VaYetze 5719
בראשית פרק כח
(יד) וְהָיָה זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וּפָרַצְתָּ יָמָּה וָקֵדְמָה וְצָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וְנִבְרֲכוּ בְךָ כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה וּבְזַרְעֶךָ:
(טז) וַיִּיקַץ יַעֲקֹב מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אָכֵן יֵשׁ יְקֹוָק בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְאָנֹכִי לֹא יָדָעְתִּי:
(יז) וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה־נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם־בֵּית אֱלֹקים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם:
(יח) וַיַּשְׁכֵּם יַעֲקֹב בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּקַּח אֶת־הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר־שָׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיָּשֶׂם אֹתָהּ מַצֵּבָה וַיִּצֹק שֶׁמֶן עַל־ רֹאשָׁהּ:
(יט) וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שֵׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בֵּית־אֵל וְאוּלָם לוּז שֵׁם־הָעִיר לָרִאשֹׁנָה:
(כא) וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם אֶל־בֵּית אָבִי וְהָיָה יְקֹוָק לִי לֵאלֹקים:
(כב) וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹקים וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּתֶּן־לִי עַשֵּׂר אֲעַשְּׂרֶנּוּ לָךְ:
שמואל א פרק א
(ט) וַתָּקָם חַנָּה אַחֲרֵי אָכְלָה בְשִׁלֹה וְאַחֲרֵי שָׁתֹה וְעֵלִי הַכֹּהֵן יֹשֵׁב עַל־הַכִּסֵּא עַל־מְזוּזַת הֵיכַל יְקֹוָק:
(י) וְהִיא מָרַת נָפֶשׁ וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל־יְקֹוָק וּבָכֹה תִבְכֶּה:
(יא) וַתִּדֹּר נֶדֶר וַתֹּאמַר יְקֹוָק צְבָקוֹת אִם־רָאֹה תִרְאֶה בָּעֳנִי אֲמָתֶךָ וּזְכַרְתַּנִי וְלֹא־תִשְׁכַּח אֶת־אֲמָתֶךָ וְנָתַתָּה לַאֲמָתְךָ זֶרַע אֲנָשִׁים וּנְתַתִּיו לַיקֹוָק כָּל־יְמֵי חַיָּיו וּמוֹרָה לֹא־יַעֲלֶה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ:
Alef.
1. Rather than
constituting a mercantile arrangement, Yaakov is stating how he will
express his appreciation upon receiving the basic necessities of living
and protection from danger. Similarly
in the case of Chana, all she was promising was a form of acknowledgement
of how God had Granted her desires rather than some sort of barter of
goods.
2.א. Abrabanel
is challenging not the terms of the exchange, but rather the idea that Yaakov will worship HaShem/ accept Him
as the Object of his religious devotion, only if Yaakov’s basic
needs are met. This is a violation of worshipping God “LiShma” for its
own sake, without being motivated by some sort of ulterior desire(s).
ב. Answer #1 in the Midrash: Yaakov initiated the vow prior to the assurance that he received from God in the dream.
The problem with such an approach is that the rule אין מוקדם
ומאוחר בתורה
applies to separate, free-standing accounts, rather than a single account that is inherently one. Furthermore, such an approach will have difficulty accounting for the
first portion of the story:
בראשית פרק כח
(י) וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה:
(יא) וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי־בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא:
(יב) וַיַּחֲלֹם וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמָיְמָה וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים עֹלִים וְיֹרְדִים בּוֹ:
(יג) וְהִנֵּה יְקֹוָק נִצָּב עָלָיו וַיֹּאמַר אֲנִי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שֹׁכֵב עָלֶיהָ לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה וּלְזַרְעֶךָ:
If we
take the events in the order that they are recorded, we understand what
precipitated the vow that Yaakov makes at this point, i.e., it constitutes a response to the
Revelation that he was in his dream. But if it is out of order, what
precipitated Yaakov to specifically make this vow at this moment, in
this place, i.e., between v. 11 and 12?
Answer #2 in the Midrash:
the order of events is as they appear in the text. All that Yaakov was
saying was that naturally he will want to fulfill the vow that he has
made, but it all depends if he lives to see that day when he can return.
Should he not survive, he cannot be
blamed for not carrying out his promise.
Beit.
הבטחה
אם יהי' אלקים
עמדי ושמרני
|
והנה אנכי
עמך ושמרתיך
|
בכל אשר תלך והשיבותיך אל האדמה הזאת
| |
ושבתי
בשלום אל בית אבי והי' ה' לי לאלקים
|
כי לא אעזבך עד אשר אם עשיתי את אשר דברתי
לך
|
1. Whereas
in the Divine Promise, Yaakov’s returning to his
homeland is not the ultimate aspect of God’s Commitment, but rather that Yaakov will not be forsaken; yet in Yaakov’s vow, returning to his home is the final and therefore most
personally important concern. What God is Telling Yaakov is that wherever
he may be on his journey, which will culminate full circle when he returns
to his starting point, i.e.,
his homeland, Divine Protection will be extended to him. Yaakov is not
focused on the journey per se, but rather what he considers the culmination
of his journey, when he finally returns and thinks1 he no longer will have to travel elsewhere.
2. From the point of view of a journey, it will be concluded
when exile from Canaan is concluded, i.e., a return from Chutz LaAretz
to the land of Israel. But Yaakov is not only concerned about what will
occur when he is outside of Israel; since he began by having to run from his parental home, until he is able to
return not only to Israel, but back to the home of Rivka and Yitzchak,
his wanderings will not be complete in his eyes.
Gimel.
1. The Gemora in Berachot is discussing blessings that one gives
to people when taking
leave of them, and there “Shalom” is used to describe an ultimate state of affairs, i.e., what
is one striving towards, how is a person developing spiritually and
emotionally from this point onwards. What Yaakov says in his vow, i.e., ושבתי בשלום, is not referring to an existential personal state of mind
and/or development, but rather with respect to whether or not the individual
will be “intact” after undergoing a challenging and potentially corrupting
experience, in this case living in Chutz LaAretz for an unknown amount of time.
2. Yaakov did not view
his trip to Chutz LaAretz as something that would give him the opportunity
to further perfect himself—although knowing what did happen to him while he was living
with Lavan and his family,
one might say that there was some positive development. He rather was
thinking at this point only of the potential dangers that being in an
alien environment may entail. Therefore, whereas usually, we see the
potential for development as a positive, at the same time there is potential for corruption and contamination.
Yaakov was most concerned that he not backslide, as opposed to his growth
as an individual and a person.
Daled.
1. All of the
commentators are bothered by what the implications of the phrase והי' ה' לי לאלקים
might be within the context of the vow that Yaakov is making. What is
the specific relationship between the Divine and man that Yaakov has
in mind, when the conditions that he has set out, i.e., his minimum
needs for sustenance and protection
are met?
2. Bei’ur would appear to represent the most narrow view, that it
is assumed that the God that one believes in will provide minimum necessities
for survival, in this case bread, clothing and protection from harm.
RaShBaM takes this a step further, and says that what is expected is Divine Assistance
in all one’s endeavors, with the specific areas mentioned by Yaakov
serving as examples.
HaEmek Davar suggests that
the expectation of Divine Help is really a reflection of the dependency
that the religious individual should recognize is expected of him, the expectation that he will live his life according to a
certain structure and standard,
rather than relying upon his own values and aspirations. This should
apply not only when he finds
himself in a dangerous place, but also even when things are going well
in a friendly environment and he is tempted to think that he is not
in need of God’s Supervision and Concern.
R. Hirsch takes all of this to the next level and posits that having
a God not only reflects one’s dependence upon
personal needs, but also the Demands that are made on the individual
in order for him to live a proper type of life. According to this commentator, Yaakov’s vow connotes that
once an individual’s basic needs are
met, he can then concern himself will living up to the Expectations
that his God is Demanding from him.
3. HaEmek Davar apparently believes that being God’s Treasure is not a one-way relationship where we are the passive
recipients of God’s Largesse, but rather
would demand of us to live the type of lives whereby God’s Supremacy over us and His Supplying a way by which we ought
to live is apparent to the rest of
the world, and which makes our particular lifestyle uniquely Godly.
Only then would we be considered a special people over and above others.
העמק דבר על שמות יט:ה
והייתם לי סגלה מכל העמים. מי שירצה לעבוד את ה' ולהיות נבדל מטומאות גויי הארץ. א"א להיות גר אלא א"כ נאסף לעדת ישראל ולתורתכם. וזהו סגולה דמשמעו אוצר מכנסי לתוכו מכל העמים:
Heh.
1.
בראשית פרק כח
(יד) וְהָיָה זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וּפָרַצְתָּ יָמָּה וָקֵדְמָה וְצָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וְנִבְרֲכוּ בְךָ כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה וּבְזַרְעֶךָ:
מזרחי:
(יד) ופרצת וחזקת כמו "וכן יפרוץ". לא כמו "פן יפרוץ בם" שהוא לשון הריסה. אבל הרד"ק פירש, "כלם מענין הריסה ונתיצה, כי פירוש "וכן יפרוץ", "ומקנהו פרץ בארץ", "ויפרוץ האיש מאד" הוא כאלו מרבויים יפרצו הגדרים, שלא יכילם מקום נגדר":
2.
בראשית פרק כח
(טו) וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־תֵּלֵךְ וַהֲשִׁבֹתִיךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָה הַזֹּאת כִּי לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר אִם־עָשִׂיתִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּרְתִּי לָךְ:
מזרחי:
(טו) אנכי עמך לפי שירא מעשו ומלבן. דאם לא כן מאי "אנכי עמך", דמשמע למגן לך.
3.
מזרחי:
עד אשר אם עשיתי אם משמש בלשון כי. שכיון שכי משמש בארבע לשונות, אי, דילמא, אלא, דהא, כדאיתא בשילהי גיטין, הנה גם "אם" משמש בלשון כי. והוכרח לפרש מלת "אם" פה שהוא במקום "כי", מפני שמלת "אם" מורה על הספק ומלת "אשר" הקודמת מורה על הודאי, ואי אפשר שיתחברו בנושא אחד, כי הם כדמות סותרים...
בראשית פרק כד
(לג) ויישם וַיּוּשַׂם לְפָנָיו לֶאֱכֹל וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֹכַל עַד אִם־דִּבַּרְתִּי דְּבָרָי וַיֹּאמֶר דַּבֵּר:
Since אם could mean כי or אשר, RaShI saw fit to comment separately on each instance.
4.
בראשית פרק כח
(יז) וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה־נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם־בֵּית אֱלֹקים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם:
Positing
that נורא is a
noun rather than an adjective suggests that Yaakov had an experience
that entailed Revelation of the
“Awesome One”, rather than simply attributing his sense of “awesomeness” to the
place in which he had had his dream.
5.
בראשית פרק כח
(כ) וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמֹר אִם־יִהְיֶה אֱלֹקים עִמָּדִי וּשְׁמָרַנִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ וְנָתַן־לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבֹּשׁ:
מזרחי על בראשית פרק כח פסוק כ
(כ) אם ישמור לי הבטחות הללו שהבטיחנו להיות עמדי. אמר "אם ישמור לי" במקום "אם יהיה עמדי" מפני שאין מלת אם המסופקת נופלת על הנבואה עצמה שאמר לו "הנה אנכי עמך" רק על קיומה, פן יגרום החטא, כדכתב רש"י גבי "קטנתי מכל החסדים" וכדאיתא בברכות גבי "וירא יעקב"...
6. If Yaakov is concerned whether HaShem will Fulfill His Promises,
where did HaShem Promise originally to give Yaakov bread? RaShI is positing
that when in 28:15 HaShem Told Yaakov כִּי לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ,
that is an implicit promise to supply bread in light of Tehillim 37:28,
which defines it as such, i.e.,
תהלים פרק לז
(כה) נַעַר הָיִיתִי גַּם־זָקַנְתִּי וְלֹא־רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק נֶעֱזָב וְזַרְעוֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ־לָחֶם:
the
Seifa of the verse defines
the preceding phrase, rather than merely adding to it.
1
At least at this point, he is not anticipating the Egyptian exile beginning
with him personally having to leave Canaan yet again and take up residence
in a strange land. It calls to mind the RaShI at the beginning of Parashat
VaYeishev:
רש"י בראשית פרק לז פסוק
ב
…ועוד נדרש בו וישב ביקש יעקב לישב בשלוה, קפץ עליו רוגזו של יוסף. צדיקים מבקשים לישב בשלוה אומר הקדוש ברוך הוא לא דיין לצדיקים מה שמתוקן להם לעולם הבא, אלא שמבקשים לישב בשלוה בעולם הזה:
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