Yaakov's Vow: Sanctifying Speech and Money
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 28:20-21
וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמֹר אִם־יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי וּשְׁמָרַנִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ וְנָתַן־לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבֹּשׁ וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם אֶל־בֵּית אָבִי וְהָיָה יְהֹוָה לִי לֵאלֹהִים
Yaakov made a vow, saying: If God will be with me and guard me on this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I return in peace to my father's house, then Hashem will be my God.
1“Yaakov made a vow, saying: If God will be with me and guard me on this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I return in peace to my father's house.”1 Yaakov Avinu was the chosen one of the Avos, and here he was privileged to pray in so holy a place, the very place on which the Beis HaMikdash would one day be built. Why, then, was his whole prayer about material things, “bread to eat and clothing to wear”? It would seem that he should have asked for spiritual things.
וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמוֹר אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי וּשְׁמָרַנִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ וְנָתַן לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכוֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבּוֹשׁ וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם אֶל בֵּית אָבִי (כח, כ-כא). צָרִיךְ לְהָבִין, מַדּוּעַ יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ בְּחִיר שֶׁבָּאָבוֹת, כְּשֶׁזָּכָה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בְּמָקוֹם כָּל כָּךְ קָדוֹשׁ שֶׁהוּא הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁעָלָיו יִבָּנֶה לֶעָתִיד בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, אֲזַי כָּל הַתְּפִלָּה שֶׁלּוֹ הָיְתָה עַל עִנְיְינֵי גַּשְׁמִיּוּת ׳לֶחֶם לֶאֱכוֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבּוֹשׁ׳, וְלִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ עַל עִנְיְינֵי רוּחָנִיּוֹת.
- Bereishis 28:20–21. ↩
In shortWhy did Yaakov, the chosen one of the Avos, praying on the site of the future Beis HaMikdash, ask only for bread and clothing?
2There is more to understand. The Baal HaTurim, R' Yaakov ben Asher, cites a note of the Masorah, the traditional record of the Torah's words: “Vayidar, ‘and he vowed,’ appears three times in the Masorah: ‘Yaakov vowed’; ‘Israel vowed’; ‘Yiftach vowed.’”2 How do these verses connect to ours? True, the Baal HaTurim explains that the Masorah comes to tell us that tzaddikim used to make vows. But, in the words of the verse, “there are still words to say on God's behalf”: more remains to be said.3 His explanation, too, needs clarifying, for making vows is not a rule to follow always; at times Scripture says, “It is better that you not vow.”4 We must also explain the word leimor, “saying.” Chazal expounded here: “What is leimor? Saying it for the generations.”5 What does “for the generations” mean? The Midrash explains it as referring to vows made in a time of trouble. But “the Torah has seventy faces,”6 and it can be explained in more ways than one.
עוֹד יֵשׁ לְהָבִין, דְּהִנֵּה הַבַּעַל הַטּוּרִים הֵבִיא מְסוּרָה, ׳וַיִּדַּר׳ ג׳ בַּמָּסוֹרָה, וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב, וַיִּדַּר יִשְׂרָאֵל (במדבר כא, ב), וַיִּדַּר יִפְתָּח (שופטים יא, ל), וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר שַׁיָּיכוּת פְּסוּקִים אֵלּוּ לְכָאן, וַהֲגַם דִּבְבַעַל הַטּוּרִים בֵּיאֵר הַכַּוָּונָה דְּבָא לוֹמַר שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים הָיוּ נוֹדְרִים, אַךְ עוֹד לֶאֱלוֹק מִילִּין. וְגַם פֵּירוּשׁוֹ עֲדַיִין צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, דַּהֲרֵי אֵין זֶה כְּלָל שֶׁכָּךְ צָרִיךְ לִנְהוֹג תָּמִיד, שֶׁהֲרֵי לִפְעָמִים נֶאֱמַר (קהלת ה, ד) ״טוֹב אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִידּוֹר״. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר אוֹמְרוֹ ׳לֵאמוֹר׳, וחז״ל דָּרְשׁוּ כָּאן (בראשית רבה ע, א) מַהוּ ׳לֵאמוֹר׳ לֵאמוֹר לְדוֹרוֹת, וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מַה הַכַּוָּונָה ׳לְדוֹרוֹת׳, וּבַמִּדְרָשׁ פֵּירְשׁוּ זֹאת לְעִנְיַן נְדָרִים בְּעֵת צָרָה, אַךְ שִׁבְעִים פָּנִים לַתּוֹרָה (זוהר ח״א מז, ב).
- Bamidbar 21:2; Shoftim 11:30. ↩
- Iyov 36:2. ↩
- Koheles 5:4. ↩
- Bereishis Rabbah 70:1. The Midrash continues: “that they should make vows in their time of trouble.” ↩
- Zohar I 47b. ↩
In shortWhat do the Masorah's three vows, of Yaakov, Israel and Yiftach, come to teach, and what does “saying it for the generations” mean?
3We may say as follows. Money has two paths, a good one and a bad one. On the one hand, a person can do great things with it, such as charity, acts of kindness and supporting Torah; on the other, he can stumble through it into things that are not good, Heaven forbid. The voice and speech also have two paths. A person can use them for good, saying words of holiness with his mouth, such as Torah, prayer and the like; or he can, Heaven forbid, use his mouth for lashon hara, evil speech, and for idle words and the like. This is in the spirit of what the holy sefarim, among them the Ben Poras Yosef, explain on the verse “A ladder set upon the earth, and its top reaching to heaven.”7 The word sulam, “ladder,” has the same numerical value as mamon, “money,” and also as kol, “voice,”8 for with them one can climb higher and higher.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר, דְּהִנֵּה בְּעִנְיַן הַמָּמוֹן יֶשְׁנָם שְׁנֵי דְּרָכִים, טוֹב וְרַע, שֶׁמִּצַּד אֶחָד אֶפְשָׁר לִפְעוֹל בּוֹ דְּבָרִים גְּדוֹלִים, כִּצְדָקָה וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים וְהַחְזָקַת תּוֹרָה, אַךְ מֵאִידָךְ אֶפְשָׁר לְהִכָּשֵׁל בּוֹ בִּדְבָרִים לֹא טוֹבִים ח״ו. וְכֵן כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ בְּעִנְיַן הַקּוֹל וְהַדִּיבּוּר יֶשְׁנָם גַּם כֵּן שְׁנֵי דְּרָכִים, דְּאֶפְשָׁר לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם לְטוֹב, לוֹמַר עִם הַפֶּה דִּבְרֵי קְדוּשָּׁה כַּתּוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, אַךְ מֵאִידָךְ אֶפְשָׁר ח״ו לְדַבֵּר בּוֹ לָשׁוֹן הָרַע וּדְבָרִים בְּטֵלִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁפֵּירְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (בן פורת יוסף, ועיין בספר בעל שם טוב, ובאמרי פנחס, ובדברי בינה) עַל הַכָּתוּב ״סוּלָּם מוּצָּב אַרְצָה וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמָיְמָה״ (כח, יב), דְּ׳סוּלָּם׳ בְּגֵימַטְרְיָא ׳מָמוֹן׳, וְכֵן בְּגֵימַטְרְיָא ׳קוֹל׳, שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לַעֲלוֹת עִמָּם מַעְלָה מַעְלָה.
- Bereishis 28:12; Ben Poras Yosef; and see Sefer Baal Shem Tov, Imrei Pinchas and Divrei Binah. ↩
- All three words have the numerical value 136. ↩
In shortMoney and speech can each lead up or down, and both share the numerical value of sulam, the ladder on which one climbs ever higher.
4We can find this hinted in the very words of the verse, “Yaakov made a vow, saying.” Yaakov Avinu made a request for the generations after him about leimor, “saying”: that their speech should be in keeping with the Torah. That is the meaning of “saying it for the generations”: he asked that the generations to come be privileged to sanctify their speech. Then he added a request that in money matters, too, the conduct of the Jewish people through the generations should follow the Torah. He asked this in the words “and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear”: that they should use money [which is hinted at by “bread” and “clothing”] only in the way of the holy Torah. That is why he ended with “and I return in peace to my father's house,” which Rashi explains as “whole, free of sin”: money should not lead him to sin. So his request was not for material things for himself at all. He was asking for the generations to come, that they be privileged to lift material things onto the path of the Torah, higher and higher.
וְיֵשׁ לְרַמֵּז זֹאת בְּדִבְרֵי הַכָּתוּב ״וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמוֹר״, שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ בִּיקֵּשׁ עֲבוּר הַדּוֹרוֹת אַחֲרָיו, אוֹדוֹת ׳לֵאמוֹר׳, הַיְינוּ עַל עִנְיַן הַ׳אֲמִירָה׳ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַדִּיבּוּר שֶׁלָּהֶם עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה, וְזֶהוּ ׳לֵאמוֹר לְדוֹרוֹת׳, שֶׁבִּיקֵּשׁ בִּשְׁבִיל דּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים שֶׁיִּזְכּוּ לְקַדֵּשׁ אֲמִירָתָם. וְעוֹד הוֹסִיף לְבַקֵּשׁ, שֶׁגַּם בְּעִנְיַן הַ׳מָמוֹן׳ יִהְיֶה הַנְהָגַת עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדוֹרוֹת עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה, וְזֶהוּ ׳וְנָתַן לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכוֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבּוֹשׁ׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ עִם הַמָּמוֹן [הַמְּרוּמָּז בְּ׳לֶחֶם׳ וּ׳בֶגֶד׳] אַךְ וְרַק כְּפִי דֶּרֶךְ הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁסִּיֵּים ׳וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם אֶל בֵּית אָבִי׳, וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י שָׁלֵם מִן הַחֵטְא, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהַמָּמוֹן לֹא יִגְרוֹם לוֹ לַחֲטוֹא. וְאִם כֵּן נִמְצָא שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה בַּקָּשָׁתוֹ כְּלָל עַל עִנְיְנֵי גַּשְׁמִיּוּת לְעַצְמוֹ, אֶלָּא שֶׁבִּיקֵּשׁ עַל הַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים, שֶׁיִּזְכּוּ לְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת לְדֶרֶךְ הַתּוֹרָה מַעְלָה מַעְלָה.
In shortYaakov's vow was for his descendants: leimor asks that their speech be holy, and “bread and clothing” that they use money the Torah's way.
5With this we can explain the Masorah's point. “Yaakov made a vow, saying”: Yaakov Avinu prayed about the voice, which leimor stands for, that it should follow the Torah. The Masorah also hints at guarding one's speech in both ways, “turn from evil and do good.”9 “Do good” is hinted in the war with the Canaanite king of Arad, who came to fight against Israel. There the verse says, “Israel made a vow to Hashem …,” and then, “Hashem listened to the voice of Israel.”10 The hint is that Bnei Yisrael guarded their voice and mouth in holiness. That is why they were privileged to have Hashem accept their plea and to win their war with the Canaanite: He heard “the voice of Israel” and saw how their power of speech was guarded in holiness. “Turn from evil” is hinted in what is said of Yiftach, “Yiftach made a vow.” He stumbled through his vow, for he vowed to offer up as a burnt offering whoever came out of the door of his house, and his daughter came out to meet him.11 From this we see how carefully one must guard one's mouth. So the three verses of the Masorah are connected: all of them are about the voice. A person must sanctify his speech, and through this he is privileged to be kept from sin and to have his prayer accepted, as we saw with Yiftach and at Arad.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ מִשְׁפַּט הַמְּסוּרָה, ״וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמוֹר״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ הִתְפַּלֵּל עַל הַקּוֹל בְּחִינַת ׳לֵאמוֹר׳ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה. וְנִרְמָז בַּמָּסוֹרָה עִנְיַן שְׁמִירַת הַדִּיבּוּר בְּסוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב, בְּחִינַת ׳עֲשֵׂה טוֹב׳ נִרְמְזָה בַּמֶּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּכָּתוּב לְעִנְיַן הַמִּלְחָמָה בִּכְנַעֲנִי מֶלֶךְ עֲרָד שֶׁבָּא לְהִלָּחֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, ״וַיִּדַּר יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶדֶר לַה״ וְגוֹ׳, וְנֶאֱמַר שָׁם (במדבר כא, ג) ״וַיִּשְׁמַע ה׳ בְּקוֹל יִשְׂרָאֵל״, הָרֶמֶז בָּזֶה, כִּי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁמְרוּ אֶת הַקּוֹל וְהַפֶּה בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, וְלָכֵן זָכוּ שֶׁמֵּחֲמַת שֶׁשָּׁמַע ה׳ ׳קוֹל יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ אֵיךְ שֶׁבְּחִינַת הַקּוֹל שֶׁלָּהֶם שָׁמוּר בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, קִיבֵּל ה׳ אֶת תְּחִינָּתָם וְנִצְּחוּ בְּמִלְחַמְתָּם עִם כְּנַעַן. וּבְחִינַת ׳סוּר מֵרָע׳ נִרְמְזָה, מֵהָאָמוּר אֵצֶל יִפְתָּח ״וַיִּדַּר יִפְתָּח נֶדֶר״, וְנִכְשַׁל בְּנִדְרוֹ, כִּי נָדַר שֶׁמִּי יָצָא מִפֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ יַעֲלֵהוּ לְעוֹלָה, וְיָצְאָה בִּתּוֹ לִקְרָאתוֹ, וּמִזֶּה נִרְאֶה עַד כַּמָּה צְרִיכִים לִשְׁמוֹר עַל הַפֶּה. וְזֶהוּ הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת שֶׁל הַמְּסוּרָה, שֶׁהַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ עַל עִנְיַן הַקּוֹל, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת דִּיבּוּר הָאָדָם, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה זוֹכִים לְהִשָּׁמֵר מִן הַחֵטְא וּלְקַבָּלַת הַתְּפִלָּה כָּאָמוּר.
In shortAll three vows teach the holiness of speech: Israel's guarded voice at Arad was heard, while Yiftach's vow shows how one must guard one's mouth.
6May Hashem grant that we be privileged to guard our mouths, and through this may He accept our prayers, and may we bring the redemption near. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לִשְׁמוֹר אֶת הַפֶּה, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה ה׳ יְקַבֵּל תְּפִילּוֹתֵינוּ, וּנְקָרֵב בָּזֶה הַגְּאוּלָּה אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that by guarding our mouths our prayers will be accepted and the redemption brought near.
Takeaway
Yaakov's request for bread and clothing was a prayer for all his descendants: that their money and their speech, two ladders that can lead up or down, would be used only in the Torah's way. When we sanctify our speech and our use of money, we are guarded from sin, and Hashem listens to the voice of Israel and accepts our prayers.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
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