Trust in Trust

There is a famous adage stated by the third Chabad Rebbe; known as the Tzemach Tzedek that echoes this idea: “Think positive and it will be positive.”

Why was Jacob Afraid?

Jacob is now returning to the Land of Israel plagued with uncertainty as to how his brother will receive him. When Jacob hears the report of the scouts he sent to determine Esau’s intentions—that he was coming to “greet” him with 400 of his henchmen—Jacob, the Torah states, was exceedingly frightened.

Anticipating the obvious question as to why Jacob was apprehensive, inasmuch as he had been promised by G-d that He would protect him, the Torah records Jacob’s thoughts on this matter:

“I have become diminished due to all the acts of kindness and truth that You have done for Your servant, for when I crossed the Jordan I had but one stick, and now I have amassed two camps.”

The simple understanding of this text is as Rashi explains that Jacob feared that he had exhausted his merits. He feared that they have become diminished because of all G-d’s kindness to him, and the way all of His promises were truly fulfilled. Perhaps, Jacob thought, his sins might now stand in the way of G-d’s promise to him that he would be protected. And to illustrate the magnitude of G-d’s kindness to him, Jacob pointed out how he had crossed the Jordan possessing only a stick, and now he had so prospered that he was able to divide his vast possessions into two camps.

Didn’t G-d Promise Him Protection

The question has been raised, why Jacob should think that he exhausted his merits. Had G-d not promised to protect him it might have made some sense as to why he was not secure that his good deeds alone would guarantee him Divine protection. Jacob, in his humility, might have thought that he was not so deserving; and that he had already received ample pay for his good deeds. But once G-d promised that He would protect him, wouldn’t that negate the possibility that his sins would cause him to be delivered into the hands of Esau?

Another question: Why did Jacob mention the fact that he had crossed the Jordan with a stick? If he wanted to emphasize his impoverished state at that time and contrast it with his current state of affluence, he could have merely stated that he had prospered greatly since G-d made that promise to him. Why the emphasis on the stick he used to cross the Jordan?

Rashi seems to be addressing this question as well when he cites the Midrashic comment that he crossed the Jordan river by applying his stick to it and it split (much like the splitting of the Red Sea by Moses centuries later). According to this interpretation, he was not trying to dramatize his poverty. On the contrary, he was trying to dramatize how good G-d was to him in the past.

However, the following question can be raised on Rashi’s commentary:

From the Biblical text it seems that Jacob was juxtaposing the two: He crossed the Jordan with a stick and now he had two camps. If the mention of the crossing of the Jordan with his stick is to highlight the great miracle of the splitting the Jordan with that stick, how does that contrast with the fact that he now had two camps?

One final question:

To illustrate his current prosperous economic state, why did he mention that he had two camps? The only reason he had divided his entourage into two camps, the Torah explicitly stated above, was to ensure that if Esau strikes the first camp, the second could escape. It does not necessarily indicate the magnitude of his wealth. Instead, he should have described the enormity of his assets; the huge volume of cattle and servants he owned, etc—a small portion of which he paraded before and gave to Esau to impress him.

Fearful of His Lack of Trust

One answer can be provided that will address all of the questions:

Jacob was indeed promised by G-d that he would protect him. And a promise is not abrogated merely because of a sin. But Jacob feared that G-d’s promise might be compromised not simply by his sins, but by virtue of— what he thought was—his diminished level of trust in that very promise.

In other words, if G-d promises us something, it may be suggested, the only prerequisite to the fulfillment of that promise is that we believe it unequivocally. If one wants to rely on a promise but exhibits a lack of faith in the very efficacy of that promise, the promise may not materialize.

Buy that Lottery Ticket if…

There is a story told of a man in Russia who heard a stirring sermon from a great rabbi about the power of trust in G-d. He then purchased a lottery ticket sure that he would win the $100,000 jackpot.

When he told the rabbi who delivered that sermon how it inspired him to buy the ticket and that he was sure he would win the $100,000, the rabbi offered to purchase the ticket from him for $10,000. The man jumped at the opportunity to make a sure profit and said yes to the offer, upon which the rabbi said, “your ticket is worthless. By agreeing to sell it so quickly for a tenth of its value, it demonstrated that you did not really trust that you would win, hence the ticket was not worth very much…”

This then is what Jacob was fearful of. When G-d made the promise to him, he had full faith in its fulfillment. He was ready to cross the Jordan by just applying his stick to it; and it split! Jacob attributed that to his absolute faith in G-d’s word to him.

But, now, Jacob bemoaned, “I have divided my camp into two sections. I have lost some of that certainty that I would come out unscathed. I sense that I have become diminished in terms of my trust, and therefore I am no longer a worthy recipient of that promise.”

Think Ppsitive!

The fact that, in the end, Jacob emerged from his confrontation with Esau unscathed proved that Jacob was only partially right. It is true that one receives G-d’s protection as a result of having complete faith and trust in G-d. That trust itself is what makes good things happen because it places the person in G-d’s “hands.”

There is a famous adage stated by the third Chabad Rebbe; known as the Tzemach Tzedek that echoes this idea: “Think positive and it will be positive.”

There is, however, one salient difference between Jacob’s case and the typical situation of trusting in G-d. In Jacob’s situation, he had received G-d’s explicit promise that he would be protected. His imagined lack of trust would not invalidate G-d’s express guarantee to him.

Once, G-d communicates His intentions to do good to us through His prophets—or as in Jacob’s case, to Jacob directly—He will not go back on His word, even if we subsequently lack in our own connection to G-d.

Not Internally Strong

On a deeper level it may be suggested that Jacob was indeed aware of this as well—that G-d’s promise will happen regardless of his level of trust. He was distraught over the possibility that it will happen only because G-d promised it and was therefore “bound” by His promise, but, he Jacob was not really worthy of that kindness. And when Jacob expressed his fear of Esau he was fearful not of Esau destroying him physically, but that because he was spiritually ill prepared for this confrontation, he—and primarily his family—would not be internally strong enough to resist Esau’s influence. Because when one trust is strong it rubs off on others and strengthens them.

Two Scenarios for the Imminent Arrival of Moshiach

There is a direct lesson to be derived from the above analysis for our generation:

The Rebbe has stated—and, indeed, stated that it was a prophecy—that the coming of Moshiach and the complete Redemption is imminent. Whether or not our trust in this promise is complete, whether or not we are worthy of it, it will happen!

There are, however, two possible scenarios for it to happen. It can come despite our lack of trust in G-d’s promise or it can come as a result of our trust in that promise.

The difference between these two approaches is that in the latter, preferred, scenario, we will be prepared for the Redemption and rejoice every moment we await its unfolding. Furthermore, this trust in the prophecy concerning the imminent Redemption will encourage us to live our lives in total harmony with the Torah’s teachings as to the ideal life we will lead in the Messianic Era. It will also serve to influence and insulate our children and those around us so that they too will be impervious to the Esau/exile influences and greet Moshiach with boundless joy.

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Vayishlach by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.