“And Yaakov made an oath saying, ‘if Hashem will be with me and protect me on my journey and give me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and I will return home to my father’s house, then Hashem will be my G-d.’”

The mefarshim struggle to understand Yaakov’s intention in this pasuk. Is it possible

that Yaakov is seemingly conditioning his faith in Hashem on the ability of Hashem to protect him during his journey to Charan? How could it be that one of our Avos did not have complete reliance on Hashem?

The Haamek Davar, written by the Netziv (R.Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin), offers one explanation of these pesukim that Yaakov is indeed declaring his readiness to serve Hashem if He protects Yaakov during his travels. He bases this on the approach of Seforno and others who do interpret the second clause of “Vhayah Hashem Li Lelokim” to be Yaakov’s response to Hashem’s protection. However, the Haamek Davar explains that Yaakov’s intention was to acknowledge that while he remained in chutz laaretz away from his home and family, it was crystal clear to him that Hashem was protecting him & allowing him to survive and thrive. However, Yaakov understood that it was possible that when he returns home, he will be in a much more comfortable environment and may feel that he can care for himself in Eretz Canaan without Hashem’s direct help and intervention. He thus might attribute whatever success he has at that point to other factors. Therefore, Yaakov decides to declare to Hashem that if he returns safely home through Hashem’s kindness, he will not forget to remember Him even during the better times.

Yaakov was apparently well aware of the challenges and pitfalls of the mentality of “Kochi V’otzem Yadi,” that everything I accomplish in life is mainly due to my abilities rather than to Hashem’s help. He therefore had the good sense to make a promise to Hashem early on to remember Him even when times are good. This is certainly a very important message for us to continuously remind ourselves. Baruch Hashem, we live in some of the best “good times” throughout Jewish history. But we must not forget that this is all due to the goodness of the One above. The Gemara (Chagigah 13b) states that after reviewing all of the positive qualities to give the Jewish people to help them connect with Hashem, the best one he found was the quality of Aniyus, poverty. Presumably this is because people without physical means will be more likely to turn to Hashem to ask for their needs than someone who has everything they need. However, we should thank Hashem that He has not felt the need to “bless” us with this quality, and ensure that our means are used for the right purposes so that He does not feel the necessity to do so.

Rav Meir Shapiro, the founder of the Daf Yomi initiative, once told a story of a simple Jew who did not have much money but yet constantly hosted other poorer Jews who had nowhere to stay in his house, even though he had no beds for them or himself. He would feed them bread and coffee since he had nothing else to give. He would always ask Hashem to treat his kindness as if he gave them the softest mattress and tastiest food.

Rav Moshe Leyb of Sassov (in Galicia), known as a big tzaddikand Ohev Yisrael, lover of all Jews, heard about this person and decided to go see for himself, and indeed he found that the reports were true that he gave everything he could and always whispered his little prayer to Hashem. So he asked Hashem, “Ribono Shel Olam, what harm would it be if this poor person really were able to provide proper accommodations to his guests? After he sensed that Hashem had heard his prayers, he promised this Jew that soon enough he would become wealthy. Sure enough, soon after he departed, this simple Jew became rich.

A while later, Rav Moshe Leyb asked other travelers from this town how Reb Velvel the Baal Tzedaka was doing, but they didn’t know who he was talking about. After he described the location of the house, they suddenly realized, “you mean Wilhelm the rotten informer?” They explained that after he suddenly became rich, he built a huge palace and would not permit any Jews to enter his house anymore. Rav Moshe Leyb traveled back to this Jew and explained to him that Hashem only made him wealthy to continue helping others, but now that he was failing in his duty, he was soon to lose all of his riches. Reb Velvel, or Wilhelm as he was now called, turned pale as the words sank in, and immediately began pleading with Rav Moshe Leyb and promising that he would change his ways. Rav Moshe Leyb agreed that in the end Reb Velvel could keep his wealth as long as he returns to helping other fellow Jews.

Reb Velvel almost failed the test of serving Hashem and helping others when he became rich, and according to the Haamek Davar, this is exactly what Yaakov was promising Hashem would not happen to him if he returned home safely to Eretz Yisrael. Hashem should help us remember to remember Yaakov’s example and remember to use our G-d given wealth for elevating our spiritual lives and making the world a better place.

260.20 & 325?

Check united states treasury