The Promise to Jacob

Notable Sources

All Sources

God's Unconditional Promise to Jacob

TANAKH

God's promise to Jacob is direct and unconditional, assuring him of protection, presence, and the fulfillment of His promises. In the book of Genesis, God reaffirms the covenant made with Abraham and Isaac, ensuring Jacob's descendants will inherit the land and be numerous.

And standing beside him was יהוה, who said, “I am יהוה, the God of your father Abraham’s [house] and the God of Isaac’s [house]: the ground on which you are lying I will assign to you and to your offspring. Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants. 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.”

Genesis 28:13-15

Jacob's Fear and God's Promise

TALMUD

Jacob feared that a transgression he might commit could cause God to revoke His promise of protection. Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi, in the Babylonian Talmud in tractate Berakhot, explains why Jacob could be afraid despite God's explicit promise.

The Gemara cites a proof that there is room for one to fear lest he commit a transgression in the future in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi, as Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi raised a contradiction between two verses. It is written that God told Jacob in his vision of the ladder: “Behold, I am with you and I guard you wherever you go” (Genesis 28:15), yet when Jacob returned to Canaan and realized that Esau was coming to greet him, it is written: “And Jacob became very afraid, and he was pained” (Genesis 32:8)…

Berakhot 4a:16

The Dual Promise to Jacob

MUSAR

The promise to Jacob includes both earthly and heavenly blessings, highlighting the dual nature of divine goodness. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz, in his 17th-century work Shenei Luchot HaBerit, notes the nuance revealed by the wording of God's blessing to Jacob.

You have said: "I will do good good with you." The word הטיב refers to the good G–d would do with Jacob on earth, whereas the word אטיב referred to the good G–d would do for Jacob in the "higher" world.

Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Vayishlach, Torah Ohr 56

Jacob's Skeptical Dream

KABBALAH

Jacob's appears to express skepticism about the certainty of his dream, whereas he feels a need for its fulfillment as a confirmation of God's promise. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, delves into Jacob's response to his dream.

AND JACOB VOWED A VOW, SAYING: IF GOD WILL BE WITH ME, ETC. Said R. Judah: After receiving all these promises, how could Jacob still say, If God will be with me, etc.”? What Jacob meant, however, was this: “Some dreams are true and some not, so if this dream should come true, and God will really be with me as I have dreamt, then “the Lord shall be to me for God”, that is, I shall draw blessings from the well-spring of the universal stream towards the region called Elohim.’

Zohar, Vayetzei 12:75

The Conditional Nature of Divine Promises

JEWISH THOUGHT

Even divine promises are not absolute guarantees, as they depend on human actions and circumstances. Rabbi Isaac Arama, in his 15th-century work 'Akeidat Yitzchak,' explores the complexity of faith and divine promises through the lens of Jacob's experiences.

Bereshit Rabbah 76 (summary) relates that we find two outstanding people, each of whom had received specific assurances from G-d, display fear of the outcome of encounters concerning which G-d had promised His guidance. The two are Moses, when he confronted Og, and Jacob, when he confronted Esau. Moses had to be reminded by G-d concerning Og "do not be afraid of him;" Jacob, though promised G-d’s help against Esau, still displays fear immediately before the encounter is to take place. This teaches us that G-d’s promises to individuals are not to be considered as ironclad guarantees…

Akeidat Yitzchak 26:1:2

The Folded Land

CHASIDUT

G-d folded up the entire Land of Israel under Jacob to make it easier for his descendants to conquer. The Ba'al Shem Tov, founder of Hasidic Judaism, offers a mystical interpretation of G-d's promise to Jacob in Genesis 28:13-14.

And behold, G‑d was standing over him, and said: “I am the L-rd, the G‑d of Abraham your father, the G‑d of Isaac. The land upon which you are lying, I will give to you and to your descendants. And your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west, to the east, to the north and to the south. And in you and in your seed will be blessed all the families of the earth.” (Genesis 28:13-14)
Rabbi Yitzchok said: “This teaches us that the Holy One folded up the entire Land of Israel under him, that it should be easy for his children to conquer…

Ba'al Shem Tov, Vayetzei 9:1

Jacob's Comprehensive Request for Divine Assistance

CHASIDUT

Jacob sought not only immediate divine assistance for his journey but also long-term stability, both economically and spiritually. In his 18th-century Hasidic commentary, Kedushat Levi, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explores Jacob's multifaceted request for divine support.

Genesis 28,21. “then Hashem (the attribute of Mercy) ‎will be my G’d,;” (may deal with me on the basis of the ‎attribute of Justice). Many commentators already have dealt ‎with this phrase and the difficulties it presents when one reads it ‎superficially. Firstly, why would Yaakov feel the need to make a ‎vow when G’d had already promised him all that he is asking. We ‎trust we are correct in answering that Yaakov here asked for a ‎detail that G’d had not included in the promise He had made to ‎him…

Kedushat Levi, Genesis, Vayetzei 18

Divine Protection

COMMENTARY

God's omnipotence is demonstrated through His ability to protect Jacob, contrasting with the limited power of mortal kings. Rashi, the renowned 11th-century French biblical commentator, explains the significance of God's protection in the context of His creation and ownership of heaven, earth, and sea.

Praiseworthy is he in whose help is the God of Jacob, for the Holy One, blessed be He, promised him (Gen. 28:15): “Behold I am with you, and I shall guard You, etc., and I shall return you.” Now why is He praiseworthy? Because He made heaven and earth and the sea, and since all is His, He has the power to guard him on the sea and on dry land; but a mortal king, although he watches him on dry land, cannot watch him on the sea.

Rashi on Psalms 146:5:1

The Everlasting Covenant

TANAKH

The covenant with Jacob is described as an everlasting promise, highlighting its eternal nature. The Book of Psalms, a collection of 150 poems, includes expressions of praise, lament, and gratitude, and is central to Jewish liturgy.

and confirmed in a decree for Jacob,
for Israel, as an eternal covenant,

Psalms 105:10

Invoking the Covenant

LITURGY

The covenant with the Patriarchs—Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham—serves as a powerful plea for divine mercy and remembrance. This Selichot prayer, recited in the lead-up to the High Holy Days, invokes the ancient promises made to the Patriarchs to seek God's favor.

Remember to us the covenant of the Patriarchs, as You promised, “And I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember,” and the land I will remember.

Selichot Nusach Polin, Erev Rosh Hashana 19:20

Jacob's Vision and God's Promise, as in Genesis 28:1-5, 10-22, illustration from a Bible card published 1906 by the Providence Lithograph Company

Relatedראו גם

Jacob and Esau

Jacob

Israel

Sheetsדפי מקורות

Related Sheets