Negative Memories

Mrs. Leba Schneider (lnstark@aol.com)

Parashat Vayishlach

In this week's parsha, parshat vayishlach, the Torah describes how Yaakov returned to collect the "pachim k'tanim", small vessels, he had inadvertently forgotten on the other side of the river. In the evening, he encounters the angel of Eisav, which chazal also explain to be the yeitser harah. They struggle until morning, at which point Yaakov emerges victorious. As a result of this narrative, Hashem gives the Jewish people the prohibition of the gid hanashe; we no longer are permitted to eat from the sciatic nerve of the animal.

Rav Moshe Feinstein, in his sefer Darash Moshe, asks why do we commemorate this battle with a mitzvat lo taaseh, a passive negative mitzvah, instead of with an aseh, an active mitzvah? Most events are commemorated with positive activity; we eat matza and sit in the succah to celebrate our exodus from Egypt and our journey in the desert, etc…. Why is this event different from many others in the Torah?

Rav Moshe answers that when it comes to the threat of the yetzer harah we would prefer not to confront it at all. As we say in our davening every morning, "she'lo l'yidei nisayon", that Hashem should not give us the test of the yetzer harah. Despite the fact that we should celebrate our successes and victories over the yetzer harah, the struggle is one that is so difficult that we would rather not be able to rejoice over our successes and at the same time not need to recover from our failures. We would be happier altogether with the removal of these challenges! This is symbolized by the deviation and implementation of a negative commandment to recognize our battle with the evil inclination.

Unfortunately, our encounters with the yetzer harah are inevitable. Chazal tell us the secret to combat this challenge; the gemara in kiddushin states: "Barati yetzer harah, barati lo torah tavlin"; Hashem is showing us that learning and strengthening our connection to torah is the greatest antidote for the poisonous influence of the yetzer harah. The same way a person may work out and exercise to build himself physically, we too have an achrayus to build ourselves spiritually. Let this coming shabbos be another step towards these lofty spiritual goals.