Parshat Vayeitzei 5779
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week's parsha (Chapter 28, Pasuk 11), Vayifga Ba'Makom Vayalen Sham Ki Va Ha'Shemesh. Yaakov arrived at the place and he stayed over there because the sun had set. Rashi brings the words of the Medrash Rabbah (68, 9) which derive from the words Vayifga Ba'Makom that Yaakov established Tefillas Arvis. On the words Ki Va Ha'Shemesh he brings from the next piska in the Medrash that Hashem caused the sun to set early in order that Yaakov Avinu should stop and stay over for the night. This is the meaning of Vayalen Sham Ki Va Ha'Shemesh .
The Medrash continues and teaches another p'shat on the words Ki Va Ha'Shemesh that Yaakov heard the angels saying Ki Va Ha'Shemesh, here comes the sun. And Yaakov responds to this and says, who revealed to the angels that my name is Shemesh? The Medrash is referring to Yosef's dream of the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowing down to him; Yaakov being the Shemesh in the dream of Yosef. The angels announced the arrival of Yaakov as Ki Va Ha'Shemesh and Yaakov is surprised at how they know this is his name.
Rav Tzadok asks how this explanation of the words Ki Va Ha'Shemesh relates to the previous words in the pasuk, Vayalen Sham. How does the fact that the angels announced the arrival of Yaakov with the name Shemesh explain why he stayed over for the evening?
The Zohar Hakadosh on our parsha teaches that Yaakov Avinu was the choicest of the forefathers, Bechir Ha'Avos. And because he contained within him the qualities of all the Avos combined, it was his function to light up the moon at night. This is the reason, continues the Zohar, that Yaakov Avinu established Tefillas Arvis.
Rav Tzadok explains the Zohar in the following manner. Yaakov had a special status among the Avos and therefore was the closest to Hashem. And the term Shemesh is closely associated with Hashem as the protector of the world. The pasuk in Tehillim (Chapter 84, Pasuk 12) refers to Hashem as Ki Shemesh U'Magen Hashem Elokim. And the Gemara in Sotah 10A teaches that Shimshon received his name from the word Shemesh, and just as Hashem protects the whole world so too Shimshon protected his generation.
When Yaakov Avinu heard the angels saying, here comes the Shemesh, he stopped and stayed over for the evening, Vayalen Sham Ki Va HaShemesh. And since he was being referred to as Shemesh, which is connected to and represents the power of Hashem, he stopped in order to establish Tefillas Arvis. This is because Yaakov had a special Divine-like quality of being able to light up the darkness. He understood that by being referring to as Shemesh he needed to establish a Tefillah for the period of darkness.
The hardest time for a person to connect with Hashem is during the night. The darkness of the night represents a situation of confusion and lack of clarity. Only Yaakov Avinu had the status and the ability among the Avos to establish a way to connect to Hashem during darkness. The word used for Tefillah by Yaakov is Vayifga. Rav Tzadok explains that this term means to connect, Lehisdabek. Yaakov by virtue of his being a Shemesh established the Tefillah which enables us to light up the darkness of the night.
The midah of Yaakov is the truth of Torah, as the pasuk says (Michah, Chapter 7, Pasuk 20) Titen Emes L'Yaakov. And the Medrash Tanchuma on parshat Noach teaches that it is the people who work hard in Torah Shebe'alpeh that are able to achieve light and meaning in their life. And it is about them that the Navi Yeshayahu says (Chapter 9, Pasuk 1) Ha'Am Haholchim Bachoshech Ra'u Ohr Gadol. Yaakov Avinu, the Bechir Ha'Avos, the one most connected to Hashem and His Torah, was able to establish for us a Tefillah to light up the night and bring light to the darkness. And he stopped for this purpose when he heard the angels announce his arrival with the words Ki Va Ha'Shemesh. Yaakov understood that he was referred to with the name which represented his ability to provide the great light of Hashem in the darkness of our world.
Good Shabbos
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