Friday, December 2, 2011

Escape to Yeshiva

If you work out the years of Yaakov's life, there are fourteen years unaccounted for. Tradition tells us that between Parshas Toldos and Vayeitzei Yaakov spent  fourteen years hiding out in yeshiva (cf. Rashi at the end of Toldos citing Megillah 17a).

This is difficult on several levels. Firstly, wouldn't that be the first place Eisav would look? Secondly, long ago Yaakov was described as יושב אוהלים, "one who dwells in tents." Rashi explains, "the tent of Shem and the tent of Ever." Yaakov was always in yeshiva, and now he goes there to hide?! What did he do, change his seat? Thirdly, when Rivka was having a difficult pregnancy, she went לדרוש את השם to find out what was going on. Rashi explains that she asked Shem, which means the Yeshiva was in her neighborhood! (In her condition, she could not have traveled far.) So Yaakov hid from Eisav for fourteen years in a yeshiva down the block? The very same yeshiva he had been learning in his whole life?!

I believe the answer can be found in the Gemorah itself. The Gemorah does not say Yaakov went to hide in the Yeshiva of Shem. Nor does the Gemorah say he went to the Yeshiva of Shem & Ever. The Gemorah says Yaakov went to hide in בית עבר. (See מהרש"א מגילה שם.)

There were two different Yeshivos! Shem had a Yeshiva and Ever had a Yeshiva. This is indicated by the very first reference - יושב אהלים - "tents." "The tent of Shem and the tent of Ever." The Midrash is unequivocal: "[Yaakov] left the Beis Medrash of Shem and went to the Beis Medrash of Ever" (Tanchuma Yashan, Vayishlach 9).

There was never "one big Jewish tent." There were always (at least) two different tents.

Yaakov spent his entire life studying under his master, the Alter Zeide Shem. The Midrash says he served Shem for fifty years. When Shem passed away thirteen years earlier, Yaakov undoubtedly became the Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Shem. But now he had to hide. Where to run? To the last place Eisav would expect him to be. As a rank-and-file student in the competing, second-tier Yeshiva, the Yeshiva of Ever, Shem's great-grandson.

It never occurred to Eisav that Yaakov would go to Ever, for Eisav's arrogant mind could never understand the humility that Torah study engenders. But it was this humility that saved Yaakov's life, broadened his outlook by exposing him to a different דרך הלימוד, and - מעשה אבות סימן לבנים - became the hallmark of the true בן ישיבה.

11 comments:

  1. It's a shame we could not spend Shabbos with you this week. I would have loved to hear this directly from you. You would have heard my laughing from in person.
    I am not so convinced that Yeshivas Shem was down the block from the Avinu-Imeinu residence. Nor am I convinced that Yaakov was the head of Yeshivas Shem. Perhaps a terrible Machlokes broke out at the death of Shem and the Yeshiva didn't survive.
    However, I do like the Pshet'l that had Yaakov been the Rosh Yeshiva, Eisav could not have fathomed that he would be learning in Yeshivas Ever.

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  3. Oy - I'm troubled by the whole premise of the article. Who says Yaakov was hiding at all!

    1) Esav was going to kill Yaakov after Yitzchak passed away, and he was still alive, so Yaakov was in no real threat.
    2) It says that Esav knew that Yaakov went to Padan Aram to find a wife, which is why he went and took Yishmael's daughter as a wife. If Yaakov wasn't hiding when he was with Lavan, why would he be hiding in the 14 years prior?
    (Paranthetically, I think this answers the question, "If Lavan was such a bad guy, why did Rivka send Yaakov to him?" Answer: Because he was strong enough to hold of Esav even if Esav knew exactly where Yaakov was.)

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  4. Avromi-
    I admit this post is somewhat speculative, but if Yeshivas Shem was far from home, how did Rivka get there? I always assumed Yitzchok didn't know about her meeting with Shem.

    Liron-
    The Gemora quoted by Rashi says that Yaakov hid in Beis Ever for 14 years.

    1) "Esav was going to kill Yaakov after Yitzchak passed away, and he was still alive, so Yaakov was in no real threat."
    Are you suggesting Yaakov should wait around until Yitzchok dies and then make a run for it? Yitzchok said his end was near and Yaakov was taking no chances. Moreover, a well known Midrash, also cited by Rashi, says that Eisav sent his son Elifaz to kill Yaakov - and this was while Yitzchok was still alive.

    2) "It says that Esav knew that Yaakov went to Padan Aram to find a wife, which is why he went and took Yishmael's daughter as a wife. If Yaakov wasn't hiding when he was with Lavan, why would he be hiding in the 14 years prior?"
    I would posit that Eisav went straight to Lavan's house and waited for Yaakov to show up. Yaakov expected that and that's why he went to Beis Ever first.

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  5. Your argument for #1 contradicts your argument for #2. If Elifaz found Yaakov, then Esav was able to find him, too.

    Additionally, the Midrash says that Leah was originally destined for Esav. If Esav had shown up in Padan Aram expecting to see Yaakov there, wouldn't he have married Leah at that point?

    Another proof for my approach that he was staying with Lavan because it was a safe place is from Yaakov's actions once he arrives. Publicly removing a giant boulder from the top of a well is not the best way to stay "low-key".

    Also, I don't reject that he was in Beit Ever, just that he was there in secret.

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  6. Liron-
    "If Elifaz found Yaakov, then Esav was able to find him, too."
    Elifaz told his father that Yaakov was dead. (As evidence, he presented all of Yaakov's belongings.)

    "If Esav had shown up in Padan Aram expecting to see Yaakov there, wouldn't he have married Leah at that point?"
    This is an important question that stands on its own, irrespective of my post. The Alshich is troubled by this and his only explanation is that it was a miracle wrought by Leah's tears.

    "I don't reject that he was in Beit Ever, just that he was there in secret."
    The Gemora (Megillah 17a) says Yaakov was מוטמן in בית עבר.

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  7. I like the questions here better than the answers. First, I am not sure that Yaakov became "Rosh Yeshiva" after Shem (especially since he was not his son-in-law!). That's your surmisal based on the Midrash that Yaakov learned primarily at Shem's yeshiva. Moreover, the posuk (and Midrash)is clear that Yaakov was a Yoshev Oholim - he learned in both Yeshivas in his youth, so even if one was primary, it's not such a far stretch for Yaakov to join the secondary one. On the other hand, like you asked in the beginning, you'd think that Esav would look in any place that Yaakov would normally be found. And since he attended both Yeshivas at one point, Esav should have checked both.
    Perhaps Esav was thrown off by Eliphaz who reported to his father that Yaakov was dead (or the equivalent). At this point, Esav must have given up his hunt for Yaakov entirely until he later learned that Yaakov was indeed alive, at which point he confronted him with his 400-man posse.

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  8. Benji-
    I disagree with your assumption that Yaakov studied under Ever before he fled from home. When the Torah describes Yaakov as a "Yosheiv Ohalim" it is describing his entire life, not just his youth. Even if my assumption is wrong and Yaakov did not become Rosh HaYeshiva when Shem died, I still think it is unlikely that he would abandon his yeshiva at a time like that.

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  9. Benji-
    Truth be told, the Midrash I cited in the post, "Yaakov left the Beis Medrash of Shem and went to the Beis Medrash of Ever" does not end there. It goes on to say that Yaakov eventually "left the Beis Medrash of Ever and went to the Beis Medrash of Avraham." Now if we assume that the Beis Medrash of Avraham existed only while Avraham was alive, then this Midrash is telling us that Yaakov learned by Ever before he stole the berachos. However, I do not believe Beis Medrasho of Avraham Avinu closed down when Avraham died and it is entirely possible that Yaakov learned there only much later in life.

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  10. מוטמן does appear to be hidden. I can't argue with that!

    So presumably, in your approach, the order of events was as follows:
    Yizchak and Rivka tell Yaakov to go to Padan Aram. Yaakov instead goes to learn in Beit Ever. (Do his parents know?) Esav goes to Lavan to kill Yaakov, but he doesn't show up. After he leaves Beit Ever he is spotted on the road by someone who tells Esav. Esav sends Elifaz to kill Yaakov, but Elifaz only takes all of his possessions. Yaakov arrives in Padan Aram, starts lifting heavy rocks, etc. but this news never reaches Esav, who still presumes Yaakov was dead. As such, he doesn't have any reason go back to Lavan during the next 22 years, even though he was supposed to marry Leah. Rivka, on the other hand, presumes that Yaakov is still alive, (I assume Esav didn't bring Yaakov's clothes to Yitzchak with the blood of a goat on them), and sends Devorah to bring Yaakov back. Finally, Yaakov starts his journey home, and the Malachim alert Esav to the fact that Yaakov is not really dead.

    That is quite a story. (And it doesn't even include Yaakov leaving Eretz Yisrael and then coming back to daven in Beit E-l.)

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  11. Adina-
    Exactly right! (Except that Eliphaz may have waylaid Yaakov on his way to Beis Ever.)

    "This is quite a story."
    The best I could come up with. I would be happy to hear an alternative version of events that adequately explains all the Biblical and Midrashic elements.

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