Parshas Vayishlach
Why Yaakov's name stays in use even after Hashem changed it to Yisrael, and what that reveals about weekday and Shabbos avodah.
Part of Bereishit
Avraham's earlier name, Avram, disappears entirely once Hashem changes it, yet Yaakov keeps being called Yaakov even after becoming Yisrael, because the Torah itself continues to use both. The two names track two levels of avodas Hashem: Yaakov, tied to eikev, the lowly heel, and to the effort of outsmarting the yetzer hara; and Yisrael, tied to rosh, the head, a Yid who has already risen above the struggle. That distinction plays out as eved versus ben, and as weekday versus Shabbos, the reason Motzei Shabbos carries the words al tira avdi Yaakov, reassuring a Yid returning to the working week.
Audio Transcript
A vort from the Rebbe on this week's parashah, Parashat Vayishlach. In Parashat Vayishlach we learn that Yaakov's name was changed to Yisrael. Gemara says that you're not allowed to call Avraham with the name Avram the way he was called before. He was also his name was Avram and it was changed to Avraham, and the Gemara says you're not allowed to call him Avram anymore. So the Gemara asks, how come by Yaakov it's not like that? Even though the Torah says, don't call him Yaakov, call him Yisrael, nevertheless we do call Yaakov Yaakov, and the Gemara answers because the Torah itself did that. The Torah itself, after the Torah changed, it says there Hashem changed his name to Yisrael, the Torah continues calling him Yaakov. That shows that you're allowed to. Mimela by Yaakov we have Yaakov and Yisrael, both are stay. The question is, why? Why should both names stay? If Hashem changed his name from Yaakov to Yisrael, it should be only Yisrael.
And the Rebbe explains that because Yaakov and Yisrael represent two types of yidden, two types of avodat Hashem that we have by yidden. While Avraham doesn't have anything to do with our avodah now, it was only something that Avraham had at his time when he was called Avram, therefore for us it's not noge'a, so we can't call him Avram, it's only Avraham. But Yaakov and Yisrael, these are two levels, two types of Yidden. Yaakov is from the word 注拽讘 which means the sole, which is the bottom. Yaakov comes from the word 注拽讘讛 which is cheating, which is a low 诪讚专讙讛. Yisrael, on the other hand, has the word 专讬砖 in it, 诇讬 专讗砖, the opposite of 注拽讘, which is a heel, and and and 专讬砖 is the head. Also he's called 讬砖专讗诇, 讻讬 砖专讬转 注诐 讗诇讜拽讬诐 讜注诐 you came over, he came over the challenges of 诪诇讗讻讬诐 and of people, which is Esav, etc., etc. That means he's on top. So Yaakov represents a low 诪讚专讙讛, a Yid who still has to fight with his 讬爪专 讛专注. While Yisrael represents a Yid who's on top, he already overcame everything and he's in a higher 诪讚专讙讛.
That's how we find that Yaakov is connected to the word 注讘讚, 注讘讚讬 讬注拽讘, 讬注拽讘 注讘讚讬, 注讘讚, and Yisrael is connected to 讘谉, to a son. 注讘讚 is a servant, a slave, and 讘谉 is a son. 讘谞讬 讘讻讜专讬 讬砖专讗诇, the Eibershter refers to Yidden with the name Yisrael and calls them My son. What's the difference between a son and a slave? A slave, as much as he listens to his master, really doesn't want to. He has to fight to do it, because otherwise he'll be punished, or whatever. That's the level of Yaakov, a Yid who does the right thing, but he has to overcome, it's a low 诪讚专讙讛, he has to overcome his challenges. Yisrael is 讘谉. What's a son? A son is somebody who would love to do what what his father wants him to do. He looks for what to do to give his father nachat, pleasure. So that is a level of Yisrael. And these are two levels. There are some Yidden that level, some Yidden this level.
Now generally speaking, that's the difference between a Yid during the week and a Yid on Shabbos. A Yid during the week is called 注讘讚, he's called Yaakov, because he's involved in all kinds of physical things and there are challenges that make it hard for him and he has to overcome it. Shabbos a Yid doesn't work, Shabbos is a holy day, you're involved in davening and learning and Seudat Shabbos, all kind 专讜讞谞讬讜转'讚讬拽注 things, and then the Yid is on a generally a level Yisrael. That's why Motzaei Shabbos many people have a minhag to say the the 讗诇 转讬专讗 注讘讚讬 讬注拽讘, which means don't be afraid my servant Yaakov. Because when Shabbos is over and you get back to the weekdays, a Yid could be afraid: Shabbos I was special and I had no problems, come to the weekdays, who knows if I'll overcome all these obstacles? So the Eibershter says, 讗诇 转讬专讗 注讘讚讬 讬注拽讘, we say that Motzaei Shabbos, don't be afraid my eved, Yaakov, even though now you're going to be eved and you're going to be Yaakov, don't be afraid, because Hashem gives us the koach and helps us to do the right thing and to not have any disturbances and be able to overcome the yetzer hara and do what the Eibershter wants.