BS"D
SYMBOLIC STONES: PARSHAT VAYETZEI
Shira Smiles shiur 2022/5783
Adapte4d by Channie Koplowitz Stein
One of the most iconic scenes
in Parshat Vayetzei, even depicted in art, is Yaakov Avinu asleep on the road
as he is fleeing from Esau. He is dreaming of the ladder whose feet are planted
on the earth but whose head reaches heavenward with angels ascending and
descending it. The focus of most of these pictures is the dream. If Jacob is
included with relative importance, he is seen as asleep on an oversized
boulder, if on any rock. Yet the Torah details that Yaakov took rocks and
arranged them around his head, and when he awoke, there was one rock. While the
medrash says that the rocks fought for the privilege of supporting Yaakov's
head, this medrash requires further examination. Rashi then explains that
Yaakov arranged the rocks around the three sides of his head, keeping one stone
as a pillow, to deter evil, wild animals from attacking. The logical question
is how would these stones, especially only around his head, act as a deterrent
to attacking beasts? Further, Chazal tell us that this stone became the cornerstone
of the Beit Hamikdosh. This/these stones must have special significance.
Where did these stones come
from? Again, the medrash provides the information. These were the stones of the
altar for the binding of Yitzchak, and the Yefei Toar explains that
although there were no stones around his body, Yaakov would sense an animal at
his leg. The stones around his head would provide him with the few extra
seconds to escape.
Rabbi Pinto asks an additional
question. When man retains and reflects the true tzelem Elokhim/image of
God, animals are afraid of him. [Adam and Chavah did not need "special
garments" to provide protection before the sin. CKS] Certainly, Yaakov
Avinu retained this image, so much so that the angels, seeing Yaakov's
countenance at the Throne of Glory were in awe. Why did Yaakov find it
necessary to add protection?
Rabbi Pinto explains that evil
animals come to the world as a result of false oaths, and the false oath
damages not only the oath taker, but also the one who extracted the oath.
Yaakov was afraid that because he had made Esau swear to the sale of the
birthright, he would be liable. For when Esau went to get Yitzchak's blessing,
he said that Yaakov took the birthright from him, disavowing the legitimate
sale. Since Yaakov had made Esau swear, he feared that he too would now be in
danger.
When one swears falsely, he is
profaning the name of God. Animals never lie, are never false to their nature,
writes Rabbi Bunim in Ethics of Our Fathers. Since Yaakov caused Esau to
swear falsely retroactively, Yaakov was afraid of wild animals.
In truth, everything is in
Hashem's hands, both the obviously miraculous and the seemingly natural. Since
Yaakov knew this, he could sleep peacefully in spite of possible danger. But
within this great faith, one must also put in his own effort/hishtadlus
and make the miraculous appear natural. That is why Yaakov put in the minimal
effort of building some flimsy protection of rocks around his head, teaches the
Saba of Kelm. We must do our minimum, but having done that, we must not keep
worrying and questioning if we should have done more, adds Letitcha Elyon,
based on Rav Yechezkel Levenstein. That doubt indicates a flaw in our emunah.
It was this faith in Hakodosh Boruch Hu that motivated the Chashmonaim to light
the little bit of oil and hope that Hashem would add to their effort. Indeed, the
miracle became supernatural, with eight days of light. Yaakov was teaching us
that by protecting his head and gaining those extra few seconds of safety,
doing a bare minimum, Hashem would do the rest.
This is the theme of Parshat
Vayetzei, writes Rabbi Friedlander, the Sifsei Chaim. While we must
pray to Hashem, we must also do our own hishtadlus. The two are
partners. While we do our natural work, we must acknowledge that the results
are in Hashem's control.
The Tolna Rebbe takes our
discussion into the allegorical realm. How is it possible that Yaakov Avinu
thought it adequate to protect only his head? Because he was not protecting his
body from wild animals, but his mind from evil thoughts that the yetzer hora
would send to his mind at the vulnerable moments of going to asleep. We too
must protect ourselves from the evil thoughts of the yetzer hora when we go to
sleep.
Yaakov's action in a time of
potential danger is meant to teach us how to act when we find ourselves in all
kinds of danger, most particularly in spiritual danger. During times of
spiritual upheaval in the streets of the city, we protect ourselves and pray
that we retain clarity, recognize truth and retain our faith in Hakodosh Boruch
Hu, writes Rabbi Walkin zt"l in Daas Chaim Umussar. [Rabbi Walkin
was definitely speaking to our generation and the often subtle influence of the
media in our woke generation. CKS]
In Chayei Moshe, Rabbi
Bick explains that there are two ways to fight the yetzer horo, you can run
away, or you can confront it. Yaakov Avinu initially avoids the yetzer horo by
running to and learning in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever for fourteen years. But
now that he is about to enter the impure world of his uncle Lavan he needs to
confront the yetzer horo "head on" and control it. The stones are a
metaphor for the yetzer horo, the pitfalls the yetzer horo places in our path.
When Yaakov awoke and felt he had gained control of the yetzer horo underneath
his head, he named the place Beit El, the place to build the House of God.
When Yaakov arrived in Haran,
he is confronted with a huge rock on the well. With his renewed spiritual
strength, he rolled that stone off the well as if it were a cork in a bottle,
and revealed the glory of God beneath.
Stones are the theme of this
parshah. They appear at the beginning, on Yaakov's departure from his home, in
the middle, arriving in Haran, and at the end, when Yaakov and Lavan formalize
a treaty, notes the Rabbi Breslover in Lemachar Aatir. He notes,
based on Rashi in Parshat Vayechi, that (a)even is a contraction
of Av(b)/father and ben/son. [This is one reason one puts
a stone on a matzevah, when visiting a parents grave.] These three
episodes create the continuity from father to son and form the building blocks
of the family that will become Bnei Yisroel. The first episode, putting the
rocks under his head, represents Yaakov's mindset and goal of building the
twelve Godly Tribes. He envisions the twelve individual tribes forming one
nation that will all serve Hashem and build a House of God. Each Jewish home
will be a mini Beit Hamikdosh, and each Jewish table will be a mini altar.
The second episode, removing
the rock, refers to the stage of actually building the twelve tribes, all of
whom will contain the spiritual essence of the Patriarchs and draw up the
spiritual waters. He must do the work and actualize the vision.
In the final episode, Yaakov
Avinu builds a wall as a sign of strength that separates him from Lavan. He
must leave Lavan, separate from that impurity, and raise his family in the
sanctity of Eretz Yisroel. Yaakov, and we, must put in our effort and pray that
Hashem blesses the results.
The Shvilei Pinchas,
using a homiletic interpretation, puts this entire first episode into a
historical perspective going back to Adam Harishon. Our Sages say that Yaakov
was a reincarnation of Adam, and as such, he was tasked with rectifying the
original sin. Since Adam brought death to the world, albeit inadvertently, he
was exiled not to a refuge city, [obviously they hadn't yet been established,
but the premise was laid here CKS] but out of Eden. Here too, Yaakov was
"exiled" to Haran, fearing that Esau would kill him. When Yaakov
realized Hashem had made night fall early, he understood the significance of
this particular spot as the place where his father Yitzchak had been bound as
an offering, and as the spot Adam himself had brought an offering to God.
Therefore, he himself lay down on this same place, surrounding his head with
rocks to protect it.
If we now examine the Torah
account of Adam's creation and the medrashim these verses elicit, we will note
that Adam was created dust from the earth. The medrash says that while many
parts of the body were formed from dust from all around the earth, Adam's head
was formed from the dust where the Beit Hamikdosh would ultimately stand.
Further, it was the organs of the head that enticed Eve/Adam to sin: Her ears
heard the snake, her eyes saw the fruit as enticing, she touched and tasted the
fruit. Therefore, suggests the Shvilei Pinchas, Yaakov Avinu wanted to
surround his head to continue the tikun/rectification his father and
grandfather had begun at this very site.
The Shvilei Pinchas
continues with one further idea. Bnei Yisroel are privileged to live in Eretz
Yisroel as long as their head is aligned with the will of Hashem. He sees in
the name Yisroel/ישראל an anagram
of לי
ראש the head is mine/under my
control. If your head is in control, you do not need to protect the rest of
your body.
The Sichot Chizuk
explains that when Yaakov Avinu took from the stones, he was teaching us that
when we are confronted with challenges, we should take them, put them under our
head, overcome them, and thereby elevate them, for under their darkness is
great light. The struggle itself, taking these stones and putting them around
your head, is what helps build the Beit Hamikdosh; it's what makes it a matzeivah/monument,
adds Rabbi Silberberg in Sichot Hitchazkut. We don't want these
challenges, but when we climb atop them, we come closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
Rabbi Belsky now focuses on
the ladder. We must continue to climb, to strive, to keep the vision before us,
knowing that we are obligated to do our work, but also accepting that the
results are up to Hashem.
The stones that Yaakov Avinu
encountered at different stages of his life represent history, vision and
struggle. As such, they are more precious than diamonds.