
Parashat And Sidra Of Vayetzei

Parashat Vayetzei is the 7th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.
“Vayifga bamakom” – “He met the place.”
Yakov at the moment when he is forced to leave the house and flee to Charan because of his brother’s hatred – Esau, before leaving Israel, stumbles upon a holy place – Mount Moriah. He cannot leave Israel without staying in this place, and without meeting G-d there and blessing from him. (Even today, people who move and change their place of residence go to their rabbis to receive from them a blessing to their journey).
In addition to blessing him, G-d also shows him in the form of a dream certain messages that he must Yakov know.
An interesting point in this meeting is the modesty of Yaakov, who says: “…if he gives me bread food and clothing, and I will return home in peace, it will be for (my) G-d.” Is that enough for him? Everyone who travels and returns from the journey alive and well, should be convinced that the Lord is with him did he help People want to see something bigger and more important to believe that they have been helped by G-d.
However, Yaakov is aware that it is not a matter of course to “survive” in a foreign country and in unknown conditions, that this requires a special grace from G‑d. Every emigrant knows this feeling of helplessness and danger in a foreign place, and also that feeling of gratitude, when he manages to “take hold” and “break through” in a new environment. With this change, man actually disrupts the natural order of the world. He was created in a certain place, in a certain society, and now suddenly he breaks those bonds and he is “pushing” to a place that is not his and for him. From this point of view, it is more understandable that asking for “survival” is no small thing. However, it can be done ask the other way around as well. How is it that Yaakov conditions his faith in the One G-d on being helped in his difficult the situation?
After all, he knows from his father and grandfather that G-d exists and is the ruler of the world. He doesn’t “owe” us anything, and we can’t judge him by what he does or doesn’t do for us. So how dare Yaakov demand proof from G-d by committing himself to him?
For the answer, we have to take a good look at what exactly Jakov is saying. It doesn’t say if G-d doesn’t do this or that for me, then I won’t believe in him, he doesn’t exist. In this way, many people think that it is God’s duty that the Lord do something for them he did, and if he didn’t, he just isn’t.
Yaakov knows that he is and will remain G-d G-d, even if nothing is done for him. What he says is not a test for G-d, he is actually just repeating things that G-d had already promised him before (in dream) – that he will not leave him and will guard him, and return Yaakov back to his land (28:15).
So it’s not Yaakov’s making conditions for G-d, it’s more an agreement that he accepts these promises and agree to them.
“Vayaratz likrato, vaywchabek lo, vayenashek lo” – “He ran to meet him (Lavan), embraced him and kissed him”.
When Lavan heard that his nephew was coming to ask for the hand of his daughters, he rejoiced greatly. He remembered well how Eliezer – the servant of Abraham – came to them at one time and wanted a wife for
Yitzchak his sister – Rivka, and brought huge gifts. Now Lavan believes (somewhat rightly) that when the son himself comes and not just the servant, the gifts they will be much bigger.
The Midrash relates that after running out to meet him and seeing that there was no caravan of gifts with him, he runs to hug him, certain that he has gold hidden under his clothes. And when, after the hug, he didn’t discover that either, he kisses him to make sure he doesn’t have diamonds hidden
in your mouth. When he didn’t even find them, he stands confused and doesn’t understand how Jakov came to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage without anything.
And therefore the verse ends with the explanation – “vayesaper le-Lavan et kol ha-dvarim” – “…and told (Yaakov) to Lavan all things”.
Yaakov explains that he was forced to flee the house in a hurry from his brother Esav.
Another explanation, the Midrash tells us, is that although he left the house with great wealth, he was on a journey overtaken by Eliphaz – the son of Esau, who pursued him to kill him. When he caught up with him and it was difficult for him to kill Yaakov, Yaakov offered him all the property he had with
himself and told him that the moment he had nothing he was considered dead. (This is also one of rabbinical sayings in the Talmud – a man without anything is like a dead man – he has none means of survival). Eliphaz therefore took all of Jacob’s possessions and thereby “killed” him as it were. This is the reason why he comes without gifts, but immediately finds a way to comfort the poor
Lavan and promises to work for him for 7 years, for his daughter Rachel. Lavan later lied to him, and so in the end Jakov worked for him for 20 long years. “Vehine malachey elokim olim veyordim bo” – “And behold, G-d’s angels ascend and descend him (the ladder)”.
On his departure from Israel, Yaakov slept the last night in the territory of the Holy Land. Here he had a dream in which he saw a group of angels ascending to heaven and another group, which descends to him on the ground. (I had exactly same dream like my 67th great grandfather where I saw bright and dark angels but also Hashem but I was very afraid to carry on surprisingly same as my 67th great grandfather.)
Our Sages explain that groups of guardian angels were changing. There are others in Israel and there are others outside of Israel.
It was to show Yaakov that it was not easy to leave Israel. (Recently when I visited Israel it was so hard to leave Israel).
From this story too, the halacha (regulation) developed that a person living in Israel is forbidden to leave Israel and go live somewhere else. There are only three reasons one is allowed to leave Israel.
1) to learn (or teach) Torah – if there are better conditions or teachers somewhere else for Torah learning, one can go to “chutzlaretz” (outside Israel).
The Torah is more important in this case, as it is the foundation of all Judaism. Also in our long history there were places where the center of Jewish education was outside of Israel – Babylon, later Spain, Europe, etc.
2) find a wife – another “legal” reason is to create a family. If a man fails to find a wife in Israel, he has the right to go look for her elsewhere. This was also Jacob’s reason, so he cannot be blamed for wrongfully leaving Israel.
3) according to the Rambam (Maimonides), the third reason is to save oneself from the enemies, the non-Jews, who they threaten a person in Israel. From this point of view, Yaakov’s motive was justified.
The halacha states that the third reason for employment is livelihood. If a person cannot support himself in Israel, he can go elsewhere to find work. However, our story emphasizes the special sanctity of the Land of Israel and the importance for every Jew to strive to live in it. To the extent that even if a woman who wants to move to Israel cannot
her husband to defend her, and in case he does not want to follow her, he must divorce her to allow her to do so. And this despite the fact that according to normal Halacha’s regulations a woman does not have the right to initiate a divorce, this is the only time she is given the right to do so. From all this we can see how important it is for Jews to live in Israel, how it is not easy to leave it “legally”
leave, and how everyone should try to move there and thus strengthen the so-called “yishuv eretz Israel” (the settlement of Israel).
Two more can be learned from the story of the angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven important and interesting things. On the one hand, this ladder shows how the world and man work in him.
After all, angels do not need a ladder to ascend and descend, so why does the Torah write to us about a ladder. To learn that all things, both on earth and in the heavens – spiritual worlds, have one’s level, and that one has to step up gradually to achieve something – rung by rung, and that’s it thus achieving the desired goal. You cannot achieve things in a sudden leap, all at once.
The second thing that Jakov saw and understood in his dream was that it is also necessary to perform descent. Until this moment, Jakov “just sat in a tent” (“yoshev ohalim”), lived a detached, ascetic life way, floating in the spirit worlds. Now G-d is showing him that if he really wants to achieve something in life, he must “descend” to of the material world, to act in it, and to “get dirty” a little, so that he can really achieve high spiritual levels. It tells the lesson that the “Bal Shem Tov” (the founder of Hasidism) gave to his disciples when he told them – “If you really want to help someone who is in the mud, you can’t stand over him and just shake his hand. You have to dive into the mud with him, and then get him out of the mud push out from below”.
This was another message in the dream for Jacob, when G-d showed him that he must be actively involved in “doing” in this world, and only then will he rise. Therefore, when Yaakov came to Lavan, he immediately began to work as a shepherd, all the time
twenty years that he served with him.
In this approach to life, Judaism is different from all other religions, that it perceives this one the material world positively, and as a means of spiritual growth and elevation.
Of course, one must use common sense to keep the peace as far as possible to “descend into the mud” so that he can climb out of it. It also does not give anyone “en bloc” permission engaging in various dubious activities.
It is advice on how to help a person, not how to destroy him. As they say in Judaism – “chacham eynav berosho” – “the wise man has his eyes in his head” – meaning that he sees into the future what what he does will bring him.
“Vayagel et ha-even meal pí ha-beer” – “And he rolled the stone from the mouth of the well”.
After Yaakov came to Haran, he meets the shepherds at the well and then Rachel and helps her to water her herd by rolling away a huge boulder (which not even three men could move) from the well. Why does the Torah tell us this “strong piece” of Yaakov?
Therefore, we will not value him more or less for this performance. He is important to us as a “holy man” and the father of all the twelve tribes of Israel, and not as “strongman”.
So the reason we are being told this story is probably different. In the Torah we see that the story of the well that brought married couples together repeats itself three times.
The first time at Yitzchak’s (or Eliezer’s) with Rivka, where the well was a test of her human qualities.
The second is our story of Jacob with Rachel, the third is the story of Moses (after he fled Egypt) with Zipporah (his later wife) and her sisters. In the case of both Jacob and Moshe, it is their test. What they have in common is that they are both fleeing from danger to a foreign land Earth.
From this we begin to see the reason for their “heroic deeds” at the well. By being on the run, they could be seen by those around them as weaklings who can’t cope with his pursuers. Therefore, both Yakov and Moshe must show that the cause of their flight is something other than their own physical strength – they have that to give away. Another motive on their part is certainly to give themselves confidence in a stranger, and perhaps to them hostile environment.
And finally, by the fact that they both come to a foreign country without any means, they automatically have to arouse the suspicion of those around them in terms of moral qualities. And therefore they do actions that show not only their moral integrity, but much more their human qualities and sensitivity to help those in need. They immediately help those who need help – Jakov helps Rachel water her herd; Moshe helps Jitra’s daughters defend themselves against the other shepherds who are “overtaking” them. For all these reasons, the Torah tells us of deeds that may appear to the uninitiated eye as “power moves” but which actually teach us much more about our greatest ancestors, show us their personality and moral qualities in their relationship to others. They are the cornerstone of our entire tradition, and we must learn from them.
Chassidic Parashat
Mother Knows The Best
“And Yaakov left from Be’er Sheva and went to Charan.” (Bereishis 28:10) The Midrash Rabbah (Bereishis 68:7), offers a number of interpretations of the phrase “And Yaacov left from Be’er . . . “. One interpretation is truly amazing. Rebbi Brachya said, he left from the well (Be’er) of blessings. Yaacov fled from Esav so that Esav would not corner him and contend that he took his blessings
through deceit. “Then”, said Yaacov, “all of the efforts of my mother would have been for nothing.” This Midrash needs explanation.
Rifka, the mother of Yaakov and Esav, was a singular figure in our history. Rifka was always clear headed and focused. She always knew exactly what to do. When Eliezer, the servant of Avraham went to Charan to find a wife for Yitzchok, he reasoned that only a young lady who exemplified the quality of Chesed would be fitting to join the household of Avraham. So he devised his plan, whereby he would request water for himself to drink. If she also offered to water the camels, that would be a sign of her true quality of Chesed.
But how would such Chesed mesh with the stern Gevurah of Yitzchok? Maybe Eliezer should have looked for a young lady who more exemplified Gevurah? In the second circuit of Simchas Torah, which is the circuit of Yitzchok Avinu, we call out Hadur Bil’Vusho, Hatzlicha Na (resplendent in attire, grant us success). Hadar is an aspect of Gevurah. Here the Gevurah is called attire, something which only enclothes that which is underneath, but is not that thing itself. The Gevurah of Yitzchok turns out to be only a garment, not his essence. Rifka’s incredible Chesed overshadows her Gevurah. She always knew what to do.
She never, ever entertained any doubts. When she met Eliezer, she knew to water
his camels despite the time and energy it would take. When he asked her numerous questions about her family, she knew to answer each one in the proper order. When her mother and brother asked her if she would agree to go back with Eliezer to become the wife of Yitzchok, she answers in one word, “Elech!” (I will go.)
When she was barren she knew to pray to Hashem and she knew the right prayer. When she felt the bickering in her belly, she knew that this was not the quality of the Tzaddik that she was supposed to give birth to. She went to the sages to inquire and was relieved to find out that she was going to have twins. One would indeed be a Tzaddik, one not. When she heard that Yitzchok was going to bless Esav first, she again knew just
what to do. Without any wavering she prepared Yaakov to receive the blessings
instead. This quality of Gevurah underlies the Chesed which we normally associate
with Rifka. Rifka was Gevurah enclothed by Chesed. Yitzchok was Chesed enclothed by Gevurah. That is indeed a match. Yaakov being Tiferes, was the true progeny of the union of Yitzchok and Rifka. Yaakov, understanding this thought to himself, “How can I let my mother’s efforts go to waste? She did what was proper and necessary as always. There should be no question in my mind as to whom the blessings of our father belong.” So Yaakov fled to Charan, with the blessing still intact.
I Am Who I Am?
“Yaakov awoke from his sleep. ‘Hashem was in this place’, he said, ‘but I didn’t
even know.’” (Bereishis 28:16) R’ Yisrael of Tchortkov commented on the words, “. . . but I didn’t even know”. Because the “I”, the ego, “didn’t know”, didn’t assert itself, I was therefore granted a glimpse of the divine presence.
One Man’a Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor
“And if You will give me food to eat and clothes to wear, And Hashem will be my
G-d.” (Bereishis 28:21)
At the wedding of the grandson of R’ Yisrael of Tchortkov to the daughter of the Mittler Rebbe, R’ Dov Ber of Chabad, the father of the groom R’ Mordechai, the Maggid of Chernobyl, went around to each and every one of the guests, poured them a glass of schnapps, and wished them L’Chaim with the added blessing for success in Ruchnius and Gashmius (in spiritual matters and in material, financial matters).
On the other hand, his mechutan Rebbe Dov Ber, wished his guest L’Chaim with the additional appellation for success in Gashmius and Ruchnius (the reverse order) according the Chabad custom.
When R’ Mordechai of Chernobyl asked him about this, Rebbe Dov Ber answered that we learn from Yaacov Avinu who asked for food and clothing before he expressed his devotion to Hashem. Therefore, we also precede a blessing for Ruchnius with that of Gashmius. R’ Mordechai however, would not let the matter rest. “Do you think”, he replied, “that the Gashmius of Yaacov Avinu is like ours!?”
Keep Up Your Guard
“. . . and Hashem (Adonoy) will be my G-d (Elokim).” (Bereishis 28:21) Said the Baal ShemTov, ” Know Him in all your ways.” (Proverbs 3) That means whether for the good or for the bad. If a person experiences something which seems bad then should contemplate how that experience is actually a kapporah. (atonement)
From Tzaddikim we learn how to take this process one step further. When a Tzaddik has an experience which is positive, he becomes concerned that maybe he is using up his merits which are his to enjoy in the world to come. Therefore, the Tzaddik is always careful to constantly be adding merits, to replace those which he might have used up. This then is the meaning of the verse. Hashem, who represents Chesed and
goodness, will be my G-d, (Elokim), my judge. The Tzaddik never is content to rest and enjoy the good he experiences from Hashem. Rather he judges what the consequences of every experience might be. Therefore he continually adds more and more Torah and mitzvohs to that he will never run short or merits.
The Wellsprings Of Judaism
“And Yaakov saw Rachel, the daughter of Lavan his uncle, with the flocks of his uncle Lavan. Yaacov approached and rolled the rock off from the mouth of the well, and he watered the flocks of his uncle Lavan.” (Bereishis 29:10)
As was mentioned last week in Parshat Toldos, there is a special relationship
between the Avos and the (water) wells. Avraham dug wells and the Philistines stopped them up. Yitzchok redug those
wells and as well as new ones. Yaakov uncovered a well already in service by
rolling off the rock on top of it. Each new instance of uncovering or revealing wells, was a revelation of a source of living waters, and water means Torah. The Avos made Tikkunim (healing or rectifications) by way of revealing wells. It is a Hisgalus haTorah and of a new path in Avodas Hashem (divine service). Each one of the Avos charted new
ground when he uncovered a well. Each one with his own special quality revealed for us a new path in Avodas Hashem. Avraham worked according to the trait of Ahavah (love). He dug wells, but the Philistines stopped them up with dirt. Why does the Torah specify with what the wells were stopped up? Dirt, represents material desire, and the drive to replace the desire and love for Hashem with the desire for material gain. Because of Avraham’s great love for Hashem, nothing could stop up those wells as long as Avraham was alive.
R’ Moshe of Kobrin, in describing the great love of Avraham Avinu for Hashem, said that it was amazing the oven which he was cast into in Ur Kasdim, did not itself burst into flames from the fiery love of Avraham for Hashem. Yitzchok returned to redig the wells of Chesed of his father using his quality of Gevurah (yirah or awe). (Bereishis 26:18) He showed that although Yirah is a
lower level of service than Ahavah, one must first master this quality to be able to
serve Hashem with Ahavah. Yaakov, rolled the rock off of the well. “Well” represents the Torah, while “rock” represents the Yetzer Hara. The Talmud states (Kiddushin 30b), “I (Hashem) created the Yetzer Hara, and I also created the Torah as the antidote”.
Yaakov means “heel” the lowest part of the body. He represents self-nullification and elimination of the ego. This is a vital factor in being able to reveal the Torah of Hashem, particularly in the time before the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai.
Yaakov served Hashem with the Chesed of Avraham and with the Gevurah of Yitzchok.
Yaakov represents the exertion needed to progress in Avodas Hashem. When Yarolled the rock off the well, he did the work of many men with his little finger. Yaakov was 84 years old before he finally began to see the fruit of his labors and he fathered the first of the 12 Tribes of Israel. The “Path of the Just” explains Yaacov’s amazing strength in Kedusha. In the beginning it comes through effort, in the end it comes as a gift from Hashem. Our inheritance from Yaakov is the ability to stay on the path, increasing the level of service every day. Hashem’s gifts are bestowed on those who exert themselves
to serve him.
What’s In A Name
“This time I will thank Hashem.” (Bereishis) 29:35
What is special about name Yehuda that we Jews are called Yehudim as opposed to Reuveinim or Shimonim etc. Leah knew with Ruach HaKodesh that she was destined to be one of four mothers. That meant. A simple calculation gives each one 3 children. When Leah had her fourth son she thanked Hashem for receiving more than her fair share. This is the essence of a Jew, constantly thanking Hashem. A Jew understands that everything that Hashem gives is a gift. In reality, we don’t deserve anything, nevertheless Hashem gives. And we thank Hashem for it.
Teshuva, Don’t Leave The World Without It
Once a Chassid from a neighboring town came to Reb Hirsh Riminover and begged him to somehow intercede so that his father-in-law would die. “What!” exclaimed Reb Hirsh, “What are you talking about.”
“Well, my father-in-law is very old, already more than 100 years” explained the chassid, “And he has to be watched over all the time. He can’t really do much for himself, and he is miserable most of the time.” “He doesn’t learn and doesn’t daven any more. He has had enough of life already, but he just keeps hanging on day after day, week after week, year after year.”
R’ Hirsh didn’t really know what to say, but he reasoned that a Yid who lived to
such an age must have some kind of merit. He commanded the chassid to bring in the old man to speak with him. The chassid protested saying that his father was too old and too feeble, but R’ Hirsh wouldn’t relent. “Bring him in anyway as I have requested,” he ordered. So they picked up the old man and brought him to Riminov. They carried him in on a bed and placed him in front of R’ Hirsh. R’ Hirsh began to ask him questions. He soon found out that the old man had been a simple, boorish Jew. He had been a
Ba’al HaAgaloh (wagon driver) all of his life. He davened in the morning, but his real interest was to get to breakfast. He went to Shul on Shabbos, but the cholent (Sabbath stew) was his goal.
R’ Hirsh peppered him with more questions to find out of the old Jew could remember any reason that might account for his many years. Maybe there was some special m mitzvah that he did once or some experience, maybe he had been to
a Tzaddik on some special occasion.
Then the old Jew recalled once some Avrechim had asked him to take them for
Shabbos to a town about a half a days journey away called Lizhensk. The pleaded
with me but I didn’t want to go. I told them that I like Shabbos at home with my bed and my cholent. But they promised me a good wage and the same food that I would eat at home and then some. So I finally agreed and we set off. We got there not long before Shabbos and they set me up in a nice hotel”.
“Sure enough, right after the davening, they showed up with a great meal, everything, just as I like it. They came back a little while later and they asked me I wanted to go with to some kind of gathering, but I told them that I didn’t come for that kind of thing, and they should let me sleep. So, being decent guys they did.”
“In the morning after the davening, they again brought me a good meal with a cholent even better than what I would have gotten at home. I ate my fill and went to sleep.”
“When I got up from my nap it was close to dark and nobody was around. I waited awhile but none of my passengers showed their faces. So I went to look for them.
I came to the Shul and I heard the loudest singing and wildest dancing you can imagine. It sounded like they were all shikker (plastered). I peeked inside and
there were empty bottles on the table and these guys were singing and dancing like anything. When I went in I saw that they were in a circle and they were all dancing around with one of them in the middle. He must have been the chief shikker or something because he was tall and his face was red like fire and he was dancing with his eyes closed and they were all singing and dancing around him.”
At this point R’ Hirsh stopped the old man exclaiming that now he understood everything. The tall one in the middle with a face red like fire was none other the Rebbe, R’ Elimelech of Lizhensk. He explained that there it is well known that anybody whoever saw the even just glimpsed the face of R’ Elimelech would not be able to leave the world until he had done Teshuva. Then R’ Hirsh turned towards the old man and started to explain to him in a gentle fatherly way how Hashem created the world, and how everything in it was put there for our benefit. He described the beauty of the creation, how every aspect of it is perfect, existing together in total harmony. Then he began to explain the nature of the Jewish soul. He described how every Jew is like one Neshama, we are only separated by the physical bodies that we bear. Later, he gave us the Torah and its Mitzvos, specific instruction for serving Hashem and understanding His will. The old Jew sat and listened but didn’t utter a sound.
So R’ Hirsh continued. He began to describe how we were given the Shabbos to further bring ourselves closer to Hashem. We welcome the Shabbos, and Hashem comes to us and so to speak, sits at our table with us sharing our food and company.
At this point the old Jew turned his head and stared dreamily out the window. A moment passed and he let out a deep sigh. R’ Hirsh (who was a Cohen) quickly ordered all of the Cohanim to immediately leave the room (Cohanim even today are forbidden contact with the dead). The old Jew, heaved one more sigh of remorseful repentance, and left this world for the world to come.
A Guten Shabbos!