Aliya-by-Aliya Parashat Vayeitzei 5762
“There are different explanations concerning the wording of this pasuk. As to why the Torah mentions Yaakov’s departure, Rashi explains that a prominent person not only influences his surroundings, but his absence from a place is also felt, in a negative way. Therefore, the Torah not only tells us that Yaakov went to Haran; it also tells us that he left Be’er Sheva, and his absence was felt – even though Yitzchak remained there.”
“Our forefathers are not necessarily depicted by the Torah as flawless heroes, but rather as flesh-and-blood creatures with human faults and natural inclinations. Jacob is perhaps the clearest example of this phenomenon: his life is marked by enmity towards his brother, and his behavior toward others has serious implications in his life’s journey. It is in fact this behavior that ultimately leads Jacob to flee his own land after having deceived Esau.”
A Strong Ladder to Spiritual Awareness
“Parashat Vayeitzei opens with Jacob journeying from Beersheba to Haran. As the sun sets, he decides to spend the night outside in “the place,” hamakom, where he happens to be, resting his head on one of the stones that he has found there. The biblical text doesn’t tell us the name of this place. Presumably, Jacob himself does not know it. Yet it becomes clear in the next few verses that where exactly this place is and what it is called isn’t important.”
“On the physical level, Jacob is told that this is the God of Jacob’s ancestors who pledges to be with him, to protect him wherever he goes, and to bring him back to his land. And on the transcendent plane, God tells Jacob that his life is linked to all human existence and that Jacob will play a role whose result will be that all families on earth into the most distant future and throughout the world will be blessed by Jacob’s existence and actions.”
“The Torah had a profound awareness of the limits of human nature. In particular, the Torah warns against the tendency of human beings to turn prosperity into a curse. (See Deuteronomy 32:15 among other places mentioned below.) The prophet Hosea also criticizes this human propensity when he chastises Israel for their disloyalty to God: ‘When they grazed, they were sated; when they were sated, they grew haughty; and so, they forgot Me (God).’ (13:6) Here, the prophet is disconcerted by Israel’s ingratitude over God’s redemption of the children of Israel from Egypt after they had become prosperous in their homeland.”