Parshas Vayeitzei
1. This week's parsha relates at great length how Yaakov Avinu, while in the house of Lavan, was occupied particularly with "sheep" — both his work there was as a shepherd of sheep, and the wages Lavan finally paid him for it were in sheep.
So his (main) wealth was sheep, and through them he grew rich — "And the man burst forth exceedingly, and he had many sheep (and through the sheep he also had) maidservants and servants, camels and donkeys," as Rashi explains: "He sold his sheep at high prices and bought himself all these."
Nevertheless we see that in Parshas Vayishlach, in Yaakov's message to Esav, the details of Yaakov's wealth are listed in this order: "I have oxen and donkeys, sheep, servants and maidservants…" — "sheep" after "oxen and donkeys" — and not sheep as the first and main part of his possessions. This is especially so since it is also unlike earlier, when the verse relates Yaakov's flight from Lavan, where it says: "And he led away (first) all his livestock (and only afterwards) and all his property… the livestock of his acquiring…"
2. Every matter in the Torah is an eternal lesson for every Jew in every place and at every time. Especially the "deeds of the Avos" that are related in the Torah[8] — and all the more so a matter that takes up almost an entire parsha — which are "a sign for the children," a granting of strength for the avodah of the "children," the children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.
It is therefore understood that the above details of Yaakov's occupation with sheep — (a) that specifically "sheep" brought about "and the man burst forth exceedingly"; (b) on the other hand, although "sheep" were his main wealth, he exchanged (part of) his sheep for "maidservants and servants, camels and donkeys"; (c) in his message to Esav he mentioned "sheep" after "oxen and donkeys" — are found in the spiritual avodah of every Jew.
3. This will be understood by first noting what it says in the Midrash[9] about the bond between Jews and G‑d: "He is a father to me… and I am a son to Him… He is a shepherd to me… and I am sheep to Him." The well-known question on this: since Jews are like a "son" to G‑d, what can it add that they are like "sheep"? On the contrary, how does the endearment of sheep to their shepherd compare with the endearment of a son to his father?
The explanation of this[10] is that this is precisely the point:
Calling Jews "children" shows that they are an existence in relation to the "father" (G‑d). And although the bond of a soul with G‑d is not like a "son" below, who "becomes a separate entity" from the father, but the soul is "entirely one (with G‑d) and not separate from Him at all"[11], the very title "son" shows that it is as though a second existence (not the "father"), and his existence and endearment have value and occupy a place with the father — which can be said only in relation to the G‑dly light of the order of hishtalshelus[12], which is a root and source for created beings, and therefore they occupy a place there.
But in relation to the G‑dly light that is above hishtalshelus — "he has neither son nor brother"[13] — one cannot say that there is any existence besides Him; and in relation to it, Jews (and their endearment) are compared to sheep, whose existence (as well as their endearment) has no value in relation to the essence of the shepherd.
On the other hand, this itself shows the great loftiness of Jews: even at the level of G‑dliness where there is no room for the existence of created beings — "he has neither son nor brother" — even "there" the endearment of Jews is found[14];
only their endearment is not on account of their "existence" but, on the contrary, on account of their great bittul to G‑d, for it is specifically bittul that is a vessel for the G‑dly light above hishtalshelus, as it says[15], "I dwell on high and in holiness, and with the crushed and lowly of spirit."
And this matter too — the great bittul — is alluded to in Jews being compared to sheep. For, as is plainly seen, sheep have the nature of bittul more than other kinds of animals[16].
4. The two titles of Jews — "son" and "sheep" — allude to two modes in a person's avodah[17]:
The level of "son" is the avodah of Torah study, whose essence is understanding and comprehension in the mind (in which the one who studies feels himself an existence — he takes in Torah through his understanding).
And although, for his study to reach the truth of Torah, His wisdom, he must stand in a movement of bittul — only through "let my soul be like dust to all" can there be "open my heart to Your Torah"[18] (and as is known regarding "they did not recite the blessing over the Torah first"[19]) — this is only that bittul is a foundation and preface to Torah study; but the study of Torah itself is (not with bittul but, on the contrary) specifically with the power of the intellect.
"Sheep" (tzon) indicates the avodah of "birurim" (refinement). "Tzon" is related to "yetziah," going out[20] — going out of the four cubits of Torah and occupying oneself with the matters of the world, to make of them a dwelling for G‑d in the lower realms.
And it is specifically this avodah that brings out a Jew's true bittul to G‑d — the going out ("tzon") of his own existence. For this is an avodah a Jew does not do for himself, for the sake of his own completeness and ascent
(for, on the contrary, occupying oneself with the matters of the world is itself a descent for him: he must interrupt his Torah study, in which his higher and more refined powers of the soul are invested, and occupy himself with matters of action),
but solely to carry out G‑d's intent, to make a dwelling for Him in the lower realms[21].
5. With this we will understand the connection of the matter of sheep with Yaakov's avodah in the house of Lavan.
The difference between Yaakov's avodah in the time spoken of in Parshas Toldos and his avodah as it is brought out in Parshas Vayeitzei[22]:
Parshas Toldos speaks of the time when Yaakov's avodah was at the level of "son" — "and Yaakov was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents," "the tent of Shem and the tent of Ever"[23]; and also at the end of the parsha, where it is told that Yaakov had to flee his father's house, he did not leave the tent of Torah, but on the contrary, "he hid in the house of Ever for fourteen years"[24] and studied Torah there.
Parshas Vayeitzei, however, speaks of how "Yaakov went out": he left the four cubits of Torah and came to Charan — "the burning wrath of the Omnipresent in the world"[25] — to the house of Lavan the Aramean; and there he worked as a shepherd of Lavan's sheep, (also) in the plain sense, and in the manner of "with all my strength I served…"[26] (to the point that we learn[27] from Yaakov how a worker must work for his employer);
and it was specifically this avodah — that despite the great concealment and hiding in the house of Lavan, Yaakov was not affected, and "I lived with Lavan the wicked, and I kept the 613 mitzvos"[28], and there he raised the tribes, the tribes of G‑d, in the manner of "his bed was complete"[29] — this avodah brought out Yaakov's ultimate bittul.
One may say that this is the (inner) reason why the main part of the wealth Yaakov earned and took with him from the house of Lavan was specifically sheep — because "sheep" alludes to the spiritual elevation he attained through his avodah in the house of Lavan — bittul[30], as explained above.
[And this is also the precise meaning of the expression "and the man burst forth (vayifrotz) exceedingly" — from "poretz geder," breaking through a fence — because through bittul (sheep) one breaks through the limits of the order of hishtalshelus and reaches the G‑dly light that has no limits — "exceedingly, exceedingly" (twice "exceedingly")[31];
to the point — as Chassidus[32] interprets in a positive sense the verses[33], "and he changed my wages ten times… if he said thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages'… 'the ringed'…" — that through his avodah Yaakov drew down "the very essence of the will of the Emanator," which is above division and form, and therefore his wages could be changed from one form to another.]
6. Just as in the avodah of "son," which is with understanding and comprehension ("existence"), there must also be bittul (as explained above, section 4), so too, conversely, in the avodah of "sheep," which is (mainly) bittul, there must be (the activity of) all the powers of the soul, one's "existence";
and on the contrary: with bittul and lowliness alone one cannot fight the concealment and hiding of the world. There must be — as in the instruction at the beginning of all four parts of the Tur (and Shulchan Aruch[34]) — "bold as a leopard… mighty as a lion": one must use the trait of boldness[35], "not to be ashamed before people who mock," and the trait of might, "to overcome[36] one's inclination and conquer it, like a mighty man who overcomes his enemy to conquer him and throw him to the ground"[37].
But one must take care that this be done as a result of one's bittul to the Supreme Will. If the might, etc., comes from one's own ego, then
(besides the fact that when one fights with the strength of one's own existence one cannot know who will win the battle — it is possible that the opposing side has more of this kind of boldness and strength —)
it is contrary to holiness, and such conduct cannot be a true help in one's battle with those who mock and oppose Torah and mitzvos.
Only when one conducts oneself this way because the Torah commanded it is it the boldness and might that defeats the opponent.
One may say that this is also the inner reason why the Tur (and likewise the Alter Rebbe in his Shulchan Aruch[38]) also cites the name of the author of the saying "bold as a leopard…" — "Yehudah ben Teima":
This comes to allude[*38] that the instruction "bold as a leopard…" is proper conduct when it comes from "Yehudah ben Teima" — Yehudah, related to hodaah, acknowledgment, the avodah of acknowledgment and bittul[39]. And it is not enough that the bittul be merely a preface at the beginning of the avodah; the "Yehudah" must be "ben Teima" — the bittul must (continuously) "express itself" in the conduct of "bold as a leopard…"[40]. For when one stands in a movement of boldness and might, one can fall into plain brazenness of ego, G‑d forbid[41].
7. And this is the explanation of the above details (sections 1 and 2) of Yaakov's sheep:
Although his avodah (and wealth) as a whole was sheep (bittul), as explained above, he was not satisfied with that, but also took into his wealth "maidservants and servants, camels and donkeys" — because to carry out the avodah of birurim properly (and especially afterwards the birurim of Esav), all the various details and modes of avodah are needed (which are alluded to in the above[42]).
But in this there were two safeguards:
a) Yaakov acquired the increase of wealth with these additional details with and through (the exchange of) the sheep — they did not come as an avodah in their own right, but as a result of the avodah of bittul.
b) Even afterwards he did not sell all the sheep and exchange them for other possessions; on the contrary, the sheep remained his main wealth even then. For even when one is immersed in the battle with the concealment and hiding of the world, which demands strength and might, etc., the feeling of bittul must remain the main thing.
8. According to this it is also understood why, in the message to Esav, the detail of "sheep" is not placed first among the listed details of his wealth — although it was his main wealth:
By saying "I have oxen and donkeys, sheep, servants and maidservants," Yaakov wanted to mention the merits[43] and lofty powers that would stand by him, and thereby frighten Esav from doing what Esav wanted to do.
Therefore he did not put first the detail of sheep, which indicates the nature of bittul, lowliness and submission — because to frighten Esav, he (Esav) must hear mainly and first of all Yaakov's strength[44]. He must indeed know that Yaakov has sheep — that is, bittul, and consequently his strength is not his own but a strength of holiness — but what frightens him is strength.
This, however, is only with regard to what the opposing side must hear. For oneself, one must know and remember the truth: the strength is a result of bittul, and on the contrary — the main wealth of a Jew is specifically "sheep."
9. The simple lesson from all the above (in our generation): there must be the order of avodah of "Vayeitzei" — going out and illuminating the world. One needs, and must first have, the preparation of Torah study in the tents of Shem and Ever; but one must come to "and the man burst forth exceedingly," "fill the earth and conquer it"[45] — one must go out into the "earth" and occupy oneself with illuminating the world[46].
On the contrary: "in these times"[47], in the "footsteps of Moshiach," the main avodah is specifically in action, unlike the time of the Talmud, when it was in Torah study[48] — similar to the ruling in Shulchan Aruch[48] that nowadays the reality of "Torah is his occupation" (the level of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his colleagues) does not exist, even among a minority of Jews — because the main avodah in our time is in action, the deed of tzedakah.
And especially in our generation, when this occupation — seeking out Jews who are wandering in the darkness of exile and placing them in the ray of light of "a mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light" — consists mainly not so much in making an unlearned person into a scholar, a lesser scholar into a greater one, one lax in mitzvos into one who fully fears Heaven, but in actually saving souls!
One saves the soul of that Jew and his children, etc., until the end of all generations, so that they remain Jews and conduct themselves (beginning at least with regard to action) as a Jew should.
10. One more point in this: for the avodah to be with great success, it must be done out of bittul; one must do it in order to carry out G‑d's mission to illuminate the darkness of exile.
When one does the avodah out of bittul, it is not measured by the measures and limits of nature and relish; for him it makes no great difference where G‑d sends him — in every place and situation where Divine Providence leads, and with every kind of Jew he comes in contact with, he puts himself in with all his powers and with all his strength to raise up "many students"[*], beyond measure and limit, in the manner of "and the man burst forth exceedingly."
And when one goes with the premise that one must carry out G‑d's mission, one succeeds with all kinds of students — "if he said thus, 'The speckled…'" and "if he said thus, 'The ringed…'" — "all the sheep bore…": all the students grow up properly, and even more, "fruitful and multiplying more than other sheep"[50], and it is "his bed was complete" — there is no blemish, G‑d forbid, among his children and students.
And this prepares every Jew and all Jews for the true and complete Redemption, at which not a single Jew will remain in exile, as the promise says, "and you shall be gathered one by one, O children of Israel"[51], and "a great congregation shall return here"[52], truly soon.
(From the talk of Yud Kislev 5736)