RABBI WEIN ON VAYEITZEI 5777

Yaakov is forced to flee from home and family because of the threat that his brother Eisav poses. He is informed by his mother that his brother, in a moment of jealousy, frustration and anger, threatened to kill him. Yaakov is no physical weakling; he is not the pale yeshiva student, the caricature of nineteenth century Haskalah literature. In fact, we see in this week's Torah reading the description of the great physical strength of Yaakov. He is able to single-handedly remove the rock that covers the well of water, a task that requires many ordinary people to do so in concert.