Oroh V'Simchoh

OROH V'SIMCHOH - MESHECH CHOCHMOH ON PARSHAS VAYIGASH BS"D

Ch. 46, v. 2: "Va'yomer Elokim l'Yisroel b'marose haLAYLOH" - We find a second communication from Hashem to Yaakov taking place at night in the beginning of parshas Va'yeitzei, "Va'yo'len shom ki vo hashemesh, Va'yomar Ani Hashem Elokei Avrohom" (Breishis 28:11,13). Yet by Avrohom and Yitzchok we find no nocturnal communication. The MESHECH CHOCHMOH explains that a prophecy received at night symbolizes that Hashem will be with him even when he is in the darkness of golus, as the gemara Megiloh 29a says, "When the bnei yisroel descended to Egypt the Divine Spirit descended with them. When the bnei Yisroel descended to Babylonia the Divine Spirit descended with them. (Although Avrohom also left Eretz Yisroel, this was only for a short period of time, and he intended to, and indeed did return. Yaakov, however left Eretz Yisroel knowing that he would not come back alive, as is indicated in the wording of verse 4, "Onochi eireid imcho Mitzraymoh v'Onochi aalcho gam oloe" - I will go down WITH you, and I will bring you back up." With regard to descending to Egypt, Hashem will descend WITH Yaakov, but upon retun Hashem will bring Yaakov, not ascend with him.)

The gemara Brochos 26b says that Yaakov established the evening prayers, corresponding to the burning of the organs and fats of the sacrifices that were brought by day in the Beis Hamikdosh. This corresponds to his life, where he lived in Eretz Yisroel, symbolized by day, and completed his life in Mitzrayim, compared to night. Just as sacrifices, once their processing of the blood service has been completed by day, their burning on the altar may be done by night as well, so also Yaakov, who began his life in Eretz Yisroel and received prophecy there, was promised by Hashem that His Divine Spirit would not depart from him even upon descending to Egypt. this is similar to the ruling that Hashem does not give prophecy outside of Eretz yisroel, unlee the prophet has already received prophecy in the past in Eretz Yisroel, as explained in the gemara Mo'eid Koton 25a, as per Rashi there d.h. "shehoyoh kvar."

He adds that this is also the intention of the verse in T'hilim 20:2, "Yaancho Hashem b'yom TZOROH y'sa'gevcho Elokei YAAKOV." When one is in a TZOROH, when he does not see the "countenance of Hashem shining upon him," he prays to the G-d of Yaakov, because Hashem promised Yaakov of all the forefathers that He would be with him even when in golus, a time and place of great difficulties.

The MESHECH CHOCHMOH ends by saying that we can learn a very practical lesson from this. We are now in "golus." As long as we behave in a manner becoming of the children of Yaakov, by retaining the Torah's values, we are connected to the "day" of the Beis Hamikdosh, and thus will merit to also have Hashem's Holy Spirit with us, even during the "night" of "golus," just as a prophet who once received prophecy in Eretz Yisroel is able to also receive it in the diaspora. If we disconnect from the sanctity of "day," we cannot expect a connection with Hashem during the "night."

A GUTTEN SHABBOS KODESH.
FEEDBACK AND SUBMISSIONS ARE APPRECIATED. SHOLOM613@AOL.COM