Parshat Vayetze: Yaakov Avinu’s Exile is Our Own Exile

Rabbi Pinchas Punturello is a Straus-Amiel graduate serving as Director of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the Ibn Gavirol School in Madrid, Spain

“And Yaakov went out from Be’er Sheva and went toward Haran.  And he lighted upon the place, and tarried there all night…”  (Bereishit 28:10-11).  

Our exile begins in this very verse, in the life of Yaakov Avinu and all that befell him, in keeping with the words of the Ramban that “the events that befall the fathers, are a sign unto their children” (Ramban on Bereshit 12:6).  

Yaakov’s personal exile and his longing to return to his homeland has become a symbol, an archetype of sorts, for the exile of the Jewish People living far away from its Land.  According to one interpretation, in much the same way that Yaakov never lost the hope of returning to the land of his forefathers and his eyes were constantly raised, as it were, towards the Land, so, too, the hearts and eyes of every Jew are perpetually pointed towards the Land of Israel.  

God’s words to Yaakov – “I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou go, and will bring thee back into this land” (Bereshit 28:15) evoke apprehension, but are also infused with hope and anticipation, making it clear that there will ultimately be a return home.  This symbolic illustration of anticipation intertwined with certainty has always characterized Jews in the Diaspora, irrespective of their religious affiliation, their knowledge of the history of Zionism or their involvement in Israeli politics.  

We are constantly witness to this anticipation coupled with certainty in our daily lives.  It is clearly manifest in our daily prayers in which we say three times a day: “And may our eyes see Your return to Zion with mercy”.  Similarly, we end the Seder night with the words “Next year in Jerusalem”.  Clearly, the eyes of the Jewish People are always facing Zion, hoping for return, while the hearts know in certainty that one day there will be a return to the Promised Land.  

The Talmud in the tractate of Chulin (91:2) explains the verses with which we opened, and offers a detailed and rather unique description of the turn of events in our portion. 

Yaakov leaves for Charan and “lights upon” a specific spot where he sleeps and dreams of angels going up and down a ladder.  We know for a fact that this place was inside the Land of Israel.  If so, how is it possible that he had already arrived in Charan, as the verse seems to suggest? 

In order to resolve this difficulty, the Gemara teaches us that Yaakov had indeed arrived in Charan, but then returned to Eretz Yisrael.  In fact, his journey back to the Land was a miraculous one, and Yaakov was able to travel the long distance in a very short time.  According to this interpretation, Yaakov turns back [after having reached Charan] because he realized that he had passed through the place where his fathers, Avraham and Yitzhak, had prayed.  Hence, he decides to go back and, quite miraculously, “lights upon” the very spot – Har HaMoriya – where the Beit HaMikdash would later be built.  Why does Yaakov return to the Land he had just left just for the sake of praying?

Yaakov had crossed the border, transitioning from the Land of Israel into an existence of Exile, where he would have to grapple with a different level of spirituality than the one with which he was familiar.  It is in Exile, away from the Land, that he would have to confront a society in which appearances and materialistic wealth were held in higher regard than all else, as explained by Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler of blessed memory, author of the book Michtav Me’Eliyahu. 

Yaakov was not yet ready to deal with such a serious spiritual hazard.  He realized that the level of spirituality he was used to was very far removed from the one prevailing outside of his homeland, and it is this realization that led him to go back and pray, without a moment’s delay.  His return to the very same spot where his father and grandfather before him had prayed expresses the fact that Yaakov girds himself with strength and finds a new dimension of vitality which will help him find his own self in his new reality.

But the real lesson lies in the tremendous effort made by Yaakov throughout his journey in his attempt to maintain a certain level of spirituality.  Until that moment he had never been compelled to leave the protective tents of his family and confront the dangers of the outside world. 

The only physical and spiritual danger he had ever faced was the hatred of his brother Esav following the episode of the blessings.  At this point in his life, however, when he leaves the Land of Israel for a place where the culture was so utterly different, Yaakov feels obliged to go back and pray in the place considered to be most sacred by his fathers before him, for the sake of his descendants after him. 

A possible encounter with Esav did not deter him from turning back, all in the purpose of setting foot in the very spot where his grandfather Avraham was willing to sacrifice his son, Yaakov’s own father, Yitzhak.  

In this exact spot, Yaakov’s descendants would later stand and pray, forming an eternal bond with the Almighty.  This was all made possible in merit of Yaakov’s decision to go back one more time before leaving for a long exile.  This act of going back to the Land before exiting, ultimately means putting Torah and Jewish identity at the core of our existence, viewing these as fundamental values, key components of our personal lives, our family circle and our existence as a nation.