Yaakov Avinu’s Preparation for Galut: An Eternal Paradigm
Yaakov Avinu left his home in Ber Sheva to travel to Charan upon the request/command of his parents for two reasons, to hide away from his angry brother Eisav who harbored a deep desire to kill him and to find a wife for himself in the house of Lavan. Chazal explain the narrative of his journey that upon arrival to Charan he realized that in route he passed Har HaMoriya and unlike his father and grandfather before him, he failed to stop there to daven. As a result of Yaakov’s great desire to daven in the future makom hamikdash, HaShem caused the ground underneath him to literally carry him to the place in order to fulfill the mitzvah.
Chazal ask the obvious question, how was it possible for Yaakov to have traveled past the holiest place in the world and not have stopped. This feeling was apparent by his reaction when he arrived at Charan, because he said, “is it possible that I could have passed that place where my fathers davened and I didn’t stop to daven?” The question is enhanced, it’s more than just not being cognizant of such an awesome place, a place where he likely thought about daily much like we think of the Kotel, but it calls into question Yaakov’s very makeup. We are told that even in mother’s womb, he reacted aggressively when she passed a holy place. Why didn’t his neshama rail to get out of the body as he approached Har HaMoriyah?
A powerful explanation can be gleaned by the Torah’s outlook toward honoring parents. We find that Yaakov’s unflinching willingness to listen to his parents by placing himself into two precarious situations, earned him the reputation as a paragon in kibud av v’aim. He agreed to disguise himself as his brother in order to receive the Berachot from Yitzchak Avinu, and to travel to Charan, to his uncle Lavan, someone who was evil and very deceiving, to find a wife.
Regarding the later, Yaakov understood the imperative to travel immediately and directly to Charan. In fact, his absence from his parents was closely scrutinized. Each day that he was gone, Yaakov paid dearly in his relationship with his beloved son Yosef. Chazal tell us, that the twenty-two painful years of Yosef’s separation from his father Yaakov corresponded to the same number of years that he was apart from Yitzchak and Rivka.
In that light, Yaakov went straight to Charan and refused to stop for even a brief period of time at the Makom HaMikdash to daven. There is an obvious question that comes to mind. Chazal tell us that in the calculation of the years that Yaakov was away from his parents, there is a discrepancy. There are fourteen extra years to account for. Chazal conclude that these were the years that Yaakov cloistered himself in Yeshivat Shem v’Ever in order to prepare himself through the teachings of his ancestors of the words of HaSHem for the dangers of galut. As a result, those extra years were not calculated in the total time that he was separated from his parents and held against him for not fulfilling the Mitzvah of honoring them. Therefore, why wouldn’t Yaakov stop for a brief time to daven at the Holiest place in the world, which would surely have been calculated in the time period for preparing for galut.
Perhaps we can understand Yaakov’s decision not to stop because he calculated that the zechut of honoring parents superseded the merit for davening in the Makom HaMikdash. On the other hand, the decision for stopping at Yeshivat Shem v’Ever benefitted him not only with the zechut of the Mitzvah but also the knowledge and understanding of HaShem’s ways that would help him navigate throughout his years in galut. However, in the end, Yaakov went back to the Bet Hashem because he realized the importance of pleading for Siyata D’Shmaya in preparation for the dangerous years that lie ahead.
It is noteworthy that we speak about the planning and precautions that Yaakov took as he prepared to enter the uncharted waters of Galut for a defined period of time. However, for our generations, who have been mired in the muck with no definite end time, and who have suffered for more than 2,000 years, all the more so we should embrace the ways of Yaakov Avinu.
Of the three Mitzvot that Yaakov invested in before leaving the Holy Land, Torah, Tefilla and Honoring his parents, let’s focus on the later, as the first two are most obvious. Make no mistake, Honoring parents is clearly an awesome Mitzvah that found its way into the ten commandments. Yet, it’s one of many awesome Mitzvot, so why that one?
Perhaps, there are two points that make this Mitzvah stand out. First, Honoring parents is one of the few Mitzvot that the Torah records the reward for its fulfillment. “Honor your father and your mother so that your days will be lengthened on the land that Hashem is giving to you.” It makes great sense that when in galut, a person should do whatever he can to go to the Promised Land. Hence, Yaakov pursued the Mitzvah that guaranteed living in the land. of Israel.
Yaakov’s other calculation was his anticipation that he would be raising a family in galut, in a place where his children could negatively be influenced and possibly not fulfill their Mitzvah of honoring him, and all the other Torah Mitzvot. We know that children are heavily influenced by parents when they are young. Their exposure to their father’s yearning deeply on a daily basis to be reunited with his saintly parents would certainly have a profound impact on his family.
Torah, Tefilla and honoring parents make up the menu of galut for us and our children who we hope will be the generation that greets Mashiach.
Shabbat Shalom