Parshat Vayeitzei 5785
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week’s parsha (Chapter 28, Pasuk 11), ויפגע במקום וילן שם כי בא השמש. Yaakov arrived at the place and stayed overnight as the sun had set. Rashi teaches that Chazal learn from the word ויפגע that Yaakov prayed, establishing the evening prayer. He adds that this term is used, as opposed to the usual term for prayer, ויתפלל, in order to teach us that Har HaMoriah had “jumped” to where Yaakov was. And this was the unidentified “place” that Yaakov had come upon, hence ויפגע.
What does this "קפיצת הארץ" have to do with Yaakov establishing the evening prayer?
The Sfas Emes teaches that the answer to this question lies in the difference between the Avos and the different Tefillos they established. Avraham, who represents the midah of Chesed and love for Hashem, established Tefillas Shacharis. The pasuk in sefer Yeshayahu states (Chapter 41, Pasuk 8), אברהם אוהבי; Avraham who loved me. As a result, Avraham established the first Tefillah of the day. The pasuk says (Chapter 22, Pasuk 3), וישכם אברהם בבוקר; Avraham arose early to perform the will of Hashem. As a result of his love for Hashem and eagerness to serve Him, the Tefillah of Avraham is at the very beginning of the day.
Yitzchak established Mincha, the Tefillah during the time when the sun begins its descent and eventually sets. Yitzchak served Hashem through fear. As the light of the day starts to fade and eventually disappears, Yitzchak reminds us that there is a Judge and there is judgment.
These two Tefillos, Shacharis and Mincha, have a precise time. And the times of prayer are an עת רצון; a time when Hashem is open and willing to hearing our prayers. The Zohar Hakadosh in parshat Balak teaches that when Bnei Yisrael gather together and pray, all darkness and evil are removed.
Tefillas Arvis is a unique prayer; it goes all night long. The Gemara in Brachos 26A expresses this by saying, אין לה קבע; it has no fixed time. And the midah of Yaakov who established Ma’ariv is Emes, truth, as the pasuk says (Micha, Chapter 7, Pasuk 20), תתן אמת ליעקב. The trait of Emes is eternal and has no limit or boundaries, so too, the davening of Arvis אין לה קבע.
This notion of the midah of Yaakov being eternal is also expressed in the Gemara in Pesachim 88A which quotes the pasuk in sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 2, Pasuk 3). The Navi in referring to the third Beis Hamikdash which BE”H will be rebuilt, calls it בית ד', בית אלוקי יעקב. The Gemara emphasizes, it is not called Beis Avraham, who referred to the place of the Mikdash as a הר, as the pasuk says (Chapter 22, Pasuk 14), בהר ד' יראה, nor like Yitzchak who referred to the Makom HaMikdash as a שדה, as the pasuk says (Chapter 24, Pasuk 63), ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה. The first two Batei Mikdash were in the merit of Avraham and Yitzchak respectively and they weren’t permanent. The final Beis Hamikdash will be in the merit of Yaakov who referred to the Makom Hamikdash that jumped to him as Beit El. Therefore, the future Beis Hamikdash is referred to as בית אלוקי יעקב; the term Bayit represents a permanent structure apropos to Yaakov Avinu, the forefather who represents the midah of Emes.
The Tefillah of Arivs is at night when the world is full of darkness. Yaakov established Arvis because his midah of Emes allows one to find the light within the darkness. As we say in the davening at night, גולל אור מפני חושך; the light is revealed from within the darkness. Just as we read in this week’s parsha that Yaakov removed the stone from the well (Chapter 29, Pasuk 10), ויגל את האבן מעל פי הבאר, so too Yaakov taught us that through proper prayer and devotion we can find the light from within the darkness.
The term used for Yaakov establishing Arvis is ויפגע, which suggests a meeting, more precisely, in this context, to hit the mark. And Rav Tzadok adds that here it means to stick and cling to. One needs much precision to find the light in the darkness. If Shacharis and Mincha are an עת רצון, during Ma’ariv our success depends on our own personal רצון. Our ability to truly strive for connection to Hashem, to achieve ויפגע, depends on our willingness to connect to Hashem through Torah and mitzvos and Tefillah.
And when we do this, we can move mountains and places. This is the connection between Tefillas Arvis and קפיצת הארץ. Yaakov’s desire to daven at the Makom HaMikdash enabled the קפיצת הארץ. Tefillas Arvis teaches us you can never be too far away. Not only did the “place jump”, but the sun set early. The Mishnah in Avos (Chapter 4, Mishnah 3) teaches אין לך אדם שאין לו שעה ואין לך דבר שאין לו מקום. With the will of Yaakov Avinu, we can move time and place. We need to replicate his midah of Torah and Emes and when we do, אין לנו קבע; there is no limit or boundaries on what we can accomplish.
Good Shabbos
Print this article