Vayeitzei 28:20 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeitzei · Passuk 28:20

The Complete Passuk

וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃

And Yaakov vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will guard me on this way that I am going, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to classical sources on neder (Nedarim / midrash).

TT lemma: וידר יעקב נדר.

Sefaria — Nedarim

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמְרוּ חֲזַ״ל: יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ הָיָה הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁנָּדַר נֶדֶר, וּמִמֶּנּוּ לָמְדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִנְדֹּר בְּעֵת צָרָה.

English: Chazal said: Our father Yaakov was the first who made a vow, and from him Yisrael learned to vow in a time of distress.

On the daf / in context: The neder of Yaakov is treated as the prototype of vows made in distress.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (midrashic) — not a formal named middah of the 13. Yaakov’s vow is taken as the original model for later Jewish practice.

What Is Learned

Yaakov originated the practice of making a vow in a time of need; later generations follow his example.