B"H
Cheshvan 29, 5766 * December 1, 2005
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F R I D A Y N I G H T F O R Y O U N G P E O P L E
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Parshat Toldot
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Jacob and Esau
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"Um, Mr. Benson can I talk to you, please?" Ben Cohen said to his Jewish Studies teacher one day after school.
"Yes, Benny" the teacher said with a smile. "What's been bothering you?"
"I have been wanting to talk to you about this for a long time".
It was nearly the end of the first term of the school year and Ben Cohen had had enough, he felt he must do something. He really wanted to study but he found that every lesson his mind would just go elsewhere. So he finally decided to approach a friendly teacher and discuss the issue.
"When I am sitting in class my mind just starts to wander" I do try to concentrate, but I think it is in my nature that I can't study"
Mr. Benson listened patiently as Ben spoke. "Hmm...yes...hmm...yes" and nodding every so often.
"I do try to concentrate, but I think it is just in my nature that I can't study" Ben repeated.
Mr Benson thought for a bit and then said "you know, Ben, the Torah tells us about Jacob and Esau. They say that Jacob was a very nice boy, he always got good marks in his tests and every one was always very proud of him, he was one of those naturally good boys".
"Yeh," Ben thought, "I wish I was like that."
"But Esau was, as the Torah puts it, 'a man of the field', he wasn't one of those naturally good boys, when he would sit in class his mind would wander he would even sometimes get into real trouble"
"Sounds like me" Ben unhappily thought to himself.
"But the interesting thing is" Mr. Benson said, "The Rabbis tell us that Esau really had a very great potential. In some ways even greater than Jacob. The problem was that he let his bad inclination get the better of him".
Mr. Benson paused, wondering if Ben's parents would complain to the headmaster that he had compared their son to Esau.
"So I think that the lesson we can learn from this is that when we find it hard sometimes to study and do good things, this is a message to tell us that the greater the challenge, the greater the goodness that can be achieved through facing up to it, and conquering it!"
"I won't be like Esau" Ben thought, "I won't let the challenge beat me". "Thanks, Mr. Benson!" he said, smiling. "I'll try my best!"
Mr. Benson was most relieved. It didn't seem that the boy would complain to his parents. He might even improve in class. And be like Jacob.
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By Dr. Tali Loewenthal, Director of Chabad Research Unit, London
Brought to you by Chabad.org
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