Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Vayeitze "A Good Night's Sleep" Volume 24, No. 7 11 Kislev 5770 November 28, 2009 Today's Learning: Nach: Shmuel II 21:22 Parah 9:4-5 O.C. 366:9-11 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Bava Batra 99 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Avodah Zarah 24 The Midrash Rabbah on our parashah opens with a comment on the verse, "Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva and went toward Charan," based on the following verses in Mishlei (3:23-24): "Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not fear; you will lie down and your sleep will be pleasant." The midrash says: "Then you will walk on your way securely"--This refers to Yaakov, as it is written, "Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva." "When you lie down, you will not fear"--from Esav and Lavan. "You will lie down and your sleep will be pleasant"--as it is written [about Yaakov], "He lay down in that place." [Until here from the midrash] What is the midrash teaching? R' Yitzchak Ze'ev Yadler z"l (Yerushalayim; 1843-1917) explains that the midrash is answering three questions--two textual and one conceptual. First, why does our parashah begin, "Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva," when it would have sufficed to say, "Yaakov went toward Charan"? Second, why is this verse necessary at all, since we read last week, "So Yitzchak sent away Yaakov, and he went toward Paddan Aram"? Third, a prerequisite to prophecy is peace of mind and the ability to mediate upon one's love of Hashem; how then did Yaakov experience the awesome revelation described in our parashah [i.e., the angels going up and down the ladder] while he was on the run from Esav? The midrash answers all of these questions by highlighting Yaakov's trust in G-d. This is demonstrated by the fact that "Yaakov departed Be'er Sheva," i.e., in broad daylight, not like a fugitive escaping under cover of night. Furthermore, he slept out in the open, with no fear of Esav. Thanks to his bitachon, his sleep was peaceful and pleasant, and he was able to experience prophecy. (Tiferet Zion) ******** "Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva and went toward Charan." (28:10) Rashi z"l cites a midrash which states that Yaakov spent the first 14 years of his exile studying Torah in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever [Noach's son and great-grandson]. Rashi's comment raises a question, however: How could Yaakov make this detour when Yitzchak had sent him to Charan to find a wife? R' Elazar Rokeach z"l (rabbi in Brody, Galicia; Amsterdam; and Eretz Yisrael; died 1742) answers: The Gemara (Kiddushin 29b) cites two opinions regarding whether it is preferable to devote oneself to intense Torah study before marrying or after marrying. The Gemara explains that there is actually no dispute. In Bavel (Babylon), where Jews were poor, they would be unable to support a family and study Torah. Therefore, it was preferable to delay the responsibility that comes with marriage in favor of Torah study. In Eretz Yisrael, where Jews lived more comfortably, it was preferable to marry first so that one would be less tempted to sin and would study Torah in purity. Yaakov came from a very wealthy family. That is why Yitzchak told him to marry immediately. However, a midrash (also cited by Rashi) relates that Esav's son, Elifaz, caught up with Yaakov and took all of the wealth that Yaakov was carrying to Charan. Thereafter, being poor, Yaakov had to detour to the yeshiva of Shem and Ever to study Torah before marrying. R' Rokeach concludes: The above explanation sheds light on a cryptic comment of Rashi on our verse: "`He went toward Charan' means, `He went out to go to Charan'." Says R' Rokeach: Rashi is telling us that when Yaakov left Be'er Sheva, he really did set out to go to Charan. Only later, after his encounter with Elifaz, did he change his plans and not go straight to Charan. (Ma'aseh Rokeach) ********* "That which You will give me, I shall tithe to You." (28:22) R' Aryeh Leib Zunz z"l (Poland; died 1833) writes: It would not be particularly impressive if Yaakov were merely promising to give a tenth of his income to G-d. Rather, Yaakov was expressing his understanding that the only part of a person's wealth which is permanently his is the part that he invests in tzedakah. "That which You will give me" to be mine for eternity, is that which "I shall tithe to You." (Kometz Ha'minchah) ******** "It is within my power to do bad imachem / with you." (31:29) We say in the Pesach Haggadah that Pharaoh wanted to kill only the males, but "Lavan wanted to uproot everything." Where in the Torah do we see this? R' Joseph B. Soloveitchik z"l (1903-1993) explains: Since Lavan was addressing Yaakov, he should have said "Imcha" / "with you" (singular). By using the plural "imachem," he was including his daughters and their children, as well, i.e., the entire Jewish People. In contrast, Pharaoh was not prepared to sacrifice his own first-born son in order to keep Bnei Yisrael as slaves. Why was Lavan's hatred for us so much greater than Pharaoh's? Pharaoh's refusal to let the Jews go was motivated by economic concerns. Lavan's hatred stemmed from the fact that his daughters had rejected his gods and had adopted a G-d that was foreign to Lavan. (Quoted in Haggadah Shel Pesach: An Exalted Evening p.58) ******** "Lavan called it [the marker] `Yegar Sahaduta," and Yaakov called it `Gal-ed'." (31:47) Why does the Torah record the Aramaic name that Lavan gave the place where he and Yaakov entered into a covenant? R' Avraham Tzahalon z"l (16th century; student of the Arizal) explains: Hashem recorded this in the Torah to indicate that He was not pleased with Yaakov's decision to enter into a covenant with Lavan. Rather, Yaakov should have learned from Avraham, who sent Lot away. Make no mistake, R' Tzahalon writes, Avraham did not hate Lot, as is evident from the fact that Avraham went to war to save Lot. Nevertheless, Avraham understood that he had to break his ties with Lot. R' Tzahalon adds: Do not argue that Yaakov had to make a covenant with Lavan because he and his family were in danger. The mere fact that Lavan proposed a treaty between them was a sign of weakness on Lavan's part. When the Torah describes the sale of Yosef, it relates that the Ishmaelites were coming from Gilad. Why does the Torah mention this detail? R' Tzahalon explains that the Torah is informing us that Yaakov was being punished for the covenant that he entered into there. ["Gilad" and "Gal-ed" are the same place.] (Galya Raza) ******** What is "Melachah"? The Torah forbids us to perform "melachah" (often translated "labor" or "work") on Shabbat. Our Sages teach in Masechet Shabbat that there are 39 categories of forbidden melachot (plural of melachah), and all of them are forms of the activities that took place in the construction of the Mishkan / Tabernacle in the desert. Many wonder: What distinguishes a melachah from a permitted labor? For example, why am I prohibited from performing the effortless task of writing two letters of the alphabet, yet I seemingly would be permitted to lift my heavy living room couch onto my back and carry it around for all of Shabbat (within a house or an eruv)? Certainly carrying the couch is more work than writing two letters! R' Mordechai Neugroschl shlita explains based on the writings of R' Samson Raphael Hirsch z"l: When G-d created the world, He commanded man to conquer nature and discover its secrets. And, He gave man the creativity and the motivation to carry out this task. Since then, mankind has known no rest. Man has seen wild successes and dismal failures. He has built and destroyed, healed the sick and carried out mass murders, and even uprooted mountains. The very powers that G-d gave man to use in conquering nature have often been man's downfall. Over and over, man's successes have led to hubris, leading man to conclude that he is, in effect, god. To counter this, G-d has chosen one day of the week when creative activity - not "work" per se - must cease. This day reminds man that he is not the ultimate creator. It is not "work" that is prohibited on Shabbat. No day of rest is necessary to remind man that he is not the physically strongest being on earth. Man knows that plenty of animals, machines, and natural forces are stronger than he is. But man needs to "rest" from creative activity to remind himself that he is not the creator. R' Neugroschl notes that the above distinction is alluded to in the words "melachah" and "avodah," respectively. "Avodah" is work; it is what an "eved" / slave does. "Melachah," in contrast, contains within it the word "mal'ach" / "angel," signifying its connection to carrying out the will of G-d. What defines the 39 melachot as forbidden creative activities? Our Sages teach that the Mishkan was the universe in miniature. [Many of the Torah commentaries, notably the Malbim, explain how the elements of the Mishkan represent aspects of the physical universe.] Therefore, we learn from the construction of the Mishkan what is defined as a "melachah" that should be forbidden on Shabbat. (Va'ha'shaivota El Levavecha)