Vayishlach: Chapter 25

Jacob, Israel and Yeshurun

Synopsis

Rabbi Chiya discourses on the names Jacob, Israel, and Yeshurun, which appear in the verse, "Yet now hear, O Jacob My servant ..." These names represent three different grades, yet all amount to one. Similarly, the terms, "created," "formed," and "made," which also appear in the verse, represent three different grades, yet all are one. We learn that the children of Yisrael, to whom God gave the Torah so that they might merit the Holy Land and a portion in the World to Come, are fortunate indeed, while the idolaters will one day be destroyed.

Relevance

When the light of the sun passes though a prism, the beam refracts into the seven colors of the spectrum. The colors are many, but they are one. Spiritual Light follows the same profound principle, with each grade of Light offering another frequency of fulfillment. Three "colors" in the Divine spectrum of Light shine through to our souls in this passage through the words, "created," "formed," and "made," and "Jacob," "Israel," and "Yeshurun." These three help us to merit a portion in the World to Come, and connect us to the Divine energy radiating from the Land of Yisrael.

Fear Holy Land Jacob Jesurun Merit Righteous Torah Womb World to Come, The

244. Rabbi Chiya continued with the verse, "Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel whom I have chosen, thus says Hashem that made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you. Fear not O Jacob my servant; and you, Yeshurun, whom I have chosen" (Yeshayah 44:1-2). Come and behold, how many times did the Holy One, blessed be He, promise Israel that He would cause them to inherit the World to Come. For He desired no other nation or tongue for His portion but Yisrael alone. Therefore, the Torah of Truth was given to them, through which to merit and learn the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and thus inherit the Holy Land. For whoever merits this Holy Land has a portion in the World to Come, as it is written, "Your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever" (Yeshayah 60:21). This has already been explained.

244. רִבִּי חִיָּיא פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע יַעֲקֹב עַבְדִּי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בָּחַרְתִּי בּוֹ. כֹּה אָמַר ה' עֹשֶׂךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ מִבֶּטֶן יַעַזְרֶךָּ אַל תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב וִישֻׁרוּן בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אַבְטַח לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר, לְמִזְכֵּי לְהוֹ לְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, דְּהָא לָא אִתְרְעֵי לְחוּלָקֵיהּ לְכָל עַם וְלִישָׁן, בַּר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. וּבְגִין כָּך, יְהַב לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא דִקְשׁוֹט. לְמִזְכֵּי בָּהּ, וּלְמִנְדַע אָרְחוֹי דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּגִין דְּיִרְתוּן אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא. דְּכָל מַאן דְּזָכֵי בְּהַאי אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, אִית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא לְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, כד"א וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ. וְהָא אִתְּמָר.

Grades Jacob Jesurun

245. There are three grades IN THE VERSE BEFORE US, First Jacob, then Israel, and Yeshurun last, AND WE SHOULD KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM. Come and behold, we already explained Jacob and Israel, though both grades are the same.

245. תְּלַת דַּרְגִּין הָכָא, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא יַעֲקֹב, וּלְבָתַר יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּלְבָתַר יְשׁוּרוּן. תָּא חֲזֵי, יַעֲקֹב הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ. יִשְׂרָאֵל, אוֹף הָכֵי נָמֵי. וְאַף עַל גָּב דְּדַרְגִּין אִינוּן חַד.

Hebrew Letters Jesurun Job

246. HE ASKS, Why is Yisrael called by the name of Yeshurun? HE ANSWERS, Israel and Yeshurun are one. The meaning of Yeshurun, as it is written, "He should then assemble (Heb. yashor) a row of men" (Iyov 33:27), is that he takes a row from the one side and a row from the other side. Because there are two rows, it is called 'Yeshurun,' IN THE PLURAL. Also, Israel IS DERIVED FROM 'ROW' (HEB. SHURAH), BEING THE LETTERS OF YASHOR EL, IN THE SINGULAR.

246. יְשׁוּרוּן, אַמַּאי אִקְרוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁמָא דָא. אֶלָּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל וִישׁוּרוּן כֹּלָּא חַד, יְשׁוּרוּן: כְד"א יָשֹׁר עַל אֲנָשִׁים, בְּגִין דְּנָטֵיל שׁוּרָה, לְהַאי סִטְרָא, וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא, וּבְגִין אִינוּן תְּרֵין שׁוּרִין, אִקְרֵי יְשׁוּרוּן, וְדָא הוּא יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Jesurun

247. Israel is pronounced WITH THE LETTER SIN, WHICH ALLUDES TO OFFICIALDOM (HEB. SERARAH), for having command and power over all. Yeshurun IS THUS NAMED after the two parts, the RIGHT AND LEFT sides, the two rows already mentioned. They are all one.

247. יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַל דְּנָטֵיל רְבוּ וְתוֹקְפָא מִכֹּלָּא. יְשׁוּרוּן, עַל אִינוּן חוּלָקֵי תְּרֵין סִטְרִין, תְּרֵין שׁוּרִין, כִּדְקָא אֲמָרָן, וְכֹלָּא חַד.

Creation Grades Jacob

248. He explained that all these names amount to one. "Jacob my servant," for he is a servant at times and abides his Master's command and executes His wishes. Also, "Israel whom I have chosen," MEANS to dwell on. All is according to a deep mystery. It is thus written, "that created you, O Jacob, and He that formed you, O Yisrael" (Yeshayah 43:1), and "Hashem that made you." All these grades are counted as one. Therefore, the verbs, created, formed, and acted are related to them respectively: one grade is over the other and all these grades are one.

248. וְאִינוּן שְׁמָהָן כֻּלְּהוּ, סָלְקֵי לְחַד. יַעֲקֹב עַבְדִּי, זִמְנִין דְּאִיהוּ עֶבֶד, כְּעַבְדָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ פִּקּוּדָא דְמָארֵיהּ, וּלְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ. וְכֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ, לְאַשְׁרָאָה עֲלֵיהּ, וְכֹלָּא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ. כְּתִיב בֹּרַאֲךָ יַעֲקֹב וְיֹצֶרְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְתִיב כֹּה אָמַר ה' עֹשֶׂךָ, כָּל אִלֵּין דַּרְגִּין סָלְקִין לְחַד, וְהָא אִתְּמָר, בּוֹרֵ"א, יוֹצֵ"ר. עוֹשֶׂ"ה. וְכֻלְּהוּ דַרְגִּין, אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין וְכֻלְּהוּ חַד.

Earth Idolatry Jeremiah Punishment Vanity

249. Happy is the portion of Yisrael that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired them above all the idolatrous nations, of which the scripture says, "They are vanity, the work of delusion, in the time of their punishment they shall perish," (Yirmeyah 10:15) when the Holy One, blessed be He, will wipe them away from the earth, and He will remain alone, as it is written, "and Hashem alone shall be exalted on that day" (Yeshayah 2:11).

249. זַכָּאָה חוּלַקְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוֹ, מִכָּל עַמִין עעכו"ם, בְּגִין דִּבְכֻלְּהוּ כְּתִיב, הֶבֶל הֵמָּה מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעְתֻּעִים בְּעֵת פְּקֻדָּתָם יֹאבֵדוּ, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין, לְבַעֲרָא לוֹן מִן עַלְמָא, וְיִשְׁתָּאַר הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, כְּדָבָר אֲחֵר וְנִשְׂגָּב ה' לְבַדּוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא.

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