into Years

ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים חיי שרה, Sarah’s lifetime was one

hundred years, twenty years,…

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Every parcel of real estate is viewed as unique, one of a kind. The special characteristics of real estate may explain why conveying title from person to another is highly formalized that even in a secular society it approaches religious ritual. The rule is that land cannot ever be really stolen as it always remains in place. Therefore, to give up one’s claim to land out of despair is a subject to debate. Consequently, the transfer of real estate requires atmosphere of the parties’ agreement…

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Many years ago, when we were planning to have Shiurim on the Global Yeshiva, I wrote on explaining Tosfos on Bava Metzia for the first 10 Blatt. Unfortunately, it never came to fruition, and it was never published. almost 7 years later, I'm putting them out, one every 2 or 3 days, on my website, limudtorah/jewishweb.org  . All that have youngsters that are learning the first Perek of Bava Metzia and is having a hard time with Tosfos will find this very beneficial to them.

Rav…

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Wherever a person finds themselves G-D gives that person whatever one needs to achieve success. Success is how closely one’s life is aligned with G-D’s design. Rabbi Lazer Brody Shlita has mentioned this concept in several lectures and his mentor Rabbi Shalom Arush Shlita in B’Gan HaEmunah (Garden of Emunah) gives illustration after illustration how events like incarceration or divorce G-D forbid are opportunities for growth. Therefore, no matter the circumstances one finds oneself in even…

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The journey is worthwhile

ויאמר ה' אל אברם לך לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך אל

הארץ אשר אראך,

HaShem said to Avram, “Go for yourself from your land, from…

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Medrash Tanchumah (Lech Lecha 7) notes the conflict between the 4 and 5 Kings recorded in Bereshith 14 is the first war. The Medrash points out Amrafel was the individual who lead the aggressors. The Talmud Eruvin 53a asserts Amrafel was indeed Nimrod. The Talmud debates which name was the actual name and which was a nickname. Or he was really named Nimrod and earned the name Amrafel for casting Avraham Our Father A’H in the furnace of Casdin. Or was this fellow Amrafel who was called Nimrod… Continue