Parsha Toldot David Pinto Hannania Shlita

 

 

The Good Inclination Must Always Overcome The Evil Inclination

It is written, “And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau to brother” (Gen 32:4). Referring to the Midrash, Rashi explains: “these messengers were literally angels” (Bereshith Rabba 75:4).

Some questions may be asked here:

1. Why did Jacob send messengers to his brother? Couldn’t he have approached him directly, even by surprise, and meet him without being preceded by messengers?

2. If he wanted to know about his brother’s arrival, why do it through the intermediary of angelic messengers? Why not just use regular messengers? If it was to impress and scare his brother, he could have at first simply sent regular messengers, and then afterwards sent angelic ones to frighten him. Concerning the verse that states, “What do you mean by all this camp that I met?” (Gen 33:8), the Sages say, “The angels struck Esau several times” (Bereshith Rabba 78:11).

3. Before sending messengers, it is stated that Jacob “divided the people that were with him … into two camps” (Gen 32:8). Why divide the members of his family into two camps? If the angels served and watched over him, surely G-d Himself was with him. What was he afraid of? Moreover, Jacob was afraid of Esau to the point of calling him “my lord”, as it is stated, “Thus you shall say to my lord, to Esau” (Gen 32:5). What was Jacob so afraid of that he accorded so much honor to Esau in calling him “my lord”?

It is written, “And the first came out red … and they called his name Esau. And after that his brother came out, and his hand was holding Esau’s heel, and his name was called Jacob” (Gen 25:25-26). Why in coming into the world was Jacob holding Esau by the heel? And why exactly by the heel? It’s because the one who wants to overcome his evil inclination must from the moment he is born – from the moment he comes into the world – hold the evil inclination in hand, like a prisoner, as it is written, “When the Children of Israel obey G-d, they dominate their evil inclination” (Avodah Zarah 5b). In what way? In consecrating a portion of their time every day to the study of Torah. In the next world everyone will be asked, “Did you fix a time for the study of Torah?” (Shabbat 31a).

The directives of the Torah allow people to overcome their evil inclination, for “I created the evil inclination, and I created its remedy, the Torah” (Kiddushin 30b; Bava Batra 16a). The Torah weakens the desires of men and submits them to its will. This is the sense of the expression, “holding Esau by the heel”. A man must seize his evil inclination in order that it not escape his control. The word "83 (“heel”) is composed of the same letters as the word 3"8 (“to fix”). When the evil inclination is imprisoned, it tries to escape and save itself. One must catch and tame it, as it is written, “The good inclination must always dominate the evil inclination” (Berachot 5a), and Jacob teaches us how to do this.

What we have said allows us to understand why Jacob sent angels to his brother Esau: He was only doing what the Sages recommend be done. Using an example to illustrate this, imagine that two enemies are at war with one another. Each fight with sophisticated weaponry in order to insure complete victory, and each observes the other in order to detect weakness. Yet is possible to defeat one’s enemy even if he is better armed, and this is done by striking first, and by striking decisively. Such an attack doesn’t allow the enemy time to react and use his weapons, even if they are more modern and sophisticated.

It is the same in man’s war with his evil inclination. If one wants to be sure to conquer this powerfully armed adversary, one must know how to put up one’s good inclination against him. And even if one isn’t well versed in the art of war, one can strike the evil inclination with a first fatal blow in order to assure victory. It is in this way that the good inclination dominates its evil counterpart.

And this is precisely what Jacob did. He demonstrated to Esau (to the evil inclination) that he dominates it. This is why he first sent Esau celestial beings – angels – not simple messengers. These were not just any angels, but rather those which he created through his good deeds. He sent these because he wanted to let Esau know that he didn’t fear him. These angels testified to the fact that Jacob never abandoned the study of Torah, concerning which it is stated, “When the voice of Jacob makes itself heard in the houses of study and the houses of prayer, the hands of Esau cannot grab a hold of him” (Peticha of Eicha Rabba 2; Pesikta Zutah Toldot 27:22). The houses of Jacob therefore have the upper hand, and they take hold of the heel of Esau, of the evil inclination. Jacob demonstrated the power of his weapons (the Torah and its observance), which constitutes a fatal blow to the evil inclination, an inclination for whom these weapons are the most menacing and frightening of all.

Yet we shouldn’t think that this is sufficient to conquer the Satan (the evil inclination). We must always fear it, as it is written, “Happy is the man who always fears” (Pr 28:14), for the evil inclination can always gain the upper hand. Even if it has been defeated once, “It gains new strength every day and relentlessly seeks to make us fail” (Sukkah 52b; Kiddushin 30b) since it knows neither rest nor repose. We should always fear it, as the Sages say: “Do not be sure of yourself until the day you die” (Perkei Avoth 2:4). We have as our example Yochanan the High Priest, who served in the Temple for 80 years, yet became a heretic at the end of his life (Berachot 29a; Tanhuma Beshalach 3). Jacob also divided the members of his family into two camps in order to show Esau, to the evil inclination, that he was prepared to wage war against him. “If Esau comes to one camp and destroys it, the camp that is left will escape” (Gen 32:9) and continue in the way of Torah and the service of G-d. In making two camps, he also showed Esau and future generations that men should not be too sure of themselves or think that they’ve completely mastered their evil inclination, but rather they must always continue to fight it.

This also explains why Jacob sent offerings to Esau. Offerings point to the commandments, and they signify that everyone is obligated to practice all the commandments (which are a great help in time of need). They should not be content in simply observing a portion of them.

Despite all this, however, Jacob was afraid. He knew that Esau honored their father more resolutely than he did (Bereshith Rabba 82:15), and so Jacob feared Esau’s merit. It is possible that Jacob addressed him as “my lord” (which is an allusion to Esau’s angel) in order to lesson this merit, thus enabling to gain the upper hand.

This is surprising! Jacob, a man raised by the Patriarchs, a man of integrity, among those for whom the world relies on, feared Esau because he observed a commandment as important as honoring one’s parents! He feared him to the point of calling him “my lord”, to the point of bribing him with gifts. This teaches all of us that we must do everything in our power to practice the commandments, especially the one concerning loving one’s neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18), which according to the opinion of Rabbi Akiva constitutes “a fundamental principle of the Torah” (Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:4). In this way, the evil inclination will not be able to cause sin and will therefore be totally destroyed.

All this applies only to those who are protected through the observance of the commandments, for this renders a person pure, just as the Sages said, “G-d wanted to make Israel meritorious, which is why he gave them the Torah and so many commandments” (Makot 23b; Avoth d’Rabbi Nathan 4:17). The Sages added: “Israel is loved by G-d, which is why He surrounds them with commandments” (Menachot 43b; Pesikta Zutah Beshalach, near the end). However the one who doesn’t get used to performing the commandments becomes weaker, and this weakness becomes part of his nature. This is indicated by the word (-:*& (“and he sent”), which is composed of the same letters as the word :-(*& (“and he weakened”), for Jacob felt weak concerning the commandment of honoring one’s parents, which Esau practiced. This is why he was afraid of Esau and took so many precautions. Everyone must practice all the commandments of the Torah, which allows a person to conquer the evil inclination in all circumstances.

 

Strategies for Warring Against the Evil Inclination

It is written, “And Jacob sent messengers [angels according to one interpretation] ahead of him … to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, ‘Thus shall you say to my lord, to Esau: “Thus has Jacob your servant said, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now’ ” ’ ” (Genesis 32:4-5). Further on it is written, “And Jacob was greatly afraid, and was distressed” (v.8).

The Sages explained, “Jacob feared Esau, which is why he was prepared to do three things: To offer him gifts, to pray, and to wage war” (Rashi on Genesis 32:9).

These passages raise many questions that should be answered.

1. Why did Jacob send angels to appease Esau? He knows that Esau hates him, as his mother said, “Your brother Esau is consoling himself regarding you to kill you” (Genesis 27:42). Esau hates him for having deprived him of his birthright and blessings, and all the gold in the world would not have sufficed to assuage his hate. Sending angels before him could seem like a provocation and a declaration of war. In order to avoid meeting Esau, whom he had not seen for a long time, would it not have been better that Jacob take another route to get to his father Isaac? In that way they would never have met, and Jacob would not have had any reason to be afraid.

2. If Esau hated Jacob for so long, why did he do nothing up to that time? During those 22 years, he could have gone to Haran and wage war against Jacob, for really now, Esau did not lack audacity. Was it therefore Laban that he feared?

3. Why did Jacob fear Esau? When he left his father’s house, G-d promised him, “I will guard you wherever you go, and I will return you to this soil, for I will not forsake you” (Genesis 28:15). And while at Laban’s, G-d also promised Jacob that “I will be with you” (ibid. 31:3). Why then was he afraid of Esau? And if in fact he had no reason to fear, why did he need to prepare himself for all eventualities by means of gifts, prayer, and waging war?

4. Jacob’s intentions when he told Esau, “I have sojourned with Laban” need to be explained. Did Esau not know that Jacob had lived all this time with Laban?

In fact, all the time that Jacob stayed with Laban, he was surprised that his brother did not come to Haran to declare war against him, for Esau was not afraid of Laban and he had the power to fight both Jacob and Laban at the same time. However, when Jacob understood just how much a liar and wicked man Laban was, he correctly understood that Esau had no intention of killing him by taking his life. Rather, Esau wanted to kill him in another way – not physically. If Jacob would have allowed himself to be influenced by his uncle Laban, he himself would have also become wicked, and since “the wicked are dead even during their lives,” that would have been his end. It necessarily follows that Jacob would have, in that case, lost all the advantages of Isaac’s blessings. This is why Esau had no reason to go to Haran and to declare war against him, since Laban would accomplish what he himself wanted, and Esau was happy with every passing minute that Jacob spent in Haran in the presence of that awful man (Rashi on Genesis 24:50), called by everyone “the king of liars” (Tanhuma Vayishlach 1).

This is the reason why Jacob had him told, “I have sojourned with Laban,” which means “I observed the entire Torah and I have not become wicked as you think. On the contrary, during all that time I continued to follow the path of the Torah. Even more, I learned from Laban how not to act, as it is said, ‘Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies’ [Psalms 119:98]. All the goods that I possess, I acquired them by hard work, and consequently the blessings of my father have not been diminished, and they remain good for myself and my descendants until the end of time” (Midrash Haggadah, Tanhuma Vayishlach).

It remains for us to explain why Jacob did not prefer to take another route to arrive at his father’s, rather than to confront Esau.

The reason for this was that Jacob wanted to instruct all the generations on how to serve G-d. He teaches us that it is forbidden to flee from the Satan, “who is the evil inclination, who is the Angel of Death” (Bava Batra 16a). On the contrary, one must confront and dominate it, as it is said, “One must always make the good inclination dominate the evil inclination” (Berachot 5a), which Rashi explains to mean, “One must wage war against it” (Rashi ibid.) in order to destroy it forever. In addition, it is possible to put it to work in the service of G-d, as it is written: “ ‘You shall love the L-RD with all your heart’ – with both inclinations of your heart, the good and the evil” (Berachot 54a). Just as we are afraid to wage war, we must fear the war against the evil inclination, all while maintaining our full trust in G-d, the Creator of the world, and know that He will come to help and provide us with victory. This is what Jacob did when he intentionally went out before Esau, in order to meet, confront, and defeat him. However Jacob feared that some sin on his part would make him lose this war (Berachot 4a), as it is written, “My sin is before me always” (Psalms 51:5). Why? Because Esau observed to perfection the commandment of honoring one’s parents (Shemot Rabba 46:3), whereas Jacob, during his long absence, was not able to honor his father, and this sin could have caused his defeat. And thus when Jacob attacked Esau, he began by repenting for not having served his father. Even though Jacob had no reason to fear Esau, since G-d had promised to watch over him, he nevertheless feared that in meeting Esau he would forget, albeit for just a moment, G-d’s protection, and this sin would cause his downfall. This is why he prepared to offer gifts, to pray, and to wage war.

The behavior of Jacob is a lesson for his children. It comes to teach them that one should always be in a position to employ these three methods: Gifts, prayer, and waging war. How can we do this?

In studying Torah and by following its ways, one is assured of being able to overcome the evil inclination, since “Torah is the remedy for the evil inclination” (Kiddushin 30b) and “it protect and saves” (Sotah 21a). Despite this, when we fight against the evil inclination, we risk breaking away from G-d, albeit for just a moment, which could seal our defeat. Therefore Jacob warns us that even in the heat of action, we should not forget the fear of G-d, and that any break in our connection to G-d can make us lose the battle. One should therefore be ready for three things: To wage war, meaning to attack the evil inclination (as we said earlier); to pray that G-d saves us from the grip of the enemy; and to, above all, give gifts, which means to seize the Torah, which is a gift.

In fact it is written, “And from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth” (Numbers 21:19). Basing themselves on the fact that Mattanah means “gift”, the Sages have said, “The Torah is called a gift” (Berachot 5a) and it is a teaching, as it is written, “I give you a good teaching, do not forsake My Torah” (Proverbs 4:2). In remaining constantly attached to the Torah, it will definitely help us to defeat the evil inclination. Even though we have G-d’s promise, if we separate our thoughts from Him, even for a moment, that promise may not be realized. This is what Jacob feared, and it is this lesson that he transmitted to his descendants for all the generations.

There is another lesson to draw from Jacob’s behavior with Esau. One must pursue the evil inclination everywhere it hides, and this because it has several appellations, as the Sages say: “The evil inclination has seven names” (Sukkah 52a). It is called “a mighty king” (Ecclesiastes 9:14), David called it “Sinner” (Zohar I:165), and it is also named “Impure” and “Base” (Zohar III:101b). It can therefore appear under forms as diverse as they are various, and it can be present even without us being aware of it. We must always be wary of and watch for it on all sides, as we recite in the daily prayers: “Remove the Satan from before us and from behind us,” meaning, from whatever side it may come. This is because the evil inclination may present itself to us in the form of a man who is full of merits, just as it may attack us from behind like a wicked man who wants to kill us.

Examples illustrating these facts are not lacking. Sometimes the Satan presents itself to us in the early morning: It awakens us for prayer, and we in fact wake up and do all that we have to do. However afterwards, the evil inclination makes us proud, as we tell ourselves, “I woke up early this morning and I prayed.” It then infuses evil thoughts within, making us say, “I woke up so early this morning. I’m so tired!” and thus it makes it impossible for us to study during the rest of the day.

We must therefore stay ahead of the evil inclination and strike the first blow, as it is written, “When you will go out to war against your enemies” (Deuteronomy 21:10) act with the fear of the sins that you have committed. Do not become boastful, and do not break your connection with G-d at the moment of battle.

This is what Jacob said to Esau: “I have sojourned with Laban, and I did not learn from his evil ways. However you lived with Isaac, a righteous man, and you remained wicked. You did not learn from his good ways.” As the Sages say, “Esau lived with two upright people and did not learn anything from their behavior” (Yoma 38b). Jacob added: “I remained up to now,” meaning: Do not think that I mimicked Laban’s evil ways because of the fact that I lived with him a long time. On the contrary, I lived with him for 22 years and, despite that, I remained upright and I did not sin as he did.

It is the same concerning Jacob’s encounter with Esau’s angel. After having sent his message to Esau, Jacob confronted and fought with Esau’s angel, whose goal was precisely to make him forget G-d by causing him great pain in his thigh. This fight occurred during the night, for the Satan and evil and destructive spirits reign during this time (Bava Kama 60b). Yet it is stated, “And he [the angel] saw that he could not prevail against him” (Genesis 32:26), meaning to say that the Satan did not succeed in turning Jacob from his attachment to G-d, and he but injured his leg. Jacob remained righteous during the entire fight.

The angel then told him, “Not Jacob shall your name be called any more, but Israel, for you have fought with G-d and with men and have prevailed” (v.29). Israel (-!9:*) has the meaning of 9:* (“right”), for during this fight Jacob remained upright and attached to G-d, which is why he won. Esau’s angel was forced to surrender, and in particular to agree to the blessings that Jacob received from his father (Bereshith Rabba 78:2), as Esau conceded to afterwards: “My brother, let what you have remain yours” (Genesis 33:9). Jacob, who was victorious in this war, teaches his children and his descendants that “through strategies, you can wage war” (Proverbs 24:6) – with gifts, with prayer, and through combat. In this way you will manage to crush the evil inclination and you, the Jew, will survive and progress in a life of spirituality and piety.

 

Secrets Belong to G-d

Jacob suffered so much that he said, “I had barely finished suffering over the tragedy of Dinah, the tragedy of Joseph, the tragedy of Laban…” (Tanhuma Mikeitz 10). It was in those circumstances that he revealed all his greatness, as the Sages have said: “He suffers yet does not complain about the severity of justice” (Tanhuma Toldot 14).

I reflected upon these words. Why did Jacob, who fathered the twelve tribes of G-d (Psalms 122:4) and whose face is engraved on the Throne of Glory (Pesikta Zutah Vayeitzei 28:13), suffer so much during his life, especially after Dinah was violated and defiled by a non-Jew (Genesis 34:2,5)? Why did Jacob have to suffer all this?

It was perhaps in order to point out to future generations that Dinah, in being confined inside (which is likened to being in a yeshiva), teaches us that each Jew should avoid leaving the walls of the house of study, and that if he leaves he must suffer the consequences. Institutions of Torah learning must be created in order to protect against assimilation. Be that as it may, we may rightly ask why Dinah was kidnapped and violated by this immoral gentile.

We learn from here just how exacting justice is, since even for the Patriarchs – who were the vehicle for the Divine Presence (Bereshith Rabba 47:8), who stood upon the heights of perfection, and who were “as resplendent as the angels that ministered to them” (Bereshith Rabba 75:4) – judgment was severe. Even though they had angels at their service, ones created by the good deeds that they performed solely to obey their Creator’s will, they were not protected from the strictness of justice.

Jacob had just attained great spiritual heights since he had conquered Esau’s angel (Chullin 92a) and rejected Esau’s offer: “Travel on and let us go – I will proceed alongside you” (Genesis 33:12). Esau wanted to accompany and go along with him only so as to harm and prevent him from progressing. Jacob should have therefore immediately carried out his vow in order to attain an even greater degree of perfection, for there is no limit to perfection and a man can deepen his understanding every day and at each moment. A man should continue to advance from strength to strength, without stopping at what he has. He should progress every day, every hour, and at every moment, for true perfection is without limit.

When Jacob attained his great spiritual level at that moment, he should have continued to progress. He still had much to do before reaching the level of the “All” in the World to Come (in the sense of “All Israel has a portion in the World to Come” [Sanhedrin 90a]), and this “All” is without limit. It was only the performance of his vow that could have assured him of perfection (Bereshith Rabba 81:2), and it was why he was punished by the tragedy that struck Dinah.

Jacob sought to fundamentally distance himself from evil, since he said to Esau, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and the nursing flocks and cattle are upon me” (Genesis 33:13). He explained to his brother that he did not want to live with him because he did not want the education of his children to be disrupted, an education that cost him much money and that required great effort. This is why he said to him, “I will make my way at my slow pace according to the gait of the drove before me and the gait of the children” (v.14). In other words, I will go step by step, from strength to strength, for it is only because of the Torah that I will attain the “All” in the World to Come, without being diverted from my goal by wealth, which is also called “all”, as it is written: “For upon his death he will not take hakol [literally: ‘The all’]” (Psalms 49:18). Jacob possessed what he needed, since he said, “G-d has been gracious to me and because I have all” (Genesis 33:11). In other words, he was rich in the sense of being “happy with his lot” (Perkei Avoth 4:1), and he generously used the excess of his possessions to perform good deeds.

And yet, justice’s severity overtook him because there was a defect in his level of perfection. This was because he did not immediately fulfill his vow and promise. Far be it from us to think that Jacob did not keep his word, yet his stay in Shechem was considered as a defect in spite of the house of study that he established there. It is difficult for us to understand the exactitude of justice that was then awakened against him, even though he progressed in other domains. This occurred because he had not yet fulfilled his vow towards G-d, Who had recently saved him from the hands of Esau and confirmed his blessings (Bereshith Rabba 78:11). It was only the fulfillment of his promise that could have allowed him to attain the summit of perfection. Even though the text says that at that very moment, “Jacob arrived shaleim [intact, whole]” (Genesis 33:18) – “whole in his body, in his goods, and in his Torah” (Shabbat 33b) – he did reach the summit of perfection in “All”, this being an instruction for future generations concerning the strictness of justice and its exactitude.

The one who makes a vow to serve G-d with all his strength is considered as being flawed as long as he has not accomplished his vow, or if he accomplishes it partially, even if in other areas his conduct is flawless.

The Sages said, “For having confined Dinah inside, she ended up falling into the hands of Shechem, the son of Hamor” (Bereshith Rabba 80:4). Why did this happen? It was because the sentence had already been pronounced against Jacob because of his lack of perfection. If G-d had promised to watch over him and his family, why did he fear the ill-intentioned gaze of Esau? If Jacob had hastened to fulfill his vow after having confined Dinah inside, it is possible that the sentence could have been annulled. We would have then explained that Jacob could have rejected the marriage proposal of Esau for Dinah by using the pretext that she was still too young. Yet we see that he stopped at the city of Shechem and that he delayed in fulfilling his vow. Such is the strictness of justice towards one who lacks perfection. Jacob’s conduct teaches us to always aspire to greater perfection.

What is the right path to follow?

Each individual should perform good deeds and carry out his vows to progress in serving G-d, this being in every area. The opportunity to progress should not be put off until later. For example, as soon as one is free from current occupations, he must run towards the house of study, otherwise the strictness of justice will weigh down upon him for having let an opportunity pass to perform good deeds with his possessions, as Jacob demonstrates for us.

 

Humility: A Barrier Against Pride

It is written, “So said your servant Jacob: ‘I have sojourned with Laban and have lingered until now.’ … The messengers returned to Jacob saying, ‘We came to your brother, to Esau. Moreover, he is heading toward you, and four hundred men are with him.’ Jacob became very frightened, and it distressed him” (Genesis 32:5-8).

1. What did Jacob want Esau to understand? Jacob aroused his brother’s anger, and Esau’s hatred was even more potent than when his father blessed Jacob by saying, “When the voice of Jacob will be heard in the houses of study and prayer, Esau’s hands will be powerless” (Bereshith Rabba 65:16).

2. How is it possible that Jacob observed all the commandments of the Torah while staying with Laban, since in exile he could not honor his parents or observe the commandments that apply to the land of Israel, or fulfill other obligations as well?

3. Why did Esau have 400 men accompanying him? What does this number indicate? Moreover, why was Jacob so afraid of him, since after having defeated Esau’s angel (Chullin 92a), surely he could have also defeated Esau?

To answer these questions, let us first cite the verse, “Take words with you and return to the L-RD” (Hosea 14:3), which Rash explains as meaning: “Please accept the words that we recite as a replacement for the sacrifices that we should have offered to You.” The Sages have said, “The one who studies Torah is considered as if he presented a sacrifice” (Menachot 110a), which means that studying the laws relating to a certain Torah commandment is considered as if one had actually carried out that commandment. Therefore Jacob, who studied all the laws of the Torah, made Esau understand that this study would surely save him from his attacks.

It is possible to add that Jacob observed Shabbat in Laban’s home (Bereshith Rabba 79:6). Therefore since Shabbat is equal to all the commandments of the Torah (Shemot Rabba 25:16), it was as if Jacob observed all the commandments without exception.

That being said, let us explain the meaning of Jacob’s words in light of the fact that Esau came with 400 men to attack him.

The number 400 symbolizes exile, as it is written: “And He said to Abraham, ‘Know with certainty that your offspring shall be aliens in a land not their own – and they will serve them, and they will oppress them – 400 years’ ” (Genesis 15:13). We know that the exile began with Jacob (Zohar II:2b,5b). Such was the message that Jacob transmitted to Esau: I was in exile with Laban, yet despite this I did not imitate his wicked ways. On the contrary, I studied the details of the 613 Torah commandments and I progressed to such a point that even the angels serve me. However you, Esau, did not live in Haran but in the land of Israel, whose air makes one wise (Bava Batra 158b). You were not in exile. You lived with our father Isaac, yet despite this you did not learn from his pious ways (Yoma 38b). You could have progressed and elevated yourself to such a point that the angels would have been at your service, and now you want to scare me with these 400 men – with exile? It was precisely in exile that I attained the highest level, but you lost out because you could have repented of your sins and elevated yourself in Torah and the fear of G-d.

We learn a profound lesson from this, namely that it’s tragic for a young yeshiva student, surrounded by teachers, to not benefit from such a situation and perfect himself in the fear of G-d, and instead to waste a great deal of precious time. In the future he will realize that he did not take advance of such a great opportunity, and he will regret what he lost. Imagine how shameful, how sorrowful, and how harsh his punishment will be!

Esau, however, thought that in exile a person becomes lazy and abandons Torah study, for “the one who lives outside the land of Israel is like one who lives without G-d” (Zohar III:29b). Esau came accompanied by 400 men in order to make Jacob understand that he was still in exile. This is because Esau wanted Jacob to remain in exile, and since as such he was similar to one living without G-d, he would be punished. Esau hoped in this way to dominate him.

However Jacob replied that the opposite was true: I sojourned with Laban, and if it is true that living outside the land of Israel is like living without G-d, I myself stayed close to G-d. “When a student is exiled [in a city of refuge], his teacher exiles himself with him” [Makot 10a], and the Torah is what connects us to G-d. The Divine Presence accompanied and saved me from the exile.

The words 0"- .3 (“with Laban”) have the same numerical value (192) as bakol mikol kol (an expression that indicates abundance). They are also equal to the words hadda Yaakov (“I am Jacob” in Aramaic). This means: I sojourned with Laban and I dominated everything [bakol mikol kol]. I studied Torah and observed all its laws. Instead of falling, I elevated myself to the point that I merited having angels serve me (Bereshith Rabba 75:4), and G-d’s word was revealed to me. The angels I sent you are a sign that you cannot deny.

However Esau was not impressed by the words of his brother, and he decided to attack him by using his forces of impurity (Zohar III:163b) and the power of 400 years of exile. With their help, Esau thought to conquer Jacob. This is what the angels reported to Jacob: “We came to your brother, to Esau. Moreover, he is heading toward you, and four hundred men are with him” (Genesis 32:7).

It seems to me that here we have an indication of how the Satan works. Even when a righteous person dominates the evil inclination, it does not give up. With its remaining strength it once again tries to fight him, to the point that a righteous person needs to ask G-d for help throughout his life, as the Sages have said: “Without G-d’s help, it would impossible to conquer the evil inclination” (Sukkah 52b). Even if a righteous person manages to conquer it once or even several times, he does not rid himself of it for good, since the evil inclination never surrenders. Thus G-d’s constant help is essential.

Jacob, seeing with what pride Esau came to confront him and the wicked forces that he used, chose to conquer him by confronting him with the attribute of humility. He prayed and said, “I have been diminished by all the kindnesses” (Genesis 32:11), meaning: I am not worthy of all these miracles.

Jacob continued his prayer and said, “Rescue me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau” (v.12), meaning: Save me from his pride, that I not boast in seeing him, for “it is forbidden to look at the face of the wicked” (Megillah 28a) and I only desire to remain “diminished.” The hand of Esau was his pride, and the Sages have said, “Save me from the hand of Esau, who does not act towards me as a brother, but as an enemy” (Bereshith Rabba 75:7). A brother feels sympathy, but Esau exhibited no sympathy whatsoever, even on the outside. This is why Jacob prayed for G-d to save him from the evil that, in his pride, his brother wanted to inflict on him. Jacob said: Save me from the hand of my brother, from the pride that hides in my brother’s heart, and which can be seen on his face and in his words.

The pride and wickedness of Esau made him lose his senses, and even after having lost the right of the firstborn, he pursued his wickedness – even though he knew that Jacob was the firstborn and legitimate heir. We find a parallel situation when Abraham died. It is written, “His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him” (Genesis 25:9), and the Sages said: “This teaches us that Ishmael repented” (Bava Batra 16b). At the time of Abraham’s funeral, Ishmael allowed Isaac, his father’s heir, to walk before him. However at Isaac’s death it is written, “Esau and Jacob his sons buried him” (Genesis 35:29), which indicates that even at the time of Isaac’s death, Esau did not repent or allow Jacob to go before him. Not only had Esau not changed, he grieved his father even in the grave when he rushed to go before Jacob on that day. The birthright meant little to Esau, as did the fact that Jacob succeeded his father, for Esau remained just as wicked as before and did not repent as Ishmael had done.

This is also why G-d hated him, as the prophet said: “I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated” (Malachi 1:2-3). The great pride that dwelled within him was abhorrent. He refused to recognize the truth and yield to it. Nevertheless, he had the perfect opportunity to mend his ways: His extremely pious father, whom he served with such great respect, had just died, and death provides an opportunity for an individual to reflect, for there is no better time to repent. This is what the Sages have said, “Reflect upon three things and you will not come to sin…” (Perkei Avoth 3:1) as well as, “Repent one day before your death” (ibid. 2:10). But no, not only did Esau not change, he became filled with pride and walked before Jacob at his father’s funeral, to the mockery of his father at such a solemn time.

As for Jacob, he was insulted and dishonored by Esau, yet he said nothing because he was among those “who are insulted yet do not insult” (Yoma 23a). It is possible that the verse, “Let those who love Him be like the powerfully rising sun” (Judges 5:31) refers to those who are insulted yet do not respond, for Jacob is compared to the sun (Bereshith Rabba 84:10). This again shows us the greatness of Jacob and the wickedness of Esau.

We may now explain why Jacob feared Esau, even though he had defeated an angel and received his blessing. He did not fear the angel or the injuries that Esau could have caused him, but rather he feared confronting Esau’s pride. Jacob needed special heavenly assistance in order that none of his family members be subjected to Esau’s influence, as it is written: “For I fear him, lest he come and strike me down, mother and children” (Genesis 32:12), which means that he feared Esau’s evil influence on the members of his family.

 

The Importance of a Minor Commandment

Commenting on the verse, “Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn” (Genesis 32:25), Rabbi Elazar said: “He remained behind for the sake of some small jars. Hence [it is learned] that to the righteous, their money is dearer than their body. And why is this? Because they do not stretch out their hands to robbery” (Chullin 91a).

In this same section, the Talmud recounts the opinion of Rabbi Yitzchak: “A scholar should not go out alone at night,” since Jacob was attacked while he remained alone that night on the other side of the river. Why did Jacob put himself in danger by going to retrieve such insignificant objects? Should he not have taken better care of himself than these objects? Furthermore, is it possible that a man like Jacob could forget to gather up such trivial items, since we know that “to the righteous, their money is dearer than their body”? How could he have forgotten them on the other side of the river?

The partiality that righteous men show to their possessions stems from the fact that they realize that their bodies are but instruments that allow them to serve G-d. The Sages teach that “the wicked…in their lifetime are called dead” (Berachot 18b), for they fail to use their strength to serve G-d. Thus their body is considered to be dead, even during their lifetime. Such is not the case with upright men, who even after their death are called living (ibid.), for they continually progress in the service of G-d. They do so without any ulterior motives, and their every deed extols His glory. Their possessions are of more value to them than their bodies, for the former give them the means to do much good, such as helping people, supporting them materially, redeeming captives, teaching Torah, etc. Their only goal is to carry out G-d’s will, and they possess nothing that stems from theft. Their possessions are not sullied by fraud, and everything they own is honestly acquired.

Righteous men also know that without money, they would not be able to accomplish things that require an expenditure. They would also fail to perform other commandments, such as acquiring the four species that make up the lulav of Sukkot, or obtaining matzah for Passover. Every cent counts, and “a law-suit involving a mere perutah must be regarded as having the same importance as one involving a hundred mina” (Sanhedrin 8a). Money gives them the ability to do things that they could not otherwise do. It enables them to provide for their needs, to consecrate themselves to the service of G-d, and to spiritual elevate themselves.

This allows us to understand why Jacob returned to gather these insignificant objects, precious but without value. It is because he often used them for a sacred purpose and had no reason to discard them. He could therefore continue using them, giving them to the poor or selling them and distributing the money to the needy. This is why he returned from the other side of the river, alone and at night, to look for these trivial items.

We see that Jacob was worried about his fellowman and that he constantly thought of helping others. Such was his purpose in life, as was the purpose of the Patriarchs, who were G-d’s chariot (Bereshith Rabba 82:6). All of them strived to help others in this world as much spiritually as physically, and their actions were aimed exclusively at pleasing their Creator. Jacob went out alone at night to search for objects with apparently no value, for the smallest kindness was so important in his eyes that he was ready to risk his life for it. The fact that Jacob was ready to do this for something whose benefit was questionable in our eyes is astonishing. We can thus imagine just how enthusiastically he performed the stricter and weightier commandments. We have no way of knowing how the Patriarchs lived their daily lives, yet we can draw a great lesson from their attitude of self-denial and their spirit of self-sacrifice. The Sages teach, “Be as careful of a minor mitzvah as of a major one, for you do not know the reward given for the mitzvot” (Perkei Avoth 2:1). There are no criteria for determining which commandments are more important than others, for a gesture as simple as relieving the pain of another can have enormous consequences.

Let us add that all the implements of a righteous man – even insignificant objects without any apparent value – are as important in their eyes as “religious” objects, especially those used by Jacob, which had special sanctity. He used them to serve G-d, which is why he risked his life, alone and at night, to retrieve them. He was afraid that Esau would find and profane them through evil use. Jacob therefore chose to put his life in danger in order to prevent Esau from spreading evil in the world through their inappropriate use. G-d, Who knows the depths of the heart and mind, knew that Jacob’s intentions were pure. He therefore gave Jacob the strength and courage to conquer Esau’s angel, who fought with him during the entire night (Chullin 92a), for that angel also came to profane Jacob’s sanctity. With G-d’s help, Jacob fought bravely. Not only did he conquer the angel, he also retrieved his “religious” objects so they would not fall into the hands of someone who would use them incorrectly, thus saving them from being profaned by impure hands.

Righteous men attach more value to their possessions than to their own bodies. This is because their goal is to ensure that their money and possessions do not fall into the hands of those who would profane them through wrongful use. Hence they seek to deprive them of this possibility.

We must demonstrate an attitude of great self-sacrifice in order to sanctify G-d’s Name in the world, and we must realize that it is forbidden to minimize the value of any commandment or delay its performance. On the contrary, we must perform each commandment immediately, even if it seems of little importance to us or we do not see the advantage of observing it. We are unaware of the reward for each commandment, even the least, and we must perform all of them with the intention of responding to G-d’s will.

Who was greater than Jacob, immersed as he was in Torah at every moment of his life? He practiced the commandments and performed good deeds. He divided his people into two camps and said, “If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it down, then the remaining camp will survive” (Genesis 32:9), thus continuing to serve G-d. In spite of this, he risked his life for insignificant objects by going out at night, doing so in order to help others afterwards. Even when they are absorbed in spiritual meditation, righteous men do not forget others. They put themselves in danger to help them, which serves as a lesson for us all.

We may offer yet another explanation:

Righteous men try to serve G-d fairly by doing difficult things under difficult circumstances. They do so in order to confront the evil inclination that is constantly hounding them, for it is precisely in this fight that they express their great love for G-d. They put all their efforts into serving G-d by overcoming the evil inclination and its temptations, and in this way they elevate themselves in Torah, in the fear of G-d, and in holiness and purity.

How wonderful, and indeed touching, are the words of King David, the beloved singer of Israel and “the fourth wheel of the Divine Chariot” (Zohar I:99a). The Sages said: “ ‘If you walk in My statutes’ [Leviticus 26:3]. This bears on the text, ‘I considered my ways and returned my feet to Your testimonies’ [Psalms 119:59]. David said, ‘Sovereign of the Universe! Every day I used to plan and decide that I would go to a particular place or to a particular dwelling-house, but my feet always brought me to synagogues and houses of study’ ” (Vayikra Rabba 35:1). In the final analysis, King David went to houses of prayer and study each day in order to serve G-d with all his heart and soul. We must ask ourselves why at first he said, “Every day I used to plan and decide.” For what reason and with what purpose in mind did King David lose precious time by thinking about useless things (such as walking about in a certain place or going to visit a particular dwelling), which would add nothing to his service of G-d? When he was about to fulfill his plans, he stopped and instead went to those places where he could sing G-d’s praises. Why then did he first think about such useless things? Was there any benefit whatsoever in thinking of these things beforehand?

Indeed there was! King David, who greatly devoted himself to G-d, put himself to the test. He was not content with constantly fighting the evil inclination. Instead, he continually provoked it. Each day he thought of a certain sin, and so the evil inclination would awaken a great desire in him to commit it. Then, just when it seemed that David would submit to the advice to the evil inclination and transgress in that way, he gathered all his strength and overcame his desires, going to the house of study to devote himself to the Torah. King David served G-d in the most difficult way possible, exerting a supreme effort and permanently dominating the evil inclination.

This is quite surprising. It is stated that David fled from before Saul, who sought to kill him: “David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel at Ramah. He told him all that Saul had done to him, so he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth” (I Samuel 19:18), which Rashi states was a house of study. There, David and Samuel studied together. The Sages state, “Rav Huna, the son of Rabbi Yossi, said that on that night, when David fled from before Saul, he learned from the prophet Samuel what no student of the highest level could learn in 100 years” (Yalkut Shimoni ad. loc.). This is puzzling, for at that point David was in danger of being killed, with a terrifying threat hanging over his head, and it would have been natural that he could not concentrate. However he overcame his fear and the danger, and he immersed himself in Torah study. That night he acquired what a student of the highest level could not learn even in 100 years. What he learned in that night was worth everything he had learned, and would learn, during his entire life (since he only lived 70 years). This shows us just how devoted and connected to the Torah he was, precisely at such a difficult time and under those trying circumstances, for this was his way of serving G-d.

The same applied to Jacob. He knew that Esau’s angel wanted to attack and wage war against him, to slander and accuse him, which is why Jacob provoked him. He intentionally left several insignificant objects behind so as to give Esau’s angel the impression that he could take and use them as he wished. He wanted Esau’s angel to believe that he could conquer Jacob if he caught him sinning, since it is forbidden to abandon objects that could have some use. It was precisely at that point, when the situation was the most tense, that Jacob returned to look for these objects. He did so without putting any of his own men in danger, for he himself went to retrieve them. He then deprived the Satan of his prey. He fought against him during the entire night, until the break of dawn, and by doing so he conquered him for good and took back all the holiness that the Satan had taken. Our father Jacob, just like King David, served G-d by provoking the evil inclination.

When righteous men serve G-d, they do not allow the evil inclination to get the upper hand. On the contrary, they confront it and make it believe that they are ready to make a mistake or transgress one of G-d’s commandments. However they only do this to deceive the evil inclination and deliver a fatal blow to it. G-d helps them to conquer the evil inclination, for He knows that their intentions are good and He is aware of their innermost thoughts.

Such was also the case with Rabbi Akiva. Just before dying, he was filled with sublime joy: “His disciples said to him: ‘Our teacher, even to this point?’ He said to them, ‘All my days, I have been troubled by this verse [Deuteronomy 6:5]: “with all thy soul,” [which I interpret as] “even if He takes your soul.” I said: “When shall I have the opportunity of fulfilling this?” Now that I have the opportunity, shall I not fulfill it?’ ” (Berachot 61b). David, Jacob, and Rabbi Akiva all found themselves in extremely difficult situations. However we, who find ourselves in less difficult circumstances (perhaps even easy and favorable to serving G-d), can perform seemingly difficult commandments with intense joy, and we can express this joy to the whole world so as to sanctify G-d’s Name.

This is a lesson for every Jew. If Jacob fought and defeated Esau’s angel because of his Torah and the prompt performance of the commandments, this teaches us that every Jew has the capacity and ability to overcome the evil inclination by fulfilling his Torah duties. Jacob fought Esau’s angel until daybreak, and that “day” is the Torah, since the Torah is called “light” (Proverbs 6:23). This is the light of day, as the prophet said: “Then your light will burst out like the dawn and your healing will speedily sprout” (Isaiah 58:8). In addition, light symbolizes the deeds of righteous men, which demonstrates that the light of Torah allows a man to elevate himself (just as the day rises). The Torah gives a man the courage to fight, and the more he understands it, the more he arms himself in his daily fight against the evil inclination.

Before the Celestial Court, the Satan himself will admit that such and such a person fought and defeated him. That person will then become Israel, meaning Yashar E–L (upright before G-d), as it is written: “You have striven with the Divine and with man and have overcome” (Genesis 32:29). This is because of the Torah that a person acquires during his life, for it enables him to conquer the evil inclination and merit great rewards, ones reserved for good men in the World to Come.

How Should We Conduct Ourselves?

The law is the same concerning small or large sums. We must therefore not scorn things that have little value, for anything of value, any amount, can be used for good and to help others.

A Penny Has The Same Status as a Hundred Gold Coins

On the verse, “Jacob was left alone” (Genesis 32:25), the Sages state: “Rabbi Eleazar said, ‘He remained behind for the sake of some small jars.’ Hence to the righteous, their money is dearer than their body. Why is this? It is because they do not stretch out their hands to robbery” (Chullin 91a).

Let us try and imagine what was happening to Jacob at that point. He had already crossed the Jabbok with all his children, when suddenly he realized that he had forgotten some jars on the other side. What did he do? He returned alone to get them. Is that possible? Was it not dangerous to go there alone at night? The Sages have said that a Talmid Chacham is forbidden to venture outside alone at night. Therefore why did Jacob do so? The answer is that the Holy One, blessed be He, created man with two parts. One is his soul, a spark of divinity, completely spiritual and devoid of materiality. The other is his body, the material aspect of man. Nevertheless, it is forbidden to think that the body has no value, or that it is permissible to harm it or make it suffer in any way. Not at all. The body is a very effective tool that enables an individual to do good deeds, serve Hashem, study Torah, and perform mitzvot.

All this allows us to understand a teaching of our Sages: “The righteous in their death are called living. …The wicked in their lifetime are called dead” (Berachot 18a-b). Since the wicked do not use their bodies to perform mitzvot, they may be considered as being dead. As for the righteous, who always put their bodies to use in accomplishing mitzvot, they continually elevate themselves in the supernal world, in Gan Eden, and not only while alive, but also while dead. This is why they are called living even when their physical bodies are dead. Everyone knows, however, that some mitzvot are absolutely impossible to accomplish with simply the body alone. If someone does not have money, there are many mitzvot he cannot do. These include purchasing matzah for Passover, buying the four species for Sukkot, giving to charity, and many others. These all require a person to have money. This is why the Sages say that since the Tzaddikim desire to accomplish all the mitzvot to perfection, without missing a single one, money is more important to them than their bodies. This is due to the fact that with money, they can accomplish all the mitzvot without exception.

Such was the way of Jacob. He did not relinquish a single penny, not even small jars that people sometimes treat carelessly. He wanted to have all his possessions in order to perform the mitzvot, which is why he returned to the other side of the river to recover some small jars. Because he wanted to accomplish all the mitzvot that depend on money, he was not even afraid to go out alone at night. The “money” in this case consisted of those small jars. Hence he did not abandon them, but instead returned for them.

My fellow Jews, our father Jacob is teaching us a great lesson by this.

Unfortunately, today there are many people who disparage what may seem like, at least to them, a small amount of money, treating it as being almost worthless. We often hear people everywhere – be it in the home, the synagogue, or the street – saying, “What’s a few pennies? What’s a few dollars?” Sometimes we even hear, “What’s a few hundred dollars?” What is happening here? Is it impossible to perform mitzvot with just a small amount of money? Can a person not give to charity even if he has only fifty cents in his pocket? As everyone knows, coins are round. One day I may own them, and the next day you may own them. Why scorn this “small change”? Even for a mitzvah that may be performed with just a few pennies, it is said: “Man enjoys its fruits in this world, while the principle remains in the World to Come” (Kiddushin 40a).

Each person is obligated to learn from the deeds of the holy Patriarchs. Money was more precious to them than their bodies, since with money they could perform mitzvot. It is not without reason that the Sages said, “A lawsuit involving a mere penny must be regarded as having the same importance as one involving a hundred gold coins” (Sanhedrin 8a), for a mitzvah can be performed with just a few pennies. The Sages have also said, “Whoever gives a penny to the poor receives a blessing,” not “Whoever gives tens of dollars,” for even a few pennies have enormous importance.

In addition, we can draw another lesson from Jacob’s actions, one that will enable us to emulate him. There are some people who, unfortunately, only want to please others. Hence when they see an opportunity to perform a “great” mitzvah, off they go running to do it. Donating money for the construction of a large Torah edifice so that their names will appear on the building in large letters, that is perfectly acceptable to them. However when it comes to a small mitzvah – such as a small gesture of kindness that will go unnoticed – this is not so pleasing to them, and we do not see them running to accomplish it. They avoid such mitzvot; indeed, they flee from them.

Jacob returned even for tiny jars. He did not neglect even a small mitzvah, but instead endeavored to accomplish it. From Jacob’s example, each of us must realize that a person has to put an effort into accomplishing even minor mitzvot. At that point we will have a good reward in this world and the World to Come.

Vanity of Vanities: Material Life Compared to Spiritual Life

It is written, “Isaac expired and died…and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him” (Genesis 35:29). However in the description of Esau’s descendants that is given in the next chapter, we are told: “Esau took his wives and his sons…and all his property that he acquired in the land of Canaan and went to a land because of his brother Jacob. For their possessions were too great to dwell together, and the land of their sojourns could not support them because of their livestock” (ibid. 36:6-7).

Commenting on the last verse, Rashi gives three reasons for Esau’s departure: The first is that the land could not provide enough pasture for their animals. Rashi cites a second reason from the Midrash (Bereshith Rabba 82:13), which interprets the expression “because of his brother Jacob” (Genesis 36:6) as meaning: Because of the obligation of the decree “that your offspring will be strangers” (Genesis 15:13). Although this decree was placed upon Isaac’s descendants, Esau thought he could escape it: “By leaving this place, I will have neither a share in the gift – for the land was given to him – nor in the fulfillment of the decree.” From the same Midrash, Rashi cites a third reason for Esau’s departure: He was ashamed of having sold his birthright.

This seems difficult to understand. The verse explicitly tells us why Esau departed: “The land of their sojourns could not support them because of their livestock.” It is therefore obvious that only Rashi’s first reason is valid. Thus how could two more reasons (avoiding the decree and feeling shame) be forwarded to explain his departure? The verse explicitly gives us the first reason, not the others, which are completely new. We must therefore find the Sages’ two additional reasons hidden somewhere in the text.

Let us try and explain. After Isaac’s death, Esau began to feel tremendous fear about remaining in Canaan, he and all his family. As we know, Esau believed very strongly in the prophecies of his holy ancestors, and he knew that if he wanted to receive the Torah and merit the land of Canaan as well, he would have to undergo many harsh trials. This is because, as we well know, the land of Israel and the Torah are acquired only through trials (Berachot 5a). However since Esau always fled from hardship and tried to acquire things the easy way, such as by theft and murder, he had no desire for such a gift, one acquired only through hardships. Because Esau wanted a free gift, he left the land to his brother Jacob, who accepted trails with love.

Let us say that these three explanations are mutually dependant. Esau was perfectly aware that everyone knew he had sold his birthright to Jacob. Nevertheless, he had the audacity to walk at the head of the funeral procession for their father Isaac, as it is written: “Esau and Jacob his sons buried him” (Genesis 35:29). This is the exact opposite of what happened between Ishmael and Isaac during Abraham’s burial (ibid. 25:9), for Ishmael had repented (Bava Batra 16b; Bereshith Rabba 30:4) and bowed his head before Isaac as he let him pass ahead. Thus Esau’s shame was revealed in public. If he continued to believe that he was the firstborn and that the land of Canaan was rightfully his, then Esau would have to repay the debt to his brother. He would also have to go into exile, both he and his descendants, instead of Jacob and his. However Esau did not want all this, which is why he left the land under the pretext that it could not support their livestock and that he had to look elsewhere. In reality, the wicked Esau thereby demonstrated that the land did not belong to him in any way, and that it rightfully belonged to Jacob and his children alone. This is because they studied Torah, and a consequence to studying Hashem’s Torah is that the Holy Land – the land of Israel – also belonged to the Children of Israel.

If we are correct in this regard, then the two reasons cited by the Midrash are alluded to in Genesis 36:6. The first part of the verse, “For their possessions were too great to dwell together,” signified that there was not enough pasture for their animals, which is what Esau claimed. The second part of the verse, “The land of their sojourns could not support them because of their livestock,” relates to the first reason given by the Midrash, for one of the brothers was a resident of the land while the other was a sojourner there, having to leave for exile and pay the debt against him. This was due to their mikneh (livestock) – consisting of the kinyan (transaction) between Jacob and Esau – meaning the birthright that Jacob purchased from his brother Esau.

However it is certain that Esau’s claim (wherein he was leaving the land because there was not enough pasture for his animals) was not accepted, for there is no reason to leave the land of Israel. Thus Esau’s shame was revealed in public, since everyone then knew that he left because he had the gall of wanting to remain the firstborn and because he had sold his birthright to Jacob. In other words, he left “because of his brother Jacob,” for he did not want a gift that comprised hardships. The one who was truly the firstborn, and who wanted to acquire the Torah and the land of Israel by hardships, would inherit the land.

The Torah states, “If you walk in My statutes” (Leviticus 26:3), which the Sages have said refers to toiling in the study of Torah (Torat Kohanim 26:2). A person must realize that the Torah is only acquired through hard work, by hardship and with difficulty. This is in order for him to feel that he is acting in this way solely because he loves his Creator, as it is written: “Because for Your sake we are killed all day long” (Psalms 44:23).

If we act in this way, then the end of the passage will also be fulfilled: “You shall dwell in safety in your land” (Leviticus 26:5), meaning we will receive the land of Israel. However if we only want to benefit from a free gift, from mitzvot all prepared, then this will not last. Persistent and laborious effort in Torah study can only be achieved when a person devotes himself totally and exclusively to the Torah, not when he devotes himself entirely to increasing his wealth.

Jacob conquered this path for all his descendants after him. If we want to benefit from a mitzvah, we must endure many trials of love in an unselfish way. The proof is that Jacob gave all his possessions to acquire a tomb in the cave of Machpelah. He put a large pile of gold and silver before Esau and said, “My brother, do you prefer the portion that is yours in this cave, or all this gold and silver?” (Shemot Rabba 31:17).

Jacob was prepared to endure hardships uniquely to inherit the land and to acquire mitzvot, for the land of Israel belongs solely to the Children of Israel. We learn a great lesson from this, which is that only a person who devotes himself to the Torah in the land of Israel has a portion in the Holy Land.