English translation — ויצא ב

A.

In this week's parshah there is a Rashi commentary that at first glance appears,

that Rashi copied the commentary

(almost letter for letter)

from the Gemara,

but upon further examination

(and especially in the precise language of Rashi)

one sees,

that Rashi had thereby an entirely different intention.

On the verse¹

"The land upon which you lie, to you I will give it and to your seed" say Chazal

(in the Gemara²)

: The land upon which you lie etc. What is its greatness

(For³

four cubits of his bed He promised to give to his children⁴

— Rashi),

Said Rabbi Yitzchak: It teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, folded up all of Eretz Yisrael and placed it under Yaakov our father

(so that⁵)

it would be easy to conquer for his children

(the four cubits of his bed³

— Rashi).

Rashi in his commentary on the Torah stands on the words "lying upon her" and explains: The Holy One, blessed be He, folded all of the Land of Israel under him, hinting to him that it would be easy to conquer for his children.

The commentators learn⁶,

that Rashi here asks the same question as in the Gemara — "What is its greatness?" — and he answers

(as in the Gemara),

that "The Holy One, blessed be He, folded all of the Land of Israel under him",

and the novelty

("its greatness")

of the promise is — "that it would be easy to conquer

to his sons”

(exactly as it is easy to conquer “the four cubits of his bed”).

One must however understand:

a)

Since even in his commentary on <b>the Talmud </b>Rashi needs to add the explanation

(in the language of the Gemara "that it should be easy to conquer for his sons")

"like four cubits of his bed,"

then all the more so that he needed to add these words

(and explanation)

in his commentary <b>on the Torah </b>

(which was written,

as discussed many times,

(also)

for a child <b>five years old [studying] Scripture</b>)<sup>7</sup>?

b)

If the difficulty in the verse is "what is the greatness"

(how can one say that the Almighty promised him only "four cubits" of the land)

— it is not smooth: Rashi should have copied from the verse also the words "<b>the land </b>upon which you

(are lying)

because the difficulty is indeed not in the words "are lying" by themselves,

but in that

the <b>area of the land </b>"upon which you are lying" is very small

(four cubits)?

From this it is understood,

that

(according to the simple meaning of the verse — and consequently)

by Rashi the question of the Gemara "Mai

Rabbosei"?

but he only warns

(a difficulty in)

the words "shochev aleha" themselves; and regarding this, that "shetehei nocha lichbosh livnav" one knows

(not from the greatness of the area "<b>ha'aretz </b>asher atah shochev aleha",

but)

from the words "shochev aleha" themselves.

2.

In the very explanation "He hinted to him that it would be easy to conquer for his children" one must understand:

In the Gemara the wording is "The Holy One, blessed be He, folded it etc.

(so that)

it would be easy to conquer for his children",

but Rashi

(Mishnah 6)

adds: "He hinted to him⁹

that it would be easy etc."; and what in plainness is the difference between them: "

(so that)

it would be easy to conquer for his children" means,

that that which "The Holy One, blessed be He, folded it etc." accomplished that it should be "easy to conquer etc."; in contrast "He hinted to him that it would be etc." means only,

that the Above hinted revealed to Jacob a thing that would happen after some time,

that the conquest of the land would be "easy".

One must understand: why does Rashi deviate from the Gemara?

And prima facie,

<b>On the contrary</b>: granted, according to the Gemara — that "the Holy One, blessed be He, folded etc." <b>opened up</b> "that it should be comfortable etc." — the necessity for this miracle of folding is understandable; but if it is to give Yaakov a <b>hint</b> about the future, this is

(foretelling the future),

as related <b>earlier</b> regarding Avraham — through

speech and the like¹⁰.

Does it then require a miracle and such a great miracle

(which has no basis in nature),

to "fold together" <b>the whole Land of Israel</b> under

(the <b>four cubits</b> of)

Yaakov¹¹?

3.

Seemingly one can answer: on the level of the simple meaning it is difficult to say,

that that which "the Holy One, blessed be He, folded etc. under him"

(from <b>Yaakov</b>),

should <b>accomplish</b> the effect of "it was pleasant to be conquered <b>by his sons</b>"

(<b>several</b> generations afterwards)¹²

— therefore Rashi teaches that this was only a hint.

But the question remains — foretelling the future is indeed through speech; and the Holy One, blessed be He, does not perform a miracle for naught*¹².

Also it is not understood: the content of the explanation "the Holy One, blessed be He, folded etc." brings itself

Also in the Midrash¹³,

but there the conclusion is

(not "that it should be easy to conquer for his children",

but)

"like a person who says 'from under your head'" — with this the Almighty gave Yaakov ownership over Eretz Yisrael¹⁴.

Now why does Rashi learn,

that the "the Holy One, blessed be He, folded etc." was a hint "that it should be easy to conquer <b>for his children</b>" and it is difficult as above — and does not learn

(according to the explanation of the Midrash)

that this was to demonstrate the ownership of <b>Yaakov himself</b> over Eretz Yisrael

("from under <b>your</b> head")?

4.

The wonder in this is even stronger: also regarding &lt;b&gt;Avraham&lt;/b&gt; the Gemara says&lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;,

that the reason for the commandment&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt;

"Arise, &lt;b&gt;walk about &lt;/b&gt;the land through its length and its breadth, for to you I will give it" is "so that it should be easy to conquer for his children" — but there Rashi does &lt;b&gt;not&lt;/b&gt; bring it down.

It implies,

that the matter of "easy to conquer for his children" through the action of the father is difficult to say in the way of &lt;b&gt;the plain meaning&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;17&lt;/sup&gt;

— and the intention of "Arise, walk about the land" is &lt;b&gt;simply&lt;/b&gt;

(so that Rashi does not need to interpret it explicitly at all),

that Avraham should perform an action — to walk around where and how he wishes and no one hinders him,

an act of the owner — which demonstrates his ownership over the Land of Israel

(and as below section 7)

Today why does Rashi learn that the "folded the Holy One, blessed be He, etc." by Yaakov is

(was not but a proof of his ownership over

Eretz Yisrael

(according to the explanation of the Midrash),

but)

"hinted to him that it would be easy to conquer for his children"¹⁸?

5.

The explanation in this:

In the <b>simple meaning</b> of Scripture, there is initially no place for the question

(from the Gemara)

"What is its greatness?" — because the words "upon which you lie"

(do not mean the <b>limited area</b> on which Jacob lay,

but <b>the land</b> — the <b>land</b>,

they)

interpret the word "the land" — with the definite article: about which land is the subject — the land on which you lie — "to you I will give it and to your seed"¹⁹.

Therefore Rashi does not raise

(also)

on that which it says

(<b>earlier</b>²⁰)

by Avraham, "For all the land which <b>you see </b>I will give to you etc." — at first glance it is perplexing in the manner of the above²¹

: A person can see only a limited area²²

(of Eretz Yisrael²³),

and especially since it is a land of hills and valleys²⁴

— so what is the intention of the

promise that "the land which you <b>see </b>I will give to you"²⁵?

And even if one would say,

that Avraham was then standing on a high mountain²⁶

and could see a very large area

("northward and southward and eastward and westward"²⁷)

— it is still a great difficulty to say,

that he could see from there <b>all of</b> Eretz Yisrael within its borders —

But according to the simple explanation, it is from the outset no question.

Because "the land which you see" does not mean to limit the area of the land that I will give, that it will be given only as much as he sees,

rather it is only a sign which land

(land)

they will give him — the land that you see

(in general)

before you.

6.

The question in the verse,

which Rashi comes to protect,

is: why did the Almighty need to add at all

(the words "lying upon it" as)

a sign for the Land of Israel — it would have been enough if He said

(as it states in many places²⁸)

"the land this to you I will give, etc."²⁹?

Granted, by Abraham it is understandable why the Almighty said to him "lift now your eyes etc., the land which you see etc.",

as usual to show a gift that one is about to give,

to have recognition in the thing that one gives him;

But what does it add — "that you &lt;b&gt;lie &lt;/b&gt;upon it"?

Therefore Rashi teaches: "The Holy One, blessed be He, folded all of the Land of Israel &lt;b&gt;under him&lt;/b&gt;" — by saying "the land upon which you lie" the Almighty was hinting to give a sign

(Not on the &lt;b&gt;land &lt;/b&gt;— as it was by "that you &lt;b&gt;see&lt;/b&gt;" from Abraham — but)

On &lt;b&gt;Jacob's ownership &lt;/b&gt;of the land&lt;sup&gt;30&lt;/sup&gt;

— In the manner of "Arise, walk through the land" of Abraham

(As above section d).

7.

This is however still not sufficient,

because:

The reason

(according to the way of <b>peshat</b>)

why the Above said to Avraham "Come, walk through the land",

is <b>not</b> because thereby the promise from the <b>Above</b> becomes stronger

("For to you I will give it and to your seed")

— Regarding the discourse etc., there is a difference between the Holy One's promise as it is only in potential,

and as it is connected with a "doer"³¹.

But regarding the simple meaning,

is when the Holy One promises,

it is not lacking that one must connect it with a "doer"³²

Rather this is because of Abraham: the promise of the Holy One "for to you I will give it" should be fulfilled by him in such a manner that he already conducts himself as a master of the house in the land,

as if it had already become his land³³

— he goes around in the Land of Israel "to its length and to its breadth" freely,

as in his own land.

But not in our case

(by Jacob),

the <b>Almighty</b> folded "all the land under him",

and Jacob thereby <b>did nothing</b> to show his ownership,

no one saw it

(knew about it)

(Jacob lay down of his own accord),

and <b>after that</b> when there was already "under him" it is "the Holy One blessed be He folded etc." and afterwards "and he dreamed etc." and He told him "the land upon which you are lying, to you I will give it etc."].

is what has here opened up

(regarding <b>Yaakov</b>)

with that which "the Holy One, blessed be He, folded all the land of Israel under him"³⁴?

Ch.

On this Rashi continues "hinted to him that it would be easy to be conquered for his children": that which

The Almighty gave Yaakov ownership over Eretz Yisrael only through his "lying upon it" — not like by Avraham where it was "&lt;b&gt;arise, walk &lt;/b&gt;through the land" — this is the novelty in the promise to Yaakov relative to the promise to Avraham&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;

In the promise to Yaakov there was the innovation,

that the conquest of the land by his children would come &lt;b&gt;easily&lt;/b&gt;,

without any exertion,

the sign of his ownership over Eretz Yisrael is in a manner that he need do nothing thereby — he &lt;b&gt;lies &lt;/b&gt;upon the land

("lying upon it")

and receives the land from the Almighty

("folded &lt;b&gt;Hashem &lt;/b&gt;all the land of Yisrael under him").

And to note: Here we see how specifically the study in the simple meaning brings out a wondrous novelty — regarding the exposition of our Sages in the Gemara:

According to the Gemara it turns out,

that the "easy to conquer for his sons" is connected with an action

(and exertion)

of "his sons",

at least like the exertion that one must have when conquering the four cubits;

Opens Rashi in his commentary on the Torah,

that also the minimal exertion the Jews will not need to apply during the conquest — it will be for them in a manner of "lying upon it" and even from before,

and the Almighty will accomplish everything,

in the manner of King Hezekiah who said "I sleep on my bed and You act"³⁵.

In simple words: it is enough that Jews are "lying upon it" — and all the nations of the world

(whom one must conquer)

admit that <b>all Eretz Yisrael</b> — <b>the whole Land of Israel within its borders</b> is an eternal inheritance of

The people of Israel,

Jews have all of Eretz Yisrael without any war etc.³⁶.

9.

The explanation in this in the inner dimension of the matters,

One must say:

It is known what the Mitteler Rebbe — the Baal HaGeulah VeHaSimchah of Yud Tes Kislev³⁷

— explains in his well-known maamar "Atah Echad"³⁸,

that in the four cubits of a person shines the level of yechidah of the soul.

Because this is such a high encompassing [light],

that cannot dwell upon the body even in the manner of makif,

and therefore it spreads out in the four cubits of the person,

which is his place.

And this is that "The Holy One, blessed be He, folded all of Eretz Yisrael under him" — the four cubits of Yaakov — with which he connected the ownership of Eretz Yisrael with the level of yechidah of Yaakov,

and consequently — with the level of yechidah of every single one of Israel

(because all souls are "his children",

included

(and derive)

from the soul of Yaakov³⁹).

And this is also the reason that this brought about "that it should be easy to be conquered by his children",

until that by Jews it will be in a manner of "lying upon her" and everything will be done from Above,

as above — because in the aspect of yechidah there is no opposing force⁴⁰,

and therefore from there is brought a-

bout the clarification in a way of automatically and spontaneously,

without war,

in a manner of <b>peace</b>⁴¹.

Yud.

Another wonderful matter,

that appears in Rashi's commentary on the Torah regarding the exposition of Chazal in the Gemara:

In the Gemara it states,

that what "Hashem folded it etc." was the <b>reason</b> for this "

(so that)

it would be easy to conquer <b>for his children</b>" — that the Almighty through this instilled a power in Eretz Yisrael,

that after time and if Jews would go to conquer it,

the conquest then would come easily and that "to you I give it and to your seed" — the Almighty will give it.

But that <b>Jews would</b> go to conquer it

(in a manner of "easy etc.")

was not stated.

— Today one sees,

unfortunately,

that there are such Jews, may G‑d forbid, with whom one must argue that the entire Land of Israel within its borders belongs to the Jewish people as an eternal inheritance.

Rashi begins his commentary on the Torah⁴²,

that

(only)

<b>The nations of the world</b> will come to argue “You are robbers, etc.”; and even more: since the Torah of truth says what one must answer them

(“All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He ..

by His will He took it from them and gave it to us”),

it is understood,

that if only one gives this answer to the nations of the world as one must convey the word and mission of the Above,

with the correct force

(that they should feel that these are words that come from the heart),

this will completely nullify the protest of the nations of the world,

Jews come to go &lt;b&gt;Jews &lt;/b&gt;heaven forbid and claim the opposite etc. —

Rashi explains and elaborates and adds in his commentary on the Torah

(in the language of the Gemara)

"<b>He hinted to him </b>that it should be easy for his children to conquer",

The Most High hinted <b>to Yaakov </b>

(and through him also "to his children"),

which itself is an arousal and giving of power <b>and a demand </b>to conquer — because the entire creation is <b>founded </b>on "Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He did not create a single thing in vain"⁴³,

all the more so when <b>the Name </b>is <b>with hinting </b>that He

(the Name)

did not do merely "a single thing",

but a great miracle etc.

And additionally it can be said that according to Rashi's explanation, the interpretation "<b>that it should be </b>etc." — that it <b>will </b>be,

The Most High hinted to Yaakov a reality,

that "his children" will take over the land of Israel easily,

For "the Torah promised that Israel will eventually repent at the end of their exile"⁴⁴,

including also — that all Jews will stand after "in their exile" with the true strength to hold the entire land of Israel to its borders⁴⁵,

and it will be "and immediately they are redeemed"⁴⁴,

by Mashiach our righteous,

speedily in our days, literally.

(From the talk of Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayetzei 5739)