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.
After he received the blessings, Jacob had fled from his parents’ home to that of Laban, as his brother Esau wanted to kill him. Jacob’s previous dealings with Esau seem simple as compared to his complicated meeting with his brother in this week’s parsha of Vayishlach.
Jacob’s sojourn with Laban was an intermediate stage between two different periods in his life. Whereas previously he could be independent, now Jacob’s marriage and children and possessions means that he is weighed down with possessions and responsibility as he heads into a difficult encounter.
In the Torah reading of Vayeishev, Rashi tells us that there is no rest for the righteous in this world. As he explains: “Jacob sought to rest in peace, but trouble from the matter of Joseph arose and unsettled him.” Jacob had worked twenty years in the house of Laban - fourteen for Rachel and Leah and another six years as a shepherd for their father - and he established the foundation of the Jewish people. But eventually the threat of Esau arose once again and flight was not possible as it had been in the past. This distinction between the periods in Jacob’s life does not take away from the great difficulty that was existent in the previous situation, but emphasizes the great complexity of the meeting of Jacob in our parsha. Jacob understands his situation and makes every effort to succeed in the brothers' emotion-fraught encounter.
At first Jacob sends messengers to Esau to appease him. He instructs them, “Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord Esau, thus says your servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban and remained until now; I have acquired cattle, asses, sheep, and male and female slaves; and I send this message to my lord in the hope of gaining your favor.’” (32:5-6).
“I have sojourned” - Rashi explains that this means: “I did not become a dignitary or a notable, but a mere sojourner. It does not befit you to hate me over the blessing of our father who blessed me, ‘be a lord to your brothers,’ for it has not been fulfilled in me. Alternatively, the numerical value of ‘I have sojourned’ (GaRTY) is six hundred and thirteen, as if to say, ‘I sojourned with Laban the evil one yet I kept the six hundred and thirteen (TaRYaG) commandments and did not learn from his evil actions.”
As Esau approaches with four hundred men, Jacob splits his camp. Rashi notes Jacob took three steps. “Jacob readied himself for three things: for paying tribute, for prayer, and for war.” (32:9) After completing all this, Jacob had exhausted all the possibilities in his hand, and he could only hope for redemption and salvation.
Sometimes a person is in a very complicated situation, and in every way of possible escape he sees one difficulty or another. In truth there is a tradition in our hands, and this is the foundation of faith, that everything is in the Hands of heaven, but one still should not rely on a miracle and needs to try on his own to manage through natural means. In a trying situation a person must make every effort to use everything at hand to his advantage. However, sometimes a person understands clearly that after every effort, the only thing left is to hope for salvation from God. It seems to me that this is exactly the situation of Jacob in the parsha.
On a deeper level, it seems that it was specifically this pressing situation that dragged Jacob into his struggle with the angel: “And Jacob was left alone and an angel wrestled with him until dawn” (32:25). After Jacob is left alone, having exhausted all his efforts, he meets the angel. The midrash explains that through the whole event points to the descendants of Jacob: “The success of Jacob’s business only took place because of the dust under his feet. Rabbi Yudan says two things. He says all the small merchants of Israel merit in their business through that struggle of Jacob, and all the great business endeavors that Israel succeeds at are a merit from that struggle of Jacob."
"Rabbi Azaria says two things: All the wars that Israel fights and wins are meritorious because of that struggle of Jacob. Rabbi Azaria says as well that all the Torah that Israel accomplishes in this world are on account of the merit of Jacob” (Shir HaShirim Rabba, 3:6).
The author of the Sefer HaChinuch offers insight into this with his explanation of the prohibition of the gid hanashe (sciatic nerve). “This points us to the battle of the angel with Jacob, who our tradition teaches us was the ministering angel of Esau. He wanted to uproot Jacob and all of his descendants from the world, but he could not, so he struck Jacob in the thigh. Similarly the descendants of Esau pain the descendants of Jacob, but in the end there will be salvation from them, as we find in the father for whom the sun rose and he was healed and saved from pain, so also the sun will shine for us and be a salvation and heal us from our pains” (Mitzvah 3).
Thanks to that struggle of Jacob, there is a sign for all future generations. After Jacob had exhausted all means, Jacob meets the angel who finally brings with him those great merits. The great salvation for Jacob bursts forth at the time of his distress.
If Jacob had stopped and observed that moment then, he probably would have recognized that struggle as a setback or at the very least as an obstacle slowing him down. However, when we look at that event from a broad perspective, we recognize the great salvations that followed it.
The Kli Yakar in Vayeitzei writes: “You shall spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south” - “As they said in the midrash, ‘Salvation comes to Israel on at the time when they are at the lowest level of degradation’ … and the reason for this is that when we are not at the lowest level we don't depend completely on God with faith but instead think human plans can save us. Therefore God distances man, because he did not trust in the salvation of God. But when man sees that all is lost and there is no one else upon whom to rely, then his eyes are lifted to God in a call of distress, and God listens.”
We need to understand that God will also help and protect and savem not just the weak of strength, but also those who understand and recognize that they have nothing of their own and that all their strength depends on the gift of heaven,
Precisely when a person sees himself in great need, after exhausting his actions and efforts, he must strengthen his faith, with a clear understanding that salvation is expected to come. The great wisdom is to realize at the same time of difficulty and sorrow, that it is then with our faith in God that we will be saved. May it be God’s will that we merit to stand through every test with clear faith, and may we merit help from God in all our ways.