Kitah daled at Moriah has been studying Parshat Vayishlach in depth, working hard at improving their textual skills and enhancing their understanding of the story and themes of Sefer Bereshit through the study of the pesukim, Rashi and classroom discussions. Recently, the class has been focusing on Yaakov Avinu’s preparation for his upcoming encounter with his brother Esav. The theme of class discussions has been hishtadlut, effort, as Yaakov had not only relied on tefillah, but also prepared many gifts to appease his brother, as well as prepared for the possibility of a war. The students related this idea to their own lives, when they need to achieve their own goals, and what it takes to invest in accomplishing our goals. For example, the students discussed that in order to do well on a test, or get onto a sports team or get a main role part in a performance, they must work on those skills and it will require a tremendous amount of effort on their behalf to achieve their goals, together with tefillot to Hashem. Taking this lesson from Yaakov, they understand the deeper messages that the stories in Sefer Bereshit are a model for all of us and how it should shape our lives—“maaseh avot siman l’banim.”