Vayeitzei

The passuk states, “and he took from the stones of the place and he put them underneath his head and he slept in that place.” Rashi writes that Yaakov made the stones as a gutter around his head because he was afraid of wild animals. The Maharsha explains that Yaakov took one stone and put it under his head and around that stone he piled up more stones to have three walls of stone around his head as protection.

A bit later it states, “and he took the stone which he placed underneath his head and he placed it as a stand.” The Gemara wonders: first the passuk states “avnei, stones,” in plural, but then it switches to “ha’even, the stone,” in singular. Why the change? The Gemara writes this hints that all the stones gathered together in one place and each one said, “I want that Yaakov the tzaddik’s head should be on me!” The Maharsha explains, therefore, all the stones became one stone underneath Yaakov’s head.

This is bothersome, Yaakov put the stones around his head for protection. Now that those stones became one stone underneath his head; where is the shmirah that Yaakov needed?

I heard an answer based on the Mesilas Yesharim who writes that the world was created in order to serve mankind. If people are drawn after the world and become separated from Hashem, he ruins himself and the world with him.  However, if he rules over himself and attaches himself to Hashem, and uses the world only in order to serve Hashem, then he becomes elevated and he elevates the world with him! An example of this is with Yaakov. Yaakov prayed to Hashem for the bare minimum; “bread to eat and clothes to wear.” Yaakov used the world for what he needed and for the proper reasons which elevated the world and brought the world to serve him. If so, the stones which Yaakov placed for protection weren’t necessary and they all became one to serve him. He reached the level of the entire creation serving him and therefore he didn’t need the protection!

May we all be zoche to use this world properly and elevate ourselves and the world with us!