Commentaire sur La Genèse 28:20

אם יהיה אלהים עמדי IF GOD WILL BE WITH ME — if He will keep for me these promises which He has made me that He would be with me, even as He said to me (v. 15), “Behold, I am with thee” (Genesis Rabbah 70:4),

IF (‘IM’) G-D WILL BE WITH ME. Rashi comments: “If He will keep for me these promises which He made to me.” The reason for the condition is lest the sin cause the abrogation of the promises. And so the Rabbis said in Bereshith Rabbah,⁵⁵76:2. “Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Acha, ‘And behold, I am with thee,⁵⁶Verse 15 here. and yet it is written, If G-d will be with me! However, from here you infer that there is no assurance to the righteous in this world.’”
In line with the simple meaning of Scripture it is further possible that the word im does not indicate a doubt in the matter, but such is the way of Scripture when referring to future events, such as: until ‘im asithi’ (I have done).⁵⁶Verse 15 here. And so also: ‘Ve’im’ there shall be the jubilee of the children of Israel.⁵⁷Numbers 36:4. In all these cases it means if there will come a time when the condition is satisfied, then the deed will be fulfilled, that is to say, ve’im does not mean “if it occurs,” but rather “when it occurs.”

אם יהיה אלוקים עמדי, to remove from me all the pressures which I am under, pressures which prevent man from giving his attention to matters which should receive his attention, i.e. to G’d and what He expects from man. What troubled Yaakov was what our sages in Eyruvin 41 described as the three problems which are liable to unbalance someone’s mind as well as his relationship to his Creator. They are: gentiles, being involved personally in natural disasters, and excessive poverty.