וַיִּפְרֹץ הָאִישׁ מְאֹד מְאֹד (ל, מג)
“And the man spread out exceedingly” (30:43)
The well-known statement of the Ramban (in Parashas Lech Lecha) is that “the actions of the fathers are a sign for the children,” and for this reason the Torah wrote all their deeds, so that their children after them may contemplate them and understand from the posukim also the reasons for all of their actions, and through this they too will understand the path in which they shall go and succeed in the service of the Creator, and then they too will be pleasing to their Creator.
Even when the Torah tells of the material success of the avos hakedoshim, it intended that we examine its words in order to understand what matter it was through which they merited this, because if we merit it, this will also be a cause for our own success. The Torah tells us that each one of the avos merited great wealth, and there is no doubt that the Torah hinted in its letters and its words what the cause of each one’s wealth was. However, we require Heavenly assistance in order to grasp its allusions, and here, regarding Yaakov Avinu, we have indeed merited to understand that he merited this through his humility. The posuk may therefore be interpreted as follows: “And the man spread out,” and the reason for this was “exceedingly, exceedingly” – humility. For the words “exceedingly, exceedingly” allude to humility, as we see in the language of Chazal, that when they spoke of humility, they also doubled this expression and said (Avos 4:4): “Be exceedingly, exceedingly humble of spirit.”
We also find that the word ‘מאד’ - “exceedingly” alludes to humility, for it has the numerical value [gematria] of ‘מה’ - “what,” [45] which indicates nullification and nothingness, and as we say in the teffilah “לעולם יהא אדם” when we wish to express our nothingness before the greatness of the Creator Baruch Hu we say, “What are we, what is our life,” and so forth. Also, with Moshe Rabeinu we see that when he wished to lower himself he said (Shemos 16:8): ‘ונחנו מה’ - “And we are what.” And to this the Torah alluded here, that through the “what” alluded to in “exceedingly” Yaakov Avinu merited that the posuk “And the man spread out” was fulfilled in him.
Indeed we see within Yaakov that the trait of humility was deeply implanted in his soul, as we see later at the beginning of Parashas Vayishlach (32:11), where he said: ‘ מכלקָ טֹ נְ תִּ י החסדים ומכל האמת’ - “I have become small from all the kindnesses and from all the truth,” and Rashi explains: “My merits have diminished because of the kindnesses and truth that You have done with me.”
[It was difficult for Rashi, for HaKadosh Baruch Hu had promised him so much good at the beginning of our parashah, so how could his merits have diminished because of the kindnesses he had thus far received, since these were few compared to the abundance of good that had been promised to him. Therefore, Rashi explains that Yaakov meant to say:] “Therefore I fear lest since You promised me, I have become soiled in sin, and it will cause me to be delivered into the hand of Eisav.” From these words of Yaakov you learn how humble of spirit he was. For there is no doubt that his twenty-year stay in the presence of the cunning and impure Lavan was filled with many difficult trials, and there is also no doubt that he withstood them all. The Torah also hints to this when it states (33:18): ‘ויבוא יעקב שלם’ - “And Jacob came whole,” and Rashi explains: “Whole in his Torah, that he did not forget his learning in the house of Lavan.” And despite all that he suffered for the sake of his Creator Yisbarach still his deeds were not pure in his own eyes, and he feared that perhaps he had done so much wrong that the essential good promised to him had already been lost. This testifies also regarding all the days of his life that they were all in humility, and it was this that drew down his successes and his wealth.
This matter, as stated, is also a sign for the descendents of Yaakov in every generation: if they too conduct themselves with humility, they too will merit wealth and success in all their matters. Humility prepares them for the fulfillment of their desires. And if you ask why, the answer is that from the outset HaKadosh Baruch Hu desires to give every Jewish person all of his desires in spiritual and material matters. However, His desire is not that these gifts be guarded for his harm and bring him through them to arrogance, for aside from arrogance being a great sin, it also pushes away the Shechinah, Rachmana litzlan. As the Gemara states (Sotah 5a): “Rav Chisda, and some say Mar Ukva, said: Any person who has arrogance, HaKadosh Baruch Hu says: I and he cannot dwell together in the world.” Therefore, as long as humility is not deeply ingrained in a person’s heart, he is not prepared to receive the good that they desire to give him, lest it be a cause for his heart to become haughty. Only after he accustoms himself to humility, by contemplating his lowliness and by understanding well that all the good that a person is granted is only a free gift and is no cause for arrogance, then he becomes a proper vessel to hold blessing, and he merits that Heaven grants success through him.
You will find a similar idea written several times in the writings of the holy Chozeh of Lublin, and one of them is in his introduction to his book Zichron Zos, where it states that were it not for the trait of arrogance, it would be within the capability of every Jew, including even the most insignificant among them, to request his desires and to be answered, for the very fact that he is a “Jew” already renders him worthy, as it is written (Iyov 22:28): ‘ותגזור אומר ויקם לך’ - “You shall decree a matter and it shall be established for you.” But in Heaven they fear lest signs and wonders be aroused through their prayers, and as a result they come, chas v’shalom, to arrogance; therefore, many salvations are delayed from Israel.
It is possible that this is the intent of the Gemara (Chullin 89a), which elaborates on the difference between Israel and the nations in the matter of arrogance and lowliness: that the people of Israel, the more the Creator Baruch Hu elevates them, the more they diminish and humble themselves. And the opposite is among the nations, who become arrogant because of the greatness granted to them. And the Gemara elaborates there, proving from all seven shepherds, who were righteous, that when they merited greatness, it was a cause for adding humility upon their already existing humility. For, as stated, Bnei Israel are only worthy of greatness if they diminish themselves, and it is difficult to find such a thing, and those who merit it are usually the righteous. But among the nations, upon whom HaKadosh Baruch Hu does not rest His Shechinah, arrogance is not an impediment to their greatness, and therefore they can merit greatness even as their arrogance increases.
Say now that if a person desires to be a vessel that holds blessing and to merit greatness and wealth and success and the acceptance of his prayers, it is upon him to contemplate deeply the recesses of his soul until he indeed recognizes with great precision his own lowliness. And the sign of true humility is that if he does indeed merit some degree of greatness, he will be very ashamed of his stature. For one who merits this trait knows in his soul that due to his lowliness he is not worthy of that greatness and is like a simpleton who dresses in the garments of princes, making himself a mockery and ridicule before people. As a result of this feeling, he adds humility upon his humility. This is the sign that he truly holds the trait of humility. And a person should beg for mercy from Hashem that he indeed merit this.
