Comentario sobre Génesis 29:1

וישא יעקב רגליו THEN JACOB LIFTED UP HIS FEET —As soon as he received the good tidings that he was assured of God’s protection his heart lifted up his feet and he walked swiftly. Thus is it explained in (Genesis Rabbah 70:8).

וישא יעקב רגליו, seeing that he had received assurances from G’d during his nocturnal dream, he now proceeded encouraged, joyfully, something that the Torah describes with the words “he lifted up his feet.”

וישא יעקב רגליו, when a person proceeds on a journey voluntarily, at his own initiative, this is described in terms of his personality carrying, lifting his feet. When the initiative is not his, even when he does not march involuntarily, under orders against his will, his feet are described as carrying him, i.e. his personality, the rest of his body. At this point of Yaakov’s journey, he belonged to the category of traveler mentioned first. We find the other category mentioned in Isaiah 23,7 יובילוה רגליה, “would her feet carry her?”

וישא יעקב רגליו. Jacob raised his feet. The Torah chooses this form of expression to tell us that at this time Jacob was poor and all he could raise [elevate to the status of tithes as promised in his vow, Ed.] were his feet. In the future he would tithe all his produce twice, i.e. give a total of 20% in order to fulfil the words עשר אעשרנו. The second tithe would not merely be 10% of what remained after the first tithe had been given (compare Ketuvot 50).

וישא יעקב רגליו, seeing that G’d had given him promises and found him worthy of such a far-reaching prophetic insight, he rejoiced and continued on his way with ease. Up until that night Yaakov had proceeded hesitantly, beset by doubts and anxieties. Although fleeing from the wrath of his brother, seeing that his danger had not been imminent while his father was still alive, he had not been traveling with speed, something typical of people fleeing for their lives.

וילך ארצה בני קדם, “he proceeded in the direction of the land of the people of the East.” It is a mystery why Yaakov should go to the land of the people of the East, seeing the Torah already wrote that he was heading for Charan, (28,10). On the other hand, according to the tradition that Yaakov had reached Charan on the day he set out in that direction, but that he had turned back to pray at Moriah, not having been aware at the time that he had inadvertently gone past that site without doing so, the meaning of the verse becomes abundantly clear. From Moriah he went forth to the land of the people of the East, where he remained for 14 years before again going to Charan and joining the household of Lavan.

Da war er ein ganz anderer Mensch geworden als früher, wo es hieß: ויצא וגו׳. Jetzt heißt es: Jakob hub seine Füße. Nicht tragen die Füiße den Menschen, nicht der Leib den Geist, sondern der Mensch die Füße, der im Menschen lebendig gewordene Geist den Leib. Mit solcher von Gott geweckten Fernsicht wandert ein Jakob, auch bloß mit dem Stecken in der Hand, frisch und fröhlich der Zukunft zu. —

ארצה בני קדם, “to the land of Aram,” as we know from Isaiah 9,11.

בני קדם, inhabitants of Aram, as we know from Isaiah 9,11.

וילך ארצה בני קדם, that land lies to the east of the land of Israel, Charan being the first town after one crosses the border into that country. (compare what we have written on 25,6) The Torah does not mention the political name of the country but describes it as “the land of the people of Kedem,” in more general terms. Yaakov left the land of Canaan and crossed into this land, and while being close to Charan, he saw a well in the field.

An additional meaning of the Torah's description of Jacob "raising his feet" is that he did not actually have to walk the entire distance to Charan but that the land came toward him. This is the reason the Torah did not say אל ארץ בני קדם, "to the land of the easterners, but ארצה בני קדם."

בני קדם. Siehe oben Kap.25, 6. Die östlichen Länder waren an Kultur und Gesittung von den westwärts liegenden sehr verschieden. Das erfuhr Jakob sehr bald im folgenden.

The reason the Torah describes these people as בני קדם, easterners, instead of referring to their city, i.e. Charan, is to tell us that only the district came towards him. Jacob himself walked to Charan in order to find there his Rachel and in order for him to obtain from her all the information she furnished him as described in Megillah 13.