Following the passing of Rachel Imeinu, Yaakov Avinu established his primary residence in the tent of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant. This disturbed Reuven. He felt that it was an affront to his mother, Leah Imeinu, that the maidservant of Rachel had now become his mother’s “rival.” As a gesture of defending his mother’s honor, Reuven moved his father’s bed to Leah’s tent. This is all that took place, no egregious sin, as the Torah implies. While Hashem judges the righteous by a deviation of a hairbreadth, thus transforming minor transgressions into sins of utmost gravity, Reuven’s sin is, at worst, an…
ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה
Rashi asks the well-known question: “It needs only to have written, ‘And Yaakov went to Charan.’ Why does the Torah mention his departure? Magid, it tells us, that the departure of a tzaddik, righteous person, from a place makes an impression. For when he is in a city, he is its magnificence, he is its splendor, he is its grandeur. Once he has departed, its magnificence has gone away, its splendor has gone away, its grandeur has gone away.” Horav Chaim Stein, zl, makes note of Chazal’s (quoted by Rashi) use of the word magid (she’yetzias tzaddik oseh roshem), “it…
ויאסף לבן את כל אנשי המקום ויעש משתה
This wedding reception of Yaakov Avinu and what should have been Rachel Imeinu included all the people in the city. Lavan spared no expense in marrying off his daughter. Little did Yaakov know that his future father-in-law, Lavan the swindler, had substituted Leah Imeinu for Rachel. Lavan knew the marriage was based upon a fraud; so did Rachel and Leah. Daas Zekeinim m’Baalei Tosfos (29:25) comment that, indeed, everyone in the community, all of the invited guests, was aware of the ruse. In fact, they did not conceal their knowledge of the deception. They sang all night, Ha Leah, “This…
לקח יעקב את כל אשר לאבינו ומאשר לאבינו עשה את כל הכבד הזה
Targum Onkelos translates kavod (usually translated as honor) as nichsaya, material possessions (u’midei l’avuna kana kol nichsaya ha’ilein). Why would Onkelos diverge from the usual translation? Horav Tzvi Elimelech Hertzberg, zl (Rav in Baltimore), explains that the word kavod is noticeably spelled missing the vav, which implies that the honor that they were addressing is (to us) not true honor; rather, it is kavod medumah, imaginary honor. What did Lavan’s sons value? Growing up in their father’s home, influenced by his love of money, his constant swindling, anything to make a buck. They were privy to a perverted sense of…
ויען יעקב ויאמר ללבן מה פשעי מה חטאתי כי דלקת אחרי
Enough! Yaakov had been quiet long enough. Yaakov realized that Lavan’s trumped up charges against him were nothing more than a pretense to allow him to search his possessions. Our Patriarch allowed his pent-up emotions to counter every one of Lavan’s accusations respectfully. In a powerful exposition, the Chasam Sofer (Teshuvos, Chelek 6, Likutim 59) writes that every tzaddik, righteous person, must contend with his personal Lavan, his nemesis who will do everything in his power to make his life miserable. To paraphrase the Chasam Sofer: “There is no Yaakov (metaphor for holy, righteous man) who does not have his…
ויען לבן ויאמר אל יעקב הבנות בנתי והבנים בני והצאן צאני וכל אשר אתה ראה לי הוא
Lavan came at Yaakov with a list of purported accusations, claiming that Yaakov had deceived him and was taking his daughters from him as if they were his captives. The man’s arrogance is staggering. He presented himself to Yaakov as if he were the injured party and Yaakov Avinu, the aggressor, an accusation which could not be further from the truth. When Yaakov replied, exposing Lavan’s untruths, Lavan attacked with his real feelings: everything belongs to me. So what? Does this mean he could violate Yaakov’s rights, mistreat, lie to and steal from him? How does Lavan’s response mitigate Yaakov’s…
ויעתר יצחק לד' לנכח אשתו... ויעתר לו ד'
The implication of the masculine singular form is that Hashem responded to Yitzchak’s prayer – rather than to Rivkah’s. Chazal (Yevamos 64a) teach that one cannot compare the prayer offered by a tzaddik ben tzaddik, righteous person, the son of a righteous person, (Yitzchak Avinu) to the prayer entreated by a tzaddik ben rasha (Rivkah Imeinu). Thus, Hashem listened to Yitzchak. This concept is most efficacious when each individual supplicant is praying for himself personally. Yitzchak and Rivkah were both praying for the same thing: offspring. Why would Yitzchak’s prayer find greater acceptance than Rivkah’s? Horav Meir Shapiro, zl, explains…
ויתרצצו הבנים בקרבה ותאמר אם כן למה זה אנכי
Chazal teach that vayisrotzetzu, “and they agitated,” is derived from rotz, to run. When Rivkah Imeinu passed the yeshivah of Shem and Ever, Yaakov struggled to leave; and when she passed a house of idol worship, Eisav wanted out. The Bais HaLevi asks the well-known question: We are taught that a Heavenly angel teaches the Torah to the growing fetus. If so, why would Yaakov want to escape to the yeshivah? He was learning Torah from an angel; can one ask for more? The Bais HaLevi explains that such learning is not worth it if it means being in the…
שני גוים בבטנך ושני לאמים ממעיך יפרדו... ורב יעבד צעיר
The story of Yaakov and Eisav involves complex dynamics between two brothers – two very different brothers who had totally incongruous ways of life, goals and objectives. This was basically the nevuah, prophesy, that Rivkah Imeinu received when she went to the yeshivah of Shem and Ever to seek an explanation for her difficult pregnancy. Much can be derived from the narrative which serves as a lesson concerning family relationships, personal choices and the consequences one must bear as a result of his decisions. Obviously, the entire scenario is cloaked in profound layers of esoteric nature, leaving little for us…
ויאהב יצחק את עשו... ורבקה אהבת את יעקב
One of the most perplexing aspects of the Yitzchak/Rivkah Yaakov/Eisav narrative is the love Yitzchak showed to Eisav. We have no doubt that Yitzchak was aware of his son’s errant behavior. Certainly, Eisav’s demeanor stood out in stark contrast to Yaakov’s behavior. The commentators grapple with this enigma, each expounding his individual interpretation of Yitzchak Avinu’s positive attitude towards Eisav. Horav Meir Rubman, zl, explains that we can apply two approaches to dealing with – and addressing – the issue of a recalcitrant son who has sadly gone off the derech, who has turned his back on religious observance. It…