Always Connected

Rashi (26:42) says Yaakov is spelled with an extra vav for Yaakov took a vav from Eliyahu’s name to guarantee he will redeem Klal Yisroel.  How does the vav represent the guarantee of redemption and why is Yaakov willing to guarantee our redemption more than Eliyahu?  The Shem M'Shmuel explains based upon the Zohar which says the letter vav represents emet.  There are two levels of truth.  There is truth based upon how things appear and then there is a deeper level of truth where even what isn’t seen is takin into consideration.  Eliyahu follows the middah of emet, hence if Klal Yisroel sin, he doesn’t want to redeem them for they aren’t worthy.  Yaakov sees a deeper level of emet.  He sees that even if we sin its only because of the yetzer harah, however inside we truly remain connected to Hashem and are fitting for redemption.  Yaakov took a vav means he raised the level of emet of Eliyahu to his deeper level of emet.  The Shem M'Shmuel uses the same idea to explain the Gemorah in Megillah 25b which suggests not to translate the klallot for people will figure we will get punished anyway, so we might as well enjoy this world (translation of Rashi’s explanation of Gemorah there.)  The Gemorah concluded we aren’t worried about that.  Why not?  The Shem M'Shmuel says because Klal Yisroel always want to do the desire of Hashem.  (See a different explanation of why the vav is the guarantor here.)

The Zohar says on the verse (26:44) לֹֽא־מְאַסְתִּ֤ים וְלֹֽא־גְעַלְתִּים֙ לְכַלֹּתָ֔ם לְהָפֵ֥ר בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ם.  The Zohar has a play on words that כלותם is like the wordכלה .  It brings a parable that even if one’s bride is in the tannery and is absorbs a bad odor, not only will the groom still love her, but it will even appear to him that she smells nice.  So too, even if we sinned Hashem still desires us. 

The Shem M'Shmuel in Behar (5670) points out even one who sells himself to work for the avodah zarah Hashem still says כי לי בני ישראל עבדים about him.  Even one who falls to such a low level that he is working for the Church; Hashem still calls him His עבד.  That is the great love Hashem has for us.  That is because בפנימיות the person never becomes contaminated. 

The parsha after the קללות is ערכין.  What is the connection?  The Chozeh Melublin explains its coming to teach us that even if one is obligated to receive all the curses still s/he has tremendous value to Hashem.