Vaietzé 5777 - English

By Rabbi Daniel A. Kripper

Beth Israel - Aruba.

The Talmud traces a parallelism between the three Patriarchs and the three daily services in our tradition.  Each of them instituted a particular prayer.

Clearly this association does not refer to the historical origins of the prayer in Israel.  It is well-known that prayers were developed and established much later, maybe a thousand years after the days of the founders of the Hebrew people.  The Talmud refers to spontaneous prayers from back then which were later formalized in the Sidur, in the traditional book of prayer.  What the Talmud sages meant is that the patriarchs and matriarchs planted the spiritual roots that would flourish in future generations. 

In this context, Jacob is considered the author of the maariv prayer, the evening prayer.  He is the only character in the Torah of whom we learn he prayed at night fall. 

Maybe this disposition towards praying is related to the dramatic episodes in Jacob’s life.  This week’s parashah narrates a passage from his personal history in exile. 

The initial verses recount how he fled Canaan, the home of his parents, and it ends with his return to his natal land.  He stayed away from his family for twenty years at the service of his uncle Laban.  Paradoxically, through his misadventures and adversities, Jacob went through a notable spiritual transformation. 

He left his home alone, without any means and escaping from his brother Esau’s rage.  After twenty years, he returned as the head of a numerous family, graced by fortune and prestige, and with the necessary force to face Esau in any eventuality.  The Torah describes this process with precise details.  Clearly, it is not a story of rags to riches about Jacob’s prosperous life, but a description of a crucial phase in his personal development.  

Jacob was capable of enduring the rigors of exile under the yolk of a vile exploiter like Laban, a name that paradoxically means ‘white’ in Hebrew. 

Jacob never surrendered to these difficulties, advancing against wind and tide, driven by true courage of conviction, elevating his eyes to the sky in the midst of the toughest circumstances.  It is not a coincidence that the sages attribute to him the evening service. 

He was able to traverse the valley of shadows, drawing strength and a sense of purpose from his moments of prayer and contemplation.

Unfortunately, many pages of Jewish history register dark and perilous occasions.  Jacob set the example for future generations as a spiritual explorer of untraversed paths.  Thus he became an exemplary figure for his descendants, by returning home “shalem”, which as Rashi interprets, means safe and sound, body and soul. 

The changes in his life inspire us to not loose ourselves in times of darkness, through the certainty that they will allow us to see clearly horizons of light. 

Rabbi Daniel Kripper

Beth Israel Aruba