Toldos: 5786 - "And the children struggled within her... and Hashem said to her, Two nations are in your womb": How did this matter ease her distress over the pregnancy?…

00:00 Speaker 1 Let’s hear it. “The children struggled within her, and she said, ‘If so, why am I here?’” Rashi explains: If the pain of pregnancy is so great, why—why does she need this? So she went to inquire of Hashem. “And Hashem said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will separate from within you.’” How did that help her? Did the pain stop?

00:26 Speaker 2 No, it gave her—

00:27 Speaker 1 After all, we said she was in pain: “If so,” meaning the pain of pregnancy was so great. So how did it help her to hear that two nations were in her womb? The old rabbi of Jerusalem explained how it helped. Later, it says that Hashem told her, “The elder will serve the younger.” They had been fighting over who would be in charge. Once they knew the elder would serve the younger, they stopped fighting. So that helped her. On “The children struggled within her,” Rashi gives another reason they struggled: When she passed the entrances to synagogues and study halls, Yaakov struggled to come out; when she passed places of idol worship, Esav struggled to come out. This raises two questions. First, we understand Esav: he had no idol worship in his mother’s womb, so he struggled to come out. But Yaakov? It says that a baby in its mother’s womb has a candle lit above its head, and an angel teaches it the entire Torah. He was sitting and learning there too. Why did he struggle to come out? And we understand why Yaakov couldn’t come out: Esav was blocking his way. But Esav, no one was stopping you. You’re passing a place of idol worship—come out! Who’s stopping you? The answer is that Yaakov Avinu did have an angel teaching him and the very best conditions, but he wasn’t willing to sit in a room with Esav. That’s why he struggled to come out. Yes, an angel was teaching him, and all that was well and good, but none of it helped if he had to be together with Esav. And why didn’t Esav come out? No one was stopping him. Rather, Esav was so wicked that he said, “If I come out, I’ll clear the way for Yaakov to go to the synagogue.” He was willing to suffer and stay inside, as long as Yaakov couldn’t get out to the study hall. Today is Rosh Chodesh Kislev,

02:34 Speaker 1 an auspicious and special day, when the Rebbe recovered and regained his strength. So this is a special month, an auspicious month for health, for livelihood, for every good thing. May Hakadosh Boruch Hu help make this month a month of mercy, a month of Geulah, with Hashem’s help, soon. Have a good Shabbos.

02:57 Speaker 2 Good Shabbos.