CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS VA'YEITZEI 5770 - BS"D

2) Ch. 28, v.17: "Ein zeh ki im beis Elokim v'zeh shaar hashomoyim" - Since Yaakov is describing the same place, why doesn't he say, "Ein zeh ki im beis Elokim v'shaar hashomoyim?"

3) Ch. 28, v.20: "Lechem le'echol" - Isn't it obvious that bread is for consumption?

4) Ch. 29, v. 14: "Atzmi u'vsori" - Isn't this an unusual way to express that they are relatives?

5) Ch. 29, v. 18: "Sheva shonim" - Rashi says this amount of time is the "yomim achodim" that his mother Rivka told him (27:44). Are seven years a few days?

ANSWERS:

#1

See Rashi. The Beis Halevi answers that when a person travels, it is usually for one of two purposes. The goal is either to depart from the original location or to be at the destination. For example, in 16:8, the angel asked Hogor, "From where have you come and to where are you going?" Hogor replied, "I am fleeing from my mistress Soroh." It was not pertinent to explain where she was going, as her motive was to leave her original location. Yaakov's trip was unique, in that his LEAVING home was to fulfill his mother's directive to escape Eisov's wrath (27:43), and his traveling TO his destination was to fulfill his father's directive to find a wife from his brother-in-law's family (28:2). This is pointed out in 28:7, "Vayishma Yaakov el OVIV v'el IMO."

#2

The Holy Baal Shem Tov explains this with the gemara Shabbos 31b, which says that the Torah is a gateway, and fear of Hashem is a house. Woe to him who builds for himself a gateway and has not built a house. Woe to him who has amassed Torah knowledge and it has not brought the fear of Hashem into him. Yaakov had just completed fourteen years of very diligent study of Torah in Yeshivas Eiver (see Rashi 28:9). During his sleep with its prophetic vision, he came to a high level of Yiras Shomayim, as our verse says "vayeero." He therefore said, "This is Beis Elokim." I have now reached the level of "Bayis," fear of Hashem, "v'zeh," and this, the fourteen years of Torah study, is "shaar hashomayim," the gateway leading to the fear of Hashem.

#3

Rabbi Shlomo of Lenchna answers that even if a person has food, he might not be able to eat it, either because of ill health or other severe problems and stresses which leave him with no appetite. Yaakov therefore prayed to Hashem that he should have sustenance and the ability to eat.

#4

The GR"A says that Lovon used this expression based on the gemara Nidoh 31a that says that one's father, mother, and Hashem put different components into a child. Among the father's contributions is the skeletal system, and among the mother's is the flesh. Since Yaakov was a relative of Lovon paternally through Avrohom's father, and maternally through Milkoh the wife of Nochor, Lovon said that we are one FLESH and BONE.

#5

The Holy Chozeh of Lublin explains this with the Medrash 11:8. Shabbos came to Hashem and complained that every day of the week has a mate, Sunday has Monday, etc. However, I am left alone. Hashem responded that after the Torah will be given the bnei Yisroel will be Shabbos's mate. The word "yomim" means a year, as we find in Breishis 24:55 and in Vayikra 25:29. Combining these two ideas, we can interpret "yomim achodim" as a YEAR of SINGLE days, or a year's worth of Shabbosos. A year of Shabbosos comes during the course of seven years.

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