Proof The Geulah Has Begun

 Our sages have told us that there is no greater proof than this that the Geulah has begun.

 

Hidden Tzaddik 2.0 | Rabbi Moshe Weinberger

 

Rabbi Weissman: Why Hashem......

 Why Hashem Sent Hitler

And a response to media hate-bait against yeshiva students who avoid the IDF

The title of part 26 of The Prophetic Teachings of Rav Elchonon Wasserman might come across as provocative, but it shouldn’t be.

If one doesn’t believe that Hashem sent Hitler, he is a kofer.

If one believes that Hashem did send Hitler, but this was cruel or otherwise wrong, he is a kofer.

If one believes that Hashem made it impossible for us to determine why He sent Hitler, then perforce he must also believe that Hashem made it impossible for us to derive the appropriate lessons and rectify the spiritual cause. That would be tyrannical and cruel, and therefore this belief is kefirah as well.

If one believes that we are not supposed to try because we might get it wrong — we might do teshuva for the “wrong” sin! — and might offend some people along the way, he is intentionally choosing to ignore whatever message Hashem is trying to send, which is a surefire recipe for disaster.

If one believes that the emergence of people like Hitler and millions of supporters around the world is anything other than a spiritual wake-up call, and that anything other than a spiritual solution will solve the problem (Am Yisrael Chai, you rising lion!), he leaves Hashem little choice but to humble him in a very painful way, God forbid.

If you want to know Rav Wasserman’s explanation in 1935 for why Hashem sent Hitler, and the eerie parallels to present times, you can listen to the class. But first one must internalize this essential truth: everything that is happening has a spiritual cause, and the only answer to the problems we face is a spiritual response.

Hishtadlus is necessary to some degree, but it has become a buzzword, an avoda zara. Unless hishtadlus is predicated on a spiritual rectification, it has no meaning and no effectiveness — even if one pays lip service to the notion that “everything comes from Hashem”. It is the definition of going with Hashem b’keri, with happenstance. This only brings even more severe punishment in response, God forbid, until we finally get the message.

We learned much more in the class, including the necessary preconditions for one to be capable of giving effective advice, and why the “solutions” for so many of our problems only seem to result in things getting worse.

The class is also available on Rumble here.

Someone asked me to write something in response to these letters being reported in the “news”, https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/418050:

Here is my response:

This is sinister propaganda and hate-mongering from Arutz Sheva and the demons they work for. First of all, these letters were written over 40 years ago. About 10 years ago I wrote in Go Up Like a Wall that the IDF is a holy institution. (I also had a generally positive view of vaccines.) Are we supposed to believe that a letter written 40 years ago is a permanent blank check for the IDF, no matter what, and nothing would change their minds?

Mind you, these letters contain no context, no halachic analysis. We don’t know why they expressed this position or under what circumstances this position might change. So these letters are halachically worthless. All they tell us is that these rabbis would not go out of their way to help people avoid joining the IDF if they weren’t learning Torah full-time.

Naturally, the “news” fails to explore the reasoning behind their position at the time, and whether or not it remains relevant today. All they want to do is play “gotcha” with those wicked, hypocritical “haredi draft dodgers”, who we are supposed to hate more than anyone else and view as an existential threat to our existence.

Here are some questions the sanctimonious hate-mongers conveniently refuse to address:

What if the IDF is sending soldiers into death traps to be maimed and killed by the thousands for a pretextual war they never had any intention of winning?

What if the IDF makes a cynical show of accommodating the religious requirements of soldiers?

What if the IDF tramples on the Torah in so many ways, and has made no secret of their goal to secularize religious soldiers?

What if the IDF is run by kofrim and traitors?

What if the IDF continues to violently destroy “illegal Jewish settlements”, not to mention all the perfectly legal Jewish homes they destroyed in Gush Katif?

What if the IDF persecutes soldiers for refusing suicidal orders, or for independently rushing to defend besieged communities on October 7?

What if the state-owned weapons manufacturers are raking in billions in profits off our record taxes and cheap blood, while soldiers beg for food and basic gear?

What if the IDF has an unfathomable “intelligence failure”, then stands down while dozens of communities are being slaughtered, and then the very same people responsible for this are charged with sending Jews into “war”?

What if the IDF gets 15,000+ Jews maimed and killed for nothing, and then claims they have a “manpower shortage”...of 15,000 soldiers?

What if the IDF is a Molech death cult?

Are we supposed to believe none of this might impact the views of rabbis who formerly had a somewhat permissive view of sending ANYONE to the IDF? It sure impacted my perspective.

Why are these questions not the discussion EVERYONE is having, instead of bickering over letters from 40 years ago and falling for Erev Rav hate-bait?

Why are we allowing the media and their Erev Rav puppet masters to dictate the conversation?

Rabbi Weissman:

 What are you excited about?
Is your mitzvah coming from the yetzer tov or the yetzer hara? And a hostage makes a strange apology

“The mitzvah of settling Eretz Yisrael is one of the holiest mitzvos in the Torah.”

These words were written by none other than Rav Elchonon Wasserman, who some people mistakenly believe was against moving to Eretz Yisrael. His beloved Rebbe, the Chofetz Chaim, tried multiple times to move to Eretz Yisrael. I am not an expert on Rav Wasserman’s writings, but I have yet to come across anything he said or wrote discouraging them from performing this mitzvah.

What I have seen is lots and lots of statements against the “seed of Amalek”, the secular Zionists who had seized control of the movement to resettle Eretz Yisrael and wished to create a state that would wage physical and spiritual war on the Jewish people from within. Rav Wasserman passionately urged God-fearing Jews not to be fooled by them, and not to partner with them.

All of Rav Wasserman’s arguments to that effect are well supported in the Torah, and have been validated countless times over in the last century.

I don’t know if Rav Wasserman encouraged anyone to remain in pre-Holocaust Europe instead of going to Eretz Yisrael under the aegis of the wicked Zionists. Even if he did, I can understand the reasoning. There were certainly warning signs for the Jews of Europe, but he didn’t know for sure that millions of Jews would be murdered in the coming years. Can the alarmists today be certain that the same thing will happen in America, even with all the real warning signs? Can they seriously argue that the IDF, of all entities, will protect them?

Zionist-supporting cynics wish to throw out everything European gedolim like Rav Wasserman taught because they didn’t jump aboard the Zionist life raft, but that is extremely short-sighted and hypocritical. There were very good reasons to support living in Eretz Yisrael in principle, but discourage submitting to Zionist authority, with all the compromises and spiritual dangers this entailed.

If it comes down to it, it’s better to die as a Jew than to live as a goy. By now the spiritual death count from the Erev Rav in Israel rivals the physical death count of the Nazis, and they’re taking great strides with the physical death count, too.

The State of Israel is a goyish state that has hijacked Judaism for its own expedience. And it is not just a goyish state — it’s a very bad goyish state.

Nevertheless, like Rav Wasserman, I strongly support the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael, even today, in spite of everything. This is what the Torah teaches. And like Rav Wasserman, I strongly discourage supporting the seed of Amalek, and warn my people from being fooled by them. This is what the Torah teaches, too.

What fools people continue to be, day after day continuing to support their oppressors, their destroyers from within, no matter what.

Until when? What do they have to do for you to see them for what they really are, to stop making excuses for them, and to change your relationship with them accordingly? What haven’t they done already?

In part 25 of our series on The Prophetic Teachings of Rav Wasserman we discussed this, as well as how the yetzer hara hijacked this most important mitzvah. We learned about a litmus test for determining whether that mitzvah you have a desire to do is really coming from the yetzer tov or the yetzer hara.

The many Jews who threw Jews out of shul during Covid, and otherwise behaved with extreme abuse toward “anti-vaxxers”, believed they were doing a mitzvah. But which yetzer was really behind it?

The many Jews who are flag-waving cheerleaders for the Israel Destruction Forces (IDF), and seethe with hatred at anyone who refuses to “serve” or wave pom-poms, believe this is a big mitzvah. Is this coming from the yetzer tov or the yetzer hara?

The many Jews who were mazik the rabbim by blocking main arteries — ironically copying how goyim protest, even if they added a cynical prayer in the streets to kosher it up — believe this somehow sanctified Hashem’s name. Is it the yetzer tov telling them this or the yetzer hara?

Many Jews are offended when I smash the un-Jewish idol of “Da’as Torah”, reminding them that Jews are supposed to be a wise and understanding people, not a nation of blind followers of anyone, and that the Jewish version of “just following orders” will not be a valid excuse when they are judged in the heaven for what THEY do. They believe their caustic, often unhinged replies to me defending their papistry are coming from the yetzer tov.

Are you sure? Have you examined this carefully and honestly? Are you scared to try? Do you even believe you are allowed to?

Now let’s talk about the mitzvah of redeeming hostages. See What’s Behind “Bring Them Home Now”? and a very important video presentation, The Gaza War and Hostage Propaganda Campaigns.

Many, many Jews fell for this psy-op, which was sponsored by the same seed of Amalek responsible for the IDF being grounded on October 7 so the hostages could be taken, and the globalist agenda that’s unfolding could come to pass. They believe their 24/7 obsession with the hostages and bizarre rituals on their behalf came from the yetzer tov.

Really? So why don’t you have even a fraction of the same concern and passion for other hostages — including Jewish hostages — who aren’t part of the Bring Them Home Now campaign?

Where is your guilt complex over Amiram ben Uliel? Why are you comfortable listening to music and being happy while this hostage still languishes in captivity?

Why does your yetzer tov have such selective interest, and how does he decide what to get excited about? Perhaps the yetzer hara has a say in the matter?

If we are going to break out of the spell of Erev Rav rule and make real progress, we need to become more in touch with how our minds work and what is really influencing us. Then we need to shut out the evil influences cloaked in a false yetzer tov, and remain extremely vigilant in examining our true motivations.

Part 25 features a masterful lesson from Rav Wasserman, with supplementary teachings at the end from the Vilna Gaon, Sefer Menucha U’Kedudsha, and the Midrash Rabba on Eicha.

It is embedded above and on Rumble here. The link to join the live classes is here.

November 17 (Jerusalem Post):

Former Gaza hostage Rom Braslavski on Sunday wrote a post on Facebook detailing the treatment he has received from Israel’s officials since his release.

“The Defense Ministry, the government, the Hostage Headquarters, the police, and all the governmental bodies are overwhelmingly neglecting me, screening my calls and writing to me that it’s late.”

Braslavski explained that since returning home, neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reached out to him, stating he felt only “contempt” from the government.

“Sixty thousand shekels. That’s the grant that a Hamas captive survivor receives after two years. It’s just a shame, and Netanyahu or Ben-Gvir still haven’t made contact. NOTHING,” he wrote.

November 18 (Arutz Sheva):

“After the post I wrote, I felt the need to clarify a bit. This is my last post here,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “My previous post was written in the midst of an emotional storm and a small panic attack that made me unload on the keyboard to my friends on Facebook, which caused many people to turn against me.”

“In that post, I claimed that all I receive from the state and its institutions is disrespect, that they aren’t helping enough, and I disparaged the payments I receive from them. I want to apologize to those institutions, to the government, and to the state. All the institutions help to the extent that they can - what can you do, it’s simply not enough.”

However, he added, “I will say again that I am indeed disappointed and sad about the treatment and the lack of sufficient support we receive upon returning from captivity, but I am still grateful and thankful for every recognition I receive from them. Thank you to the Defense Ministry, to the government, to the state. It’s a shame you can’t do more for us.”

Here’s a reminder you should share with every IDF soldier relying on handouts of food and clothing, everying supporting these handouts and the IDF in general, everyone who believes your ever-rising taxes are to “pay for the war”, and everyone who believes the seed of Amalek who rule our land is fighting for you:

Read full story

Record Profits from the Endless Gaza "War"
A critical collection of facts and analysis - please share!
READ HERE:  https://chananyaweissman.substack.com/p/record-profits-from-the-endless-gaza

Braslavski continues in his apology, which I’m sure he wrote without a shadowy figure standing behind him for encouragement:

“In the interview I did, my expression of gratitude didn’t make it to publication, so I’ll repeat it in writing. I want to thank the IDF soldiers, the combat trauma survivors, the disabled veterans, every private and public individual who fought for us. I want to thank all of the people of Israel who did everything to get us out - and here the moment arrived, and we are here, back from hell. Thank you all. I apologize to all the bereaved families and all victims of terror. We did not choose to be Jews - we were blessed with it. ‘By your sword you shall live.’”

Fun fact: “By your sword you shall live” is the blessing given in this week’s Parsha to Eisav, not to Yaavov.

He concludes:

“I salute you, IDF soldiers. I salute you, my friends in rehabilitation at Sheba. I salute you, security forces - I salute all of you. We will die for the flag! And to all our enemies - the people of Israel live and will continue to live, and nothing will break us.”

Yeah, I’ll pass on dying for the flag.

Why does it seem like someone made this guy an offer he couldn’t refuse?

Visit chananyaweissman.com for the mother lode of articles and books.

Visit rumble.com/c/c-782463 for my Torah classes, Amalek and Erev Rav programs, and much more.

Buy my books on Amazon here or contact me directly to purchase in Israel.

Download Sefer Kibbutz Galuyos pdf here or ePUB here, or buy on Amazon here.

Download Tovim Ha-Shenayim as a PDF for free!

weissmans@protonmail.com

Journey to Morocco 2025: Orika Valley - The Kever of Rav Shlomo Balnashach (3)

 

 

 Journey to Morocco 2025: Agafai Desert - Lost In the Desert and You Don't Know When Shabbos Is 

Journey to Morocco 2025: Agafai Desert - Making Oneself Hefker for the Ultimate Chesed

Journey to Morocco 2025: Marrakesh; al-Azamah Synagogue -

 The Megurashim vs. The Toshavim

🛑תמרור אזהרה קריטי!! אזהרה דחופה מהמנהיג הרב לנדו בפני המבקשים לעלות מצרפת לא"י: חינוך הילדים קודם.

רשמי לב לאחים הפועלים בצרפת בעידוד מנהיג הדור שליט"א על הזהירות הנדרשת לאלו שמצדדים לעלות לארץ, ועלו יחד עם יו"ר הארגון הרב אליעזר סורצקין לקבל את "כוח המשלח" ההכוונה והברכה מרבינו.

כמדי שנה יצאו בימים אלו רשמי 'לב לאחים' העוסקים מזה למעלה מעשור בקליטת עליית צרפת, ליריד העלייה של 'הסוכנות היהודית׳ המתקיים בימים אלו בפריז־צרפת. בשנים האחרונות, ומאז החלו רבים מבני הקהילות בצרפת לבקש לעלות לארץ ישראל מחמת המצב שם, מתקיים היריד פעמיים בשנה, המזמן אליו רבים המבקשים לעלות, לקבל מידע בנושא דיור, תעסוקה וחינוך לקראת עלייתם.

בברכת רבינו התייצבו רשמי 'לב לאחים׳ ביריד העלייה, ליתן מידע בידי ההורים המבקשים לעלות לארץ ישראל, את החשיבות לרשום את הילדים דווקא לחינוך תורני, לאחר שהתברר לפני מספר שנים שביריד אין שום מענה המייצג את המוסדות החרדים ואת בתי הספר של הקירוב. "העולים שמגיעים ליריד, מופנים למוסדות ממלכתיים וממלכתי־דתי, והם מנהלים מלחמה עיקשת שלא להכניס את הילדים למוסדות החרדים, כאשר הם מלעיטים את ההורים כנגד החינוך החרדי, שכביכול הוא אינו ברמה גבוהה וטענות שונות ומשונות'", מעיד אחד הרשמים.

בטרם יציאתם, עלו הרשמים יחד עם הנהלת 'לב לאחים' בראשות המנכ״ל הרב אליעזר סורוצקין, למעונו של מנהיג הדור מרן הגר"ד לנדו שליט״א, לבקש את ברכתו. כזכור, במסעו לחיזוק בני הגולה שהתקיים בפריז, זעק מרן שליט״א על סכנת החינוך, בעקבות הניסיונות של גורמים שונים, לנצל את העלייה הגדולה של יהודי צרפת, ולהביאם לשמד רוחני. בשם יהודי צרפת, נשאל רבינו מרן שליט״א: "זה כבר כמה וכמה שנים שיהודי צרפת עולים לארץ. ישנם בין המשפחות שבצרפת, המוסרים נפש כדי לקיים תורה ומצוות וקובעים שעות ללימוד התורה בכל יום, ויכולות בקלות להגיע ח״ו לבתי ספר של הממלכתי דתי והילדים מאבדים בהם את כל החינוך שרכשו בצרפת, ומה העצה בזה?".

והשיב מרן שליט״א: "מי שחפץ לעלות ולהשתקע בארץ ישראל, אחר שהתייעץ עם רב מובהק חייב לברר היטב את הסביבה בה הוא הולך להשתקע, שתהיה סביבה שיהיה בה השפעה רוחנית ותורנית של יראי שמים, עם ציבור חרדי יראי השם, והסביבה שם מתנהלת על פי רבנים מוסמכים ומוכרים, ועוד יותר החובה היא למי שחפץ לעלות לארץ ישראל, לברר היטיב על המוסדות החינוך שבכוונתו לשלוח את בניו ובנותיו, שיהיו מוסדות תורניים על טהרת הקודש, בעלי אופי תורני מובהק על פי דעת תורה של רבנים מוסמכים ומוכרים החרדים לדבר השם". וכאן זעק מנהמת לבו: "ומי שלא יצליח לברר את תכלית והדרך לשמור את מעלתו הרוחנית שלו ושל משפחתו באופן שדיברנו, שלא יעלה לארץ ישראל בשום פנים ואופן".

רבינו מרן שליט״א התרגש עד למאוד לקראת יציאתם לשליחות החשובה, לחץ את ידיהם בחום ואמר: "אשרי חלקכם!", וברכם: "ד׳ יעזור שתצליחו בהצלחה רבה ובזכות זה יתן לכם ד׳ כפל כפליים נחת ואריכות ימים".

Reb Ginsbourg: Vayetzei

'Beware lest you speak with Yaakov good or bad'

In the end, they parted, by making a covenant - at Laban’s behest - between them, but what did Laban really want?

The Torah - in our Parasha - relates the departure of Yaakov and his household, from Laban.

We read:(31:13-29) ):

’An angel said to’ Yaakov in the dream..Now- arise, leave this land and return to your native land..Yaakov arose and lifted his children and his wives onto the camels. He led away all his livestock and all the wealth he had amassed.. to go to his father Yitzchak, to the land of Canaan.

‘It was told to Laban..that Yaakov had fled. So he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him..But G-d had come to Laban..in a dream by night and said to him:Beware lest you speak with Yaakov either good or bad.

‘Laban overtook Yaakov..(he) said to Yaakov:..Why have you fled so stealthily.. I would havr sent you off with gladness..And you did not even allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters..It is in my power to do you all harm; but the G-d of your father addressed me last night, saying:Beware …’

The Torah then relates the parting conversation between Yaakov and Laban - Yaakov reminding Laban of his faithful service to him, for twenty years, and chastizing Laban for the dishonest way in which he rewarded him, concluding:(31:43)

’Had not the G-d of my father - the G-d of Avraham and the dread of Yitzchak - been with me, you would have surely now sent me away empty handed; G-d saw my wretchedness and the toil of my hands, so he admonished you last night’.

They parted, by making a covenant - at Laban’s behest - between them - in Laban’s words:

’This mound is a witness between me and you today.. that I may not cross over to you past this mound, nor may you cross over to me past this mound..May the G-d of Avraham and the god of nachor judge between us.’’

Rashi comments: 'Either good or bad’:’All the good of the wicked is considered evil to the righteous.

The Kli Yakar expounds: Between me and myself, these words can be interpreted in two ways, accordingly Hashem said three things to Esav: First, He forbade him to speak to Yaakov ‘good’, good things and comforting ones, because the good of the wicked is evil to the righteous - since the heart of the wicked is to harm the righteous, and assuredly, when he speaks good with him, this is to flatter him, so that the righteous will not be on guard against him.

This thing is clear - why not to speak to him - as this will lead to his harm - but even words that can be interpreted in two ways, which you might think you are pemited to speak to him - against this, the warning was עד: to teach him not to seek to deceive him by your words.

Moreover, even totally ‘bad’ words - which you might think that he is permitted to day, so that Yaakov will not be careful and be on guard against him - that it is Yaakov’s own fault if he is not on guard against them - therefore it says ‘bad’: do not cause him any harm.

This elucidates what is said in juxtaposition: ’And you shall not cross this mound, to me לרעה: to do bad’, suggesting that for the good, he may cross - whereas Laban said:’If I do not cross the mound, towards you’, meaning: on no account, shall I cross the mound, even for good - this, because Hashem had adjured him against speaking ‘good’ to Yaakov - understand, that He does not want your ‘goodness’, as all your goodness is suspect in my eyes, as bad.

The Ktav Sofer opens his commentary, by saying: We need to understand why Hashem warned Esav against speaking ‘good’ to Yaakov - also why Laban said to him: ’It is in my power to do you all harm’ - immediately before relating to Yaakov the warning from Hashem.

Why did he need to say the former to Yaakov, before telling him that he is not doing ‘anything’ to him because of Hashem’s warning in the matter - would it not have bren preferable, if he had not informed Yaakov of the warning, thus leaving him with the impression that he was forebearing to him out of the goodness of his hear?

The answer these questions may be found in the Haggadah of Pesach of ‘Maasei Hashem’: Had Hashem not talen our ancestors out of Egypt, we would still have been enslaved to Pharoah - meaning: Had Hashem put in the heart of Pharoah, to send us out, out of the goodness of his heart, we would be compelled to always owe him a debt of gratitude, for this favor.

However, when Hashem caused that we be sent out, by His mighty hand, this was negated - this is the purport of his commentary.

Hashem - likewise - did not want for Laban to be ‘good’ with Yaakov, and to say to him: Whilst it was within my power to do bad with you, but only out of the goodness of my heart, I am being so forbearing with you.

In that case, Yaakov would owe him a debt of gratitude - to preclude this, Hashem commanded Esav: ’Do not speak with Yaakov either good or bad’.

Neither ‘good’, that he was doing for Yaakov - had Esav not related Hashem’s warning to him, Yaakov would have had the impression that Esav was doing him ‘good’.

Therefore, it was necessary that Esav be compelled to relate to Yaakov the warning of Hashem, so that Yaakov should be aware that Esav was not acting out of the goodness of his heart.

Rav Moshe Sterbuch encapsulates: It appears, regarding the commentary Rashi brings, That whatever good the wicked do for the righteous, is to the detriment f the latter - both because, the wicked thereby partakes in the meriits of the righteous, and also because the righteous then feels himself guilty of ingratitude, for repaying ‘bad in place of good’, to his benefactor, yet the righteous distances himself from him.

Hashem, therefore, warns against in any way benefitting from the wicked, lest this lead to a feeling of indebtedness, to him, by the righteous.

The Be’er Mayim Chaim adds: The main reason why Esav pursued Yaakov, was to cause him to return with him, so that he should continue to be blessed, because of his presence - as he knew that Yaakov did not take anything improperly from him, or steal anything that belonged to Esav.

This can bear two ‘faces’: One, that he should ask him, in a good manner, to teturn to his household, by promising him much reward, and wealth.

Second: to speak ‘badly’ with him, that he would cause him harm, if he did not rerurn - though, in fact, he did not wish to harm him, only to cause him to return.

Hashem, however, did not want Esav to speak with him at all regarding his return, not from ‘good’, nor ‘bad’ - and therefore warned: Beware lest you speak with Yaakov’ - meaning: that which you wish to speak, for Yaakov to be with you, either by ‘good’: promise of reward, nor by ‘bad’ - threat of harm.

Thus chastized, we indeed find, that Laban did not say to Yaakov, anything concerning returning to his household, only thar he ‘would have sent him off with gladness, with songs’, had Yaakov not left in the manner he did - a far different picture than peviously, when he pursued Yaakov, clearly with the intent to cause him to rerurn.

Though he would have likely done this in a ‘good’ way, he was warned against this, as we read.

The Panim Yafot expounds: The reason why ‘the ‘good’ of the wicked is ‘bad’ for the righteous’, is because their ‘good’ is not really ‘good’, as their intention is that - by it - they will be able to harm them.

This, by the wiles of the yetser ha’ra, who seduces a person, by the temporary pleasure, to then bring him to ‘spiritual death’..

This is the purport of Psalm (52:4), that the ‘good’ by which the wicked entices the righteous, is for ‘his love of the evil, which will come, from ‘this good’.

The Alshich Hakadosh comments: Esav said: ’I have it in my power to do you harm, but the G-d of your father addressed me last night, saying: Beware of speaking with Yaakov either good or bad - Hashem did not say that He would prevent him from speaking, only: Beware of speaking.

Yaakov, later in the parasha, elucidates : ’Had not the G-d of Avraham and the dread of Yitzchak - you would surely have sent me away empty-handed’ - had I only come from the attribute of chessed - from Avraham - it would have been possible that the attribute of דין : of strict justice, might have opposed me - but the G-d of Avraham, the attribute of chessed, ‘and the dread of Yitzchak’, which is my merit from the attribute of Din, were mine, also merited by the attribute of Din.

As had this not been the case, you would have sent me away empty-handed.

The proof of this, is that Hashem appeared to Laban in a dream - and this, at night, when the attribute of Din, is at its strongest - adjuring him: Lest you speak to Yaakov either good or bad.

This is what Laban alluded to, in saying:’The G-d of your father..’.’

Abarbanel concludes our survey of commentaries, on this matter: As it was the intention of Laban to do bad with Yaakov, it was necessary for Hashem to command hij, and to warn him, in a dream, that while he - Laban - was not worthy of this dream, in honor of Yaakov, it came to him, saying: ’Lest you speak with Yaakov either good or bad’.

The true exposition, in my eyes, is that when a person rebukes another, he will do so in one of two ways: he opens with words of praise, and concludes with harsh words - as by saying: ’Hashem knows how great is my love for you, but, in regards to what you have done, I am as an enemy to you.’

‘Or, he will open with harsh words, but conclude with good, as by saying:’You have done dastardly deeds, to me, but with this, I will not depart from my love for you’.

Therefore, Hashem warned Laban: If you wish to rebuke Yaakov ‘from bad to good' - opening with the bad, and concluding with the good, then: well and good.

But beware of speaking with Yaakov in the other way - ‘from good to bad’ - because, our Sages adjure: ‘Everything goes according to the conclusion’.

This, in fact, is what Laban did: starting with harsh rebuke, but concluding with words of affection.

He thereby did not transgress against Hashem’s warning.’

A parting gem from Chezkuni - which reveals the extent of Laban’s sense of self-importance: ’It is in my power to harm you’ - and your G-d knows this, and is fearful lest I take my vengeance on you. He therefore came to me in a dream last night, to warn me on your behalf.

לרפואת חיילי צה"ל ולרפואת נועם עליזה בת זהבה רבקה ונחום אלימלך רפאל בן זהבה רבקה, בתוך שאר חולי עמנו