Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Yakov is the chosen one

 Tanchuma (Kedoshim 02:01) When Adam was created, the angels said, “Master of the world, is this the one in whose name we are praising You?” He told them, “No. This person is a thief.When Noah came, they said to to G-d, “Is this the one?” He told them, “No. This person is a drunkard When Abraham came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “This is a stranger.” When Isaac came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “This one loves My enemy” When Jacob came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “Yes, 

Mizrachi (Bereishis 33:20) And he called the name of the altar by the name of the miracle as if he called it G-d. In other words he said because the G-d of Israel is my G-d  since my name is Israel. The explanation of “my G-d” is that He has saved me from all attacks and therefore it is equivalent to calling the altar “G-d is my miracle”. Bereishis Rabbah gives a different explanation that Yakov said You are G-d in the upper realm and I am G-d in the lower realm since the image of Jakob is engaved on the throne of glory.

Rabbeinu Bachya (Bereishis 33:20) “he set up an altar there and he called it G-d, G-d the L-rd of Israel.” The plain meaning of these words is that Yaakov named the altar after the G-d who had performed a miracle for him at that site. Moses did something similar as the Torah reports in Shemos 17,16 after Israel had warded off the attack by Amalek “Moses built an altar and called it: ‘G-d is My banner.’”A kabbalistic approach: the G-d of Israel called Yaakov “EL.” This is also what our sages have said in Bereshit Rabbah 79,8. The wording there is that G-d said to Israel: “I am G-d in heaven whereas you are “EL” on earth.” This would reflect what we have quoted repeatedly that Yaakov’s likeness is engraved on the throne of G-d. 

Ramban (Bereishis 33:20) And by way of the Truth, [that is, the mystic lore of the Cabala, the verse is to be understood] as being in accord with the Midrash which the Rabbis have expounded in Megillah “Whence do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, called Jacob eil? It is said, And He — the G-d of Israel — called him ‘eil.’ “ There is in this matter a great secret, which the Sages have additionally mentioned in another way: “Jacob said to G-d, ‘Thou art the G-d of those on high, and I am the master of those down below.’” The Sages thereby alluded to that which they constantly say: the likeness of Jacob is engraved in the Heavenly Throne.

1 comment:

  1. Which enemy of G_d is loved by Isaac? Ishmael perhaps?

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