The Haftara of Parashat Va’yetze is from the Book of Hoshe’a, (even though there are various customs regarding this parasha’s Haftara.) In this shiur we will attempt to clarify why this Haftara was instituted for this parasha, and in so doing we will also analyze the parasha itself.

The Haftara opens with the verse:

“And Ya’akov fled to the land of Aram, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he herded sheep.”

(Hoshe’a 12:13)

In this verse we see the direct connection to our parasha, for “And Ya’akov fled” in the Haftara parallels “And Ya’akov exited” in the parasha. The verse in the Haftara continues “and Israel served for a wife…” describing the parasha’s account of the first seven years, and then the additional seven years, that Ya’akov labors for his wives Le’ah and Rachel.

But from this point onwards the Haftara seems to be entirely detached from the parasha – for the prophet Yo’el describes a number if issues that on the surface have no connection to the parasha. Yo’el rebukes Israel harshly:

“Ephraim has given bitter provocation. He will leave his bloodguilt upon him, and his God will return to him his reproach.” (Hoshe’a 12:15)

“Shomron will bear her guilt, for she rebelled against her God, they will fall by the sword, their infants will be shattered to pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open.” (Hoshe’a 14:1)

This is no doubt very severe admonition, and against the background of these harsh words the prophet implores:

“Return, Israel, to God your Lord, for you have stumbled because of your sins.”

(Hoshe’a 14:2)

Even the conclusion of the Haftara maintains this stern theme:

“For God’s ways are honest, and the righteous walk in them – but transgressors stumble in them.”

(Hoshe’a 14:10)

This, then, explains the custom to append a number of verses from the Book of Yo’el to the Haftara – the reason being simply to end on a positive note::

“And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and you will praise the name of Hashem your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you, and My people will never be ashamed. And you shall know that I am in the midst if Israel, and that I am Hashem your God, and there is none else, and my people will never be ashamed.”

(Yo’el 2:26,27)

Therefore the problem that the Haftara raises, a problem we would like to solve, is why specifically this Haftara was instituted for our parasha when all that seems to associate it with the parasha is the first verse. What intensifies the problem is that the first two verses of the Haftara seem to be of no more than secondary importance in their own context in Hoshe’a. The purpose being to illustrate how God bestowed good on Israel – guarding their father Ya’akov, and then sending them Moshe His prophet, (As the verse states: “By a prophet He brought Israel out of Egypt.” Hoshe’a 12:14), yet despite all this the nation turns away from God and sins.

This is exactly how the Redak explains the association of these opening two verses to the chapter in its entirety:

“And they do not recall the good that I did with their father when he was fleeing from his brother, Esav…And even while there he was required to serve Lavan for his daughter whom he would give him as a wife, and this service was to herd his sheep, and so too for his other daughter he herded his sheep. And I Who was with him, and I blessed him – he returned from Lavan with great wealth and many possessions… And also I performed great chesed (kindness) to his children who went down to Egypt, and were enslaved there; I sent them a prophet – Moshe – to take them out of Egypt with many possessions. “And by a prophet he was preserved” – ‘the forty years they were in the desert they were cared for by the prophet I gave them, and they lacked nothing. But all this good they do not remember and anger Me with abominations and that which is not God…”

From the Redak’s explanation we understand that the verse that begins the Haftara, “And Ya’akov fled to the land of Aram,” is a verse of incidental importance. Therefore we must clarify whether it is solely owing to this verse that this Haftara was instituted for our parasha. This would be highly unlikely, and we must thus clarify the exact correlation between the parasha and Haftara. To the contrary – possibly the opening verse can cause us to err into thinking that in it lies the link to our parasha, when in fact the link may lie in the general theme of the entire Haftara.

Before we solve this issue, we will first clarify a number of other matters. First, we must recall the context of the parasha. In this parasha Ya’akov leave Be’er Sheva in order to travel to Charan. Paying attention to Yitzchak’s blessing to Ya’akov at the closing of the previous parasha (28:1-4) reveals the content of all of parashat Va’yetze.

Yitzchak orders Ya’akov:

“Get up, do to Padan Aram… and take from there a wife from the daughters of Lavan, your mother’s brother. And El Shaddai (God) will bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, and you will become an assembly of nations.”

This blessing has one theme and one topic; then Yitzchak adds:

“And He will give you the blessing of Avraham, for you and your seed with you, to inherit the land where you dwelled, that G-d gave Avraham.”

Ya’akov arrives in Padan Aram, marries wives, establishes a family, and heads a “Holy Congregation” of people. There, in the Diaspora, he has a dream that serves as a reminder that the time has come to return to the Land of Israel. The time had come to received Avraham’s blessing: “to inherit the land where you dwelled.”

Ya’akov already hears the words of Lavan’s children: “Ya’akov has taken that which is our father’s, and from our father’s possessions he has made all this wealth.” (Bereshit 31:1) He sees how Lavan’s face (attitude) is not as it previously was (31:5), and he departs on his journey for the Land of Israel. However the Diaspora still clings to him, Lavan chases after him for one more ‘Diaspora embrace,’ yet Ya’akov manages to break free, and he returns to the Land of Israel. This is the basic outline of the parasha, while contained therein are many details of self-definition and growth that the nation in its formative stages undergoes.

And interesting point that I would like to discuss at length is the fact that our parasha contains the most detailed account of marriages and all that concerns them. Ya’akov serves Lavan in order to merit Rachel’s hand in marriage, instead he marries Leah, then having to work another period of time for Rachel. Then he also must marry the maid-servants Bil’ha and Zilpa – for they too are required to build the nation and cultivate its strengths. Then we have the story of the mandrakes, followed by the birth of the tribes – who are the offspring and result of Ya’akov’s marriages. All these indicate that a prominent motif of the parasha is the topic of marriage.

Therefore, we will depart for a moment from the parasha itself, in order to understand the topic of marriage – which we will clarify through the Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings recited over wine) that are made during the marriage ceremony. With this understanding we will then return to our parasha and the Haftara that we opened with, and we will see that the opening verse: “And Ya’akov fled to the land of Aram, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he herded sheep,” is not merely of descriptive worth, but is rather fundamental – describing our relationship with God.

The Sheva Brachot are as follows:

“Blessed are You Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.”

“Blessed are You Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who created everything for His glory.”

“Blessed are You Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who creates man.”

“Blessed are You Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who created man in His image, in the image of his likeness; and prepared for him an eternal building from himself. Blessed are You Hashem, Who created man.”

“Bring intense joy and exultation to the barren one through the ingathering of her children amidst her in happiness. Blessed are You Hashem, Who gladdens Zion through her children.”

“Gladden the beloved companions as You gladdened your creature in the Garden of Eden in the past. Blessed are You Hashem, Who gladdens groom and bride.”

“Blessed are You Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who created joy and gladness, groom and bride, mirth, glad song, pleasure, delight, love, brotherhood, peace and companionship. Hashem, our God, let there soon be heard in the cities of Yehuda and the streets of Yerushalayim the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the sound of grooms’ jubilance from their Chupot (Wedding canopies) and of youths from the song-filled feasts. Blessed are You Hashem, Who gladdens the groom with the bride.”

Let us examine the content of these b’rachot (blessings) and their connection to marriage.

Regarding the b’racha of “Who created everything for His glory,” Rashi in Masechet K’tubot writes that this b’racha does not relate to the bride and groom, but rather to God’s glory – for this large gathering has come together in God’s honor.

The b’racha of “Who creates man,” (which is the third b’racha for the first b’racha is that recited over the wine), also seems to have little connection to the marriage ceremony, for it discusses the creation of man.

The fourth b’racha – “Who created man in His image… Blessed are You Hashem, Who created man” – poses two difficulties. Firstly it seems to simply repeat the previous b’racha, and secondly it also has no apparent association with the marriage ceremony being performed.

We must note that there are those who explained the repetition inherent in these two b’rachot as paralleling the first two chapters of Bereshit. The b’racha “Who creates man,” speaks of the creation of man as described in the first chapter of creation:

“And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Bereshit 1:27)

Whereas the following b’racha – “Who created man in His image, in the image of his likeness; and prepared for him an eternal building from Himself…” - deals with the description of Creation as per the second chapter of Bereshit, (2:21-23). There we are told of woman’s creation from man’s rib – or the separation of man and woman from the male-female ‘Man’ (as we will discuss later.) In any event this solution remains difficult for it still does not answer why two b’rachot are necessary, when one would have been sufficient.

Moving on to the next b’racha: “Bring intense joy and exultation to the barren one.” This relates to Yerushalayim which is “the barren one” in whom her children gather. Once again, how is this associated with the wedding ceremony?

And now to the sixth b’racha – “Gladden the beloved companions.” Now we deal with our bride and groom, and therefore there is no difficulty regarding this b’racha.

Before moving on to the final b’racha, let us summarize the topics that have been dealt with in the preceding b’rachot. We have mentioned the Garden of Eden, (“as You gladdened your creature in the Garden of Eden in the past,”) the future redemption, (“Bring intense joy and exultation to the barren one,”) and we have also mentioned our bride and groom.

Now the seventh b’racha which combines all of these topics:

“Who created joy and gladness, groom and bride… Hashem, our God, let there soon be heard in the cities of Yehuda and the streets of Yerushalayim the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride… Blessed are You Hashem, Who gladdens the groom with the bride.”

This b’racha incorporates the Creation, the bride and groom, and all the various forms of happiness that are interwoven until “let there soon be heard in the cities of Yehuda and the streets of Yerushalayim the sound of joy and the sound of gladness;” when the great wedding between God and the nation of Israel will take place – the unification of the bride and the groom.

There is a beautiful custom practiced in some of the Sephardic communities to read an additional portion from the Torah on the Shabbat Chatan, (“The groom’s Shabbat” – the Shabbat preceding or following the wedding depending on the custom.) The portion that is read is:

“And Avraham was old, well advanced in years, and God had blessed Avraham with everything,”

(Bereshit 24:1.)

Some also add a special Haftara:

“I will greatly rejoice in God, my soul shall be joyful in my God… as a groom dressed in splendor and as a bride adorned in jewelry.”

(Yeshayahu 61:10)

In this Haftara the prophet states:

“For as a young man takes a virgin, so will your sons take you; and as the groom rejoices over the bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”

(Yeshayahu 62:5)

From this Haftara it is plain to see who the real bride and groom are – God and Israel.

What a beautiful custom it is to read the Torah portion of “And Avraham was old, well advanced in years” – which deals with the bond between Avraham and Sara through which they were blessed in everything. And then in the Haftara to read of the elevated cosmic bond between God and the People of Israel – which is the true bond that implicitly underlies the individual covenant of marriage of each couple.

With this understanding we can now return to our analysis of the Sheva B’rachot.

Firstly, even though there are in truth only six b’rachot to which the b’racha over wine is added, they are still customarily deemed the “Sheva B’rachot” (“Seven Blessings.”) This is not a mere turn of language, but rather the b’racha over the wine is an integral part of the Sheva B’rachot. (In fact, according to the majority of Halachik Decisors this B’racha is essential to the marriage ceremony, and without this b’racha on the wine – the entire ceremony cannot be performed!)

This is very interesting – for by way of example, there are many other mitzvot (aside from Kiddush) that are performed in conjunction with the b’racha over wine – but in each case, the wine, or absence thereof, does not have the power to undermine the validity of the mitzva. For example, at the circumcision ceremony the b’racha over the wine is also recited, yet if there was no wine, the circumcision is performed nonetheless. This is also the case with the b’racha of E’rusin (Betrothal) performed prior to the Nisu’in (Wedding) ceremony.

Why, then, are the wine and its b’racha such a vital component of the Nisu’in service – as opposed to the minor part they play with regard to other mitzvot?

The Kol Bo reasons:

“The wine that Adam drank at his wedding ceremony brought to his intoxication. He then transgressed God’s command, and finally was cursed through snake’s bite.”

According to some opinions, the “Tree of Knowledge” was a grapevine. The b’racha and drinking of the wine is thus the rectification of the distancing between Man and God caused by the sin of eating from the “Tree of Knowledge.” Thus the b’racha on the wine already teaches us that the Sheva B’rachot describe a lofty, heavenly framework of marriage, that the bride and groom epitomize in their individual spheres. Let us consider the remainder of the b’rachot from this perspective, (with some minor omissions in order to gain the complete impression.)

We asked why two b’rachot that describe man’s creation are necessary. We answered that the blessing of “Who creates man” deals with the first creation of man, where man was created as male and female in one; whereas the second b’racha deals with man once he was separate into male and female. What then is the process that leads from the state of the first b’racha to that of the second?

Our sages termed this process “N’sira” – “sawing.”

As Rashi comments on the Gemara:

“God created him (Adam) with two faces, one to the front and one to the back, and then he sawed him into two, making the one into Eve.”

(B’rachot 61a)

Thus man was created both male and female, as the verse states:

“And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

(Bereshit 1:27)

Then, (as described in Bereshit chapter 2), God separates (‘saws’) the male from the female, as the verse states:

“…He took one of his ribs, and closed the flesh in its place. And God built the rib that he took from the man into a woman, and He brought he to the man.”

(Bereshit 2:21,22)

Here we must emphasize that the word understood as “rib” (“tze’la”) in reality means “side” – as we find with the Tabernacle “to the east side (tze’la) of the Tabernacle” (Shemot 26:35). In other words God amputates one side of man from the rest of the body, and makes this “side” into a woman. In this manner man who was created with two faces becomes two separate individuals - male, and female. It is at this point that the mutual process of searching and yearning for each other begins.

The b’racha of “Who creates man” (the third b’racha) describes then, this two-faced man, whereas the b’racha “Who created man” (the fourth b’racha) describes the operation whereby God creates “an eternal building” for man, “from himself” – from man himself. This is the man after having been “sawed” in two, man who is no longer a single two-faced unit, but rather man who becomes two individual people – male and female.

As we will soon see, these b’rachot do not deal with man and his partner, but rather with the relationship between God and the nation of Israel.

In any event, at the foundation of the concept of “sawing” lies a very important idea, as explained by the Zohar:

“But since man did not have to endeavor for his partner, and she was not a helpmate for him – since she was at his side and they were connected at their backs – therefore man was alone.”

The basis therefore for God’s separating man from woman is in order that he should “have to endeavor for his partner” – that man should have to woo the woman to become his partner. So, even though the bond is stable and permanent when man and woman are joined at their backs, this situation lacks the efforts that each must make to merit their partners. And this is not “good,” for the divine decree is that man be required to endeavor in order to achieve, and that he not be granted anything purely out of divine grace. Therefore they must be separated, and man must be sawed. This can only happen while man is unconscious (“Then God made the man fall into a deep state of unconsciousness,” (2:21)) since in his present state he lacks nothing. Why then would he allow such a procedure to take place? But in truth, man lacks everything, for in this state prior to the ‘sawing’ he has achieved nothing as a result of his own efforts, but rather is in a primal ‘creation’ state.

The separation process is perfect, “and He closed the flesh in its place,” man wakes up unscarred, without feeling any deficiency. All this is in order to bring him to the state where he will acquire the renewed bond with his wife through the one-hundred percent effort he will invest in the task. The dangers that the ‘sawing’ entails are tremendous, for there is the risk that man will feel that he is content as he is, without reconnecting to his partner. But as great is the risk – so is the potential. The new connection which can only occur due to the separation will far surpass the natural connection of the creation.

Rav Kook shows how this concept of n’sira is a cosmic notion illustrating the bond that existed between God and the nation of Israel, the unconsciousness that brings about complications, up to the renewed fusion of the beloved one and his beloved, of the groom with his bride.

What follows is the full text of Rav Kook. First we will quote it, and then we will analyze it.

“It is impossible for man to separate himself from the Divine bond, and it is impossible for the nation of Israel to be separated from the Rock of its salvation, the light of Hashem the God of Israel. But this impossibility, that progressively appears throughout the generations, has in it a natural necessity, that leaves no place for intellectual clarity to reveal its functioning. Therefore days occur when unconsciousness overtakes the man, and the faces are sawn apart, until the absolute separation is made possible. And during this unconsciousness, in place of the joined tze’la (side), joined naturally, back to back, stands the glory of man in all its splendor – that the intellectual choice acknowledges: ‘Now this is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh;’ and the world prepares itself for the appearance of life and eternal descendants that will exist eternally. The possibility of speaking “on high,” about matters of sacrilege and heresy, about complete separation, is the result of the n’sira that leads to absolute union, to the free form, “as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, will your God rejoice over you.” This spectacle is revealed through the relationship of the Torah to the nation, as the natural connection splits by the unconscious n’sira. And the conclusion of the n’sira is the creation of the building, that brings to the advanced union, and the Torah returns to those her learn it, and all your children will be students of God and your children will have abundant peace.”

Rav Kook says, “it is impossible for man to separate himself from the Divine bond.” Man thinks that he is able to separate himself from Godliness, but such a rift in not natural, nor is it real. But God allows us to think that it is real, in order to grant us free will.

Just as this is true in the personal plane, so too this is true in the national plane.

“It is impossible for man to separate himself from the Divine bond, and it is impossible for the nation of Israel to be separated from the Rock of its salvation, the light of Hashem the God of Israel. But this impossibility, that progressively appears throughout the generations, has in it a natural necessity, that leaves no place for intellectual clarity to reveal its functioning.”

Throughout the generations there is a natural necessity, a back-to-back connection that naturally bonds the nation of Israel with its God. However, whenever there is such a bond it lacks “intellectual clarity” – that is to say that issues will not stem from free choice, but rather from natural necessity.

Therefore there must be the process of n’sira.

“Therefore days occur when unconsciousness overtakes the man, and the faces are sawn apart, until the absolute separation is made possible. And during this unconsciousness, in place of the joined tze’la (side), joined naturally, back to back, stands the glory of man in all its splendor – that the intellectual choice acknowledges: ‘Now this is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh.’”

In other words the aim and purpose of the n’sira is to cause man to realize, out of pure intellectual clarity, that “Now this is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh.” And then quite naturally with such a fusion there will also be fertility, in the words of Rav Kook:

“And the world prepares itself for the appearance of life and eternal descendants that will exist eternally.”

At this point Rav Kook discusses the events of his day, when at the beginning of the twentieth century communism and atheism were flourishing. He writes:

“The possibility of speaking ‘on high,’ about matters of sacrilege and heresy, about complete separation, is the result of the n’sira.”

That is to say that this entire possibility that appeared in reality in such a severe manner, that existence is possible God forbid, without God, is the result of the unconsciousness and the n’sira. Yet the purpose of all this is to form a renewed union, a union that is superior and more enduring. In the words of Rav Kook, it is the purpose of this n’sira “that leads to absolute union, to the free form, ‘as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, will your God rejoice over you.’”

And this is the essence of Hoshe’a! The Book of Hoshe’a opens with the command of God to Hoshe’a to take a whore as a wife to bear him children, and then to divorce her. Hoshe’a tells G-d that this is too difficult – for any children they have are his children too. God responds that while it is difficult to reject these children, who are ‘only’ part Hoshe’a’s children, “My children, the children of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov” – how can I reject them?

According to our sages the background of this strange command to Hoshe’a are the words of Hoshe’a himself to God, that since His children have sinned, God should replace them with another nation. Here we have another expression of the power of n’sira, the power of the divide that Israel have wrought between themselves and their Father in Heaven, that Hoshe’a tells G-d to simply replace them with another nation. The n’sira even perplexed Hoshe’a, leading him to believe that it may be possible to void this bond between God and the nation of Israel.

However the objective of n’sira if the exact opposite, its aim being to bring to a renewed, reinforced bond between God and the nation of Israel. As Rav Kook writes:

“This spectacle is revealed through the relationship of the Torah to the nation, as the natural connection splits by the unconscious n’sira. And the conclusion of the n’sira is the creation of the building, that brings to the advanced union, and the Torah returns to those her learn it, and all your children will be students of God and your children will have abundant peace.”

Let us return to the Sheva Brachot. The Kol Bo explains the reason for their institution as follows:

“And these seven b’rachot correspond to the seven chuppot (wedding canopies) that God made for Adam in the Garden of Eden; and the bride and groom are brought (to the chuppa) accompanied by hi’lu’lim (songs of praise), and therefore it is called ‘hi’lu’la.’”

(Laws of Marriage, 75)

Thus the bide and groom reveal the age-old, original bond between Adam and God – and from here onwards all the b’rachot illustrate that heavenly, cosmic bond of the beloved one with his love.

We make the b’racha over the wine commemorating the wine that Adam drank (as the Kol Bo explained.) Then we make the b’racha of “Who created everything for His glory,” which as we explained is the b’racha made for the fact that the entire gathering is to glorify God. Why should we bless God regarding this at this point of the ceremony? The Avudraham explains that we bless God that “everything” – including bad – was created for His glory. Even the seemingly negative n’sira – the separation, that leads us to believe that there is a possibility of separation between the beloved and his loved one, between the individual bride and groom – even this is “for His glory,” this too is good and a blessing.

From this point we move on to the two b’rachot (that we dealt with above) – the third and fourth b’rachot – that deal with the process of the creation of man. From there we move on to the renewed connection between God and His people “through the ingathering of her children amidst her in happiness.”

We then deal with the couple that stands before us, who are beloved companions of God, whom God will gladden “as You gladdened your creature in the Garden of Eden in the past. That was when man realized: “Now this is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh.” Here too, we pray that the couple will feel this towards each other.

The Sheva B’rachot then conclude with the seventh and final b’racha which is the climax of the future wedding and union of God and His nation.

Now we can return to our original question as to the connection between our parasha to its Haftara.

Ya’akov arrives in Padan Aram, and everything seems so clear-cut. But then the complications begin. He learns that one spouse will not suffice, he must found the nation of Israel with a number of wives. There are also the obstacles of the Diaspora and his wife’s infertility – but all these serve to create the supreme reality of true good.

And thus is the content of the prophecy, “And Israel served for a wife.” We must pay attention to the terminology, “Israel,” despite the fact that Ya’akov has yet to receive this name. But the prophecy lends the name “Israel” that appears here its relevance – for it applies to each and every one of us. From there onwards the difficulties and tribulations of Ephra’im and the degeneration occur, leading to the exhortation:

“Return, Israel, to God your Lord.”

And possibly this is the subject matter of parashat Va’yetze. In its opening it shows that it may be possible to part with one’s father’s home and build a thriving community in the Diaspora – but the conclusion will be Ya’akov’s renewed return to the Land of Israel and to his father’s home. Indeed, Lavan attempts to impede his return, seeking to cause a rift between Israel and his land – but he does not succeed.

And He who gladdens the individual bride and groom, is He who gladdens the collective bride and groom.