Story: In 32:11, Yaakov tells Hashem that he fears that he has no merit, for he worried that he may have done something wrong that would render him undeserving of Hashem’s protection (see Rashi) - or so he thinks. Hashem tells him that no, it was not, and that Hashem is always with him.
Halacha / Lesson: If Yaakov Avinu had to worry about the fact that he may have done sins that would render him undeserving of Hashem’s protection, how much more so must we examine ourselves for sins, and thank Hashem for the fact that although we do sins, he still takes care of us an protects us.
Story: In 32:23, Rashi comments that Yaakov hid Dina in a box, so that Eisav wouldn’t see her and desire her. Rashi continues and says that Yaakov was punished for this, because had Eisav married Dina, she might have been able to convince him to do Teshuva. The punishment was that Dina was later captured by Shechem.
Halacha / Lesson: If Eisav, who is described so many times as a great Rasha, might have done Teshuva, no Jew should despair, and think that Hashem has forgotten them, because if Hashem would accept Eisav’s Teshuva, then He surely will accept any Jew’s Teshuva, no matter how low the Jew has stooped.
Mitzva: This week’s Parasha has the negative commandment of not eating the Gid HaNasheh, the sciatic nerve, of an animal. (32:33)
What the Haftorah has to do with the Parasha?
This week’s Haftorah connects with the Parasha because it mentions Yaakov, Yosef and Eisav. The main topic of the Haftorah is Eisav being utterly destroyed by Yaakov - which is what will happen when Yaakov does what he says in this week’s Parasha - namely that ‘I will come to Seir (the place where Eisav lived)’. When Yaakov comes to Seir, he will do what it says in the end of the Haftorah - “וְעָל֚וּ מֽוֹשִׁעִים֙ בְּהַ֣ר צִיּ֔וֹן לִשְׁפֹּ֖ט אֶת־הַ֣ר עֵשָׂ֑ו” - that the Jews will come and judge - and destroy - Eisav.
