Vayeitzei 28:13 · unit 3

Parashas Vayeitzei · Passuk 28:13

The Complete Passuk

וְהִנֵּ֨ה יְהֹוָ֜ה נִצָּ֣ב עָלָיו֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יךָ וֵאלֹהֵ֖י יִצְחָ֑ק הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ שֹׁכֵ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ לְךָ֥ אֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה וּלְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃

And behold Hashem was standing over him and said, “I am Hashem, the God of Avraham your father and the God of Yitzchak; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your offspring.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin 111a.

TT lemma: לך אתננה.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 111a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה: חֲבָל עַל דְּאָבְדִין וְלָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין. כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים נִגְלֵיתִי עַל הָאָבוֹת וְלֹא הִרְהֲרוּ אַחַר מִדּוֹתַי. אָמַרְתִּי לְיַעֲקֹב ״הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שֹׁכֵב עָלֶיהָ לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה״, וּבִקֵּשׁ לִנְטוֹעַ אָהֳלוֹ וְלֹא מָצָא עַד שֶׁקָּנָה בְּמֵאָה קְשִׂיטָה, וְלֹא הִרְהֵר אַחַר מִדּוֹתַי.

English: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe: Alas for those who are lost and are not found. How many times did I appear to the Avos and they did not question My attributes. I said to Yaakov “the land on which you are lying I will give to you,” yet when he sought to pitch his tent he found no place until he bought it for a hundred kesitah, and he did not question My attributes.

On the daf / in context: Sanhedrin 111a contrasts the unquestioning faith of the Avos with later generations who challenged Divine promises.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The gap between the promise and Yaakov’s later purchase is used to highlight the Avos’ acceptance of Divine conduct.

What Is Learned

Even when the promise of the land seemed delayed, Yaakov (like the other Avos) did not question Hashem’s attributes.