The Ultimate Promise

This week’s Parsha is focused on the life of Yaakov after he leaves his parents house, including his marriages, his time in the house of Lavan and of course the birth of most of the Shevatim.

At the beginning of the Parsha the Torah tells us that Yaakov left Be’er Sheva, where his parents lived, and went toward Charan. As we all know, he stopped at what was in reality Har Hamoriah where he fell asleep and had an amazing dream or Nevuah, in which Hashem promised him that he will receive the Brachos of Avraham Avinu—both Yerushas Eretz Yisroel and multitudes of offspring—and that He would guard Yaakov along his path, eventually returning him to Eretz Yisroel.

The Passuk then tells us that Yaakov set up a monument of sorts the next morning as a testament to this interaction with Hashem, and then he made a declaration, which the Passuk calls a “Neder”. This pronouncement is lengthy, and Meforshim point out that is hews very closely to the various promises that Hashem made to Yaakov in the Nevuah. For example, Hashem told Yaakov: “V’Heni Anochim Imach” and part of Yaakov’s Neder was “Im Yihiyeh Elokim Imadi.” At the end of this statement Yaakov says “V’Haya Hashem Li L’Elokim, V’Chol Asher Titen Li, Aser A’asrenu Lach.”

At first glance, it would appear that this Neder is conditional: “If Hashem in fact protects me, and provides me with all that I need, then I will accept him as my Hashem, and I will give Maaser.” Indeed Rashi seems to say that this was the case—Yaakov made a Tenai, so to speak, and his final statement was contingent of Hashem holding up His end of the bargain, so to speak.

The Ramban, and many other Meforshim, disagree as it would be very difficult to assume that Yaakov would make his acceptance of Hashem conditional. Can we really assume that when Yaakov Avinu said “V’Haya Hashem Li L’Elokim” that he didn’t do so unequivocally? These Rishonim therefore explain that the Lashon of Neder indicated a Shavua or promise: because Hashem had promised to protect Yaakov and to provide him with all that he needed, Yaakov was reaffirming his dedication to Hashem, and promising to take Maaser from his riches.

The fact remains, however, that Rashi understands that Yaakov made a Tenai, that his statement of “V’Haya Hashem Li L’Elokim” was subject to the way that Hashem would act towards him, and whether the variety of conditions listed were carried out. How can we understand this? As the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh asks: “Until now did Yaakov not accept Hashem Chas V’Shalom?” Why does Yaakov seem to be making a deal with Hashem?

In order to understand this, we must first understand fully understand the Nevuah that Yaakov received, as well as the impact that his Neder had.

The Medrash Rabba here says that when Yaakov made this statement, he instilled in each of his offspring a new concept: when one is in an Eis Tzarah, when a person is in danger, he can make a Neder related to a Mitzvah and that Zechus will protect him. This is an ability and a solution that did not exist prior to Yaakov making his Neder, as the Medrash says “Kol Mi SheHu Noder, Lo Yihiyeh Toleh Es HaNeder Elah Bo: Anyone who makes a Neder relies only on him [Yaakov].”

We see then that the Neder that Yaakov made was not limited to him, it was not for his own life, but was connected to his children and indeed provided every member of Klal Yisroel with an ability to protect themselves from harm.

The Nesivos, in his Sefer Nachlas Yaakov, asks an important question on this Medrash: Hakadosh Baruch Hu had just promised to protect Yaakov Avinu from all harm, to grant him the gift of Eretz Yisroel, and to multiply his descendant “K’Afar HaArertz.” Why was this an “Es Tzarah” for Yaakov? The Medrash says that we learn from Yaakov Avinu that when one is in a difficult or dangerous situation he can make a Neder to do a Mitzah and that will protect him—but it would not appear that Yaakov was in any Es Tzara at all?

He therefore explains that the promise that Hakadosh Baruch Hu made of “U’Shemarticha B’chol Asher Telech” and “V’Hashevosicha” referred not only to Yaakov Avinu, but to his children as well. This promise was in fact a guarantee of the Nitzchius of Klal Yisroel, that Hashem would watch over us even in Galus, on any path that we may travel, and that he will eventually return us to Bais Avicha—Eretz Yisrael.

Yaakov, however, was concerned that perhaps our Aveiros, our inability to stand firm while in Galus, would prevent us from being Zoche to the Geulah, so he created a tool for his offspring—he made a Neder. He showed that if we commit ourselves to the Torah and Maasim Tovim we can be saved from the Es Tzarah that we may encounter while in Galus. When we face difficult circumstances—on personal or communal levels—we turn to our Torah and Mitzvos; we recommit ourselves to the ideals of our Avos Hakedoshim, and rely on the promise that Hakadosh Baruch Hu made to Yaakov Avinu, that we will forever be protected.

This, however, is no the only place in the Parsha that we see how concerned Yaakov Avinu was with our ability to survive the Galus.

R’ Aharon Kotler, in Mishnas R’ Aharon, asks why, later on in the Parsha, Yaakov offered to work for Lavan for seven years prior to marrying Rochel. At that point Yaakov was already seventy-seven years old, far older than his father had been when he got married, and Lavan never asked him to do work for him—why did Yaakov push off his marriage? In addition, the Passuk says that those seven years, when Yaakov was awaiting his marriage to Rochel, passed as if they were only a number of days, which is counterintuitive. We know that any time we anticipate something, the days seem to pass by slowly. As R’ Ahron says, those years should have seemed like Yovlos, not a mere few days.

In fact, one can also ask why Yaakov stopped in Yeshivas Shem V’Ever for fourteen years before proceeding to Charan to find his wife. Did he not wish to begin the process of building Klal Yisroel? Why delay for so long?

R’ Ahron explains that Yaakov understood that his role was to begin in earnest the final phase in the building of Klal Yisroel. Avraham and Yitzchok each had children, Yishmael and Esav, that were not part of the Hemshech of the Derech Hashem. Yaakov, however, was to have twelve children, each of which would be an integral part of the Kiyum of Klal Yisroel. Each step that Yaakov took was therefore related to this part of his Tafkid on the world, and was in some way a preparation for the establishment of our nation.

Prior to travelling to Charan, Yaakov went to immerse himself in the Torah of Shem V’Ever for that was the only way to properly prepare for his role as the father of the Shevatim and Klal Yisroel. Only through ceaseless Ameilus B’Torah did Yaakov feel that he could ready himself for the next phase of his life. But we see that even once he arrived in Charan he did not begin that process immediately.

Yaakov knew that Rochel was to be his wife and the mother of Shevatim, and that his marriage would enable them to begin establishing the Shevatim, but he also realized that one more step was necessary. If he were to live amid the corruption and immorality that was pervasive in Bais Lavan and hold true to the Derech of his Avos, he would instill in his children an ability to live among the Goyim, amid the depravity of our world, and hold true to the Torah. That is why Yaakov offered to work for the seven years prior to marrying Rochel, for this would enable him to impart this Koach onto his children.

R’ Ahron explains that the seven years therefore passed as one day because Yaakov’s central role was to establish Klal Yisroel, and by working for Lavan he was endowing his future children with a capacity that would in fact ensure their continuity. Without an ability to maintain our Yiddishkeit even while living among the Lavans of the world, there would be no Kiyum to Klal Yisroel. Therefore, although he was not married to Rochel at the time, Yaakov did not feel that he was lacking as he was still fulfilling his central role of building an everlasting nation.

At every step of the way Yaakov was concerned not only with his own children and their immediate offspring, but with the Hemshech of Klal Yisroel. He realized that there would be times that we would be forced to live among the nations of the world, and times that we would face unimaginable circumstances, and he sought to prepare us for those eventualities.

There are times in all of our lives when we look around and are unsure how we can proceed, how we can hold firm to our beliefs or how we can even survive the myriad physical threats we face. We can however be confident in the affect that our Avos have even to this day. They took steps in their lives to ensure that we would in fact be able to survive the Galus and they taught us that we can use the Zechusim of Torah and Mitzvos as protection. When all else is bleak, we must be cognizant that Netzch Yisrael Lo Yishaker—Hakadosh Baruch Hu watches over us on whatever Derech we may find ourselves and be hopeful that, in spite of our shortcomings, he will one day soon fulfill the promise of “V’Hashivosecha El HaAdama HaZos.”