Jacob’s life is a string of parallels and contradictions. He takes his brother’s birthright and steals his blessing, and with that inheritance he finds himself destitute, without shelter, and with a stone for a pillow: “Jacob then made a vow, saying, If God remains with me, if He protects me on this journey that I am making, and gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safe to my father's house — the Lord shall be my God.  And this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, shall be God's abode; and of all that You give me, I will set aside a tithe for You” (Genesis 28:20-22). When he will arrive at his destination, he will offer: “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel” (29:18), and thus he will mortgage his own future just as his brother sold him an inheritance for an immediate gratification. Then, Laban will exploit the darkness of night to replace his younger daughter with her older sister, just as Jacob exploited the darkness of his father’s blindness to put the younger brother before the older.

Many have considered the meaning of Jacob’s vow. Did he intend to strike a bargain with God? Was his faith conditional? The midrash presents a different factual and theological question in stating: “There were four who vowed. Two vowed and lost; two vowed and gained. Israel and Hannah gained. Jephtah vowed and lost. Jacob vowed and lost” (Genesis Rabba (Albeck) 70 s.v. “Jacob then made a vow”). Yalkut Shimoni (Judges 68) presents a factual expansion of this statement, which helps us fill in the blanks: “Jacob vowed and lost because his wife Rachel died. Jephtah vowed and lost his daughter. Israel vowed and gained, as it is written: “Then Israel made a vow” (Numbers 21:2). Hannah vowed and gained, as it is written: “And she made a vow and said” (I Samuel 1:11).”

Midrash Rabba adopts a different approach to filling in the blanks, interpreting each element in Jacob’s vow as relating to a different value:

R. Abahu said: “If God remains with me, if He protects me on this journey” refers to slander, as it is written “for they journey from evil to evil” (Jeremiah 9:2); “and gives me bread to eat” refers to adultery, as it is written “and he has withheld nothing from me” (Genesis 39:9) “except the bread that he eats” (Genesis 39:6); “and if I return safe to my father's house” refers to bloodshed; “the Lord shall be my God” refers to idolatry (Genesis Rabba (Albeck) 70).

The midrash appears to assume that we will make the appropriate inferences, and realize that none of Jacob’s conditions were met, but rather the opposite. The story of Joseph begins with slander: “And Joseph brought bad reports of them to their father” (Genesis 37:2), and regarding adultery we read: “Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine” (35:22), regarding bloodshed, we have the story of Dinah: “Simeon and Levi, two of Jacob's sons, brothers of Dinah, took each his sword, came upon the city unmolested, and slew all the males” (34:25), and regarding idolatry we read: “and Rachel stole her father's household idols” (31:19).

1. Couldn’t Jacob’s vow be differently understood? Is it possible to view its elements as prayers that were fulfilled? Were Jacob’s requests – in their plain meaning – not in fact granted?

2. Why do the midrashim wish to show that Jacob’s prayers went unanswered? Are the midrashim trying to teach us a lesson in regard to the principle of divine justice mida keneged mida – measure for measure?

3. Do the midrashim wish to use Jacob’s vow to teach us something about Jacob or something about God?

4. Do the midrashim wish to criticize Jacob or praise him? Did Jacob keep his side of the bargain?