[Par-reg] for Parshat Vayetze
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Wed Nov 21 12:38:59 EST 2012
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THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham
Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag
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PARSHAT VAYETZE
Is it acceptable for one to doubt a divine
promise?
Certainly, if God makes a promise, we'd
expect Him to keep it!
Why then does Yaakov Avinu vow to worship
God only IF (and when) God fulfills His
promise to return him to the Promised Land?
[See 28:20-22.]
Furthermore, why should Yaakov make a
"neder" (vow) at all? After all, neither
Avraham nor Yitzchak ever made any sort of
conditional vow after receiving their divine
promises!
Why is Yaakov's behavior different?
In this week's shiur, as we study God's
"hitgalut" (revelation) to Yaakov at Bet-El,
we attempt to explain why.
INTRODUCTION
Our shiurim thus far in Sefer Breishit
have discussed the 'bechira' process, i.e.
how (and why) God chooses the Avot to become
the forefathers of His special nation. We
have shown how an additional element of this
process unfolds with each time that God
appeared (and spoke) to Avraham & Yitzchak.
Now, at the beginning of Parshat
Vayetze, God's appears for the first time to
Yaakov Avinu (see 28:10-17), promising him
what sounds like the very same thing that He
promised Avraham and Yitzchak. Nonetheless,
Yaakov's reaction to this 'hitgalut' differs
drastically from that of his predecessors.
To understand why, we must first
consider Yaakov's predicament before God
appears to him at Bet-El.
SOMETHING TO LOSE SLEEP OVER
Recall from last week's shiur that the
Avot themselves were not quite sure exactly
WHEN or HOW this 'bechira' process would
finally end. In Parshat Toldot it did become
clear that the process would continue for at
least one more generation: i.e. either Yaakov
OR Esav would be chosen, but not both.
Therefore, after the incident of the 'stolen
blessings', Yitzchak blesses Yaakov that God
should grant him with "birkat Avraham" (see
28:3-4), expressing is hope that Yaakov (to
the exclusion of Esav) should become that
'chosen son'.
However, albeit his father's blessing,
Yaakov may have had ample reason to doubt if
he was indeed to become the chosen son.
Let's explain why:
First of all, only the day before, his
father had planned to give the primary
blessing to his older brother Esav.
Secondly, Yaakov's parents had just sent him
AWAY from Eretz Canaan - to flee from Esav
and look for a wife (see 27:43-28:2). Now if
Yaakov is truly the chosen son, then it
should be forbidden for him to leave Eretz
Canaan, just as it was forbidden for his
father Yitzchak to leave.
[Recall that during the famine, God did not
allow Yitzchak to go down to Egypt (see
26:1-3). Likewise, when Yitzchak was getting
married, Eliezer traveled to Padan Aram to
bring Rivka back - Yitzchak himself was not
allowed to go.]
Furthermore, when Yishmael, as well as
Avraham's children from Ketura, were rejected
from the 'bechira' process, they were sent
away to the EAST (see 25:6). Now, Yaakov
himself is being sent away to the EAST (see
29:1); while Esav, his rival brother, remains
in Eretz Canaan!
Finally, even though his father had
blessed him 'that God should chose him',
nevertheless, Yaakov realizes that it is up
to God alone to make that final decision, and
not his father.
For all or any of these reasons, it is
easy to understand why Yaakov may have needed
some 'divine reassurance' before embarking on
his journey to Padan Aram!
With these points in mind, we begin our
study.
YAAKOV HAS A DREAM
As you review 28:10-15, note how
Yaakov's dream begins with a vision [of God's
angels ascending and descending a ladder
/28:12] - followed by a direct message from
God (28:13-15). Let's study that message -
one pasuk at a time - to show how it relates
to Yaakov's current predicament:
"I am the Lord, the God of Avraham and
Yitzchak, the land upon which you are lying;
I am giving to you and your offspring"
(28:13)
Note how God begins his message by
first 'introducing Himself' to Yaakov as the
'God of Avraham and Yitzchak', and not as the
'Creator of Heaven & Earth'. This makes
sense, for we can assume that Yaakov was very
aware of God's existence as well as His
promise of "bechira" to his father and
grandfather. [Note especially 17:7-12 and
18:19!]
As God had never spoken to Yaakov
before, the very first thing God must do is
'identify' Himself in a manner that is
meaningful to Yaakov - i.e. as the God of his
fathers.
'BECHIRA' CONFIRMATION
Then, God immediately informs Yaakov that
he is indeed the 'chosen' son, using the
almost identical wording that He had told
Avraham:
"... the land ['aretz'] upon which you are
lying I have given to you and your offspring
['zera']. And your offspring will be like
the dust of the earth, and you shall spread
out [in all four directions]. and through you
all the nations of the earth shall be
blessed" (see 28:13-14).
Note the use of the key words - 'zera'
(offspring) and 'aretz' (the Land). These
are certainly typical of God's earlier
blessings of 'bechira' to Avraham and
Yitzchak (see 12:7, 13:15, 15:18, 17:8 &
26:3), and thus confirm Yaakov's 'bechira'.
Note as well the key phrase emphasizing the
purpose of God's nation - 'to be a blessing
for other nations!
[The significance of the phrase 'afar
ha-aretz' [dust of the earth] will be
discussed in Part Two of this week's shiur.]
DIVINE RE-ASSURANCE
While the first two psukim of this
'hitgalut' sound very familiar, the third and
final pasuk introduces an entirely new
element:
"And behold, I will be with you, and I
will protect you wherever you go and bring
you back to this Land..."
(28:15).
This 'extra' promise clearly relates to
our earlier discussion of Yaakov's
predicament. God must allay his fears by
assuring him that EVEN THOUGH he must now
leave Eretz Canaan, He will remain with him,
take care of his needs, and ultimately bring
him back - BECAUSE he indeed is the 'chosen'
son.
YAAKOV'S REACTION [or REALIZATION]
Upon awakening from this dream, Yaakov
not only recognizes the uniqueness of this
site, but also makes an interesting
statement:
"And Yaakov awoke and stated: 'Indeed God is
in this place, but I did not know'. Then in
awe he stated: 'This [site] is none other
than a BET ELOKIM [a house of God], and this
is the gate of heaven" (28:16-17).
Yaakov's conclusion re: the uniqueness
of this site is obviously based on the fact
that God had just appeared to him.
Furthermore, his conclusion that "v'zeh
sha'ar ha-shamayim" - this is the gateway to
heaven - is clearly based on his vision of
angels ascending and descending the ladder.
However, there doesn't appear to be any
obvious reason for Yaakov to conclude that
this place is a 'bet Elokim' - a house of (or
for) God! After all, there was nothing in
his vision to suggest that he saw a 'house'
of any sort.
The simplest answer would be to connect
the two halves of Yaakov's statement.
Namely, the very fact that this site is a
'gateway to heaven' renders it an appropriate
place for a 'House of God'. However, Yaakov
refers to the site first as 'Bet Elokim' and
only afterward "sha'ar ha-shamayim".
Furthermore, a careful reading of the pasuk
shows that these two qualities stand on their
own: "This is none other than Bet Elokim, AND
this is sha'ar ha-shamayim." The fact that
Yaakov divides his comment into two distinct
sections suggests that he has reached two
unrelated conclusions.
Did Yaakov see some sort of 'bet
Elokim' in his dream? Or possibly, is he
making a 'prediction' that one day a 'bet
Elokim' will be built here? At this point in
the narrative, it remains difficult to reach
any definite conclusion. However, a careful
study of what Yaakov does next will clarify
the deeper meaning of his statement.
To show how, let's take a careful look
at what Yaakov does that next morning:
"And Yaakov rose up early in the morning, and
took the stone that he had put at his head,
and set it up for a pillar ['matzeyva'], and
poured oil upon the top of it.
Then he called the name of that place Bet-el
[even though the original name of this city
was Luz]." (28:18-19)
Why does Yaakov erect a "matzeyva",
pour oil on it, and name this site Bet-el?
In these actions, Yaakov is acting in a
manner very different than his forefathers.
Recall that after God had spoken to Avraham
and Yitzchak, they both reacted by building a
"mizbeyach" (an altar / see 12:7 & 26:24-25)
- but neither Avraham nor Yitzchak ever put
up a 'pillar'! Nor did Avraham or Yitzchak
ever name cities in Israel!
As before, at this point in the
narrative, it remains difficult to reach any
definite conclusion concerning why Yaakov is
doing so many different things. However, a
careful study of what Yaakov does next will
clarify the purpose of all of his actions.
YAAKOV'S NEDER
After taking these actions (in
28:18-19), Yaakov makes a vow. Note the
wording of his promise and how he concludes
his vow:
"And Yaakov then made a vow saying:
IF God remains with me and protects me... And
I return safely to my father's house...
=> Then this stone, which I have set up as a
matzeyva, will be a bet Elokim - a House for
God - and from all that You give me I will
set aside one-tenth" (see 28:20-22).
By following the 'if' & 'then' clauses of
his vow, it becomes rather clear why Yaakov
had set up this pillar (in 28:18) - it was
simply in preparation for his vow that he
plans to make (see 28:22), as that pillar
will serve as the cornerstone of a House for
God that Yaakov now promises to establish
upon his return. To symbolically designate
this site, his preparation (in 28:18-19)
included anointing the pillar with oil; and
as a statement of his intention - Yaakov
names the site Bet-El - which basically means
that this site will be a 'House for God'.
In other words, all of Yaakov's actions
in 28:18-19 reflect his resolve to build a
house for God, and hence serve as the
preparation for his vow in 28:20-22.
Now we must return to our original
question, i.e. what was it in Yaakov's dream
that prompted him to make this 'neder' [vow]
to build a house for God?
To answer this question, we must return
to re-examine Yaakov's immediate reaction to
his dream.
A PREDICTION - or A RESOLUTION!
Recall the difficulty that we
encountered when trying to understand
Yaakov's statement (after awakening from his
dream) that 'this site is none other than the
House of God' (in 28:17) - for there was
nothing in his vision suggesting that he saw
God's house, nor any obvious reason from him
to predict its future existence at that site.
But now that we have seen Yaakov's
ensuing 'neder' - his earlier statement of
"ein ze ki im bet Elokim' (28:17) becomes
most significant - for now we see that Yaakov
was not making a prediction - rather he was
stating his resolve!
In other words, Yaakov's reaction to his
dream was not merely a statement of what he
saw and felt, but rather a declaration of his
future intention - to build a House for God -
and specifically at this site.
This now explains everything that Yaakov
does after awakening from his vision.
1) He states his resolve to build a 'bet
Elokim' at this site (based on what he saw
/see 28:16-17), then:
2) He sets a 'marker' to remember this
precise location (upon his return /see
28:18); then
3) He anoints that pillar with oil (see
28:18), symbolically designating its future
purpose (compare Bamidbar 7:1 - noting how
the Mishkan was also anointed with oil!);
then:
4) He names the site 'Bet El', once again,
reflecting his intention to return one day
and build a House for God (28:19); and
finally
5) Makes his vow to build this 'Bet Elokim'
upon his successful return from Charan (see
28:20-22)
Even though we can now explain what
Yaakov does, we still need an explanation for
why he makes this resolution. In other
words, we must try to figure out what was it
that Yaakov saw (or heard) in that vision
that prompted his sudden resolve to build a
House for God. Secondly, we must also
explain why Yaakov makes his resolution so
'conditional'.
To answer these questions, we must
return once again to consider Yaakov's
current predicament, in contrast to the lives
of Avraham and Yitzchak.
WHY YAAKOV IS DIFFERENT
In the lives of Avraham and Yitzchak,
being 'chosen' was much more than a 'one-way'
relationship. After being told by God he was
chosen, Avraham responded by building a
"mizbeyach" and 'calling out in God's name'
(see 12:6-8, 13:4).
Similarly, after God spoke to Yitzchak
at Beer Sheva - re-iterating the blessing, he
too built a "mizbeyach" and called out in
God's Name.
This 'calling out in God's Name' - as
Ramban explains - was how the Avot tried to
'make a name for God' by preaching his
existence and by setting an example of the
highest moral behavior (see Ramban on 12:8
and 26:5, see also Seforno on 26:5). This
also foreshadowed the ultimate mission of
God's special nation - acting as a model
nation to make God's Name known to all
mankind.
Certainly, we would expect Yaakov to
act in a similar manner.
In fact, in this opening 'hitgalut' to
Yaakov, in addition to the promise of 'zera
v'aretz', God emphasizes the same key phrase:
"...v'nivrachu b'cha - kol mishpachot
ha'adama" - that through you (and your
offspring) there will be a blessing to all
nations - the same phrase that He had
emphasized when He first spoke to both
Avraham and Yitzchak! [To confirm this, see
12:2-3 and 26:3-4, and compare with
28:13-14!]
Furthermore, when God explains His
purpose for choosing Avraham and his
offspring (see 18:18-19), we find once again
that the emphasis is precisely on this
phrase:
"For Avraham will surely become a great
nation ['goy gadol' -compare 12:2) - and
through him all nations will be blessed. For
I have come to know him in order [for the
purpose] that he will command his children...
and they will keep the way of God - to do
'tzedek u'mishpat' [justice and
righteousness] - in order to [fulfill the
purpose] of what God had spoken about Avraham
[that he would become a great nation]" (see
18:18-19)
[See this phrase also in 22:18,
after the Akeyda!]
God reiterates this point to each of
the Avot, for the goal of "ve-nivrechu becha
kol mishpachot ha-adama" reflects the
ultimate purpose of this bechira process.
In this sense, God's opening 'hitgalut'
to Yaakov emphasizes not only his being the
'chosen son' [='bechira'], but also its
purpose.
Therefore, when Yaakov receives this
blessing from God, he is immediately inspired
to act in same manner as Yitzchak and
Avraham. However, his present predicament
does not allow him - for he is now running
away (penniless) from his brother who wants
to kill him! He cannot build a "mizbeyach"
(he doesn't have anything to offer on it!);
nor can he call out in God's Name (no one is
around to listen!).
Nevertheless, because he understands the
deeper meaning of his 'bechira' - he
immediately states his absolute resolve that
when he returns to Eretz Canaan, and achieves
a status where he too can 'make a Name for
God' - he too will attempt to accomplish this
goal. In fact, he is so inspired that he
plans to elevate 'calling out in God's Name'
to a higher level - by establishing not only
an altar, but rather a 'House' for God!
[To see how a 'House for God' will make God's
Name great, see Melachim Aleph 8:14-20,
8:40-42 & 10:1. See also Divrei Ha'yamim
Aleph 22:5-7!]
WHY CONDITIONAL?
Now that we have explained both what
Yaakov does, and why he does it; we are left
with one last question - If Yaakov is so
inspired to build this House for God, why
does he makes this promise 'conditional'!
Let's first explain this question.
Recall how Yaakov prefaces his promise
to establish this 'matzeyva' as a 'Bet
Elokim' with the condition: "If God will be
with me, and take care of me, etc.". Why
can't Yaakov simply state that he's going to
do it - no matter what!
To answer this question, let's examine
the 'conditions' of Yaakov's 'neder' - to
determine their underlying reason.
"And Yaakov then made a vow saying:
1) IF God remains with me,
2) and He protects me on this journey,
on which I embark,
3) and gives me bread to eat and
clothes to wear.
4) And I return safely to my father's
house,
5) and [or then?] Hashem will be my
God.
6) [THEN] this stone, which I have set up as
a monument,
will be a Bet Elokim, and I pledge 10%...
(see 28:20-22).
Even though it is unclear where precisely
the IF clause ends and the THEN clause begins
(see Part Two below), the first four clauses
are clearly all conditions, for they are
almost identical to God's re-assurance to
Yaakov that He will take care of his needs
(during his stay in Charan) :
"And behold, I will be with you (1), and I
will protect you wherever you go (2) and
bring you back to this Land (4)..."
[See 28:15, see also Rashi on 28:20, where he
'matches' them up more precisely. See also
Ramban on 28:21.]
As you review these psukim once again
(i.e. by comparing 28:20-22 with 28:15-17),
note how the IF clauses in Yaakov's vow are
based on God's REVELATION (in 28:15), while
the THEN clause is based on what Yaakov state
in his REALIZATION (in 28:16-17).
[Note that based on our analysis, the psukim
(28:12-22) can be divided as follows: God's
REVELATION (in 28:12-15), followed by
Yaakov's REALIZATION (in 28:16-17), which
prompt Yaakov's RESOLUTION (in 28:18-22).]
IF, OR WHEN
As indeed these 'conditions' are simply
a repeat of God's re-assurances, one could
suggest that Yaakov may not be doubting God
at all, nor setting any conditions! Rather,
before stating his resolution, he is simply
explaining why he has to wait - for before he
can build this 'Bet Elokim', and to enable
the fulfillment of his vow, God will need to
first keep His promise to help him return.
Recall, that the word "im" in Hebrew
can also mean 'when' (and not exclusively
'if' / see Rashi on Shmot 22:24).
Hence, if we understand Yaakov's opening
statement of "im" as when, then Yaakov may
simply be stating that: WHEN God fulfills His
promises (in 28:15), then he will be in the
position to build this Bet Elokim (and thus
help 'make a Name for God)'.
If so, then Yaakov is certainly not a
'doubter' - rather he's inspired 'dreamer'!
In fact, we can learn a very important
lesson for the future from Yaakov's actions.
Just as Yaakov had great aspirations, but
could not fulfill them due to his difficult
predicament; so too the people of Israel may
face historical situations when they find
themselves unable to fulfill their lofty
goals.
Nevertheless, they must remain committed
to those goals, and find meaningful ways to
remember them during times of peril; and
hence become worthy of redemption.
DOES YAAKOV FULFILL HIS VOW?
If you remember what transpires in
Parshat Vayishlach, you may be wondering now
why Yaakov doesn't build that Bet Elokim upon
his return to Eretz Canaan. Well, that's not
only a question for Parshat Vayishlach,
that's what a good part of Parshat
Va'yishlach is going to be all about! To be
discussed in next week's shiur!
Till then,
shabbat shalom,
menachem
Below - you'll find below some short
discussions on additional topics relating to
the above shiur
PART TWO - RELATED TOPICS
===============
A. THE TWO PARTS OF YAAKOV'S NEDER
A CONDITION OR A PROMISE?
Review 28:20-22 and take note of how
the 'neder' divides into two parts:
1) a CONDITION - IF... ; followed by:
2) a PROMISE (i.e. the vow) - THEN...
It is unclear, however, where the IF
clause ends and the THEN clause begins.
Let's take a look:
"And Yaakov then made a vow saying:
1) IF God remains with me,
2) and He protects me on this journey,
on which I embark,
3) and gives me bread to eat and
clothes to wear.
4) And I return safely to my father's
house,
5) and [or then?] Hashem will be my
God.
6) And [or then?] this stone, which I
have set up as a
monument, will be a BET ELOKIM
7) and from all that You give me I will
set aside one-tenth"
(28:20-22).
The first four clauses are clearly part
of the CONDITION, as they reflect precisely
what God had just promised Yaakov in his
dream several psukim earlier. [Compare with
28:15; see also Rashi.]
Similarly, the last two clauses clearly
describe what Yaakov vows to do once the
conditions are met. They describe Yaakov's
promise to establish a Bet Elokim at this
site upon his return from Charan and offer a
tithe of his possessions.
However, the middle clause (5) - "and
Hashem will be my God" - can go either way.
Although it can refer to either a condition
or promise, each option poses considerable
difficulty. On the one hand, it doesn't
appear to be a condition for two basic
reasons:
a) It does not reflect God's promise in
28:15 as do the other clauses.
b) If this is indeed a condition, then
it does not add anything to what Yaakov had
already stated in his first clause - "If God
will be with me".
On the other hand, it does not appear
to be a vow, either. How could Yaakov
possibly accept Hashem as his God only IF God
fulfills His promises! Is Yaakov Avinu so
'spoiled' that he would accept God only if He
is good to him?
The classical commentators tackle this
question in their commentaries.
Rashi and Rashbam explain that it is
indeed a CONDITION. Rashi brilliantly solves
the first problem raised above [(a)] by
explaining this phrase as a reference to
God's earlier promise to Avraham at brit mila
- "lihiyot lecha le-Elokim" (see 17:7-8).
Rashbam solves the second problem [(b)]
by explaining this clause simply as a summary
(or generalization) of the first three
clauses.
On the other hand, Ramban, Radak, and
Seforno all explain this clause as the VOW.
They all solve the problem raised above (that
Yaakov appears to accept God only on
condition) by explaining that Yaakov vows to
INTENSIFY his relationship with God should
(or actually WHEN) God fulfills His promise.
Surely, Hashem will always remain Yaakov's
God no matter what may happen. But Yaakov
promises that if (or when) he returns 'home'
he will dedicate his entire life to God's
service.
[I recommend that you see these
"parshanim" inside.
Btw, Ramban adds an additional peirush,
which he categorizes as 'sod', that explains
the clause as neither a condition nor a vow;
it is a STATEMENT OF FACT. Yaakov simply
states that only when he returns home to
Eretz Canaan will it (de facto) become
possible 'for Hashem to become his God',
since one cannot develop the fullest
relationship with God outside of the Land of
Israel. (I've toned down Ramban's statement
in translation - see it inside (28:21) for a
bit of a shocker.)]
====
B. BET-EL / A SPIRITUAL INTERSECTION
In this week's Parsha we find the first
biblical reference to the concept of 'Bet
Elokim', a House of God. Though mentioned
only once throughout Sefer Breishit, this
concept constitutes one of the most
fundamental religious principles in Chumash,
as it presupposes the possibility of man's
visiting the house as a means to improve his
relationship with God.
Yaakov's description of this site as
both 'sha'ar ha-shamayim' and 'Bet Elokim'
can help us understand the nature and purpose
of the Bet ha-Mikdash and how it represents
the potential heights of our relationship
with God.
The 'sha'ar ha-shamayim' aspect of the
Mikdash, symbolized by the angels ascending
and descending from Heaven, suggests the
possibility of a 'vertical' relationship, a
conceptual connecting point between Heaven
and Earth. Despite God's transcendence, a
connection, and thus a relationship, can be
attained.
In contrast, the 'Bet Elokim' aspect, a
HOUSE on earth where Man can encounter God,
implies the potential for a 'lateral'
relationship. In this sense, the Mikdash
serves as both a center for congregation as
well as the means of dissemination. From
this site, God's word and the recognition of
His authority can be spread to all mankind.
[See Yeshayahu 2:1-5! This centrality may be
reflected by the unique phrase at Bet El -
"yama ve-keydma, tzafona, ve-negba," which
might symbolize this dissemination of God's
word to all four corners of the earth.]
From God's perspective, so-to-speak,
the 'shechina' descends to earth by way of
'sha'ar ha-shamayim' and radiates via 'Bet
Elokim' (in the form of His Torah) to all of
mankind. From man's perspective, we gather
at the 'Bet Elokim' to serve God, and through
the 'sha'ar ha-shamayim' we can climb the
'ladder' of holiness.
=========
C. BET-EL & BET ELOKIM
In God's first 'hitgalut' to Yaakov, we
find some additional phrases that can help us
appreciate why Yaakov decides that this site
should become a Bet Elokim. Let's take
another look at the second pasuk of this
hitgalut:
"And your offspring shall be like the AFAR
HA-ARETZ, you shall spread out to the WEST,
EAST, NORTH, and SOUTH ('yama ve-kedma,
tzafona, ve-negba), and through you all the
nations of the earth shall be blessed"
(28:14).
The first two phrases - "afar ha-aretz"
and "east west north & south" - had been
mentioned only ONCE before, i.e. when God
affirmed Avraham's BECHIRA at BET-EL (after
Lot's relocation in Sedom). Note the
similarities:
"And God said to Avram, after Lot had parted
from him, Raise your eyes and look out... to
the NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, & WEST, for I give
you all the LAND which you see... I will make
your offspring like the AFAR HA-ARETZ..."
(13:14-16).
Based on our earlier comparison between
this 'hitgalut' to Yaakov (28:14) and God's
earlier 'hitgalut' to Avraham at BET EL
(13:14-16), we may offer a deeper
interpretation of these terms.
As explained above, the two common
phrases, 'afar ha-aretz' and 'yama
ve-kedma...', suggest to Yaakov that he
currently stands on the same site where
Avraham Avinu built a MIZBEYACH and 'called
out in God's Name'. This as well adds
additional reason for Yaakov's resolve to
make this site a BET ELOKIM.
[See also Devarim 12:5-12, and note the
expression used numerous times in Sefer
Devarim to describe the Mikdash - "ha-MAKOM
asher yivchar HASHEM leshakein SHMO sham".
Compare to the use of the word "ha'makom" in
28:10-22!]
However, God's hitgalut to Avraham in
chapter 13, also took place in Bet-el (see
13:4, noting its context).
Notice, how the Torah describes this site
as Bet-el, even though Yaakov only named that
city over a hundred years later. The reason
why is simple, because the Torah realizes
that Yaakov's dream took place near the same
spot where Avraham built his mizbayach! And
in any case, the thematic connection, based
on the above shiur, is rather obvious.
===================
FOR FURTHER IYUN
A. Note the emphasis and repetition of the
word 'ha-Makom' in this Parsha -
28:11,16,17,19. Note the use of the term
also in Parshat Lech Lecha, 13:14, at the
Akeida - 22:4, and in Sefer Dvarim
12:5,11,14,18.
1. Try to explain the significance of this
word specifically in the context of these
parshiot.
2. Use this to explain Chazal's
identification of this spot as the site of
the Akeida on Har Ha-Moriah, and eventually
the site of the Bet HaMikdash in
Yerushalayim.
3. Read Ramban on 28:17 (including Rashi whom
he quotes). Relate this Ramban and his
machloket with Rashi to the above shiur.
B. Read Rashi on Breishit 2:7, and note the
two explanations he cites from the Midrash on
that pasuk - "vayitzer Hashem Elokim et
ha-adam afar min ha-adama":
a) 'afar' from Har Ha-Moriah
b) 'afar' from the four corners of the
earth.
How do these two opinions relate to our
analysis in this week's shiur?
C. See if you can connect the last section of
this shiur to two other well-known Midrashim:
1. Opposite "Yerushalayim shel mata" exists a
"Yerushalayim shel ma'ala" (Taanit 5a).
[Relate this to the concept of "sha'ar
ha-shamayim."]
2. Yerushalayim is known in the Midrash
Tanchuma as "taburo (navel) shel olam" - the
umbilicus of the world. [Relate this to the
concept of Bet Elokim and the 'four
directions'.]
D. Several related questions to think about
which relate to next week's Parsha, as well:
1. Does Yaakov actually fulfill his 'neder'
when he returns?
2. Is this "neder" fulfilled by Am Yisrael?
If so, when?
3. Relate Yaakov's "galut" and his "neder" to
the principle of "maase avot siman l'banim"
and Jewish history
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