Esau Kissed Jacob - Letters and Numbers of Torah - Vayishlach

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Esau Kissed Jacob: Letters and Numbers of Torah - Vayishlach

In the verse (Genesis 33:4) that tells us how Esau kissed Jacob, the word "kissed" has a dot over each letter. How does this hint to the idea that the greatest enemy of spiritual growth is the resistance to studying the mystical parts of Torah?

Handouts:	Vayishlach
Audio:	Listen to Audio \| Download this MP3
Topics:	Parshah, Vayishlach

Aaron L. Raskin

Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin is the official Chabad emissary to downtown Brooklyn, rabbi of Congregation B’nai Avraham in Brooklyn Heights, New York and Dean of Brooklyn Heights Jewish Academy. He is the author of the books, “Thank You God for Making Me a Woman", "Letters of Light", "By Divine Design", and "Guardian of Israel", and the co-author of "The Rabbi & The CEO".

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7 Comments

Jenny Fla December 1, 2017

Thank You Rabbi!
This lecture made me wonder if the injury to Jacob's hip could at all allude to Netzach?? Wondering that because in the diagram of sefirots, Netzach would be about at hip placement (?) and by wounding his Netzach, that would impair his ambition & determination to confront Esau... just a thought. Reply

Sherri Venokur Brooklyn December 4, 2014

Yasher Koach, Rabbi Raskin! Reply

Anonymous December 13, 2011

Esau Kissed Jacob Somehow this discourse has had the effect of father's kiss. Not an eternal effect, certainly a volatile effect however it has been a very rewarding time that I have spent hearing the Rebbe Aaron L. Raskin. Reply

rachel israeli. antwerpen, belguim December 10, 2011

essav kised jaakov. good lessen, i learned a new aspect of the parasha that is good to all the book of the torah. thanks for that lesson. hanuka samech! Reply

Hany Mtl, Ca December 9, 2011

Omayn Very interesting discourse.
And we see that even the Torah itself mandates that descendants of Esau be accepted into Israel ( shall not reject and Edomite, he is your brother )and many great scholars came from Esav.

Woe to those who take the TOrah as mere stories and do not go beyond into the Supreme Potency of Torah !

MOSHIAH NOW!! Reply

Phillip Zezulak Perry, Michigan December 8, 2011

Jacob's Struggles Why does Jacob wrestle with the angel? Who is the angel? Samael, the Prince of Darkness and the guardian angel of Esau. Notice how Jacob sees the angels face and it looks like Esau his brother. So why does Jacob struggle with Samael, because Jacob is a liar and a cheat, he deserves to be in darkness, yet he struggles after G-d. So Michael, the great angel of Light and Righteousness becomes his angel now and the so, Michael is the Guardian Angel of Israel. Jacob struggles and wins over Esau. I don't think Esau is a deciever like Jacob. Esau is simply beastly with strong passions, and today he reconciled with Jacob from the bottom of his heart with love, ran and kissed him. There was no falsehood then, but perhaps you could argue that Esau only has 6 dots to kiss with because Jacob, stole the 7th. The 7th, is of course the great blessing of G-d. Without G-d's blessing, how empty all hearts are. Esau has no comprehension of G-d's light, ignorance not falsehood. Reply

Stephanie Elisabeth Deiters Mönchengladbach December 7, 2011

Letters and Numbers of Torah wonderfull teaching, many thanks Reply