The Torah portion of Vayeitzei details Yaakov's 20-year stay in Lavan's house. During this time he was involved in tending Lavan's sheep, as Yaakov himself testified:
[1] "With all my might I served ... by day ... by night."
Still and all, it was specifically during this period that he enjoyed his greatest successes - "the man flourished mightily."[2] This refers not only to material success, but to spiritual success as well. For if with regard to all righteous individuals we say that "their true lives are not physical but spiritual,"[3] surely it is so with Yaakov, who was on a level of a Chariot to G-d, possessing only G-dly desires and always attached to Him.[4]
Moreover, it was expressly with Lavan that Yaakov merited to father the Jewish tribes (except for Binyamin), establishing the House of Israel wherein each Jew possesses a holy soul,[5] souls that were first included within the Patriarch's soul.[6]
How was it that Yaakov attained such spiritual success not during a time of concentrated Torah study, but while a laborer in Lavan's household?
Our Rabbis tell us[7] that the "truly righteous are similar to their Creator." Thus, Yaakov's establishment of the House of Israel is similar to G-d's establishment of His "house."
Our Sages inform us[8] that "G-d earnestly desired a dwelling in the nethermost level." This means that G-d's "house" is not in the spiritual worlds, but in this lowly physical world.
The purpose of the spiritual service of the Jewish people in general is to purify and refine this physical world. This is accomplished through studying Torah and performing mitzvos with physical objects, doing all things "for the sake of Heaven," and thereby sanctifying the physical world so that it becomes a fit vessel for G-d's sanctity. At the conclusion of this service - with the arrival of Moshiach - the entire world shall be a "dwelling place" for G-d.[9]
This also explains why, throughout Jewish history, most Jews have been primarily engaged in earning a living rather than in Torah study: Transforming the world into a dwelling place for G-dliness is accomplished primarily by interacting with it and making it holy.
This is also why Yaakov's spiritual and material success, and his founding of the House of Israel, was accomplished in the house of Lavan in Charan - a place that evoked "Divine wrath"[10] - and during a time when he could not concentrate on Torah study. For the "dwelling place" is established by descending into the lowest of levels and transforming even them into holiness.
This, however, remains to be understood. After all, the main aspect of Avraham is loving kindness, the main aspect of Yitzchak is divine service, and the main attribute of Yaakov is Torah study.[11] Thus, although there is a special quality in uplifting the world to holiness, how does this tie in with Yaakov's primary aspect?
Moreover, once the "dwelling place" is accomplished, this lower form of service will cease - our duty will then be to attain ever-greater degrees of spirituality[12] and Torah study.[13]
How then does this temporary form of service achieve a permanent dwelling for G-d? Should not the permanent dwelling be achieved by something that is itself permanent, such as Torah study?
In fact, the actual dwelling is achieved through Torah and the Jewish people - two things that endure forever. The purpose of this lower manner of service, wherein Jews must interact with lowly physical matters and transform them into holiness, is to demonstrate the immutability and permanence of Torah and the Jewish people.
As long as a Jew is not engaged with the physical world, seeking to purify and elevate it, we are not sure of his spiritual state - how he would react when confronted by the corporeal. When the Jew interacts with the world and overwhelms it with holiness, we are sure that his innate sanctity and spiritual tenacity are such that he becomes a dwelling for the G-dliness which, with the arrival of Moshiach, will shine within him forever.
Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXX, pp. 135-139.
Notes:
- (Back to text) Bereishis 31:6.
- (Back to text) Ibid., 30:43.
- (Back to text) See Iggeres HaKodesh, explanation to Epistle XXVII.
- (Back to text) See Tanya, ch. 23.
- (Back to text) See ibid., ch. 18.
- (Back to text) See Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle VII.
- (Back to text) Bereishis Rabbah 67:8; Esther Rabbah 6:2; Rus Rabbah 4:3.
- (Back to text) See Tanchuma, Naso 16; Tanya beginning of ch. 36.
- (Back to text) See Tanya ch. 37.
- (Back to text) Rashi conclusion of Noach.
- (Back to text) Megaleh Amukos, Ofan 250; Megaleh Amukos al HaTorah, beginning of Lech. Sefer HaLikkutim-Dach Tzemach Tzedek, Maareches Yitzchak ch. 6, and sources cited there.
- (Back to text) See Iggeres HaKodesh conclusion of Epistle XXVI.
- (Back to text) See conclusion of Rambam, Hilchos Melachim.
The Torah portion of Vayeitzei begins by relating how Yaakov descended from Eretz Yisrael and traveled to Charan - a locale so spiritually depraved that its very name indicates that it had aroused G-d's ire
[1] (Charan coming from the root charon, or anger).
Yaakov's descent to Charan was for the purpose of a subsequent ascent. This ascent was composed of three distinct elements:
Yaakov lived for more than 20 years in the evil Lavan's home, in the nefarious land of Charan. He nevertheless remained unaffected by his environment, eventually leaving Charan untainted by sin.[2] Yaakov was thereby elevated to a much higher level than he had achieved prior to his descent.
This ascent is somewhat like the superior quality that a baal teshuvah, a penitent, enjoys over a righteous individual, a tzaddik, in that the penitent tasted the forbidden fruit of sin, and was still able to "remove himself from it and surmount his evil inclination."[3]
Another element of Yaakov's ascent was that it was specifically in Charan that he fulfilled the command to "be fruitful and multiply," bringing forth the Twelve Tribes of Israel.[4]
Finally, Yaakov's labor with Lavan's sheep during his 20 years in Charan resulted in his refining and elevating the sparks of holiness found in the sheep. Yaakov was thereby so elevated that the verse describes him as "becoming tremendously wealthy."[5]
Since "the actions of the Patriarchs serve as a sign and inspiration for their progeny," it follows that Yaakov's departure from Eretz Yisrael and sojourn in Charan is reflected in the spiritual service of all Jews.
Thus the Or HaChayim explains[6] that Yaakov's journey alludes to the descent of the soul within the body. This descent, too, is for the sake of a subsequent ascent. Here as well, the same three aspects apply:
Prior to the soul's descent, it is at the level of a tzaddik. By clothing itself in a body and natural soul - entities that conceal and obscure G-dliness - and nevertheless succeeding in performing its service of Torah study and mitzvos, the soul acquires the quality of a baal teshuvah.[7]
Additionally, by descending within a body the soul is able to fulfill the command to "be fruitful and multiply," as well as fulfilling Torah and mitzvos in general.
Furthermore, through its service with physical matter, the soul transforms this world into a dwelling place fit for G-d. This causes the soul to achieve a much higher spiritual level than it had previously enjoyed.
Transforming the world into a dwelling for G-d can be accomplished in one of two ways: either by studying Torah and using physical objects for the performance of mitzvos, or by "Knowing G-d in all your ways,"[8] and seeing that "All your actions should be for the sake of Heaven."[9] This second kind of service implies that even a person's interactions with physical matter for mundane purposes such as eating and sleeping are done with spiritual intent.
In a sense, there is a superior quality to the latter form of spiritual service with regard to making the world itself a domicile for G-d. For when even a person's mundane activities are conducted "for the sake of Heaven," then the dwelling place for G-d is accomplished in even the hindmost portions of this physical world.[10]
This superior quality in utilizing mundane and permissible matters "for the sake of Heaven," is also true with regard to the ascent to the level of baal teshuvah, the ascent that the soul accomplishes by its descent into this world.
For when a Jew performs a mitzvah, even if that mitzvah is performed only after first overwhelming the evil inclination, once the mitzvah is actually accomplished, the person's evil inclination is greatly weakened. There is then revealed the person's true desire: that deep down, "every Jew desires to perform all the mitzvos."[11]
Thus, when it comes to the actual performance of a mitzvah, this is done entirely out of a Jew's inner will and desire, and as such the person's evil inclination has no part in its performance. As a result, the performance of a mitzvah is in the manner of "tzaddik" rather than "baal teshuvah."
But when an individual "knows G-d" in all his or her personal (permissible) ways, so that they too are done "for the sake of heaven," then this involves the person in his entirety, inasmuch as the performance of his mundane activities stems from his natural soul and its bodily desires.[12] As such, the person's service is on the loftier level of a baal teshuvah.
Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XV, pp. 244-246.
Notes:
- (Back to text) Commentary of Rashi, conclusion of Torah portion Noach.
- (Back to text) See Rashi, Bereishis 28:21; see also Rashi, ibid., 32:5.
- (Back to text) Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 7:4.
- (Back to text) See Vayikra Rabbah 36:5; see also Pesachim 56a; Sifri, Devarim 6:4.
- (Back to text) Bereishis 30:43; see also Torah Or, p. 23c, et al.
- (Back to text) Bereishis 28:14.
- (Back to text) Likkutei Torah, Balak, p. 73a; Discourse titled U'Mayon 5706.
- (Back to text) Mishlei 3:6; Tur and Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim, section 231.
- (Back to text) Avos 2:12.
- (Back to text) See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VIII, p. 108ff., and sources cited there.
- (Back to text) Rambam, Hilchos Geirushin conclusion of chapter 2.
- (Back to text) See Tanya, beginning of chapter 7. See also Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XX, p. 334 and footnotes ibid.
Toldos