Yaakov flees his home to escape the wrath of Esav. He heads toward Haran to begin a new stage in his life. Hashem appears to him in a dream and tells him:

בראשית כח

(טו) וְהִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י עִמָּ֗ךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּ֙יךָ֙ בְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וַהֲשִׁ֣בֹתִ֔יךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֚י לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱזׇבְךָ֔ עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־עָשִׂ֔יתִי אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי לָֽךְ׃

Beresheit 28

(15) And behold, I am with you, and I will guard you wherever you go, and I will restore you to this land, for I will not forsake you until I have done what I have spoken concerning you.”

One of Yaakov responses is to take a vow:

(כ) וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃ (כא) וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וְהָיָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה לִ֖י לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ (כב) וְהָאֶ֣בֶן הַזֹּ֗את אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֙מְתִּי֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה יִהְיֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י עַשֵּׂ֖ר אֲעַשְּׂרֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ׃

(20) And Jacob uttered a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and He will guard me on this way, upon which I am going, and He will give me bread to eat and a garment to wear; (21) And if I return in peace to my father's house, and the Lord will be my God; (22) Then this stone, which I have placed as a monument, shall be a house of God, and everything that You give me, I will surely tithe to You.

This appears at first to be a strange reaction. God committed to protecting Yaakov. But Yaakov responds with what sounds like an ultimatum, “If God will be with me…the Lord will be my God”. How do we understand Yaakov’s statement? Rashi and Ramban help elucidate Yaakov’s response.

רש"י בראשית כח:כא

בשלום – שלם מן החטא, שלא אלמד דרכי לבן.

Rashi Beresheit 28:21

In peace: Perfect from sin, that I will not learn from the ways of Laban.

רמב"ן בראשית כח:כ

וטעם התנאי שלא יגרום החטא. וכך אמרו בבראשית רבה (בראשית רבה ע"ו:ב'): רב הונא בשם ר' אחא, הנה אנכי עמך (בראשית כ"ח:ט"ו) – אם יהיה אלהים עמדי. אלא מכאן, שאין הבטחה לצדיקים בעולם הזה.

Ramban Beresheit 28:20

The reason for the condition is lest the sin cause the abrogation of the promises. And so the Rabbis said in Bereshith Rabbah, "Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Acha, 'And behold, I am with thee, and yet it is written, If G-d will be with me! However, from here you infer that there is no assurance to the righteous in this world.’”

Yaakov was not issuing an ultimatum to God, nor was he questioning whether God would keep his promise. Rather, Yaakov was concerned that he might make a significant error or misstep. He was concerned that a critical mistake might make him no longer worthy of God’s protection.

Nehama Leibowitz summarizes the Ramban and the elaboration of the Sages:

Nehama Leibowitz - New Studies in Bereishit

Ramban explains that the "reason for the condition, the “if qualification, was lest sin should intervene." Jacob then did not, God forbid, cast doubts on the Almighty's word, displayed no lack of faith but impugned his own ability to keep faith with Him. Perhaps, as a result of his long stay at Laban's in alien environment, he might succumb to heathen influences. He doubted his own ability to withstand temptation. He might not ultimately prove worthy of the kindnesses promised him by God. Perhaps sin would soil him. Jacob did not cast doubts on God or His credibility, but on himself and his capacity to withstand temptation (p.309).

Rav Hirsch elaborates on Yaakov’s specific concern. Indeed Yaakov was moving into a new environment. But he was also moving into an entirely new endeavor. His objective was to find a wife and build a household to pass on the teachings of Avraham and Yitzchak. He was entering a new situation and he was not entirely certain how he would respond. Rav Hirsch builds off of the content of Yaakov’s vow, “if God will be with me and guard me on this path that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear” (28:20).

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch - Commentary on Bereshis

This “guarding”, then, cannot refer to material possessions, which he did not yet possess, but, rather, refers to the spiritual and moral assets he bore in himself. Indeed, these assets were endangered "on this path" on which he was going, precisely because he was penniless and empty-handed. To explain:

Ever since the gates of Paradise were closed, the establishment of an independent household involves so many difficulties, hinges on circumstances and situations so complex, that a person needs special help from God so as not to forfeit the whole of his better self in gaining that piece of bread. Who can count the people who were morally pure before they set out on "the path to bread and clothing," but who subsequently, for the sake of making a living and attaining social status, denied God, spurned morality, were inconsiderate of their neighbor and of his human dignity, and so on. Not for naught do our Sages say that “this path" alludes to “idol worship, immorality, murder, and evil speech” (see Bereshis Rabbah 70:4).

Thus far, Ya'akov has been a “dweller in tents”, but now he is setting out to seek a wife and sustenance for his wife and children. The dangers involved seem to him so grave that first he prays for the preservation of his character, that he not forfeit his spiritual and moral integrity.

Yaakov’s attitude is remarkable. Despite being raised in the house of Yitzchak and Rivka, and spending years studying as a diligent student, he was deeply worried about being influenced by Lavan. Through this narrative we observe an aspect of the great personality of Yaakov our forefather. Despite his learning, he made no assumption about how that learning would transfer to his experiences in the outside world.

Yaakov possessed an authentic humility and personal skepticism. It is not that he lacked the confidence to operate or that he avoided lofty goals. But he did not assume he would be automatically successful. He remained on his guard, vigilant about his spiritual development. This sentiment is beautifully expressed by Hillel the Sage:

משנה אבות ב:ד – הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר…וְאַל תַּאֲמִין בְּעַצְמְךָ עַד יוֹם מוֹתְךָ

Avot 2:4 – Hillel says: Don’t believe in yourself until the day of your death

References

Hirsch, R. S. R. (2008). Hirsch Chumash: Sefer Bereshis. Jerusalem - New York: Feldheim Publishers.

Leibowitz, N. (1996). New Studies in Bereshit (Genesis). Brooklyn, NY: Lambda Publishers.

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

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