Pyka Family

Parashat And Sidra Of Vayishlach

Parashat Vayishlach is the 8th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

“Im Lavan garti” – “I lived with Lavan”

Ya’akov prepares to meet with Esau and tries to prepare what the most advantageous starting position before the expected encounter. He doesn’t want him to look poor in front of Esau – what a person considers himself to be, that is what people take him for and perceive him as such. Besides sending his brother gifts and distributing
his camp into two – as a preparation for a possible fight, he sends him a statement through the mouth of messengers – “I lived with Lavan”. This seemingly innocent sentence hides a warning. The word “garti” – I lived, has a numerical value of 613. In other words, Yakov tells him that although he lived under the rule of Lavan for 20 long years, it did not affect him, it did not change him and he still observes all 613 mitzvot – commandments, rules (this is the total the number of commandments in Judaism). He further reinforces his self-confident demeanor by saying – “vaechar” – he is late
i am He means – “Don’t think I’m afraid of you, that’s why I didn’t come for so long. The real the reason for my delay is the fraud that Lavan committed against me (instigated by Lea – 7 years of work plus, ever-changing reward – another 6 years) before I managed to get what I wanted”. This diplomatically the guided speech, which seemed to just tell what happened to Jakov in the last 20 years, is actually good directed threat. Esau is well aware of hidden hints, especially after his angel fails too Ya’akov overpowers, he “reevaluates” his approach, and in the end he behaves in an exemplary manner when meeting Ya’akov “brotherly”.

Why did the angel fight with Ya’akov? Why did he injure him in the hip joint, and for what reason the hebrew gives the name “ha-nashe”? Finally, why does the Torah forbid us to eat from this joint? Combat together they argued for the right and possibility of Ya’akov and his family to enter the Land of Israel and live in it. Esau is horrified by the fact that Jakov successfully returns after twenty years, and not alone, but with the entire branched family. He hoped, that Lavan prevents him from returning, which fails, thanks to the Lord’s intervention. And so Esau sends his “guardian angel” to try to stop him and prevent him from entering the earth. When an angel fails to completely physically eliminate Ya’akov, at least they try to keep him in galut. By wounding him grievously on the hip made his further progress very difficult, and Jakov has to slow down his walking – he goes “at the pace of children” (33:14). This the slow progress becomes a certain symbol and precedent for the next generation as well. It’s called “maase avot siman lebanim” – “the deeds of the fathers are a sign for the sons”. The fact that Jacob cannot fully enter into land and quickly occupy it, becomes a certain “predestined fate” for the entire Jewish people coming after him. To this day, the arrival of Jews to Israel is a complicated and difficult undertaking.
Previously, the explanation was easy – other nations, among whom the Jews lived, did not allow them to move to Israel. And behold, strangely even today, when there is no longer any external obstacle on the way to Israel (whenever any Jew from anywhere he can immediately pick up and go – and will be welcomed with open arms), suddenly surprisingly we find that most of the Jews do not “flock” there very much, and only very slowly and with difficulty decide on their
coming to Israel (usually only after some external pressure – economic or security – see Russia, Argentina, France). All these are still echoes of the spiritual encounter with Esau, to whom managed to significantly slow down the transfer of the government into the hands of Ya’akov and his family. Therefore, the injured hip also the joint names “ha-nashe”, which can be derived from the same word as – “nashani Elokim” – “The Lord gave me to forget” (41:51). This injury causes our nation to forget the mitzvah – the commandment to live in Israel.
In addition to external reasons, these are often also our ideological and theological explanations (the time has not yet come, it must waiting for the Messiah who will bring us there), other times it is ordinary laziness and human convenience. Better now we understand the connection between Ya’akov’s struggle, his injury, and the prohibition to eat this hip tendon. We have
the prohibition of eating from this defective “joint of oblivion” which predestines us to dwell in galut, which is pious wishes of Esau and his successors, while “jecer ha-ra” – the evil impulse (“tempter”) always finds a way to justify it “logically”. For some, it’s “not yet” – they have to finish something necessary; for another “so what” – how to live there; for the third “and why at all” – even here in galut one can live as a Jew; for the fourth “I’m afraid”

• there is great danger; for the fifth, “I’m used to it here” – he prefers the culture in which he lives. For all these and other reasons the Torah wrote to us – “And therefore the children of Israel shall not eat the sinew of our ha-Nashe…until of today…” The Jewish nation must not forget where its place is and where its efforts must be directed and hope. “Lo yikare shimcha od Ya’akov ki im Israel” – “You will no longer be called Jakov, but (you will be) Israel”.
  Why is the Hashem now renaming Ya’akov to Israel? We have already read that Ya’akov was renamed, after the fight he had with Esau’s angel. Because he managed to stand his ground in battle, he was called Israel, as she is now need to rename it? In other places, in other stories, it was enough that an angel appeared and gave name (Ishmael), or changed the original (Avram to Abraham). Here, another word of mouth confirmation is suddenly needed the Hashem. It will help us to understand better if we know the meaning of these names. Ya’akov – evasive, the one who goes about things in a roundabout way, whereas Israel – G-d’s prince. Names are extremely important in a person’s life.
  One could say that they determine, or at least influence, his life. A person’s name is what he is.

Therefore, in Judaism, the name of a newly born child is chosen very carefully, parents often come consult with a rabbi, because the name will co-create his character (in contrast, he does not have a family name
no importance in Judaism, and is not important at all). A proven recipe is to give the names of proven one’s personalities from the history of Judaism – Forefathers, Foremothers, prophets, righteous kings, well-known tzaddiks, etc.
A name, or a name change, is also one of the ways to get rid of “bad fate” (which was the case Abraham and Sarah), or how to help yourself against illness. For seriously ill people, a name that is often added symbolizes the desire for healing – e.g. Chaim – life, Raphael – G-d heals, which is the name of the angel who takes care of the sick, etc. (In the case of recovery, the person must use this name, it has become his real name
with a new name.) The fact that Jacob was renamed Israel by the angel was to cause that from that moment on his the personality of Israel – the prince of G-d. However, a later story in the Shem shows us that Israel remained Ya’akov evasive. He is afraid to go into conflict, he avoids a clash with Šchem, and moreover he is “angry” with his sons – Simon and Levi, that after deceiving Shem and the whole town, they killed everyone. He is worried about the possible revenge of others tribes and nations. From this we can see that Ya’akov still remained the one who tries to get to the
your goal. He practiced the same tactics initially with Esau, and during his twenty year stay with Lavan.
The Hashem now calls him from Shem to Beth-El, there he speaks to him and emphatically repeats to him that his name
it will no longer be Ya’akov, but Israel – G-d’s prince, the warrior who must approach all his enemies directly – “with an open visor”, and not being afraid to go into open clashes. From the sequel it follows that Ya’akov this challenge accepted, and understood that this is how he must raise his sons as well. When he blesses his sons before his death, he says to Simon and To Levi – “Cursed be their anger…I will divide them in Jacob, I will scatter them in Israel”, which in the common reading gives understand as their criticism, and so it is also explained according to “pshat” – a simple interpretation. More broadly however, the context of our story can be understood and interpreted in a completely different way. “Cursed be their wrath” – war and fighting are cursed, but sometimes you have no choice, you have to take up arms and face evil, “I will divide them in Ya’akov” – I will graft “Israeli” ones on the “Jacovian” characteristics, “I will scatter them in Israel” – I want, so that their attitude that evil must be vigorously resisted, defended, and punished is spread among the whole nation, among all tribes. However, it is not a “total” name change, it is just the addition of the name Israel, which means to create appropriate proportion and balance between the two forces. Also Simon and Levi, when they fought with Shem, they did not go into battle head-on. First they prepared the ground with an “evasive maneuver” (circumcision thing and mutual
agreement), and only then did they strike. To fight evil, it is allowed to use “evasive maneuvers”, to go into the open fighting a stronger “evil” opponent is not heroism, but stupidity (or suicide). There is no war the meaning, the ideal of life, it is only a necessary means to deal with evil. It is the “golden mean” path” when G-d does not want the total submission and surrender of man to all harmful influences, and on the other hand party does not consider struggle to be the ideal of life. It’s actually a much more general rule that doesn’t just apply warfare. In all our actions and decisions, we must look for this right proportion, know when to yield and adapt, and when to stand firm as a rock and go into conflict. This lesson comes in exactly the timed moment when Ya’akov returns to the land promised to him in his father’s blessing Yitzchak. So he comes “home”, where he has to be the master, and the old way of behavior cannot be continued.
Ya’akov can’t do it at first, he was brought up in a galut, he is used to constantly “diplomatically hunching over”. Therefore
the first impulse comes from his sons, who have not yet been processed by “galutnic propaganda”, fearlessly they build evil, and the father must gradually learn it from them. In the prophet Malachi it is said – “The sons will return the hearts of the fathers (back to G-d)” – which is basically the same thing. (Just remember our “velvet revolution” in former Czechoslovakia I grew up – where the young they built evil in society, and the “fathers” had to learn it from them.) At the end of our Parashat we witness how Esau takes his whole family and leaves the land of Canaan, and the verse explains why – “before his brother”. Here is a definite confirmation that the land passes into the hands of Ya’akov and his family, and that Esau also understood and accepted. He sees how Ya’akov and his family are now behaving in Israel and understands that the real master in the land is Jacob’s from now on, it is his land and there is no place for him – Esau.

Chassidic Parashat

Parashat Insights is dedicated this week in honor of two Chassanim:
Naftali Hertz Flintenstein son of the Kopischnitzer Rebbe shlit”a of Jerusalem, and Naftali Schneebalg son of Harav E. Schneebalg shlit”a, Egdware Rov, England,
who both celebrated their marriages on
the 14th of Kislev 5759. May they have only Simcha in their new lives and be zoche to build a Beis Ne’eman B’ Yisroel.

In The Company Of Angels

“And Ya’acov dispatched angels/messengers ahead of him to meet his brother Esav in the fields of Edom in the Land of Seir.” (Bereishis 32:4)
On the word “malachim” (which can mean angel or messenger), Rashi comments, “Angels, they were real angels”.

This was Ya’acov’s second encounter with angels. This is more than just an encounter. Apparently the angels were in his company on a regular basis, and were available to Ya’acov according to his needs. One needs only to recall the events of the last few Parshios to see that the Avos and Imahos (patriarchs and matriarchs) were constantly in the company of angels. After the passing of the twelve brothers, the founders of the Tribes of Israel, angels do not appear anymore.
The work Gur Aryeh, a commentary on Rashi by the Maharal of Prague, takes up
the issue of Angels in this weeks Parashat.
The Avos were singularly unusual people. Everything action that they took was for the sake of Klal Yisrael. They were totally public people, whose only concern was doing that which needed to be done to bring the Jewish nation into being. The concepts of Derech Eretz Kodma L’Torah, and Ma’aseh Avos Siman L’Banim, that have been discussed here in previous weeks, suggest that their every action was invested with lofty intentions.
Parashat Vayishlach contains a classic example of Ma’aseh Avos Siman L’Banim.
Everything the Avos and Imahos did was to pave the way and to provide a lesson for the generations which came after them. Ya’acov prepared himself for his historic confrontation with Esav in three ways. He prepared gifts (bribes), he readied the army, and he prayed to Hashem for salvation. His goal in all this was to return to Eretz Yisroel and to his father. For such a crucial mission, only real angels could be suitable.
From here our sages learn a timeless lesson for the eventuality of having to confront unfriendly non-Jewish authorities. The Midrash relates that when Rebbi Yehuda the Prince went to Rome in around 192 C.E. to meet the Roman Emperor and try to influence his relationship with the Jews in the Holy Land, he studied this Parashat to learn how to approach him properly. Rebbi Yehuda’s example was followed by countless Jewish leaders throughout our history. Diplomacy, not aggressiveness has always been a Jewish secret of survival. The Maharal explains that the Avos and Imahos (including the 12 brothers) were the foundation; the operative principle for the creation of the world. Before the world was created, Hashem had the Avos in mind. Since the creation revolved around them, the model of the world reflects their presence in it. Then the angels were put in the world. To be, as their name infers, attendants and messengers; to help facilitate the work of the world’s caretakers. So it is only natural that the angels were found in the company of the Avos and Imahos. They were there do as they were bidden. Moshe Rabbenu on the other hand, although he was the greatest prophet, was not one of the founders of the world. A remarkable Midrash in Parshas Yisro illustrates this point. When Moshe went up to Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah, the angels took one look at him and tried to push him out. What did Hashem do to solve the problem? He changed the face of Moshe Rabbenu to a likeness of Avraham Avinu. “Don’t you recognize him?”, Hashem cajoled the angels. “After all the times you have already gone down to him, you still do not recognize him!?” They looked again, and upon seeing the likeness of Avraham, ceased their objections. Only the Avos were worthy of having angels at their disposal for the purpose of forming the world for Klal Yisroel.

Why Ya’akov Sent Angels

The Pardes Yosef, quoting Rabenu Ya’acov Algazi, writes that Ya’acov had special intentions in sending real angels to meet his brother Esav.

1) Angels allude to the idea of Shalom, Peace. Ya’akov desire was to make peace with Esav, not to vanquish him. The Jerusalem Talmud (Rosh HaShanah chapt. 2) states that angels are composed of fire and water. The last verse of the Kaddish prayer states, “He who makes peace in the heavens, may he also make peace for us and all Yisrael.” Making peace in the Heavens refers to the Angels.
They are the epitome of peace since their very composition is the peaceful existence of two naturally antagonistic forces, water and fire. By sending angels, Ya’acov was telling Esav that he wanted to make peace.

2) Esav held himself to be the firstborn. Ya’akov knew though that he himself was
the real firstborn. Since the Avos were in the “mind” of Hashem when he created the world, Ya’acov knew that he was conceived first, from Yitzchok’s first drop of semen. Since Ya’akov was the first to be conceived, he was second to be born. Rashi (Bereishis 25:26) compares the idea to a very narrow cylinder. Two stones were put in one after the other. The one put in first, will be the second one to come out. The one put in second will come out first. Esav who was conceived second, therefore was born first. Ya’akov who was born second, was actually
conceived first. (See the Lecha Dodi prayer where the same expression is used concerning Shabbos; the last day to be created, but the ultimate purpose of all
Hashem’s creation.)
Angels were created before humankind; on the second day. People weren’t created until the sixth day. Nevertheless Tzaddikim are greater than angels, since the angels are subservient to them.
Thus Ya’akov was hinting to Esav, just as these angels whom I am sending to you,
even though they were created first, are nevertheless secondary to man, so does the right of the first born belong to me, even though you were the first to be born.

How do we know that the angels that Ya’akov sent were real angels? One of the most original answers is found in the Pardes Yosef. Ya’acov instructs his messengers to tell Esav, “. . .I lived with (my uncle) Lavan and I tarried there until now.” (Bereishis 32:5)
On the word “I lived” (garti) Rashi comments the letters in the word garti are the numerical equivalent of 613, the number of mitzvos in the Torah. Ya’acov is telling Esav, “Although I lived with the wicked Lavan, I still kept all the mitzvos of the Torah.”
As is known, when a person does a mitzvah, it creates an angel, an intercessor for him who will testify that the person did engage in mitzvos. Ya’acov, who managed to keep all the 613 mitzvos even under the most adverse circumstances, certainly created many angels. These were the angels that he dispatched to Esav; real angels.

The Passing And Burial Of Rachel Imainu

“And Rachel died and they buried her on the way to Efrasa, in Beis Lechem. And Ya’akov erected a monument over her gravesite; it is the monument of Rachel’s gravesite to this day.” (Bereishis 35:19-20)
This idea is found in many commentaries. The verse does not read, “. . .it is the monument of Rachel to this day.” Rachel herself did not need a monument. Tzaddikim don’t need stone or wood monuments to perpetuate their memory. For
Tzaddikim, the words they spoke and the deeds they did during their lifetimes are their everlasting monuments. Therefore the monument that Ya’acov erected was the ” . . .monument of Rachel’s gravesite,” a monument to mark the place. If so, why did there need to be a monument erected at all? Ya’akov revealed this secret to Rachel’s son, Yosef when he was close to his death. (Bereishis 48:7, and Rashi) Ya’akov was told by Hashem to bury Rachel there. It was revealed to him that there would be a time when the Jews would be forced into exile by the despot Nebuzedarin, and they would have to walk from Israel to Babylonia as in
captivity. As they walk, they would pass by the site of Rachel’s grave. As they pass by, she would weep for them, praying for a speedy end to their bitter exile. This is the meaning of Beis Lechem, the house of war. It alludes to the war that Rachel wages with the heavenly accusers, begging mercy from Hashem for her children.
It is also the meaning of the verse (Jeremiah 32:14-15), “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentations and bitter weeping, it is Rachel weeping for her children. . .there is yet hope that in the end the children will return to their borders.”

Therefore Ya’akov put the monument over Rachel’s grave. It serves as an eternal marker so that Jews will know that this is the place. This is also the source for the custom of placing a stone on the grave after one visits. When Yaakov buried Rachel, the Agada tells that each of the 11 Tribes (besides Binyomin who had just been born) took a stone and placed it on her grave. Ya’akov then took a large stone and placed it on top of all the other stones. Thus was formed the first monument on her grave.
The Tomb of Rachel is a place of prayer and hope. Even today it is a place where those in need, those who constantly experience the anguish of the bitter exile and those who feel that they are still wandering, not yet having arrived home, come to pray. They beseech Mother Rachel to intercede on their behalf and bring their prayers above.
M. Gardner, in the Yated Ne’eman email edition, Oct. 29, 1998 wrote the following.
An elderly Meah Shearim resident relates that in the early years after World War II, Kever Rachel was a focus for thousands of young women. “We lived in Yerushalayim and were able to visit the Kosel (Western Wall) daily to open up the heavy burden resting on our hearts. We would say the daily portion of Tehillim, and feel our hearts a little lighter. But when our hearts were aching with deep pain, we would travel to Kever Rachel. To whom could we cry and to whom could we tell our sorrows if not to a mother?
Most of our mothers were no longer alive. Those who were raised in Yerushalayim had lost their mothers from the tribulations that visited the country in the decades before the War, and those who came from Europe, had lost them in the Nazi inferno. Everyone had grief piled up in her heart. So we traveled to cry out to our mother Rachel. We would travel in the Arab buses, and would enter the building and davven at length, telling her everything that was causing us sorrow.
Afterwards we felt better.” Rachel, who died in childbirth, epitomizes the example of the Avos and Imahos, all of whom were barren and had to pray to Hashem for children. They were barren since Hashem desires the prayers of the Tzaddikim. Klal Yisrael came into being in a manner which was above and beyond the way of nature. The progeny of the Avos and Imahos were born as a result of the prayers of their parents, a reality which eternally connects us to the Creator of the World in the deepest and most
absolute way.

A Real Jewish Mother

This story was told to me by a friend, Reb N. A. Brizel, a 5th generation Yerushalmi who heard it as a child. It took place about 90 – 100 years ago. A renowned personage of the old Jewish settlement in Jerusalem was the holy R’ Dovid Biederman, a scion of Rabbinic and Chassidic lineage. He was known as a
Tzaddik among Tzaddikim. His only concern in life was whether or not he was living up to the expectations of his Creator. Once, R’ Dovid decided to undertake the arduous, almost day-long trek on donkey from Jerusalem to the gravesite of Rachel Imainu. He set out early in the morning, right after the conclusion of the sunrise minyan. The entire way he contemplated and organized the prayers he would say there. He wanted to be sure not to forget anything, since it was only infrequently that he had the opportunity to make the journey.
When he finally arrived he saw that was not alone. A woman with a number of small children had arrived previously and was making herself at home in the monument’s domed chamber. She had already spread out a blanket and laid the youngest child down to sleep. When R’ Dovid arrived she was busy preparing the evening meal.
R’ Dovid was incredulous. Did she have no regard for the sanctity of the site? Didn’t she realize where she was? How could this woman busy herself with such mundane matters in such a Holy place?
R’ Dovid approached the woman and in a less than friendly tone demanded an explanation.
The weary woman looked up at R’ Dovid from her seat on the floor and replied softly, “I would think that our Mother Rachel would be pleased that we are eating and resting here.”
R’ Dovid felt suddenly faint and uneasy. He realized that he had been making the journey to Rachel’s Tomb for decades and had not even begun to understand what it represented. Here was a simple unlearned woman, yet she possessed a profound grasp of the true holiness of Rachel’s Tomb. What had been be doing here all those years!? He now understood that Rachel was the mother who wept and prayed for her children. Her desire is only that we should have some relief, some comfort in life, some peace of mind in order to better serve Hashem. From that day on, whenever R’ Dovid travelled to the Tomb of Rachel, he made sure to bring with him a meal which he would share with all the others who came to entreat our mother Rachel to intercede for them and bring their prayers on high.

In G-d We Trust – Miketz

“And the wine steward did not remember Yosef; he forgot about him. (It was) two years later and Pharoah had a dream that he was standing on the bank of the Nile. (Bereishis 40:23, 41:1)

States the Midrash, ”Happy is the man who assigns Hashem as his trust. . .” (Psalms 40:5), this refers to Yosef. (Midrash Rabbah 89:3)
Yet all the commentators point out, even though we can say in general that Yosef was one who totally trusted in Hashem, nevertheless, in this one instance he failed and instead, trusted in the wine steward. Rashi says that he earned two more years in prison for this slip up. Why then does the Midrash choose this episode to laud Yosef for his great level of trust in Hashem Furthermore, why does it say that he “did not remember” Yosef, then go on redundantly to state that he “forgot” him?
The Kopischnitzer Rebbe shlit”a gave the following explanation in the name of the
Ba’al Shem Tov. Once there was a man who was in desperate poverty. Yet his trust in Hashem was very great and he made the best of his situation, never slacking, due to his circumstances, in his Torah study and Avodas Hashem. The town’s Tzedakah distributors always kept him on the top of their list, but he never agreed to accept any of their offers of assistance. Even when, on several occasions they tried to arrange for him to receive money in some under-the-table way or by some concealed backhanded route, he always found out and managed to avoid their help. He preferred to rely only on Hashem. He had painstakingly attained a lofty and refined level of trust in Hashem, and was determined that this should be the only effort necessary on his part. One Erev Pesach, under the burden of the great expenses of the holiday, this “ish bitachon” suddenly felt immensely overwhelmed, and thought to himself that this time, only once, he would avail himself of the standing offer from the town’s Tzedakah coffers.
With great reserve he approached one of the town’s Tzedakah committee and outlined his needs. Recognizing that this request came from absolute dire need, and having wanted for so long to be of help, they quickly agreed to all of his requests. He was advised to return the next day so as to give them the time to prepare his Pesach needs. The great jubilance of the Tzedakah committee at finally having the opportunity to help one of the town’s most deserving citizens, was matched only by the man’s deep despair. That evening found him in serious emotional and spiritual distress. How could he have allowed himself to weaken his ever solid trust in Hashem? Hadn’t Hashem always helped him until now? Why should this Pesach be any different? He had never in his life taken charity, why should he start now? In his deep regret he began to pray to Hashem that the committee should forget his request for assistance. The rest of the night, he remained awake pleading with Hashem to help him and to cause the committee members to forget him and his privation.
The next morning, not a word was mentioned by anyone about him coming to
receive his Pesach support. This is Yosef. Yosef requested Pharoah’s butler to remember him to Pharoah. Perhaps he could repay the favor of Yosef’s favorable dream interpretations, and arrange his release from prison. But no sooner had he asked the butler to remember him, than he regretted his sudden lapse of trust in Hashem. So he
began to pray to Hashem that He should cause the butler to forget the request. And indeed he “did not remember” Yosef. He “forgot him”; just as Yosef had requested of Hashem. It wasn’t until, “Two years later and Pharoah had a dream that he was standing on the banks of the Nile”, that Hashem was ready for Yosef
to come out of prison! Today, since the news of the military strikes on the Iraqi regime, many are glued to their radios and TV sets waiting for the next tidbit of news. But this “dveykus” should be reserved only for Hashem. The comments of non God-fearing news commentators and various expert analysts, can only cause us to decline in our
level of trust in Hashem, instead inclining towards the belief that the military or this leader or that party represents our hopes.
Rather we say: “Hashem Hu HaElokim” (1 Kings 8:60). Hashem, representing kindness and mercy, is HaElokim, the one who has the ultimate ability to control the affairs of the world and its inhabitants. Tuning in to a book of Psalms or the Parashat of the Week is an effective tool for reinforcing and maintaining faith and trust in Hashem, and helping to strengthen us spiritually to be able deal with any circumstances that might come our way. I pray that we will soon see the day when there will be no more who call for the destruction of our People, and we and our children will lead the way in ushering in the era of universal peace and knowledge of Hashem. Here is some favorite stories of trusting Hashem
The hero of the story is R’ Zusha who is one of the namesakes of our new son, n”y.

Great Ideas In The Minds Of Men

R’ Zusha of Anipoli again found himself in debt with the repayment date the next morning, and the resources with which to repay nowhere in sight. R’ Zusha however, was a Tzaddik of perfect faith. Long ago he had placed himself totally in the hands of the Creater of the World, and he had no need to be concerned. So R’ Zusha, wanting to further demonstrate to his Creator how perfect his faith and trust were, sat down with a piece of paper. On it he recorded 25 different scenarios in which the money needed to pay back the debt would come his way. The rest of the evening passed, and R’ Zusha gave the situation no further thought.
The morning came, and no sooner did R’ Zusha finish his morning prayers, than did the required sum manifest itself. But the money came to R’ Zusha, in a 26th way, according to a scenario that he didn’t think to record.
“Oy yoy, oy yoy”, he moaned, thoroughly disappointed with himself. “Is the Creator of the World limited to the feeble ideas of R’ Zusha!?”