Written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis
(based on a derasha from
HaGaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita,
Ravad of Yerushalayim
Leil Shabbos)
Help From Nothing
"And Yaakov left (Vayetze) Be'er Sheva and went to Charan" (Bereshis 28,10).
The Medrash explains the deeper significance of this pasuk. After leaving Be'er Sheva, Yaakov met up with Eliphaz, who was sent by Eisav to kill him. Yaakov convinced Eliphaz that since a poor person is considered dead, Eliphaz should take all of Yaakov's money, and thus fulfill his father’s command without killing him. Eliphaz agreed and left Yaakov penniless.
Although Yaakov had escaped mortal danger, he now faced a different problem. He was looking for a wife, but did not have a penny to his name. Who would marry him in his dire financial situation?
The Medrash cites the pasuk "…from nothing (ayin) my help will come. My help comes from Hashem who made the heavens and the earth" (Tehillim). Just as the Almighty created the universe from nothing (ayin), He can bring each person's individual salvation from nothing (ayin). Yaakov focused on ayin and Hashem helped him.
On a deeper level, Yaakov recognized that he was in fact ayin, that he had no part in his personal salvation and everything was in Hashem's hands. Thanks to this profound level of bitul, the Almighty helped Yaakov and saved him from his distress.
The Birth Pains of Moshiach
Based on this interpretation of the Medrash, we can understand why the final redemption must be a painful process – the chevlei Moshiach. In order for Moshiach to come, we must first recognize that we are ayin, and that only Hashem can save us. Only when we realize that any other form of hope is futile, will the Almighty bring the Moshiach.
In light of the fact that Eretz Yisrael is in great danger today, we may be tempted to hope that America or the Israeli army will come to our aid. Chazal tell us that such an outlook will hinder the coming of Moshiach. Our sole chance of redemption is through the recognition that salvation can only come from Above.
Many of us are extremely invested in believing that we determine our own success by our own efforts, or that political and military machinations have the power to overcome our enemies. It is painful for us to let go of these deeply entrenched misconceptions.
Yet the Mishna at the end of Sotah states clearly that Moshiach will only come when we recognize that we can depend on nothing and no one other than our Father in Heaven. All of the tribulations that the Jewish people face can disappear in an instant. If we strengthen our emunah that there is no such thing as nature and that only Hashem runs the world, we will merit seeing miracles greater than those of Yetyzias Mitzrayim.
Torah Protection
Focusing on the fact that one's help can only come from Hashem is the key to salvation. Chazal tell us that one should concentrate on the idea of ein od milvado, that there is no entity besides Hashem that has the ability to either cause harm or provide protection. In addition, there are two other powerful tools that every Jew has at his disposal.
The first is Torah learning, which has the power to protect one from danger. The Torah writes that after Eisav lost the berachos, he commented that he would wait until the death of Yitzchak to avenge Yaakov's actions.
Perhaps he delayed his revenge to avoid upsetting Yitzchak Avinu. Yet Targum Yonason ben Uziel offers a deeper insight. He explains that Eisav knew that Torah learning protects a person, and that as long as Yaakov was engrossed in limud HaTorah, Eisav could not harm a hair on his head. Since a mourner is forbidden to learn Torah, Eisav planned to kill Yaakov during the period of aveilos, when he would not have the merit of Torah to protect him.
Torah with Tefilah
On his way to Charan Yaakov Avinu passed by Yerushalayim but did not stop to daven. How could he embark on on his quest to find a wife without prayer? What was he thinking by this omission?
Yaakov had just completed 14 years of uninterrupted learning in the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever. He thought that the merit of his Torah learning would surely be sufficient to help him succeed in any endeavor. However, Hashem showed Yaakov that Torah learning without tefilah is insufficient.
Many gedolei Torah testified that their greatness in Torah came because of tefilah. The Netziv of Volozhin was known for his great passion while reciting the prayer of Ahava Rabba. He testified that if he did not say this prayer with fervor, he did not see success in his Torah learning on that day.
Rav Chaim Brisker once did not show up for a shiur. Rav Chaim took his shiur very seriously and if he missed it, there must have been a very good reason. His talmidim were curious what supremely important circumstance had caused the Rav to miss shiur.
Rav Chaim Brisker later revealed to Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer that he had not davened with sufficient concentration that morning. Rav Chaim only wanted to teach Torah that was 100 percent emes, and was afraid that without the proper tefilah he could fall short of the truth. Therefore he skipped the shiur.
Yaakov Avinu's actions are a lesson for us today. If we want to have success in Torah we must strengthen ourselves in tefilah. We should make an effort to daven for success in Torah. This includes making the effort to say the yehi ratzon on entering and leaving a Beis Medrash, which the Rambam considers a chiyuv.
Money in the Bank
Yaakov Avinu davened that Hashem would be with him and assure him sufficient parnasa. Yaakov knew that without this guarantee, he might not deserve his sustenance, and it might come at the expense of the merit of his mitzvos.
The Medrash explains that the Almighty answered all of Yaakov's tefilos in the affirmative, except He was not willing to guarantee him his parnasa. Hashem wants to hear the tefilos of tzadikim every day. Therefore He would not promise Yaakov his daily sustenance in advance.
After the snake enticed Chavah to eat from the aitz hada'as, he was punished that he would have to eat dirt forever more. Seemingly, this is reward and not punishment. Dirt is a boundless and freely available resource, and the snake would never be short of food.
The snake’s true punishment was that he no longer needed to ask for his sustenance, and was provided for without Divine assistance. In doing so he lost all connection to the Almighty. To avoid this terrible fate, we must not to lose our connection to our Maker by forgetting that He is the source of everything, even if we apparently have enough resources to take care of all of our physical needs.
While Yaakov Avinu was sleeping he dreamt about a sulam, ladder, which was planted on the ground and extended into the Heavens. The gematria of sulam is 136, the same as the word mammon, money. Chazal were hinting to us that if use our financial resources for Heavenly pursuits, then they will lift us upward. However if we use them for worldly pursuits then our money will cause us to sink downwards.
We must constantly daven to Hashem for all of our needs. Yaakov Avinu taught us to pray that Hashem will help us recognize that He alone runs the world and protects us, that we should have success in Torah, and that we should use our resources to serve Him properly.
(HaRav Shternbuch's shiurim on the parsha are being prepared to be published by Feldheim Publishers as a sefer. For information about dedication opportunities, ideas for the title of the sefer, or shaylos for the Rav, contact dytravis@actcom.com.)
