Parshas Vayeitzei 5778
QUESTION:
Why was there so much turbulence in Yaakov's life?
ANSWER:
Why is there so much turbulence inside of a washing machine? If there wasn't turbulence, then your clothes would come out the same as when you put them in, but because there is turbulence in the washing machine the clothes come out white. You have to be tumbled; and that's what's good for us, we are tumbled in life in order to make us better.
You know what Yaakov accomplished? When Yaakov was in his father's house he was sitting in tranquility. He certainly was making progress. Even his mother was a great Rosh Yeshiva, he learned from his mother too; there was a lot to learn from his mother. Shma b'ni mussar avicha v'al titosh toras imecha, don't forsake the teachings of your mother! He had a great mother and he learned from her.
He also learned from Shem v'Ever, a great Yeshiva, fourteen years. But you know when he came out of Lavan's house, he was the best that he ever was. Lavan's yeshiva was the very best place, because in Lavan's yeshiva he's being tumbled, he's subject to a turbulent environment. The trouble with Lavan made him great.
It says Vayhi li shor v'chamor tzon v'eved v'shifcha. When he came out of Lavan's house he had a shor, that's bchor shoro hadar lo, that's Yosef, the chamor, that's moshiach, oni v'rochev al chamor, tzon, is tzon Yisroel, eved, Moshe Rabbeinu eved Hashem, shifcah, that's Rus l'bais Dovid, all these great things happened to him because he was in the house of Lavan. He took the drubbing that Lavan gave him, he took the difficulties of Lavan's character, and he utilized them to become great.
He said everything is for the good. When he was in Lavan's difficult house and he served Lavan, bchol kochi avadti es avichen, with all my koach I served you, by day and by night, in the heat of summer or the cold of the winter, he took it because he knew Hakadosh Baruch Hu was giving him the best, that's why he became the best.
Don't think Yaakov was unhappy, he wasn't unhappy, he enjoyed the difficulty, he rose to meet the challenge, and he conquered. Ki sarisa im elokim anashim, you conquered, elokim means the yetzer horah, anashim, and you conquered men, that's Eisav and Lavan, vatuchal, and you won out. And that's why you're called Yisroel, because you utilized the difficult circumstances and you became great.
Therefore whatever happened to Yaakov was for Yaakov's benefit. But above all realize, Yaakov understood it; Yaakov knew it. He realized it and therefore got the full benefit.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
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Important Numbers
