Following Yaakov and Eisav’s encounter they part ways, as our parsha states: “Eisav returned on that day on his way towards Seir. But Yaakov journeyed to Sukkot” (33:16). Eisav had his destination, and Yaakov had his destination. Yet, as Rav Chaim Walkin points out, Yaakov and Eisav’s journeys had very different outcomes. Whereas Eisav reached his destination right away, Yaakov, on the other hand, experienced a long, windy and circuitous journey until he finally reached his destination (Daat Chaim U’mussar, Vayishlach).
This contrast—where Eisav seemingly easily reaches his wishes and goals and Yaakov experiences challenges in reaching them, can perhaps highlight a general disparity between the overall life experiences of Yaakov versus Eisav, and on a broader scale—representing the difference between the life experience of a good person versus that of the wicked. Back in Parshat Toldot, the end of the parsha is focused on Yaakov and his taking leave from his parents home. The parsha then suddenly concludes with Eisav’s endeavor to look for a wife and that his ultimate success in that endeavor. Then Parshat Vayeitzei focuses again on Yaakov’s life. Rashi explains that the reason why Eisav’s marriage is sandwiched between these two discussions that highlight Yaakov, is because the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of his father Yitzchak (as indeed he told Yaakov not to take a wife from them), so Eisav went to Yishmael to take a wife. Hence, once the Torah finished relating this about Eisav, the Torah returned back to continue its previous, original topic of focusing on Yaakov’s life.
Yet, a question remains: What is so noteworthy to know this aspect of Eisav’s life, to the extent that it interrupts the Torah’s discussion of Yaakov’s life!?
Rav Yosef Salant explains by presenting a contrast between the difficulty of Yaakov’s life versus the ease of Eisav’s. When Yaakov endeavored to look for a wife, he was met with tremendous challenges and had to undergo extreme difficulties until he was finally successful. He worked day and night for seven years in order to marry Rachel, only to find out he was tricked, and then had to work another seven years. Even after marriage, Yaakov labored under Lavan, and when he finally departed Lavan’s home, Lavan pursued him to try to kill him—and only by a miracle was Yaakov saved. But that’s not all. Yaakov’s life continued to have further challenges: The troubles he experienced when pursued by Eisav, the agony regarding the incident with Dina, the anguish and pain regarding Yosef being torn away from him. On the opposite spectrum, we find that Eisav’s life was smooth sailing and serene, that when he went to take a wife, he easily attained what he wished to get, with no distress, no challenges, no difficulties.
Hence, Rav Salant explains that prior to Parshat Vayeitzei telling us about Yaakov’s challenges with his marriage, and his subsequent hardships, the Torah first comes to contrast it with the ease Eisav had getting married. Despite seeing this glaring disparity of the way his life flowed versus the way a wicked person like Eisav’s did, Yaakov nevertheless remained firm in his faith and trust in Hashem and didn’t question Him (Be’er Yosef, Vayeitzei).
Rav Mordechai Druk adds that, while the Torah—by interrupting its discussion of Yaakov with the easily attained marriage of Eisav—is, indeed, revealing to us the greatness of Yaakov that he didn’t question Hashem, it also further teaches us the way of the world, that, “The righteous—their beginning is challenging, whereas their end is tranquility” (Bereishit Rabbah 66:5); that for the righteous, though their lives are met with challenges and nisyonot (tests), they stay faithful. They tolerate whatever Hashem brings upon them, and they aren’t swayed by difficulty and distress, since their focus is on the future, on eternity, on Olam Haba (Drash Mordechai, Vayeitzei). Life in this world is an investment for the future, for the next world; Challenges and struggles can build us and our future.
Says Rav Walkin, the life of [an] Eisav is all smooth and straight, whereas the way of Yaakov—the way life flows for Yaakov and Bnei Yisrael, his descendants—is filled with twists and turns until we finally reach our intended destination. This is the life of a Jew. This is the way Hashem guides Bnei Yisrael through the galut, exile, eventually getting to where we need to be. The here and now of life may be hard, but our lot will change and we will be redeemed and experience salvation (ibid).
After our parsha discusses the fight between Yaakov and the guardian angel of Eisav, the pasuk says that, “The sun rose for him [Yaakov].” The Gemara (Chullin 91) presents an encounter in which Rebbe Akiva asked Rabban Gamliel, “Did the sun only rise for him? Why, it rose for the entire world!” The Gemara then quotes Rav Yitzchak who said that the pasuk means to teach us that, “The sun that had set for him, rose for him.”
What’s the meaning of this Gemara?
Rav Menachem Ben-Tzion Sacks explains by first describing the context of when this discussion of Rebbe Akiva took place. This period in history was a terribly dark and dreadful one—this was the time after the destruction of the second Beit Hamikdash, and when the horrible murder of great men of our nation took place. The troubles and hardships were so overwhelming.
Yet, despite the deep despair that surrounded the people, the Gemara (Makkot 24) relates Rebbe Akiva’s attitude: Rebbe Akiva and three other outstanding sages were once walking together towards Yerushalayim. When they reached Har Habayit, they saw a fox emerging from the Kodesh Kodashim. The three sages began to weep, while Rebbe Akiva smiled and comforted them by essentially telling them that if the prophecy that predicted that Yerushalayim and the Beit Hamikdash will be destroyed was fulfilled, that in turn shows that the other prophecy of the redemption with the building of the third and final Beit Hamikdash will also be fulfilled (since the Torah makes the two prophecies dependant on each other).
Says Rav Sacks, Rebbe Akiva sensed Rabban Gamliel’s sadness and sorrow, and here too Rebbe Akiva tried to comfort Rabban Gamliel, and so he posed the question: Did the sun rise only for Yaakov? It set for him and it rose for him! Meaning to say, do you think our forefather Yaakov didn’t experience extreme difficulty? Surely the “sun set for him,” surely he experienced times of deep darkness that enveloped his entire being. However, the darkness did not continue forever, for the “sun rose for him” once again; he ultimately reached his destination whole—physically, financially and spiritually.
That which occurred to Yaakov will also occur to his descendants. Rebbe Akiva was telling Rabban Gamliel, granted the sun has set for us, but don’t give up hope, for the sun will return to rise for us once again. The darkness of the night will pass, and the brightness of the morning will break through our horizons, and light and joy will be our lot in life (Menachem Tzion, Vayishlach).
On both a personal and national level life for Bnei Yisrael may not always necessarily be a smooth ride, but rather a journey with challenges, bumps and unexpected changes. However, we are headed in a direction that leads towards something much greater and far more meaningful. It may be difficult now and at times may seem like the set has set. Yet, like Rebbe Akiva reminds us, the sun doesn’t set for us forever and there is a much greater good to anticipate. With Hashem’s help, we will hopefully reach that destination, experience redemption and salvation, see the sun rise—and shine—once again for us, like it did for our forefather Yaakov.
Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchok Elchanan.
