5785/2024
In this week’s Parashah, Parashat VaYeitzei, the first Passuk recounts Yaakov’s traveling journeys. It states “VaYeitzei Yaakov MeBe’er Sheva, VaYelech Charanah” (BeReishit 28:10). Why does the Passuk feel the need to say that he left from Be’er Sheva? It could have just said he went to Charan! Why does it matter where he left from?
The Beit HaLevi explains that the reason it said he left is to show what Yaakov’s intentions were while traveling. Says the Beit HaLevi, Yaakov had two intentions while traveling; to follow his father’s command, and to follow his mother’s command. His fathers command, recounted earlier in the Perek, was to go to Charan in order to get a wife. The purpose of the traveling was to go to Charan to get a wife. In contrast, Rivka’s command was to leave in order to get away from Esav to protect Yaakov’s life. The purpose of traveling was getting away from Esav, not getting to Charan. The Passuk states that he left Be’er Sheva to explain to us that Yaakov had the intention to fulfill Rivka’s commandment of leaving, and wasn’t just fulfilling Yitzchak’s commandment of going to Charan.
Alternatively, The Netziv in his work Ha’Emek Davar, explains that leaving Be’er Sheva and going to Charan were different clauses. He says that in between leaving Be’er Sheva and going to Charan, Yaakov learned at Yeshivat Shem Va’Ever for 14 years. The reason it says both is because he left Be’er Sheva, then he learned at Shem Va’Ever, and then he went to Charan. It was at two separate times; these statements aren’t correlated.
Lastly, Rashi has a beautiful explanation which we can learn an important lesson from. Rashi explains that the reason it says he left Be’er Sheva is because when a Talmid Chacham leaves a city, it leaves an impact on the community. When a Talmid Chacham is in the city, he is the beauty of the city. He influences the people of the town to do the right thing, and the people cherish him. But when he leaves, it leaves a hole in the community, as he played such an important role in the Kehillah. There are many people in our communities who dedicate themselves to Torah and Mitzvot and benefit the community tremendously. We should appreciate and cherish them, so that they leave an imprint on us. Just as Be’er Sheva appreciated Yaakov and the impact he had on their community, so too we should appreciate those who have an impact on our communities. Shabbat Shalom.