EE & R, 2_9: Knowing Hashem: Yaakov’s Fear and the Unfinished Quest for Divine Understanding

(For the previous installment of "Exodus, Exile and Redemption," click here. For ToC, click here.)

We have followed the final three steps of the four-step Path to the Knowledge that Hashem offered to Avraham and Yaakov. A person in possession of a refined character will have faith in universal moral goodness, believing that the world is moral, as he is; this faith will drive him to seek and perceive reality through the lens of his values; and that will ultimately lead to divine knowledge when reality comports with faith. Before delving into the initial step that shapes a refined character, let’s explore a tale from the Torah that will help illuminate the Path: Yaakov’s odyssey escaping from and returning to the land of Israel. As we shall see, a deficiency in Yaakov’s character hindered him from attaining the knowledge of Hashem that was offered to him at the onset of his journey.

Yaakov fled from the Land of Israel to Haran in order to escape the wrath of his brother, Esau. Upon Yaakov’s departure, Hashem appeared to him in a dream. He introduced Himself by name, saying, “I am Hashem,” and made several promises: He would give the Land of Israel to Yaakov and his descendants, would never abandon him, and would protect him everywhere he went, ultimately bringing him back to the Land (Genesis 28:13-15). Yet, notwithstanding Hashem’s explicit assurances and promises of protection, Yaakov’s return to face Esau was marred by fear: “Yaakov was greatly afraid and distressed” (ibid., 32:8).

This prompts a critical question: Why did the one guaranteed Hashem’s protection fear danger?

The Talmud (Berachos 4a) asks this question and provides a cryptic answer:

It is written: “Behold, I am with you, and I will protect you everywhere you go,” and it is written: “Yaakov was greatly afraid and distressed.” For he said: The sin might cause [the revocation of Hashem’s promise].

The passage raises more questions than it answers. How does sin cause Hashem’s promise to be revoked? Hashem made a promise to Yaakov knowing the propensity of mortal, imperfect human to sin. Why then would the promise be contingent on a specific, perfect future?

Equally perplexing is the reference to “the sin” that made Yaakov worry: What did Yaakov do wrong? How did he sin? And why does the Talmud utilize the cryptic and mysterious expression “the sin”?

Insights from previous chapters provide the key to decipher Yaakov’s story. The first thing to understand is the context of Hashem’s promise to protect Yaakov. The guarantee to Yaakov doesn’t stand on its own; it was a component of Hashem’s broader message to Yaakov that began with “I am Hashem,” and its realization hinges on that deeper message. Read insightfully, the message of “I am Hashem… the land on which you lie, to you I will give it and to your seed… I am with you, and I will protect you everywhere you go” means this: If you realize the promise of knowing Hashem, the result will be receipt of the Land and divine protection.

In light of this understanding, it becomes clear that Yaakov’s fear signifies a failure to grasp this knowledge fully. He was afraid because he didn’t fully integrate the central message of his dream, which is “I am Hashem.” In line with this, upon awakening, Yaakov stated that he lacks knowledge: “Indeed, Hashem is in this place, and I did not know” (Genesis 32:16), indicating that the offer of Knowledge could not be fully realized (as discussed here). Yaakov’s statement articulating his failure to know Hashem foreshadows his failure to be sure of the ways of Hashem and anticipate protection from Esau, as the great promises that follow on the heels of divine knowledge are only as strong as that knowledge.

“The sin,” unqualified, refers to a shortcoming regarding the Path of Knowledge, for man’s highest obligation is to walk the Path whereby he approaches Hashem, and thus his core sin is to err in navigating it. Being afraid of “the sin” means to lack knowledge of Hashem and the security and peace fostered by this knowledge.

Where specifically did Yaakov’s deficiency lie? In which step of the prophetic course did he falter? This will be the subject of the coming chapters.

(For the next installment of "Exodus, Exile and Redemption," click here.)