Post by R' Y'hoshua Moshe on Nov 15, 2007 16:27:19 GMT -8
Rock Of Yisrael
& The Messenger Of The Covenant
A d’rash on Parashah Vayetze
By Re’uel D.[/center]
We remember from parashah Toldot that Ya’akov and his mother Rivkah (Rebecca) had clamored to deceitfully take Esav’s blessing. Indeed, in B’resheet (Gen.) 27:35 Yitzchak states, … "Your brother came deceitfully and took away your blessing." From the very beginning of this whole situation Ya’akov didn’t feel too great about this twisted plan. In B’resheet 27:12 Ya’akov says in response to hearing his mother’s master plan, “Suppose my father touches me — he'll know I'm trying to trick him, and I'll bring a curse on myself, not a blessing!". Many times when we feel something like this we should be careful and consider whether or not the Divine Presence of Adonai, the Ruach Hakodesh, is trying to convict us of something. Have you ever started out doing something knowing that it didn’t quite sit right with you only to later find that it turned out to be a disaster? Do you ever feel like you always do things the hard way?? If so, we can find comfort in knowing the Patriarch Ya’akov, as we will have a lot in common with him.
Sometimes in life we find ourselves in less than desirable circumstances (many times of our own making). If Ya’akov could have heard me during the point in his life that the events of this parashah were taking place he may have given me a hearty “amein!”. But, conjecture aside, you have heard the saying, “You made your bed, now sleep in it”. Ya’akov now had to deal with the consequences of his own actions. Even though his mother said that she would take the curse upon herself…even so, one cannot blame other people for the actions you chose to take. At any rate, it was certainly time for Ya’akov to move on and thus the name of our parashah, “Vayetze”, which means, “And, he went out”. As usual, this week’s parashah is named after the beginning verse of our reading. In the Hebrew it states, “Vayetze Ya’akov Mib’eir Shava vayeilech Charana” which means, “And went out (or departed) Ya’akov from Be’er Shava and he went toward Charana”. Sometimes, when we make mistakes or we have angered people in our lives to the point that they want to either murder us or to the point that they want nothing to do with us, it is time to move on. And, this can be healthy for both parties involved as we see in parashah Vayetze.
Sometimes, these fresh new starts are exactly what we need. Although inconvenient, we should look forward to these times that God moves us forward and breaks us out of our previous molds. As we see in Ya’akov’s situation, God can work through the mess to accomplish His will. Adonai uses these situations to mold us and work with us as in our previous situation and environment we were not as pliable or workable. And, many times Adonai tosses us in the frying-pan and adds a little spice to life so that we become more savory individuals…individuals whom will eventually become the salt of the Earth. So, Ya’akov moves on from Be’er Sheva and is led towards a place called “Charana”, the beginning of Ya’akov’s frying-pan experience. Indeed, the name of this place in Hebrew can mean “parched”. It comes from the root word “kharar”, which can mean, “to glow, to melt, burn, kindle.”. And, you would have thought that this is exactly what may have happened to Ya’akov, as we see in 28:13 it states, “Then suddenly YHVH was standing there next to him; and he said, "I am YHVH, the Elohim of Avraham your father and the Elohim of Yitz'chak.”
How is it that Adonai, the God of Avraham and Yitzchak is standing right next to Ya’akov without Ya’akov being annihilated, burned, melted, or kindled? Granted, this was a dream that Ya’akov was having. But, think about it, even in a dream it would be quite the shocker to see the God of the Universe suddenly standing right next to you…no warning, no nothing…just suddenly Adonai is standing right next to you. Even in a dream, what does that look like?? How is it that Ya’akov is able to be in the direct presence of Adonai (even in a dream)? In parashah Ki Tisa we read Adonai say the following in Shemot (Exo.) 33:20-21,
“But my face," he continued, "you cannot see, because a human being cannot look at me and remain alive. Here," he said, "is a place near me; stand on the rock.”
I believe just as Moshe was positioned on the rock, so too Adonai reveals Himself to us through the Rock of Yisrael. This Rock will protect us and shield us from the death that otherwise would surely come forth to us. If we position ourselves firmly on this Rock we will have nothing to fear. But, as we also see at the beginning of parashah Vayetze this Rock is also something we can rest upon and lay our head on as we see Ya’akov did in B’resheet 28:11. Although, before we find rest and protection from this Rock, we must seek it out.
It is interesting in the beginning of verse 11 in some versions it states, “He came (or encountered) [to] a certain place, and stayed the night there”. That is good and fine and a valid translation, but can it mean something else? What is translated as “He came” or “He encountered” comes from the Hebrew word, “Vayeef’ga”. The root of this word is “pawgah” which can mean to, “to impinge, cause to entreat, fall (upon), make intercession, intercessor, intreat, lay, pray, reach, run”. Why may this be important to understand? Because instead of Ya’akov just simply happening upon a certain place (as some translations put it), we very well may be finding Ya’akov entreating Adonai and praying to Him during this trial in his life. And, I believe this is exactly what Ya’akov did. In the Chumash we also read that the Sages interpreted this Hebrew word “Vayeef’ga”, commonly translated as “encountered” to have the less common meaning “prayed”. Rashi also notes that because this took place just before he layed down to go to sleep that it was Ya’akov that instituted “ar’veet” or the “maariv”, the Evening Prayer. In this dark night season of Ya’akov’s life he sought direction from The Elohim of Avraham and Yitzchak.
Ya’akov had essentially been exiled from his place of living, not to return until further notice. But, when the time was right, when Adonai chose, Ya’akov would return to his land and would realize the promises of Adonai. In the Artscroll weekday Orthodox Siddur it states the following about the “maariv” prayer in connection with this parashah,
“Ramban comments that the “night” of this prophetic text refers to the long exile that Ya’akov’s offspring would experience at the hands of Esav’s descendents – Yisrael’s current, seemingly endless exile….Ya’akov’s trials and difficulties seem endless. He was forced to flee from family, home, and country because his brother wished to kill him. He worked honestly and diligently for his father-in-law for twenty years, was deceived countless times, and because of the great resentment that others had for his success, he had to flee again. Only Divine intervention saved his life….For close to 2,000 years, the Jewish nation has been exiled from it’s land and has suffered communal and personal persecution, humiliation, and difficulty. Nevertheless, they derived strength from the great faith of Ya’akov as expressed in his Maariv, the prayer of the distressed. Tehellim (Psalms) 92:1-2 states,
“It is good to give thanks to YHVH and sing praises to your name, `Elyon, to tell in the morning about your grace and at night about your faithfulness”
In Berachot 12a the Sages note that this passage was a reflection of the Shacharis and Maariv prayers. “Dawn symbolizes the hope-filled time when we can see the redemption, success, and prosperity of our nation; nights symbolize times when we are beset by failure, problems, and foreboding. The prayer of the night, which is characterized by faith, calls upon Yisrael to believe that God will redeem His chosen ones in the future, as He had saved them from the exile and persecution from the time they were in Egypt and onward.”
And, the Rock of Yisrael is where Ya’akov will receive his salvation. Back in B’resheet 28:11 the Rabbis have an interesting midrashic conjecture. The Sages note that the Hebrew phrase, “vayikach mayavney” meant that Ya’akov took several stones to lay around his head. But, in verse eighteen we see that there is only one stone that he picks up that he was sleeping on (as reflected in the singular Hebrew word “haeven”). The Rabbis have several conjectures to how this came about. One version is that the stones began quarreling, each one saying, “Upon me shall this righteous man rest his head: Thereupon God combined them all into one stone. The Sages also teach that the stones symbolized the nation that Ya’akov would soon establish. They teach that there were twelve stones, which coalesced into one. They represented the twelve tribes each of them unique and with its own separate mission – but all of them united in a single nation.
Although, there was one other interpretation that caught my attention. In Bereishit Rabbah 68:11 Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht notes that there were three stones representing the “Yichud Shem”, which is translated as the “Unity of (the) Name”. Interestingly enough, they interpret this to be the divine essences of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov that were merged. But, I see this concept of “Yichud Shem” in a more Messianic light. I interpret the three stones to be a unity of The Name as found in the unity of the Divine essence between “HaAv, HaBen, v’Ruach HaKodesh” - The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. They can add that to the Midrashim later… : ) And, although it is a paradox, we see that the fullness of the “Yichud Shem” dwells in Yeshua Hamashiach,
“Be careful that you don't let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Messiah. For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power”. - Collosians 2:8-10
After Ya’akov had entreated Adonai and had finished his evening prayers we find that the result was a wonderful dream. In B’resheet (Gen.) 28:12-13 we read, “He dreamt that there before him was a ladder resting on the ground with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of YHVH were going up and down on it. Then suddenly YHVH was standing there next to him; and he said, "I am YHVH, the Elohim of Avraham your father and the Elohim of Yitz'chak. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants.”
As the men of our Synagogue got together for our weekly
study we discussed parashah Vayetze. During our discussion our brother Yochanan brought to light a wonderful connection to the writings of the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant) and this parashah. In Yochanan 1:48-51 we read, “Natan'el said to him, "How do you know me?" Yeshua answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Natan'el said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Isra'el!" Yeshua answered him, "you believe all this just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that!" Then he said to him, "Yes indeed! I tell you that you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man!"To an observant Jew like Natan’el this statement would have brought to mind parashah Vayetze and Ya’akov’s dream, as a similar description is found. This dream was prophetic and very Messianic. As seen in the writings of the Bri Chadashah (New Cov.), the heavens opening up in connection with Angels going up and coming down is associated with the presence of Messiah. So, is it any wonder that in Ya’akov’s dream after this happens suddenly it says that Adonai was standing right next to him confirming the covenant of his fathers? Could this actually be HaMashiach (The Messiah) whom was speaking with Ya’akov assuring Him of the Covenant made to his fathers? I think so. In Malachi 3:1 it speaks of Messiah in the following manner, "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!" says YHVH of hosts.
Yeshua The Messiah is “The Messenger of The Covenant”. Indeed, He is the living
! And, we see Him in action once again in this parashah. We also see this concept of Messiah’s presence with Angels ascending and descending in Acts 1:9-11…“After saying this, he was taken up before their eyes; and a cloud hid him from their sight. As they were staring into the sky after him, suddenly they saw two men dressed in white standing next to them. The men said, "You Galileans! Why are you standing, staring into space? This Yeshua, who has been taken away from you into heaven, will come back to you in just the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
Yeshua HaMashiach is The Anointed One Of Adonai and at times He is referred to as “The Arm Of The Lord” (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 53:1) as this is one expressed method that Adonai chooses to reach into our world in a tangible way. Messiah is the intermediary between Heaven and Earth. He is the connection between Heaven and Earth. He is “The Messenger of The Covenant”. Like a rock He is stationary and present while interacting with God’s people all throughout Yisrael’s history. In the book of Acts 4:11-12 it states,
"This Yeshua is the stone rejected by you builders which has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else! For there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by whom we must be saved!"
Another well-known title for Messiah is “Mashiach Ben Yosef”, which is generally used to describe the suffering servant aspect of Messiah. This concept is taken from the Biblical Yosef as he played the role of a suffering servant that later saved his family and his father Ya’akov from destruction. In B’resheet 49:22-24 it states,
"Yosef is a fruitful plant, a fruitful plant by a spring, with branches climbing over the wall. The archers attacked him fiercely, shooting at him and pressing him hard; but his bow remained taut; and his arms were made nimble by the hands of the Mighty One of Ya`akov, from there, from the Shepherd, the Rock of Isra'el”
And truly, it is this Rock that we can rest our heads upon. It is He whom gives us peace of mind during times of thick darkness. It is He whom will see us through our dark night. And, it is He whom will confirm The Covenant. If you have not put your full trust in Him, it is about time that you do.
