Jacob's Journey

Moshe Kempinski ....

We read an unusual verse in Isaiah that says;

Therefore thus saith HaShem, who redeemed Abraham, because of the house of Yaacov: Yaacov shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale;( Isaiah 29:22)

The Midrash Tanchuma related to Parshat Toldot explains

Rav Shmuel son of Yitzchak says Abraham was saved from the fiery of furnace ( according to our tradition Nimrod threw Avraham into the furnace because he was afraid that his faith would deter his royal plans) . He was saved only on the merit of Yaacov. For the judgment came forth before Nimrod that Avraham be burned and it was known before HaShem that Yaacov was to be Avraham's descendant and G-d declared it was important that Avraham be saved on the merit of Yaacov ;

We need to understand the meaning of this Midrash.

Is it saying that without Yaacov, Avraham should have been burned?

Were all of Avraham's deed, greatness and incredible faith and faithfulness all for naught?

The text " Yifat Toar" explains that Avraham's great faith and his faithfulness that led him in the past into the unknown would have led to Avraham desiring to sacrifice his own life in order to sanctify G-d's name and to make the ultimate sacrifice and declaration of faith . This was Avraham's way. The importance of Yaacov's birth kept him away from that option.

If so the next question that needs to be asked is :

What did Yaacov introduce into the world that could not have been realized through Avraham ?

Why did the creation of the Jewish people have to wait until Yaacov and did not start with Avraham?

The secret of the survivability of this people and their eternal destiny was fully revealed within the character of Yaacov a process only begun with Avraham.

HaRav Kook writes the following in his book " Midbar Shur"

There are two paths in worshiping HaShem. One is spontaneous revolutionary and radical.

Avraham that broke into pieces all that was his past. Avraham battled the kings in spontaneous response to an evil that was perpetrated .The man who accepted the command to do the Brit Mila and even went unto the ends of human ability when he undertook the task of the binding of Yitzchak .This was the way of Avraham

Yaacov on the other hand was a simple man who dwelled in the tents .Yaacov as his name hints is the man who moves forward ( OKEV )step after careful step climbing the ladder of Yaacov ,rung after every rung

According to the Mystics of Judaism the purpose of mankind and the goal of every soul is to reach higher and higher with deliberate effort and spiritual work. All this so that they would not have to be nourished by the NEHAMA KISUFA the bread of shame? This bread of shame is based on the shame
of :" receiving without giving" .... About receiving from the Divine source with no spiritual endeavors"

That is the deeper understanding of the verse

Therefore thus saith HaShem, who redeemed Abraham, because of the house of Yaacov: Yaacov shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale;( Isaiah 29:22)

This is the secret of the Jewish people ensconced within Yaacov . The secret that " The Eternal People Have No Fear of The Long Voyage"

The journey that Avraham began with his "Lech Lecha ( go forth) " into the unknown, continued with Rivka the mother of Yaacov who told Eliezer, Avraham's servant " I will go" not knowing to where she was headed.

Yaacov forced to leave Israel wanders into the unknown and into his destiny.

Ruth the daughter of Moab who becomes Ruth the grandmother of King David when she declares to Naomi" wither you go I shall go"

The step by step journey into the unknown is the constant strength of Yaacov and of all his descendants.

I had the great merit recently of joining in the simcha celebrating the release of a young Jewish man from prison where he served a sentence for being involved in anti Disengagement activity that may have been illegal .Yet they were actions that came out of a deep passion and love for the people and the land of Israel. He is soon to be married and by so doing they will place another brick in the building of Jewish destiny. Another step in the long road of Jacob's journey.

As the world sinks deeper into the unknown and into confusion our people will continue to move forward and upward.

(from the Torah drasha at the Bar Mitzva of my son Baruch Eliyahu)