Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)

 

Parshas Vayeitzei

(Genesis 28:10-32:3)

“And Yaakov went out from Beersheva and went toward Charan” 
(Bereshis 28:1O)

When a Jew ascends from one spiritual level to the next, the forces of evil associated with the next higher level attack him and try to prevent him from attaining that level of holiness.  This is the spiritual principle that one must encounter the husk or peel—the forces of evil—before the fruit—the spiritual reward of attaining a higher spiritual level.  When a person encounters these forces of evil, he encounters all kinds of mental and physical opposition.  The opposition can manifest itself in the form of confusing or sinful thoughts, antagonism from family and friends, or a feeling of discouragement and failure.  However, this opposition must be overcome in order to advance to the next spiritual level.

“And Yaakov went out,” this refers to a Jew, Yaakov, going out from his present spiritual level.

“From Beersheva,” refers to a person ascending from his current spiritual level to a higher level.

“And went toward Charan,” refers to a Jew having to traverse through the “Charon Af” or “fury” of intense opposition from the forces of evil who try to prevent him, from attaining a higher spiritual level.

“And he reached the place” (Bereshis 28:11), refers to a Jew being aware that all the worldly desires and physical opposition that are now trying to overtake him are not due to his having fallen from his spiritual level, but the result of his efforts to ascend and come closer to the “Mekomo shel Olam,” the place of the world, i.e. Hashem.

“And slept there,” refers to a person accepting his situation and the pain of darkness.  He sleeps with his troubles, patiently waiting for them to pass, until he emerges from the opposition of the forces of evil.

“Because the sun was set” refers to having his normal lucidity of mind diminished at the time of the opposition from the forces of evil.  The sun in spiritual terminology refers to the intelligence, which is a guiding light to show a person the proper path.

“And he took of the stones of the place and put them under, his head.”  The Rabbis say these stones were 12 in number.  This number refers to the 12 tribes who revealed the greatness of Hashem in the world.  This refers to the Jew who has reached a high spiritual level and takes “the stones of the place,” the power of the 12 tribes, to come to an even higher level of perception of Hashem.

“And he [Yaakov] lay down in that place.”  The word “vayishkav,” “and he lay down,” can be broken up into two words, “yesh”—“there are”—“chof bais”—“22.”  When a person reaches the higher level,  he obtains a greater understanding of the spiritual, of which the 22 letters of the Torah is based.

“And he [Yaakov] dreamed, and behold a ladder was set up an the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold angels of Hashem were ascending and descending on it.”   The angels refer to people who serve Hashem, for a people who serve Hashem are like the angels who also serve Hashem.  These servants of Hashem were ascending and descending on a ladder.  All a person’s ups and downs in life are compared to this scene of this ladder in Yaakov’s dream.  If a person strengthens himself and realizes that all the opposition one faces is not an actual fall, but rather a necessary vehicle for his ascent, then he will ascend the spiritual ladder.  Otherwise, if he is fooled by all the opposition he faces and gives up from all the pressure he faces, he can fall down the spiritual ladder, chas va shalom.

“And Yaakov woke up out of his sleep, and said: surely Hashem is present in this place; and I did not know.”  This refers to a person whose troubles have come to an end and having overcome the opposition from the forces of evil.  He realizes that “Hashem was present in the place” of his troubles, confusions, and temptations that, but that while it was happening, he “did not know it.”  For it appears to a person that Hashem wasn't with him in his troubles or temptations, but it is only a trick of the forces of evil to make him think that he had failed and had fallen away from Hashem.  In reality he has just advanced to a new higher level and he had to traverse new opposition from the forces of evil to get even closer to Hashem. (Likutei Halachot: Choshen Mishpat: Hilchot Matana 4:12:14)
 

"And this stone which I [Yaakov] have set for a pillar, shall be Hashem's house" (Bereshis 28:'12)

We find that at the at the Akeida, when Avraham brought Yitzchak as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah, “Avraham called the name of that place...the mountain where Hashem will appear” (Bereshis 22:14).  Avraham sought to reveal Hashem’s existence to the world.  During Avraham lifetime, very few people accepted his teachings.  This is the implication of the word “mountain” in the verse relating  to Avraham.  Despite Avraham massive efforts, his teachings remained distant, beyond grasp and of the vast majority of people, just as a mountain is beyond the grasp and is not useful to most people.
 
When Yitzchak went to Mount Moriah to pray it states that “Yitzchak went out to the field to pray” (Bereshis 24:63).  Yitzchak succeeded to a greater degree in revealing Hashem’s existence to the world than his father Avraham did.  The use of the word “field” shows that, just like a field which is more accessible and more useful than a mountain, so was Yitzchak able to make Hashem more accessible to the world.  Nevertheless, he was unable to make his teachings on a level which could be appreciated by all people.

When Yaakov slept on Mount Moriah it says, “Yaakov called the name of that place, the house of Hashem” (Bereshis 28:19).  Yaakov was able to reveal Hashem’s existence to the world to such a degree that everyone was capable of experiencing and serving Hashem,  just like a house is a place that everyone needs.  The term house also indicates that people came to realize that one must pray to Hashem for one’s basic needs,  such as health, children, and one’s livelihood, etc.  They came to realize that prayer was not only reserved for the more abstract spiritual goals and for the achievement  of human perfection.  It is true that some people would come to recognize and serve Hashem on their own, through great difficulty, which is comparable to mountains and fields.  Nevertheless, the vast majority of people are in need of security and comforts of a house to serve Hashem.  For the majority of people are unable to serve Hashem totally devoid of the material necessities of daily living.  When these people become aware of the advantages that devoting themselves to Hashem brings to their daily lives, this is the aspect of serving Hashem in the category of house.

The ultimate revelation of Hashem greatness is when prayer reaches the level of house.  At such a time, even the gentiles and those Jews who are far away from spirituality will join in exalting His Name through prayer.  As it is written,  “For My [Hashem’s] house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” (Isaiah 56:7).  (Likutei Morahan I:10:3)
 

“But all the riches which Hashem has taken from our father are ours and our children's” (Bereshis 31:16)

One should be aware of the fact that if someone steals money from someone else, he not only takes money that doesn’t belong to him, but he also steals that person’s children.  Most of a person’s wealth comes to him through his wife (Zohar, Tzruah 52), as the spiritual light that the wife possesses brings her husband wealth.  We know this from the Talmud’s statement, “Anyone who lives without a wife, lives without a wall" (Yevamos 62b) that a wall refers to one wealth.  Also, “The rich man’s wealth is his strong town, and as a towering wall [in his wealth] in his own conceit.” (Mishley 18:11). Thus, a man’s main wealth which he possesses comes from his wife.

Every man who comes to this world, comes together with a mate which is especially allotted to him. The wife comes equipped with the exact amount of money that her husband will have in this world, and the exact amount of children he will have as well.  The light of a woman’s soul is like a tree; this tree has branches and limbs, which are the spiritual essence of the money she is connected with.  The branches produce fruit, which are the children she has.

If someone steals money from another, he is stealing the spiritual branches from that person’s wife’s soul.  The money he steals contains the spiritual light of the woman’s soul, which also gives her the spiritual power to have children.  Thus, by taking another man’s money, a thief steals a man’s wife’s branches, which are what allow her to produce children.   Similarly, we find in Megillas Esther, “Haman recounted to them [his wife and friends] the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children” (Esther 5:11), demonstrating that riches and children are interconnected.

This is what Rachel and Leah were referring to when they said, ““But all the riches which Hashem has taken from our father are ours and our children’s.”   They said, “the wealth is ours,” since wealth is determined by the light contained in the woman’s soul.  “And our children’s,” for children are dependent on the spiritual branches attached to the woman.  As the Talmud writes, “Anyone who steals from his friend is as if he has stolen the souls of his son’s and daughters” ((Bava Kama 119).  (Likutei Morahan I 69:1)
 

“And he [Yaakov] said, ‘I will serve you [Lavan] seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.’” (Bereshis 29:18)

Yaakov agreed to become a shepherd for Lavan in order to purify the soul of Rachel, his future wife.  As explained, a person’s money and possessions are spiritually connected to his children and wife.  It was necessary for Yaakov to work for Lavan with extreme holiness in order to separate out the good elements from the bad Rachel’s soul.  Why was it necessary for Yaakov to go through this sifting process, when his father and grandfather didn't have to go through so much effort?  Yakov knew  that he was destined to produce the 12 tribes who were all holy tzadikim.  To accomplish this, it was necessary for Yakov to purify himself and his wife as much as possible.

Why was it necessary for Rachel to go through such a special purification process by Yakov working, and why didn’t Yakov himself need this purification process?  The spiritual contamination caused by the snake affected women much more than men.  This is because Chava received the full measure of the snake’s contamination, since her mind and soul were strongly affected by the snake’s enticement.  This caused evil spiritual pollution to effect her entire soul and the souls of all women, being spiritually rooted her body.  Therefore, women need to go through a harsher purification process than men.  Hashem, as an extra help to purify women from the snake’s intensive pollution decreed, “he [man] shall rule over you [woman.]”.  Therefore, women serve their husbands by doing all sorts of menial tasks, just like a slave serves his master.  This hard work causes the excessive pollution contained in women to be cleansed.  Disciplined work breaks the hold of the forces of evil on a person.

Lavan switching his daughters, giving Leah to Yakov first, was the root cause of all the Jewish people’s troubles throughout history.  If Yakov would have married Rachel first, Yoseph would have been born first.  He would have been the actual first-born.  Therefore the brothers would not have been so envious of Yoseph for Yakov showing him favoritism.   For everyone would have clearly recognized Yoseph’s true greatness, his being the true first-born.  The enmity of Yoseph’s brothers caused Yoseph to be sold to Egypt.  This further resulted in all Israel having to go down to Egypt, and they eventually became enslaved there.  This enmity was still present when the 12 tribes broke away from the house of David.  This breakaway eventually caused the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh and our subsequent exile.  This caused all of Israel’s problems throughout history until the Moshiach will come.  (Likutei Halachot. Orach Chiam: Hilchot Brachot Hashachar 3:31)
 

“And she (Rachel) called his name Yoseph, saying: Hashem add to me another son.” (Bereshis 30:24)

This verse refers to the attitude of a tzadik who constantly prays to Hashem to make him a “ben achair,”, a different person, like a newly born child.  As it is written, “Hashem has said to me, ‘you are my son: I have today given birth to you [even though You are an adult]" (Psalms 2:7).  We also see that it says, “Let Hashem add [through me] me another son [a Jewish Soul].”  This verse refers to the fact that every Jew should mekerav rechokim, bring those who are far away from Hashem closer, so that so that every Jew should add another Jewish soul to the side of holiness.  Rabbi Nachman said this was a most important thing in his eyes.  He valued the newcomer to religion more than all those people who had already come close to religion.  This newcomer gives tremendous glory to Hashem. (Likutei Halachot: Orach Chiam: Hilchot Birchat Hamazon 4:11).


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