2021/5782
In Parashat Toledot, the Torah records Ya’akov Avinu being named for holding onto Esav’s heel. Rashi (s.v. Ve’Acharei Chen Yatza Achiv) quotes a Midrash that justifies Yaakov's action. The Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 63:8) says that Ya’akov was conceived from the first drop, but Esav came out first. Rashi as well (s.v. Ba’Eikev Esav) states that Esav will hardly have time to complete his period of domination before Ya’akov would rise and take his power. Rashi (s.v. VaYikra Shmo), quotes the Midrash Tanchuma (Shemot 4) saying that Hashem named Ya’akov Himself. If so, then why was he named Ya’akov? The name should not be for his grabbing Esav’s heel, since that was justified!
What is the deeper meaning of the name Ya’akov and what can we learn from this symbolic name? To answer this question we have to define what the heel represents. In Parashat Eikev, 7:12, the Pasuk states “VeHayah Eikev Tishmi’un…”; The Ibn Ezra quotes a Pasuk in Tehillim (119:112) from which he learns that Eikev means eternal reward, or reward given at the end, and if you love Hashem then he will “love you, favor you, multiply you, etc”. Ya’akov Avinu was a living example of this. He loved Hashem from an early age. We know that when he was thirteen he went to learn in the Yeshiva of Shem and Aver and the Midrash even says that when Rivkah was pregnant and would walk by a Beit Midrash, Ya’akov would start kicking and try to go out.
There are, however, other ways to interpret the word Eikev. The Ramban on Parashat Eikev also quotes Onkelos who says that it means “in return for your service” and that it represents a sense of roundaboutness. Onkelos seems to derive this from Yishaya 40:4. The Ramban agrees, and says that Eikev connotes a circle or circuit. He quotes multiple Pesukim in which Eikev is used in this way, one of them being from Jeremiah 17:9. These meanings, being expressions of rolling and circling, are the opposite of Yaakov Avinu’s personality because he was upright and straight, thereby earning the name Yeshurun.
Similarly, the heel is called Eikev because of its roundness. Ya’akov represented the heel because of what he overcame. Ya’akov Avinu did so many amazing things from which we can learn so much. The Ramchal in Mesilat Yesharim (chapter one) writes that if one rules over himself, his Yetzer HaRa, cleaves to Hashem, and uses this world to aid him in serving Hashem, then he will be elevated and the world itself will be uplifted with him. It is a tremendous step upward for all of creation when it serves the person who has perfected himself as well as having become sanctified by the Kedushah of Hashem. Ramchal presents Yaakov Avinu as a prime example of this phenomenon. We see this with regard to Ya’akov and the stone upon which he wanted to lay his head. Ramchal quotes the Gemara (Chullin 91b) in which R. Yitzchak says that each stone gathered together into one spot saying, “Let the Tzadik rest his head upon me”. Ya’akov was on such a high level and this is an amazing example of his greatness.
Although Ya’akov walked straight and was Yashar, he had some setbacks as well. He had to work for Lavan for twenty years before he returned to Eretz Yisrael. However, we know that Ya’akov Avinu was working this long for Lavan with a goal in mind. This helped it go by like it was just “a few days”, as the Pasuk describes, for him. This attitude stemmed from his love for Rachel, of course. In my humble opinion, I think that the heel connects to the essence of who Ya’akov was. After all, why was Ya’akov cooking lentils? Perhaps there is more behind it.
Rashi says that Avraham Avinu had died that day because this was the only way that he was able to die peacefully as otherwise he would have seen Esav’s terrible ways. Why did Ya’akov make lentils though? The Gemara (Bava Batra 16b) says that he did so because they are round like a wheel and mourning is a wheel that revolves around the world and comes to every inhabitant of the world.
Ya’akov Avinu represents Emet, as appears in Micah 7:20. Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the famous author of the Tanya, says that Yaakov's Emet joins one extreme to the other. In other words, every Jew serves Hashem in keeping with his degree of Emet. When it comes to intermediaries, they are inspired to love and fear Hashem only when praying. However, when it comes to Tzadikim, this limited form of Ahavah and Yir’ah wouldn’t be considered Emet as we know that Emet implies something eternal.
The Pasuk in Mishlei 12:19 says “true speech will be established forever,” however, in the case of intermediates, whose fear and love exist only during tefillah, this service is viewed as the service of Emet because they are viewed according to their spiritual level and status. This idea hearkens back to the Ibn Ezra who says that Eikev means forever as well as the Ramban who says it means circular. In addition, it connects to how Ya’akov was Yashar and the Gemara in Bava Batra with the lentils; that is what the heel represents. The lentils were a sign that we’re going to be stuck in that circle; but just like how mourning will always find someone, that someone will always find their path.
Ya’akov represented Emet, he represented truth. He knew which way to go and wanted to show us how to do it. There are so many different ways in which we can relate to this. Everyone has a moment in which he is in that circle that they want to exit. Sometimes we are just stuck in life and don’t know what to do. That is when you put no effort into life itself. If you want to make it go by like “a few days,” then do it how Ya’akov did it; do it because you have so many things for which to live.
R. Ya’akov in the Mishna in Pirkei Avot 4:16 compares this world to a corridor to the next world. Do you want to move forwards or backwards? Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi explains that the bridging aspect of Emet applies to every generation, the earlier ones being compared to the Aleph, the middle ones being compared to the letter Mem, and the later ones being compared to the letter Tuv. Emet is truth; it moves straight from generation to generation; we need to apply the truth to our lives; we need to create purpose. That is how we can enjoy life when we are stuck in its rut. From Avraham to Yitzchak to Ya’akov to us, all we have to do is walk forward; let us all begin to move forward together.