Vayishlach

kollel connection

December 8 Candle Lighting 4:16 PM Shabbos Ends 5:24 PM Note: Times are for Bensalem; Check your local calendar for exact times in your area Welcome to The Kollel Connection. We hope you’re enjoying our weekly D’var Torah and updates. New!!!!!!!!!! Check out our website at www.bensalemoutreach.org!!! We appreciate and welcome your feedback in this new venture of ours. This week’s Parsha, Parshas Vayishlach begins with the description of the meeting of Jacob and Esau. Jacob, who had just been in the house of Laban for twenty years, was very frightened as to what would happen when he met Esau after all these years. Would Esau want to still kill him? Would there be an opportunity for real peace? He prepared himself for this dramatic encounter in three ways. 1) He sent Esau a present 2) He prayed to Hashem that he be saved from Esau 3) He prepared for war. Nachmanidies teaches us that this entire episode is a lesson for us how to conduct ourselves when we have to interact with Esau in our exile. There are times that we must offer bribes; there are times when we pray; there are times that we must prepare for war; and there are times that we must split our camp, as Jacob did, so that we can be saved. The splitting of the camps, Nachmanidies adds, alludes to times when in one place Jews will be persecuted, while in another place they will be saved. The encounter with the angel alludes to the times of terrible persecution, when Jacob will be close to being annihilated, but in the end he will prevail. Rav Elchonon Wasserman added one point to this explanation. The Gaon of Vilna tells us that the actual meeting of Jacob and Esau alludes to the end of our exile, the times of the Messiah. When Jacob prepared for this meeting, he placed the maid servants and their children first. Behind them he placed Leah and her children, and finally behind everyone he placed Rachel and her children. (Genesis 33:2). What lesson do we draw from the placing of the different wives of Jacob? The Gaon of Vilna tells us that this part of the episode teaches us that at the time of the Messiah, there will arise “leaders” among the Jewish people who are descendents of the maidservants – the eruv rav (the mixed multitude). They will stand at the head of the people. They will lead good Jews in the wrong direction. Behind them will be Leah and all her children – representing the masses of good Jews who will find themselves somewhat subservient to these bad influences. Behind everyone will be Rachel and her children – representing the Torah scholars, who should be leading us, but at the times of the Messiah will be treated with disrespect and scorn. What prophetic words!! When we look for guidance and direction, we must be careful to make sure that our advice is coming from sources that will guide us in the right direction, not from sources who themselves are misguided. Wishing you and your family a great Shabbos!!! Rabbi Moshe Travitsky Up Coming Classes & Events Saturday, December 9 - Enjoy a great meal and watch the film “Obsession” with commentary from Rabbi Mordechai Becher from Gateways 8:00 P.M. $5 suggested donation Sunday, December 10 – Taste Buddies Junior Chanukah Carnival for all kids 11:00 A.M. – 12:00 PM in the basement of the Bucks County Mikvah Tuesday, December 19 – Join the Bensalem Outreach Center for our annual Chanukah party 6:30 P.M. with a hot buffet dinner, latkes, donuts, guest speaker, children’s program and more! $5 suggested donation Sunday, January 7, 2007 - 11:00 AM Second Annual Jewish Women’s Conference “Mind, Body & Soul” at the Holiday Inn, 3499 Street Road, Bensalem For more information about any of our classes and programs, please call 215-752-5032. Schmooze and News! The Bensalem Outreach Center wishes a warm Mazel Tov Yanky and Rachel (Ettenberg) Cohen upon the bris of their new son, Join Yechiel and Shuli Mintz for the weekend of December 22-24 at a Gateways Retreat in Somerset, New Jersey. Relax in luxurious accommodations at a Doubletree Hotel, dine on elegant cuisine and enjoy inspiring and thought provoking lectures from world class speakers. Check it out on www.gatewaysonline.com and sign up now through the Mintz’s at 215-752-5032 or bjoc@bensalemoutreach.org. Shop Rite Scrips (food cards) are now available in the office! Help the Bensalem Outreach Center at no cost to you! For example: Need $100 of groceries buy a card from us take it to ShopRite (works like a gift card) and the Outreach Center gets 5% of the money from that card. Pick them up from the Travitsky home- 2725 Woodsview Drive - (215) 891-0443, or the office 2446 Bristol – on top of the shul (215) 752-5032. To sponsor an issue of the Kollel Connection, please email BJOC613@earthlink.net Sponsorships are only $36 a week.