378. Jacob Lived in the Land Where His Father Dwelled
December 1979
“And Jacob lived in the land where his father dwelled.” There is a question, Why does it not say, “the land where his fathers dwelled”? Why specifically the dwelling place of Isaac? We should interpret that it is known that Jacob is regarded as the middle line, whose role is to correct the left line, called “Isaac’s fear.” But as for the right line, it is not within Jacob’s qualities to correct. It is explained in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] that the middle line leans toward Hesed [mercy], so we have nothing to add to the right line.
But Isaac is the quality of judgment, so Jacob comes and places himself in the left line in order to correct it with the quality of mercy.
RASHI explains in another place that the writing connects the generations of Jacob with Joseph for several reasons. 1) The very essence of Jacob worked for Laban only because of Rachel, and the image of Joseph was similar to his, and everything that happened to Jacob, happened to Joseph: One was hated, and the other was hated; one, his brother wanted to kill him, and the other, his brothers wanted to kill him.
We should understand the connection between the matters, that Jacob worked for Laban only because of Rachel. It is known that there is the quality of Leah, called “concealed world,” and the quality of Rachel, called “revealed world.”
As is written in The Zohar concerning Moses, it is written, “path,” for only Moses could walk in the quality of a “path,” called “concealed world,” but the rest of the people can walk only in a manner of “way,” for “way” means the “highway,” where everyone can walk, since “way” means Hassadim [mercies], and where the Hesed [sing. of Hassadim] is revealed, all the people can walk. Hence, Jacob worked for Rachel, meaning for the Hassadim to be revealed.
The revealing is mainly from the Chazeh and below, the quality of NHY, and the most important is the middle line, called Yesod, which is the quality of Joseph. This is why it was said, “Israel loved Joseph.”
There is a middle line above, called Tifferet, which decides between Hesed and Gevura, and a middle line from the Chazeh and below, called Yesod, which decides between Netzah and Hod. The work is mainly to submit the left line, for specifically the middle line subdues it.
Hence, the left line and those who are attached to the left line want to cancel the middle line, since the left line can fight with the right line and does not need to cancel it, since it is not afraid of the right line. But from the middle line, they are afraid because the middle line cancels the left line.
This is why there is a desire to cancel the middle line above, in Tifferet and the middle line below, called Yesod, which are Jacob and Joseph.
RASHI also brings, “Jacob sought to dwell in peace, and Joseph’s anger jumped on him. The righteous seek to dwell in peace, said the Creator. The righteous do not settle for what has been prepared for them in the next world, but they also seek to dwell in peace in this world.” This seemingly contradicts what our sages said, “If you do so, happy are you in this world and happy in the next world.”
We should interpret that the “next world” is called “the quality of Bina,” “concealed world,” which is the quality of Leah. “This world” is the quality of Malchut, “the revealed world.” Hence, the quality of Jacob is Tifferet, which is from the Chazeh and above, regarded as the next world.
The righteous want peace in this world, too, which is the revealed world. This is the meaning of “Joseph’s anger jumped on him,” meaning that he wanted to extend the degree of Joseph, which is this world, Yesod, from the Chazeh and below, regarded as the “revealed world.”
Jacob worked for Laban primarily for Rachel, to have revealed Hassadim, as our sages said, “The righteous have no rest, neither in the next world nor in this world, as was said, ‘They will go from strength to strength.’”