In Memory of our beloved David Schwartz, who fell in battle sanctifying God’s name, on 27 Tevet, 5784 (8 January 2024).
“Le’David Barchi Nafshi” is a compilation of essays written on the weekly Torah reading by David Schwartz, of blessed memory. First published on the occasion of his marriage to Meital, David’s unique Torah thoughts that delve into the depths of the Torah are shared now to elevate his memory and sanctify his soul.
Jacob is leaving his home after stealing the blessing from Esau, and he is headed to the home of Laban in Haran. Jacob is in a complicated situation. One must remember that Jacob had “purchased” the right of being firstborn, but then he also stole the blessing for the firstborn following his mother’s guidance. He expressed his great fear about doing this in 27:12: “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes as a sinner and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.”
Jacob did not receive a curse, but he did secure the enduring hatred of his brother, Esau. At the beginning of Vayeitzei, his brother wants to kill him and Jacob is running to the house of Laban.
“And behold! God was standing over him, and He said, ‘I am the Lord the God of Abraham your father and God of Isaac; the land upon which you are lying, I give to you and your descendants. Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth and you shall spread west, east, north, and south; and all the families of the earth will bless themselves through you and your offspring …’” (28:13-14).
This prophecy seems like a direct response to Jacob’s frame of mind then. God strengthens him and promises him protection and success even for future generations. Jacob merited blessings that few others in Jewish history achieved. He was blessed with all the good on two different occasions. First Isaac blessed him, and then God himself did so in his dream. His efforts to attain those blessings show how important they were. We would have expected that Jacob would have then been in a state of confidence and great happiness.
However Jacob’s reaction after receiving the blessings proves otherwise. Instead of celebrating, Jacob goes ahead and takes an additional oath to validate and establish the promise of the blessings. “Then Jacob took a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and He guards me on this way that I am going; and He gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear; and I return in peace to my father’s house, and the Lord will be a God to me - then this stone which I have set as a pillar shall become a house of God, and whatever You will give me, I shall surely tithe it to You” (28:20-22).
In order to explain Jacob’s behavior in taking this oath, let us compare his actions to those taken in the future by his son, Joseph, and do so through the lens of hassidic teachings.
In the parsha of Vayeishev the Torah describes the great success of Joseph in the house of Potiphar. As it states: “God was with Joseph and he became a successful man, and he remained in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that God is with him, and all that he would do God would make successful in his hand” (39:2-3). Rashi notes that “God was with him” means that “he made frequent use of the name of God in his speech.”
Rashi explains that the great success of Joseph at least partially came about because he was using God’s name in his speech. This fascinating explanation of Rashi on a deeper level teaches us that a person may influence the amount of Divine Providence that accompanies him. One who mentions God in his speech, meaning he testifies to his will to realize the presence of God at every moment in time, is defined and helped by this behavior. It is possible that Joseph learned this practice from the actions of his father in our parsha of Vayeitzei.
Jacob mentions the name of God many times in different situations. He does so in his reaction to the prophecy of God in the dream and later in his reaction to Laban. Jacob states: “Had not the God of my father …” (31:42). Jacob’s constant use of God’s name in his speech is evidence of his clear intention to experience the presence of God in all matters of his life. Through this, it seems that Jacob did not strive to fulfill the vow out of fear but rather, as Rashi noted, he wishes to secure Divine Providence through his trust in God, which is demonstrated through his speech. I think, on a deeper level, Jacob may have also acted this way because of his humility and modesty.
The teachings of Rav Shlomo Brin, who has offered a weekly class on the thoughts of the Eretz Zvi, are relevant for inclusion here. Rav Brin noted that there is a concept that “Everything is in the hands of heaven with the exception of the fear of God.” Nevertheless, in other places it is stated that even the fear of God is in the hands of Heaven. The explanation of this discrepancy is that it depends to an extent on man’s preparation. In the past, the Rebbe of Lublin taught that even man’s “free will” is controlled by Heaven, but man has the choice of whether to believe that everything is in God’s hands. The meaning of this is as the Baal Shem Tov wrote on the verse: “The Lord is your shade on your right hand” (Ps. 121:5). This means that Divine Providence guides man in his ways in accord with man’s faith and trust in God.
The Sefat Emet explains in a similar manner on the parsha of Vaeira: “Likewise I heard from my master, my father, my teacher that … a person needs to realize that even at a time of Divine grace, he still needs to be conscious of not falling into sin through the help of God.
Reb Elimelekh of Lizensk likewise explains: “And Jacob went out from Beer Sheba … and he encountered the place” (28:10-11). “One needs to imagine in his consciousness that he is not doing anything on his own but rather everything is from God … This means to say that every time the sun set, which symbolically refers to clarity and luminosity, then he would spend the night, which means darkness, realizing that the clarity did not come from himself but was entirely from God.”
Jacob’s vow does not express fear or apprehension, but rather his complete trust and reliance on God. Jacob teaches this as being critical to his success, just as pronouncing the name of God aids him and is essential to his success. Jacob works to fulfill that vow with complete confidence and a clear understanding that everything is in the hands of Heaven and man is nothing on his own.
As the Sefat Emet writes, “And a person needs to know that even at a time when someone merits Divine grace being shown toward him, nevertheless he must realize that this does not come from his own doing but only through God.” Jacob realized specifically at that time of Divine favor, even after he received the great blessings, that ultimately everything is through the help of God. It seems therefore that Jacob teaches two central understandings that a Jew must root in his heart. The way to success does not depend on one’s own strength, but only on the understanding that one does not have power on his own without God. This understanding which comes from sincere effort and desire on the part of man to include the name of God in all his affairs is what helps make a person successful. The integration of these two aspects, Jacob teaches, is the key to success.
In conclusion, the words of Rav Shaul Alter, the head of the Sefat Emet Yeshiva, may sharpen the responsibility on all of us to make the efforts necessary in this regard. “Laban asks Jacob - ‘Now - you have gone because you longed greatly for your father’s house; but why did you steal my gods?” On a deeper level this is a statement to each one of us. Our hearts long to be connected to our Father in heaven, to cling to God. Laban asks, “Why is your divinity covered up, stolen, missing? Why don't you have a clear understanding and recognition of what the Lord of the universe is, how much flesh and blood can achieve, and what you should do for these things?”
May it be God’s will that we may merit to constantly walk in this great path that Jacob represents. May we may merit, God willing, assistance from Heaven, so that we may grow in wisdom and bring success with our deeds.