וַיִּקְרָ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶל־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים
הִקָּבְצ֥וּ וְשִׁמְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְשִׁמְע֖וּ אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֲבִיכֶֽם
And Yaakov called to his sons and said: “Assemble yourselves and I will tell you what will befall you in the end of days. Gather yourselves and listen, sons of Yaakov, and listen to Yisroel your father.”
These are the words of Yaakov as he tells his children what will happen in the future, and blesses each of them. In the second passuk, we see the use of both of Yaakov’s names – Yaakov and Yisroel. ‘Yaakov’ represents ‘katnus,’ a state of spiritual smallness and disconnect, and ‘Yisroel’ represents ‘gadlus,’ a state of spiritual greatness and connection. What is the message for the future generation “the end of days,” in these words?
It’s also interesting to note the Torah’s choice of the word יקרא to say “what will happen to you.” A more precise word choice appears to have been יקרה. Yikra with an aleph really means “will call.” What is being hinted at through this particular word?
The Gemara discusses two ways of receiving ownership of an animal through an halachic form of acquisition called “meshicha.” In the first way, a person calls out to the animal and the animal responds by coming. The second way is that the person hits the animal, and it then comes to him.
Kabbalah teaches us that these two forms of acquiring allude to two forms of avodas Hashem. The first way is קורא לה והיא בא, call out and it comes, represents a son who serves his father out of love. The father, Hashem, calls out, and the son, the Jewish people, comes close. The second way represents a servant who serves his master out of fear of being hit. This is the Jew who serves Hashem out of fear of being punished and not out of pure love.
CALLOUT, not part of the article. Before Moshiach arrives, Hashem will call out the Jewish people with love, and they will return to Him with love.
Yaakov was seeing the future, and telling his children that in the End of Days, when Moshiach is almost here, Hashem will desire to acquire the Jewish people and He will call out to them with love, and they will return to Him out of love, and not out of the fear of being punished. This is why the passuk used this word יקרא specifically, as – based on the Kabbalistic interpretation of the Gemara – this word alludes to Hashem calling out with love.
Does this mean that Yaakov predicted that we, living in the last generation, always respond to Hashem’s call with love and connection? Sometimes we feel connected – Gadlus – but sometimes we feel disconnected – Katnus.
It is this point that Yaakov was addressing with his equal reference to both Yaakov (Katnus) and Yisroel (Gadlus). His message was that we can listen and respond, “שמעו” both when we feel inspired and even when we don’t.
Even in times of katnus we must remember that we are always intrinsically connected to Hashem. Even when we are overwhelmed, stressed, or feeling disconnected, Hashem is just as close to us as He is when we are inspired and feeling connected. We can attach ourselves to Him through Dveikus Etzem, which is our permanent, intrinsic connection to Hashem, which is not dependent on feelings or a sense of inspiration. Nobody and nothing can take this away from any Jew. Sometimes Hashem might even put us into that state of katnus for the purpose of inviting us to cling to him through Dveikus Etzem, which is a very high level of spirituality.
Take it To Go
Yaakov Avinu gave a message for us, in the era before the arrival of Moshiach. He taught us that even when faced with difficult spiritual challenges, we can muster the strength to respond to Hashem’s call, because even if we don’t feel it, we are already deeply connected to Him.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 19.