וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: כִּי מַלְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה לָּךְ לִשְׁמָרְךָ בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ (תהלים צא, יא). אָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר, עָשָׂה אָדָם מִצְוָה אַחַת, מוֹסְרִין לוֹ מַלְאָךְ אֶחָד. עָשָׂה שְׁתֵּי מִצְוֹת, מוֹסְרִין לוֹ שְׁנֵי מַלְאָכִים. עָשָׂה מִצְוֹת הַרְבֵּה, מוֹסְרִין לוֹ מַלְאָכִים הַרְבֵּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי מַלְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה לָּךְ לִשְׁמָרְךָ וְגוֹ'. וְלָמָּה, כְּדֵי לְשָׁמְרוֹ מִן הַמַּזִּיקִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יִפֹּל מִצִּדְּךָ אֶלֶף וְגוֹ'. וּמַה הוּא יִפֹּל. מַשְׁלִימִין לוֹ, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּמִמְּנַשֶּׁה נָפְלוּ עַל דָּוִד (דה״א יב, כ). And Jacob went out (Gen. 28:10). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: For He will give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (Ps. 91:11). R. Meir said: If a man performs one precept, one angel is assigned to watch over him; if he performs two commandments, two angels guard him, and if he performs many precepts, many angels are assigned to watch over him, as it is said: For He will give His angels charge over thee, to guard thee. Why are they given charge over him? In order to protect him from demons, as is said: A thousand may fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand (ibid., v. 7). What is meant by may fall? It means that they will surrender to him, as it is said in the verse: And of Manasseh, also, there fell away some to David (I Chron. 12:20).
וּרְבָבָה מִימִינֶךָ. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, לָמָּה מִן הַיָּמִין רְבָבָה וּמִן הַשְּׂמֹאל אֶלֶף. לְפִי שֶׁהַשְּׂמֹאל אֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה מַלְאָכִים הַרְבֵּה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כָּתוּב בַּתְּפִלִּין וְנָתוּן בַּשְּׂמֹאל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶךָ (דברים ו, ח). אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ בַר חֲנִינָא, לָא כְתִיב יְהֵא מִצִּדְּךָ אֶלָּא יִפֹּל. שְׂמֹאל שֶׁאֵינָהּ פְּשׁוּטָה בַמִּצְוֹת כְּמוֹ הַיָּמִין, אֵינָהּ מַפֶּלֶת אֶלָּא אֶלֶף מַזִּיקִין. אֲבָל יָמִין שֶׁהִיא פְשׁוּטָה בַמִּצְוֹת, מַפֶּלֶת רִבּוֹא מַזִּיקִין. לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: כִּי מַלְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה לָּךְ. And ten thousand at thy right hand. R. Isaac propounded the following question: Why does the verse state ten thousand at thy right hand and only one thousand at thy left? Because, said he, the left hand does not require as many angels as the right, since the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is inscribed upon the tefillin (phylactery) which is wrapped around the left hand, as is said: And thou shalt bind them as a sign upon thy hand (Deut. 6:8). R. Hanina the son of R. Abahu explained: It is not written “will be at thy right hand” but may fall at thy right hand. That is so because the left hand, which is not stretched out as frequently in the performance of good deeds as the right hand, is capable of bringing about the downfall of only a thousand demons, while the right hand, which is constantly stretched out in the performance of good deeds, is able to bring about the fall of ten thousand demons. Therefore it is written: For he will give his angels charge over thee.
וַיֵּלֶךָ חָרָנָה, זוֹ אַחַת מֵאַרְבַּע קְפִיצוֹת שֶׁקָּפְצָה הָאָרֶץ. אַחַת בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם, וַיֵּחָלֵק עֲלֵיהֶם לַיְלָה (בראשית יד, טו). וְאַחַת לֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וָאָבֹא הַיּוֹם אֶל הָעָיִן (בראשית כד, מב). וְאַחַת בִּימֵי דָוִד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּהַצּוֹתוֹ אֶת אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם וְאֶת אֲרַם צוֹבָא (תהלים ס, ב). וְזֹאת, וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע. וְכֵן דָּוִד אוֹמֵר, הִרְעַשְׁתָּה אֶרֶץ פְּצַמְתָּהּ רְפָה שְׁבָרֶיהָ כִי מָטָה (תהלים ס, ד). מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהִקְפִּיץ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הָאָרֶץ לְיוֹאָב וְלַאֲבִישַׁי וְלִצְבָא הַמִּלְחָמָה. And he went toward Haran. This is one of the four occasions on which the earth contracted itself. The first occasion was at the time of Abraham: He divided himself against them at night (Gen. 14:15). It occurred again for Eliezer, as it is said: And I came this day unto the fountain (ibid. 24:42). And once again in the days of Jacob,4Reading Jacob instead of David. as it is said, When he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah (Ps. 60:2). And this is what is meant by: And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba (Gen. 28:10). Similarly, it occurred at the time about which David said: Thou hast made the land to shake, Thou hast cleft it; heal the branches thereof; for it tottereth (Ps. 60:4). This verse teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, also contracted the earth for Joab, Abishai, and the army (when they pursued Abner).5He had led the revolt against David.
וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמֹר אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים וְגוֹ', אָמַר רַבִּי בֶרֶכְיָה, בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁתָּבַע יַעֲקֹב מִן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הֱשִׁיבוֹ. אָמַר אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי, הֱשִׁיבוֹ וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ. אָמַר וּשְׁמָרַנִי, הֱשִׁיבוֹ וּשְׁמַרְתִּיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ. אָמַר וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם, הֱשִׁיבוֹ וַהֲשִׁיבֹתִיךָ. אָמַר וְנָתַן לִי לֶחֶם, וְלֹא הֱשִׁיבוֹ עַל הַפַּרְנָסָה. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אִם אֲנִי מַבְטִיחוֹ עַל הַלֶּחֶם, מַהוּ מְבַקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי עוֹד, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא הִבְטִיחוֹ עַל הַלֶּחֶם. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי, אַף עַל הַפַּרְנָסָה הֱשִׁיבוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ. וְאֵין כִּי לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ אֶלָּא לֶחֶם, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אֲמַר: וְלֹא רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק נֶעֱזָב וְזַרְעוֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ לָחֶם (תהלים לז, כה). And Jacob made a vow, saying: If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God (Gen. 28:20–21). R. Berechiah maintained that the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfilled all but one of Jacob’s requests. Jacob said: If God will be with me, and He replied: Behold, I am with thee (ibid., v. 15). Jacob said: And will keep me, and He responded: I will keep thee whithersoever thou goest (ibid.). He said: So that I come back to my father’s house in peace, and the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: And I will bring thee back (ibid.). But when Jacob said: And will give me bread, He did not reply. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: If I assured him concerning bread, what else would he ask of Me? Therefore, He did not promise him bread. The sages insisted, however, that He also replied to his plea for bread, since it is said: I shall not forsake thee (ibid.). The word forsake is employed in Scripture only in reference to bread, as is written: Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread (Ps. 37:25).