Vayeitzei
ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה. ויפגע במקום וילן שם וגו' ויקח מאבני המקום
וישם מראשותיו וישכב במקום ההוא. ויחלם והנה סלם מצב ארצה וראשו מגיע
השמימה והנה מלאכי אלקים עלים וירדים בו. והנה ה' נצב עליו וגו'. וייקץ יעקב
עתי. ויירא ויאמר מה נורא וגו'.וייקץ יעקב משנתו ויאמר אכן יש ה' במקום הזה ואנכי לא ידעתי. ויירא ויאמר מה נורא וגו'.וישא יעקב רגליו וגו' (כח,י-יז; כט, א)
And Yaakov left Be’er Sheva and went to Charan. He reached the location and lodged there… and he took from the stones of the place and placed [them] about his head and he lay down in that place. And he dreamt. And behold: a ladder erected upon the ground with its head reaching the heaven, and behold: divine angels were ascending and descending upon it. And behold: Hashem was standing upon him… And Yaakov awoke from his sleep and said, “Indeed, Hashem’s Presence is in this place and I was unaware!” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome…” And Yaakov lifted up his feet…
There are many questions that one can raise about this passage.
Furthermore, the Zohar* underscores the significance of Yaakov’s subsequent experience in Charan, characterizing it as his encounter with the Dark Side that proved his mettle, earning him his place alongside Avraham and Yitzchak. As the preface to that ordeal, our passage assumes great significance for Yaakov’s personal development.
But, before all that: what message does this passage contain for the average person in his daily life?
In describing protocol for waging war, the Torah states המלחמה אל כקרבכם והיה, It shall be when you draw close to the battle.**Rashi, based on Chazal, explains this to mean הספר מן לצאתכם סמוך, before your exit from the border. Reading the word הספר as the book, we can homiletically interpret this as a warning that personal struggle begins upon one’s exit from the spiritual cocoon of the study hall. Once one is exposed to the street he becomes vulnerable to its manifold temptations and he cannot rely upon his previous Torah study to protect him. For this, one needs someone akin to a personal מלחמה משוח כהן, the kohen who was tasked with inspiring the troops to remember Hashem and trust in Him, as described in that passage.
This, too, may be the meaning of our passage. שבע מבאר יעקב ויצא, Yaakov had left the embrace of his prolonged stay in yeshivah; upon exiting it, חרנה וילך, he immediately confronted the challenges of the Yetzer HaRa, the אף חרון, the flaring anger of the Dark Side. The solution was במקום ויפגע. The term המקום refers to the Tetragrammaton (as each letter of the latter squared is the equivalent of one letter of ם"מקו(.
Another observation that can be made regards the Sages’ explanation that when Yaakov reached Charan he realized that he had neglected to pray at Mount Moriah, where his ancestors had prayed. Upon turning back, he was miraculously transported to the site. The question is why, indeed, did Yaakov not have this realization earlier?
In order to answer this, let us turn to the well-known narrative of R. Shimon b. Yochai.*** Upon completing a stay of twelve years within a cave, during which time they studied and prayed without pause, he and his son emerged to the jarring sight of a world frivolously engaged in material pursuits. In order to prevent them from wreaking destruction upon all that they beheld, they were scuttled by Heaven back into the cave, where they remained for an additional year. They then emerged with a more sympathetic attitude to the broader world, bringing blessing upon it.
What exactly transpired here?
Initially, R. Shimon and his son were of the conviction that service of Hashem consists only of pure spiritual engagements, such as study, prayer, and fasting. As such, the sight of people shirking these activities for mundane ones disturbed them. They realized, however, that their enforced return to the cave was a corrective message, pointing to a more sophisticated form of divine service. All human activity, even the most mundane, can be spiritual if one uses it as a vehicle for seeing the omnipresence of Hashem. For example, those trained in such matters are able to utilize everyday chit-chat to perform yichudim (divine cognitions using permutations of His Name). And, as I heard from my mentor the Besht, even entertaining oneself in order to relieve stress can be utilized for such an experience. What’s more, even a distinctly anti-spiritual experience, such as exposure to another’s religious failings or being actively disturbed from one’s study or prayer should be appreciated as heaven-sent for one’s betterment. This is the ultimate fulfillment of the injunction ****דעהו דרכיך בכל, to know Hashem in all of one’s ways. And, as I would render the familiar verse,***** תמיד לנגדי' ה שויתי – taking נגד in the sense of confrontation – even when Hashem seems to be working against me, אמוט בל מימיני כי, I will not lapse in my relationship with him.******
This may be what played out with Yaakov. שבע מבאר יעקב ויצא, On his way out of the land, he secluded himself in the yeshivah of Ever and preoccupied himself unceasingly with the study of Torah. Upon his exit and re-exposure to the mundanity of society, he was gripped with a violent revulsion to it, and חרנה וילך, he triggered divine anger in the world. However, לחרן מטא כי, when he realized that this was untenable, למיהדר דעתיה יהיב, he decided to modify his position, in a manner similar to R. Shimon’s return to the cave. In Yaakov’s case, the process was expedited – he immediately realized his error and it was immediately rectified, הארץ לו קפצה מיד. The term ארץ refers to Rachamim, the Attribute of Mercy, in contrast to יבשה, which is Din, the Attribute of Judgment. This indicates the above transformation from a negative attitude to a positive one. The new, positive attitude “jumped at him.” And, as mentioned, the mountain is described as מקום for its connection to the Tetragrammaton, the Name of Mercy. Note that the Name does not appear openly, rather encoded within another word. This is to indicate Yaakov’s realization of the divinity cloaked within the physical world. Hence, ויפגע, a contentious encounter – the Name of Hashem appearing in a fashion that seems contrary to divine service. השמש בא כי, the sun had set, the clarity of awareness was gone, שם וילן, yet he continued to engage, awaiting its return with dawn.
Despite these less than desirous circumstances, המקום מאבני ויקח, Yaakov fortified himself with his focus on the divine Name (indicated, once again, by מקום (and the letters of the aleph-beis which compose the Torah (indicated by the term אבנים, as per the Kabbalah). For, as is known, constant mental preoccupation with Torah provides a powerful protection from danger. Thus, מראשתיו וישם
ההוא במקום ב"וישכ, he placed his mind upon the אותיות ב"כ, the twenty-two letters, providing the security that he needed to go to sleep confidently.
Yaakov’s revelation about the nature of Avodas Hashem was then made graphically clear with his vision of the Ladder. השמימה מגיע וראשו ארצה מצב סלם והנה. On one hand, the ladder stood upon the lowly earth, representing humanly experiences which are, at first glance, distinctly unspiritual, such as witnessing another sinning. Yet, on the other hand, it ascended into the heavens, representing man’s capacity to utilize these experiences to allow “his head” to have an elevation, through yichudim or learning a lesson.
All those who come into this world are, in a sense, אלקים מלאכי, dispatched for a mission. Some use the opportunity for the better – בו עולים – and some for the worse – בו יורדים. Either way, נצב' ה עליו, the Presence of Hashem rests upon them; their actions are productive, for even wicked deeds have value for the righteous.
Upon seeing this vision, Yaakov awoke and exclaimed הזה במקום' ה יש אכן, indeed, even in the midst of a den of wild animals and bandits can the divine be perceived. The same must be of the negative experiences that man undergoes, the foreign, impure thoughts that he is subjected to; they must contain sparks of holiness residual to the שבירה, the primordial destruction that released deficiency into the world.
Upon realizing the plight of the Shechinah, subjected to entrapment within the Dark Side, ויירא יעקב, Yaakov was greatly disturbed. He exclaimed, הזה המקום נורא מה, unifying the concepts of נורא and יראה, which has the power to dispel the Dark Forces, as I heard from my mentor, the Besht.*******
Yaakov then proceeded to make a pledge that if Hashem would indeed fulfill the assurances that He had made him, he would build a temple to Him at that site. As the Sages have already asked, was Yaakov doubtful as to whether Hashem would carry through with His word?********
I would suggest that עמדי אלקים יהיה כי means that all of my thoughts will be focused on Hashem, free of any foreign ones, even while not engaged in study or prayer. This is the protection that Yaakov anticipated from the divine assurance. If this would be fulfilled, all of the other promises would flow from it.
This lack of distraction from Hashem is what Dovid HaMelech engaged in to protect himself from his anticipated passing, as the Talmud relates מגירסא פומיה פסק לא, his mouth did not cease from reviewing his learning.********* Now, this doesn’t demand unceasing speaking in learning, as the mitzvah of Torah study can be fulfilled mentally (as per ולילה יומם בו והגית, and you shall contemplate in it day and night**********). Rather, Dovid spoke the words in order to keep his mind focused.
With this background we can better understand a point of contention between the Rambam and the Raavad.*********** When the Jewish army was dispatched to war, the troops were told אל לבבכם ירך אל מפניהם תערצו ואל תחפזו ואל תיראו.************ The Rambam took this as a list of instructions: You shall not be of weak-heart, you shall not fear, you shall not be confounded, and you shall not be broken before them. The Raavad demurs, insisting that they are assurances that the troops will have the necessary confidence. The Kesef Mishneh finds this interpretation problematic, veering from the apparent meaning of the verse. I had previously suggested that the Raavad rejected the straightforward reading for he deemed it illogical that the Torah would prohibit an emotional reaction; if a person is fearful, there is not much that he can do about it.
I would now add that the Rambam might respond that the passage anticipates this objection. As the following verse says, לכם להלחם עמכם ההלך אלקיכם' ה כי, for it is Hashem your G-d who goes with you to wage war for you. The emphasis here is on the Tetragrammaton. If you go to battle preoccupied with the Divine Name, whether orally or mentally, you will merit special protection, and there really is no reason to be fearful.
הנעור בלילה וההולך בדרך יחידי והמפנה לבו לבטלה הרי זה מתחייב mishnah the of meaning the also is This בנפשו, One who is awake at night, and one who travels alone on the road, and one who turns his mind to idleness, deserves to die.************* As the Bartenura there explains, this refers to one who is exposed to the dangers of the road. The Chassid Yavetz elaborates that by maintaining one’s preoccupation with Hashem and His Torah he cleaves to Him, enveloping himself in Divine Providence. Yet if his focus lapses, he interrupts this connection, leaving himself exposed to the threats of the road. As the verse says, האלה הרעות מצאוני בקרבי אלקי אין כי על הלא, Is it not because my G-d is not in my midst that these misfortunes have befallen me?************** And as the Sages interpret the admonition האלילים אל תפנו אל, do not turn to the idols, מדעתיכם קל תפנו אל, do not clear out Hashem from your minds.*************** There is also a narrative in the Zohar**************** which illustrates this, in which R. Yose turned his attention to a mundane matter and was pursued by a snake. Now, thinking mundane thoughts is not a crime punishable by death. But when one is in a naturally dangerous situation, doing so may remove the special divine protection that he has, automatically leaving him exposed to greater risk.
This may provide an explanation for the curious formulation in the above mishnah. The listing of לבטלה לבו המפנה as an independent crime indicates that the earlier item of בלילה הנעור does not involve doing so. Why, then, is the insomniac at fault? Perhaps מפנה implies actively turning one’s focus to בטלה, which is a crime under any circumstances, unlike being unconsciously distracted. But when one is awake at night or travelling, and is thus in a dangerous set of circumstances, even when one’s mind wanders unintentionally he opens himself up to the natural risks.
Finally, after Yaakov awakens in the morning, רגליו יעקב וישא. Rashi explains the unusual language to mean that after the good news that Yaakov received in his dream, “his heart lifted up his feet.” But, didn’t we see earlier that he was unsure if the dream was authentic?
In light of our earlier explanation, the verse fits. Yaakov identified with the suffering of the Shechinah, its sparks trapped within the recesses of the universe – which are depicted as the “feet” of the spiritual world. Through his solidarity, he uplifted those sparks to their proper place in the cosmic “heart.” With the Shechinah somewhat restored, Yaakov could feel the assurances in his heart, filling him with confidence.
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* Vayeitzei, 147b. ** Devarim 20:2. *** Shabbos 33b. **** Mishlei 3:6. ***** Tehillim 16:8. ****** The Besht related that he had been enlightened through a nocturnal inquiry that this is the meaning of the talmudic descripƟon of the two jesters who merited the World to Come (Ta’anis 22a). ******* [This concept, cited in the works of students of the Besht, is original to him.] ******** Zohar, Vayeitzei, 150b. The answer given there is that Yaakov was unsure if the dream was authentc or not. ********* Shabbos 30b. **********Yehoshua 1:8. As it would seem from Tehillim 19:15. [This point is the subject of halachic controversy; see Shulchan Aruch, OC 47:4.] *********** Minyan HaMitzvos, 58. ************ Devarim 20:3.************* Avos 3:5. ************** Devarim 31:17. *************** Shabbos 149a, from Vayikra 19:4. **************** Shemos 17b.