Perfect Harmony
The drama is intense throughout the Torah portion (parsha) of Vayeitze, read this Shabbat.. From Jacob’s flight to Haran, his dealings with Lavan (Laban), his marriages, birth of his children, and subsequent falling out with Lavan, we are exposed to so many pivotal events in Jewish history. Not only are these events so important, they are laid out with great detail.
However, when we look to the end of the parsha, we see an almost anti-climactic ending to this chapter in Jewish history, a cryptic encounter between Jacob and some angels. Like any other area of Torah, a thorough analysis is critical to making sense of these final verses.
The drama between Lavan and Jacob ends with a peace of sorts, and with that, one would think this Torah section should come to an end as well. This is not the case(Genesis 32:1-3):
“And Laban arose early in the morning and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them, and Laban went and returned to his place. And Jacob went on his way, and angels of God met him (vayifgiu bo). And Jacob said when he saw them, "This is the camp of God," and he named the place Mahanaim (Camps).”
What is this incident adding to the overall story? Jacob encounters these angels, yet there is no conversation between them. What knowledge do we gain in knowing that these angels were there to meet Jacob? Whatever epiphany Jacob gains from this encounter, he does not exactly translate into a powerful and meaningful name – Mahanaim. Looking at some of the names given by our forefathers to famous cities and locales we see a clear idea in reference to God, or Divine Providence, some clear indication in the name of a deeper idea. In this instance, we are left with Mahanaim.
The commentaries struggle with these issues, offering varying interpretations as to the significance of this episode. Redak offers an explanation of the name Mahanaim that, in this writer’s opinion, gives us an opening to understanding the significance this event:
“Two camps, camp of angels and camp of Jacob; therefore, the place was called Mahanaim…”
Yes, at first glance this explanation isn’t quite helpful. As we will soon see, Radak (12 century Biblical commentator) is in fact offering us a compelling explanation.
Let’s turn to the angels themselves. Who were these angels? The Midrash indicates they were from the same group that were found in the beginning of the parsha. As we know, the parsha begins with Jacob running from Esau to Haran, the home of Lavan. After stopping and resting, he receives a prophetic vision, with angels ascending and descending a ladder, the same angels being referenced at the end of the parsha. The Midrash is indicating that the parsha is being bookended by these angels. Why does the Midrash insist that this be the case?
Looking back at the story of this initial prophecy, there are two other items that should be noted. The first is the term used in describing Jacob’s arrival at the place he had his prophecy – “vayifgah”, similar to the “vayifgiu” used in describing the angels appearing before Jacob at the end of the parsha. Rashi, based on the Gemara in Brachot, offers the following ():
“Our Rabbis interpreted it [the word ‘vayifga’] as an expression of prayer, as in (Jer. 7:16):“And do not entreat me,” and this teaches us that he [Jacob] instituted the evening prayer.”
The second important idea here is the prophecy God transmits to Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15):
“And behold, the Lord was standing over him, and He said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land upon which you are lying to you I will give it and to your seed. And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall gain strength westward and eastward and northward and southward; and through you shall be blessed all the families of the earth and through your seed. And behold, I am with you, and I will guard you wherever you go, and I will restore you to this land, for I will not forsake you until I have done what I have spoken concerning you’.”
Taking a step back, we see an interesting parallel between the beginning and end of the parsha. Both have the term “paga”, yet in the first, Jacob is initiating, whereas in the second, it is the angels. Both have incidents with angels (one can assume that the final one was a vision as well). Both involve naming a place (Jacob calls the place of his initial vision Beit El). It is clear there must be something tying the two together, a message being sent by the Torah.
The avot, our forefathers, were defined by their incredible righteousness and the high levels of perfection they were able to achieve. Quite often, we see a manifestation of certain traits, these traits serving as guides in our own personal pursuits of perfection. There is a fascinating recurrent trait Jacob exhibits throughout his life.
Let’s look at the first prophecy transmitted to Jacob, as noted above. God relays to Jacob two critical pieces of information. The first is that Jacob was the future of the Jewish people. The second was a promise of security - God would “look out for him”. The average person, upon hearing that God was taking care of him, would most likely kick up his feet and just allow events to emerge as they do. As we see, Jacob does not do that at all. Indeed, while he is promised so much by God, his actions do not indicate a removal from the natural world to allow for events to unravel. Jacob is intimately involved; after this prophecy, he develops a plan prior to his entrance into Haran (see Ramban’s commentary regarding this plan).
At the same time, one should not assume that Jacob is dismissing the prophecy, acting as if he did not receive any information. It would seem that the knowledge of the prophecy helped him shape his plan. It is this exact point that we see the uniqueness of Jacob. When someone on his level receives a prophecy, the question then becomes how to integrate the natural world with the world of Divine Providence. The knowledge he received from the prophecy, the greater insight into God, allowed him to now forge a different path in the world. He was able to harmonize the two worlds. We see this throughout Jacob’s various trials and tribulations, where he attempts to plan out his actions with the backdrop of prophecy guiding his thoughts. It therefore critical to analyze all of Jacob’s actions through the lens of this approach.
When Jacob first came to the future Beit El, the word used is “vayifga”, which indicates prayer. Yet the Torah never records Jacob ever enunciating any type of prayer at that point (he makes a vow after receiving the prophecy). It would seem that Jacob was seeking out God’s assistance, as he was in a state of complete insecurity. He turns to prayer, recognizing his utter helplessness. God responds with the prophecy above, replete with the angels (what they represent is not the topic here). Jacob obtains the necessary intellectual security to continue. He is now able to develop a plan, with the knowledge of his future being an integral part of the plan.
Throughout the parsha, Jacob is faced with this balancing act, formulating the best possible strategy while facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, all the time comprehending the reality of the prophecy. He communicates with God at other times during the parsha, each time needing to again harmonize the new ideas with the way he was functioning in the natural world. Finally, at the end of the parsha, where it would seem a sense of closure was now visible (albeit with Esau right around the corner), the angels come to Jacob - vayifgiu.
What this means is that Jacob had reached a new level of understanding of God’s wisdom. His adept handling of the two worlds merited another prophecy, an indication to him of how his approach was indeed the correct one. These were the same angels; what this means is that Jacob understands how his approach from the start was the correct one. Jacob then takes this idea, the concept alluded to by Radak, and enshrines it forever.
It is Mahanaim, the world of Divine Providence and the natural world, and the name reflects the intertwining of the two personified by Jacob’s actions. Indeed, it is clear why the parsha would end with this concept. While there were so many events that shaped the history of the Jewish people, the intellectual development and rise to perfection seen in Jacob are crucial building blocks to the future.