Page 29 - DAAT-HAIM-2

Rabbi Chaim Walkin

Sefer Da’at Chaim

33rd ma’amar

then if so why was Rebbe Elazar not satisfied with the reason given by
the Torah for the name specifically given to Reuven, and he gave his
own reason for that name.

The Gra explains the reason for Rebbe Elazar’s statement. When the
Torah explained the reasons for the naming of all of the other tribes,
the text first stated the reason for the name and then the name itself
which evolved from that reason, as it is normal to first explain the
reason for a name before stating the outcome of the reason, the name
itself, as it says (Beresheet 29:33) “…because Hashem heard that I
was disliked and she named her son Shimon ( ‫שמעון‬- a play on the
word ‫)שמע‬. So too (in 29:34) “…with this third son my husband will
walk with me (because I was holding in my arms our first two sons,
and now my husband will have to carry our third son, walking together
accompanying me) and she named her third son Levi (‫ לוי‬- a play on
the word ‫ ללוות‬- to “accompany”), and so on all of the other sons. But
that was not so in the naming of Reuven, as the text first named the
boy’s name – Reuven- and only later gave the reason for choosing that
name “…and she named her son Reuven, saying – “…Hashem saw
my suffering (‫ ראובן‬- a play on the word ‫)ראה‬. And from this insight
into the wording of the Chumash we should take notice and learn that
there was another reason underlying Leah’s choice for naming her son
Reuven, in addition to the reason given in the Torah. Rebbe Elazar
came and explained to us what that underlying reason was.” The
words of the Gra are quoted up until this point.

Now, in the context of our subject we can explain this topic using the
approach of the Gra. If the reason why Eisav left and went to his land
was only because their livestock herds were so large, the text should
have first stated the reason - that because their herds were very large
– and only then state the outcome of that reason, that - Eisav left to
go to his land. However, the text is not stated in that order, rather the
text first states “…he went to his land,” and only after that the text
states the reason why he went – “…because of his brother Yaakov,
since their possessions were so extensive and there was not enough
room for pasturing both herds of livestock.” From this wording of
the Chumash we gain a new insight, that there was a hidden reason
underlying why Eisav left, apart from the reason stated in the text, and
in this regard the Midrash tells us that Eisav escaped away from his

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