Vayeitzei – Peninim on the Torah

והנה מלאכי אלקים עלים ויורדים בו

And behold! Angels of G-d were ascending and descending on it. (28:12)

The realm in which the Heavenly Angels make their “home” is Heaven. Thus, the Torah should have written that Angels were first descending and then ascending back to their spiritual habitat. Rashi clearly says that olim techilah, v’achar kach yordim, they first went up to Shomayim and then returned down to land. Horav Chaim Berlin, zl, explains this with a practical analogy. The eastern wall of a shul is called the “front,” and walking up to the lectern or Aron Kodesh is called “walking up.” The reason for this is that the Aron Kodesh, Ark, is situated on the eastern…

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ויקח מאבני המקום וישם מראשתיו

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5786

He took from the stones of the place which he arranged around his head. (28:11)

Chazal teach that the stones began quarreling, each one vying for the tzadik to rest his head upon it. Thereupon, Hashem combined them all into one stone to serve the tzadik equally. Apparently, the competition among the stones lasted only as long as they were separated from one another. Why did it not continue, even when they became one with different surfaces? Each stone could have demanded that Yaakov rest his head on his portion of the stone. This teaches us that competitiveness and divisiveness occur only when people are separated from one another. When everyone lives together in harmony,…

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ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5786

Yaakov left Be’er Sheva. (28:10)

Undoubtedly, a tzadik impacts a community – if he is involved with the community. This is the common perspective. What about the tzadik who sits in his vinkel, corner, learning all day, going out just to daven? What does he do for the community? Yaakov Avinu was the consummate ish tam yosheiv ohalim, wholesome person abiding in tents, which is a reference to the ohalah shel Torah, the bais ha’medrash. Yet, when he left Be’er Sheva, the void his absence created was deep. As Rashi says, the splendor, beauty and glory of the community drifted away with him. Apparently, the…

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ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5786

Yaakov left Be’er Sheva and went toward Charan. (28:10)

Obviously, we are well aware of Yaakov Avinu’s origin, his home from which he was leaving. What is really important for the reader is his destination. Why does the Torah underscore his leaving Be’er Sheva? Quoting Chazal, Rashi says, “When a righteous person departs from a city, its glory departs.” For while the tzadik is in the city, he is its glory, splendor and beauty. The commentators, each in his own inimitable manner, offer their understanding and analysis of these terms. I would like to make one observation concerning the emphasis on Yaakov leaving Be’er Sheva. Yaakov left Be’er Sheva;…

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ותאמר הפעם אודה את ד' על כן קראה שמו יהודה

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5785

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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והנה מלאכי אלקים עלים ויורדים בו

And behold! Angels of G-d were ascending and descending on it. (28:12)

ויקח מאבני המקום וישם מראשתיו

He took from the stones of the place which he arranged around his head. (28:11)

ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע

Yaakov left Be’er Sheva. (28:10)

ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה

Yaakov left Be’er Sheva and went toward Charan. (28:10)

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)

YEARS

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