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!