Making sense of the sedra: Vayetze

In this week’s parasha, Vayetze, we begin with Yaakov fleeing from Cana’an in semi refugee status followed by his marriage to Rachel and Leah, and his eventual return to the land of Israel with his wives and children.

The parasha starts by telling us: “Yaakov left Be’er Sheva and went to Charan” (Genesis 28:10). We know that Ya’akov left Be’er Sheva; why is the Torah repeating itself? And later on we are told: “Ya’akov resumed his journey and went to the land of the Easterners” (Genesis 29:1). Why is the Torah once again repeating itself?

What is therefore happening between these two verses that is significant?

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On the surface, the key difference between these two verses is that in the second, no mention is made of where Yaakov departed from. Our Rabbis emphasise how the Torah includes, seemingly unnecessarily, the fact that Yaakov was leaving Be’er Sheva in the first place. They very reasonably say that we know that piece of information already from last week’s parasha. Rashi’s question on the pasuk is on the superfluous nature of this phrase; his answer is that the departure of a tzaddik (righteous man) from his city makes an impression; as long as a tzaddik is in his city, he is its glory, splendour and beauty. When he leaves it, there departs also its glory, splendour and beauty.

Aviva Zornberg, a contemporary scholar of Torah, expands on Rashi’s understanding of Yaakov’s ‘imprint’ on a place, saying that perhaps the void and imprint are in Yaakov instead. If Yaakov is to find a wife and fulfil one of his main tasks in Charan, he needs to fully detach from whence he came. He needs to discover himself outside of a person who “dwells in tents” (Genesis 25:27). He needs to go not only on a physical journey, but on an emotional one.

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Rabbi Tzvi Grumet, another contemporary Torah scholar, agrees with Zornberg, but says that Yaakov’s state of mind is one of struggle with himself. How could he have violated his father’s trust and own dignity by pretending to be Esav? Yaakov needs this time alone to figure himself out. Grumet sees Yaakov’s regret in his actions as he wakes up from his dream and says: “Surely Hashem is present in this place, and I did not know” (Genesis 28:16). Traditionally, this has been interpreted as Yaakov not knowing of Hashem’s presence in such a special place. But Grumet interprets the pasuk by suggesting that Yaakov is so shocked by himself and his actions, that he is lamenting the realisation that he no longer knows who he really is.

Yaakov needs this time alone to provide him with the perspective and the clarity needed to become who he needs to be. His personal transformation is not instantaneous; it is fraught with pitfalls and challenges that he could never have imagined. So too in our lives, when coming to a personal transition or transformation during which we might not fully know what the future holds, we can feel daunted. Yaakov comes through his transitional moment and finds Hashem; so too in our own moments of transition and hardship, we must seek out Hashem and find security in him.

Sarah Bernstein is a participant on the United Synagogue’s Ma’aleh Higher Learning Programme for Women