By Rabbi Moshe Pogrow
Vayisa Yisrael v’chol asher lo, vayavo Be’er Sheva, vayizbach zevachim l’Elokai aviv Yitzchak.
We do not find elsewhere that our Avos offered zevachim. Like all other descendants of Noach, they offered only olos.
Whereas an olah expresses complete personal devotion to G-d, a zevach is actually a family meal that is eaten by the bringers of the korban. It consecrates the family’s home and table as a temple and an altar. Zevachim, which are generally called shelamim, express the loftier idea that G-d comes into our midst. They are offered with the joyful awareness that Elokim b’dor tzaddik (Tehilim 14:5)— G-d is present wherever a family is faithful to G-d and knows that it is upheld by Him.
That is why korban shelamim, the “peace offering” of a family life blessed by G-d, is a distinctively Jewish offering. The idea of being absorbed in G-d, being devoted to G-d, dawns also on non-Jewish minds. But the idea that everyday life can become so thoroughly pervaded by the spirit of G-d that one can eat and drink and, while doing so, behold G-d; the idea that all our family rooms become temples, our tables altars, and our young men and women priests and priestesses—this spiritualization of everyday private life is a unique contribution of Judaism.
Yaakov, or Yisrael, did not offer olos but zevachim at this time, because now, for the first time, Yaakov felt happy, joyous, and complete—shalem—within the circle of his family. With this awareness and with this feeling, he brought a “family offering” to G-d. And with this feeling, he brought his offering not to Elokim in general, but to Elokei aviv Yitzchak.
In Shiras Hayam, the Jewish people sang “Zeh Keili v’anveihu, elokai avi v’aromemenhu” (Shemos 15:2). This can be translated as, “In this salvation, G-d appeared as the Almighty, Who bears me. Hence, I shall cause him to dwell in my midst, and I shall become a home for him.
“But this is the same G-d whose divinity was taught to me by my fathers. Through me He will only be magnified and glorified, and His name will be invoked by all. On them merit of my fathers and on the merit of their teaching did I attain this salvation.”
Here, too, Yaakov did not ascribe his happiness to his own merit, but to the merit of his fathers, zechus avos.
Based on the commentary of Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch zt”l on Chumash, with permission from the publisher.
