Chaburat Taryag: Parshas Vayetzei

Hello, dear children! It's Saba Kadisha. Oy, oy, oy! Last week we saw Yaakov sitting in the tent of Torah. And this week Yaakov sets out on a long journey. But first, we learn! Sunday after school, the four friends came like every week to Saba Kadisha's room. This week we read Parshas Vayetzei, and it has three things every kid needs to know. Three? Star-counter ready. A star for each one. Easy! Number one: Yaakov left Be'er Sheva and went to Charan. The road was long, and the sun suddenly set, and Yaakov was alone in the middle of the field. And what did Yaakov do, tired and alone in the dark? He stood and davened to Hashem. Chazal say Yaakov Avinu established the Maariv prayer, and since then, every night, we daven Maariv too. Then Yaakov put stones around his head and fell asleep. And he dreamed a dream: a ladder standing on the ground, its top reaching the sky, and angels going up and down on it. And Hashem promised Yaakov: I am with you, and I will guard you the whole way. In the morning Yaakov got up, named the place Beis El, and made a vow: From everything Hashem gives me, I will give a tenth to tzedakah. That means: even when we're tired, and even when we're alone, we daven, because Hashem always hears. One star! Number two: Yaakov arrived in Charan. By the well there were many shepherds, and a big stone on the mouth of the well. Yaakov rolled the stone off by himself and watered the sheep of Rachel, Lavan's daughter. Lavan said to him: Yaakov, work for me. And Yaakov worked for Rachel seven years, and after that, another seven years. And the years passed quickly for him, like a few days. But Lavan wasn't always fair. He changed Yaakov's wages ten times. Yaakov worked with all his strength, in the heat of the day and the cold of the night, and guarded the sheep like a treasure. Children, Yaakov worked faithfully, even when they weren't fair to him, and Hashem saw it and blessed him greatly. Ten times? I would be really angry! But Yaakov worked well, every single day. Two stars! Number three: in Yaakov's family, children were born, the Shevatim. And each child was given a name with a special meaning. When the fourth son was born, Leah Imeinu said: This time I will thank Hashem. And she named him Yehudah, which means thank You, Hashem. And from there, children, we are all called Yehudim, because a Jew is someone who knows how to say thank you. So every morning when we say Modeh Ani, we're like Leah, saying thank you. Three stars! The counter is full! Then Saba Kadisha gave the chaburah a new mission. Rabbi Simcha the gabbai needs help. Twenty crates of new books arrived at the shul library. The mission: put all the books on the shelves by Thursday. And remember, children: work is done faithfully, like Yaakov Avinu. Easy! Twenty crates? With my gadget we'll finish in an hour. And at the end, there's ice cream for everyone! On Monday, the friends came to the shul. They dragged crates, opened them, and arranged book after book on the new shelves. But crate after crate, their hands got tired, and the sun had already set outside the window. I'm finished. Let's go home. Maariv? I'll daven later, in bed. Rubi, Yaakov was tired too, and alone in the dark, and still, he stood and davened Maariv. And we're not alone at all. There's a minyan in the shul right now! And the friends stood and davened Maariv with the minyan, with all their hearts. And Rubi davened the loudest. And the first star lit up. The next day, a surprise was waiting for them: ten more crates! And Rabbi Simcha said: Sorry, friends, we also need to rearrange everything by subject. All over again? This is like Lavan! He changed things on Yaakov ten times. And what did Yaakov do? He worked with all his strength and didn't do half a job. At the end of the day, Yisrael had one last crate left. Nobody's looking. I could shove it under the table. No! Yaakov guarded the sheep even when nobody was looking. I'll finish sorting too, to the end. And when Rabbi Simcha came in, he couldn't believe it. All the books were neatly arranged by subject. And the second star lit up. On Thursday, Rabbi Simcha brought ice cream for the whole chaburah, and Yisrael already opened his mouth. Wait, Yisrael! Like Leah, first we say thank you. Thank you very much! And now, ice cream! And the friends also made a big thank-you card for Rabbi Simcha, and for Rabbi Baruch the shammes, who opens the shul every morning. Rabbi Baruch was very moved. And the third star lit up. My gadget doesn't know how to say thank you, but I do! Friends, today we did just like in the parsha: we davened Maariv even when we were tired, we worked well to the end, and we said thank you. Three stars! The mission is complete! On Shabbos night, at the Shabbos table, the friends told the whole family about Yaakov's ladder and the new library. And Ima said: Thank you for telling us. Dear children, this week you davened even when you were tired. You worked faithfully to the end, and you said thank you, like Leah. And that's a very big message. And now, thank you for watching with us. There's still some ice cream left! And next week, in Parshas Vayishlach, Yaakov comes home with his whole family. But on the way, Eisav is waiting for him. And what will happen at night, when Yaakov is left alone? We'll find out next week!