Chamishoh Mi Yo'dei'a

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by Zvi Akiva Fleisher

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CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS VA'YEITZEI 5767 - BS"D

1) Ch, 28, v.10: "Va'yeitzei Yaakov miB'eir Shova va'yeilech Choronoh" - Yaakov did not return home until after spending 14 years in Yeshivas Eiver, and 22 years travelling and living in the home of Lovon. The gemara Megiloh 16a says that we can derive that Torah study is greater than honouring one's parents, since Yaakov was punished by having his son Yoseif missing for twenty-two years, the same number of years that he was away from his parents in pursuit of a marriage partner and staying with his father-in-law Lovon. However, for the fourteen years that he spent in Yeshivas Eiver he was not punished. This must be because Torah study is so paramount that it engenders no punishment although it involves being away from one's parents. How is this conclusive? Perhaps honouring one's parents is greater than Torah study, and Yaakov was punished for the fourteen years he spent in Yeshivas Eiver. However, he wasn't punished for the fourteen years that he had to labour for Lovon to be able to marry Rochel and Leah, and the mitzvoh of being fruitful, "p'ru ur'vu," is greater than honouring one's parents.

2) Ch. 29, v. 34: "Koro shmo Levi" - Rashi quotes the Medrash Dvorim that says that Hashem sent the angel Gavriel to give the name Levi. How many people in Tanach had their names predestined and told by Hashem or an angel what his/her name will be?

3) Ch. 30, v. 3: "Hi'nei amosi" - Rashi in verse 2 and in this verse relates a dialogue between Rochel and Yaakov. (R) Why don't you pray that I have children, as your father Yitzchok prayed for Rivka? (Y) My father was also childless, so he prayed. I am not childless. You are. (R) But your grandfather prayed for his wife Soroh to have children even though he had a son from Hogor. (Y) He prayed for my grandmother Soroh because she willingly brought another woman into the household (Hogor). (R) If that's what is holding you back, here is my maidservant Bilhoh.

This is most puzzling. Does Rochel have to introduce Bilhoh to have this merit? She did MUCH more than Soroh did. Soroh brought in a maidservant who remained but a maidservant, and only for procreation. Rochel gave over her signs to Leah, allowing her to become a full-fledged WIFE of Yaakov and even risked his wrath by her complying with the ruse. She might have been rejected and never become his wife. Do we need more merit than this?

4) Ch. 30, v. 37,38: "Va'y'fatzeil bo'hen p'tzolos l'vonos mach'sof halovon, Va'yatzeig es hamaklos asher pitzeil borhotim b'shikasos hamoyim" - And he peeled their bark exposing their whiteness, And he stuck the rods that he peeled into the water troughs - In our Hoshanoh Raboh prayers in the paragraph beginning with the words "Taa'neh emunim" we mention the merit of Yaakov's peeling sticks of wood and placing them into water troughs, "Taa'neh cholok m'fatzeil maklos b'shikasos hamayim," as mentioned in our verses. What merit is there for us, Yaakov's descendants from this, and isn't this seemingly a conniving act, totally out of character for Yaakov, the paradigm of truth?

5) Ch. 31, v. 32,34: "Im asher timtzo es elohecho lo yichyeh, V'lo motzo" - Rashi (M.R. 74:9) says that as a result of this curse Rochel died prematurely. Since Lovon did not find his gods, why did Rochel die prematurely since Yaakov stipulated, "im asher timtzo"?

Answers:

1) The responsa Chasam Sofer Ch.M. #9 asks this and answers that theoretically Yaakov could have fulfilled the mitzvoh of "p'ru ur'vu" at home and thus remain with his parents. He actually left because of his mother's command to leave for fear of remaining in harm's way through Eisov. This was his own doing as he wrested the blessings from Eisov. He was therefore partially accountable for having to leave. Therefore he deserved some measure of punishment for being away all those years. However, when it came to learning Torah, the opportunity to learn under the tutelage of Eiver only presented itself in Eiver's Yeshiva, thus necessitating Yaakov to go there, and he deserved no punishment for this. We can now conclude that Torah study is greater than honouring one's parents.

2) Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer chapter #32 says six people had their names foretold before their birth: Yitzchok, Yishmoel, Moshe, Shlomo, Yoshiyohu, and Moshiach. Breishis Rabboh chapter #45 and Yerushalmi Brochos 1:6 list four of these six people. The Holy Zohar on parshas Noach page 60 says that Hashem gave Yaakov his name. Rashi on 25:26 says the same. In Yeshayohu 9:5 the Radak says that the name Sar Sholo-m was given before birth.

3) It seems that indeed helping Leah was much greater as seen from Chazal on "Rochel m'vakoh al bo'ne'ho" (Yirmiyohu 31:14). However, this was not a merit for having children. Her intention was to save Leah from shame (see Rashi on 29:25). Soroh gave Hogor to Avrohom specifically for procreating (16:2). This was an appropriate merit for Soroh to also have a child.

4) Hashem had promised Yaakov that he would leave Lovon with a vast amount of cattle, but specifically spotted, banded, etc., as conveyed to him by an angel (31:11,12). Having so many of Lovon's cattle give birth to spotted, etc., offspring was clearly a miracle. Benefiting from miracles is prohibited as per the gemara Taanis 24. As well, the gemara Shabbos 32a says that even if one merits a miracle it is at a great cost, because it is deducted from his merits. The M.R. says that the merits retained by a righteous person by not having miracles take place on his account are passed on to later generations. Armed with these points we can now say the following: Lovon lost nothing through Yaakov's act, as Hashem promised him cattle from Lovon's flock. Had Yaakov sat back and done nothing the animals would still have reproduced spotted, etc., offspring. Yaakov's peeling the bark off sticks and placing them into the cattle's water trough, thus psychologically affecting the animals to have striped, etc., offspring brought it into the realm of the natural. Thus he did not use up his merits by benefiting from a miracle. In turn this leaves over merits for his descendants, and this is the merit we mention in our Hoshanoh Raboh prayer. (Chamudei Zvi)

5)

1) Rabbi Yechiel Stern shlit"a answers that the medrash says that Lovon did search in Rochel's cushion and found containers. He suggests that the medrash is forewarning this question. Hashem wrought a miracle and changed Lovon's idols into containers so that Rochel should not be caught lying. Lovon did not realize that these were his gods, but he did find them.

2) Perhaps the question can be answered with the gemara Makos 11b, which states that the curse of a righteous person comes to fruition even if it was predicated on a condition that was not fulfilled. Thus Yaakov's curse came to fruition even though his stipulation that it only be so if Lovon's gods were to be found was not fulfilled. However, there is a difficulty with this answer. If it is correct, why did the gemara bring a proof for this from the negotiation of Yehudoh and Yaakov in 43:8, and not bring an earlier proof from here? Possibly this is because we can refute the proof from here with the answer given by Rabbi Stern.

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See also Sedrah Selections, Oroh V'Simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh on the Weekly Parsha and Chasidic Insights


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