Parshas Vayeitzei
1. On the verse[1], "And he lay down in that place," it says in the Midrash[2]: "Here he lay down, but all the fourteen years that he was hidden in the house of Ever he did not lie down"; and then a second opinion: "Here he lay down, but all the twenty years that he stood in the house of Lavan he did not lie down" (as it is written[3], "and my sleep fled from my eyes").
The Midrash continues: "And what did he say? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: the fifteen Songs of Ascents in the book of Tehillim. What is the reason? 'A Song of Ascents of David: Were it not for G‑d who was with us, let Israel now say'[4] — Israel the elder (Yaakov Avinu). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: he would say the entire book of Tehillim. What is the reason? 'And You are holy, enthroned upon the praises of Israel'[5] — Israel the elder."
The meaning of the question "And what did he say?" cannot be "With what was Yaakov Avinu occupied in the house of Lavan?"
for it says explicitly that he worked with Lavan's sheep with all his strength[6] — "by day… at night, and my sleep fled from my eyes" —
rather, the question is: what did Yaakov say (pray, learn) to be able to overcome the difficulties in Charan and in the house of Lavan?
For while in the house of Lavan, Yaakov was in a condition of exile: he had gone away from the house of Yitzchak his father to be in the house of Lavan,
and there he occupied himself with "Lavan's sheep"[7].
His stay in the house of Lavan even brought about a descent from his level[8], as Rashi says[9] that Yaakov said, "If he comes to deceive, I too am his brother in deception" — that is, there was in him, as it were, the matter of deception, like the deception of Lavan[10].
Hence the question: how did he go through and withstand the exile? — certainly this came through "the voice is the voice of Yaakov," which nullifies the "hands" and the opponents of Yaakov and his concerns, as our Sages say[11].
To this the Midrash answers that it was the "fifteen Songs of Ascents in the book of Tehillim," or "the entire book of Tehillim"; this gave him the strength to go through the exile.
2. We need to understand, however: granted, according to the opinion that "he would say the entire book of Tehillim," the connection of this saying with Yaakov at the time "that he stood in the house of Lavan" is understood. For being in a situation in which, plainly, he could not study Torah in depth (at least not as when he was "hidden in the house of Ever"), he said praises to G‑d — praises for which one receives reward like for (the intricate laws of) Nega'im and Ohalos[12]. But what is the special connection of the "fifteen Songs of Ascents in the book of Tehillim" with his situation in the house of Lavan?
This will be understood by first noting what the Chida[13] brings, that "David, peace be upon him, said the fifteen Songs of Ascents corresponding to the fifteen years that the Avos lived together."
[For Avraham Avinu lived "a hundred and seventy-five years"[14], Yitzchak was born when Avraham was "a hundred years old"[15], and Yaakov was born when Yitzchak was "sixty years old"[16] — it emerges that there were "fifteen years that the Avos lived together."]
Accordingly one can say that Yaakov said the "fifteen Songs of Ascents in the book of Tehillim" in order to arouse thereby the merit (also) of his fathers Avraham and Yitzchak; that is, that in addition to his own merits and strengths, the strengths of Avraham and Yitzchak should also be drawn down to him, and only through this could he go through the difficulties in the house of Lavan, as he said, "Were it not that the G‑d of my father, the G‑d of Avraham and the Fear of Yitzchak, had been with me…"[17].
3. The reason he needed the merit of all the Avos to overcome the trials of Lavan will be understood from the advice that is brought[18] on how to be victorious in the war with the evil inclination in general, which was learned from an actual war that took place in the time of the Alter Rebbe:
The order of "battle formations" in general is that "each one divides his army into three parts, one part in the center… and two flanks on the right and on the left, and the opposing side likewise arranges three such parts, and they fight against each other."
And the success in the war (that took place at that time) came by setting "his three camps" against one camp of the enemy, so that "through this he certainly overpowers it."
Similarly we learn regarding the spiritual war, the war with the evil inclination: to defeat the inclination one must arouse "all three attributes of holiness (love, fear and mercy) against one attribute of kelipah, and through this they will certainly bring it down and defeat it"[19].
And therefore one needs the "fifteen Songs of Ascents," which are "corresponding to the fifteen years that the Avos lived together," to go through and withstand the exile —
the three Avos are (corresponding to) the three attributes of holiness, love, fear and mercy[20]; and when one has all three Avos together, that is, one gathers all three attributes of holiness together — then[21] one has the strength to withstand all the trials of exile and nullify them.
4. According to this, one may say the allusion (in the way of Chassidus) and precision in the number "fifteen Songs of Ascents" (and "fifteen years that the Avos lived together"):
The number fifteen points to the first two letters of the Name Havayah — yud and hei (numerically fifteen)[22]. The difference between yud-hei and vav-hei is that the letters vav-hei are the level of the middos (and Malchus), and the letters yud-hei are the level of the mochin, the intellect (yud — Chochmah, hei — Binah)[23].
And this is the meaning of the "fifteen years that the Avos lived together": for all three middos to be able to be together[24] (and revealed) — "the Avos lived together" —
the light of the mochin (yud-hei) must shine in the middos. For since the mochin are above the division of the middos, they bring about the inclusion of the middos in one another.
5. This, however, is seemingly not enough:
The fifteen Songs of Ascents in the book of Tehillim are called by the name "song," and "song" is connected with joy. How could Yaakov say "Songs of Ascents," a matter of song, while in a condition of exile[25]? True, the psalms speak of "my help…," the strength to overcome the exile; but how can one be in open joy (when it is fitting to say song — as our Sages say[26], "song is said only over wine") while in Charan, "the burning wrath of the Omnipresent"[27], and in the house of Lavan?
The explanation of this: the descent of Yaakov Avinu to the house of Lavan was for the sake of an ascent, so that there would be "and the man burst forth exceedingly"[28]. And since Yaakov saw the ultimate purpose of his descent (the ascent that would come of it), therefore, while in the house of Lavan, he said "Songs of Ascents"[29].
6. Every matter is expressed with emphasis in its beginning and head. So too in our case: the ascent that comes through the descent into exile is emphasized in the first of the "fifteen Songs of Ascents":
The end and seal of the first Song of Ascents (and "everything follows the seal"[30]) is "I am peace, but when I speak, they are for war" — meaning that although he wants peace, nevertheless "they come to fight against me"[31]. The (spiritual) war is the concealment and hiding of exile, and in particular the trials that prevent and hinder the service of G‑d and come "to war" against it.
And in saying "Song of Ascents" over "they are for war," the great elevation that comes through the war is emphasized.
The explanation: a Jew may not get involved in, or even place himself in, a situation of trials; on the contrary, he must ask, "do not bring us… into a trial"[32]. That is why he says "I am peace": he seeks avodah in the way of peace (not connected with war and trials).
Nevertheless, because of the elevation that comes specifically through war and trials, G‑d sometimes makes it that "they come to fight against me" — that among the "they" (plural — the physical world, etc., which is called "the public domain"[33]) there should be those who come to fight and hinder the service of G‑d.
And over this he says "Song of Ascents": not only do the trials not prevent him from the service of G‑d and not weaken his avodah, but on the contrary, they call forth in him added strength and courage, with greater force and vigor, and this brings him to stand in a state of "song."
7. Every matter in the Torah is an eternal lesson; it is therefore understood that all the above is a lesson for the whole time of exile, and a special lesson for our time, the hardship of exile, the generation of the footsteps of Moshiach:
When one contemplates the doubled and redoubled darkness of the generation of the footsteps of Moshiach, to the point that according to Torah there is room to ask, "From where will my help come?"[34], one could fall into despair, Heaven forbid —
the lesson from what has been said is: since the descent of Jews into exile (which is like "And Yaakov went out… and went toward Charan"[35]) is for the sake of an ascent, so that there will be "the advantage of light over darkness" and "the advantage of wisdom over folly"[36] — there must be "I lift my eyes"[37]: one must look (in the manner of "I lift my eyes") at the ultimate purpose of exile, the ascent that will be in the future Redemption[38] — and then not only is one not affected by the darkness of exile, but on the contrary, one stands in a state of open joy — "a Song of Ascents."
[G‑d forbid to say that one should be content with the state of exile and think that it is a fitting state for Jews, G‑d forbid — exile is a matter of "darkness" and "folly," etc.; and the Torah of truth says clearly and plainly that a Jew in exile is "a son exiled from his father's, the King's, table"[39]. And if the son feels otherwise and says otherwise — this shows the special darkness and lowliness of his exile.
Rather, one must contemplate the intent in this — that there be "the advantage of light over darkness" and "the advantage of wisdom over folly."]
And through this the answer (to the question "From where (me'ayin) will my help come?") is revealed and felt within the question itself — according to the inner interpretation[40], that the "help" is drawn down from the level of "Ayin," a level that cannot be grasped, that is above intellect and understanding, etc., above "names" —
and the "help" is drawn down also into the order of hishtalshelus, revealed, and acts there — "My help is from G‑d, Maker of heaven and earth"[41] — even in heaven and earth in their plain sense.
(From the talk of Shabbos Parshas Vayeira 5740)