"Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yehuda says that whenever the children of Yisrael are in exile, God brings them out of exile if they are found worthy, but even if they are not worthy He does not forget them. We learn why Jacob is mentioned first in the title verse.

Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Exile Holy Name Jacob Mercy Patriarchs Redemption and Salvation Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

183. We have learned that whenever Yisrael are in exile and are found worthy, the Holy One, blessed be He, hastens His mercy for them and draws them out from exile. If they are not found worthy, He keeps them in exile until the time He originally decreed. If that time arrives yet they are not worthy OF REDEMPTION, the Holy One, blessed be He, is mindful of the glory of His Name, and does not forget them in exile. This is the meaning of the verse, "Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob..." (Vayikra 26:42). For they are everyone's Patriarchs, REFERRING TO CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, the secret of the Holy Name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, AS HE IS MINDFUL OF THE GLORY OF HIS NAME.

183. תָּאנָא, בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, אִי אִינּוּן זַכָּאִין, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים לְרַחֲמָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וּלְאַפָּקָא לוֹן מִגָּלוּתָא. וְאִי אִינּוּן לָא זַכָּאִין, מְעַכֵּב לוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, עַד הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאִתְגְּזַר. וְכַד מָטָא זִמְנָא, וְאִינּוּן לָא אִתְחַזְיָין, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַשְׁגַּח לִיקָרָא דִּשְׁמָיָא, וְלָא אַנְשֵׁי לְהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, הה"ד וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקֺב וְגוֹ.' אִלֵּין אֲבָהָן דְּכֺלָּא, רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.

Abraham Beard Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Hebrew Letters Holy Name Isaac Jacob Mercy Tetragrammaton Thirteen Thirteen Attributes of Mercy Tree Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH) Zeir Anpin

184. Rabbi Chiya said: What is the reason that Jacob is MENTIONED first in the verse, AS IT READS, "THEN WILL I REMEMBER MY COVENANT WITH JACOB" AND LATER ISAAC AND LATER ABRAHAM? HE ANSWERS: Jacob, TIFERET, is the principal of the fathers, AS TIFERET ABSORBS WITHIN IT CHESED AND GVURAH, ALSO KNOWN AS ABRAHAM AND ISAAC. He is the holy tree, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN THAT INCLUDES ALL SIX ENDS. As such, the Vav of the Holy Name YUD HEI VAV HEI holds to him, so we pronounce Jacob with a Vav. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Vav FULLY SPELLED with all its letters HAS THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF THIRTEEN, NAMELY the thirteen attributes OF MERCY, AS JACOB, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, inherits the inheritance of the thirteen springs of the Holy sealed spring KNOWN AS ARICH ANPIN. FROM HIS BEARD ARE DRAWN THIRTEEN CORRECTIONS TO ZEIR ANPIN CALLED JACOB AND FOR THIS REASON, JACOB IS SPELLED WITH VAV.

184. רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, מַאי טַעֲמָא יַעֲקֺב קַדְמָאָה הָכָא. אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּיַעֲקֺב כְּלָלָא דַּאֲבָהָן, וְהוּא אִילָנָא קַדִּישָׁא. בְּג"כ, ו' דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בֵּיהּ אֲחִידָא, וְהָכִי קָרֵינָן יַעֲקוֹב בְּו.' ר' יִצְחָק, אָמַר וָא"ו בְּאַתְווֹי י"ג מְכִילָן, דְּיָרִית יְרוּתָא די"ג מַבּוּעִין דְּמַבּוּעָא סְתִימָא קַדִּישָׁא.