He Lived 20 Years With the Most Evil Man Alive – And Came Out HOLIER Than Ever! (Parsha Pearls: Vayishlach) 5786

In Parshas Vayishlach, Yaakov returns home after 20 years with the wicked Laban and immediately sends real angels as messengers to his murderous brother Esav, prefacing their message with the cryptic line “Im Lavan garti” – “With Laban I sojourned.” Rashi reveals the hidden code: the word “garti” (גרתי) has the numerical value of 613 (תרי״ג), meaning “Even while living with the evil Laban, I kept all 613 mitzvos and never learned from his wicked ways.” Yaakov is teaching every Jew for all time: no matter how far away you are, no matter how hostile the environment, the Torah is the ultimate protective shield that preserves and elevates your soul. As Rabbi Wolbe powerfully declared: “When you stay firm in Torah study every single day, there is nothing in the world that can take you down.”

The parsha’s eternal message is crystallized in the Friday-night blessing we give our children: “Yisimcha Elokim k’Ephraim v’chi’Menashe” – may God make you like Ephraim and Menashe, the only two tribal ancestors raised in decadent, idolatrous Egypt yet who grew into pure tzaddikim. Why them? Because wherever our children end up – Houston, Memphis, Vegas, or the middle of nowhere – they may not have a yeshiva, a kosher restaurant, or even a minyan, but they will always have the Torah. As Rabbi Wolbe summed up: “The Torah is the blueprint of the world… and when you live with that blueprint, no darkness can touch you.” Yaakov, Ephraim, and Menashe all proved that one Jew + one Torah = unstoppable light.
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This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa Friedman

• Download & Print the Parsha Review Notes:
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Recorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on December 2, 2025, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on December 5, 2025

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Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: [e-mail]
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Keywords:
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