לקוטי שיחות חלק ל׳ - וישב א

Likkutei Sichos Vol. 30 – Vayeishev 1

1. It has been discussed many times regarding the names of the Torah portions, that the fact each portion is called (according to Jewish custom, which itself is Torah) by a particular name is not (only) because it begins with that word (which was chosen as its name), but rather because that name also alludes to the content of the portion. This is similar to the name of any object in the Holy Tongue, which is the life-force of that thing and indicates the essence of what is called by that name.

It is therefore understood that this applies as well to our portion, whose name according to Jewish custom is "Vayeishev"—which must mean that in this name is hinted the content of this portion.

But this requires explanation: "Vayeishev" means—settling in a manner of tranquility and rest, as the Sages expound at the beginning of our portion, "Vayeishev—Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility." Yet, the content of the portion is about the sale of Yosef, which disturbed and negated "Vayeishev Yaakov," the tranquility and peace of Yaakov, as the Sages further expound, "Yaakov sought [to dwell in tranquility], but the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him."

2. This will be understood by first explaining the above-quoted teaching of our Sages: "Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility, but the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him. The righteous seek to dwell in tranquility; the Holy One, blessed be He, says: Is it not enough for the righteous what is prepared for them in the World to Come, that they also seek to dwell in tranquility in this world?"

The explanation of this statement, according to the commentators on the Midrash (and Rashi), is that Yaakov's seeking to dwell in tranquility was the cause for the turmoil of Yosef to befall him. In other words, the intent of the Sages is not merely to inform us that Yaakov's wish to dwell in tranquility was not fulfilled—because the turmoil of Yosef befell him—but more than that: the turmoil of Yosef was a result of Yaakov's seeking to dwell in tranquility. As the Midrash explicitly states, "Our father Yaakov, because he sought to dwell in tranquility in this world, the adversary of Yosef was set upon him."

However, this is not so clear in the language of the Sages. For even though the phrase "Yaakov sought... the turmoil leapt upon him" regarding Yaakov could (with some difficulty, at least) be interpreted as if the seeking was a deficiency, almost like a sin, the continuation of the language, "the righteous seek to dwell in tranquility," implies that this is the desire of the righteous in general—and since they are called "righteous," it is obvious that the intent is to true tzaddikim, in whom there is no sin or transgression, G‑d forbid—so how is it possible that in the very desire of the righteous ("to dwell in tranquility") there should be an element of sin or deficiency?!

— According to the version in the Midrash, "When the righteous are sitting in tranquility and seek to dwell in tranquility in this world, the adversary comes and prosecutes, saying: Is it not enough...," perhaps one could explain that it is not speaking as a rule about all righteous people, but only about certain tzaddikim—that when they are already sitting in tranquility and seek (to continue) to dwell in tranquility, then "the adversary comes..." But according to the above version, "the righteous seek to dwell in tranquility," the implication is that this is the general conduct of tzaddikim.

And although we do find in Torah the concept of sin—even if only a very subtle "sin"—even among tzaddikim—nevertheless, aside from the fact that this is not common among tzaddikim [and certainly not regarding Yaakov, the choicest of the Patriarchs, in addition to the fact that in general—the Patriarchs are the "chariot," and it is explicit in the Sages that the evil inclination did not rule over the Patriarchs]—it is therefore understood that it is not possible to say that this is the regular desire of tzaddikim, that they are accustomed to conduct themselves in an undesirable manner!

We must therefore conclude that the fact that "the righteous seek to dwell in tranquility" is not a negative matter, the opposite of what is desirable, but on the contrary—it is a conduct fitting for a tzaddik and part of the perfection of his service.

According to this, the question arises in the opposite direction—since this is a conduct fitting for tzaddikim (that is, it is in accordance with the will of the Holy One, blessed be He), why then does "the Holy One, blessed be He, say: Is it not enough for the righteous what is prepared for them in the World to Come, that they also seek to dwell in tranquility in this world" (that G‑d does not fulfill their wish to dwell in tranquility, and on the contrary, its opposite comes—trouble and turmoil, as we find with Yaakov, that "the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him")?

3. And to add:

According to the version of the Midrash, "At the time when the righteous sit in tranquility… the Satan comes and prosecutes… know that… our father Yaakov, because he sought… the adversary of Yosef was set upon him"—it can be explained that the fact that "the adversary of Yosef was set upon him" did not come as a kind of punishment for an improper request, but only as a result of the Satan's prosecution.

And as we find in several places the concept of the Satan's prosecution in a similar manner—for example, in the Satan's accusation against Avraham, "From all the feasts that Avraham made, he did not offer before You even a single bull…", which caused the test of the Akeidah ("He [G‑d] said to him: Did he do it except for his son? If I were to say to him, 'Offer him before Me,' would he not refuse?")—it is understood that there was nothing in Avraham's actual conduct that was contrary to what is desirable, and the entire matter was caused by the Satan's prosecution.

So too in our case, according to the Midrash, it is possible to say that Yaakov's request to dwell in tranquility caused the Satan's prosecution, and therefore "the adversary of Yosef was set upon him."

Whereas according to the version, "The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Is it not enough for the righteous…", it is understood (that it is not only due to the Satan's prosecution, but) that this is a claim of the Holy One, blessed be He, against the righteous.

4. And it can be explained as follows:

The request of the righteous "to dwell in tranquility"—means tranquility that is complete and true. For their intent is not (only) for physical and bodily tranquility, but for spiritual tranquility, similar to the tranquility in the World to Come, where "there is no eating or drinking… the righteous sit… and delight in the radiance of the Divine Presence." Therefore, "the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Is it not enough for the righteous what is prepared for them in the World to Come, that they also seek to dwell in tranquility in this world."

And even though the place and time for such tranquility (sitting and delighting in the radiance of the Divine Presence, without any labor) is specifically in the World to Come—whereas in this world, "today is for doing," meaning that at every moment there must be (not "tranquility" but rather) avodah (service of G‑d)—

[And even more: the perfection of avodah is—avodah from love, where one does not serve G‑d "for any reason in the world… and not in order to inherit the good (not even 'so that I may merit the life of the World to Come'), but does what is true because it is true."]

nevertheless, the request of the righteous to dwell in tranquility is not for the sake of tranquility itself (receiving reward), but so that through it they will be able to increase in their service of the Holy One, blessed be He, until it reaches the ultimate perfection. Similar to what the Rambam writes, that what "all Israel, their prophets and sages, desired in the days of Moshiach" is "so that they may rest from the kingdoms that do not allow them to occupy themselves with Torah and mitzvos properly, and they will find relief and increase in wisdom."

And this is the meaning of "the righteous seek to dwell in tranquility," that is, they desire a state of tranquility so that they can serve G‑d from a place of calm; and when G‑d says, "Is it not enough for the righteous…," it is not because it is an improper request, but because even this—a state of serving G‑d from tranquility—is akin to receiving reward, which comes only after the ultimate perfection in avodah.

And so it was with Yaakov: in his request to dwell in tranquility, his intention was for complete spiritual tranquility so that he could serve G‑d from a place of calm. The fact that "the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him" is because, in his state and standing at that time, he was not yet worthy of such tranquility; however, in the end, his request to dwell in tranquility was fulfilled (even in this world)—after the period of "the turmoil of Yosef," he dwelled in tranquility also in this world, as it is written, "And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years," which were years of tranquility and rest.

5. And it can be explained on a deeper level—and with the following introduction:

According to the above, that the reason he did not dwell in the tranquility he sought is because he was not yet worthy of it at that time—it is still not understood: why did "the turmoil of Yosef" leap upon him, a new and great trouble that caused suffering far greater than the pain and distress of the troubles with Lavan and Esav, etc.?

But the explanation is as follows:

This very fact—that Yaakov ultimately merited "tranquility in this world"—came about because "the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him" (as mentioned above (section 2), that G‑d's bringing "the turmoil of Yosef" upon him was a result of Yaakov's request to dwell in tranquility). That is: in order to elevate Yaakov to a higher level in serving G‑d, so that he would be worthy of dwelling in tranquility in this world, G‑d brought upon him "the turmoil of Yosef." As is well known, serving G‑d amidst distress and suffering refines and elevates a person to the loftiest levels in avodas Hashem; and so, in our case, it was specifically through Yaakov's avodah in the situation of "the turmoil of Yosef" that he merited to dwell in tranquility in this world—"And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years."

According to this, we can resolve the earlier question (section 1): Why is the parsha called "Vayeishev," which implies dwelling in tranquility, when its content (and immediately from its opening—"Yosef, being seventeen years old, was tending the flock…") is about "the turmoil of Yosef" (the opposite of "Vayeishev"—tranquility)?

The answer is that since Yaakov's avodah amidst the straits of "the turmoil of Yosef" is itself what brought about the fulfillment of his request "to dwell in tranquility" (as above), it follows that the true content of this parsha is "Vayeishev Yaakov" (the tranquility of Yaakov), since "the turmoil of Yosef" is nothing more than a preparation and introduction that led to the tranquility of "And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years."

6. However, there is still something that needs to be understood:

It is clear and obvious that the above concept (that the perfection of the reward—spiritual tranquility—comes after the perfection of avodah) was also known to Yaakov. And since Yaakov's attribute is the attribute of truth (as is well known), it is certain that Yaakov recognized his true state and level in avodas Hashem, and since he requested to dwell in tranquility, it must be that, according to his standing and situation at that time, he was indeed worthy of such tranquility (for after all the suffering he had endured through the troubles and ordeals with Lavan and Esav, and the trouble with Dinah, etc., he was worthy to serve G‑d in perfection from a place of tranquility).

If so, the question remains: Why, in fact, was it necessary for him to experience "the turmoil of Yosef" in order to merit tranquility?

The core of the explanation is as follows:

This "tranquility" that Yaakov sought is not the same tranquility that was given to him through "the turmoil of Yosef" leaping upon him. For, as explained above, Yaakov's request to dwell in tranquility was (not as a form of receiving reward, since "today is for doing," but rather) simply so that he could serve G‑d from a place of calm—and for such tranquility, he was already worthy through his previous avodah.

Moreover, according to the calculation of the years that Yaakov was in the land of Canaan, it turns out that until "the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him" (when Yosef was seventeen years old), Yaakov had nine years of tranquil life in the land of his father's sojournings. It can be said that this is the very tranquility that Yaakov requested.

However, G‑d desired that Yaakov merit tranquility in its complete form—"You shall see your world in your lifetime"—that even in this world he should attain a state of the World to Come. And this level of tranquility was given to Yaakov only afterwards, when "And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years" (which came about through "the turmoil of Yosef").

[It can be said that this detail is also hinted at in the Jewish custom that the parsha is called simply "Vayeishev" and not "Vayeishev Yaakov": The content of the parsha is indeed about settlement ("Vayeishev") and tranquility, for "the turmoil of Yosef" is what brought about Yaakov's tranquility—but in the land of Egypt; it is not the tranquility that Yaakov yearned for and requested ("Vayeishev Yaakov"), since his desire was to dwell in tranquility in the land of his father's sojournings, whereas the fact that "the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him" caused and brought about a simple "Vayeishev"—a general tranquility, which is the life of the World to Come, that he merited when "And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt."]

7. The explanation of the matter:

The difference between the two types of tranquility mentioned above is as follows: The tranquility that Yaakov requested is a tranquility within the realm of created beings—a tranquility that human beings are capable of attaining, and therefore, it is possible to request it. In contrast, the tranquility that G‑d gave to Yaakov is of a kind that is beyond the realm of created beings, and a created being cannot reach it by his own power.

In simple terms: Yaakov’s request to dwell in tranquility was that he should live “in the land of his father’s sojournings” without disturbances, so that he could serve G‑d in peace, together with his sons and descendants, who would continue in his path—the path “that he will command his children… to keep the way of G‑d.” This is the natural place and manner to attain and receive such tranquility.

But G‑d gave him a tranquility that is above nature—“And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years.” According to nature, being “in a land that is not theirs” is itself a disturbance to peace and tranquility of soul, and all the more so in the land of Egypt, the “nakedness of the land,” which is the greatest possible disturbance to true tranquility. Nevertheless, G‑d arranged that Yaakov should dwell in the best part of the land, so that he would experience both material and spiritual tranquility in the highest way (without any worry about a bad neighbor—those who are corrupt among the nations, of whom it is said “woe to the wicked and woe to his neighbor,” etc.).

And just as it was in the physical and simple sense—that Yaakov’s tranquility in Egypt was above nature—so too in the spiritual sense: the “tranquility” in the land of Egypt was connected with “enjoyment” of the radiance of the Shechinah, similar to “they delight in the radiance of the Shechinah” in the World to Come, which is a pleasure that is beyond the realm of created beings. In the words of the Rambam: “No human being has the power to grasp it fully, and no one knows its greatness, beauty, and strength except G‑d alone… ‘No eye has seen, O G‑d, but Yours…’”

8. And with this, we can explain why, in order to reach this tranquility, “the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him”—for this kind of tranquility (which is beyond the realm of created beings) cannot be attained by one’s own power and service, but only through a unique event that elevates and lifts a person above his own measures and limitations (so that he can receive this tranquility).

For this reason, it was not enough for Yaakov to be refined and elevated through the troubles with Lavan and Esav, etc.; rather, “the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him.” For “the turmoil of Yosef” is not just that its suffering is greater, in quantity and in quality, but that it is of a different kind altogether, and therefore the elevation that comes through it is incomparably higher.

The explanation is as follows:

The troubles with Lavan and Esav were, in essence, Yaakov’s battle and service against the side of unholiness. First with Lavan the Aramean—“I lived with Lavan the wicked, and I kept the 613 mitzvos and did not learn from his evil deeds”—and similarly with the troubles from Esav, which represent the battle of holiness against the forces of evil, as is known regarding Yaakov’s struggle with the angel of Esav: “And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.” This kind of battle is part of man’s service and mission in this world: to nullify the evil in the world, to perfect the world under the sovereignty of Shakkai, in a manner that is within the capacity of a human being (a created being) to see and recognize the benefit of this service.

However, “the turmoil of Yosef” is a completely different kind. It is not a battle with the side of unholiness or a “refinement” of worldly matters and the like. Seemingly, it is nothing but pain and suffering with no purpose at all. [In fact, this suffering caused a seeming decline in Yaakov’s state—“and he mourned for his son,” to the extent that the Shechinah departed from him, and furthermore, he said, “I will go down to my son in mourning to the grave”—to Gehenna.]

This “turmoil,” which seems to be a “decree” without reason, is precisely the test that G‑d brought upon Yaakov in order to elevate him higher and higher, to a level that is utterly beyond comparison, so that through this he would become a vessel for true tranquility—the World to Come (which is beyond the realm of created beings).

9. Yet there is still room for wonder: According to the above, that the tranquility given to Yaakov was not the same tranquility that he had requested, but rather a unique matter unto itself—what G‑d desired was to let him taste something of the reward of the World to Come—if so, why did G‑d wait until Yaakov requested to dwell in tranquility (as cited above from the Midrash, that "the turmoil of Yosef leapt upon him" as a result of Yaakov's request to dwell in tranquility)?

The explanation (on a deeper level) is as follows: “The Holy One, blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous.” Therefore, as long as Yaakov had not requested to dwell in tranquility, he was not granted the tranquility that was due to him; only when “Yaakov requested to dwell in tranquility”—and it can be said that here “requested” means not only “wanted,” but an actual request and prayer—not only was his request fulfilled, but even more so: he was granted tranquility in its complete form, the World to Come.

From this we learn a great principle and a directive for our own service in our times: how crucial it is to request the Redemption. Every single Jew must learn from Yaakov’s conduct to request to dwell in tranquility. As long as Moshiach has not yet come, every Jew must request—and even more, demand—that our righteous Moshiach should come, as the Sages say (quoted many times): “Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught… All those thousands who fell in the wars in the days of David fell only because they did not demand the building of the Beis HaMikdash… If those [who lived then were punished for not demanding], how much more so we… Therefore, the early pious ones instituted that one should pray every day… ‘Return Your Shechinah to Zion and restore the service to Jerusalem,’ and they established ‘Builder of Jerusalem’ as a separate blessing in the prayer and in the Grace after Meals.”

It is also brought as a halachic ruling, in these words: The reason one must mention the kingdom of the House of David in this blessing (“Builder of Jerusalem”)… is because we must mention the Kingdom of Heaven, the kingdom of the House of David, and the Beis HaMikdash… and the Jewish people will not be redeemed until they confess and demand all three.

However, in the time of Yaakov, it was necessary for “the turmoil of Yosef” to befall him as a prerequisite in order to receive this tranquility. But in our times, all the matters of “turmoil,” G‑d forbid, have already passed over the Jewish people—the decrees and persecutions, G‑d spare us, up to and including the most recent destructions, G‑d spare us, in our own generation.

And G‑d desires the prayers of Israel, that they should request the Redemption—“he requested to dwell in tranquility”—and this itself brings and hastens the Redemption even more. As the Chida writes: “It is stated in Yalkut Tehillim, remez 736: Even if the Jewish people have nothing but hope, they are worthy of Redemption as a reward for their hope… And with this he explains the wording of the blessing ‘May the offspring of David Your servant speedily flourish, and may his pride be exalted through Your salvation, for we hope for Your salvation all day.’ For the phrase ‘for we hope for Your salvation’ is not immediately understood as a reason… But according to the above, it is well understood, and this is its meaning: ‘May the offspring of David…’ And if you will say we have no merit, nevertheless, cause him to flourish, for we have hoped for Your salvation, and in the merit of our hope, we are worthy that You redeem us.”

In simple terms: When the Jewish people will properly request to dwell in tranquility, then immediately and at once the request of every Jew will be fulfilled: “May our eyes behold Your return to Zion with mercy”—a return in peace and serenity, and a dwelling in tranquility “in the land of his father’s sojournings,” in the literal sense, physically, actually, below ten handbreadths, and speedily in our days, mamash.

(From the talks of Shabbos Parshas Vayeishev and Miketz, 5744; Shabbos Parshas Vayeishev, 5746)