Vayeitzei – Peninim on the Torah

ותאמר הפעם אודה את ד' על כן קראה שמו יהודה

And she (Leah) declared, “This time let me greatly praise Hashem.” (29:35)

Now, as a mother of one-third of Yaakov Avinu’s twelve sons, Leah paid gratitude to Hashem, because He granted her more than her rightful share. Much has been written about gratitude per se, specifically in interpreting and explaining Leah Imeinu’s gratitude. This is especially critical in light of Chazal’s statement (Berachos 7B), “From the day the world was created, there was no one who paid gratitude to Hashem, until Leah came and thanked Him.” The questions are obvious: How can Chazal suggest that the Avos Hakedoshim, holy Patriarchs, did not thank Hashem? This question is especially pressing when we take…

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ועיני לאה רכות

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5785

And Leah’s eyes were tender (29:17)

Rashi explains that Leah Imeinu wept copious tears in prayer to Hashem that she not have to marry Eisav. People would say that Rivkah Imeinu had two sons and her brother, Lavan, had two daughters. It made sense that the older daughter, Leah, would wed the older son, Eisav; and the younger daughter, Rachel, would marry Yaakov. The prospect of having to spend the rest of her life with the evil Eisav is enough to make anyone cry. As a result, Leah’s eyes became tender. Targum Onkelos interprets rackos as ya’in, beauty. Was Rashi unaware of Onkelos’ commentary? Furthermore, Chazal…

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ויקרא את שם המקום ההוא בית-קל ואולם לוז שם העיר לראשנה

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5785

And he named the place Bais-El; however, Luz was the city’s name originally. (28:19)

The name Luz denotes the principle of eternity. Chazal (Vayikra Rabbah 18) teach that there is a certain tiny bone within the human body that does not decompose. It is from this indestructible bone that Hashem will resurrect the dead. HoRav Mordecahi Ilan, zl, explains the background, the name change from the original Luz to Bais-El (Beth-El). Until Yaakov Avinu emerged on the scene, people thought that the way to ensure continuity is through the establishment of community, etc. Thus, they named the city Luz, because its name representes endurance and perseverance. Our Patriarch changed the city’s name to Bais…

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ויען לבן ויאמר אל יעקב הבנות בנתי והבנים בני והצאן צאני וכל אשר אתה ראה לי הוא

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5784

Then Lavan spoke up and said to Yaakov, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children and the flock is my flock, and all that you see is mine.” (31:43)

Lavan came at Yaakov with a list of purported accusations, claiming that Yaakov had deceived him and was taking his daughters from him as if they were his captives. The man’s arrogance is staggering. He presented himself to Yaakov as if he were the injured party and Yaakov Avinu, the aggressor, an accusation which could not be further from the truth. When Yaakov replied, exposing Lavan’s untruths, Lavan attacked with his real feelings: everything belongs to me. So what? Does this mean he could violate Yaakov’s rights, mistreat, lie to and steal from him? How does Lavan’s response mitigate Yaakov’s…

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ויען יעקב ויאמר ללבן מה פשעי מה חטאתי כי דלקת אחרי

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5784

Yaakov spoke up and said to Lavan, “What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me?” (31:36)

Enough! Yaakov had been quiet long enough. Yaakov realized that Lavan’s trumped up charges against him were nothing more than a pretense to allow him to search his possessions. Our Patriarch allowed his pent-up emotions to counter every one of Lavan’s accusations respectfully. In a powerful exposition, the Chasam Sofer (Teshuvos, Chelek 6, Likutim 59) writes that every tzaddik, righteous person, must contend with his personal Lavan, his nemesis who will do everything in his power to make his life miserable. To paraphrase the Chasam Sofer: “There is no Yaakov (metaphor for holy, righteous man) who does not have his…

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לקח יעקב את כל אשר לאבינו ומאשר לאבינו עשה את כל הכבד הזה

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5784

Yaakov has taken all that which belonged to our father and from that he amassed all this wealth. (31:1)

Targum Onkelos translates kavod (usually translated as honor) as nichsaya, material possessions (u’midei l’avuna kana kol nichsaya ha’ilein). Why would Onkelos diverge from the usual translation? Horav Tzvi Elimelech Hertzberg, zl (Rav in Baltimore), explains that the word kavod is noticeably spelled missing the vav, which implies that the honor that they were addressing is (to us) not true honor; rather, it is kavod medumah, imaginary honor. What did Lavan’s sons value? Growing up in their father’s home, influenced by his love of money, his constant swindling, anything to make a buck. They were privy to a perverted sense of…

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ויאסף לבן את כל אנשי המקום ויעש משתה

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5784

So Lavan gathered all the people of the place and made a feast. (29:22)

This wedding reception of Yaakov Avinu and what should have been Rachel Imeinu included all the people in the city. Lavan spared no expense in marrying off his daughter. Little did Yaakov know that his future father-in-law, Lavan the swindler, had substituted Leah Imeinu for Rachel. Lavan knew the marriage was based upon a fraud; so did Rachel and Leah. Daas Zekeinim m’Baalei Tosfos (29:25) comment that, indeed, everyone in the community, all of the invited guests, was aware of the ruse. In fact, they did not conceal their knowledge of the deception. They sang all night, Ha Leah, “This…

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ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5784

And Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva and went to Charan. (28:10)

Rashi asks the well-known question: “It needs only to have written, ‘And Yaakov went to Charan.’ Why does the Torah mention his departure? Magid, it tells us, that the departure of a tzaddik, righteous person, from a place makes an impression. For when he is in a city, he is its magnificence, he is its splendor, he is its grandeur. Once he has departed, its magnificence has gone away, its splendor has gone away, its grandeur has gone away.” Horav Chaim Stein, zl, makes note of Chazal’s (quoted by Rashi) use of the word magid (she’yetzias tzaddik oseh roshem), “it…

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ויזכר אלקים את רחל

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5783

Hashem remembered Rachel. (30:22)

Rachel Imeinu was mevater, relinquished, that which she deserved in order to preserve her sister’s esteem. If Yaakov Avinu would have discovered that Leah had been exchanged for Rachel, it would have posed an embarrassing situation for Leah. To spare her the shame, Rachel gave up what was hers. Horav Yeruchem Levovitz, zl, adds that Rachel’s actions to spare her sister from humiliation also breached the trust Yaakov had in her. The Patriarch knew that Lavan was a swindler who would find some way to break his word at the very last moment. Thus, he made a pact with Rachel,…

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וייקץ יעקב משנתו ויאמר אכן יש ד' במקום הזה ואנכי לא ידעתי

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5783

Yaakov awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely Hashem is present in this place and I did not know.” (28:16)

Rashi explains that after discovering the level of holiness of the place in which he presently was, Yaakov Avinu was lamenting having slept. How does one dare to sleep in such a holy place? The Brisker Rav, zl, would become emotional when thinking about Yaakov’s reaction to discovering that he was in a consecrated place. The Patriarch had escaped from his brother, Eisav, who was bent on killing him. On the way, he was waylaid by Elifaz, who took away all of his money. Therefore, since he had just received a prophecy that assured him, U’shemarticha b’chol asher teilech; “I…

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ותאמר הפעם אודה את ד' על כן קראה שמו יהודה

And she (Leah) declared, “This time let me greatly praise Hashem.” (29:35)

ועיני לאה רכות

And Leah’s eyes were tender (29:17)

ויקרא את שם המקום ההוא בית-קל ואולם לוז שם העיר לראשנה

And he named the place Bais-El; however, Luz was the city’s name originally. (28:19)

ויען לבן ויאמר אל יעקב הבנות בנתי והבנים בני והצאן צאני וכל אשר אתה ראה לי הוא

Then Lavan spoke up and said to Yaakov, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children and the flock is my flock, and all that you see is mine.” (31:43)

ויען יעקב ויאמר ללבן מה פשעי מה חטאתי כי דלקת אחרי

Yaakov spoke up and said to Lavan, “What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me?” (31:36)

לקח יעקב את כל אשר לאבינו ומאשר לאבינו עשה את כל הכבד הזה

Yaakov has taken all that which belonged to our father and from that he amassed all this wealth. (31:1)

ויאסף לבן את כל אנשי המקום ויעש משתה

So Lavan gathered all the people of the place and made a feast. (29:22)

ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה

And Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva and went to Charan. (28:10)

ויזכר אלקים את רחל

Hashem remembered Rachel. (30:22)

וייקץ יעקב משנתו ויאמר אכן יש ד' במקום הזה ואנכי לא ידעתי

Yaakov awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely Hashem is present in this place and I did not know.” (28:16)

YEARS

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