Now That You've Asked - Behar 5769

It says in  in Perek 25:21 (וְצִוִּיתִי אֶת-בִּרְכָתִי לָכֶם, בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית; וְעָשָׂת, אֶת-הַתְּבוּאָה, לִשְׁלֹשׁ, הַשָּׁנִים), that (I shall direct my blessing to you in the sixth year and it will produce enough for three years). This is a contradiction to the Havtachah that Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave us, that if we do the Mitzvos then Ochel Kima Umisbaraich B’maiav -that a person will eat less and be satisfied. If so, then why do we need more Peiros, the same amount of food should accomplish that we shouldn’t go hungry? This seems to be 2 types of Brachos that contradict each other?

To answer this we will ask another question. In Posuk Chaf it says, (וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ, מַה-נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת: הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע, וְלֹא נֶאֱסֹף אֶת-תְּבוּאָתֵנוּ), that (If you shall ask what will we eat in the seventh year, since we have not planted nor gathered our produce). Then in Posuk Chaf Alef it says that there will be 3 years of food grown in year 6. Is this true that the only way to get 3 years of produce grown in year 6 is by asking this question, and everyone else doesn’t get the Bracha of 3 years produce grown in the 6th year? Rav Pam says absolutely. Really there is the Bracha of (אוכל קמעא והוא מתברך במעיו) Ochel Kima V’hu Misbaraich B’maiav which is Rashi to 26:5, however, if you ask V’chi Somru, and you don’t have Bitachon then you will have to work much harder and you will have 3 years worth of produce grown in the 6th year.

In our day to day life some of us are faced with an opportunity to work overtime. Should we work the overtime or not? It is hard for us to know when a person should just have Bitachon and when a person should be doing more Hishtadlus. The Michtav M’Eliyahu and Beis Haleivi in Parshas Mikeitz say you should do the amount of Hishtadlus that gives you a comfort level that Hashem could send it. The ideal is (אוכל קמעא והוא מתברך במעיו) that a person should be able to be happy with less.

Food Is Free - Behar 5769

At the beginning of Parshas Bechukosai in 26:4 it says (וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם, בְּעִתָּם), (I will provide YOUR rains in their proper time). What does the use of the word “Your” come to teach us? Rav Moshe talks about an idea that the Mezonos that a person gets, doesn’t use up any of the Schar he has in this world. Hashem gave us life in this world and we need food with which to live, so Hashem gives us whatever it is that we need to live. This doesn’t take away any of the Schar we would get in Olam Habo. It is just like air that we breathe, we don’t think that it costs us anything, so to rain is ours. If a person does Aveiros there can be a drought as a punishment.  

Rav Pam discusses the language in the first Bracha in Bentching, Umaichin Mazon L’chol B’riosav Asher Barah (He prepares food for all of his creatures that He has created). Why the redundancy of the word created? Rav Pam would say that the Teitch of the word Asher is Because, so it really means Hashem prepares food for all of his creatures BECAUSE he created them. The reason is as we have stated, since Hashem gave us life, so to he gives us whatever we need to live.

The Lesson Of The Word "Sh'air" - Emor 5773

In the beginning of the Parsha we have the rules of a Kohen who is not allowed to be Mitamei. A Kohen Hedyot we are told is allowed to be Mitamei to his relatives. In the language of the Posuk in 21:2 (כִּי, אִם-לִשְׁאֵרוֹ, הַקָּרֹב, אֵלָיו). What is (שְׁאֵרוֹ). Rashi says (אין שארו אלא אשתו). That he is allowed to be Mitamei to his wife. As the Posuk says the other of the 7 relatives as well.

I would like to discuss the idea of (שאר) being a wife. Rashi says (אין שארו אלא אשתו) the word Sh'air refers to a wife. Now that comes from Toras Kohanim in the Medrash. The Medrash says a few more words. Ain Sh'airo Ela Ishto Shenemar Sh'air Avicha Hi. The Tosafos Yom Tov in Masechese Bava Basra in the beginning of Perek Ches brings this Medrash and he says Divrei Taima Haim. He says this is a Pele. Sh'air means a wife Shenemar (שְׁאֵר אָבִיךָ, הִוא) Sh'air Avicha Hi. The Posuk (שְׁאֵר אָבִיךָ, הִוא) Sh'air Avicha Hi appears in the Parsha of Arayos in Vayikra 18:12. (שְׁאֵר) Sh'air there means a sister. We are talking about the prohibition about marrying your father's sister and the Posuk says (שְׁאֵר אָבִיךָ) Sh'air Avicha and there Sh'air means a sister. The Tosafos Yom Tov שדלד how does the Toras Kohanim seem to understand Sh'air to means a wife? It is a tough Kasha.

I would like to share with you an answer that it says in both the Torah Temimah and actually is written more clearly in the Sefer Haksav V'hakabalah (page # 119). These sources say that the word Sh'air does not literally mean wife. As a matter of fact the Haksav V'hakabala brings from the GRA (the Vilna Gaon) that D'vadai Lashon Sh'airo Hainu Sh'air Bisaro V'lo Ishto. The word Sh'air means someone connected to your flesh. So that a sister is Sh'air (connected to your flesh) and it doesn't literally mean a wife. Why then here do we say that Sh'airo Zu Ishto? So we say that the Posuk says (כִּי, אִם-לִשְׁאֵרוֹ, הַקָּרֹב, אֵלָיו) the flesh who is closest to him. Closest? Yes, that is a wife. So that the word Sh'air implies someone is from the same flesh. Now we understand that blood relatives can be called from the same flesh. Now what about a wife? A wife comes from different parents? The answer is that this Limud is that Sh'air is from the idea that is found in Beraishis 2:24 (וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד). That they are actually one. Husband and wife are one. In that way, the idea of Sh'airo Zu Ishto is important. Sh'airo your wife in the language of the Rashbam there in Masechta Bava Basra 109b (כדכתיב והיו לבשר אחד (בראשית ב)). The Rashbam is saying the Yesod that the Torah Temimah and the Ksav V'hakabala say that Sh'air is the idea of being one of oneness. Therefore, Sh'airo Zu Ishto is an idea, is a sense of oneness that husband and wife need to have one with the other.

There is an interesting Hagahos Mordechai in the beginning of Maseches Kesuvos. The Hagaos Mordechai was asked whether it is proper that Arus V'arusoso, a man and woman who plan to be married, whether they are allowed to live in the same house. To that Hagaos Mordechai responds that they should not live in the same house even if they are planning to be married. He brings two reasons. One is the Issur Yichud problem and Kallah B'lo Beracha Asura L'bayla and there is an Issur Yichud. Secondly, and this is where it becomes interesting, he says that it is not good for a couple that are engaged to be married to spend time living together as they will end up fighting and come to hate each other. There will be fights. He brings from Beraishis 2:21 (וַיַּפֵּל י רוָר אֱלֹרים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל-הָאָדָם) when HKB"H prepared Chava for a wedding Adam was sleeping.

This idea is brought in the Rama Even Ha'ezer Siman 51 where he says a Chosson and Kallah shouldn't live in one home because they may come to despise one another. I believe that this is where the custom comes that when the Chosson or Kallah comes to their future partner's family for Shabbos like when the Kallah comes to the Chosson's family for Shabbos that the Chosson sleeps in a different home. This is the source. Here there is an obvious question. We are afraid for them to live together in the same house because they will have too much of each other and they will come to hate each other. What are you talking about? Better they should find out before they are married than after they are married! They are about to get married. If they can't be happy living in the same house they should find out now. Isn't that a Pliya?

The answer lies in the words of the Hagaos Mordechai. A man and a woman who live together in the same house certainly they will come to disagreements certainly they will get on each other's nerves. Marriage only works because there is a sense of Sh'air. There is a sense of Basar Echad, there is an idea of permanence. There is an idea of making it work. Once a couple is married and in the same house assuming they are sensible people and have feelings for each other, they will be able to make it work. The problem is before they are married. If they are going to be together and there is no sense of permanence it is not going to happen. It is not going to end up being able to work because it just doesn't work. Ahava is Gematria Echad. Ahava requires that there be a sense of oneness. If there is a sense of trying it out you can be sure that it is not going to work. This is an important Yesod to understand. The key to Sholom Bayis in a home is not for a husband and a wife never to get on each other's nerves, never to do things that the other doesn't like. It is normal that these things happen. The key rather is to have a sense of oneness, a sense of Sh'air, (שְׁאֵרוֹ, הַקָּרֹב, אֵלָיו), a sense of Basar Echad. When there is a sense of Basar Echad it works.

I love to say this over. I once brought from the Aleinu L'shabaiach on Parshas Metzora. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's wife passed away and he said at the Levaya I have nothing to ask my wife Mechilah for. It moved everybody. A husband married more than 60 years could say that there is nothing that I have to ask Mechila for, it is very moving. That part of the story I think is rather well known. There is a second part. The Aleinu L'shabaiach brings that awhile later one of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's Talmidim came to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and told him we are married for such and such a period of time and we have never had an argument, never had a disagreement. He meant to say that I am following in your footsteps. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach answered you have never had a disagreement with her? Are you divorced, did she die? The young man was bewildered. To which Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach replied it is not normal for a couple that is married to never have a disagreement, to never argue over anything. For that you don't have to ask for Mechila. As long as you treat each other with respect when you disagree, that is fine. But to say that you will have a home where you will never disagree that is not possible.

A Minyan With A Non-Frum Participant - Emor 5773

What is the source for Minyan? The idea of Minyan needing 10 people. Believe it or not its Mekor is in this week's Parsha. We read in the Parsha as it says in 22:32 (וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ, אֶת-שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי, וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי, בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) we have the Mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem. To be Mikadeish Hashem B'soch B'nei Yisroel. How many people is B'soch B'nei Yisroel? It doesn't say. We know that there is an idea of Kiddush Hashem B'farhesia, a public Kiddush Hashem. But how many people make it into something public? The Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin 74b  says (וכמה פרהסיא אמר ר' יעקב אמר רבי יוחנן אין פרהסיא פחותה מעשרה בני אדם פשיטא ישראלים בעינן דכתיב ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל בעי רבי ירמיה תשעה ישראל ונכרי אחד מהו תא שמע דתני רב ינאי אחוה דרבי חייא בר אבא אתיא תוך תוך כתיב הכא ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל וכתיב התם הבדלו מתוך העדה הזאת מה להלן עשרה וכולהו ישראל אף כאן עשרה וכולהו ישראל) and learns through a two-step Limud from Korach and then the Miraglim that just like the Miraglim in the case of the sinners of the Miraglim were 10 so too the same thing here you need 10 people to make a Minyan B'farhesya. So this is the idea that we have Minyan being 10. That is in regard to being Mikadeish Sheim Shamayim B'rabim. The Gemara in Maseches Berachos 21b says (וכן אמר רב אדא בר אהבה מנין שאין היחיד אומר קדושה שנאמר ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל כל דבר שבקדושה לא יהא פחות מעשרה מאי משמע דתני רבנאי אחוה דרבי חייא בר אבא אתיא תוך תוך כתיב הכא ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל וכתיב התם הבדלו מתוך העדה הזאת (עי' מסורת הש"ס) מה להלן עשרה אף כאן עשרה) and extends this to the idea of Minyan in Davening. So that this is the source of Minyan Asara.

Rav Moshe has a number of Teshuvos regarding the following Shaila and these Teshuvos have to do with the source of Minyan as we have explained. Rav Moshe was asked whether someone who is a Michaleil Shabbos (a Mumar) can count towards the 10 people of Minyan or do you have to have 10 people who are Shomrei Shabbos, who are religious people. Rav Moshe says let's look at the Gemara. The Gemara says that we learn Minyan from the Miraglim and the Gemara goes on to say that maybe the non-Jew should count towards Minyan (in Sanhedrin 74b). Maybe a non-Jew should count towards Minyan. The Gemara responds that it is not so as you need similar to the Miraglim from whom we are learning. The same thing here and therefore, a non-Jew does not count towards Minyan. Says Rav Moshe, so the Gemara is saying that non-Jews don't count towards Minyan. The Miraglim were Reshaim and yet they are counted towards the 10. The Gemara says Dumya D'miraglim. Therefore, a Mumar, someone who is not a Frum person still could count towards Minyan. This is Rav Moshe's Psak.

Although Rav Moshe stresses that when you are making a Minyan in this manner you should not say Chazaras Hashatz. That is, it is enough to be Maikil on this Kula to say Kaddish and Barchu. But to make an extra 19 Berachos not. Therefore, say what we call a short Shemoneh Esrei when counting a non Frum person towards a Minyan. This is Rav Moshe's Psak based on this Limud.

It is interesting that in the second Igros Moshe Orach Chaim, that Rav Moshe was challenged. He was challenged by a questioner who brought to him the Psak of Rav Moshe Rosen who said that a non Frum person doesn't count towards Minyan for Mussaf because you don't accept Korbanos from people who are not Frum. The Minyan towards Korban Mussaf can't be counted if a Frei person is part of the 10. Rav Moshe responds that on the contrary from Rav Moshe Rosen's Psak regarding Mussaf we see that otherwise he would hold that a non Frum person does count towards Minyan. It is only Mussaf that has a Din of Korbanos that are not brought from a Mumar, there a Mumar doesn't count. But otherwise he does count.

Rav Moshe has a third letter in Cheilek Gimmel. There someone challenged Rav Moshe from the Shela Hakadosh who said that the Miraglim were Tzaddikim. If they were Tzaddikin then we can't learn from there to count towards Minyan even a Rasha. To that Rav Moshe essentially responds that that is not Pashut Pshat. Pashut Pshat when you read the Chumash is that the Miraglim were Reshaim. If they had done Teshuva HKB"H would not have punished them because Teshuva works for an Onesh Bidai Shamayim. Thereofore, Rav Moshe stands by his Shitta that a person who is not Frum can still count towards Minyan. I should mention that there is a Teshuva in the Divrei Chaim who disagrees with this Psak who holds that a non Frum person does not count towards Minyan. Either way, my point is that this is a Limud from this week's Parsha.

Lag Ba'omer Night - Lag Ba'omer 5773

Regarding music and dancing on the night of Lag B'omer. According to our Minhag to keep Sefira until Lag B'omer, music and dancing is still Assur on the night of Lag B'omer. The places where they have bonfires with music and dancing is not like the Rama. The Rama says that it is still Assur on the night of Lag B'omer. If you will ask so why do people do it? Those Chassidim who keep the Minhag Arizal and they keep the Chumros of Sefira all the way until Shavuos, for them the entire Lag B'omer is Muttar and even the night of Lag B'omer is Muttar, because they are keeping 33 days without Lag B'omer. For them music is Muttar. On the contrary, those that keep the Minhag Arizal, are not allowed to have music and dancing on Lamed Daled B'omer which means the following night. If they want to have a night celebration it must be on the night of Lag B'omer For those of us who keep Sefirah only until Lag B'omer, which is the prevalent Minhag certainly among Ashkenazim, we keep Sefirah until Lag B'omer and after that we hold that music, haircuts, and weddings are Muttar, we are prohibited from music and dancing the night of Lag B'omer. We are permitted on Sunday night. This is a mistake that many people make. They go the night of Lag B'omer to music and dancing and then they are Maikil with music and dancing after Lag B'omer as well which is a Tarti D'sasri. You have to choose one or the other.

The Eyes Have It 3 - Vayishlach 5772

I would like to move on to an idea that Rav Chaim Shmulevitz writes in the Shiurim that he gave in the ’67 war. They are printed in the new Sichos Mussar the ones that have a section L’regel Hazman. He asks a question on the Parsha. Rochel is buried at the side of the road. Why is she buried at the side of the road? Later in Parshas Vayechi, Yaakov Avinu reveals the secret as it says in Rashi to 48:7 (ואקברה שם: ולא הולכתיה אפילו לבית לחם להכניסה לארץ, וידעתי שיש בלבך עלי [תרעומת], אבל דע לך שעל פי הדבור קברתיה שם שתהא לעזרה לבניה כשיגלה אותם נבוזראדן, והיו עוברים דרך שם, יצאת רחל על קברה ובוכה ומבקשת עליהם רחמים, שנאמר (ירמיה לא יד) קול ברמה נשמע רחל מבכה על בניה וגו', והקב"ה משיבה (ירמיה לא טו) יש שכר לפעולתך נאם ה' ושבו בנים לגבולם). That someday Klal Yisrael would go to Galus, on their way they would pass Kever Rachel and she would Daven for them. She is the one because Klal Yisrael passes her Kever.

Rav Chaim Shmulevitz asks a question. He said the Imahos in heaven know what is going on, Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov know what is going on. Rochel and Leah know what is happening. What is the difference if Klal Yisrael passed the Kever or did not pass the Kever? Says Rav Chaim Shmulevitz an awesome idea. He says that from this you see the Koach Hari’iya. You might know something and be fully aware of it but until you see it, it doesn’t affect you. Even the Imahos, even after death and they were buried, if the people fleeing the Churban are going to pass in front of Kever Rochel, just the fact that her Neshama sees it causes a Hisragshus, a feeling, a Hergish.

A Jew's Confidence - Vayishlach 5772

We will begin with Rav Schwab whose idea is that we find that Yaakov Avinu was afraid as it says in 32:8 (וַיִּירָא יַעֲקֹב מְאֹד, וַיֵּצֶר לוֹ).  Rav Schwab writes that the Derech of a Yid is to start out with Pachad, with fear. After that he gets up and Davens to the Ribbono Shel Olam, he does that which he has to do to take care of his situation and after that he proceeds with confidence. He feels confident that he has done that which he had to do and the fear goes away. (וַיִּירָא יַעֲקֹב מְאֹד, וַיֵּצֶר לוֹ), Yaakov was afraid and then (וַיֹּאמֶר, יַעֲקֹב, אֱלֹקי אָבִי אַבְרָהָם, וֵאלֹקי אָבִי יִצְחָק: יְקוָק הָאֹמֵר אֵלַי, שׁוּב לְאַרְצְךָ וּלְמוֹלַדְתְּךָ--וְאֵיטִיבָה עִמָּךְ). He Davens to the Ribbono Shel Olam. After that Yaakov Avinu no longer has fear, it doesn’t mention anywhere any type of fear and he goes with confidence.

Rav Schwab writes that that is the Hanhaga of a Yid. He says that when we say (נפילת אפיים) in that Kapittal Tehillim 6 that we say during (נפילת אפיים), we find this Hanhaga. We say (רְפָאֵנִי ק'. כִּי נִבְהֲלוּ עֲצָמָי). We Daven to Hakadosh Baruch Hu because (נִבְהֲלוּ עֲצָמָי), my bones are in a state of disarray. (וְנַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָה מְאד) and my soul is in a state of disarray, it is Fartumult. (וְאַתָּה ק ' עַד מָתָי) and Hashem how long can I continue? Then at the end of that Perek of (נפילת אפיים) we speak with confidence, (סוּרוּ מִמֶּנִּי כָּל פּעֲלֵי אָוֶן. כִּי שָׁמַע ק ' קול בִּכְיִי). (שָׁמַע ק ' תְּחִנָּתִי. ק ' תְּפִלָּתִי יִקָּח). Then we talk with confidence. That is the Hanhaga of a Yid. To have fear, to turn to the Ribbono Shel Olam, Daven, and at the end to state with confidence that I am in the hands of the Ribbono Shel Olam and I could move forward without fear. This is the thought that Rav Schwab says here in the Parsha.

Rav Druk on page 233 in his Sefer says the identical Rayon, however, he starts with a different question. Rav Druk’s question is when Yaakov sends a message to Eisav he states 32:6 (וַיְהִי-לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר, צֹאן וְעֶבֶד וְשִׁפְחָה). Yaakov Avinu describes his possessions. Rabbeinu Bachya makes a point here, he says that Tzon is usually mentioned as the first possession in the list of possessions that a person has.

He gives an example by Avraham Avinu where it says (צֹאן וּבָקָר). (You can see this in 21:27 or 24:35). BY Yitzchak Avinu it says in 26:14 (וַיְהִי-לוֹ מִקְנֵה-צֹאן וּמִקְנֵה בָקָר). It mentions the sheep first. Even by Yaakov Avinu in last week’s Parsha 30:43 (וַיְהִי-לוֹ, צֹאן רַבּוֹת, וּשְׁפָחוֹת וַעֲבָדִים, וּגְמַלִּים וַחֲמֹרִים). Again it mentions the sheep first. That is the style of the Posuk is that a person’s wealth which in those days was in having a lot of sheep and therefore, typically sheep are mentioned first in a list of possessions that a person owns. So Rabbeinu Bachya asks why here does it mention the sheep somewhere in middle? Rabbeinu Bachya answers as follows. Yaakov Avinu did not want to highlight the sheep because he stole the Bechora using 27:9 (שְׁנֵי גְּדָיֵי עִזִּים), using this type of an animal and he didn’t want to mention the Bechora having it sort of stick out in his conversation with Eisav so he put it in the middle. This is what Rabbeinu Bachya says on 32:6.

Rav Druk asks that it is interesting that Yaakov Avinu didn’t want to highlight the (צֹאן) possession. But later we find B’feirush in the Posuk that when Yaakov actually sends the gift to Eisav that he sends (עִזִּים) first as it says in 32:15. It had been exactly that kind of animal that had been used to steal the Bechora. What changed?

Rav Druk answers and the quote from the Sefer is before Yaakov Avinu Davens he was full of fear and afterwards he no longer had fear. A beautiful Rayon in Davening.

Rav Druk adds another example the Gemara says in Maseches Berachos at the beginning of the last Perek says on 54a (top line) (הרואה מקום שנעשו בו נסים לישראל אומר ברוך שעשה נסים לאבותינו במקום הזה). There is a Beracha for when seeing where miracles took place. One of the examples mentioned is (8 lines from the bottom) (ואבן שישב עליה משה בשעה שעשה יהושע מלחמה בעמלק). The stone on which Moshe Rabbeinu sat when he did battle with Amaleik. The question is Moshe Rabbeinu sat on the stone and prayed, the miracle took place on the battlefield. Why are we putting the miracle as the Makom Hatefilla?

With this Rayon Rav Druk explains, no, the place where it switches from Pachad to Bitachon, the place where the success is, is the Makom Hatefilla. Therefore, that is a way for a person to know to Daven.

This would answer an old Kasha that we asked in a previous year. We asked Yaakov Avinu planned to split the camp into 2 Machanos 32:8 (וַיִּירָא יַעֲקֹב מְאֹד, וַיֵּצֶר לוֹ; וַיַּחַץ אֶת-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר-אִתּוֹ, וְאֶת-הַצֹּאן וְאֶת-הַבָּקָר וְהַגְּמַלִּים--לִשְׁנֵי מַחֲנוֹת). So if Eisav (וַיֹּאמֶר, אִם-יָבוֹא עֵשָׂו אֶל-הַמַּחֲנֶה הָאַחַת וְהִכָּהוּ--וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר, לִפְלֵיטָה). So that the other Machane could escape. Yet when he comes to Eisav in 33:1 (וַיִּשָּׂא יַעֲקֹב עֵינָיו, וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה עֵשָׂו בָּא, וְעִמּוֹ, אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ; וַיַּחַץ אֶת-הַיְלָדִים, עַל-לֵאָה וְעַל-רָחֵל, וְעַל, שְׁתֵּי הַשְּׁפָחוֹת) they are all there, what happened to his grand plan? 

But the answer would fit. When he was afraid that was his plan. After his Davening and his sense of Bitachon then it was a whole different story. Then he had a different sense.

To this Rav Druk adds something that was very much his style. Later in the Sefer on page # 235 that we find that Yaakov Avinu slept the night before he was going to meet Eisav as can be seen in 32:14 (וַיָּלֶן שָׁם, בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא; וַיִּקַּח מִן-הַבָּא בְיָדוֹ, מִנְחָה--לְעֵשָׂו אָחִיו). All the Avos went to sleep overnight in any episode that takes place in the Torah. Rav Druk asks why does it say here (וַיָּלֶן שָׁם, בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא) that he slept overnight and then he did what he had to do? It seems to be an unnecessary comment.

Rav Druk answers imagine Yaakov Avinu was afraid that they would all be killed, it was the night before he was going to meet Eisav and he was able to sleep through the night? The Posuk is telling us (וַיָּלֶן שָׁם, בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא) he was able to sleep, he was with Yishuv Hada’as once he Davened and felt Batuach that Hakadosh Baruch Hu would guide him, he no longer had any fear.

Rav Druk mentioned a story regarding the Steipler who went as a Bachur to meet a girl in the early 20th century equivalent of a date. I am sure that they did not go anywhere, however, he went to her house to meet this woman. When he got there it was very late at night and the Steipler had not slept as he had stayed up the previous night learning and he was waiting and the woman was late. As he was waiting he decided to take a nap. He said Hamapil planning to take a nap for at least ½ an hour. After he said Hamapil the girl and her family walked in and it is almost comical to imagine, the Steipler is sitting there the girl and the family come in and he doesn’t want to speak after saying Hamapil. He motions to them that he had said Hamapil and that he has to take a nap. So they wait and he took a nap for a half hour with his head down.

Rav Druk said, amazing, he was able to fall asleep! Here he was going on a date. The girl walks in and he says to wait that he has to take a nap and he is able to fall asleep. That is the confidence that is in the heart of a Gadol B’yisrael once he Davens. This is something to learn from.

In Rav Druk’s Sefer later on page # 243 he mentions something additional based on this Yesod, however, it is enough on this one Yesod, an important Yesod, something to know when you say (נפילת אפיים).