They went to Babylon in exile and the Shechina went with them, as it is written, because of you I was sent to Babylon (Isaiah 43:14). They went to exile to Egypt, the Shechina went with them as it is written, Did I not appear to your ancestor's family when they were in Egypt to the house of Pharaoh (Samuel 1:2-27. Wherever Israel went into exile, the Shechina went along into exile. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught: "Come and see how beloved is Israel to the Holy One, the Source of all blessing. Jacob's sacrifices on this occasion established a connection with God that is described in the following passage of Talmud: Nevertheless, he was also told that he need not fear - God loves him, as the doubling of his name "Jacob, Jacob" indicates (see Rashi 46:2), and the Shechina, God's Divine Presence, will go down with him to Egypt and stay with him there till the redemption. For the foreseeable future he will be Jacob, not Israel, as he will live under the domination of a foreign power, Egypt. But God told him that he was now going into exile and this name was no longer appropriate. Jacob arrived at the meeting as Israel, a name that signifies his ascendancy over all other creatures in the universe whatever the source of their power, be it human or Divine, as stated in Genesis 32:29. In their view, this entire passage describes the spiritual preparation of the Jewish people for the trials they will have to confront during the Egyptian exile. What is the significance of the association of this particular sacrifice with Jacob?įinally, why does God appear to Jacob in night visions?Īll these difficulties are pondered by the commentators, and their approach to the solution centers around a single theme.
The fat is burned on the altar, but the meat is divided between the officiating priest and the owner, who are both commanded to eat their share. But here, the Hebrew word used for sacrifice is zevochim - a divided sacrifice (also called shlomim). So far it has only referred to olah - sacrifices that are burnt on the altar in their entirety. Moreover these sacrifices are unlike any that have been previously mentioned in the Torah. Why is he offering sacrifices to the God of Isaac? Why not simply to God, or at least to the God of his forefathers, since God is also known as the God of Abraham. Why is Jacob offering sacrifices to the God of Isaac? Why not simply to God? What is this bewildering switch of identities all about? Who is this man, Jacob or Israel? In this short passage Jacob is referred to by name no less than seven times - four times he is called Jacob, three times Israel. The sons of Israel transported Jacob their father. I shall descend with you to Egypt and I shall also bring you up." So Jacob arose from Beersheba. Have no fear of descending to Egypt, for I shall establish you as a great nation there. God spoke to Israel in night visions and He said, "Jacob, Jacob. So Israel set out with all that he had and he came to Beersheba where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.