Chapter 28
10 Jacob left Beersheba: Jacob's leaving the holy environment of the Land of Israel and descending to the less-than-holy environment of Charan in order to challenge Laban "the deceiver" endows us, his progeny, with the strength to follow along a similar path. True, our home environment should be a haven from the materialistic world, permeated with the Torah's wholesome and holy values. However, once we have established such a home, we do not have to be afraid to venture into the outside world in order to elevate reality. And just as Jacob's descent to Charan actually propelled him to great spiritual heights, the same holds true for us: our temporary forays into the non-spiritual milieu of the material world with the aim of elevating it will not only not have a detrimental affect on us; they will actually prove beneficial to our spiritual growth, as well. In fact, the only way we can grow is by taking on the challenges of our personal Charan.1
10 Jacob left Beersheba…to Charan: Beersheba was named for the covenant of peace made there between Abraham and Avimelech.2 This covenant enabled Abraham and his descendants to live a Godly life unhindered by Avimelech and his opposition to holiness.
The Midrash interprets Jacob's leaving Beersheba to mean that he was unwilling to perpetuate this covenant,3 for his approach to evil differed drastically from Abraham and Isaac's. The first two patriarchs were able to elevate Avimelech only to the point of making peace with him, so he would not hinder their living a Godly life; they neither vanquished his evil nor won him over to their way of holiness. In contrast, when Jacob went to Charan, his intention was not merely to live a Godly life unhindered by the culture of Charan, but to transform Charan, as well.
Because Abraham and Isaac were not able to transform the evil of their spiritual opponents (and therefore did not try to do so), they were also not able transform the evil propensities of their own children, Ishmael and Esau. They only neutralized their sons' opposition to holiness. Jacob, on the other hand, was able to transform evil; he therefore refused to tolerate it. Consequently, any evil that might have been present in his children was transformed to holiness, and consequently, all of them followed in his Godly path.
This distinction between the patriarchs' diverse methods of dealing with evil can be compared to that between the inherently-saintly person and the penitent. The inherently-saintly person, who never experiences an ungodly impulse, does not interact with evil at all and, as such, neither does he elevate it. The penitent, in contrast, struggles with temptation and sometimes succumbs to it; since he does experience evil, he is therefore capable of transforming it into holiness.4
INNER DIMENSIONS
10] Jacob left Beersheba…to Charan: Allegorically, Jacob's departure from Beersheba and subsequent arrival in Charan mirrors the soul's descent from the spiritual realm into the physical world. Before the soul commences this challenging mission, it is given the strength to succeed, in the form of an oath administered by the heavenly court enjoining it to act righteously.5 Hence—
Jacob left Beersheba, the "well of the oath," alluding to the oath taken by the soul before descending into this world.6 The soul fulfills its mission by going—
to Charan: The word "to" in this phrase is indicated by the letter hei suffixed to the word Charan. This appended hei alludes to the second letter hei of God's Name Havayah (spelled yud-hei-vav-hei), with which, we are taught, He created the physical world.7
Allegorically, thus, the verse means that when the soul descends from the spiritual worlds (Beersheba) into the physical world (Charan) and performs its holy work therein, it reveals that the world, which initially conceals Godliness, is in reality created and sustained (the hei of Charan) by God.8
11 Jacob prayed to God: Until this point, Jacob had lived an insular life, steeped in Torah study. His journey to Charan was his first foray into the "real" world, whose ways and manners were foreign to him. Yet instead of making learning the language and customs of his new land a priority, Jacob's first item on his agenda was to pray.9
Similarly, when young people emerge from the carefree cocoon of youth (especially those who were privileged to have spent it in the insular world of Torah education) in order to begin earning a livelihood, they should not make the mistake of rushing off to immerse themselves in the culture of their new world and adapt to it. On the contrary: At this juncture, more than ever, must they focus on their spiritual lives, for they will quickly find themselves confronted by challenges incomparably greater than anything they had ever before experienced or encountered. They must therefore pray to God for the strength to overcome the challenges of their new life.10
Adults too, before setting about their daily affairs, must begin each morning with prayer, followed immediately11 by Torah study. Once they have reconnected to God through prayer and Torah study, they are equipped to fulfill their spiritual mission in the material world.12
He took some of the stones…and placed them around his head: Jacob realized that he was entering a new world with new challenges. He knew that he would have to engage that new world while remaining somewhat detached from it. He therefore surrounded his head with stones to indicate symbolically that he wished to protect his "head"—his focus and awareness—from falling prey to the distractions and challenges of his new life. He resolved to engage in his work with his hands13 but to keep his head aloof, ever focused on his spiritual mission.
As an expression of this resolve, Jacob used lifeless, inanimate stones, symbolizing the strength of humble perseverance that keeps us on track even after our more "alive" intellectual and emotional inspiration has run dry.
Similarly, when we embark upon our foray into the "real" world, we cannot rely solely on our own intellectual and emotional connection with God to keep us on track. Only by protecting our "heads" through developing and strengthening our supra-rational connection to God can we stay true to our goal of building a home for Him.14
Rabbi Judah Loewe15 posits that Jacob in fact placed the stones above his head. In this context, Jacob's placement of the stones alludes to the superiority of fulfilling our Divine mission with humble perseverance, even in the absence of any intellectual or emotional inspiration. The motivation to forge onward even in these circumstances derives from the part of us that transcends our minds and hearts—the essence of our soul. This level of consciousness, being one with God, is therefore naturally inclined to fulfill His will.16
Once we have accessed the essence of the soul, its influence ultimately continues to pervade us even after we become intellectually and emotionally inspired. In the words of the Mishnah17: "He who observes the Torah in poverty will in the end fulfill it out of wealth."18
The essence of the soul not only enables us to fulfill our Divine mission even while we feel "stone-like" and uninspired; it likewise enables us to combine the seemingly multifarious and lifeless "stones" of the mundane world into one united home for God.19
As we have seen, Jacob's descent to Charan allegorically represents the soul's descent into the physical world. The soul's primary purpose in this world is to elevate physical reality by using it for Godly ends, thereby revealing the Divinity hidden within it. This purpose is alluded to in the phrase "He took some of the stones of that place," since the word for "that place" (ha-makom) also means "space" in general, and space (together with time) forms the basis of physical reality.20 The "stones" of "that place" thus refer to the lowest element of physical reality, that which displays no sign of Divine life at all. The absence of Divine consciousness in this level of reality is further highlighted by the fact that the word "stones" appears in the plural, signifying the apparent plurality of forces at play in the natural world, in contrast to the true oneness of the Divine energy hidden within it, continuously creating it and sustaining it.
Just as Jacob21 combined the many stones into one, so is the soul's task to reveal the inherent unity of reality by consecrating it to its Godly purpose. This one "stone" can be then transformed, as Jacob says, into a home for God.22
Alternatively, the stones in this verse allude to the rock-like strength of the soul. By placing stones around his head, Jacob was spiritually drawing the energy and strength of his soul into his physical being. He hoped that doing so would protect him from wild beasts, since animals do not molest a person whose body is thoroughly permeated with the soul's energy.23
The Godly soul is manifest initially in the head; from there, its influence radiates to the rest of the body.24 The Torah therefore only explicitly mentions the stones Jacob placed around his head, even though he placed other stones around the rest of his body.
However, the stones surrounding his body began to argue with those surrounding his head, demanding that they be the ones to surround his head. Symbolically, this means that they wanted the power of Jacob's soul that was manifest in his head to be equally manifest throughout his whole body.
Since Jacob was lying in the holiest place in the world—the site of the future Temple, where God's essence would be manifest—the stones' request could be fulfilled. At the level of God's essence, the distinctions between the spiritual (the head) and the physical (the body) are overwhelmed by their commonality—i.e., by the fact that they are both creations of God—and fall away. The foot can accommodate the energy of the soul just as well as the head.
In such a protected environment, predatory beasts certainly could not attack Jacob. (Similarly, in the messianic age, "[predatory beasts] will do no harm…for the world will be filled with the knowledge of God…."25)
It was precisely this power of God's essence that Jacob brought with him to Charan. It enabled him to overcome the spiritual darkness of Charan and, furthermore, to fuse mundane and holy, body and soul.26
The above explanation helps us understand why Jacob fell asleep in such a holy place. Sleep generally implies a decrease in Divine consciousness. When we are awake, our minds and hearts are (at least potentially) in full control of the rest of our bodies. This preeminence is reflected in the fact that our heads and hearts are physically higher than the lower, more materially-oriented part of our bodies. In contrast, when we sleep, our minds and hearts lose most of their control over the body, this being reflected in the fact that we sleep lying down, our brains and hearts physically level with the lower half of our bodies. It seems puzzling, then, that the first time Jacob lay down to sleep in fourteen years was on the holy Temple Mount! True, he was not aware of its holiness,27 but why would God have arranged for him to fall asleep specifically in such a holy place?28
The answer is that it was precisely because of his location that God had Jacob fall asleep there. Mount Moriah was the site of the future Temple, which would house and reflect God's essence. As we have seen, God's essence transcends the physical and the spiritual equally, and they are therefore equal relative to God's essence. In this context, sleep was not a descent but rather an ascent, a reflection of the unique intensity of spiritual consciousness that informed that holy spot. The equality of Jacob's head and feet reflected the equality of the spiritual and physical that exists within the Divine essence. This equality was further reflected in Jacob's dream by his vision of the ladder uniting heaven and earth.
This vision is what caused Jacob to declare: "God is truly present in this place, yet I was not aware of it." Jacob recognized that the revelation of God in that place was of the type beyond normal awareness and knowledge.29
A CLOSER LOOK
12 For they were not permitted to leave the Land of Israel: The Land of Israel at that point had not yet been physically sanctified; it had not yet been rendered any different from any other part of the world.30 There was therefore no reason for the patriarchs and matriarchs not to leave it. Spiritually, however, the Land of Israel had been sanctified when God created the world, and ever since possessed intrinsic holiness. This is the reason that the angels of the Land of Israel were not allowed to leave it.31
14 You shall spread out powerfully…and all the families on earth will be blessed through you: The word for "you shall spread out powerfully" (ufaratzta) literally means "you shall break through," as through a barrier. Allegorically, this blessing refers not only to Jacob's physical progeny but also to his Divine message to the world, which will be consummately disseminated throughout the world in the messianic future. The Messiah will usher in an era in which God's presence will be revealed in the world in a manner that breaks through any former limitation and constriction. All nations of the world will recognize God32 and devote themselves to making the world into His home.33
Thus, the Messiah is descended from Judah's son Peretz, whose name also means "breaking through."34 The Messiah himself is referred to as "the one who breaks through:" "I will assemble the remnant of Israel…. The one who breaks forth will go before them; they will break through and pass through the gate…. Their king will pass before them and God will be at their head."35
God's blessing was also fulfilled to a certain degree in Jacob's lifetime, in the context of his miraculous success in amassing wealth, as will be recounted below: In the verse, "The man thus became exceedingly prosperous,"36 the word for "became prosperous" (yifrotz) also literally means "break through."
Similarly, we can fulfill this blessing in our own lives, if we merit. In order to motivate God to bless us beyond the bounds of nature, we must break through our own bounds by going beyond the normal demands of proper or even holy behavior.37 For example, teachers typically have a set number of hours they are required to teach. If they throw themselves heart and soul into their teaching, continuing to teach beyond their required hours, they have broken out of that limitation. Similarly, giving more charity than we are required to and augmenting our regular commitments to Torah study, prayer, and fulfilling the commandments are all examples of breaking through holy limitations.38
20-21 Bread…and clothing… I will return to my father's house untainted: We transform the world into God's home in two ways: by doing things that are intrinsically holy, such as studying the Torah and performing God's commandments; and by sanctifying mundane pursuits, such as eating or earning a living. In this verse, Jacob alludes to both these facets of religious life:
Bread: This alludes to Torah study. When we study the Torah, we are internalizing God's wisdom, which then becomes part of us, just as when we eat (bread being the archetypal foodstuff), we ingest what we eat and it becomes part of us.
Clothing: This alludes to the performance of the commandments. When we perform a commandment, we are enveloped by an external, transcendent feeling of inspiration, much as a garment surrounds, envelops, and warms its wearer.39
I will return to my father's house untainted: This alludes to our return to the domain of holiness after venturing out temporarily into the mundane world in order to uplift it.40
As has been mentioned, despite the intrinsic superiority of holy activities, elevating the mundane is of greater importance, for it brings God the greatest pleasure and hastens the advent of the messianic era. Studying the Torah and performing the commandments, while by no means an easy task, is the soul's natural inclination. Even the body, despite its innate propensity for pursuits that afford immediate gratification, can be induced into participating in holy pursuits, for it, too, is rooted in a sublime source. In contrast, the outside, mundane world is the aspect of reality existentially furthest from Divine awareness; transforming it is a genuine feat that requires great acumen and often heroic determination.41 Yet the soul can achieve this transformation by drawing upon its essence, which in turn draws upon the infinite power of God's essence.42
The Zohar and the Midrash interpret Jacob's descent to Charan as an allegory for the exile of the Jewish people. Jacob therefore says that ultimately, in the messianic age, "he," i.e., his descendants, will return from exile to "my father's house," to the Land of Israel.43
The phrase "I will return to my father's house untainted" thus refers both to sanctifying the mundane and to the messianic age, indicating that the former is a prerequisite for ushering in the latter.44
22 This stone that I have set up as a monument will become a house of God: Jacob did not use gold or silver to build a home for God, but simple stones.
On a spiritual level, this means that Jacob vowed to take even the lowliest and most materialistic aspects of his life and transform them into God's home. He succeeded in doing so because he had taken an oath, which meant that even if he no longer had the intellectual or emotional motivation to carry on fulfilling his Divine mission, his oath would propel him onward.
The lesson for us here is to recognize that it is not solely with our prayer and Torah study—our "gold" and "silver"—that we sanctify our homes. Even, and perhaps especially, our eating utensils—the simple "stones" of our material existence—can be sanctified to build a home for God.45
Chapter 29
1 Light of foot, Jacob enthusiastically and optimistically set out: Even though Jacob was on his way to enter the spiritual darkness of Charan, he rejoiced—and his joy permeated his entire being, down to his feet.46 Jacob's joy in fulfilling his Divine mission must inspire us to adopt the same joyful attitude in life whenever we tackle life's numerous daily, mundane activities. Whenever we embark on a mission of goodness, even if it entails what appears to be a spiritual descent, we must do so with joy, trusting in God's promise that everything will work out as it should.47
3 The shepherds would together roll the boulder off the opening of the well…and then replace the boulder: As we have seen, a stone (or boulder) epitomizes the inanimate kingdom, which is the least-spiritual component of physical reality since it appears totally lifeless. It is therefore a fitting allegory for our material selves, our egos, and our mundane activities, all of which are natural impediments to Divine awareness.
This "stone" both conceals and blocks the pure wellsprings of holiness that reside within our hearts, just as a huge boulder blocked and concealed the water in the shepherds' well. In a similar vein, the prophet Ezekiel uses the imagery of a "heart of stone"48 to refer to a spiritual blockage, and the Midrash associates the boulder over the well with the evil inclination that resides within each of us.49 How is this formidable, seemingly immoveable stone to be removed?
The Torah tells us that one lone shepherd, acting on his own, cannot move the boulder. This means that when our relationship with God is one-dimensional, based on love or fear of God (but not on both), our Godly essence remains blocked. This is because every positive phenomenon has its corresponding negative correlate.50 The opposite of love of God is love of things that interfere with Divine consciousness. When our relationship with God is based soley on love, that love can sometimes become diverted into unhealthy types of love. Conversely, when our relationship with God is based only on fear—meaning respect, awe, and a sense of duty—we are susceptible to unhealthy forms of severity, including impatience and being judgmental.
However, a negative emotion can only oppose its corresponding positive emotion; it cannot oppose a different type of positive emotion. Therefore, when we both love and fear God, our fear of God prevents us from falling into negative forms of love, and our love of God protects us from falling into negative forms of fear.
This is why "the shepherds would together roll the boulder off the opening of the well." The various "shepherds," working together in unison, were indeed able to remove the "stone" from the wellsprings of the heart. Since, Jacob, however, embodied the synthesis of love and fear, as we have seen, he was able to remove the boulder by himself.51
Significantly, the boulder was not discarded, but rather replaced upon the well. Allegorically, this means that our material inclinations are not meant to be destroyed; they play a positive role, and the world cannot exist without them.52 Rather, they are meant to be sublimated and directed toward holy ends.53
INNER DIMENSIONS
[11] Then Jacob kissed Rachel…wept aloud (lit., "raised his voice and wept"): Allegorically, Rachel personifies Keneset Yisrael (malchut of Atzilut), the spiritual origin of all Jewish souls. Jacob, the personification of tiferet of Atzilut (the inner dimension of which is rachamim, mercy), wept in order to arouse God's mercy upon the souls that descend into the physical world, exiled from their native, spiritual home—and unite them with God.
Similarly, whenever we feel distanced from God because of our misdeeds, we can arouse God's mercy upon us by first awakening our own mercy on our Divine soul. We experience the resulting unity with God both as a kiss and as an embrace. We experience the "kiss" by articulating and contemplating the holy words of the Torah we study, uniting our speech and thought with God's. We experience the "embrace" by performing the commandments, uniting our power of action with God's.54
[16] The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rachel: Spiritually, Leah and Rachel embodied the sefirot of binah and malchut, respectively. Leah is described as "the older one" (הגדולה), which may be read as "the great hei" (ה' גדולה), referring to the first hei of the Name Havayah, which signifies the sefirah of binah. Similarly, Rachel is described as "the younger one" (הקטנה), which may be read as "the lesser hei" (ה' קטנה), referring to the latter hei of the Name Havayah, which signifies the sefirah of malchut.55
Binah, the main faculty of the intellect, is expressed primarily through thought, while malchut, the faculty of expression, is manifest primarily through speech and action. In terms of living the Divine life, Leah personified the study of the Torah, which primarily engages the intellect, and Rachel personified the performance of the commandments, which primarily engages the faculties of speech and action.56
[17] Rachel had beautiful features: As we have seen,57 Rachel embodied the spiritual origin of the souls of the Jewish people. Rachel's beauty therefore alludes to the spiritual beauty inherent in the soul of every Jew.
Similarly, in the Song of Songs, the love poem describing the relationship between God and the Jewish people, one of the terms used to describe the Jewish people is "the most beautiful of women" (היפה בנשים).58 The numerical value of this term is 502, which equals the total number of years lived by Abraham (175),59 Isaac (180),60 and Jacob (147).61 Since the three patriarchs personified the three primary emotions of love, fear/awe, and mercy, respectively, this numerical equivalence implies that complete and true beauty results from the full blending of the emotions in fulfilling our Divine mission.62
[18] Jacob loved Rachel: As we have seen,63 Leah embodied the transcendent realm of thought, while Rachel embodied the realm of speech and deed. Jacob's primary focus in life was to bring Divinity into the most mundane elements of reality. He therefore loved Rachel more than he loved Leah, since his passion and desire was to bring the transcendent light of keter (the highest sefirah) into malchut (the lowest sefirah), through which Divinity would be apparent to all.
Yet Jacob united with both Rachel and Leah. Although his primary focus was on the world of deed, he was simultaneously steeped in the world of thought. His innate propensity, however, was toward deed, and therefore also toward Rachel.64
17 Leah cried constantly: Spiritually, this means that Leah personified the penitent, who cries over past imperfections and constantly strives for greater connection to God. She was therefore destined to marry the wicked Esau, since it was in her power to influence him to repent.65
Rachel had beautiful features and was of beautiful appearance: Spiritually, Rachel's beauty indicates that she personified the perfectly-righteous individual, unblemished in the performance of the commandments.
True beauty is the harmonious blend of diverse elements. Similarly, only a relationship with God that transcends personal inclinations and involves all our emotions66 can be termed "beautiful."67
A CLOSER LOOK
[27] Complete the bridal-celebration week of this one, and then we will give you that one: The sages derive from this verse that one should not celebrate two joyous occasions simultaneously.68 Although the sages also state that one cannot deduce halachic rulings from incidents that occurred before the giving of the Torah,69 this does not include incidents whose purpose is to teach us about human nature.70
28 Voluntary observance of the Torah cannot override one's obligation to keep a promise: Nowadays, since observance of the Torah is obligatory, this principle is slightly transposed: Voluntary observance of pious stringencies cannot override one's obligation to fulfill the Torah's explicit dictates in other areas. Thus, our otherwise-praiseworthy desire to better ourselves and reach higher levels of spiritual growth cannot serve as an excuse for not taking the time to reach out to those less knowledgeable of Judaism.71
32 She named him: The patriarchs were either named (or renamed) by God or by their fathers, while the sons of Jacob (except for Benjamin) were named by their mothers. This distinction arises from the difference between the patriarchs' relationship to the Jewish people as a whole and the progenitors of the tribes' relationship to the Jewish people as a whole.
Since all Jews are descended from the patriarchs, we are all required to internalize their paths of relating to God and fulfilling His mission. Conversely, since only the members of a specific tribe are descended from that tribe's progenitor, only they are expected to internalize that aspect of Divine living embodied in the life of their tribe's progenitor.
Although the father of a child contributes the child's seminal essence, it is within the mother that this essence develops into a full-fledged human being with his or her own personality and individuality. It is therefore fitting that in the case of the progenitors of the tribes, each of whom embodied a distinct, specific way of relating to Divinity and Divine life, the mothers were the ones to name them.72
Although the names of the tribes seem to mainly describe the relationship between Jacob and his wives, it is obvious that these names, given prophetically by the matriarchs, also express their children's essences.73
God has seen my humiliation…now my husband will love me: Allegorically, Leah's words in this verse are also the words spoken by the exiled Jewish people to their "husband," God. Even though we, "the wife," are at the moment spiritually and physically humiliated and afflicted, we do not deny our "spouse"—God—and we remain devoted to Him. Seeing this, God is filled with love for us.74
INNER DIMENSIONS
[32] Leah conceived: As stated above, Leah personified the sefirah of binah. Binah, understanding, "gives birth" to the seven emotions. Leah therefore gave birth to seven children: six sons, corresponding to the six "male" sefirot of chesed, gevurah, tiferet, netzach, hod, and yesod; and one daughter, corresponding to the "feminine" sefirah of malchut.75
32-35 Reuben…Simeon…Levi…Judah: In naming Reuben, Leah said, "God has seen my humiliation, for now my husband will love me." The words "seen" and "love" allude to the nature of Reuben's relationship with God. Reuben personified the relationship with God that results from "seeing" Godliness, which then inspires us to love Him.
"Seeing" Godliness means attaining a perception of it that is comparable to empirical apprehension. When we see something with our physical eyes, we are certain of its existence much more so than if we had only heard about it. A judge is therefore not allowed to rule on an incident that he himself witnessed, since his objectivity is thereby compromised; in contrast, when he only hears about the incident from witnesses, although he might believe them completely, his objectivity has nevertheless not been compromised.76
Similarly, we "see" Godliness when we become so aware of God's involvement in life that we are certain of His existence. This happens when we reflect upon Divine providence and see God's hand empirically—either in history, current events, or our personal lives. "Seeing" Godliness in this manner, as opposed to merely hearing about it philosophically, causes us to feel close to Him and love Him.
We focus on seeing Godliness while reciting the preliminary psalms and readings of our daily morning prayers (Pesukei d'Zimra), which are meant to impress upon us the magnitude of God's greatness. We are then prepared to avow our love for God when we recite the first paragraph of the Shema, in which we say, "And you shall love God…."77
In naming Simeon, Leah said, "God heard." Simeon personified the relationship with God that results from intellectually or philosophically hearing about Godliness.
Even if we believe that which we hear and understand it completely, we are not affected as viscerally as we are by what we see. Similarly, when we hear about God, we may be intellectually convinced of His existence but, nevertheless, we have not actually experienced it.
On the other hand, the intellectual distance of hearing affords us the objectivity that seeing precludes. Instead of feeling subjectively close to God, we become overwhelmed by His transcendence and our smallness in comparison to Him. We then relate to God primarily with awe and reverence. The mode of relating to God personified by Simeon is reflected in the second paragraph of the Shema, in which we say, "If you will listen…."78
In naming Levi, Leah said, "my husband will become attached to me." Levi personified the relationship with God that results from attaching ourselves to Him by separating ourselves from the vanities of the world and immersing ourselves in His wisdom by studying the Torah. This mode of relating to God corresponds to the prayer following the Shema, which begins "True and certain…" and refers to the Torah.
In naming Judah, Leah said, "I will thank [or 'acknowledge'] God." Acknowledgment implies humility, a recognition and awareness of God that causes us to transcend our own limited perspectives. Judah personified the selflessness of the soul and its unconditional surrender to God. This is why all Jews, regardless of the tribe from which they originate, are called "Jews" (yehudim), meaning "descendants of the tribe of Judah," since all Jews, by virtue of their souls, possess a natural, selfless devotion to God that transcends and supersedes their intellectual and emotional consciousness. And it is this quality that describes the essence of the Jewish soul.
This mode of relating to God is reflected in the Amidah, in which we stand humbly before God, communing with Him from our deepest essence.
The order in which these four brothers were born thus reflects the sequence in which our relationship with God develops, particularly on a daily basis in the morning liturgy: We first recite psalms and passages that remind us of Divine providence, enabling us to "see" God and thereby come to love him (Reuben). We profess this love in the first section of the Shema. But we then realize that God is much greater than whatever we see of Him in Divine providence, which inspires us to fear Him and be in awe of Him (Simeon), as we are reminded in the second section of the Shema. Aware of His awesome transcendence, we resolve to forsake the ephemeral illusions of this world and cling to Him (Levi) by studying His Torah and observing His commandments, as we affirm in the prayer following the Shema (which begins with the words "True and certain"). But studying the Torah reminds us that His essence is beyond any perception of Him than can possibly be grasped by our finite minds. We acknowledge (Judah) this awareness in the silent prayer, in which we stand before God Himself as humble servants standing before their master.79
35 She again conceived: Even after Leah had already been blessed with a few children, she still considered each subsequent child an additional blessing. This contrasts sharply with the attitude of those who advocate having small families. Some people erroneously think that if they have only a few children, they will be able to devote more attention and provide more material benefits to each one. Others think that they are somehow taxing God's abilities by forcing Him to sustain additional people. The story of Leah is one of the numerous places in the Torah that emphasize the beauty and blessing inherent in the birth of each additional child.80
She then ceased bearing children: The Hebrew names for all the songs of praise in the Bible appear in the feminine gender (shirah), with the exception of the last song, composed to be sung at the final Redemption, which is referred to in the masculine (shir). Our sages tell us that this alludes to the fact that just as women endure the pain of childbirth, so too are the songs we sung throughout history—and still sing today—tinged with the pain of exile. Only after the final Redemption will pain never visit us again, just as males do not suffer the pain of childbirth.81
That Leah ceased bearing children after Judah was born portends that Judah's descendant, the Messiah, will usher in an age in which pain and suffering will be no more.82
Chapter 30
1 Rachel was jealous of her sister's good deeds: Petty jealously, born of the egocentric fear that the other person's successes will somehow diminish our self-worth, is destructive and reprehensible. In contrast, the sort of jealousy Rachel felt toward Leah is constructive, since it spurs us on to improve our deeds. Our sages similarly state that "jealousy among [Torah] scholars increases wisdom."83
14 Reuben did not take any, for it did not belong to him: Although Reuben was a mere child, no more than five years old at the time, he possessed the moral maturity of an adult. This demonstrates the quality of training that the tribes received in the house of their father Jacob. Although everyone around them freely took from the wheat and barley of others, the children of Jacob knew that they must behave differently. Even as children, unable to fully comprehend the precepts of the Torah, they knew to mimic the behavior of their father, who was scrupulously honest in all his dealings.84
INNER DIMENSIONS
[4-9] Her handmaid Bilhah…her handmaid Zilpah: According to Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (the Arizal), the four primordial elements (fire, water, air, and earth) are derived from the four letters of God's Name Havayah; specifically, the element of earth is derived from the final hei, which is associated with the sefirah of malchut.85 In this context, he states that the verse "Iron is taken from the earth"86 indicates that iron is derived from malchut, which is the principle of femininity. Inasmuch as Jacob's four wives are all manifestations of malchut, he notes further that the word for "iron" (ברזל) can also be seen as an acronym for Jacob's four wives, Bilhah (בלהה), Rachel (רחל), Zilpah (זלפה), and Leah (לאה).87
Surprisingly, the names of the handmaids in this acronym appear before those of their respective mistresses. This reflects the unique significance of Jacob's marriages to the handmaids. If we are meant, both collectively as a people and as individuals, to consider ourselves God's "wives," then a handmaid represents an inferior level of relationship to God, a lower level of Divine consciousness. This is why Abraham and Jacob did not initially want to marry their handmaids: they did not want to descend to a lower level of Divine consciousness. The matriarchs, in contrast, recognized the need for their husbands' descent, since only thus could they elevate this lower level, as well. The matriarchs therefore encouraged their husbands to marry their handmaids. This is why the names of the handmaids appear before those of the matriarchs.
In Kabbalistic terms, the matriarchs personified malchut of Atzilut as it exists in its native milieu, the world of Atzilut. The handmaids, on the other hand, personified malchut of Atzilut as it descends into the lower worlds. Precisely because the handmaids were able to descend into the lower worlds and elevate the powerful sparks of Divinity embedded there, they were able, through their association with Jacob, to reconstruct malchut itself, as personified by the matriarchs, enabling them to conceive.88
[18] Issachar: The name Issachar in Hebrew is spelled with two letter sin's (יששכר). However, the second sin is not pronounced.89
Issachar excelled in, and therefore personified, the study of the Torah,90 which comprises two dimensions: exoteric and esoteric. These two dimensions are alluded to by the repetition of the letter sin in Issachar's name. The second sin alludes to the esoteric dimension of Torah and therefore is not pronounced.91
20 His chief [permanent] abode: The tribe of Zebulun was primarily composed of merchants, as Jacob later prophesied in his blessings to this son: "Zebulun shall dwell by the ship's harbor."92 In naming Zebulun, Leah prophetically articulated the notion that the chief and permanent home of the Divine consciousness as personified by Jacob is in the business life that Zebulun would come to represent.
We know, however, that Jacob "lived in the tents" of Torah study.93 How can the spiritual pursuit of the Torah find its "permanent home" on the mundane terrain of Zebulun?
The answer is that we can make Divine consciousness truly and permanently part of this world only when we attain this consciousness while engaging in the pragmatic lifestyle of Zebulun. If we remain aloof from the mundane life, the spiritual strength and resilience of our souls remain untested. When, however, we are heavily involved in the affairs of this world and still set aside time for the study of Torah, the permanence inherent in our soul—its ability to assert itself even while outside its natural context—is revealed, and we create a permanent home for God.
In this respect, the Torah study of a "Zebulun" is infinitely superior to that of someone who is fully but solely immersed in "the tent of the Torah."
The same holds true for prayer. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi writes that people who are engaged in earning their livelihood in the mundane world incorrectly assume that they cannot pray as passionately and deeply as those who spend their lives fully immersed in the realm of Torah. The truth, however, is that the time they spend and the stress they experience outside the realm of Torah spur them on to greater passion in prayer and the ability to feel a limitless love for God.94
This is why it is the lot of most of our people to lead lives like Zebulun's, either immersed in the mundane world earning a living or as community activists. For it is precisely through sustaining and augmenting our Divine consciousness in such milieus that the purpose of creation is realized.95
A CLOSER LOOK
[21] She prayed for a girl, in order to save her sister Rachel from humiliation…she name her Dinah: The Written Torah does not make any mention of this prayer, nor does it tell us why Leah named her daughter "Dinah." This is indicates that Leah kept this prayer private so as not to shame Rachel, for whom she had prayed.96
24 May God add another son for me: Spiritually, Rachel's prayer encapsulates Joseph's mission in life—to turn "another," a seeming stranger, into a "son." Joseph's life consisted of taking the ultimate "other," the mundane world, which appears to be "another," separate from God, into something that evinces its Divine "lineage" and source.
In this, Joseph is our inspiration to reach out to those who seem estranged from God and reveal to them that they are in reality "sons," i.e., children, of God, quite at home in fulfilling God's will.97
This transformation is alluded to by the fact that the literal "other son" whom God granted Rachel was first named Ben-Oni, meaning "the son of my sorrow," but was afterward given the more optimistic name "the son of the south," meaning "the son born in the Land of Israel."98
Joseph's name also alludes to the path of personal repentance, wherein one transforms oneself from an estranged "other" into a "son" who belongs.
Significantly, the name Joseph (meaning "addition") does not apply to the transformed "other" but to the person who transforms this "other." This is because by transforming others, we also gain additional holiness and connection with God.99
Let us not feel inadequate and incapable of effecting such transformation; after all, we do not work unaided. The verse reads, "may God add for me another son"—we are merely God's "hands," and it is really He who welcomes His estranged sons home.100
Joseph was successful in transforming others because he himself was perfectly righteous. The Torah describes Joseph as "beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance,"101 alluding to the fact that he fulfilled the Torah in its entirety.102 The lesson for us is that the closer we are to achieving spiritual perfection, the easier it is for us to positively affect the lives of others.103
The words for "another son" (ben acher) can also be read as "a different son," meaning that even someone who is already a "son" can reach still higher levels of holiness, becoming an entirely different person.104
25 In the merit of his newborn son's unique spiritual qualities: As will be explained in the Overviews to parashat Mikeitz and parashat Vayigash, Joseph personified the ability to engage the world proactively—even descending into the realm of evil in order to elevate it—and emerge unscathed. This rendered him uniquely suited to confront Esau successfully.
27 It is on your account that <G> blessed me: Inasmuch as the mission of making the world into God's home has devolved principally upon the Jewish people, any facet of the world that assists a Jew in fulfilling his or her Divine mission thereby achieves its ultimate purpose. Thus, the presence of Jewish people in a place—especially the presence of Jews who are consciously loyal to their Divine mission—brings blessing to that place.105
During our exile, we are dependent to a certain extent upon the benevolence of the other nations. Nonetheless, we must always remember that, conversely, enlisting the help of non-Jews in our Divine mission helps them fulfill their Divine purpose, thereby bringing blessing upon them, as well.
This explains why, historically,106 the presence of the majority of the Jewish people in a particular country has, in most cases, made that country into the world's leading power.107
INNER DIMENSIONS
[37] He took…aspen…hazel…and chestnut: The combination of these different-colored sticks typifies the attribute of Jacob, which is tiferet (harmony and beauty).108
Specifically, the aspen sticks embodied chochmah, the hazel sticks embodied binah, and the chestnut sticks embodied da'at. By placing these sticks in the watering troughs, he drew Divine intellect into the emotions. This is exactly what we accomplish by wearing tefilin.109
However, unlike tefilin, which are holy objects, Jacob's sticks remained ordinary sticks when he was done using them. This is because before the Torah was given, physical objects could not absorb holiness.110
He peeled white stripes in them: Although Jacob's sticks were both red and white, he peeled additional white streaks in them in order to give supremacy to white, which signifies chesed ("kindness"). This is because in order to harmonize kindness and severity, kindness must dominate.111
[42] God had an angel bring the he-goats of these three types back: As explained above, in breeding Laban's flock, Jacob was drawing Divine consciousness into physical reality. There are two types of Godly energy that create and power the world: the energy that tailors itself to the limitations of physical reality (what we know as "nature"), and the energy that transcends the natural order of physical reality (which is revealed to us in the form of "miracles").112 In order to elicit the levels of Divine consciousness associated with each of these two types of Godly energy, he employed both natural and supra-natural means in predetermining the colorings of the animals.
The reason that the naturally-bred animals are referred to as "blotched," while the supra-naturally-bred animals are referred to as "belted," is as follows: Rashi defines "belted" as being encompassed by a white band, which was formed by a number of white blotches that bled into each other. In contrast, the blotches on the simply "blotched" animals did not overlap. The fact that the blotches on the "belted" animals joined to form one continuous band alludes to God's encompassing, transcendent creative energy (sovev kol almin). In contrast, the discrete blotches allude to God's limited creative energy (memalei kol almin), which tailors itself to every aspect of creation individually.113
43 The man thus became exceedingly prosperous: The Torah uses the word "exceedingly" to connote a level of success beyond the norm. Aside from his material wealth, Jacob also attained spiritual wealth: he succeeded in raising all of his children to follow in the righteous ways of Isaac and Abraham; furthermore, he did not produce a single wicked Esau or Ishmael.
This verse underscores the message of this entire parashah—that Jacob reached true spiritual success precisely because of his spiritually-successful involvement with Charan and the material world.114
He owned prolific flocks: Jacob earned his livelihood by working primarily with sheep, and he was paid principally with sheep. This was because spiritually, sheep represent the type of relationship with God that we must cultivate during our "sojourn with Laban," that is, when we are involved in the mundane world.
Our shepherd-flock relationship with God differs from our parent-child relationship with Him.115 In the parent-child relationship, we consider ourselves independent entities, apart from God, loving Him as a child loves a parent. In the shepherd-flock relationship, we are not aware of ourselves as independent entities; we are like sheep: humble and self-effacing.
Before leaving the Holy Land for Charan, Jacob evinced more the parent-child relationship with God. He spent his days immersed in studying the Torah, an occupation which requires us to be acutely aware of our own existence as we use our intellect to understand what we have learned. In journeying to the spiritually-dark world of Charan to fulfill his mission there, Jacob set aside his personal growth to become a selfless "sheep."
After Jacob acquired an abundance of sheep, "he was able to sell them…and, with these profits, purchase handmaids…servants…camels and donkeys." Spiritually, this means that he realized that with self-negation alone he could not fulfill his mission; he would have to employ additional aspects of his personality. Jacob knew that enlisting these other aspects (alluded to as "handmaids, servants, camels, and donkeys"116) would involve acting with self-awareness and self-assertion, which might undermine the self-negation he was seeking to cultivate in order to succeed in his encounter with Laban. He therefore "purchased" each of these aspects with "sheep," i.e., his experience of these aspects was predicated on and permeated with selflessness. This is also why Jacob continued to maintain sheep as his primary asset, so that his actions would always be permeated with selflessness.117
Chapter 31
INNER DIMENSIONS
[10] Ankle-ringed, white-speckled, and white-belted: The three types of animals Jacob produced from Laban's flocks signify the three distinct stages in the spiritual evolution of reality from its source in God's oneness into plurality.
Laban, whose name means "white" (lavan), alludes to the "supernal whiteness" (loven ha-elyon), or non-composite uniformity of God's simple essence.
The "ankle-ringed" (akudim) animals refer to the initial, embryonic stage of creation, in which the ten sefirot share one "vessel" or context, much as the limbs of an embryo are undifferentiated. In this context, the "lights" of the ten sefirot are to be imagined as being different bands of color striped or "ringed" on one vessel.
The "speckled" (nekudim) animals refer to the next stage of creation, in which each of the ten sefirot possesses its own vessel but, like an immature youth, is too self-absorbed to tolerate each other. Here, the ten sefirot are to be imagined as discrete "speckles."
The "belted" (berudim) animals refer to the final stage of creation, in which the ten sefirot metamorphose into "profiles" (partzufim) or human-like figures, capable of interacting with one another. As mentioned above, the "belts" around these sheep were composed of different blotches that bled into each other, forming one continuous band, similar to the way the sefirot in this stage each contain elements of all the others, enabling them to combine with one another.118
[23] He…pursued him: The Torah's commandments can be grouped into those that can be performed intentionally, such as giving charity, and those that can only be performed through some unintended circumstance, such as the commandment to leave the forgotten sheaf for the poor.119 (Although leaving a forgotten sheaf for the poor is a conscious act, forgetting the sheaf to begin with cannot be, since one cannot consciously forget something.)
The first type of commandment stems from God's explicit will. We are therefore able to exercise our will in choosing to perform them. But the second type stems from God's implicit will, which transcends His explicit will. We therefore cannot actively choose to perform these commandments.
Similarly, there were two types of Divine sparks embedded in Laban's domain: (a) those that were rooted in God's explicit will and could therefore be redeemed through Jacob's conscious efforts and (b) those that were rooted in the Divine essence and therefore could not be redeemed through conscious effort. During the years that Jacob spent with Laban, he succeeded in redeeming and elevating all of the sparks of holiness belonging to the first type that were trapped in Charan. The latter type of sparks could only be redeemed through some sort of Divine initiative.
As we have seen,120 in his Divine source, Laban embodies the non-composite uniformity of God's simple essence. Allegorically, then, Laban's pursuit of Jacob signified the Divine essence initiating the process of redeeming the second sort of sparks.121
30 You longed repeatedly for your father's home: As we have seen, Jacob's sojourn with Laban portended our own sojourn in exile. Just as Jacob was never comfortable in his place of exile and constantly yearned to return to his father's home, so must we, too, yearn for our Father's "home." No matter how successful we are in fulfilling our Divine mission in exile, we must never allow ourselves to feel complacent or comfortable. When we consider how long the exile has continued, we might erroneously feel that our longing has not born any fruit. The truth is, however, that the more pain we feel over the intolerable length of the exile, the more we should intensify our longing for the Redemption.122
40 Consumed by day by scorching heat and at night by frost, and sleep deserted my eyes: Our bodies belong to God; we therefore have no right to afflict them or injure them.123 Nevertheless, we derive from Jacob's behavior that in order to earn a living, we are permitted to engage in work that might afflict the body.124 Spiritually, this means that Jacob sacrificed his own comfort in order to redeem the sparks of holiness embedded in Laban's domain. Like Jacob, we too should engage in our Divine mission even at the expense of our personal comfort.125
Sleep deserted my eyes: Jacob was so devoted to his work that throughout the twenty years he worked for Laban, he never lay down to sleep.126 As we have seen, Jacob saw his work as a means of harnessing the holy energy that existed in Laban's domain.
He was also well aware of Laban's efforts to corrupt him and to thwart his spiritual success. Jacob therefore never "slept," but rather remained constantly vigilant, ensuring that he remain true to the ideals of Torah so that he would succeed in his mission.
Jacob remained focused on his mission by constantly immersing himself in prayer. The Midrash relates that Jacob recited psalms, particularly Psalms 120-134, all of which open with the words "A song of ascents."127 These fifteen psalms correspond to the fifteen years in which the lives of all three patriarchs overlapped.128 By reciting these psalms, Jacob evoked the merit and strength of his father and grandfather, which, together with his own merits and strength, enabled him to withstand the spiritual darkness of Charan.
Additionally, the content of these fifteen psalms related poignantly to Jacob's situation. When he said the words, "I lift my eyes to the mountains, from where will my aid come? My aid comes from God, Creator of heaven and earth,"129 he reinforced his conviction that he could not rely solely on his own efforts, but had to invoke God's help to succeed.
These fifteen psalms are all entitled "songs," denoting joy, for by renewing our trust in God, we renew our confidence in our success. Thus, Jacob managed to remain joyful despite his disheartening sojourn with Laban, for he realized that through this sojourn, he would grow spiritually and merit fathering righteous children, who were to become the foundations of the Jewish people. Jacob could be joyful because his constantly renewed faith allowed him to foresee the immense rewards of his tribulations.
The ideal of remaining joyful despite adversity is expressed in the final verse of the first of these fifteen psalms: "I am for peace, but when I speak, [my enemies] are for war."130 Spiritually, this means that although we seek to fulfill our Divine mission in peace, unencumbered by the adversity of spiritual darkness and temptation, God presents us with challenges and tests. Nonetheless, when we cultivate the proper attitude, these tests not only do not distract us from our Divine mission; on the contrary, they call forth our inner strength and joy.
As we have seen, Jacob's sojourn with Laban prefigures our sojourn in exile. Like Jacob, we too are immersed in intense spiritual darkness. It is not difficult for us to at times to despond and cry out in desperation, "From where will my aid come?" But it is precisely at such moments that we are enjoined to recall that the very purpose of the darkness is to elevate us to greater heights, to bring us to the time of true spiritual enlightenment in the messianic age. When we focus on the ultimate goal and objective, we are not only undeterred by the darkness of exile, we are filled with joy.
In practical terms, we learn from Jacob that as we pursue our mundane affairs, immersed in "Charan," we can—and must—simultaneously pursue holy matters. Whenever we have a free moment, we should use it for prayer or studying the Torah. We are then assured of God's assistance in helping us fulfill the mission for which we were sent to "Charan."131
42 If the God of my father—the God of Abraham, Isaac's dread—had not been with me: As we have mentioned, Abraham personified love and kindness (chesed) and Isaac personified stringency and awe (gevurah). Jacob was the embodiment of the third of the ten Divine attributes, beauty (tiferet), meaning a harmonious blending of opposites. Jacob successfully blended the traits of Abraham and Isaac; he was therefore able to state that both the God of Abraham and the Dread of Isaac were with him, i.e., synthesized and incorporated into his life.132
43 The children are my children, the flocks are my flocks: Laban's claim against Jacob can be understood as the eternal dispute between the spiritual "Laban"—the voices from within and without that seek to thwart our spiritual progress—and the spiritual "Jacob"—our Divine souls. "Laban" says to us:
"I am willing to concede that you should live your life Jewishly. After all, you belong to the old generation, so it's okay for you to be old-fashioned. But I'm not willing to yield the children—the new generation. Why should they grow up adhering to these outdated rituals? These children are the product of modern times and should be raised in the spirit of modernity and progress!
"Furthermore, your obstinate adherence to religious observance is only acceptable in the synagogue, when you are praying or studying the Torah. But when you are outside the synagogue, 'tending your flocks' and pursuing your livelihood, you must do it my way. You must leave behind the Torah's moral and ethical standards of behavior and conduct business in the 'normal,' unscrupulous manner. Otherwise, how do you expect to earn a living?"133
The response to Laban's claim is obvious: Although materiality may appear to be the domain of Laban alone, it is in fact very much part of God's domain; our mission is to elevate it and sanctify it by conducting our affairs it in accordance with the Torah's lofty expectations of us.134
Laban's claim also exists on a deeper level. He understood that Jacob was involved in the material world only for the sake of refining it, and he was also aware that God is the true and sole source of sustenance. But, Laban claimed, one who wrestles with a filthy opponent will soon himself become filthy.135 Our involvement with mundane activities, regardless of our intentions, perforce corrupts us, marring our previously unsullied connection with God. Involvement in the business world demands total immersion in the culture and approach of that world, forcing us to behave similarly to our colleagues.
The truth, however, is that when our involvement in the material world is firmly based on purely spiritual intentions, we do not become sullied or corrupted. On the contrary: we are elevated. With the proper precautions, we will not only not be influenced by our environment, but sanctify it, and grow spiritually from the challenge.136
52 I will not cross over to you…you will not cross over to me…with hostile intent. We may, however, cross beyond it for business purposes: Upon parting from his father-in-law, Jacob symbolically expressed these conditions for their continued relationship—which allowed for some interaction between him and Laban—by constructing a mound of stones. As opposed to a solid wall, a mound is a collection of unconnected stones, signifying that the separation is not absolute.137 Spiritually, this means that Jacob was not erecting an impenetrable barrier between himself and the realm of Laban. He would continue to enter Laban's realm for the "business" of harnessing the sparks of holiness that reside there, but he would do so while remaining detached from the Laban-like approach to life.
Similarly, the "mound" we erect to distinguish between ourselves and the mundane world around us must be left semi-permeable. Although we must cross that mound in order to conduct our business of sanctifying the material world, we at the same time must remain aloof from its materialism.138
A CLOSER LOOK
[54] Jacob then slaughtered animals on the mountain: As a rule, the Torah does not detail the preparations made for feasts139 unless there is what to be learned from the particulars of the preparations. The Torah therefore goes into great detail in describing the feast Abraham prepared for the angels,140 for example, in order to demonstrate Abraham's hospitality, which should serve as an example for us. In this verse, because Jacob was eating with people who had not undertaken to follow the Torah's laws, as he had, he had to slaughter the animals himself, to ensure that the meat would be kosher.141
Chapter 32
2 Since their mission was to bring him into the Land of Israel, they were permitted by God to leave its borders for this purpose: In other words, when Jacob left the Land of Israel, the angels of the Land of Israel could not be permitted to leave its borders to escort him.142 But when he returned, they were permitted to leave its borders, since leaving the land for the express purpose of welcoming him and accompanying him back was not considered "leaving" the land.
On a deeper level, the change in the angels' behavior reflects their distinct roles:143
When Jacob was on his way to Charan, the angels were sent as an escort to provide him with the spiritual power necessary to succeed in his mission there. When he returned, the angels were sent to complete the work he had done in elevating the environment outside the Land of Israel. Once Jacob had done all he was able to do on his own, and after Laban had pursued him and kissed his children, etc. (as explained in our comments on the previous verse), God concluded Jacob's mission by sending the angels of the Land of Israel, who left its borders to sanctify the land outside it with the sanctity of the Land of Israel.
These two functions of the angels have their parallel in our exile from the Land of Israel and our return to it. When we were exiled from the Land of Israel in order to sanctify the entire world, God granted us the spiritual power to succeed in this mission. And in these final days of exile, we enjoy the protection of both types of angels: those who protect us in our temporary sojourn in the lands of the Diaspora, as well as those who have left the Land of Israel in order to escort us back. Knowing that God has provided us with both types of angels affords us a heightened appreciation of the significance of our mission, as well as the strength of purpose to remain focused upon its completion.144
INNER DIMENSIONS
[1] Laban arose early in the morning, kissed his grandsons and his daughters, and blessed them: As we have seen,145 Laban in his Divine source embodies the Divine essence. Spiritually, then, Laban's kiss alludes to God's "kissing" Jacob's children and all his future descendants, granting them the ultimate experience of oneness with God's essence.
This revelation of the Divine essence gave Jacob the strength to overcome Esau's angel, whom Jacob encountered shortly afterward.146
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