5784/2023
In this weeks parsha, parsha Vayeitzei, Yaakov leaves his
family behind and goes to Charan. In Pasuk Aleph it says, צאֵ֥יֵּוַ
Why .Charan to went and Sheva Bear left Yaakov -”יֲַע֖קֹב ִמְּבֵ֣אר ָׁשָׁ֑ש ַבע
does it say that he left, it isn’t important about his journey.
The simple meaning is that he left his town that he was
in and it could be an important place that he had to leave. In
other places in the Torah where it says צאֵ֥יֵּוַ, it expresses the
person benefitting from leaving the place. In Rut, מןִ צאֵ תֵּוַ
וםֹמקָּהַ -She left from that place. Rashi their explains that it has
the same meaning the same as here.
Rashi and Rabbi Jachter explain that when a Tzadik
leaves his town, the place feels the impact of the departure. The
Daas Zekeinim takes a different approach and says the Torah
used these words instead of having to say that Yaakov was
fleeing from danger. He says that Eliphaz was running after him
and he had to hurry out to go daven which was the next place
he went to. He also says that the reason is says ויצא and not וילך,
to describe him leaving, is because Yaakov just left Ber Sheva.
He didn’t do anything else except for leaving.
There are many lessons that could be learned from just
this one small story about Yaakov leaving a place. One thing to
learn is that you should have Emunah in Hashem if your
running away from an enemy. But later in this perek, Pasuk טו,
Yaakov just woke up from having the dream of the angles and
ladder, and he is kind of shocked that Hashem is in the place
where he is. How could he not know that 1. Hashem is in every
place, and 2. He just davened to Hashem and he didn’t think
that He would come to Yaakov?! There are multiple Mefarshim
that say that if he would’ve known that the Shchina dwelled
there then he wouldn’t sleep But I think that maybe he was too
caught up with running away from his evil family members that
he didn’t stop to think about Hashem. After that he built a
mizbeach and the Tur says that thats where the Beis
Hamikdash is. We can learn from here that Yaakov made the
fact that he forgot about Hashem in this place so later on this
place will be impossible to make this mistake and will forever
be the place of Hashem.
Right after, Yaakov makes a Neder with Hashem that if
He protects Yaakov, then Hashem will be a GOD for him. We
learn from here that in times of a Tzarah, you are allowed to
make a Neder with Hashem. From this small story of Yaakov,
we learn that Hashem can help us with anything and
everything as long as we put in the effort. Good shabbos!