“So Yaakov served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.” (Bereishit 29:20)

 

“Because of his love for her” – “For love disregards the line.” (Depending upon the context, “love disregards the line” may mean: “Love disregards accepted conduct”; “Love distorts logic and reason”; “Love distorts perception”.)

(Sforno ibid., ibid.)

 

“But a few days”: On The Relativity Of Time And Difficulty.

“And they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.” – Because of his great love for her, seven years’ work for her was but a small price; were Laban to have set a higher price, Yaakov would have worked longer.

An alternative explanation: After he had worked, they seemed but a few days, but during the work, they seemed like many days, because of his great love for her.

(Hizkuni Bereishit 29;20)

 

“In the many days after that the king of Egypt died” – in periods of distress they are called ‘many’ and in times of joy, they are called ‘few’, as is written, “and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.” This means: After it had passed, the period of enslavement seemed short.

(Hizkuni Shemot 2:23)

 

Rabbi Yehuda expounded: In the future, The Holy One, Blessed Be He, will bring the yetser hara – the evil inclination – and will slaughter it before the righteous and the wicked. For the righteous, it will seem like a high mountain, and to the wicked it will seem like a thin hair; these will weep and these will weep. The righteous will weep, saying: “How could we have conquered so high a mountain?”

And the wicked will weep, saying: “How could we not have overcome this thin hair?”

So The Holy One, Blessed Be He, will wonder along with them, as is written, (Zecharia 8): “Thus said the Lord of Hosts: Though it will seem impossible to the remnant of this people in those days, shall it also be impossible to Me?”

(Bavli Sukkah 52b).

 

 

 

HE CAME ACROSS A CERTAIN PLACE

Ronen Ahituv

 

            After the dream of the ladder (28:20-22), Yaakov takes a peculiar vow. As with many oaths, this oath, too, is conditional. The condition stipulated is: “If God remains with me, if He protects me on this journey that I am making, and gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear”; the vow itself seems to be: “The Lord shall be my God. And this stone etc.”. The difficulties dealt with by our commentators deal with difficulties presented by both parts of the vow.

            The condition itself is problematic, for just moments before, Yaakov had dreamt a dream in which he was promised, among other things: “I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land”. How can Yaakov doubt a divine promise, given absolutely, with no strings attached?

            A much more serious problem arises from the vow itself: How can Yaakov dare express his acceptance of the Lord as his God as conditional – dependent upon something which may come to pass in the future?! Is not the Lord his God now? And even should Yaakov not return safely to his father’s house, is it conceivable that the Lord will not be his God?!

            These questions have received many answers, many of which attempt to sidestep the plain reading (peshat) of the verses. For example, we cite two solutions to the first problem suggested in Bereishit Rabba (70:4).

            The first solution is that “the parasha has been transposed,” meaning that the vow was taken before Yaakov dreamt his vision, before God had promised to protect him throughout his sojourning.

            The second solution ignores the plain meaning of “and will protect me”, which means protection of Yaakov from various external dangers – interpreting it instead as protection of Yaakov against sin and transgression. According to this approach, Yaakov has no doubts about fulfillment of God’s promises to him; he questions his own power to withstand the tests which await him. This explanation emphasizes the dread of Yaakov – and probably of the darshan himself – of the dangers, the enticements and the tests which await him as he goes into an exile with an unforeseeable ending.

            But still, after reading all these midrashim, we are not satisfied, for “The text never waives its plain meaning.”

            Perhaps it is possible to solve the two problems by closely observing the psychological and existential condition of Yaakov, from his birth until his return from Harran.

            Yaakov never reconciled himself to the fact that he was born second to Esav. “In the womb he tried to supplant his brother” (Haftara), and he availed himself of every opportunity to demonstrate his desire to transform reality, the significance of which was clear to the entire family: To Esav, the firstborn, belongs the birthright, and, like Yitzhak before him, he will inherit the blessing of Avraham. Yaakov’s fate is to be expulsion from the family home, as were Yishmael and the sons of Avraham’s concubines, or to serve his brother, as stated “and the older shall serve the younger.”

            The pathetic attempts of Yaakov and Rivka to purchase the birthright and to steal the blessing were considered by Yitzhak to be acts of deception, and entangled Yaakov in the enmity of both Esav and Yitzhak.

            Throughout all this family contention, we do not hear the voice of God. He does not reveal his position and does not rule in the sibling rivalry. In the absence of any other reaction, all assume that He stands on the side of the simple facts and of law, according to which “he may not treat the firstborn… in disregard . . who is elder.” (Devarim 21:15) Yitzhak is convinced of this elementary truth, and acts accordingly. Gradually, the awareness seeps into Yaakov’s heart; I, Yaakov, am the rejected son. The conflict with Esav has not only not furthered my aims, it has led to the hastening of the resolution and my present expulsion from my father’s house. All the signs point in this direction: the father of the chosen people, the nation of God, will be Esav. To him will the Lord be God, whereas I will be “a fugitive Aramean”, like other rejected family members.

            Somewhere, however, deep in the recesses of Yaakov’s consciousness, the flame of rebellion still burns; something in his subconscious still refuses to resign to reality, continues to hope that the impossible be realized, to believe that he will return victoriously to his father’s home. To these ends, he must contend not only with his brother Esav, but with God Himself. This hope overwhelms his thought in his dream: in the dream Yaakov holds his ground and struggles against the fate determined for him by God. “Vayifga bamakkom” [= “encountered a certain place”; but “vayifga” has a connotation of ‘attacked’, and “bamakkom” has a connotation of ‘God’, ergo, “he fought with God”]; in his consciousness transpires the struggle against God and man, that struggle which will recur upon his return from Harran with great wealth. In his dream, Yaakov takes upon himself the Promethean position of man struggling with the gods and winning. Thus do the Sages describe Yaakov’s dream:

“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the face of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17) – Said Rav Hamma ben Hanina: A knife is sharpened only against the blade of another knife; so a scholar is ‘sharpened’ only through argument with his companion… “a man” – this is Yaakov; since Yaakov stood… the Shekhina rested solely upon him”. (Bereishit Rabba 69:2)

            This Midrash stresses the challenge with which Yaakov presents his God, as an equal opponent and as a sharp blade.

            In his dream, Yaakov succeeds in receiving God’s blessing and the desired position; but in the morning, upon awakening, despair returns and creeps in: Dreams do not speak the truth!

            This is the background against which the vow and Yaakov’s negotiations with his God can be explained.

            Yaakov will continue to be tossed about in the storm of doubt for twenty years: Am I the chosen one, or am I no more than a dissembler, who deceives even himself? Can I change reality itself, can I repair the past of my being born second, can I determine my future – or are these beyond reach? Is my place in Canaan or in Harran?

            This existential condition, of a doubt-ridden life, of constant tension between hope and despair, between belief in a lofty destiny or in a day-to-day debasing reality, is very familiar to modern man. Father Yaakov shows us the way to exist in a world of doubt. Yaakov refuses to be swept away by the currents of reality; he will force it to bless him.

            The puzzle will be solved for Yaakov only when – in the coming parasha – he bravely confronts his brother. Only then will he meet God “face to face”, and receive confirmation that his soul has been saved and that he has earned God’s grace. The meeting with his brother Esav is for him a meeting with the reality which has pursued him since birth, which he had interpreted as reflecting the will of God who chose Esav. Therefore Yaakov says to his brother “For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me favorably.”

Ronen Ahituv lives in Mitzpeh Netofah in the Lower Galilee, and is a fellow in the Oranim Midrasha

 

 

Land and the Father’s Home

“And I return safely to my father’s home” – Even though He had promised him to return him to the land, but [now he asks] that the return be in peace, that he not be beaten and harrassed, and that the return will be not only to the land but also to ‘my father’s house’.

 

The Test of Faith Is in Situations of Relative Security

“And the Lord shall be my God” – the sense of the language indicates that the statement is [not one of the conditions, but rather an] effect. It means the Yaakov will not depend on his strength and power, but he will always see God before him, He will lead him. When he was abroad, in the house of Laban, and he could not depend upon himself, it is obvious that for his own sake he asked that God be with him and not forsake him. But in his father’s home he could have depended upon himself; his vow, then, was that even then the Lord will be his God.

 (Haamek Davar 28:21)

 

“And Leah’s eyes were rakkot”; (“Rakkot” has been interpreted as “soft”, “weak”, “delicate”, and “pleasant”.) Praise or Deprecation? According To Its Plain Meaning (Peshat) Or According To It’s Homiletic Exposition (derash)?

Rachel was deserving that Yaakov’s firstborn emanate from her, as is written (Bereishit 37) “These are the begettings of Yaakov, Yosef”, but Leah anticipated her with prayer. On account of Rachel’s humility, however, The Holy One, Blessed Be He restored it [the status of the firstborn] to her.

Where do we see that Leah preceded her in prayer? As is written (Bereishit 29), “And Leah’s eyes were ‘rakkot” – What is meant by ‘rakkot? If we say literally “rakot” [= weak], is it possible that the Torah, which avoided speaking in derogatory fashion about impure animals, as is written, (Bereishit 7) “From the animal which is pure and from the animal which is not pure” [instead of “impure” animals] – should speak in derogatory manner about saintly persons!? Rabbi Eliezer, however, says: “Because her gifts were long-lasting [long-lasting = arukkot. The long-lasting gifts referred to are the lineages of the Cohanim and Levites which were to descend from Leah]. Rav said: “Rakkot”, i.e., weak, but this is not a derogatory term. It is rather laudatory. For when she would hear, at the crossroads, people saying that “Rivka has two sons, Laban has two daughters; the elder for the elder, the younger for the younger”. She would sit at the crossroads and ask: “What does the elder do?” “He is a wicked man who robs people.” “What does the younger do?” “A simple man who dwells in tents”, and she would weep until she shed her eyelids, and thus it is written: “And God saw that Leah was despised.” What is meant by “despised”? If we say “despised” literally, is it possible? The Torah avoided speaking derogatorily of impure animals, would it speak derogatorily of saints? But The Holy One, Blessed Be He saw that she despised Esav’s behavior, and therefore he opened her womb.

(Bavli, Bava Bathra 123a)

 

“And Leah’s eyes were rakkot”

Thrice [does the word “ve’eyney” – “the eyes of”] appear at the beginning of a verse; here, “And the eyes of Israel were heavy with age” (Bereishit 48:10) and “The eyes of the wicked pine away” (Job 11:20). Why were her eyes “rakkot”? Because she feared lest she marry Esav, and similarly, “And the eyes of Israel were heavy with age” – because he foresaw Yerovam and Ahav descending from him. This is [the meaning of the three passages]: “And Leah’s eyes were rakkot” and “the eyes of Israel were heavy with age” because of “the eyes” – of the wicked.

“Rakkot” – Appears twice in the Bible; “And Leah’s eyes were rakkot”, “Will he speak soft [“rakkot”] words with you?” (Job 40:27), because she would speak to him [to Yaakov] softly; nevertheless, he did not love her.

(Baal HaTurim, Bereishit 29:17)

 

“And Leah’s eyes were rakkot” – Onkelos translated: “Ya-een” meaning “pleasant”, and so translated Rashbam. The meaning is that her eyes were pleasant, but because they were so soft, she could not herd the sheep, because the light of the sun would hurt them.

(Haamek Davar 29:17)

 

What Is The Difference Between a Shifha (Maid) and an Amma (Handmaid)? What is the Difference Between Sarah and Rachel?

“So that I too may be built up with sons through her” – What is meant by “too”? She said to him: “Your grandfather Avraham had sons from Hagar, and he girded his loins [in prayer] on behalf of Sara.” He said to her:” My grandmother brought an associate wife into her house.” She replied: “If this is what is hindering, here is my handmaid “So that I too may be built up with sons through her” – like Sara.”

(Rashi Bereishit 30:3)

 

“She said: Here is my handmaid Bilha; come into her, so that she may give birth upon my knees…” – Not as Sara said “Come into my maid (shifhati)” , for Rachel had freed her and she was called only a “handmaid” (amma), as with “the Hebrew handmaid” (amma ha’ivriya). Later, however, she is referred to as a “shifha”, because she continued to serve as before.

“So that I too may be built up with sons through her” (16:2) – Rachel said: “So that she may give birth upon my knees, so that I too may be built up with sons through her.” Her intention was that she would raise the infant, and it would be as though she herself had born him. Such was not the case with Sara, who did not want to raise the son of her maid; therefore she said “Perhaps I will be built up with sons” – that I may have some merit and be positively remember by her seed.”

(Haamek Davar Bereishit 30:3)

 

 

 

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