Parshat Vayeytze opens with a description of Jacob fleeing his parents' home in Beer Sheva and the land of Canaan to escape the murderous wrath of his brother, Esau.
One day, early in his journey, the sun sets just as Jacob reaches a special place and he camps there for the night. While asleep, Jacob dreams of a ladder set firmly on the ground with its top reaching high into the heavens and with angels of God rising up the ladder and descending down. God, standing at the top of the ladder, speaks to Jacob and promises to give him and his descendents the land upon which he sleeps, to be with him, watch over him, and return him to the home he is leaving behind. His descendents, God tells Jacob, "will be as the dust of the land and will spread westward and eastward; northward and southward."
When Jacob awakes the next morning, he makes a monument of the stone upon which he slept, anoints it with oil, and makes a promise to God: "If God is with me and watches over me on my journey, if God gives me food to eat and clothes to wear and returns me whole to my parents' home, then I will establish God as my Lord, have this stone as God's house, and tithe all that God gives me in God's service."
At first glance, Jacob's promise is perplexing. Why does he introduce his promise with the conditional "IF"? Does Jacob doubt the prophecy of his dream? Does he not trust God to deliver on God's word? Are not God's promises unconditional and should not Jacob's promises be unconditional as well? Why does Jacob act as if he is in a Middle Eastern Souk in which he needs to bargain for God's gifts or to set conditions for his own loyalty?
Rabbi Ovadia Sefornu, the author of a 15th Century commentary on the Bible who lived in Italy, relied on a lesson from Tractate Eruvin to offer an alternative understanding for Jacob's promise. The world is a dangerous place, the Sefornu says, for those who chose to serve God's mission. Evil persons, economic challenges, and disease may all separate a committed servant of the Jewish People from his (or her) purpose.
Jacob recognized these dangers and knew that it is only God's protection that would allow him to succeed in his mission and to set the destiny for the Jewish people. Jacob's response that morning was not to set conditions on his service to God, but to state his recognition that his success was predicated on the promise God gave to him the night before. "BECAUSE (not 'IF') God will be with me, feed me, clothe me, and protect me, I will be able follow God and serve God's purpose both abroad and at home."
Little has changed in this regard since Jacob's time. Recent events have shown, once again, just how difficult and dangerous the world can be for those who choose to spend their lives serving the Jewish people and how dependant they (we) are on the fulfillment of God's promise to Jacob. Economic problems – and evil persons - can and sometimes do work against us. Following Jacob's example, we must plan well, work hard, and act with the knowledge that God's blessing will allow us to succeed.
The author dedicates this week’s D'var Torah to the memory of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, Rebbetizn Rivka Holtzberg, and all victims of the attack on Mumbai's Chabad House.
Written by Rabbi Howard Alpert, executive director of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia.
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Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Vayeytze at MyJewishLearning.com.