Whereas protection and the provision of needs are attributed to the Almighty's providence, Yaakov's return home is attributed to himself. Yaakov's ability to withstand spiritual challenges lay within himself, and hinged upon his own hard work and struggles.
The first section of Parashat Vayetze tells of Yaakov's departure from Canaan and his journey to Padan Aram. Upon awakening from his famous dream of the angels on the ladder, he declares a vow whereby he promises to donate one-tenth of his earnings if God protects him during his stay outside Canaan and returns him home safely (28:20-22).
Commenting on the words, "and [if] I return safely to my father's home" (28:21), Rashi writes that this refers not to Yaakov's physical return to Canaan, but rather to his spiritual well-being: "'Safely' – perfect, without sin, that I do not learn from Lavan's conduct." Yaakov conditions his vow not only on God's physical protection, but also on his spiritual survival in the corrupt environment of Lavan.
What might have compelled Rashi to advance this interpretation of the verse? Why did he prefer this seemingly homiletic reading over the straightforward meaning, whereby Yaakov refers simply to his safe return home?
The Maharshal, in his work on Rashi's commentary entitled Yeri'iot Shelomo, suggests a surprisingly simple answer. In formulating the terms of his vow, Yaakov mentions all the conditions in reference to God: "If God shall be with me and protect me…and give me bread to eat…" (28:20). When, however, he comes to the condition of his safe return home, he does not attribute this to God: "and I return safely to my father's home." Rather than saying, "and He returns me safely to my father's home," attributing his return to God, he speaks of returning himself, with his own efforts. Thus, whereas protection and the provision of needs are attributed to the Almighty's providence, his return home is attributed to himself.
This subtle but significant distinction, the Maharal claims, led Rashi to adopt the novel reading of the phrase, "and I return safely." Yaakov understood that spiritual success, his religious and moral survival in an environment of paganism, superstition and deceit, depended, first and foremost, on his own efforts. ("Ha-kol bi-dei Shamayim chutz mi-yir'at Shamayim.") His physical and material well-being can be attributed to God, but his ability to withstand spiritual challenges lay within himself, and hinged upon his own hard work and struggles. Therefore, when Yaakov speaks of God offering protection and providing him with food and clothing, but of himself "returning safely," he must refer to the kind of "safety" that depends mainly on his own efforts and initiative, namely, his success in withstanding the corrupt influences of his unscrupulous father-in-law.