Who Was Killed at the Entrance to the Cave of Machpelah? • The Daily Lesson from

Before you is a summary of the topics from the daily lesson as delivered by our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days) – yesterday after the Maariv (evening) prayer, Thursday night, the 23rd of MarCheshvan 5786, Parshas Chayei Sarah:

1. Everyone should go home and recite Tehillim (Psalms). Until Chatzos (midnight). The boys – whoever does not have a Yeshiva (Torah academy) – should study all night.
2. Everyone should study with his wife the third chapter of Tractate Bava Kamma, "Chovel BeChaveiro" (One Who Injures His Fellow), regarding the "Nunin HaHafuchin" (the inverted letters 'Nun' in the Torah).
3. One must know that everything we see is actually the opposite [of how it appears].
4. Eliezer was against the shidduch (marriage match); he didn't understand how Avraham could send him to the worst family in the most impure city in the world. He also saw [through Divine inspiration] that the initials of "V'chadah Al Sh'chmah" (and her pitcher was on her shoulder) spell "Esav" – indicating that Esav would descend from Rivka. But in truth, when he remained silent in the face of all these questions – "Macharish" (remained silent) has the same Gematria (numerical value) as "Yaakov Esav" – he merited to see that Esav is merely the kelipah (impure shell) of Yaakov.
5. Esav's head is buried in the Me'aras HaMachpelah (Cave of the Patriarchs). When they wanted to bury Yaakov, Esav stood at the entrance of the cave and would not allow it. They then sent Naftali to Egypt to bring the document of the sale [of the birthright]. Chushim ben Dan, who was deaf, did not understand why they weren't burying his grandfather, so he cut off Esav's head, which rolled into the hands of Yitzchak.
6. And this is what is written: "And Lavan overtook his brother in Mount Gilead" – that Lavan prayed that Esav would be buried in Mount Gilead, which refers to the Me'aras HaMachpelah (Cave of the Patriarchs).