There’s No Place Like Home
And Yisrael traveled and all that was his. And he came to Be’er Sheva and he offered sacrifices to the G-d of his father Yitzchak. And G-d said to Yisrael in a vision at night – and He said: Yaakov, Yaakov. And he said: I am here. And He said: I am the G-d, the G-d of your father. Do not fear to descend to Egypt for I will make you there into a great nation. I will descend with you to Egypt. And I will also bring you up. And Yosef will place his hand upon your eyes. Yaakov arose from Be’er Sheva and Bnai Yisrael carried Yaakov, their children, their wives, in the wagons that Paroh had sent to carry him. And they took their flocks, their possessions that they had acquired in the Land of Cana’an and they came to Egypt – Yaakov and all of his descendants with him. (Sefer Beresheit 46:1-6)
- Yaakov fears descending to Egypt
Yosef reveals himself to his brothers. With Paroh’s encouragement and full support he sends for his father and the entire family. He urges them to come to Egypt. Yosef and Paroh assure Yaakov and his family that they will be cared for in Egypt and treated with respect.
Yaakov is overwhelmed with happiness. He did not believe that Yosef could be alive. He decides to travel to Egypt to see Yosef. The above passages describe the initial stages of that journey.
The central feature of these passages is the description of a vision that Yaakov experiences. In this vision Hashem tells Yaakov that he should not be fearful of descending into Egypt. Hashem will be with him. However, the passages do not clearly indicate the nature of the fear that Hashem is dispelling in this prophetic vision. What was Yaakov’s fear? A number of commentators address this question. Among them is Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno. Before considering his response, a few other issues in these passages should be considered.
- The emergence of Bnai Yisrael
In the opening passage of this section, Yaakov travels with “all that was his” and comes to Be’er Sheva. It seems that he has decided to uproot himself from the Land of Cana’an and resettle in Egypt. He embarks upon his travels with his family and all of his possessions. In Be’er Sheva he has a vision and Hashem directs him to descend to Egypt. He assures Yaakov that He will protect him. After this vision, the journey to Egypt is resumed. However, in describing the resumption of the journey, two interesting elements are added.
The first of these elements is that for the first time, the children of Yaakov are referred to as Bnai Yisrsel. Why is this name introduced at this point?
Second, with the resumption of the journey, the Torah explains that Bnai Yisrael descended to Egypt with their entire families, their flocks, and their possessions. This seems to repeat the information presented at the opening of the narrative. In that opening, the Torah explained that Yaakov departed to Egypt with “all that was his”. Why does the Torah repeat that Yaakov and his family completely uprooted themselves from the land?
- Yaakov is replaced by Bnai Yisrael
The name Bnai Yisrael means literally “the children of Yisrael” – Yaakov. Sforno explains that beyond this literal meaning, the name has an additional significance. It communicates nationhood.[1] Bnai Yisrael means the nation descended from Yisrael. In other words, at this point, the children of Yaakov ceased being merely a family or clan. They emerged as a nation.
Sforno’s comments also explain the Torah’s repetition of its description of the totality of the emigration. In the opening passage, Yaakov is the leader and he embarks on a journey to Egypt. He is accompanied by “all that is his”. This includes his family and all of their possessions. In other words, his family follows its patriarch and leader.
However, in Be’er Sheva a change takes place. Yaakov’s children are transformed from being merely the children of the patriarch. They become a nation. At Be’er Sheva the jouney is not resumed. Actually a new journey is initiated. The new journey is not the journey of a family led by its patriarch. It is the journey of a nation that takes its patriarch with it. In order to communicate that this transformation has taken place, the Torah revises its description of the journey. In the new description Bnai Yisrael takes Yaakov and all of its possessions.
- Yaakov fears violating a divine commandment
What happened in Be’er Sheva that transformed Yaakov’s children into a nascent nation? The answer must be contained in Yaakov’s visions.
In this vision Hashem tells Yaakov that he should descend to Egypt. Apparently, his fear related to this decision. Yaakov apparently had some concern regarding his decision to see Yosef in Egypt. What was this concern?
Sforno suggests that there is a hint to the concern in the passage that describes the sacrifices offered by Yaakov. In that passage, the Torah describes the sacrifices as an offering to the G-d of Yaakov’s father – Yitzchak. Was not Yaakov’s G-d also the G-d of Avraham? Why did Yaakov direct the sacrifices to the G-d described as the G-d of his father?
Sforno responds that Yaakov’s concern was that in descending to Egypt he was acting contrary to a commandment given to his father, Yitzchak. Hashem told Yitzchak to not abandon or even depart from the Land of Israel. Yaakov worried that in descending to Egypt to see Yosef, he was violating an injunction mandated by the G-d of Yitzchak – the G-d who commanded his father to not leave the land.
Now, Yaakov’s fear becomes apparent. He feared that in his desire to once again see Yosef he was ignoring a Divine commandment.[2] At Be’er Sheva he was torn by conflicting considerations. He was desperate to again see Yosef. Yet, he feared that he was violating Hashem’s commandment.
His vision resolved his conflict. Hashem told Yaakov that he should descend to Egypt. In Egypt his children will be formed into a great nation. The commandment given to Yitzchak no longer applied. It was time for the process of nation building to begin.[3] Because this journey is to be undertaken in order to create the nation of Israel, it is resumed by that nascent nation. Yaakov arrived at Be’er Sheva the leader of a family. He left Be’er Sheva as the patriarch of a nation.
- Yaakov’s interpretation of his situation
Rashi offers a different explanation of Yaakov’s fear. Rashi explains that Yaakov understood that he must leave the Land of Cana’an. He knew that he was making the proper decision. The survival of his family required this painful relocation. Yet, he feared leaving.[4] What was the cause of this fear?
Rashi explains that Hashem addressed Yaakov’s fear in the opening words of the vision – “Yaakov, Yaakov”. Rashi explains that this expression denotes endearment.[5] What does this reveal about Yaakov’s fear? How did this endearment resolve that fear?
Rashi offers another insight that helps resolve this issue. The Torah explains in these passages that Bnai Yisrael took with them the possessions that they had assembled in the Land of Cana’an. Rashi comments that all of the possessions that Yaakov had acquired during his sojourn in Lavan’s home he gave to Esav in exchange for the right to be interred in the Cave of Machpeylah – the burial place of the his parents, Yitzchak and Rivkah, and his grandfather and grandmother – Avraham and Sarah. Rashi adds that he gladly paid this exorbitant price. He did not wish to retain the possessions acquired outside of the Land of Israel.[6]
In other words, Yaakov valued those possessions that he had acquired while living in the Land of Cana’an. These had been acquired through the development of that land and its resources. The wealth acquired through the development of other lands was not valued by Yaakov. He eagerly abandoned this wealth in exchange for undisputed possession of a small parcel of land in the Land of Israel.
Yaakov was confronted with the necessity of abandoning this beloved land and descending to Egypt. He was troubled with how to interpret this development. Did it suggest that Hashem was displeased with him? Was he being punished? How should he understand this journey which mixed the joy of seeing his beloved Yosef with the agony of abandoning his cherished land?
The vision opened with “Yaakov, Yaakov” – words of endearment. Yaakov realized that his journey was not an expression of Hashem’s anger but a representation of His love. Hashem explained in the vision that he would see his son Yosef. However, he would be returned to his beloved land and he would find his final rest in the cave he had purchased from Esav. The journey to Egypt was required to form a new nation. It was not an expression of anger but the fulfillment of an ancient promise made to Avraham.
- Yaakov’s devotion to the Land of Israel
According to Rashi, Yaakov regarded the Land of Israel as the only true home of the Jewish people. Jewish enterprise, ingenuity, and resources should be used to develop the home of our people. Yaakov regarded life outside of the Land of Israel as unfulfilling. At best, it was a necessary evil. It is important to note that Hashem did not dismiss Yaakov’s outlook or correct it. He told Yaakov that in this instance exile was necessary. However, the ideal for every Jew is life in the land of our people.
[1] Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno, Commentary on Sefer Beresheit, 46:5.
[2] Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno, Commentary on Sefer Beresheit, 46:1-3.
[3] Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno, Commentary on Sefer Beresheit, 46:3.
[4] Rabbaynu Shlomo ben Yitzchak (Rashi), Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 46:3.
[5] Rabbaynu Shlomo ben Yitzchak (Rashi), Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 46:2.
[6] Rabbaynu Shlomo ben Yitzchak (Rashi), Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 46:6.