Symbolic Stones
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
One of the most iconic scenes in Parshat Vayetzei, even depicted in art, is Yaakov Avinu asleep on the road as he is fleeing from Esau. He is dreaming of the ladder whose feet are planted on the earth but whose head reaches heavenward with angels ascending and descending it. The focus of most of these pictures is the dream. If Jacob is included with relative importance, he is seen as asleep on an oversized boulder, if on any rock. Yet the Torah details that Yaakov took rocks and arranged them around his head, and when he awoke, there was one rock. While the medrash says that the rocks fought for the privilege of supporting Yaakov's head, this medrash requires further examination. Rashi then explains that Yaakov arranged the rocks around the three sides of his head, keeping one stone as a pillow, to deter evil, wild animals from attacking. The logical question is how would these stones, especially only around his head, act as a deterrent to attacking beasts? Further, Chazal tell us that this stone became the cornerstone of the Beit Hamikdosh. This/these stones must have special significance.
Where did these stones come from? Again, the medrash provides the information. These were the stones of the altar for the binding of Yitzchak, and the Yefei Toar explains that although there were no stones around his body, Yaakov would sense an animal at his leg. The stones around his head would provide him with the few extra seconds to escape.
Rabbi Pinto asks an additional question. When man retains and reflects the true tzelem Elokhim/image of God, animals are afraid of him. [Adam and Chavah did not need "special garments" to provide protection before the sin. CKS] Certainly, Yaakov Avinu retained this image, so much so that the angels, seeing Yaakov's countenance at the Throne of Glory were in awe. Why did Yaakov find it necessary to add protection?
Rabbi Pinto explains that evil animals come to the world as a result of false oaths, and the false oath damages not only the oath taker, but also the one who extracted the oath. Yaakov was afraid that because he had made Esau swear to the sale of the birthright, he would be liable. For when Esau went to get Yitzchak's blessing, he said that Yaakov took the birthright from him, disavowing the legitimate sale. Since Yaakov had made Esau swear, he feared that he too would now be in danger.
When one swears falsely, he is profaning the name of God. Animals never lie, are never false to their nature, writes Rabbi Bunim in Ethics of Our Fathers. Since Yaakov caused Esau to swear falsely retroactively, Yaakov was afraid of wild animals.
In truth, everything is in Hashem's hands, both the obviously miraculous and the seemingly natural. Since Yaakov knew this, he could sleep peacefully in spite of possible danger. But within this great faith, one must also put in his own effort/hishtadlus and make the miraculous appear natural. That is why Yaakov put in the minimal effort of building some flimsy protection of rocks around his head, teaches the Saba of Kelm. We must do our minimum, but having done that, we must not keep worrying and questioning if we should have done more, adds Letitcha Elyon, based on Rav Yechezkel Levenstein. That doubt indicates a flaw in our emunah. It was this faith in Hakodosh Boruch Hu that motivated the Chashmonaim to light the little bit of oil and hope that Hashem would add to their effort. Indeed, the miracle became supernatural, with eight days of light. Yaakov was teaching us that by protecting his head and gaining those extra few seconds of safety, doing a bare minimum, Hashem would do the rest.
This is the theme of Parshat Vayetzei, writes Rabbi Friedlander, the Sifsei Chaim. While we must pray to Hashem, we must also do our own hishtadlus. The two are partners. While we do our natural work, we must acknowledge that the results are in Hashem's control.
The Tolna Rebbe takes our discussion into the allegorical realm. How is it possible that Yaakov Avinu thought it adequate to protect only his head? Because he was not protecting his body from wild animals, but his mind from evil thoughts that the yetzer hora would send to his mind at the vulnerable moments of going to asleep. We too must protect ourselves from the evil thoughts of the yetzer hora when we go to sleep.
Yaakov's action in a time of potential danger is meant to teach us how to act when we find ourselves in all kinds of danger, most particularly in spiritual danger. During times of spiritual upheaval in the streets of the city, we protect ourselves and pray that we retain clarity, recognize truth and retain our faith in Hakodosh Boruch Hu, writes Rabbi Walkin zt"l in Daas Chaim Umussar. [Rabbi Walkin was definitely speaking to our generation and the often subtle influence of the media in our woke generation. CKS]
In Chayei Moshe, Rabbi Bick explains that there are two ways to fight the yetzer horo, you can run away, or you can confront it. Yaakov Avinu initially avoids the yetzer horo by running to and learning in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever for fourteen years. But now that he is about to enter the impure world of his uncle Lavan he needs to confront the yetzer horo "head on" and control it. The stones are a metaphor for the yetzer horo, the pitfalls the yetzer horo places in our path. When Yaakov awoke and felt he had gained control of the yetzer horo underneath his head, he named the place Beit El, the place to build the House of God.
When Yaakov arrived in Haran, he is confronted with a huge rock on the well. With his renewed spiritual strength, he rolled that stone off the well as if it were a cork in a bottle, and revealed the glory of God beneath.
Stones are the theme of this parshah. They appear at the beginning, on Yaakov's departure from his home, in the middle, arriving in Haran, and at the end, when Yaakov and Lavan formalize a treaty, notes the Rabbi Breslover in Lemachar Aatir. He notes, based on Rashi in Parshat Vayechi, that (a)even is a contraction of Av(b)/father and ben/son. [This is one reason one puts a stone on a matzevah, when visiting a parents grave.] These three episodes create the continuity from father to son and form the building blocks of the family that will become Bnei Yisroel. The first episode, putting the rocks under his head, represents Yaakov's mindset and goal of building the twelve Godly Tribes. He envisions the twelve individual tribes forming one nation that will all serve Hashem and build a House of God. Each Jewish home will be a mini Beit Hamikdosh, and each Jewish table will be a mini altar.
The second episode, removing the rock, refers to the stage of actually building the twelve tribes, all of whom will contain the spiritual essence of the Patriarchs and draw up the spiritual waters. He must do the work and actualize the vision.
In the final episode, Yaakov Avinu builds a wall as a sign of strength that separates him from Lavan. He must leave Lavan, separate from that impurity, and raise his family in the sanctity of Eretz Yisroel. Yaakov, and we, must put in our effort and pray that Hashem blesses the results.
The Shvilei Pinchas, using a homiletic interpretation, puts this entire first episode into a historical perspective going back to Adam Harishon. Our Sages say that Yaakov was a reincarnation of Adam, and as such, he was tasked with rectifying the original sin. Since Adam brought death to the world, albeit inadvertently, he was exiled not to a refuge city, [obviously they hadn't yet been established, but the premise was laid here CKS] but out of Eden. Here too, Yaakov was "exiled" to Haran, fearing that Esau would kill him. When Yaakov realized Hashem had made night fall early, he understood the significance of this particular spot as the place where his father Yitzchak had been bound as an offering, and as the spot Adam himself had brought an offering to God. Therefore, he himself lay down on this same place, surrounding his head with rocks to protect it.
If we now examine the Torah account of Adam's creation and the medrashim these verses elicit, we will note that Adam was created dust from the earth. The medrash says that while many parts of the body were formed from dust from all around the earth, Adam's head was formed from the dust where the Beit Hamikdosh would ultimately stand. Further, it was the organs of the head that enticed Eve/Adam to sin: Her ears heard the snake, her eyes saw the fruit as enticing, she touched and tasted the fruit. Therefore, suggests the Shvilei Pinchas, Yaakov Avinu wanted to surround his head to continue the tikun/rectification his father and grandfather had begun at this very site.
The Shvilei Pinchas continues with one further idea. Bnei Yisroel are privileged to live in Eretz Yisroel as long as their head is aligned with the will of Hashem. He sees in the name Yisroel/ישראל an anagram of לי ראש the head is mine/under my control. If your head is in control, you do not need to protect the rest of your body.
The Sichot Chizuk explains that when Yaakov Avinu took from the stones, he was teaching us that when we are confronted with challenges, we should take them, put them under our head, overcome them, and thereby elevate them, for under their darkness is great light. The struggle itself, taking these stones and putting them around your head, is what helps build the Beit Hamikdosh; it's what makes it a matzeivah/monument, adds Rabbi Silberberg in Sichot Hitchazkut. We don't want these challenges, but when we climb atop them, we come closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
Rabbi Belsky now focuses on the ladder. We must continue to climb, to strive, to keep the vision before us, knowing that we are obligated to do our work, but also accepting that the results are up to Hashem.
The stones that Yaakov Avinu encountered at different stages of his life represent history, vision and struggle. As such, they are more precious than diamonds.