Jacob Pays His Vow at Bethel and Buries the Foreign Gods

(Proverbs 20:25) "It is a snare for a man to devour what is holy, and after vows to make inquiry." A curse comes upon a man who eats sacred things into his gullet. Rabbi Chiya taught: a curse comes upon a man who derives benefit from what is consecrated, and there is no "holy" except Israel, as it is said, "Israel is holy to the LORD, the first of His harvest" (Jeremiah 2:3). (Proverbs, same) "And after vows to make inquiry" - a man delays his vow, and his ledger is examined. "And after vows to make inquiry" - he requires lashes, as you say, "there shall be an inquiry" (Leviticus 19:20). "And God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel" and so on. In a time of distress, a vow; in a time of relief, neglect. Wash your sieve - a hard stone, knock upon it. "Arise, go up to Bethel" - arise, go up to the House of God and make there an altar to the God who appeared to you when you fled from Esau your brother; just as Esau vows and does not fulfill, will you too vow and not fulfill? (Genesis 35:2) "And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the foreign gods," and so on. We are not as expert in the fine points of idolatry as Jacob our father, for we learned: one who finds vessels bearing the image of the sun or the image of a dragon should cast them into the Salt Sea. Rabbi Yochanan said: every garment is included in idolatry. (Genesis 35:4) "And they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods." Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yose went up to pray in Jerusalem. He passed by a certain palace, and a certain Samaritan saw him and said to him, where are you going? He said, to pray in Jerusalem. He said to him, would it not be better for you to pray on this blessed mountain rather than in that dunghill of a house? He said to him, I will tell you what you are like: like a dog greedy for carrion. Because you know that idolatry is buried beneath it, as it is said, "And Jacob hid them," you are greedy after it. They said, this man means to claim the place from us; he rose and fled by night. (Genesis 35:5-7) "For there God was revealed to him" (written at sign 16). "And they journeyed, and the terror of God was" - in three places the nations of the world gathered to make war against the sons of Jacob, and the Holy One, blessed be He, did not permit them. As it is said, "And they journeyed, and the terror of God was." A second time in the days of Jonathan, as it is said, "And the earth quaked, and it became a terror of God" (and the forest devoured many). A third time in the days of Joshua. Rabbi Elazar said: they sought to pursue, and the Holy One, blessed be He, did not permit them. And where did they gather? At Hazor. This is what is written, "all the cities that stood on their mounds," and so on. By tradition he burned it; the Holy One, blessed be He, said it to Moses, and Moses said it to Joshua. (Genesis 35:6) "And Jacob came to Luz" - why was it called Luz, and so on (above in the Pesikta). (Genesis 35:8-10) "And Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, died," and so on - "Allon" is a Greek word, meaning "another." While he was still observing the mourning for Deborah, the news of his mother came to him. This is what is written, "And God appeared to Jacob again and blessed him." With what blessing did He bless him? With the blessing of mourners. This is what is written, "May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered, and the sin of his mother not be blotted out" (Psalms 109:14). Were the fathers of Esau wicked? They were righteous - Isaac his father, Abraham his grandfather. Rather, this is the sin he caused his forebears: Abraham had five years cut from his life; Isaac's eyes grew dim; Rebecca died, and they carried out her bier at night. They said, who shall go before her? Isaac's eyes are dim; Jacob is in Laban's house; shall the wicked one go before her, so that people will say, cursed be the breasts that nursed this one? So they carried out her bier at night. Even Scripture did not publicize her death openly but only from the side, "and he called its name Allon Bachuth." While he was still observing her mourning, the news of his mother came to him. He left Aram Naharaim and came to Succoth; he spent eighteen months there, as it is said, "And Jacob journeyed" and so on (Genesis 33:17); and at Bethel he spent six months offering burnt offerings and sacrifices. He left there, Benjamin was born, and Rachel died on the way. In that same period Rebecca and Deborah died. Rachel was found to have died at thirty-six years of age, and Leah did not pass forty-four years; and Rachel and Leah were married at twenty-two years of age. He came to Isaac his father and served him twenty-two years. (Genesis 37:2) "These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph, being seventeen years old." In that period Rachel died. It is written (Psalms 86:17), "Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see and be ashamed, because You, O LORD, have helped me." "And they journeyed, and the terror of God was" - "and comforted me," with the blessing of mourners.