Vayeitzei 5784-2023

When Jacob awakens from his sleep he declares, (Genesis 28:16): אָכֵן יֵשׁ השׁם בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, וְאָנֹכִי לֹא יָדָעְתִּי. Surely, G-d is present in this place, and I did not know! Rashi explains that in this verse, Jacob apologizes for the fact that had he known that G-d was present in that place he would not have dared to sleep there. The Ohr HaChaim explains alternatively, that Jacob regrets not having sufficiently prepared himself spiritually, so that he could have had a proper vision while he was awake, rather than while asleep.

There are two words in the Hebrew language that mean “I” or “me,”–the simple אֲנַי—“ah’nee,” and the more regal and formal אָנֹכִי—“ah’no’chee.”When Jacob says: “I did not know,” he uses the Hebrew expression וְאָנֹכִי, לֹא יָדָעְתִּי, “and I (“Ah’no’chee”) did not know! The Chassidic commentators have a field day with the word “ah’no’chee.” The Tifferet Shlomo explains that Jacob, in effect, said to himself: “If G-d is indeed in this place, if I helped bring the Divine Presence here, it is because I was able to nullify the “ah’no’chee” in me. Because I had no ego, no hidden agenda or personal ulterior motive, my own self-essence was voided, with the result that everything I did was for the sake of the Al-mighty, to unite His holiness, Blessed be He, and His divine presence.”

When can a human being experience G-d’s nearness? Says the Panim Yafot, only when a person is suffused by “I don’t know”–only when the person knows that he/she does not know or pretend to have wisdom and insight into G-d.

The Torah states, in Genesis 1:27, that when the human being was first created, “G-d created the human in His image, in the image of G-d created He him, male and female, created He them.” According to the interpretation of some biblical commentators, including Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, the first human being was created with the potential to be Divine-like. Just as G-d is compassionate, so does the human being have the capacity to be compassionate. Just as G-d is filled with loving-kindness, so the human being should be filled with loving-kindness. Unfortunately, this early human being did not live-up to his divine potential, and, often, chose instead, to act in a bestial manner, seeking self-gratification and utilitarian fulfillment.

That is why, these commentators explain, that in Genesis 2, there is a second story of “creation.” Genesis 2:7 reads: “And the L-rd G-d ‘formed’ the human being out of dust of the earth and He breathed into his nostrils a living breath, and the human being became a living soul.” “Adam I,” as Rabbi Soloveitchik calls him, the primordial human being created in Genesis 1, had Divine potential, but never realized that potential. Therefore, G-d infuses this human being with dust of the earth. “You, Adam, think that you are the end-all-and-be-all of creation? I am telling you,” says G-d, “that you are but ‘dust of the earth’–you are nothing!” The Al-mighty in effect endows the human being with humility. “You may be a homosapien,” says G-d to Adam I, “but you are not a mentsch, because you’re filled with pride and arrogance. I will implant within you the quality of humility. Now, let us see how things develop from here.”

The Bible provides many examples of the importance of the quality of humility. So, for example, while Moses had many unparalleled virtues, the Bible singles out his extraordinary humility (Numbers 12:3). Furthermore, the fact that his humility is cited in reference to his behavior toward other human beings and not only G-d, is indeed fascinating. That, says the Noam Megadim, was Moses’ true humility.

The Talmud, in Megillah 31a, in a citation that is recited on Saturday nights in the V’yee’tayn L’chah prayer, points out that wherever there is a Biblical reference to G-d’s greatness and power, we find there a parallel reference of G-d’s humility and grace. The G-d who is transcendent and all-knowing, all-powerful and remote, is the same G-d who is imminent and close, caring and humble. The Pesikda d’rav Kahana, chapter 4, points out that a person stricken with צָרַעַת–tza’raat (the biblical disease), is cleansed with both a piece of cedar wood and a hyssop (Leviticus 14:4). This serves to remind the one who is stricken, that the disease צוֹרַעַת—tzoraat may have been caused by his hubris, represented by the cedar, the tallest and most powerful tree, and that he may be healed only by humbling himself like the lowest of plants, the hyssop.

The midrash Mechilta reminds us that G-d revealed himself to Moses in a bush, to teach that the loftiest may be found in the lowliest. Similarly, the Talmud in Sotah 5a declares, “We can learn [to be humble] from the Creator, who revealed himself at Sinai (a low mountain), not on high mountains, and in a bush, not in majestic trees.”

The prophet Michah (6:8) has articulated perhaps the most famous statement concerning humility. In his immortal worlds, the prophet declares, “It has been told you O man, what is good, and what the L-rd does require of you? Only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with G-d.” The prophet beseeches the people to walk with decency, chastity and purity, underscoring the greatness of G-d’s model. That is why, the Baal Shem Tov was accustomed to say: “To find truth, bend down humbly,” (Derash Tov), and that the test of the real service of G-d is that it leaves behind the feeling of humility.