Vayetzei
ויצאThe Ladder & The Tribes
48 translated essays · 89 total
תרל"ב(1871)
Carrying the inner Shabbos point into galus· Essay 1
"And Yaakov went out from Be'er Sheva…" (Bereishis 28:10). The parsha opens with Yaakov departing from Be'er Sheva on his way to Charan — a journey the Sefas Emes reads as a model for living in galus. Surely this departure was a preparation…
Every Illumination Awakening Awe· Essay 2
אכן יש ה’ כו’ ואנכי לא ידעתי ברש”י אם ידעתי לא ישנתי כו’. After Yaakov’s dream, he said ‘I had no idea that this was a holy place’, Rashi explains that Yaakov meant that had he known hhow holy the place is he would n…
Gathering Faculties to Reach Inner Sparks· Essay 3
וירא והנה באר בשדה כו’ ג’ עדרי צאן כו’ ונאספו שמה כל העדרים כו’. When Yaakov gets to Charan there is the story of the well. The pasuk says ‘And he saw there was a well in the field, and there were 3 flocks of sheep, …
Vayetze 1 תרל"ב
ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע כו’. בודאי הי’ יציאה זו הכנה ועצה על הגלות שנוכל לתקן עצמינו גם בחו”ל. “Yaakov left Be’er Sheva”, cleary, Yaakov’s leaving a holy place was a preparation for the future exile, so that we, his descendants…
תרל"ד(1873)
Finding Hashem in concealed places· Essay 1
In the Midrash: "Then you shall walk securely…" "If you run, you shall not stumble…" The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash's promise that one who follows the Torah's path can even run without stumbling, walking in safety. The meaning is: ev…
Shabbos as Field for Planting· Essay 2
אא”ז ז”ל הגיד בשם אר”י ז”ל כי שבת נקרא שדה כדכתיב נצא השדה כי עוה”ז הוא מדבר שאין ניכר בו השגחת השי”ת. The Chidushei Harim said in the name of the Arizal, that Shabbos is called a field as it says in Shir…
Yiras Shomayim as the foundation of permanence· Essay 3
"And Yaakov awoke... and he was afraid, and he said: How awesome..." (Bereishis 28:16-17). The Sefas Emes opens with Yaakov's reaction upon waking from the dream of the ladder: not pride, but fear and awe. This is written in praise of Yaako…
Will draws Hashem's light into any place· Essay 4
In Rashi: "And he encountered" — he instituted the evening prayer (Tefillas Arvis); and it does not write "and he prayed," to teach you that the land leaped for him. Rashi on "vayifga" (Bereishis 28:11) explains that Yaakov established Maar…
Yaakov the man of truth and drawing Esav near· Essay 5
In Midrash Tanchuma: Yaakov's flight was like the galus (exile) of one who kills a person inadvertently, for it was reckoned to him as a sin that Esav was pushed away because of him. The Midrash likens Yaakov's flight from Esav to the exile…
Vayetze תרל"ד
במדרש אז תלך לבטח כו’. אם תרוץ לא תכשל כו’. Regarding Yaakov’s travails to Charan, the Medrash quotes the pasuk אָ֤ז תֵּלֵ֣ךְ לָבֶ֣טַח דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝רַגְלְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִגּֽוֹף׃ Then you will go your way safely And not injure your …
תרל"ה(1874)
Yaakov paves a path of holiness through galus· Essay 1
In the Zohar HaKadosh: one who wishes to descend into a deep pit must first tie himself with a strong rope, so that he not sink and become trapped there. The Sefas Emes opens with the Zohar's image: before lowering yourself into a deep pit,…
Transforming the yetzer hara into good· Essay 2
"And the stone was great... and they would roll it" (Bereishis 29:2-3). At the well, a great stone covered its mouth, and the shepherds together would roll it off to draw water. The Sefas Emes reads this scene as a mashal about the yetzer h…
Vayetze תרל"ה
תרל”ה ב”ה בזוה”ק מי שרוצה לירד לבור עמוק צריך מקודם לקשר עצמו בחבל חזק שלא ישתקע שם. כן ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע שנשבע להקב”ה בכל לבו. כנודע ששבועה הוא כלל חיות האדם. שהוא הז’ מדות שיש באדם. ואז הלך לחרן. וז”ש …
תרל"ו(1875)
Reliance on Hashem in darkness· Essay 1
In the Midrash on "I lift my eyes…" — for Yaakov Avinu left behind all the supports he had while with his father. Yaakov, setting out from his father's house toward Lavan, deliberately gave up every external aid and protection he had enjoye…
Yirah as gateway and fruit of avodah· Essay 2
And so too the matter of the visions of the dream — although surely Yaakov Avinu had no need for dreams. On its own level Yaakov Avinu did not require a dream to receive prophecy; he was capable of clearer perception. Only that he entered i…
The well as Mikdash, Shabbos, and the soul's inner spring· Essay 3
"And behold, a well in the field… and three flocks of sheep lying beside it…" (Bereishis 29:2). The Sefas Emes opens on Yaakov's vision of the well in the field with three flocks resting by it, a scene he will read as a layered allusion. In…
The holy imprint a tzaddik leaves· Essay 4
In Rashi: Why does the Torah say "and he went out"? Because the departure of a tzaddik from a place makes an impression. Rashi asks why the Torah bothers to record Yaakov's leaving, and answers that a tzaddik's departure leaves a noticeable…
Shabbos delight and the boundless inheritance· Essay 5
"And you shall burst forth westward and eastward…" The Sefas Emes begins with Hashem's blessing to Yaakov that his offspring will spread out in every direction without limit. Chazal expounded on the verse "and I will feed you the inheritanc…
Vayetze תרל"ו
ב”ה במדרש אשא עיני כו’ כי יעקב אע”ה עזב כל הסיועות אשר הי’ לו אצל אביו. זכות אב ואם. וגם קדושת המקום ארץ ישראל. והכניס עצמו במדריגה זו שלא יהי’ לו עזר רק מהשי”ת. וזה שכתבו חז”ל שתיקן תפילת ערבית. כי…
תרל"ז(1876)
Drawing on Shabbos to refine the world· Essay 1
"And Yaakov went out from Be'er Sheva" (Bereishis 28:10). The Sefas Emes opens with Yaakov's departure from Be'er Sheva toward Charan, which he will read as a movement rooted in the holiness of Shabbos. In the Midrash: "then you will walk s…
Hashem guards tzaddikim from pride· Essay 2
"How awesome is this place!" Yaakov utters these words upon awakening from his dream at the site of the future Bais Hamikdash, sensing the overwhelming kedushah of the place. Yaakov Avinu attributed the revelation of holiness to the kedusha…
Drawing holiness into the darkness· Essay 3
In the Midrash on "and he dreamed" (Bereishis 28:12): "my flesh longs for You in a parched land" (Tehillim 63:2). The Midrash links Yaakov's dream to the verse of yearning for Hashem "in a parched land" — a place of dryness and concealment.…
Vayetze תרל"ז
תרל”ז ב”ה ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע. במדרש אז תלך לבטח כו’ כי יעקב הכניס עצמו בעובי הקורה לכנוס בכל אלה המקומות הצריכין תיקון כדאיתא בזוה”ק. והנה א”י אדם להכניס עצמו במקום הזה עד שיהי’ למעלה מן הטבע וזה נקרא אז …
תרל"ח(1877)
Thirst in barren times earns revelation· Essay 1
In the Midrash: "My soul thirsts for You ... so [I have gazed upon You] in the Sanctuary" — "therefore in holiness," etc. (Tehillim 63:2-3). The Midrash expounds Dovid Hamelech's words of soul-thirst, linking the intensity of his yearning t…
Good deeds add strength to overcome Esav· Essay 2
On the pasuk: "When Rachel bore Yosef, [Yaakov] said, 'Send me away…'" and Rashi [comments]: "the house of Yosef a flame…" Only after Yosef was born did Yaakov feel ready to leave Lavan and face Esav; Rashi explains, citing the navi, that Y…
Vayetze תרל"ח
במדרש צמאה לך נפשי כו’ כן בקודש ע”כ בקודש כו’. לפי גודל הרצון והתשוקה שיש באדם לעבודת הבורא במקום ציה בלי מים. כן יוכל אח”כ להתדבק בקדושה בשעה שמתגלה לו קצת הארה. וזה עצמו הי’ נחמה ליעקב אע”ה היותו גולה ל…
תרל"ט(1878)
The two roads and the hidden point of truth· Essay 1
The Midrash cites: "Then you shall walk securely" (Mishlei 3:23). The Sefas Emes opens with the promise that one who follows the right path will ultimately walk in safety, and he sets out to explain which path that is. For the Midrash bring…
Binding the middos to Hashem's unity· Essay 2
"And he lay down in that place." The Torah stresses that Yaakov lay down specifically "in that place" — the future site of the Bais Hamikdash. Rashi explains: to exclude the fourteen years (during which he did not lie down to sleep), and so…
Falsehood flees the perfected tzaddik· Essay 3
On the verse, "Behold, the day is still long…" (Bereishis 29:7). The Sefas Emes opens from Yaakov's words to the shepherds at the well, telling them that since much of the day remained, they should water their flocks rather than gather idly…
Man as the ever-climbing ladder· Essay 4
On the pasuk: "And behold, a ladder set up (mutzav) on the ground..." (Bereishis 28:12) — and it does not write "standing" (nitzav). The Sefas Emes notes the precise wording: the Torah says the ladder of Yaakov's dream was mutzav, "set up" …
Vayetze תרל"ט
במדרש אז תלך לבטח. דאיתא במדרש המשל דרך אחד תחילתו מישור וסופו קוצים והב’ תחלתו קוצים וסופו מישור. וב’ אלו הדרכים נמצאו בכל איש. אך מי שדרך הנראה לפניו מישור רואה ומבין שהוא קוצים. אז אח”כ בבוא הסוף רואה שדרך הב’ הוא…
תר"מ(1879)
Yearning reveals hidden holiness· Essay 1
The Midrash on the verse "Then you shall walk securely... you shall run and not stumble" (Mishlei 3:23). The Sefas Emes opens with the promise that one who is firmly rooted in his avodah can travel through any place safely, without being tr…
Three flocks as threefold avodah· Essay 2
On the pasuk "a well in the field." The Sefas Emes expounds the scene of Yaakov arriving at the well in the field (Bereishis 29:2). "Three flocks of sheep." Three flocks lay beside the well — the Sefas Emes reads them as a hint to a deeper …
Holiness drawn down by love· Essay 3
"Indeed, Hashem is present in this place." Yaakov realizes upon waking that there is a real revealed Presence of Hashem in this spot — a place where the Divine has, as it were, "settled." For the Holy One is called Ein Sof (the Infinite One…
Vayetze תר"מ
במדרש אז תלך לבטח כו’ תרוץ ולא תכשל. דבאמת ברח יעקב בעבור עשו. אעפ”כ מצינו ראינו כי בהליכה זו זכה יעקב אע”ה לכל השלימות. וזה הי’ באמת ע”י שקודם הליכה זו הטמין עצמו כמאמר חז”ל. לכן כפל הכתוב ויצא יעקב אף ש…
תרמ"א(1880)
תרמ"ב(1881)
תרמ"ג(1882)
Awakening the creative letters through prayer· Essay 1
"And he encountered the place" (Bereishis 28:11) — he instituted the tefillas arvis (the evening prayer). Chazal read Yaakov's "encounter" at the place as an act of prayer; he established the nighttime davening. "And he took from the stones…
The well as Oral Torah and tefillah· Essay 2
"A well in the field." The Sefas Emes takes the well that Yaakov finds in the field as a symbol of a hidden source of spiritual life. This is the aspect of Torah she'b'al peh (the Oral Torah) which He planted within us. The well represents …
Yaakov and Esav as inner struggle· Essay 3
In Rashi [on] "And [Yaakov] went out" — [the Torah relates Yaakov's departure] because it had interrupted the account of Yaakov, as it is written "And Esav heard," etc. The Sefas Emes cites Rashi's observation that the Torah's narrative of …
Yaakov's vow as awakening from below· Essay 4
"And Yaakov vowed a vow" (Bereishis 28:20). After his dream of the ladder, Yaakov Avinu makes a vow to Hashem — and the Sefas Emes asks why he needed to. And they raise the difficulty: had Hashem not already promised him all of this? Since …
Maaser sanctifies the whole through its part· Essay 5
"I shall surely tithe it to You" (Bereishis 28:22). As part of his vow, Yaakov pledges to set aside a tenth of all that Hashem grants him; the Sefas Emes uncovers the deeper meaning of maaser (tithing). The meaning is that everything should…
Vayetze תרמ"ג
ויפגע במקום תיקן תפלת ערבית. ויקח מאבני המקום אבנים הם אותיות שהתעורר על ידי התפלה. שם אותם בראשו ולבו. לכך ויחלום. כדאיתא במדרש כמה לך בשרי כו’. ונתקיים בו בהתהלכך תנחה אותך בשכבך תשמור כו’ והקיצות היא תשיחך. כמ”ש ודברת ב…
תרמ"ד(1883)
Yaakov's ladder as daily-renewed nature· Essay 1
On the pasuk: "a ladder set up on the ground" (Bereishis 28:12). The Sefas Emes begins from Yaakov's dream of the ladder, focusing on the precise wording of the verse. To be precise in the language: "mutzav" (set up) and not "nitzav" (stand…
Vayetze תרמ"ד
בפסוק סולם מוצב ארצה. לדייק הלשון מוצב ולא נצב. וגם דכתיב ארצה והול”ל בארץ. וחז”ל נתנו כלל כל מקום שצריך ל’ בתחילתה הוסיף לה ה’ בסופה וה”ל כמו לארץ. ע”כ נראה הפי’ שאינו נצב מכבר רק שעכשיו הוא מוצב מ…
תרמ"ה(1884)
תרמ"ט(1888)
Three Daily Prayers of Renewal· Essay 1
Sefat Emet, Genesis, Vayetzei 17:3
Circumcision Revealing the Divine Image· Essay 2
In the verse, “A ladder was set upon the earth, and its head reached the heavens … angels were ascending …,” and in the Gemara: “They ascend and gaze upon his likeness, they descend and gaze ….” The Sefat Emet opens by citing the dream of t…
41 more essays from this section await translation.