Bitachon Chapter 3

The Midrash tells us Yaakov told his wife, “And an angel of Hashem said to me in a dream, ‘Yaakov’.” That is, the angel was calling to him and the following generations because in every generation there will be people like Yaakov (בראשית רבה עד ג). Even though Yaakov‘s level of Bitachon was exceedingly lofty, so much so that all of nature was submissive to Yaakov. Therefore, it was impossible for לבן, with all his cunningness, to harm Yaakov in anyway. And all of Lavan’s machinations were to of no avail, even though from a naturalist perspective Lavan should have triumphed. But since nature, too, would have succumbed to being over thrown by the good of Yaakov, his arrival did no good even though by nature there was assistance to Lavan.

The Torah tells us that Lavan changed Yaakov's salary ten times. Lavan's cunningness went as follows: First, he agreed to pay him all spotted sheep. Then once the sheep were pregnant, he changed the deal to be speckled sheep. Lavan assumed Hashem would ensure that the fetuses were spotted for Yaakov's benefit. Therefore, he purposely altered the deal after the sheep conceived, because he was certain the nature of the fetuses wouldn't change and Lavan -- and not Yaakov -- would gain all the profit. However, what happened in actuality was the nature of the fetuses continued to change whenever Lavan changed the deal, even when it seemed impossible according to nature. This follows the Ramban's explanation: "If he would say as follows: Speckled ones shall be your payment, all the animals would give birth to speckled ones; that even after conception, the coloration of the animals would favor Yaakov and would change in utero (בבאורו בראשית לא ח).

From here we see the strength of Yaakov's Bitachon, and his strong-minded closeness to Hashem. Even though Lavan switched his salary ten times -- including when they were pregnant already. Yaakov knew Lavan's cunningness and his calculations, that he would switch the salary from before hand because he thought it would benefit himself. With all his trickery, Lavan thought it was no longer possible for the color to change for Yaakov's benefit. Nevertheless all the trickery, Yaakov still agreed to Lavan's salary changes. He was completely certain he wouldn't lose anything from it, and had Bitachon in Hashem that everything would be good. A tower of his rank in the measure of Bitachon. It is possible that when Chazal said: "The angel was calling to him, Yaakov, and to all the following generations, because in each generation there will be individuals like Yaakov, who can bring themselves to acquire Bitachon that rises above natural causes (מדרש רבה עד ג), like the Ramban discusses.

Now, many ask: Since Yaakov had perfect Bitachon, such that miracles were wrought for him, why did he need to involve himself in setting up peeled rods before the sheep? This seems to contradict the entire premise of Bitachon. For there is no greater natural cause that will result in Yaakov's gain than these rods. And tomorrow, at the end, when Lavan would change his salary, the color would benefit Yaakov — even though there was no natural way for the colors to change, because the sheep were pregant already. The question is still pressing: Why did he trouble himself with the rods even originally? It would be more fitting for his stature in Bitachon to forgo using these rods since their use is entirely unnecessary. It would only lead to a weakening of Bitachon, since there seems to be a natural cause at work. While this is understandable at first glance, it must be a simple Hisdalut. It is impossible that Yaakov was engaging in his own cunningness to protect his own interests and that he desired that the sheep should give birth to flock in his favor. Had he kept the rods away, Lavan would have gained and Yaakov would have lost. If so, how could Lavan not have noticed what was going on? Also, haven’t we seen above that Lavan made one stimpulation and then would come back and change it? And since Lavan was seeking every method to trick and fool Yaakov, he would have certainely not allowed Yaakov to thwart his plans with his own devices. Therefore, we are forced to say that the rods contributed in no way to Yaakov’s personal gain; this is clear from the fact that the rods contained a plethora of colors and the colors were beneficial to Lavan and Yaakov. Therefore, the rods were not considered a break in Yaakov’s Bitachon. And even if the rods did help, they would be of no use because Lavan would constantly switch his salary and Yaakov could not choose what color sheep he would keep. After all, Lavan changed his salary even after the sheep were pregant. Therefore, it will be difficult to understand what matter the sticks made and what need they had.

Instead, the correct explanation is as follows: Yaakov used the rods as a way to fulfill his responsibility as a custodian, for he was obligated to see to the benefit of his charges to the extent of his abilities. Therefore, Yaakov set up the rods to bring the animals to heat, without the heat they would not have become pregnant. When the sheep lacked colored items before them, it would negatively affect their ability to come to heat. The Torah makes this point explicitly: “Yaakov would place the rods between the eyes of the animals in the trenches to bring them to heat” (בראשית ל מא).

According to the above explanation, we must wonder why did Yaakov begin to use the rods only after Lavan set up his wages and not earlier. For if, as stated above, the rods served as a basic means for caring for the animals, then Yaakov should have employed them even before Lavan stipulated his wages!

However, the answer is very clear. Before Laban had removed all the speckled and spotted rams, these images were present before the female sheep and therefore were able to come to hear naturally. But once Laban removed these speckled and spotted rams from the flock, there were no speckled or spotted images that would cause them to ovulate. Therefore, Yaakov had to prepare the rods with certain speckle and spotted images on them in lieu of the natural coats of the rams. It emerges that Yaakov relied completely on his Bitachon in order to receive his wages without pursuing them through any natural means. And Chazal says, as we stated above, that “the angel was calling to him, Yaakov, and to all the following generations, because in each generation there will be individuals like Yaakov” (בראשית רבה עד ג). Thus, each and every one of us has the ability, if we can only muster up the desire and will, to rely on Hashem to the extent that we forgo natural means of attaining our needs.

Yaakov was so accomplished in the Middah of Bitachon, that he was virtually flawless. Nevertheless, we find that Chazal point out a shortcoming on Yaakov’s part. After Lavan first stipulated Yaakov’s wages, Yaakov said, “My righteousness will testify for me in a day to come, because you will search my flocks and you won’t find any of your flock there” (בראשית ל לג). Chazal teach us not to praise ourselves for the future yet to come, because we see after this Dinah was entrapped. As the Pasuk says, “Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out.” It is clear from this that Yaakov’s lofty level of Bitachon meant he shouldn’t have been concerned about the future. Even though Yaakov’s intention was to establish and defend his righteousness, it was considered a shortcoming because he shouldn’t have been worried about the future. Had he concluded his conversation with Lavan without making this statement, the unfortunate story of Dinah would not have occurred — for there is no greater destruction than for a Ba’al Bitachon to you undermine his Bitachon about the future and be left facing his needs without Bitachon