Page 443 - BERESHIT

Yaakov told Elifaz to take his possessions and thereby obey his father, as
a pauper is considered dead. Why did Yaakov not fulfill the rule, “If
someone comes to kill you, take the initiative to kill him first”? Elifaz
gleaned Torah from Yitzchak, and it was this merit which saved his life.

Rabbi Akiva went to learn Torah and did not return home for twenty-four
years. He drew his strength from Yaakov Avinu who went to learn in the
yeshiva of Shem and Ever for fourteen years without interruption.

When David ran for his life, he entered the Beit Hamidrash of Shmuel
Hanavi and sat down to learn. He learned more on that night than what a
seasoned talmid chacham could learn in one hundred years. Shaul came
looking for David, but forgot his private crusade. He joined the ranks of
Shmuel’s talmidim and ignored David’s presence. This comes from the
vitality of Torah, which draws us in its wake of exuberant discussions and
inspiring revelations.

Similarly, Eisav feared being influenced by the yeshiva’s environs. He
didn’t want to refrain from enjoying physical pleasures and preferred not
to pursue Yaakov.