שמירה "Yaakov Avinu and His Strive for "yeshev""
Yaakov Avinu and His Strive for "yeshev"
JT
מאתJamie Tarich
sources for pesukim below the text

Parshat Vayeshev is primarily about the shevatim and Yosef's descent into Mitsrayim. However, the parsha begins with a seemingly unassuming pasuk to bridge a gap of time and location, telling us: ויּשב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען"׃" which is typically explained as telling us that Yaakov was now residing in Canaan. However, knowing the background of who Yaakov was, the pasuk has a much deeper implication.

We're introduced to Yaakov as a 15 year old who is yoshev ohalim, a boy who studied in yeshiva all day. With this central trait, when it comes time for Yitzhak to task Yaakov with undertaking his part of the mission of the avot (i.e., to start a family that would ultimately become the shevatim), Yitzhak specifically commands him "Kum! lech..." (lit. 'rise, go...'). Given that we know Yaakov was yoshev ohalim, this superfluous inclusion of "kum" might indicate that Yitzhak is telling his son that in order to prepare his children for the impending galut, Yaakov needs to get out of the yeshiva and gain some 'real world' experience that he can pass on to his children who will ultimately need that knowledge to survive in Mitsrayim.

Yaakov avinu seems to have understood his father's message and began to worry. As soon as he begins his journey to Lavan's house (and immediately after get following his first nevua), he makes a conditional promise to HaShem: if while Yaakov is outside of Canaan, HaShem prevents Yaakov from falling off the derech and from falling under the influence of those around him while living in the 'outside world', when Yaakov returns to his father's house, he will dedicate himself to the service of HaShem. Interestingly, when Yaakov makes his promise, he uses the same lashon that we've come to associate with Yaakov's personality: "v'shavti b'Shalom..." (commonly translated as "and when I return in peace). Given that HaShem already promised to return Yaakov to Canaan (https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.28.15?lang=bi&aliyot=0), it is unnecessary to have a condition of returning in peace. Instead, consistent with Yaakov's nature (especially prior to entering Lavan's house), he is telling HaShem that if He assists him in maintaining his Torah values while away, upon his return, he will resume his yeshiva learning [and refrain from the mundane activities that he suspects he will be engaged in while outside Canaan].
(Note that with this understanding, when Yaakov says shavti b'Shalom he could mean either to 'learn in peace' or to 'learn about / of HaShem'.)

Fast forward to Yaakov's return to Canaan at the beginning of Parshat Vayeshev. When the pasuk tells us וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען, it is simultaneously telling us that two promises have been fulfilled: HaShem's promise to Yaakov to return him to his father's land (https://www.sefaria.org/Chizkuni%2C_Genesis.28.15.1) and Yaakov's promise to rededicate himself to the service of HaShem in the pursuit of all day learning (https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.28.20).

וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּאֶ֖רֶץ מְגוּרֵ֣י אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃

Now Jacob was settled in the land where his father had sojourned, the land of Canaan.
וַֽיִּגְדְּלוּ֙ הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וַיְהִ֣י עֵשָׂ֗ו אִ֛ישׁ יֹדֵ֥עַ צַ֖יִד אִ֣ישׁ שָׂדֶ֑ה וְיַעֲקֹב֙ אִ֣ישׁ תָּ֔ם יֹשֵׁ֖ב אֹהָלִֽים׃
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a mild man who stayed in camp.
ישב אהלים. אָהֳלוֹ שֶׁל שֵׁם וְאָהֳלוֹ שֶׁל עֵבֶר:
יושב אהלים DWELLING IN TENTS — the tent of Shem and the tent of Eber (Genesis Rabbah 63:10).
ואמר אהלים, לשון רבים, כי היה לומד עם כל חכם שהיה מוצא עם זה ועם זה, כי כל חפצו היה בזה, והיה תם מבלי שום מרמה ועול:
אהלים, the reason why the Torah wrote this word in the plural mode is because Yaakov studied with any wise man he came across. He was indiscriminating in this regard, being totally devoid of deceit or evil, wanting only to amass knowledge.

וַיִּקְרָ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹת֑וֹ וַיְצַוֵּ֙הוּ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ לֹֽא־תִקַּ֥ח אִשָּׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃ ק֥וּם לֵךְ֙ פַּדֶּ֣נָֽה אֲרָ֔ם בֵּ֥יתָה בְתוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִ֣י אִמֶּ֑ךָ וְקַח־לְךָ֤ מִשָּׁם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת לָבָ֖ן אֲחִ֥י אִמֶּֽךָ׃ וְאֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ יְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֹֽתְךָ֔ וְיַפְרְךָ֖ וְיַרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְהָיִ֖יתָ לִקְהַ֥ל עַמִּֽים׃ וְיִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ אֶת־בִּרְכַּ֣ת אַבְרָהָ֔ם לְךָ֖ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֣ אִתָּ֑ךְ לְרִשְׁתְּךָ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מְגֻרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן אֱלֹקִ֖ים לְאַבְרָהָֽם׃

So Isaac sent for Jacob and blessed him. He instructed him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from among the Canaanite women. Up, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and take a wife there from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother, May El Shaddai bless you, make you fertile and numerous, so that you become an assembly of peoples. May He grant the blessing of Abraham to you and your offspring, that you may possess the land where you are sojourning, which God assigned to Abraham.”
וְהִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י עִמָּ֗ךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּ֙יךָ֙ בְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וַהֲשִׁ֣בֹתִ֔יךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֚י לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱזָבְךָ֔ עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־עָשִׂ֔יתִי אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי לָֽךְ׃
Remember, I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

... והשבתיך אל האדמה הזאת וכן כתיב וישב יעקב אל יצחק אביו.

והשיבותיך אל האדמה הזאת, “I will bring you back to this soil;” this promise was fulfilled as stated in Genesis 35,27: וישב יעקב אל יצחק אביו “Yaakov returned to his father Yitzchok.”

וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹקִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃
Jacob then made a vow, saying, “If God remains with me, if He protects me on this journey that I am making, and gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear,
אם יהיה אלקים עמדי להסיר מעלי כל מעיק ומונע המעביר את האדם על דעתו וע''ד קונו כאז''ל ג' מעבירין את האדם על דעתו ועל דעת קונו גוים ורוח רעה ודקדוקי עניות:
אם יהיה אלוקים עמדי, to remove from me all the pressures which I am under, pressures which prevent man from giving his attention to matters which should receive his attention, i.e. to G’d and what He expects from man. What troubled Yaakov was what our sages in Eyruvin 41 described as the three problems which are liable to unbalance someone’s mind as well as his relationship to his Creator. They are: gentiles, being involved personally in natural disasters, and excessive poverty.
ושמרני מן רעי גוים המתקוממים ומכריחים:
ושמרני, from wicked gentiles who would force him to change his lifestyle;
ונתן לי לחם לאכול שלא יכריחני העניות לעבור על דעתי ועל דעת קוני:
ונתן לי לחם לאכול, so that I will not be forced to violate both my own integrity and that ordained for me by my Maker.

וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וְהָיָ֧ה ה' לִ֖י לֵאלֹקִֽים׃

and if I return safe to my father’s house—the LORD shall be my God.

והיה לי לאלקים, ר"ל שיהיה מתבודד לעבודת האלקים ולא יתעסק עוד בעסקי העולם כל ימיו...

והיה ה' לי לאלוקים, this was the gist of the vow, meaning that he would concentrate on the service of the Lord and minimise any mundane activities.