From the Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Zt”l
The Torah portion of Vayeitzei begins: "And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Charan."
Beersheba is symbolic of a state of peacefulness and tranquility. The name itself commemorates the covenant of peace that was made between the Philistine King Avimelech and Abraham, and the seven wells that were dug after the covenant was made.
Jacob left this state of tranquility, left the study hall of Shem and Ever in which he had studied Torah and served G-d for 14 years, "and went toward Charan," the lowliest and most despicable location on earth. The name Charan comes from the Hebrew word meaning anger or wrath, as Charan was an alien and degenerate place. In the metaphorical sense, at some point in his life, every Jew must leave Beersheba and go to Charan. Just as Jacob left Beersheba to find a wife in Charan, so too must every Jew leave the rarefied world of the yeshiva to establish a Jewish home, and involve himself in the world.
The most appropriate way to prepare for this is by being in Beersheba, i.e., complete devotion to Torah study. But life itself must be lived in "Charan" - in the material realm of the physical world. A Jew's mission is to serve G-d in even the most mundane or difficult circumstances.
This, then, is the lesson to be derived for every Jew: It is precisely through the trials and tribulations one encounters throughout life that a warm Jewish home is built. For it is these trials that temper the Jew and prove his mettle, making the foundations of his home strong and stable.
Let's examine Jacob's behavior during his journey:
Setting out in a foreign land to find a suitable match, one would think that Jacob would have tried to learn the local language, or dressed himself in expensive clothes to make a favorable impression. And yet, the first thing he did was pray, as Rashi comments on the words "and he reached a certain place."
Jacob understood that his success would not depend on taking simple physical action. A Jew must know that the very first thing he must do when going out into the world is pray to G-d. He must never think that just because he already prayed and learned Torah in the past, he must now emulate the "ways of the world" if he is to succeed.
On the contrary, when setting out from "Beersheba" to "Charan," a Jew must pray even harder! For the tests he will be subjected to in "Charan" are far more difficult than any he encountered before. He must therefore pray even more diligently, and ask G-d's help to withstand these new trials.
Reprinted from the Parshat Vayeitzei 5761/2000 edition of L’Chaim. Adapted from Volume 1 of Likutei Sichot..
