Parshas Toldos Erev Shabbos Shabbos Day Mincha 6:15pm Shacharis 9:00am Plag Hamincha 6:32pm Latest time for Shema 9:36am Latest Candle lighting 7:41pm Shabbos Mincha 4:30 / 7:20pm Shkiya 7:58pm Shabbos Ends 8:45pm Reminder - please register for Shabbos Minyonim Shabbos Afternoon Boys Groups Shabbos Afternoon groups are back This week 5-5:45pm Years 1 Up Short Vort on the Parsha When Yitzchak wished to give a brocha to Eisav, he first instructed him "Prepare for me delicacies such as I love and bring it to me and I will eat, so that I may bless you before I die" (Bereishis 27:4). Why did Yitzchak feel the need to eat supper before blessing his son? The Drashos HaRan explains that Yitzchak wished to give Eisav a brocha achieved specifically through prophecy to ensure that it would come to fruition. In order to reach a state of prophecy, a person must first achieve an extremely high spiritual level. However, the body opposes this rapid ascension into the spiritual realm since it suppresses the physical aspects of the body. To combat these feelings of resistance, the prophet must first pacify his body. While some prophets achieved this state after listening to music, Yitzchak accomplished this through the consumption of delicious food. Rav Wolbe writes that this is a concept that every person must reckon with regarding their Avodas Hashem. A person should try as much as possible to refrain from causing direct clashes between the soul and the body. Thus, one should take care to eat at scheduled times and to sleep well so that his body will not protest any strides taken toward greater levels of spirituality. Additionally, one should avoid any situation that provokes and arouses bodily desires. Much of our Avodas Hashem depends on how we prepare ourselves in advance. First of all take proper care of your body's needs. Additionally, don't knowingly put yourself into a situation where you must force yourself to overcome the temptations of the Yetzer Hara! A little foresight makes our mission in this world so much easier.