Page 668 - BERESHIT
P. 668
At Yaakov’s demise, Jew and Egyptian alike cried. Eisav tried to prevent
Yaakov’s burial but was killed by Chushim the son of Dan. What was
Eisav thinking?
Eisav thought that the voice of ‘Yaakov’ had been silenced, as the
Shevatim were preoccupied with Yaakov’s burial. Mourning is not a
‘break’ from one’s learning and does not require us to forgo our
responsibility to learn Torah. The Shevatim learned for the elevation of
Yaakov’s soul.
Yehoshua mourned excessively for Moshe Rabbeinu and was told to stop.
The sin of bitul Torah is grave and the nations of the world ‘voice’ their
contention upon our laxity. It is the power of Torah which stands on our
behalf, and precedes our ‘court case’ in the Upper Realms.
One who learns Torah properly during the day does not take a ‘break’
from his Torah even when he lies down at night.
“So Yosef went up to bury his father, and with
him went up all of Pharaoh’s servants, the
elders of his household, and all the elders of the
land of Egypt”
(Bereishit 50:7)
