Vayishlach תרל”ז
במדרש בפסוק ויבא יעקב שלם כו’ ויחן כו’ נכנס בע”ש עם דמדומי חמה כו’. דרש מלשון ויחן. וגם שלום הוא שבת כידוע. וביאור הענין כי כל ירידת יעקב לחו”ל הי’ ענין ימי המעשה. וע”י העבודה רבה שהי’ לו שם. זכה אח”כ לבחי’ השבת בשלימות. וז”ש בשש צרות יצילך ובשבע לא יגע בך רע. כי כפי רוב הצרות בששת ימי המעשה. כמו כן הוא זך ונקי בלי נגיעת דבר רע בשבת. וז”ש שנכנס עם דמדומי חמה הוא דבר גדול כמ”ש ז”ל על הבורא ית’ ויכל ביום השביעי. שיודע רגעיו ונכנס בו כחוט השערה. כביכול כך אבינו יעקב עבד ממש כל העבודה המיוחדת לימי המעשה עד גמירא. ולכן נכנס ממש כחוט השערה דמדייק המדרש מדכתיב ויבוא יעקב שלם. ושלום הוא שבת. כנראה שבא ממש בשבת כמ”ש ויכל ביום השביעי כנ”ל:
The Midrash, on the Pasuk (Bereishis 33:18) “And Yaakov arrived safe (Shalem)…and he encamped before the city”, explains that he arrived on Erev Shabbos as the sun was setting. This is learnt from the word ויחן he encamped (which is connected to the word חן). And so too the word שלם or שלום is connected to Shabbos which is called Shalom.
The idea is that Yaakov traveling out of Eretz Yisrael is the concept of the work of the days of the week. It was through the difficult and great work that he had done there that he meritted to to the Shabbos- the level of perfection.
This is the meaning of the pasuk (Iyov 5:19) “He will deliver you from six troubles, in Seven you will find no harm”. For through all the suffering (צרות – the straights, areas where one has to work on himself to gain perfection) during the six days of the week, proportionately will one be perfect and clean from any negativity on the Shabbos.
This is therefore the idea that Yaakov arrived as the sun was setting. This teaches us the very high level that he had reached, for as our Sages say that HaShem stopped creation exactly like a hairsbreadth just before Shabbos, so too Yaakov so to speak also perfected all of his physicality of the days of the week so much so that they were complete. And therefore he was able to enter exactly at the hairsbreadth. (This does not mean that Yaakov accepted Shabbos only at night time, it is referring to all the completion of all the physical preparations of the days of the week).
This is learnt from the word שלם, where שלום refers to Shabbos. And so it appears that he arrived literally at Shabbos, just as it states by HaShem that he completed on the Seventh day (just as it was beginning).
ובודאי מדריגת יעקב הוא למעלה מהטבע ואיננו בבחי’ ימי המעשה כמ”ש חז”ל כי ת”ח נק’ שבת שהוא תמיד בבחי’ שבת. רק שיעקב אע”ה נכנס בעובי הקורה ורצה ליישר הדרך לבניו בתיקון העשי’. וזהו עצמו ענין ויירא ויצר שמא יהרוג שמא יהרג כו’. אף כי הי’ בידו להשליך מעליו כל זה הדרך. אך כי רצה שיהי’ נמצא היצה”ר ויגברנו. ז”ש ויירא יעקב מאוד כמ”ש טוב מאוד הוא היצה”ר מה”מ כו’. אך ויצר לו כו’. ז”ש במדרש הבחיר שבאבות ובחיר שבנביאים הבטיח להם ה’ ונתיראו כו’. הוא טעם כיון שהם הנבחרים שכל בנ”י תלוין בהם. לכן כל מעשיהם הי’ בעבור כל הדורות הבאים. וכן יש לפרש הפסוק למה אירא בימי רע עון עקבי יסבני. שהם הדורות האחרונים עוקבתא דמשיחא. ומצד הדורות השפלים נתייראו האבות בימים הרעים. כי מצד עצמם אין דבר רע מזיק להם. וכענין אע”ג דאיהו לא חזי כו’ כיון שכל הדורות נשרשו בהם נפל עליהם היראה מכח מה שיהי’ לבניהם אחריהם ולכן ויירא ויצר. שאע”פ שהי’ מיצר לו אעפ”כ רצה שיוכל לתקן כל המקומות הללו ולמצוא בחי’ מה רב טובך שהוא שנאמר טוב מאוד כמ”ש במ”א מזה. וזה עצמו ענין שליחות המלאכים כי כלל תיקון המעשה תלוי בבחי’ מלאכים שהוא ענין הל”ט מלאכות. כי כל מלאך הוא בחי’ המצות שתלוין במעשה כמ”ש ז”ל מכל מצוה נברא מלאך והמצות הם עצות כי אין האדם בעצמו יוכל לגבור נגד הסט”א בשלימות. ולכן הרבה לנו תורה ומצות שע”י נברא מלאכים שהם מושיעין לאדם במקום שא”י לכנוס ולתקן בעצמו. וגם המלחמה שהי’ לו עם המלאך שרו של עשו הוא כענין שכ’ מלאך רע בע”כ יענה אמן בכניסת שבת. ולכן כל זה עבר עליו ואח”כ נאמר ויבוא יעקב שלם כנ”ל. ובמ”א כתבנו יותר בענין המלאכים לכן קצרנו:
Now clearly the level of Yaakov was completely above natu, and he was not actually in the realm of the days of the week. As our Sages explain that a Torah scholar is called “Shabbos”, and they are always in the realm of Shabbos. However Yaakov Avinu wanted to place himself in the “thick of the battle” עובי הקורה – the most dangerous of places, and straighten out those paths by fixing the world of action, all for his descendants. (This is the reason why he was so involved involved in all the challenges with Eisav etc, for he was laying the foundation and paving a path for generations to come).
This is the idea of “He was fearful and concerned” as Rashi explains he was fearful that he may need to kill others, and he was afraid that maybe he would get killed.
This is because even though he himself could have easily extracted himself from this difficult path (he did not have to deal with this test), however he wanted to deal with the evil inclination and overcome it.
This (can therefore explain to us) the meaning of the word מאוד – very. As our sages explain the word מאוד actually refers to the evil inclination and the angel of death.
Yet “He was afraid”. This is in line with the Midrash that states that the chosen of the forefathers, and that chosen of the prophets were promised (safety) by HaShem yet they were still afraid. The reason is because since the were the chosen of the nation and the entire Bnei Yisrael is dependant on them, therefore all of their actions are for the generations to come. We find the same idea (Tehillim 49:6) “What shall I fear on a bad day? the sins of my heel will surround me”. These lowly sins are the referring to the last generations that of the “ikveta demishicha” the heel of Mashiach. And it was because of these generations (which were so challenged and confused) that the forefathers were fearful of. With regard to themselves they would not be harmed by all this evil, yet this is the idea of (Megillah 3a) “even though he himself did not see it, his mazel saw it”. Since the generations to come are all dependant on rooted in them (the forefathers), therefore was a fear of what will become of those generations, and therefore “He was fearful and concerned”.
Now even though he was concerned and it was a difficult position to be in, (Yaakov) still wanted to perfect all these places to find within them the idea of “How great is Your goodness that you have hidden for those that fear you”, this is the “very good” טוב מאוד that is explained elsewhere (See Sefas Emes Balak תרל”ה).
This is really the idea of the shlichus, sending the angels. Because the perfection of action is dependant on angels, which is the idea of the 39 forbidden actions on Shabbos.
For a person on their own is not actually able to completely overcome the negative forces. It is for this reason that HaShem gave us “Much Torah and many mitzvos” that through the performance of this we create angels, which protect man in places where he himself is not able to enter.
This too is the idea of the battle between Yaakov and angel of Eisav, (where when he is overcome, he becomes subjected to the good) like we find on Friday night (when a person comes home accompanied by two angles, a good one and an evil one. If the house is prepared properly for Shabbos), the evil angel who accompanies him, says Amen to the blessing that the good angel gives.
This is all that Yaakov went through and eventually he came to Shechem, when he was “Shalem” complete, as above.
In another place we have written more about the angels and therefore we have been concise here.
קטנתי מכל האמת כו’ בשם הרבי מלובלין ע”ה כי גם מה שאני קטן בעצמי הוא ג”כ מכל האמת וחסדים אשר עשית עמדי. וי”ל עוד גם לפי’ קטנתי כפשוטו שאף שהרגיש יראה בעצמו שהי’ במקום סכנה. אעפ”כ נתחזק באמונתו ואמר שיודע שגם הירידה הוא לטובה והוא מכל החסדים והאמת שעשה עמו הבורא. והראי’ כי במקלי עברתי כו’. וכיון שעשה עמו הקב”ה אות לטובה. א”כ הירידה אינו ח”ו לחלוטין. כי הפוכי מטרתא ל”ל. ולכן הוא בטוח בו ית’ שהוא לטובה כנ”ל:
“I have become small (humbled) by all the kindness and the truth that You have done to your servant” (Bereishis 32:10). In the name of the Rebbe of Lublin, (it is taught) that even the fact that he has become small with himself is also part of the truth and kindness that You have done to me.
(The explanation is that in spite of the very great level Yaakov had reached, he nevertheless did not attribute it to himself, and always felt humbled. This attribute of bitul – nullification has a further element: A person should feel that even the bitul, is a kindness given to him from HaShem and not because of his own effort.)
We can further explain that the word “I have become small” can be understood simply, that Yaakov was fearful for he was in a dangerous place. He nevertheless strengthened himself with his emuna, and he said that he realized that even this faling to a low and (spiritually) dangerous place, was also a kindness from Hashem. (The greatest danger is haughtiness, for the presence of HaShem cannot dwell amongst the haughty, therefore being forced to be humble (even on a spiritual level, by erring and sinning when one shouldn’t), can indeed be viewed as a great gift.
The proof for Yaakov was that “With my staff I crossed the Jordan” (Ibid) (Rashi explains he hit the Jordan river and it split before him). Therefore, since HaShem had given him a sign (splitting the river), Yaakov realized that this falling to a low level was not absolute, for why would HaShem do something positive in the midst of all this negativity. (It was therefore a sign of HaShem’s closeness, and of Yaakov’s closeness to HaShem), and therefore Yaakov was certain that everythig that HaShem does is for the good.
בפסוק ואתה אמרת היטב איטיב כו’ זרעך כו’. וקשה וכי בא אבינו יעקב להקשות להבורא שהוא סותר ח”ו הבטחתו. רק הפי’. כמ”ש לעיל שכל היראה והדאגה הי’ בעבור תולדותיו דורות הבאים. ולכן אמר אם לא הי’ יודע שזרעו הם הנבחרים להשי”ת ומיוחדים אליו. ושכל העולמות והברואים עליהם נשענים. לא הי’ מפחד כ”כ בעבור שהם בניו. רק בעבור שאתה אמרת כו’ ושמתי את זרעך כחול כו’. פי’ שהבטיחו שזרעיו הם זרע ברך ה’ שהכל תלוי בהם. לכן הוא מבקש רחמים בעבורם:
“And You have promised me that You will do good to me” (Bereishis 32:12). Could it be that Yaakov would Heaven forbid be asking a question on HaShem how could He contradict His promises? (Yaakov would never question HaShem’s judgment for his own sake?).
However we can explain this in line with what we have discussed above, that the fear and worry that Yaakov experienced was all for his descendants in generations to come. Therefore Yaakov was saying, had it not been that his descendants are chosen to serve HaShem and unique to Him, and that all of creation is dependent on them, he would not be afraid for his own sake just because they are his children. However now that HaShem has promised him that “His children will be like the sand of the sea etc”, meaning that HaShe promised Yaakov that his descendants are blessed by HaShem and everything is dependent upon them, therefore he now asked mercy for them. (It was not for selfish reasons, but it was to bring about the wish of HaShem).
