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Why was Yaakov afraid despite divine promises of protection? The shiur develops the yesod that Yaakov faced two adversaries: his jealous brother Esav, and "Esav HaRasha"—the self-destructive, suicidal Amalek dimension within Esav. Against a brother, divine protection suffices; against Amalek, Klal Yisrael must justify their entire existence through merit and tefillah, as no promise can substitute for that.
This shiur analyzes Parshas Vayishlach, specifically Yaakov Avinu's confrontation with Esav, through the lens of a profound distinction in the nature of the threat Yaakov faced. Rabbi Zweig opens with the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s famous question: Chazal teach that any promise Hashem (ה׳) makes for good (tov) is fulfilled unconditionally—"afu al tenai, ein chozer." Yet the Torah (תורה) records that "Vayirah Yaakov meod," Yaakov was exceedingly afraid, and Chazal explain "shema yigrom hachet"—perhaps a sin would cause the promise to be revoked. How can this fear be reconciled with the principle that Hashem's promises are absolute? The shiur also addresses a sharp question from the Ramban (רמב"ן) on Rashi (רש"י). Rashi explains that Yaakov feared "katonti mikol hachasadim"—his merits had been diminished by Hashem's kindnesses, and therefore perhaps sin would prevent fulfillment of the divine promises. Yet immediately afterward, Yaakov says "v'atah amarta heitiv eitiv imach"—You promised to do good with me. Ramban asks: if Yaakov is afraid that his sins nullify the promises, what does he gain by citing another promise? Either the promises protect him or they don't. Why does invoking Hashem's word help if he's already concerned about sin?
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Parshas Vayishlach, Bereishis 32:4-33:17
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