לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם ד בס''
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This week’s Miller’s Musings is sponsored לעילוי נשמת
מרדכי בן שלמה יחיאל ולאה בת אברהם
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Quote of the Week:
“The only thing necessary for
the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
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Miller’s Musings
וישלחפרשת
Our
Last Line Of Defence
The epic battle between
Yaakov and the angel of Eisov is one that can be viewed on any number of
levels. The eternal battle between the
forces of evil in the world versus the powers for good. The perpetual conflict between our Torah way
of life and the influences that would corrupt them. Or perhaps the struggle between our nation
and those who would seek to do us harm or destroy us. Whatever our understanding of this encounter,
the question that poses itself is why it was specifically Yaakov chosen to engage
with the angel rather than the other forefathers, Avrohom or Yitzchok?
If we
focus for a moment on this skirmish as something of a metaphor for the endless fight
that takes place between our animal self and our more elevated soul, then,
suggests Reb Elchonon Wasserman zt’l, we can begin to see why it was Yaakov
selected by the Yetzer Horah. For in war
there can be many individual clashes between the opposing sides. And defeat is not necessarily conclusively
gained by the loss of one such confrontation.
Even the vanquished can get up and rise again to once more step into the
breach. But if all of your adversary’s
weapons have been lost or captured in battle, then you can truly consider yourself
the victor. Chazal tell us that the most
potent antidote to the evil inclination is Torah and this is what Yaakov
represented above all us. A person may
be riddled with sin and lacking almost all positive deeds, but if they have
Torah then there is always a chance for repentance and a potential deterrent
for this congenital proclivity for wrong.
Avrohom exemplified kindness and Yitzchok personified strict
judgement. But for the Soton to gain
absolute victory he needed to conquer and ultimately crush Torah, as embodied
by Yaakov.
Whether individually or
collectively, until the time of Moshiach, we are here to do battle and fight
evil, in all its shapes and sizes. Each
day we must subdue our predilection towards focusing only on the self and
instead look outwards. Each moment we
must ask what we should be doing, not necessarily what we want to be
doing. And in every generation there may
be those that look to hurt us and cause our people pain and we must endeavour
to triumph over their schemes. But as
the children of Yaakov, the Bnei Yisroel, we hold the most powerful protection
and devastating armoury to combat all that have malevolent intentions towards
us. The Chofetz Chaim once said that the
Yetzer Horah is not bothered if a Jew fasts, cries and prays all day as long as
he does not learn Hashem’s Torah. We
must allow the Torah into our lives and souls and cherish its teachings. Forces will always emerge to conspire against
us as long as we do not bring perfection to the world, so we must make sure
that we have the wherewithal to combat it.
Learn Torah, transmit Torah, absorb Torah and live Torah, and there will
ultimately be nothing that can destroy us nor keep us from our purpose.
*May
we utilise Shabbos for making Torah ever more part of our lives*
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If you would like to
sponsor a week of Miller’s Musings l’ilui nishmas someone, for a Refuah
Sheleima or to celebrate a
Simcha please send a message to millersmusingsrabbi@gmail.com or to 07531322970
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Shimmy Miller
Rebbe/Teacher/Counsellor/Tutor| Manchester Mesivta and Private
07531322970 | rabbimiller.mesivta@gmail.com| http://rabbimillersmusings.blogspot.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/shimmy-miller/9/934/9a3
Rebbe/Teacher/Counsellor/Tutor| Manchester Mesivta and Private
07531322970 | rabbimiller.mesivta@gmail.com| http://rabbimillersmusings.blogspot.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/shimmy-miller/9/934/9a3
