| From our Sages on the Parshah |
I give you Shechem... which I took from the Emori with my sword and
bow (Genesis 48:22)
As it is written (Joshua 24:32), "And Joseph's bones... they buried in Shechem."
This is analogous to thieves who stole a barrel full of wine; when the owner
found them, he said: "Be so kind, when you finish drinking up the wine, put
the barrel back in its place." So, too, Joseph was kidnapped by his
brothers in Shechem, and to Shechem they returned his bones.
(Daat Zekeinim)
The Midrash says: "Did Jacob conquer Shechem with sword and bow? But 'my sword' is his
prayer, and 'my bow' is his supplication."
Why is prayer like a bow? Just like a bow, the more a person draws the
bowstring to himself, the further the arrow flies, so it is with prayer: the
deeper one delves into one's own heart, the higher one's prayer ascends.
(Rabbi Mendel of Kotzk)
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