Vayeitzay

The passuk says, “and he took from the stones of the place and he put them underneath his head…” Rashi explains that Yaakov made the stones as a marzev, 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.

The passuk says later “and he took the stone which he placed underneath his head…”  The Gemara asks: First the passuk says “avnei,” stones, and then it says “ha’even”- the stone, in singular.  Why the change?  The Gemara explains, Rabi Yitzchak says: This teaches us that all the stones gathered together to one place and each said, “I want that the tzaddik’s head should be on me!”  The breysa says all the stones became one stone!  The Maharsha explains they all became one stone under Yaakov’s head.

Arises the question: Yaakov put the stones around his head for protection.  Now those stones became one stone under his head; where is the shmira that Yaakov needed?

The Mesilas Yesharim says that the world was created in order to serve adam, people.  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 elevates the world with him!  The Mesilas Yesharim brings Yaakov as an example for this.  Yaakov was mispallel to Hashem for “bread to eat and clothes to wear”, the bare minimum.  Yaakov’s usage of the world for what he needed and for the proper reasons elevated the world and brought the world to serve him.  The stones which Yaakov placed for protection weren’t necessary and they all became one to serve him. He reached the level of everything 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!