THE BATTLE OF EDUCATION

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Channah on her birthday next week. Wishing you a year of much achievement, one small step at a time, with much happiness, in both physical and spiritual.

Mazal Tov to Rivky on her birthday one day later (plus 1 year!) Wishing you continued success in all areas Rivky with much nachas from your whole Family.

Both your birthdays are at such a beautiful time of the year, being so close to Yud Tes Kislev and Chanukah, bringing so much light into the world.

In connection with this week's Sedra Vayishlach, and this week's Tanya reading, I saw 2 interesting Dvar Torah which were linked.

Of course Tanya is connected to the Alte Rebbe, the founder of Chabad Chassidus, whose Yom Tov we celebrate on Yud Tes Kislev, this Shabbos.

In this week's Sedra Yaakov is battling physically with 'a man', interpreted to be the guardian angel of his brother Esav. They were fighting all night, and when the man saw that he could not overcome Yaakov, and that dawn was approaching, he struck Yaakov on his upper thigh bone, dislocating his hip.

The Hebrew word used for the thigh bone is yerech, and it is also used to describe 'one's children'.

Our Sages therefore explain what was happening, as follows:

Yaakov represents Jewish SPIRITUALITY, COMPASSION, and KINDNESS.

And he is battling with Esav.

Esav opposes these qualities, and hates Yaakov.

When Esav sees that he cannot overcome Yaakov himself, he attacks his thigh - HIS CHILDREN, to discourage them from following the lifestyle of Yaakov.

Ie Because young children are easier to target he goes for them, attracting them to assimilate into his lifestyle and environment of violence etc.

In Essay 7 of Kuntres Acharon from this week's Tanya, the Alte Rebbe speaks about 'the flow of a mighty river (ATAN - letters A-Y-T-N)'. This is referring to our capability of allowing the flow our Soul power of Chochma (Conception) into the inner depths of our heart.

In our dark exile (the exile of Rome - Esav), this flow of life and light is concealed and blocked.

The flow will naturally take place in the future coming of Mashiach (hinted by each of the letters A-Y-T-N indicating the future tense, being the first letter in front of the root to indicate the various forms of future) -when Esav will be extirpated forever.

But the Alte Rebbe mentions that even now in exile, we each have the capability to bring down this G-dly light and flow from the state of atan into the innermost point of our hearts through arousing the abounding COMPASSION and KINDNESS of Hashem.

This is brought about by us doing acts of Compassion (character trait of YAAKOV) and Kindness (character trait of AVRAHAM)

And this is brought about by us doing CHARITY, and other acts of KINDNESS as it is written (Amos Chap 5) "And charity like a mighty river"

It is interesting also to note that the letters AYTAN are the same letters as TANYA, and it is said that Tanya will be instrumental in the work we need to do prior to this era!

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and a Gut Yom Tov with much success in the education of our children and ourselves.