A Torah Lesson for the Students of the Old City Kollel at the Residence of the

On Monday night, the 9th of Kislev, Parshas Vayishlach, a group of students from the Old City Kollel entered for a Torah lesson at the residence of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a (may he live long and good days).

The lesson lasted for 43 minutes; before you is a summary of the topics discussed by our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, during the lesson.

Parshas Vayishlach is the portion of the Akudim (a Kabbalistic world of "bound" lights). Reb Noson explains that Yaakov (Jacob) merited to resurrect the dead through the Peh d'Akudim (the "Mouth" of the world of Akudim). Yaakov took a staff of luz (hazel)—this refers to Torah Lesson 85 (the numerical value of the Hebrew letters Peh-Hei); through the luz (the indestructible bone at the base of the spine), one reaches Beis El. One merits the secret of the Peh d'Akudim on Shabbos morning; through Melaveh Malkah (the meal following the departure of the Sabbath), one merits the resurrection of the dead. It is forbidden to miss Melaveh Malkah. "Damascus Eliezer"—now it is possible to conquer Damascus. The city of Luz could not be conquered until a resident of the city came and marked the entrance to the city through the tree. Yaakov had a billion sheep that conceived from the water. Our forefather Yaakov would give the lions to eat from his own sheep so they would not eat from Lavan’s sheep. Leah did not know that Rachel was supposed to be the bride. This is the secret behind her saying, "Do you want to fill Yaakov's beard with my hair?" because she wanted the Dikna Kadisha (the Holy Beard/Divine Attributes of Mercy) through which the dead are resurrected in the secret of the luz bone mentioned above. Hashem shows that it is not "my strength and the power of my hand"; despite all the successes, soldiers are still being killed every day, Rachmana Litzlan (may the Merciful One save us). But this depends on us; if we keep the Shabbos and "no unseemly thing be seen in you," no one will be killed. The secret of the "one silver bowl, its weight was a hundred and thirty [shekels]" is to atone for the 130 years that Adam separated from Chavah (Eve). Rechavam (Rehoboam) consulted with the "children"—Torah scholars who, until the age of eighty, stand on one leg in the mikvah (ritual bath)—and they told him to announce that he would chastise the nation with scorpions, because every person wants discipline. In the month of Mar-Cheshvan, whose zodiac sign is Scorpio (Akrav), the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) will be built. All the sacrifices offered are corresponding to the kings of the House of David. If Shaul (Saul) had nullified himself to Shmuel (Samuel), he would not have had to be killed. And if Rabbi Akiva had come to all the lessons of Rabbi Eliezer HaGadol, he would not have had to undergo the iron combs. There is a dispute between the Ramban (Nachmanides) and the Rambam (Maimonides) regarding why the people of Shechem deserved death: the Rambam holds they were liable because they did not protest Shechem's act against Dinah. King Shaul was a reincarnation of Lemech, and Tzelelponit was the reincarnation of Tzillah, the wife of Lemech who killed Kayin (Cain); she used to cause prevention (of birth), and therefore in the reincarnation of Tzelelponit, she was barren. The Ramban disagrees with the Rambam and holds that any gentile who behaves like an animal is liable for death; however, here it was forbidden to kill them because they nullified themselves to our forefather Yaakov by taking it upon themselves to return to the right path.