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Posts Tagged ‘Yaakov’

A Support Staff | A Guest Post

ChainA guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.

A Support Staff

As Yaakov prepares to greet Eisav after his many decades away from home he sends him gifts and a message stating, “Im Lavan Garti—I lived with Lavan.”

Chazal derive from this unusual expression the famous dictum of Yaakov Avinu – Im Lavan Garti V’Taryag Mitzvos Shamarti – I lived with Lavan but I kept all of the 613 Mitzvos (“Garti” and Taryag have the same letters) . This declaration of Yaakov is extraordinary. After years away from home, surrounded by the deceit of Lavan’s home and the decadence of society at large, Yaakov remained the Ish tam yosheiv ohalim he was when he left Eretz Yisrael some 35 years earlier.

How did he do it? (more…)

Take Time To Smell The Roses | A Guest Post

take_time_to_smell_the_rosesA guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.

Yaakov, Eisav & The Simple Things in Life

This week’s parsha presents the fundamental distinction between Klal Yisrael and the Umos HaOlam, defined by Yaakov Avinu and Eisav Harasha. Exploring these differences can help us understand what defines us and which values to seek and transmit to our children. One insight is especially relevant to the contemporary milieu. (more…)