 | Israel Will Overcome
How is it that Ya'akov's name is totally transformed into the name that we are all called today, Yisrael, Israel? How did that happen? Ya'akov's whole life he was fleeing from his challenges. The first time he prepared to confront his challenges is in his battle with Eisav. He tells Eisav he is coming, understanding this time he will contend with the issues, even if it comes at a price.
What happens when we do not flee from our issues, but contend with them, even if it means (r"l) to get injured like Ya'akov did? "Your name will no longer be Ya'akov, rather it will be Yisrael, because you fought with spiritual forces and military forces AND YOU OVERCAME."
The name Yisrael means "you will overcome", and like our forebear Ya'akov became Yisrael after facing problems head on, we are also able to overcome. | | Rabbi Bentzi Mann, director of Mizrachi's schools department, has been drafted into the IDF since October 7, working at the 'chevra kadisha' of the army:
"Different people had different tasks. For the first four or five days, I was working 18 hours straight. The chief rabbi of the IDF was basically awake 24/7, because he had to sign off on every identification. He was the end of the chain, if you like. In the beginning we had 80 funerals in one day."
We at Mizrachi are incredibly proud of Rav Bentzi's mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice) and hard work in such challenging times.
(Trigger warning) You can read more about his work in the following article: | | | Rabbi Doron Podlashuk, founder of the Tzurba M'Rabanan English Series who is currently serving in miluim, was able to get off base last week and make it to Eretz Hemdah headquarters in Yerushalayim to give his weekly women's shiur on Tzurba Hilchot Shabbat Program. | | | This week Mizrachi welcomed another four groups of missions from four countries around the world! 🇫🇷 Mizrachi France
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🇳🇱 Mizrachi Holland | | 🇮🇱 WANT TO BRING A SOLIDARITY MISSION TO ISRAEL?
🌍 World Mizrachi is the global leader in organizing over 40 delegations from 8 countries over the past month!
📩 For more information, contact Ilan Frydman: ilan@mizrachi.org | | As part of Mizrachi's RCA-RIETS delegation last week, the group met with wives and mothers of soldiers who have been called up to army service.
The group heard all about the challenges of those on the home front, while their loved ones are on the front lines. At the end of the meeting, Rabbi Moshe Shulman of Young Israel of St. Louis led a moving recitation of the prayer for the welfare of IDF soldiers.
The meeting, which took place in Efrat, was organized and hosted by Orit Barnea Seif, Director of Kedma. | | | New WhatsApp group for families of Israeli soldiers!
If you or anyone you know has a family member currently serving in the IDF join our new group | | | The Spirit of Our Nation
Add inspiration to your day by receiving uplifting messages from leaders around the world! | | 📣 The Youth materials for Parshat Vayishlach are now online!
📰 HaMizrachi Parsha Weekly Youth Edition, a Parsha sheet designed for youth
🗞️ Chavruta, a study sheet great for kids or parent-student sessions
🌐 Now Available in Spanish and Portuguese!
👉 To download, print, and register: mizrachi.org/youth | | Thousands of Israeli families cannot return to their homes in the coming months, and you can help them! Do you own an apartment that is currently vacant? 🏠 The World Zionist Organization undertakes responsibility for your apartment for 3️⃣ months, pays the water, electricity and gas bills, insures the apartment and commits to returning it clean and in good condition at the end of the period. If you open your heart and your home 💙 we will furnish it if necessary and make all the necessary arrangements to house families of evacuees from the south and the north. By doing so we will provide them with a home for 3️⃣ months, and we will give them the opportunity to sleep peacefully at night, 🙏 and everything is under the responsibility of the World Zionist Organization. To date, we have housed more than 250 families in homes donated to us by Israelis and Jews worldwide, but hundreds more families are still waiting. For more information and to leave details about apartments that you would like to donate to the "My Home - Your Home" project, please visit https://tinyurl.com/emyhomeisyourhome Or send an email to arielc@wzo.org.il Please share 💪 🇮🇱 Together we will win this war! | | 🤩 OVER 2,900 LETTERS AND VIDEOS!
🇮🇱 More than 2,900 letters and videos have already been delivered to soldiers and school children from dozens of cities around the world!
🤳 There has been a special request for more videos for school children
Please send to:
📹 Videos - videosforisrael@mizrachi.org
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 For more information, email jacqui@mizrachi.org | | HaMizrachi Parsha Weekly
The Parshat Vayishlach edition of HaMizrachi Parsha Weekly is now available!
You can find it in 2 formats:
1️⃣ Economic Printing (7 double sided pages)
2️⃣ Full Printing (14 double sided pages) | |  | Tzurba Hilchot Shabbat Program has begun!
Weekly shiur by Rabbi Shalom Rosner is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, as well as OU Torah and YU Torah websites.
Tzurba M'Rabanan is a groundbreaking learning program that makes the learning of Halacha clear, relevant and interesting.
To date, the Lax Family Tzurba M'Rabanan English Series consists of 17 volumes, covering around one hundred and fifty topics in Halacha.
For more information and to purchase volumes of Tzurba M'Rabanan, go to tzurbaolami.com | | 📖 "The Jewish State" Available to Purchase
Following the book launch at Mizrachi's World Orthodox Israel Congress, "The Jewish State" by Rabbi Doron Perez is available to buy online for delivery to Israel, Australia, Canada, UK, and USA, as well as for collection at the Mizrachi offices in Israel and South Africa.
For some of the approbations, see the flyer above.
To purchase, click here: mizrachi.org/the-jewish-state-order-form | | VAYISHLACH
From Ya'akov to Yisrael
By Rabbi Menachem Leibtag Parashat Vayishlach begins as Ya'akov sends messengers ahead, apparently to assess to what extent Eisav is still a danger. However, to Yaakov's surprise, his messengers come back with a report that he most probably did not expect: Eisav, with four hundred men, was on his way to meet Ya'akov!
Expecting that Eisav was on his way to kill his entire family, he quickly divides his camp in two (to save at least half of them), then turns to G-d in prayer. Ya'akov's prayer reflects this predicament. On the one hand, G-d told him to return and promised to protect him. Yet on the other hand, G-d never told him to initiate an encounter with Eisav. Did Ya'akov think he had made a mistake? Maybe he was supposed to return to Cana'an and avoid Eisav entirely?
Ya'akov now faces a predicament. After all, what does G-d want him to do? After he prays, that evening Ya'akov prepares an elaborate 'peace offering' for his brother. Hence, it appears that Ya'akov has chosen the path of 'appeasement,' hoping that his brother will be so impressed that he may change his mind.
That evening, as Ya'akov crosses the Yabok with his family, G-d sends a mal'ach who struggles with Ya'akov until the morning. It would only be logical to assume that there is a divine reason for this struggle.
If we follow Rashbam's approach (that Ya'akov is running away), then G-d's message seems to be quite clear. By keeping Ya'akov engaged in battle all night long, G-d is not allowing Ya'akov to run, thereby telling him that he shouldn't (or doesn't need to) run away. In fact, Rashbam claims that Ya'akov's injury is a punishment for his running away!
This also explains Ya'akov's request for a blessing. The angel blesses Ya'akov by 'changing his name' from Ya'akov to Yisrael. Considering that the name Ya'akov implies some sort of 'trickery,' while the name Yisrael implies the ability to 'stand up and fight'; then this 'blessing' is simply G-d's answer to Ya'akov – don't run away, rather encounter your brother!
What should we learn from this story? One could suggest that the Bible's ambiguity is intentional, as there are times when we must take action, even when we are in doubt in regard to the true intentions of our enemies. While at other times, it may be better to remain passive.
Ya'akov leaves this encounter not only limping but also 'contemplating' and 'wondering.' But he continues on his journey, on his way to Bet-El, ready to face any future encounter with prayer, wisdom, action, faith, and resolve.
So too, in the history of the Jewish people – there are times that we must stand up and fight, and there are times that we attempt appeasement. There are also times when we struggle, and remain limping. Yet we continue to pray, study, contemplate, and persevere with unyielding resolve to achieve our goals. Rabbi Menachem Leibtag is an internationally acclaimed Tanach scholar and online Jewish education pioneer. He is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/speakers). | | | Besorot Tovot and Shabbat Shalom! | | | | |
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