The Gemara in Berakoths 4a states the difficulty of Rav Jacob bar Iddi. In Verse 28:15 it states in relation to Jacob "Behold I am with you and I will guard you wherever you go" and in verse 32:8 it says that "Jacob became very frightened and it distressed him" (because Esau was coming to accost him, so he divided the people with him two separate camps.) If G-d promised to guard Jacob why should Jacob be afraid? The answer, according to one way of reading the text, is that Jacob was afraid that his sins might cause G-d to forfeit his promise.

Rav Eliyahu Mizrachi poses a difficulty from a near by page in the Gemara which says that "every word that goes forth from G-d's mouth for good, even if it is on condition, will not return without being fulfilled." So according to this principal, even if Jacob were to sin, how could this affect G-d's promise to him?

Rav Simcha Zeissel answers this with a revolutionary understanding of Jacob's relationship to G-d. He says it is a fundamental principle that in order to be intellectual and/or, spiritual, one must remove himself from his preoccupation with the physical world. So why is it that Jacob, who was one of the spiritual giants of the universe vows "and (if G-d) will give me bread to eat and cloths to wear"- "then this stone which I have set as a pillar shall become a house of G-d" verse 28:20 etc. Not only that but the Rambam tells us that all of man's essential needs are already promised to him so why was Jacob worrying about his basic needs. Was he running after the pleasures of this world? Very unlikely!

To answer this difficulty he explains, is that man has two parts to his psyche, his will and his intellect. It is possible for man to be on a high spiritual level and totally separate his intellect from his physical desires but even so who can separate his intellect from his own will? Even after one has reached a high level of creative and intellectual freedom he is still caught in the self-serving circle of "my ideas", "my theories" and "my intellectual pursuits". So how can man know the true direction to take in his infinite world of creative possibilities?

G-d, in his unlimited kindness, gave us two tools in order find our way out of this vast conceptual wilderness, a map and a compass. The map is the Torah with all its laws and moral value system. The compass is our tribulations and sufferings which help us redirect ourselves to the path which the Torah has laid out for us. Rav Simcha Zeissiel explains that the natural order of the world is that for every "action" we do, G-d does an "action" back to us as a "sign" to help us understand whether or not we are focused in the right direction.

Man needs his trials and tribulations in order to get a sense of direction of where he needs to correct himself . Jacob had elevated himself to such a high standard of morality and detachment from the desires of the physical world that he had the opportunity to live his life based on the fact that G-d would do miracles for him and his family. But Jacob did not want to lose the only tool he had to perfect himself in the service of G-d so he asked G-d to make his material possessions dependent on his "actions" like the natural order of the world, and not to operate on the level of the miraculous. It was not for the love of bread or clothes that Jacob made his vow. It was for the love of G-d!

This also gives us another way to explain The Gemara in Berakoths 4a. Jacob was not afraid that his sins might cause G-d to forfeit his promise. The text reads that G-d's promise to guard Jacob made him afraid since the promise itself might cause him sin, because he would no longer have any way to measure how he was performing. So Jacob lowered himself into the natural ways of the world and he divided the people with him two separate camps. He was ready to accept the consequences of his actions and let nature run it's course for the sake of truth and spiritual perfection!

[This message was edited by Rabbi Mitterhoff on December 18, 2003 at 12:22 PM.]

Could Jacob's fear not have been for himself, but for Esau? As you have said, Jacob had assurance from HaShem that his safety was not in danger. Then he percieves that Esau is coming with bad intentions, so he is afraid that HaShem will take action against Esau. Rather than have the indirect responsibility for Esau (and his people's) harm, in case his (Jacob's) attempts to soften Esau's heart fail, Jacob does everything to 'defuse' the situation and limit what Esau might try. His actions, thus seen, are Jacob's attempt both to spare his brother and to 'not require a miracle'.

I don't know the Torah well enough to argue this in terms of it (and I will be buying one), but this story makes me think of the old adage, "The truth shall set you free", if you consider that there is no freedom in immorality (i.e. without love of our fellow brothers and sisters). It would seem to me we only learn to "bite the bullet" when we are wrong where we have suffered, and through doing that we learn. In other words, it may be that the most spirtual and enlightened man, is the one who suffered the most. I think he knows the highest truth, and does the best by his fellow man, Like Martin Luther King suffered allot, but peacefully brought about postive change for all. Ofcourse he had an innate talent and good disposition, but as Theodore Roethke wrote, "In a dark time, the eye begins to see." I think that means when things are hard for us, we come to our most profound realizations. But then Albert Einstein was an anomoly, I think he would have come up with his ideas despite the hard life the world dealt him, before he became famous. When there is world peace, I think art and ideas that enriches all human life will come without suffering on any person's part. For the mean time I think we are still in some sort of a struggle, and I wonder why that struggle has to be there. Maybe we are being tested.

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"Jacob became very frightened and it distressed him" (because Esau was coming to accost him, so he divided the people with him two separate camps.)

How about Yaakov being afraid and distressed for his family? - maybe he sent his immediate family in another direction to protect them, and only brought with him (to meet Esav) those he felt wouldn't be intimidated or get in emotional trouble?

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Originally posted by Dov:
How about Yaakov being afraid and distressed for his family? - maybe he sent his immediate family in another direction to protect them, and only brought with him (to meet Esav) those he felt wouldn't be intimidated or get in emotional trouble?

I would think Hashem's protection would extend to all of Yaakov's family.

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I would think Hashem's protection would extend to all of Yaakov's family.

Allow me to tell a story. A very religious man (Jewish or non-Jewish, doesn't matter for this story) was drowning in the sea. A boat was passing by and they offered him help, but he said, "No. G-d will save me." It repeated like that three times, until he did drown and since he was a righteous man all his life, he came to the Gates of Heaven. But there the angels say to him, "No; you did not value life enough to merit staying in heaven." The man says, "Why?" - and the answer is: "Because G-d sent you three boats, one after the other, to rescue you, and what did you do?"

Of course Hashem would protect Jacob and his family. But Jacob had to show the willingness to be protected by Hashem, which is what he did.

Shalom Rabbi,
Although Jacob had elevated himself to a high spiritual level,is there not a "mutual interpenetration and influence between the holy and not holy "which when he mastered this truth being of "pure mind" he was able to emanate the manifestation of G-d therefore overcoming his own obstacles and fears?

Can you explain yourself a bit more?

Shalom Rabbi,Thank-you for your reply.
Here is what I think I have learned. (I am new at this so please be patient,better you than my family)He was afraid because his sins may cause G-d to change his mind, right?(According to Berachot 4a)Rambam says that he recieved a prophecy that he would survive and that a prophecy for a good thing must come true. But that only applies to public prophecies.These prophecies have to come true (Because how else would we know that a prophecy has come true?)However Rambam also says that a personal prophecy given to the prophet, himself does not need to be proven.He knows that G-d spoke to him therefore a private prophecy,given to himself, does not have to come true.
That is where the his soul is tested. The energy of Daat the crystalization of his awareness in terms of conclusions of this fact(That G-d did not need to prove this prophecy)therefore Jacob made a transition to another form of soul exsistance in order to be able to attain the power to carry out the prophecy.
I think thats it.Have a nice evening. Again thank-you for asking me for my response...Olivia

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I would think Hashem's protection would extend to all of Yaakov's family.

It did not seem to extend to Rachel (she died in child birth--presumably for taking her father's idol, although Yaakov himself pronounced the fate of the thief.)

Rabbi:
We were speaking on just this thing after Shul last week. Only we were covering it a bit further until it gets to he part where Yaakov looks at his brother and says that to see his face is to see the face of G-d. This is deep because it seems to be a completely counter-intuitive commentary.

I believe the reason he said this is for the same reason I believe he did what he did in dividing his camp. He had a bad habit of trying to do things his own way. Before his name was changed, it meant "deciever" did it not? He decieved his father with the animal skins, even though he rightfully had the lion's share, yet he went through with his plan. (A plan, by the way , thast was not only unacceptable, but also cost him ever seeing his father's or mother's face ever again!) He loved HaSh-m but fell into his own plans on different occasions. When he finally changed, his name did as well.

Some at Shul disagreed with me, some didn't but these are my thoughts:

When Yaakov, after having been wrestling with teh angel all night, after wrestling with himself, all night, and trying to wrestle "insurance" as it were of G-d's blessing upon him, and after all of this, he faces his brother, and sees that his brother was not to be feared(that G-d had taken care of everything afterall). Then he realizes that HaSh-m had in fact already done all He had promised, and had made a way (even in his brother's heart) and that his BROTHER had accepted HaSh-m's gifts, and way in the matter. That it was Yaakov who had not fully trusted in HaSh-m's hand. It was a revelatory moment that possibly set his path straight for the rest of his life. (His name did change) Who better to learn from than one's "enemies"? It must have been humbling but effective on G-d's part to use this as a tool.