Why did Yitzchak want to give the blessings, his most precious gift, to Eisav and not to Yaakov?

The Nesivos Shalom explains that there are two types of tzaddikim. One lives within the hollowed walls of the beit midrash while the other ventures out into the world to face the trials and tribulations of life. One would think that the first tzaddik is greater than the second who certainly falls many times. Yet according to Chassidut, the one who must struggle and overcome challenges stands higher. The Gemara says, "B'mokom sh'baalei teshuva omdim ein tzadikim gemurim yecholim lamod." Someone who has sinned and repented is at a greater level than a tzaddik who never veered off the path.

Yaakov sat and studied in the beit medrash. Eisav went out to face the challenges of the world. Therefore Yitzchak thought he was at a higher level. He adjured him, "Sa na keilecha"-Lift up your weapons." You can imbue the vessels of this world with a spiritual exalted purpose. "Vayeten lecha"-Hashem will give you of his richness. Rashi says, Hashem will continue to give you again and again even if you sin. "Sheva yipol tzaddik v'kom." Although a tzaddik may fall seven times, he will rise again. Elokim- You must reveal Hashem within physicality.

But Esav failed. Only Yaakov could be that kind of tzaddik. He carried both roles. At the beginning of his life, he was the ish tam, the tzaddik gamur. Then in the house of Lavan he was the tzadik sheino gamur, the one who struggled and overcame his tests and trials.

No matter what role Hashem places us in, may we rise to the challenge and merit to see the fulfillment of the brachot Yitzchak gave to Yaakov.

How can we come closer to Hashem? How can we connect to the heavenly spark within us?

The basis of the connection between the Jewish people and Hashem is the Torah symbolized by the tablets that were hidden inside the ark. There were two keruvim (angels) atop the ark in the shape of a male and female. The male signified Hashem and the female symbolized the Jewish people. It was there that the Divine Presence rested.

The Maharal writes that the Torah bonds a person to his Creator more than anything else. When a Jew studies Torah, Hashem is there with him. The Torah joins a person to the tree of life and his portion in this world and the next depends on it. The Torah gives life to the Jewish people and to the world. The Nefesh Hachaim writes that if there would be a minute where no one would be learning Torah or keeping mitzvot, the world could not continue to exist.

The Meor Enayim points out that the mitzvot are meant to bring us to a level of "U'vo sidbak" - to cleave to Hashem with the part of Him that rests inside of us. Mitzvah comes from the root word zevot-a team. When we do mitzvot we join with Hashem and achieve closeness to Him.

The Torah says, "V'lo sosuru achrei levavchem." Chazal say that a person who goes after his heart denies Hashem. The Chofetz Chaim explains that a Jew who doesn't keep mitzvot but claims that his connection to Hashem is in his heart, will come to heresy. It's like two people who hold a rope and shake it. Each can sense the other but it's not a true connection. We need to feel Hashem inside of us, that we are like one, but a real bond can only form when we keep the Torah and mitzvot.

Hashem said, "Ko somar l'beis Yaakov v'tagid l'bnei yisrael." Ko somar refers to the woman and v'tagid refers to the men. Why were the women mentioned before the men? Chazal explain that women are obligated to make every effort to enable their sons to study Torah. As a reward they merited to experience the giving of the Torah. The Maharasha asks, women also have mitzvot of their own. Why shouldn't they have been at matan Torah? We see that the awe inspiring experience of matan Torah was only out of respect for the learning of Torah.

The Yesod V'shoresh Avodah writes that man's main purpose is to serve Hashem and to create a nachat ruach (spiritual pleasure) for Him. We do this by fearing and loving Him and especially by learning Torah.

The Midrash Rabbah in Shemot brings the verse in Mishlei, "Ki lekach tov nasati lachem..." Hashem says, "I sold you the Torah and I sold myself with it." This is comparable to a king who had an only daughter. When she married he told her husband, "Wherever you go, make for me a little place that I can come and dwell there, because I cannot leave her." The Midrash says, Hashem told klal Yisrael, "I gave you the Torah. I can't separate from her. So wherever you go make for me a home so I can dwell there. The Sefas Emes writes that the more a person tries to do Hashem's will, the more the Divine Presence rests inside him.

The Yefei Toar explains that Hashem doesn't rest his Shechina in this world only through the Torah. Chazal point out that we say, "Ki lolam chasdo" 26 times. For the first 26 generations, Hashem hadn't given the Torah yet and there was no reason for the world to exist. Yet he kept the world in motion out of his kindness.

It says, "Barasi yetzer hara barasi Torah tavlin." (I created the evil inclination and I created the Torah as an antidote.) The Torah oppresses and breaks the evil inclination which in turn brings the Shechina to dwell inside our hearts.

The Rambam in Hilchot Shabbat discusses the laws of Kiddush. The kot (cup) should hold a minimum of a reviit. It must be washed on the outside and inside so that no residue of dirt remains. It should be filled to the top. One should hold it in the right hand and lift it up a tefach-about 3.3 inches. One should make the blessing Al Hagafen and Mekadesh HaShabbat.

The Mishne Berura adds that the kot should be picked up with both hands to show chavivot (love) for the mitzvah and then transferred to the right hand. There's a Kabbalistic custom to place it in the palm of ones hand with the fingers facing heavenward. One should gaze at the cup to enhance one's kavana (intention). The Shulchan Aruch writes that it shouldn't be a kos peguma (a broken cup). Ideally even the base shouldn't have any cracks or dents. The Mishne Berura brings the Magen Avraham quoting the Bach that a yorei shamayim (one who fears Hashem) should don a hat and jacket when making Kiddush. This is based on the Gemara that says that when a person makes a blessing on a kot shel bracha he should be wrapped.

There are three primary opinions on how large the kot must be. The Chazon Ish held that it must contain 5.3 ounces or 150 milliliters, the numerical value of kot hagun. Rav Chaim Naeh ruled that it must hold 3.2 ounces or 86 milliliters, the numerical value of kot. Rav Moshe held that it must be 4.4 ounces.

The Shulchan Aruch writes that ideally one should make Kiddush on wine that one enjoys. The wine shouldn't be pagum- touched by human lips. If it was touched by other parts of the body like one's fingers, it's fine. If a person makes Kiddush, then drinks the wine, and would then like to pour back what is left, he should add a bit of wine from the bottle to the kot and mix the new wine with the old wine and then pour it back.

The Shulchan Aruch rules that the one who made Kiddush must drink a malei lugmov-a cheek full of the wine. For the average person, this is the majority of a reviit. The mitzvah min hamuvchar is for everyone who heard the Kiddush to taste of the wine. He writes further that if the one whomade Kiddush doesn't want to drink from the wine, someone who heard the Kiddush may drink it instead. The Ritva adds that if a few people take a sip and it adds up to a malei lugmav, one has fulfilled one's obligation. Arvut (exempting others with one's blessing) applies to birchat hamitzvot 'but it doesn't apply to birchat hanehin so how can we understand this ruling?

Rav Soloveitchik suggests that perhaps Borei Pri Hagefen in Kiddush is not like the other birchat hanehin. It melds into the blessing of Mekadesh haShabbat and becomes a birchat hamitzvah. Therefore even if the one who made Kiddush doesn't drink from the wine, others can drink instead.

The Gemara in Eruvin asks, how can one make Kiddush on Yom Kippur without drinking the wine? The Gemara suggests that one should give the wine to a child. It then says that this practice is poor chinuch because the child may think that for the sake of Kiddush one may drink on Yom Kippur. Still Rashi says that someone must drink from the wine not because it's a bracha levatala (a blessing said in vain) but because it's degrading to the kot. We see that the Borei Pri Hagafen becomes a part of the mitzvah of Kiddush. Others can drink from the wine because it's not a chovot gavra (requirement on the individual) but a chovot cheftza (requirement on the object).

There are three different positions on what aspect of Kiddush is Torah mandated. The most stringent view holds that every aspect of Kiddush is d'orayta. We follow the position of the Rambam who rules that the words are d'orayta while the kot and drinking the wine is d'rabanun. The intermediate view proposed by Tosfot says that the words and the kot are d'orayta while the drinking is d'rabanun. The Pnei Yehoshua questions, how can the blessing be d'orayta and the drinking d'rabanun? If we follow the view that the bracha melds into Kiddush it becomes part of Kiddush d'orayta.

Halacha states, "Ein Kiddush eleh b'makom seudah." If one makes Kiddush without eating a meal afterwards it is considered a bracha l'vatala and one has not fulfilled one's obligation of Kiddush. The Navi in Yeshaya writes, "V'karasa l'Shabbat oneg," In the place that you call Shabbat, namely Kiddush, there your oneg should be.

Is Kiddush b'makom seudah a din of Kiddush or a din of oneg? The Rashbam brings two opinions. The first opinion holds that it's a din of oneg. Chazal wanted to create a situation where one would make Kiddush on the finest wine so they ruled that one should make Kiddush b'makom seudah. The second opinion says it's a halacha of Kiddush.

There's a disagreement between the Rabbeinu Yonah and the Rosh in Masechtos Pesachim and Rabbi Akiva Eiger in Shulchan Aruch whether din Kiddush b'makom seudah is a dorayta or d'rabbanun. If it's a din oneg then its d'rabanun, because seudat Shabbos is based on the verse in Navi. But if it's a din in Kiddush its d'orayta. The Rosh and Rav Akiva Eiger rule that it's d'orayta.

There's a discussion between the Gaonim and the Gra over what is considered a seudah (meal). The Gaonim held that anything that requires a M'ein Shalosh is fine, for example a piece of cake or a reviit of wine. The Gra ruled that a seudah requires bread. If Kiddush b'makom seudah is a din of oneg, one needs to be koveah seudah (establish the meal) by beginning with Kiddush and ending with Retzei in bentching. However the Gaonim who rule that Chazal established Kiddush b'makom seudah so that one should use good wine, hold that the meal does not require bread.