The contemporary relevance of the essay to follow speaks for itself.
The Rebbe Shlita associates Yaakov's desire for prosperity with our prayers for the coming of the Redemption.
Furthermore, the Rebbe explains that in order to receive the ultimate measure of prosperity, Yaakov had to undergo a unique challenge, the separation from Yosef.
This was a trial that seemingly had no purpose, that brought about aggravation and suffering, and initially, lowered Yaakov's spiritual level.
Nevertheless, this was the process G-d chose to lift Yaakov to a more elevated spiritual rung and make him fit to receive the ultimate blessings.
May our study of the Rebbe Shlita's teachings grant him the power to overcome a challenge of a similar type. May he be granted a complete and speedy recovery and may he lead us to the Redemption in the most immediate future.
14th Day of Kislev, 5754
On the verse,
[1] "And Yaakov settled in the land of his father's wandering," Rashi comments:
[2]
Yaakov desired to dwell in prosperity, but the distress of Yosef beset him. The righteous desire to dwell in prosperity, but the Holy One, blessed be He, says: "Is it not enough for the righteous what is prepared for them in the World to Come? Must they also desire to dwell in prosperity in this world?"
Rashi's statement is problematic, for a casual reading gives the impression that G-d does not approve of the righteous having a desire for prosperity. On the other hand, the fact that "the righteous" follow this path of conduct indicates this is a positive thrust and not a character fault. [3]
This difficulty can be resolved by focusing on the fact that Rashi speaks about a desire for prosperity expressed by the righteous.
Why only the righteous?
Seemingly, all mankind share this desire.
Everyone wants to enjoy an abundance of good without strife, contention, and difficulty.
The desire for prosperity of the righteous, however, is of a different type entirely.
To cite a parallel:
With regard to the Era of the Redemption, the Rambam writes:
"When a person is beset... with sickness, war, and hunger, he cannot occupy himself neither with wisdom or with mitzvos. For this reason, all Israel - and [in particular,] their prophets and their sages, have desired the Era of the Mashiach. [4]
"The Sages and the prophets did not yearn for the Era of the Mashiach so that [the Jewish people] would rule over the entire world... nor to eat, drink, and celebrate. Rather, their aspiration was to be free [to involve themselves] in the Torah and its wisdom without anyone to oppress or disturb them." [5]
On the surface, life in such a setting is appropriate for the World to Come where the righteous will "sit... and derive benefit from the radiance of the Divine Presence." [6]
It is, however, unnatural in the material world in the present era.
Nevertheless, a distinction must be made.
The World to Come represents G-d's granting of a reward to man, just recompense for man's divine service.
This is a departure from the pattern of our present existence of which it is said, [7] "`Today' to perform them (the mitzvos); `tomorrow' to receive their reward."
The righteous, by contrast, are not concerned with reward.
On the contrary, to refer to the quote cited above, "they desire to [involve themselves] in the Torah and its mitzvot."
Their aspiration is, however, that they be freed from external difficulties.
They want their struggle to be the challenge to grow in understanding and in personal development.
Why must they be confronted with challenges from the outside?
Let all their efforts be devoted to the internal challenges experienced in spiritual growth.
In this vein, we can understand G-d's response to Yaakov's request.
G-d wanted Yaakov's wish for prosperity to be fulfilled - as it was indeed fulfilled in the seventeen years of prosperity which Yaakov later spent in the land of Egypt.
But such a state of prosperity must be earned through an appropriate measure of divine service.
Since Yaakov in his immediate state was not worthy to receive such prosperity, G-d subjected him to a further trial through which he could advance himself. [8]
The sorrow caused by the sale of Yosef initiated a process of refinement through which Yaakov ultimately merited to attain the spiritual and material prosperity he sought.
This concept resolves a problematic point.
The name of a Torah reading communicates not merely a significant lesson, but the message and theme of the Torah reading as a whole.
Seemingly, the name Vayeishev, which as above indicates prosperity, is not at all appropriate for this reading which deals primarily with travail and sorrow.
Based on the above, however, it can be explained that the name is deserved, for it is this travail which enabled Yaakov to reach true prosperity.
Further clarification is, however, necessary.
Yaakov also knew that the spiritual prosperity which he desired would be granted only as result of his divine service and that this would require him to overcome challenges. Nevertheless, he thought that it was sufficient for him to have confronted the challenges that had been posed by Esav and Lavan.
Our Sages identify [9] Yaakov with the attribute of truth, and thus we can assume his self-appraisal was honest.
Since Yaakov saw himself worthy of prosperity, why was it necessary for him to undergo a further challenge?
It can be explained that there are two levels of prosperity fitting for the righteous:
- one which can be appreciated by mortals: that a person should be able to serve G-d without difficulty together with his children and grandchildren, training them to perpetuate his spiritual path.
- One above mortal conception, a foretaste of the World to Come: "You will see your [portion of] the World [to Come] in your lifetime." [10] Just as the nature of the World to Come cannot be comprehended by mortals, [11] so too, this foretaste transcends our understanding.
Yaakov asked for the level of prosperity that could be conceived by mortals.
G-d granted this to him and thus for nine years he enjoyed success and happiness in Eretz Yisrael. [12]
But G-d also wanted Yaakov to appreciate the higher level of prosperity, and therefore He subjected him to the trials beginning with the sale of Yosef so that Yaakov would become worthy of this unique Divine favor. [13]
Since the prosperity G-d desired to grant Yaakov was above the limits of worldly existence, the divine service which made him worthy of it also differed from the challenges which he had faced previously.
Yaakov's confrontations with Lavan and Esav were symbolic of the struggle between good and evil, and man's efforts to refine and elevate his surrounding environment.
The tribulations brought about by the sale of Yosef, by contrast, did not reflect these goals at all.
The challenge - and the refinement it brought about - was internal, and not external.
It was a trial that seemingly had no purpose, that brought about aggravation and suffering, and initially, lowered Yaakov's spiritual level. [14]
Nevertheless, this was the process G-d chose to lift Yaakov to a more elevated spiritual rung and make him fit to receive the ultimate blessings.
One might ask:
Since the prosperity which Yaakov was ultimately granted was not the prosperity that he initially sought, why was Yaakov's request the catalyst for G-d to bring about the sequence of events which would lead to this prosperity?
Since the initiative to grant this higher form of prosperity was G-d's alone, why was it at all dependent on man?
The resolution is that "the Holy One, blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous." [15]
Until Yaakov asked for prosperity, G-d did not grant it to him.
But when he asked, G-d set to work a sequence that would bring him not only the limited prosperity which man can conceive, but the ultimate prosperity that transcends man understanding.
A similar conception applies with regard to our requests for the coming of the Redemption.
The true nature of the Redemption is beyond the possibility for human conception. [16]
Nevertheless, our prayers for the Redemption have an effect, and hasten its coming.
Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXX, p. 176ff
Notes:
- (Back to text) Genesis 37:2.
- (Back to text) Commentary to the above verse.
- (Back to text) The positive nature of the desire for prosperity is indicated by the slight differences between Rashi's text and his apparent source, Bereishis Rabbah 84:3.
The Midrash states: "When the righteous... desire to dwell in prosperity..." Rashi, however, states: "The righteous desire to dwell in prosperity..." indicating that this is the nature and proper course of behavior for a person who is "righteous."
- (Back to text) Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuvah 9:2.
- (Back to text) Ibid., Hilchos Melachim 12:4.
- (Back to text) Berachos 17a.
- (Back to text) Eruvin 22a.
- (Back to text) Similarly, our Sages' state (Menachos 53b, Shmos Rabbah 36:1) that just as an olive releases its oil when pressed, so too, the Jewish people attain their greatest spiritual heights through difficulty.
- (Back to text) Zohar, Vol. I, p. 139a.
- (Back to text) Berachos 17a. See also Bava Basra 17a which states that the Patriarchs were granted a foretaste of the World to Come.
- (Back to text) See Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuvah 8:7.
- (Back to text) In this context, the opening verse "And Yaakov settled in the land of his father's wandering," can be interpreted to mean that in the land where his fathers, Avraham and Yitzchak, were forced to wander, Yaakov was able to settle in prosperity See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XVI, p. 316.
- (Back to text) Significantly, this higher level of prosperity was granted to Yaakov in Egypt. Although Egypt was "a foreign land" (Genesis 15:13) and a morally decadent country (see Toras Kohanim and Rashi, commenting on Leviticus 18:3), Yaakov and his descendants enjoyed material and spiritual prosperity there.
This paradox was possible because of the transcendent nature of the Divine favor.
- (Back to text) For as the verse states (Genesis 37:34), for all the years he was separated from Yosef, Yaakov was in a state of mourning, and "the spirit of prophecy departed from him" (Zohar, Vol. I, p. 180a, see Rashi, Targum Onkelos, and Targum Yonason to Genesis 45;27).
- (Back to text) Yevamos 64a.
- (Back to text) And therefore, despite our requests for its coming, the advent of the Redemption will be "unexpected".
Vayishlach - 5754