וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֛ב עוֹד־יוֹסֵ֥ף בְּנִ֖י חָ֑י אֵֽלְכָ֥ה וְאֶרְאֶ֖נּוּ בְּטֶ֥רֶם אָמֽוּת׃
Lalu Israel berkata: “Sungguh besar sukacitaku! Yusuf, anakku, masih hidup. Aku akan pergi dan melihatnya sebelum aku mati.”
Kedushat Levi
Genesis 45,28. “my son Joseph is still alive.” These words, though apparently unnecessary, reflected Yaakov’s joy that his son after these 22 years of being alone in Egypt had remained true to his tradition and the teachings of his father. In spite of his having been exposed during all these years to every perversion known to mankind, he had remained a tzaddik. The word עוד, in this verse emphasizes that the “cultural” influence exuded by Egyptian society, though powerful, was relatively secondary, peripheral, an “also ran,” seeing that Joseph had absorbed the largesse that originated from G’d in heaven, a predominant, and more powerful influence.
Kedushat Levi
This is what G’d meant when He told Yaakov in his dream: כי לא אעזבך עד אשר עשיתי את אשר דברתי לך, “for I will not abandon you until I have done what I have said (I would do) for you.” What G’d meant was that as soon as Yaakov would return to the land of Israel, he would have to fend for himself, using the intelligence etc., that G’d had endowed him with. He implied that at that time he would have to accompany his activities with the appropriate prayers asking G’d to let his efforts be crowned with success. If he were to neglect to do so, he would not become the founding father of the twelve tribes making up the Jewish people. Seeing that you had not reached spiritual maturity until that time, I intervened overtly on your behalf during the preceding years.
When we look at Yaakov’s situation from this angle, it is neither fear nor lack of faith when Yaakov says אם יהיה אלוקים עמדי וגו', “if G’d will be with me etc.” It is a declaration by Yaakov that as soon as he will safely return to his homeland he is prepared to do everything humanly possible, including prayer, of course, to ensure his success in the task that G’d has set him. He indicates by promising to tithe his income he will continue to view his success as an act of charity by G’d. Although he will do what is in his power, he will view success as G’d manifesting His love for him. Tzaddikim, even when earning their livelihood by their own efforts, will continue to view their success as not due to their own intelligence or hard work, but as a gift from G’d. The matriarchs, whose success is not measured in terms of their earning power, but in terms of the fruit of their wombs, therefore were meant to turn to G’d in prayer in order for what other women considered as their natural right, i.e. to produce children, to be granted to them also.
Perhaps this is how we must understand Bereshit Rabbah 76,2 on Genesis 45,28 according to which any assurance given by G’d to tzaddikim does not refer to events that would occur in this life. On Deuteronomy 3,23 Rashi comments that although the righteous, if they wanted to, could ascribe any success that they enjoyed in this life as due to merits they had accumulated, they prefer not to do so. When they ask G’d for something, they make a point as describing G’d’s granting their request as a מתנת חנם, a “free gift.” These explanations were needed, as seeing that we have a tradition that G’d does not even go back on a conditional promise, how could the Midrash say that no promises of G’d apply in this world. The meaning of the words: כי לא אעזבך עד וגו', therefore must mean that there comes a time in Yaakov’s life when he is expected to no longer have to rely on G’d’s promises.
When we look at Yaakov’s situation from this angle, it is neither fear nor lack of faith when Yaakov says אם יהיה אלוקים עמדי וגו', “if G’d will be with me etc.” It is a declaration by Yaakov that as soon as he will safely return to his homeland he is prepared to do everything humanly possible, including prayer, of course, to ensure his success in the task that G’d has set him. He indicates by promising to tithe his income he will continue to view his success as an act of charity by G’d. Although he will do what is in his power, he will view success as G’d manifesting His love for him. Tzaddikim, even when earning their livelihood by their own efforts, will continue to view their success as not due to their own intelligence or hard work, but as a gift from G’d. The matriarchs, whose success is not measured in terms of their earning power, but in terms of the fruit of their wombs, therefore were meant to turn to G’d in prayer in order for what other women considered as their natural right, i.e. to produce children, to be granted to them also.
Perhaps this is how we must understand Bereshit Rabbah 76,2 on Genesis 45,28 according to which any assurance given by G’d to tzaddikim does not refer to events that would occur in this life. On Deuteronomy 3,23 Rashi comments that although the righteous, if they wanted to, could ascribe any success that they enjoyed in this life as due to merits they had accumulated, they prefer not to do so. When they ask G’d for something, they make a point as describing G’d’s granting their request as a מתנת חנם, a “free gift.” These explanations were needed, as seeing that we have a tradition that G’d does not even go back on a conditional promise, how could the Midrash say that no promises of G’d apply in this world. The meaning of the words: כי לא אעזבך עד וגו', therefore must mean that there comes a time in Yaakov’s life when he is expected to no longer have to rely on G’d’s promises.