Parashat Vayishlach

בס”ד

Home is Where Spirituality is

November 20, 2010/ 13 Kislev 5771

by Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon

Founder and Board Chairman, JobKatif

The Gemarah in Psachim 88a describes each of our forefathers. The text asks, “What is meant by the verse, ‘And many people shall go and say ‘let’s go up to the mountain of G-d, to the house of the G-d of Yaakov etc.’(Yishiyahu 2:3) Why does it say the “G-d of Yaakov” and not the G-d of Avraham or Yitzchak? The meaning is that we will not be like Avraham who is compared to a ‘mountain’ (as in the verse ‘In the mountain where G-d is seen’ in Bereishit 22:14). We will not be like Yitzchak either, who is compared to a field (as in the verse ‘and Yitzchak went out to meditate in the field at evening time’ in Bereishit 24:63). But let us be like Yaakov, who called Him (G-d) ‘home’ as the verse says ‘And he called the name of the place Beit-El (G-d is a home)” (Braeshit 28:19).

Avraham is called ‘mountain’ which is a high place that rises above its surroundings and rules over them. Avraham would go to the mountains to build alters to G-d, and call them in His name.

Yitzchak is called a ‘field’– a wide open area. The field is a place for farming and represents development. Yitzchak would meditate in the fields and harvest them, as well.

Then there’s Yaakov who is called a ‘house’. This name is a bit odd. We see in the above Gemarah that this is a positive thing, but when we think about the comparison, a house is not high like a mountain, nor wide like a field.

The fact is that Yaakov was more successful in continuing the Jewish people than his father and grandfather. Avraham and Yitzchak both were strong and spiritual, but failed where Yaakov succeeded. They both had children that were evil and did not continue their father’s ideals. However, all of Yaakov’s decedents went on to become the nation of Israel.

A house has closed boundaries which guard those who are inside, and keeps out those who are not. A house represents the beauty of being complete and internal.

Yaakov was the only one that was able to protect the strength of the people of Israel. You can find spirituality in all sorts of places, but in the end of the day home is permanence. The home is the foundation, which gives us strength and stability  to solidify our beliefs, eventually enabling us to go out and light the world.

May we all merit to create solid homes like Yaakov’s, thereby empowering ourselves and our children to continue the nation of Israel in its glory.

Shabbat Shalom!