Greasy Stones

Unearthing the Mystical Significance of Oil in Parashas Vayetzei and Beyond

Parashas Vayatzei, along with much of Bereishis, recounts stories familiar to us since childhood. As adults, revisiting these Parshiyos offers a refreshing perspective, one that is both mature and expansive.

The Parashah begins with Yaacov on the run. He was ordered by his parents to leave, but he was also urgently driven to escape his vengeful, bloodthirsty brother, Esav.

Yaacov Avinu left Beer Sheva to seek smoother pastures in Charan where he would be safe from Esav. Charan was also a potentially dangerous territory. As much as he was fleeing for his life, Yaacov was also leaving Eretz Yisrael, the holy land, where the Shechina makes its home and blesses it in abundance.

Hashem orchestrated that Yaacov should rest one last time in the holy land. This gave the opportunity for Hashem to assure Yaacov that He will always be by his side, no matter where Yaacov may find himself.

Yaacov finds himself on what is, quite literally, the holiest hilltop in the holiest land. There, he arranges stones around him for protection against the elements, unaware of the profound significance of his location. This very spot is where Hashem began the creation of the world and where his father, Yitzchak, nearly experienced sacrifice during the Akeida. Remarkably, these stones were the same ones used to construct the Mizbeach of the Akeida.

This is also the place where man can align with God and would be the place where Am Yisrael would file by on the regalim. Am Yisrael would come there to see the Keruvim embrace, which is a symbol of Divine and human connection.

So here Yaacov fell asleep and had a dream. In his dream, he envisioned a ladder set in the ground, extending to the heavens, with angels ascending and descending, and Hashem above all. This vision conveyed a powerful message: there is a lot happening between heaven and earth, and Hashem is watching over it all. There aren’t any coincidences in the Divine operation. When man recognizes that all occurrences are divinely orchestrated, there emerges an alignment between him and his Creator.

It was within this vision that Hashem reassured Yaacov that, although he was leaving the land, the land is destined for him and his descendants. This was similarly told to his father, Yitzchak, and his grandfather, Avraham. Hashem specified to Yaacov that his descendants would be numerous as the dust of the earth and the entire world would be blessed through them. Furthermore, Hashem assured Yaacov of His unceasing guidance, protection, and the eventual return to this land.

Jolted awake from his dream, Yaacov grasped the extraordinary nature of his experience. His arrival at this spot was no less than miraculous, marked by an early sunset. Recognizing the dream as a prophetic vision, where Hashem spoke and offered reassurance, Yaacov was struck with awe. He exclaimed, 'This is a place of Godliness, and I was unaware. Had I known, I would not have slept in such a sacred space. Indeed, this place is wondrous, the very home of God, the gateway to the heavens.’ Here, Hashem, His Shechina, and Yisrael are in profound unity.

The Torah recounts how Yaacov, rising early, gathered the stone that had served as his pillow. Miraculously, the stones had fused into one, symbolizing the unity of Hashem.¹ He erected this stone as a monument, signaling to any passerby the need for reverence at this resting place of the Shechina. To consecrate it, Yaacov anointed the stone with oil. The Midrash² reveals that Yaacov, having been robbed by Eliphaz and left bereft of all his possessions, received a flask of oil from the heavens for this purpose³. Naming this significant location Beit El, 'the House of God', Yaacov linked the entrance to Heaven from his vision to the House of God he pledged to build as a gateway to Heaven.

This is an amazing story, a source of encouragement for Yaacov and all of his children throughout our Galus. It is a story of deep meaning and significance beyond my comprehension. It is a story I thought I knew since kindergarten. Yet, upon a closer look, certain details emerge that I had previously overlooked, and now brought me to look deeper.

Initially, Yaacov was at Har HaMoriah, but then he named the place Beit El, which is 22KM away from Har HaMoriah. Where exactly was Yaacov? Moreover, the Torah notes that Yaacov awoke, realizing the significance of his dream, and then it mentions that he arose early in the morning. Did he return to sleep in this holy place? Or did he rest elsewhere?

Rashi presents a fascinating depiction of the ladder, angled across the entire Land of Israel: its base in Be'er Sheva, its apex in Beit El, and its midpoint hovering over what would later be known as Jerusalem. He explains that Har HaMoriah itself miraculously relocated to Beit El where Yaacov was. Thus, the Beit El of Yaacov's time was not today's Beit El but Har HaMoriah, which temporarily shifted locations. However, the exact spot to which it moved remains ambiguous to me.

The Ramban notably disagrees with this, he says that Yaacov had spent the night in his hometown of Beer Sheva with the ladder rooted there and its upper end reaching a point opposite Har HaMoriah. The stone Yaacov set as a monument, according to Ramban, was not placed where he slept, since Beer Sheva is not Beit El; it was in Beit El that he erected it.

As noted earlier, upon awakening, Yaacov took the stone and set it as a monument, anointing it with oil. But what does this act of pouring oil signify? Many meforshim⁴ interpret this as a preparatory act for the korbanos that would later be offered at this site, akin to anointing a Mizbeach. On the other hand, Ibn Ezra and Saadia Gaon⁵ propose a different understanding. They suggest that the oil was applied to make the stone distinguishable, as one can easily discern an oiled stone from an unoiled one.

Later in Vayishlach, we find a parallel story, with the same stone. Hashem instructs Yaacov to return to Beit El to build a Mizbeach, the pesukim tell us that Yaacov , accompanied by his family, traveled to Luz, which is Beit El where he built a Mizbeach. Once again, he named the place Beit El. Following this, Hashem blesses Yaacov, who in response sets up another stone monument, signifying the fulfillment of his vow. This time, he anoints it with either water or wine before covering it in oil. The Ramban interprets Yaacov's repeated actions as a declaration of its true and rightful status as a House of God, a place where the Divine Presence is perpetually present.

This instance of anointing with oil by Yaacov may be one of the first in the Tanach, yet it certainly is not the last. Over time, this act has become a primary rite, not only in Judaic traditions but also in many world religions. Oil is used to anoint, consecrate and sanctify.

Why, then, does Yaacov erect a monument, anoint it with oil, and name this site Beit El? His actions mark a departure from the practices of his forefathers, Avraham and Yitzchak. After Hashem spoke to them, both responded by building a mizbeach⁶ — yet, notably, neither erected a monument.

The act of anointing with oil seems to carry the potential to bring bracha. By applying oil to the stone, Yaacov was declaring a place of bracha. This was a sentiment he reinforced repeatedly to emphasize its significance.⁷

But this raises a question: Why is oil specifically associated with bracha?

The Kedushas Levi explains: When the Torah says that Yaacov 'took from the stones of the place' (ויקח מאבני המקום), it signifies his deep empathy with God's pain and his desire to compensate God in some way (alluded to by the word ויפגע). The phrase 'from the stones of the place (hamakom) and he placed them under his head' (מאבני המקום וישם מראשותיו) suggests Yaacov's attempt to share in God’s 'pain' over the trials His people would endure in exile, constantly thinking about how to ensure their survival.

Upon waking, Yaacov transformed the 'stones' or 'stone' - the foundational stone of the Jewish people - from a potential tool into an actual one by consecrating it with oil. This act prefigures the spiritual elevation of oil, a concept later exemplified in the Chanukah miracle and the sanctification of the Holy Temple.

This is the first time in the Torah that “oil” is portrayed as ‎possessing spiritually elevating properties. Normally, we are ‎familiar with this only from when the Kohanim who were anointed ‎with oil, or when a King was consecrated with ‎it. Yaacov, recognizing the mystical qualities of this holy oil, employed it in a groundbreaking manner.

The Reshis Chochma elaborates⁸ that 'oil' (שמן), particularly the resin found in trees, symbolizes celestial wisdom. This divine wisdom, combined with sanctity, created the foundation stone of the Jewish people, predestined for a 'building' with many 'rooms', one reserved for God’s unique manifestation to His people - כנסת ישראל, 'the collective soul of the Jewish people.'

By mentioning this detail, the Torah conveys that even before Yaacov spent a night at this location, ‎all the basic ingredients for the site to be elevated to one of ‎sanctity had already existed as a potential. The concept of a Jewish nation was in God's mind before creation, encompassing not only the formation of this nation but also its history up to the redemption by the Messiah.

Yaacov's role was to transform this potential into a tangible Jewish nation.

May the heavenly oil of Yaacov Avinu lead to a revelation of the Ohr HaGanuz, helping us reach our full potential as a people and the coming of Mashiach.

1. Chullin 91b

2. Pirkei Rebbe Eliezer 35; Midrash Tehillim 91

3. Yalkut Shimoni 120

4. Rashbam, Chizkuni, and Seforno

5. As cited by Rabbeinu Bachya

6. See 12:7 & 26:24-25

7. Beer Mayim Chaim

8. Shaar Ahavah Section 5,39