Where was Dina? The Pasuk lists eleven children crossing the river with Yaakov—but he had twelve. Why does Rashi say Yaakov was punished for hiding his young daughter from Esav? What kind of father wouldn't protect his child from a well-known rasha?Rashi reveals something uncomfortable: Dina had an extraordinary ability to transform people. Rabbi Klapper points to what happens later in the Parsha—after Shechem commits a terrible act, he turns around completely. The Torah uses such profound language of love that Chazal say we can learn how Hashem loves Klal Yisrael from Shechem's words about Dina. This wasn't charm. This was a spiritual power to see someone's hidden potential and draw it out. And Yaakov, by hiding her, denied even the possibility that Esav could change.Discover the koyach that women carry—to recognize strengths in others that they can't see in themselves. Learn why believing in someone's potential isn't naivety; it's how transformation actually happens.Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Why Did Rashi Say That series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our weekly Torah insights!

Why does Hashem never attach His name to a tzaddik while they're still alive? And why did He make an exception for Yitzchak? What does it mean that a person who no longer has a Yetzer Hara is considered "like dead"—even while still breathing, still learning Torah?Rashi reveals something startling in Parshas Vayeitzei. When Yitzchak went blind and became homebound, the Yetzer Hara stopped pursuing him. And because of that—not despite it—Hashem considered him as if he had already passed on. Rabbi Klapper uncovers the radical implication: our daily battles with temptation, with lashon hara, with the pull of gashmius—these aren't obstacles to living. They are living. The very struggles we wish would disappear are what make us alive in Hashem's eyes.Discover why your hardest moments are proof that Hashem believes in you. Learn how every test is actually Hashem saying, "I know you can win this—and I'm fighting alongside you."Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Why Did Rashi Say That series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our weekly Torah insights!

Why did Yitzchak make his blessing depend on food? Why demand that Esav hunt and serve him a meal first? Most puzzling: he used the word for "love"—the same emotion we use for a wife, a child, a soul—for this meal. What was Yitzchak really tasting?Rashi reveals something astonishing hidden in those hunting instructions: they're about kedusha, not just meal prep. Rabbi Klapper uncovers the deeper pattern: food is what connects your soul to your body. Rivka, a true tzedeket, infused her meals with spiritual holiness. Every time Yitzchak ate from her kitchen, he experienced kedusha—a real elevation of spirit. That's what he actually loved. That's what gave him the power to bless. When Yaakov brought Rivka's food, Yitzchak tasted it and felt "mikol"—everything—flooding through him. Only then could he give the bracha.Discover what this means for your own table: a righteous woman preparing food with intention, with kavanah, infuses every bite with kedusha. That's why food matters. That's why blessing flows from nourishment made holy. When you eat with awareness, you're not just feeding your body—you're connecting your soul to this world. That changes everything.Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Why Did Rashi Say That series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our weekly Torah insights!

Why did three miracles suddenly return when Yitzchak brought Rivka into Sarah's tent? And what does it mean that he loved her after he married her—not before?Rashi reveals an astonishing pattern: the candle that burned all week, the blessing in the dough, and the cloud over the tent weren't just signs of Sarah's greatness—they were the spiritual DNA of a Torah home. When Sarah died, they vanished. When Rivka arrived, they returned. But why these three specific miracles? And what do they have to do with the mitzvos given uniquely to women?Rabbi Klapper uncovers the deep connection between Sarah's tent, the Mishkan, and the three mitzvos that bring the Shechina into every Jewish home: lighting Shabbos candles, separating challah, and keeping the laws of family purity. Through Yitzchak's story, we learn that real love isn't built on attraction or chemistry—it's born from witnessing your spouse build a home with kedusha. Discover why appreciating the "invisible work" of creating a Torah home is the secret to lasting love, and how every Jewish woman carries the power to make her home a dwelling place for Hashem.Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Why Did Rashi Say That series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our weekly Torah insights!