Jewish tradition tells us that the descendants of Jacob experienced just that – divine protection in the face of overwhelming odds. to a passage from Bereshit Rabbah (81), a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. The verse we’re looking at is Genesis 35:5: "They traveled; the dread of God was upon the cities that were surrounding them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob."
What does this really mean?
Rabbi Shmuel offers a fascinating insight. He points out that this wasn't a one-time event. Three times, he says, idolaters gathered with the intent of attacking Jacob’s children – that is, the Israelites. And each time, HaShem, the Holy One blessed be He, intervened. He didn’t allow the attacks to happen. That "dread of God" mentioned in Genesis? It wasn't just a feeling; it was a palpable force, a divine deterrent.
The first instance, of course, is right there in Genesis 35:5, as the family is traveling.
But Rabbi Shmuel doesn't stop there. He finds echoes of this divine protection in later stories too. The second instance he finds in the days of Yehonatan, in I Samuel 14:15: "The very ground trembled, and there was a God-inspired terror." Can you imagine that? Not just fear, but a God-inspired terror? That's power.
And the third time? It was in the days of Joshua. The surrounding nations sought to pursue Joshua and the Israelites (as we see in Joshua 11:1-5), but again, the Holy One prevented them. Where did they gather? In Ḥatzor.
There's a curious detail here. Joshua 11:13 tells us: "But all the cities that stood intact, Israel did not burn them; Joshua burned only Ḥatzor alone." Why just Ḥatzor?
Rabbi Elazar offers an explanation: it was based on a tradition. A command, passed down from HaShem to Moses, and then from Moses to Joshua. According to Rabbi Elazar, the burning of Ḥatzor wasn't just a strategic military decision; it was an act of obedience to a divine decree. It wasn't simply because the nations gathered there to attack Israel, but because Joshua had been commanded to do so.
Now, let's shift our focus slightly. The next verse, Genesis 35:6, states: "Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, it is Beit El; he and all the people who were with him."
The text then comments on Jacob arriving at Luz. What’s so special about this place name, Luz?
The Rabbis play on the word, connecting it to the Hebrew word for almond. They say that anyone who enters Luz blossoms with mitzvot and good deeds, just like an almond tree. Mitzvot (מצוות) are commandments, or good deeds.
So, what are we left with? A powerful image of divine protection, shielding Jacob’s descendants not once, but three times. And a reminder that even a place name can hold a deeper meaning, a promise of growth and goodness.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Where in our own lives might we be experiencing that "dread of God" working on our behalf, even when we can't see it? Where might we find our own Luz, a place where we can blossom and grow?