At the beginning of Parashat VeYetze, it discusses how Yaakov left Be'er Sheva towards Charan as his mother, Rivkah, had instructed him. Then it talks about how he stopped by a certain point on the journey and had his famous dream of the heavenward ladder that angels rose and descended from. I would like to focus on specifically Yaakov’s leaving and embarking on the journey.
The pasuk says (28:10) “ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה” “Yaakov left from Be’er Shava and he went towards Charan.” Why does the pasuk here use two different languages that he left - VaYetze and that he went - VaYelech? Additionally, when Yaakov later on left from the place that he had his dream of the ladder, it uses two languages as well. It says (29:1) “וישא יעקב רגליו וילך ארצה בני קדם” “Yaakov lifted his feet and he went towards the land of the easterners.” What does the Torah come to teach us with this?
There are a few explanations to the double language used in the beginning of this parasha (he left and he went). The Beit HaLevi beautifully explains that “he left” refers to the fact that Yaakov left because of the command his mother instructed him in leaving so that he should not be killed by his brother, Esav. “He went” refers to the second command from his father to go specifically to take a wife from the daughters of Lot.
The Ohr HaChaim explains that the reason the pasuk says that he left and that he went is to hint to the Midrash that says that Esav sent his son, Elifaz, to kill him. The Midrash (quoted by Rashi in 29:11) says that because Elifaz had grown up around his grandfather Yitzchak Avinu, he couldn’t bring himself to kill Yaakov. He asked Yaakov how he should fulfill his father’s command to kill him. Yaakov told him that he should fulfill it by instead taking all of his money, as a poor person is considered dead. This is what Elifaz did.
I think that we can learn a crucial lesson from all of these different languages based on what the mefarshim say.
When Yaakov first left his family, he had the bracha of his father, which gave him some chizuk and drive. However, as the Midrash says, he was then robbed by Elifaz, and he had nothing to his name. Despite this, the pasuk says VeYelech - he went, just as he had in the beginning with the same consistent drive.
After this, Yaakov had his dream of the ladder, and HaShem blessed him with blessings for his children and that HaShem will guard him - BeChol Asher Telech - wherever you go, using the same language of VaYelech. HaShem is telling him that whenever you have the true goal in mind and you move towards that goal with consistency, I will protect you and give you more strength and drive to go farther. All you have to do is consistently move in the right direction, no matter how little. From this bracha and dream, Yaakov was rejuvenated and his fire was resparked to keep moving forward. This is why the pasuk says when he leaves from that place “VaYisa Raglav” (he lifted his feet) and “VaYelech” (he went). Yaakov had now so much excitement, joy, and zrizut that his feet almost went by themselves. However, this spiritual high wasn’t his only drive. Yaakov still had that constant, consistent energy of “VaYelech,” which was supported by his new drive of “VaYisa.”
We see this same language when Yaakov sees Rachel, as it says (29:10) “VaYisa Et Kolo VaYevk” “Yaakov raised his voice and cried.” Yaakov here had this same joy and drive, as he saw that he had completed his mission and fulfilled HaShem’s will.
Yaakov teaches us a necessary life lesson here. In life, all of us have our spiritual highs and spiritual lows. A person can reach spiritual heights on Rosh HaShanah and feel that it will last him forever, but by Cheshvan he feels that he doesn’t have any drive, and can barely do the basic things with intention. Yaakov teaches us here that we have to constantly have VaYelech. The pasuk doest mention any of the angels on the ladder being stationary, and if they weren’t moving up, they were going down. So too, in our lives, we have to constantly move up the ladder, even by small amounts, no matter how low we feel we have fallen. And in those moments of VaYisa, where we feel immense passion to do more, we should take this energy and make use of it to move forward, but we should never rely on it soley. We must still have VaYelech, the consistent drive that never burns out. If we would rely only on the moments of spiritual highs, we would not be able to constantly do what is right, and we could potentially do what is wrong out of our excitement. We also learn from HaShem’s bracha that “BeChol Asher Telech,” in every place that we continue to make strides forward consistently, HaShem will guard us and guide us to do right, and give us boosts of VaYisa. No matter how low you have gotten, if you make that first step, HaShem will walk you the whole mile.
Yaakov teaches us overall how to navigate the bumpy, winding journey of life. VaYelech and VaYisa is not just the amount of spiritual drive that one has, but it also represents serving from the brain, and serving from the heart. Serving HaShem should be anchored in the brain, but should be assisted by the heart. In the psukim, both in times where Yaakov didn’t have as much spiritual drive from his heart (the first pasuk when Elifaz had robbed him) and when he had a lot of spiritual drive (after he had the dream) it mentions VaYelech. When someone’s heart becomes excited with doing the right thing (VaYisa), one needs to still center himself from his mind (VaYelech). If someone feels like he’s doing the right thing by fasting on Shabbat, does it mean that he is doing what is right? The same is true in lower times, that someone still should do what is right out of his knowledge that it is what HaShem wants from him and he is commanded to do so. This is just as Yaakov did when he took the bracha from his brother, Esav. Yaakov was not a man of such trickery. It says in the pasuk that he is “Ish Tam Yoshev Ohalim,” a simple man who sits in his tent and learns. Despite his own nature, and what felt right to him, from the power of VaYelech, he saw that it was the right thing to do and did it with the full intent and fervor. May we all have the merit to make use of our strengths of VaYelech and VaYisa in the most fitting way to serve HaShem as best as we can, Amen.
Yitzchak Meir Reichman
Yeshivat MiTal HaShamayim