"Yaakov lighted upon the Place" (Bereishit 28:11). Rashi says this unusual language comes to tell us that Yaakov established the evening prayer. And it uses the word "alighted" to tell us that "he leapt over a vast expanse." But what does the evening prayer have to do with leaping over the land? The answer is that a person's desire for the holy has the power to bring down a revelation of Hashem even when we are in the aspect of nighttime - the darkest, most remote places. From there Yaakov comes to Mt. Moriah. The place was uprooted and came to where Yaakov was. All of this was possible because of Yaakov's tremendous desire - even though he was very, very far, he jumped to that place. And this is the essence of the nighttime prayer. That in a time of darkness when there is simply no other way to reveal the light of Hashem one can still reach there through experiencing his inner yearning. And if he will do this then Hashem will reveal Himself, not gradually, but in a leap. Thus, in feeling distant from Hashem there is this goodness: that it generates desire, arousing a person to the depths of yearning. And this aspect of true desire to experience the inner light is something we are all capable of through turning to the truth of Hashem's Oneness and the purity of our heart. (Sefat Emet 124)
Vayeitzei
Reb Shlomo Minyan HarNof
(R. Raphael, email: [email protected])
The Uniqueness Of Yaakov
Yaakov, who represents truth, is precisely the one who doesn't distinguish or set himself apart from the stirrings of the evil inclination: Everything is a vessel to serve Hashem alone. He doesn't grant anything to power of another authority: there is only Hashem, only Hashem. This is unlike someone who is battling to "kill the yetzer," like Yitzchak. In such a case there still remains a remnant that they must defend against at all times. He may have broken the evil and negated it but he has not brought it into the service of the holy. Thus we see by Yitzchak that the stones of the Akeidah were many, the many parts of self that had to be subdued in the service of Hashem's will. For Yaakov these same stones combined into one on which he rested his head (Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer). This is because Yitzchak had to overcome himself to separate himself from evil and break its influence over him. But Yaakov is completely good. He doesn't see the bad as having any content other than being an opportunity to give glory to Hashem. Evil is a vessel that has the potential to reveal more of Hashem.
This is the concept of the ladder. There is a small pause between each rung because there is an obstacle, some negativity that remains within the self that has to be overcome. By surmounting it one rises, because this is the reversal of the obstacle to a helper. Before Yaakov reaches this level he needs a great deal of protection. These are the angels that accompany him on his way - angels that protect from stumbling by sheltering in the hiddenness of Hashem.
The level of Yaakov is to turn over the yetzer to tov. He takes the very promptings to evil and uses them as an inspiration to do Hashem's will. He sees the evil inclination as having no source other than Hashem calling him to strengthen his service in holiness. The yetzer is not the voice of another force - everything is a complete unity. This is how the Radbaz understands the command that Adam was given concerning eating from the tree of knowledge. "If you eat from it together with everything else then it, itself is good. Just don't separate it as a separate force alone. Thus if a person knows how to transform the power contained in negativity it can actually help him.
But for a person to be able to do this, he has to be able to see everything as coming only from Hashem. He has to be very, very strong in that perception. A person who is not complete in this way who goes into the darkness to bring out sparks of holiness can be lost, swallowed by the impurity. For a person who sees only one authority, everything outside of that is falsehood and nonexistent. But a person who lacks this completeness perceives things within his heart as another authority. This perception is akin to idolatry, so then how can such a person turn it over to good. (From Miktav M'Eliyahu on the parashah.) Getting beyond the magic moments "Avraham sent gifts to the east." This means lower levels of holiness that are not rectified. They are impure names given (to Avraham's children born to Kitorah, who is Hagar) in order that they should have a completion later when they can be purified. These people of the east taught magic to all the world and from here came out Lavan, Be'or and Bil'am (Zohar 1:133b).
With magic Lavan sought to destroy Yaakov (Zohar 64b).
Magic is something that comes from the constriction of Gd's light that was necessary in order to create the world. Without the constrictions everything would be filled with Hashem's holy light and the world would not have had a separate existence. When Yaakov hid himself in the house of Shem and Ever he entered himself into this light. He covered himself completely in the Torah that he should have no existence except through Torah. By reaching to Torah, which is above the seven days in which the world was built, attaching himself above creation and the constriction, he didn't need to fear magic because as we said its power only comes from after the constriction of the light in lower forms of "physicality." And the negativity (klipah) of the left side (which is the murderous wrath of Esav) and right side (the ensnaring blandishments of Lavan) combine together, represented by the negativity of yoking tighter ox and mule. Nevertheless, this power is limited to the realm of "nature." But Yaakov, through his attachment to Torah, reached above this (Shem MiShemuel 327).
It Takes A Yaakov To Survive A Lavan
Lavan is the klipah or negativity of a spiritual reality which is very, very high and is called lavan or white because it is the place of pure chesed, before the separation of the right and left sides. Yaakov is the one who has to go through the negativity of Lavan so that he can reach the holiness that lies hidden there. He has to bring this light down from a state of hiddenness into revelation but he can only do so by freeing it from the klipah of its lower manifestation in the wicked Lavan.
The exalted nature of the treasure that is hidden with Lavan is hinted at in the kiss of Rachel. Taking out Rachel from the domain of Lavan represents the revelation of the highest levels of the Torah. Because kissing is the aspect of chochmah, bina and daat, joining to the holy as it were by way of kissing, joining one's breath in repeating the words of Torah to the breath of Hashem's original speaking, like kisses that come from the depth of love.
Rachel is the aspect of the revealed speech of Torah while Leah represents the level of thought (holiness still in a state of hiddenness). Yaakov wanted to bring down from lavan, the exalted purity of undivided chesed into the revelation of speech, and this arduous task is compared to giving birth which explains why Rachel had such difficulty bearing children. Leah, who is on the level of thought, bore six children without difficulty because something contained in the mind is on a less revealed level and the spiritual work requires less effort (Torah Ohr on the parashah).
Two Aspects Of Experiencing Negativity
"I have dwelt with Lavan" (Beresheit 32:5). Yaakov wrestled with evil throughout his life. He lived with both Esav and Lavan, and he was a target of their jealousy and hatred. Just by associating himself with this negativity of others he took some of it into himself. This is why Esav was afraid of Yaakov fearing the bite of his serpant. Were it left at that there would be a lack in Yaakov's completeness. While Yaakov needs the power that resides in the negativity as protection against his evil antagonists, there is another spiritual level of goodness that Yaakov also takes out from his experience with Lavan. Thus another perspective on Yaakov's holiness comes out from even a deeper level, the level of thankfulness. Yaakov was really not contaminated by Lavan. To the contrary, his heart was pure and full of thanks for the truth that Gd had shown him. "Everyone knows who Lavan is. Yet I escaped after 20 years though he contended with me and sought to destroy me. But Gd delivered me from his hand" (Zohar 167b). Without this deeper level of thankfulness that comes from the inner aspect of Yaakov, kindness, the outer aspect of judgment, would have been corrosive of Yaakov's character.
The Mystery Of Return In Repetition
Repetitions in holiness. Why does Yaakov go back to Lavan? Eliezer had been there for Avraham to get a wife for Yitzchak. Yaakov goes back himself. What are they going back for?
Like a song we sing over and over, or returning to the same pasuk - there's something there for us. This has to do with Lavan the Aramai, the deceiver, father of Rivkah and Leah. Yitzchak couldn't go there himself; he was pure and couldn't leave the land, so Eliezer went to Lavan to find Yitzchak's wife. But Yaakov could travel that far into darkness. This is possible only after the service of Yitzchak, who made a total separation from evil. After this it was possible to go back there and come out alive. Attaching yourself ever so strongly to holiness before going into impurity. Tying a strong rope by which to pull yourself up. What is recovered from there for Yitzchak is done by proxy. Yaakov takes it himself. Two wives instead of one. Leah is "really" meant for Esav. This is the double portion. Repetition. Not only this, also this. Yetzer tov and yetzer hara. Not just the beautiful one, Rivkah, but Leah who has weak eyes. Not just the revealed Torah but also the oral Torah that needs to be gone over again and again in repetition. The written Torah is on the level of seeing - you take the whole thing in at once. It is Rachel, the aspect of exuberant love, the kiss as soon as Yaakov sees her, while Leah is "hated" until one child after another builds a connection from below, a bond established between her and Yaakov.
Yaakov sees Rachel. That is his motivation for what he does, his love of Rachel. That is connected to the inner part of Yaakov. And that's what enables him to do the work he has to do. It's all initially from the power of his love for Rachel.
And going back to that love again and again, bringing forth the twelve tribes, the different aspects of love for Hashem rectified through the tzaddik. The going back, journeying from before creation to after creation. Like going back to a song that evokes tremendous joy, even to the point where we feel the mystery and inexplicability of our feelings. Where is this from? And the most profound manifestation of this is with our children. In creating them we go back to our own mysterious source. Not in a way of contemplation alone or joy alone but in total unity with the Creator. We are repeating the experience of union with the creator, the ratzo v'shav, coming and going from unity to self in repetition. And there are moments that are Rachel moments which are on the level of a kiss, where the voice rises in Torah and the love of Hashem without effort. And there are Leah moments where one has to go back again and again till we remember that the mystery of one's life and Torah are wedded together like husband and wife.
Holding On To Holiness
Impurity feeds off the holy. Everything that Lavan has, comes out of the blessing of Avraham's family. Lavan himself was born only because Hashem sent a blessing to open Sarah's womb in order to bring forth Yitzchak. This blessing also opened the womb of Betuel's wife. Lavan himself draws the blessing of Avraham's descendents towards impurity, attacking Yaakov in his simplicity. He acts on the pretense of trust while his real motive is to yoke the blessing that Hashem brings through Yaakov, making it work for Lavan's unholy purposes.
After Yosef is born, Yaakov leaves to break away from Lavan and return to the Land with family and possessions. When Lavan catches up to him he berates Yaakov. "The daughters are my daughters! The sons are my sons! The flocks are my flocks! All that you see is mine!" (Bereishit 31:43)
From this we see that Lavan never saw Yaakov as anything more than his slave. The possessions of a slave belong to his master. Lavan never intended anything with Yaakov other than to siphon off the good that came through Yaakov's blessing. Thus, Lavan uses his two daughters to snare Yaakov. First, he brings Yaakov into the house for a month to test him out. When he sees Yaakov's merit, he agrees to give Yaakov his daughter. But he tricks Yaakov after seven years of labor and substitutes Leah, arguing righteously that it is only right that his firstborn daughter should marry before Rachel. He does this in order to yoke Yaakov to another seven years,and he knows he has the leverage to do this because of Yaakov's desire to marry Rachel.
Thus while Lavan masquerades as hospitable, in actuality he intends to enslave. Lavan's name hints at his character. Lavan means white - he appears to be pure. His intentions are well disguised. Indeed, he has an explanation for everything and this "fairness" makes it difficult for Yaakov, ish tam (a man of simple good), to wrestle with him. But at some point his slickness adds up to a nasty portrait. When Lavan catches up to Yaakov, Yaakov protests Lavan's employ, "Twenty years I worked for you!" "By day I was consumed by scorching heat, and at night by the frost, when sleep was snatched from my eyes. You changed my wages ten times!" (Bereishit 31:38-41) Yaakov's natural will to deal fairly has come in conflict with his truth. "Gd has blessed you with my coming," says Yaakov. "But when will I build up my own estate?" (Bereishit 31:43)
After fourteen years of working for Lavan, Yaakov had few possessions while his family had grown tremendously. It was at this time that Yaakov had the vision of the carved sticks. He is told to place them before the sheep when they come to drink. In this way the offspring will come out certain colors which Yaakov will be entitled to keep for himself. The irony here is pointed. He is beating Lavan at his own game. Lavan is a feared magician, but now through a Divine vision Yaakov has received knowledge of a device that will enable him to bind the sheep to himself, wresting them away from Lavan. This is no small matter, as these sheep, according to the Kabbalah, represent the souls of Israel. Yaakov is shepherding them from exile, taking them to the Holy Land. This is a foreshadowing of Moshe, who will shepherd Yitro's sheep at Sinai before returning to Mitzrayim to take out B'nei Yisrael.
Before Lavan overtakes Yaakov, he has a dream in which he is warned not to harm Yaakov. Lavan tells this to him and Yaakov responds, "Now Hashem has given His judgment." Yaakov is affirmed in fleeing from Lavan. The dream is Yaakov's assurance that what he had worked for was really his. While he suffered his submission to Lavan in silence, this brought him to a higher level where he merited to shepherd the souls of Israel to the Holy Land. He was with Hashem in miracle even while he continued to work for Lavan. When he heard Lavan's dream, this was the affirmation of his actions.
Returning With Two Camps
All the time that Yaakov was with Lavan, Gd did not speak with him, except at the end when his thoughts were on leaving. But as soon as he left Lavan, the angels came to meet him and escort him. He did not go to meet the angels, the angels came to meet him, some from the side of mercy, some from the side of judgment, they met and united in him. Because there were these two camps of angels he called the place in the plural "machani'im." Thus Esav who emerged first was red, signifying din, judgment. But in actuality Yaakov was first because at the time of conception Yitzchak's thoughts were centered on mercy which is the aspect of Yaakov, and only afterwards on judgement, which is Esav. So really Yaakov was created first. Esav is called first and Gd is called First and one day the First will punish the first and rebuild the first. A glorious throne set on high from the first the place of our Temple (Bereishit 32:1 from Zohar 3:55a-56b).
Someone who wants to descend into a deep pit needs first of all to bind himself with a strong rope so that he won't drown in going down. "Yaakov went out from Be'er Sheva." This means that he swore to Hashem with all his heart and it's known that a shevuah oath includes all the life that is in a person's heart, the seven traits of the person. Only then did he go to Charan, because then he went there on the level of the eighth, "az," aleph, zayin which represents the certainty of being connected above. Because when a person gives over the seven and does only the will of Hashem, that's called "az" above nature. Then he can go to anyplace that he wants without fear. And he came upon the place that he could feel there the inner point and was able to bring out the precious light that was there in the filth. That's what it means that Yaakov established the prayer of nighttime which is called the prayer of evening "mixture," because good and evil are mixed there. And he found within the confusion the good point that is connected above. And we who follow from Yaakov, the B'nei Yisrael, can be confident that any place we go, Yaakov has already been there (Sefat Emet 125).
At A Glance