Rashi cites the Midrash that emphasizes that Yaakov Avinu lay down now – for the first time in fourteen years. His Torah study was so diligent that he had not laid down at night since he had left his parents’ home fourteen years earlier. Let us examine this statement. Certainly, Yaakov studied at the yeshivah of Shem and Eivar prior to his untimely departure from home. The Torah does not mention his lack of sleep there. What was so unique about these fourteen years that he never laid his head down?
Horav Yechiel M’Ostrovtze, zl, explains that these were two distinct forms of Torah study, with different purposes in mind. When Yaakov originally studied Torah at home, he was in an environment that was conducive to Jewish living. He resided among Jews, in a family that represented the benchmark of Torah for that generation. His focus of Torah study was to learn how a Jew lives among Jews. Converesly, as he was about to leave this utopian environment to go into exile in the atmosphere of Lavan ha’rasha, he prepared himself for life among pagans. Learning how to live as a devout Jew in an environment that is hostile to Torah is a distinct lesson in itself.
Interestingly, we note that Yaakov seemed to have been able to lay down previously. When he was studying how to live among the “Lavans,” he could not risk laying down. This serves as a lesson for us that, when we are exposed to an atmosphere that is not conducive to the Torah way of life, we cannot relax our guard.
