פרשת ויצא
In this week’s parsha, Yaakov prepares to embark for Haran and start a new life without his family, in a foreign land. The parsha opens with G-d revealing Himself to Yaakov in a dream, reassuring Yaakov that a bright future lies ahead of him and his offspring. G-d also promises to guard and protect Yaakov from the future challenges that face him. Yaakov, elated by the good news, awakes the next morning to build a monument and makes the following vow: “If G-d will be with me and guard me on the path I will go… and G-d will be a G-d for me, this rock that I have set as a monument will be a House of G-d and I will give a tenth of everything that You give me…” (Breishis 28:20-22) Wait a second!!! Hold the presses!!! Didn’t G-d just promise Yaakov that He would protect him? On what basis is Yaakov making his vow conditional? Does Yaakov doubt whether G-d will come through on His promise? This is G-d we’re talking about here! If G-d promises you something it’s as good as done! Why does Yaakov say “If”? Is he questioning G-d’s ability to stay true to His Word?
Has v’Shalom, says the Sforno, has v’shalom. Yaakov was not implying that he didn’t believe that Hashem could deliver on His Word. Rather, he wasn’t sure that he himself could successfully overcome the challenges that lay ahead of him. Would he have the moral strength and courage to stand up to Lavan and Esav? Would he be able to stay committed to Hashem all the years of his exile? Yaakov didn’t want Hashem to fulfill His promises if he didn’t deserve it. Rather, he wanted that “G-d will be a G-d for me.” If Yaakov deserved the fulfillment of Hashem’s promises only then would he accept them. However, if he breached his relationship with G-d, even in the slightest way, he demanded that all Divine help be withheld from him. This gives us a deep insight into the psyche of Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov was a man of truth who just wanted to have a real relationship with Hashem. He didn’t want G-d’s mercy. He wanted Hashem to relate to him in accordance with his deeds. Rav Gedalia Sherer explains that this drive, exemplified by Yaakov Avinu, is indeed midas ha’emes itself. When someone obligates himself to the truth and dedicates his entire being completely to G-d, everything else loses its importance. The only thing that really matters is one’s relationship with Hashem. When a person fully commits himself to only doing Hashem’s will, nothing can distract him from his goal. No fear, pleasure, distraction, loss, or pain will be able to pull him away from his service of G-d. Despite his instinctive urges, one who is driven by his desire for a truthful relationship with Hashem will always choose the Torah’s vision over his own. For Yaakov Avinu, this drive was so strong and the possibility of betraying it pained him so much that he preferred to lose everything G-d had promised him rather than lose the open and sincere relationship that he had with Hashem. Staying true to G-d was what Yaakov’s life was all about.
Although most of us need Hashem’s mercy, and Yaakov Avinu’s spiritual advancement is light years beyond our own, the mida of emes is an attribute that we all have on some level. However, this trait must be developed for us to successfully face the adversity in our lives. Rav Aryeh Finkel points out that we can learn from Yaakov Avinu himself that one of the most primary ways of building a reservoir of inspiration for maintaining total commitment to the truth is through learning Torah. Chazal teach us that Yaakov learned for 14 years in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever before making the move to Haran. Rav Finkel asserts that these 14 years were the years that solidified Yaakov’s integrity and enabled his commitment to Hashem to endure the entire period that he was in Lavan’s house. Those of us who are privileged to learn in yeshiva should cherish the incredible gift we have. This is the time to build ourselves. Every day of learning presents another opportunity to strengthen our commitment to the truth. We have an obligation to exert ourselves as much as humanly possible for whatever time Hashem grants us in the beis midrash, surrounded by rebbeim, chaverim, and of course the Torah itself. If Yaakov Avinu felt he needed 14 years in yeshiva to give him the necessary strength to triumph over the tribulations of his life, we definitely need to put in as much time and effort as we can if we hope to achieve victory in the battles we will fight later in our lives.
We learn from Yaakov another valuable piece of advice on strengthening our commitment to the truth. Rav Dessler writes that on Yaakov’s way to Haran, he mistakenly passed the site of the Beis HaMikdash without stopping to daven there. Only once Yaakov was a great distance away did he notice his error. Nevertheless, Yaakov decided to expend the effort to return to the place where his forefathers had davened. What was so important about going back. Rav Dessler explains that when someone davens in the same place as his fathers, he is able to feel their spiritual presence. This guides him and inspires him in his own tefilla as well. Yaakov Avinu felt that this spiritual experience was so important that he was willing to travel days for it. Especially in this chapter of his life he looked for every spiritual boost he could find before embarking on his uncertain future. This message is applicable to us as well. Often we could really use some chizuk but pretend we’re tough enough and don’t need any spiritual support. We learn from Yaakov Avinu that no matter how strong a person is, he can always use a boost. Moreover, we should even search for things to encourage us in our service of G-d looking for anything that will strengthen us in our commitment to search for the truth.
There is a story told of Rav Pesach Levovitz z”l, the father of my mechutan and also the former Chief Rabbi of Lakewood, New Jersey. Rav Pesach at that time was in his early 20’s, and it was a long time before Lakewood was as frum as it is today. Shortly after being appointed as the Rav, Rav Pesach discovered that 9 out of the 10 butcher shops in the community were selling meat without proper shechita. After failed attempts to convince the butchers to distribute kosher meat, Rav Pesach realized he had no option but to revoke the shops’ hechsherim and disclose the matter to the public. When revealing his intentions to the shochtim they yelled at him, threatening that if he closed down their butcher shops they would have to find a new use for their knives, which would most likely be for shechting him!!! Unruffled by the chilling threats, Rav Pesach kept his commitment to the truth and prepared to publicize the matter. Rav Pesach’s father, worried for his son, requested Rav Aharon Kotler to convince Rav Pesach to avoid the situation, as it now looked to be a matter of life and death. However, after all the tumult, Rav Pesach did indeed expose the butcher shops’ lack of reliability and for over a week he and his family waited, preparing for the worst. However, baruch Hashem, the shochtim ended up backing down and instead of designating their knives as instruments of destruction, they pledged to use their talents for the good, coming to Rav Pesach to learn the halachos of shechita. In the final analysis, Rav Pesach’s commitment to Hashem and the truth prevailed.
May we all be zoche to be people of truth!!!
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