
“Vayeitzei Yaakov.” Rashi asks why the Torah mentions the leaving when we already know he’s going to Charan. Because when a tzadik leaves, the spiritual atmosphere shifts. His presence lifts the city, and when he’s gone, people feel the loss. If one tzadik’s departure creates a void, imagine the impact of all of Klal Yisrael…

Parshat Matot opens with a curious halacha: vows. If a Jew says something like “I won’t eat bread today,” it becomes halachically binding. Words alone create new spiritual realities. No action, no ritual—just speech. That’s the power Hashem gave us. It mirrors the opening of the Torah itself: “Vayomer Elokim—Yehi or.” Hashem spoke—and light came…