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| Parshat Vayishlah | |
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| Parshat Vayishlah | |
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It is difficult to understand how Yaakov developed such a low opinion of self that he didn't think Hashem would help him in his immediate battle with Esau, and with his desire to reenter the land of Canaan. Yaakov says (32:14) "I have been diminished..." according to Rashi, or that he is now too "unimportant" to receive divine protection. Rashi continues to explain the prayer as follows: "I am afraid that since the time you (Hashem) promised to return me to the land of my fathers, I have become soiled with sin. I am no longer worthy and will possibly be given over to Esau" The promise referred to is the statement by Hashem (28:13) ".the ground upon which you are lying will be given to you and to your descendents". Rashi explains that the statement should be taken literally: "Hashem folded the entire land of Canaan under Yaakov" and so the promise was for the place upon which Yaakov was resting, but that was also the entire land of Canaan. Rashi goes on to explain why the promise was made to Yaakov in this particular way. When the land was promised to Avraham (15:6) "I am Hashem..to give you this land as an inheritance". For Avraham the promise was sufficient, for Yaakov the promise was made with a kinyan an actual purchase. 'The place that Yaakov slept upon was the place (in fact) that he would inherit. Avraham was asked to have faith in the promise while Yaakov participated in an actual purchase and received the land before leaving for the house of Lavan. Back to Rashi, who says that this method was used in order to give Yaakov a salient message (remez) "that the land would easily be conquered by his children, like the four amos (cubits) that are a persons place". This is connected to a halachic position but can be understood simply. A person establishes his "place" by his presence and doesn't have to make a special purchase, Yaakov was the certain owner of the place that he slept on and that happened to be the entire land of Canaan. Though Rashi says that this promise is for his children is hard to imagine that it would not make Yaakov optimistic about his return to Canaan. The Rambam has explained the nature of the divine promise as follows (yesodei hatorah 10/4) "If there is a prophecy for disaster and it does not come true this does not deny the prophecy or the prophet, because man has the option to do teshuva and gain forgiveness, but if there is a promise (from a prophet) for good and it does not take place, then he is surely a lying prophet." Even if Yaakov thought that he had become "soiled" he should have concentrated on doing tshuva for the transgression and not worry about reentering the land a matter about which he had been promised. This question which is based on the position of the Rambam is answered in an interesting way by one of the Hassidic greats in a book called Shem MishmuelWhich contains the |Torah of the Avnei Nezer. He is concerned about the question of free will and reward and punishment as represented in the statement of the Rambam about the prophet who prophecies "good" and the notion that it must actually take place, no matter what the present state of the people is. He feels that the reason that the prophetic vision will take place even if the people no longer deserve the reward is in order to protect the prophet and his position. If the prophet would prophecy and the result would be cancelled by the acts of man than there was fear that the prophet would loose any ability to influence in the future. In other words, though the prophecy is no longer deserved and denies to some extent the notion of reward and punishment (the people are not being punished, they are being rewarded though they don't deserve it), this exception is being made in order to protect the institution of prophecy. However, if the judgment is being made by Hashem, in an ongoing manner (this is always true, but the prophet becomes an impediment to justice), then the fate of man is always up to the moment. Yaakov knew that he would be judged as he was at that moment, and even the promise to give the land to his children would not help if he was really soiled. This is the reason that Rashi insists that the messengers that Yaakov sent were really angels (32:4). Only angels can deal with the dilemma that Yaakov had. In the conflict between him and his brother Esau, who was to be victorious according to the estimate in heaven. Only the angels could accurately report about the situation. When they returned they told Yaakov that his situation was difficult; he was victorious but the victory was not without permanent damage. Gut Shabbos
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