ובדרך רמז כל הפרשה תרמוז ענין האדם, וכמו שהתחילו לומר בה רז"ל (זהר חלק א קמז) ויצא יעקב היא הנפש בצאתה מעולם העליון, ונקרא יעקב על שם יצר הרע הכרוך כעקביו.
Using the exegetical approach of allusions we can interpret the entire episode as hinting to mankind. As our Sages say (Zohar 1,147), ויצא יעקב -- this refers to the departure of the soul from the higher world (i.e. in order to descend into a body). And this body is called יעקב on account of the evil urge which is tied to its heels (i.e. impossible to part from it).
Click on the text above to navigate to Zohar 1, 147 and paste the text here..ובדרך רמז כל הפרשה תרמוז ענין האדם, וכמו שהתחילו לומר בה רז"ל (זהר חלק א קמז) ויצא יעקב היא הנפש בצאתה מעולם העליון, ונקרא יעקב על שם יצר הרע הכרוך כעקבי
and the words מבאר שבע allude to the place from which all souls depart, known as "the well of living waters." The word שבע refers to the oath G-d makes every soul swear when it departs from Heaven, that it will not transgress Torah laws while on Earth (see Niddah 30).
Click on the text above to navigate to Niddah 30, and paste the text here.ואומרו מבאר שבע מקום שממנו יצאו הנשמות יקרא באר מים חיים, ושבע ירמוז אל שבועת ה' אשר תשבע הנפש בצאתה שלא תעבור על דבר תורה (נדה ל:).
What other source do you know of, where this concept is mentioned? Using the "Text" function above, find this text online, and copy/paste it into this document.
תניא בסוף פרק ג׳ דנדה: משביעים אותו תהי צדיק ואל תהי רשע
The statement וילך חרנה should be understood along the lines of what our Sages say (Sanhedrin 91) that the evil urge enters a person from the moment he emerges from his mother's womb; as it says (ibid. 4:7) "sin crouches at the entrance, etc."
Click on the text above to navigate to Sanhedrin 91, and paste the text here.
Then do the same for Genesis 4:7.ואומר וילך חרנה על דרך אומרם ז"ל (סנהדרין צא:) כי יצר הרע יכנס באדם בצאתו מרחם אמו דכתיב (לעיל ד' ז') לפתח וגו'.
ואומרו ויפגע במקום כי צריך האדם להתפלל לה' שהוא מקומו של עולם שלא יעזבנו בידו.
The words ויפגע במקום indicate that a person has to daven to Hashem, because he is מקומו של עולם, the Omnipresent.
How does this compare to Rashi's comment, and Sifsei Chachamim's elaboration? RAshi and sifsei add a lot more explanation while the Or HAchaim just gives one simple explanation.
The words וילן שם כי בא השמש indicate that this struggle against the Yetzer HaRa is one in which a person must engage until he departs from this world, when his sun sets. This is why our Sages said (Avot 2:4) "Do not be certain of your righteousness until the day you die."
Who was Reish Lakish? Do an internet search, and briefly explain how his past history sheds light on his statement here. He was a robber in his early years and ended up becoming a very great scholar. This shows that he must have had to work a lot on his yetzer hora to be able to get to the place that he was when he wrote this and many other commentaries.
ואומרו ויקח מאבני המקום על דרך אומרם ז"ל (ברכות ה) וז"ל אמר ר' שמעון בן לקיש לעולם ירגיז אדם יצר הטוב וכו' ואם לאו יעסוק בתורה דכתיב (תהלים ד) אמרו בלבבכם והוא אומרו מאבני המקום פי' בניינו של עולם שהם דברי תורה, גם יתיחם להם אבני המקום שבהם נסקל ונרגם יצר הרע וכחותיו, והוא אומרם ז"ל (סוטה כא) תורה מצלת מיצר הרע בין בזמן שעוסק בה בין בזמן שאינו עוסק בה.
As for the statement, "He took from the stones of that site;" we can understand them as in line with the statement of our Sages (Berachos 5): "Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, "A person should constantly incite his Yetzer HaTov, etc., (i.e. against the Yetzer HaRa). If this does not succeed, he should busy himself with Torah study, as is stated (Tehillim 4:5), "say in your heart". This is indicated by the verse, מאבני המקום, that Yaakov took from the stones of that site. The meaning is, בנינו של עולם - the building blocks of the world, i.e. words of Torah. We can also say that המקום אבני - the stones of the place -- or the stones of Hashem -- that one can stone and kill the evil urge and its supporters. This is what the Talmud means (Sotah 21) "Torah saves one from the Yetzer HaRa, whether actively engaged in its study or not."
Click on the text above to navigate to Tehillim 4:5, and paste the text here הרִגְז֗וּ וְֽאַל־תֶּֽ֫חֱטָ֥אוּ אִמְר֣וּ בִ֖לְבַבְכֶם עַל־מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם וְדֹ֣מּוּ סֶֽלָה:
How does that passuk serve as a jumping off point for the discussion in our text? it lets us know that it is important to tell ourselves in our beds right before we go to sleep, not to sin.
The Torah goes on, וישם מראשותיו, "he placed these stones under his head," to allude to the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish that when one fails to vanquish the evil urge one should resort to reciting the קריאת שמע which is recited at night, seeing David speaks of על משכבכם, on your bed (Psalms 4:5).
ואומרו וישכב במקום ההוא יכוין למה שסיים רשב"ל לא נצחו יזכור לו יום המיתה, והוא אומרו וישכב שכיבה הידועה במקום הידוע דרך כל הארץ בית מועד לכל חי.
The words וישכב במקום ההוא - he lay down in that place, alludes to Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish's final statement: "If he did not overcome his Yetzer HaRa, he should ponder his mortality."This is why the Torah used the word וישכב (instead of ויישן - he slept), since it implies "that lying down" in "that place," as is the way of all mortals, in the "Beit moed lechol chai."
| meeting place of all living. |
ואחר כל התנאים הללו מובטח הוא שינצח היצה"ר, ומעתה מבשרו הכתוב שיהיה ראוי לענף מענפי הנבואה שיגלה ה' אליו בחלום ידבר בו, וצא ולמד חלומותיו של ר' אלעזר בן ערך המובאים בספר הזוהר (ח"א קלט ובז"ח לך כה.).
Following all these conditions, one who has accomplished these steps, is assured that he will triumph over his Yetzer HaRa. Thus the Torah informs him that he will become worthy of rising aloft on the wings of prophecy: that Hashem will appear to him and speak to him in a dream having a prophetic revelation in a dream. Take note of the dreams of Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach which are recorded in the Zohar (1,139 and in the Zohar Chadash לך לך section 25).
Using the search function above, search for "Rabbi Elazar ben Arach"+dreams and note down 1-2 incidents.
והסולם הוא סוד נפש אדם ולהיות שבצאת נפש מאדם בשוכבו לא תעקר בהחלט מגופו של אדם אלא חלק ממנה בגוף, והוא אומרו מוצב ארצה וחלק מגיע השמימה, והעד על זה כשיהיה האדם ישן יקיץ על ידי התנועעות הגוף הישן ואם נפש האדם נפרדה והלכה לה לא תרגיש בהתנועעות הגוף אלא ודאי כי מוצבת ארצה וראשה מגיע השמימה פי' שאין מפסיק בינה ובין השמים, כיון שיצר הרע באדם אין, תגיע הנשמה לשמים.
The ladder represents the mystical aspect of the human soul. This is reflected in the fact that when the soul leaves the body while a person sleeps, it's not entirely uprooted from the body; rather, part of it remains within the body. This is what's meant by the description of the ladder as being rooted in the ground, while part reaches the Heavens. Proof of this is that when a person is asleep, he can be awoken by the movements of his sleeping body. If the entire soul had completely departed from the body, the sleeping person would sense these motions. Thus, this image of "being rooted in the ground, with her head reaching the Heavens," that there is no separation between the soul and Heaven. Therefore, a sleeping person is in contact with both Heaven and Earth. This is because while a person sleeps, his Yetzer Hara is nullified, and therefore his soul is able to have contact with Heaven.
What phrase do you know from Tanya that resembles this discussion of "Mayin Nukvin" and "Mayin D'churin?
Type your answer here.
The words והנה ה׳ נצב עליו tell us that from this lofty level, man can even rise to the level of nevuah itself, not in a dream, but that the Shechinah will reveal itself to him. (The experience of Yaakov then, is what makes it possible) for our Sages say (Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 5), that no Jew is excluded from the potential for prophecy, that all of them are fitting for this experience.
Where, in Perek 41 of Tanya do you find this phrase? in lekutei amarim, chapter 41
Why do you think the Rebbe selected this as one of the 12 Pessukim? I think the rebbe chose this pussuk to show that how much potential every jew has that we are all able to receive nevuah
What takeaway lessons do you personally relate to from this Or HaChaim? from this Or Hachaim I took that even the greatest of scholars can have struggles and are able to overcome them. The Reish Lakish went from being a bandit to a commentator on the Chumash, and in his peirush, he describes how to overcome the yetzter hora which must have been very hard for him to do. But if he went from what he was to what he became, I think we can definitely change our actions which are probably not as bad as being a robber.