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PARASHAT
HASHAVUA
PARASHAT
VAYETZE
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This shiur is dedicated
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Arami
Oved Avi
By Rav
Yair Kahn
1. Yaakov
and Lavan
In this
week’s parasha, Yaakov, the grandson of Avraham, travels to the house of
Lavan, the grandson of Nachor. Although Yaakov marries two of Lavan’s daughters
and father’s his grandchildren, the relationship between them is strained and
complex. Eventually, Yaakov runs away. After a short chase, Lavan catches up
with Yaakov. Following a sharp exchange of words and mutual accusations, Yaakov
and Lavan make a pact. Then they part ways.
On the one
hand, this story can be analyzed from a local perspective, rooted in the
specific personalities of those involved. Yaakov, who is quite naive, having
spent his developmental years sheltered in a tent, is sent abroad to the house
of his maternal uncle, Lavan, who is shrewd and deceitful. Although Yaakov’s
stay in Padan
On the other
hand, there may also be a broader perspective, which begins with the
relationship that existed between Avraham and Nachor and continues beyond Yaakov
and Lavan. For instance, the Targum Yerushalmi identified Lavan with
Bilaam (see Pseudo Yonatan, Bamidbar 22:5; also see Sanhedrin
105a, where Lavan is identified as Bila’am’s father). The basis for this
association is found in Scripture. For example, both live in Aram Naharayim (see
Bereishit 24:10, Devarim 23:5 and Bamidbar 23:7. In fact,
Kemuel the son of Nachor – who the midrash identifies with Lavan – is
given the title “father of
And Elokim
came to Lavan in a dream at night and said to him, “Be wary lest you speak with
Yaakov from good to bad.” (Bereishit 31:24).
And Elokim
came to Bila’am at night and said to him, If the people came to call for you
arise and go with them, but that which I tell you, you must do.” (Bamidbar
22:20).
Ibn Ezra
noted in his commentary that the personal identification should not be taken
literally (Bereishit 36:32). If so, what were Chazal trying to
suggest when they made this claim?
2. Avraham
and Nachor
The Torah
tells us very little regarding the relationship between Avraham and his brother
Nachor. We know that the brothers parted ways even before Avram embarked on his
journey to
And Terach
took Avram his son and Lot the son of Haran his grandson, and Sara his daughter
in-law, the wife of Avram his son, and they left with them from Ur Kasdim to go
the land of Canaan, and they came till Haran and settled there” (11:31).
(It was in
Moreover,
there is a very revealing section found at the end of Parashat Vayera:
And it was
following these events [the akeida] and it was told to Avraham saying,
“Behold, Milka also gave birth to children for Nachor your brother. To Utz, the
firstborn, and Buz his brother, and to Kemuel, the father of
The primary
purpose of these verses is to introduce Rivka in anticipation of Parashat
Chayei Sara. However, let us reflect for a moment on their significance
within the context of the relationship between Avraham and Nachor. A message
arrives to inform Avraham of the birth of Nachor’s children and grandchildren.
It appears that, despite their geographic proximity, there has been no or very
minimal communication between the two brothers for over half a century. The
Torah gives no explanation for the breakdown of communication and any suggestion
is no more than speculation. So for anyone willing to be indulgent, let us
begin.
Is it
unreasonable to assume that there was a rupture in the relationship between
Avraham and Nachor? Wouldn’t this explain why Nachor didn’t join the rest of the
family on the journey to
After
receiving a message from his brother after around fifty years, how did Avraham
react? In a previous shiur (Parashat Chayei Sara), we noted that
according to most commentators, Avraham sent his servant to Nachor’s family to
find a suitable bride for Yitzchak. The Akeidat Yitzchak, on the other
hand, maintained that Eliezer was sent to
In any event,
the two families certainly come closer through the marriage of Yitzchak and
Rivka. In fact, when Yaakov is sent in search of a bride, he is sent directly to
the household of Betuel to take a wife from among the daughters of Lavan. It is
noteworthy that at this point Lavan lives in
3.
Titein Chessed Le-Avraham
As mentioned
above, there is no explicit reference to the Avraham-Nachor rupture, so there is
also no clear-cut indication as to what may have generated it. The first
suggestion that comes to mind is that Nachor did not accept monotheism; he
rejected Avraham’s teachings and remained an idolater. One of the startling
things we notice regarding the household of Nachor, however, is that in sharp
contrast to other gentiles, they refer to Hashem by His holy name, the
Tetragrammaton (which we will denote as Hashem). Lavan tells Eliezer,
“Come in, who is blessed by Hashem” (24:31). “And Lavan and Betuel
responded and they said, ‘This is Hashem’s doing” (24:50). In our
parasha, Lavan tells Yaakov, “I have observed the signs and Hashem
blessed me for your sake” (30:27). When they make a pact, he says, "Hashem
observes me and you when we are hidden from each other" (31:49). As a rule, the
Torah does not quote non-Jews using the Tetragrammaton, with a notable exception
being Bila’am, whom, as we have seen, is associated with Lavan. This seems to
indicate that Nachor and his household adopted the message of monotheism
preached by Avraham.
Based on a
previous shiur (Parashat Lekh Lekha), we can suggest that although
Nachor accepted monotheism, he did not accept chessed as a basic
religious category. He believed in a God that created the world, not as an act
of divine chessed, but as an act of power. One can debate whether Lavan
believed in one God, but there is no room for argument regarding his ethical
sensitivities. He took advantage of his own nephew. He cheated and exploited
him. Similarly, Bila’am, who Chazal identified with Lavan, reached great
religious heights, but he had the moral sensitivity of a mercenary. He was
willing to cause the death and suffering to an innocent nation for fame and
fortune.
Let us
revisit the choice of Rivka as a bride for Yitzchak. Eliezer asked for a sign,
and the one he chose would indicate that the girl had the moral qualities
necessary. Her religious devotion was never questioned. Perhaps this was because
the household of Nachor was wanting in the area of ethics. Although relying on
omens is prohibited, according to many opinions this prohibition applies only
when the signs are arbitrary (“if my bread falls, I will not embark on a trip”).
However, if the sign is reasonable, it is permitted. In this way, many defend
Eliezer’s actions. On the other hand, both Lavan and Bila’am were known
soothsayers (Ibn Ezra claims that this common denominator led our Sages to
identify the two with one another). Presumably, they relied even on random
omens. Perhaps random signs reflect a belief in a deity who rules by power, who
governs based on sovereign will. Didn’t Lavan and Betuel state, “This is
Hashem’s doing; we cannot speak to you good or evil” (24:50)? Belief in a just
and righteous God, on the other hand, would only accept signs indicative of the
correct and moral choice.
4. And I
Will Make from You a Great Nation
There may be
an additional explanation for the estrangement between the house of Avraham and
the house of Nachor. After Lavan and Yaakov make a pact, Lavan says, “The God of
Avraham and the god of Nachor should judge between us, the god of their father”
(31:53). Yaakov responds by taking an oath “by the fear of his father Yitzchak.”
The contrast is sharp. Lavan combines Nachor together with Avraham. There is
suggestion of distinction. Yaakov, on the other hand, singles out Yitzchak.
Perhaps Nachor and his household did not accept the concept of a chosen nation.
Nachor refused to join Avraham when he took the first steps of his journey that
would ultimately lead him to
Similarly,
one of the major themes of the Bila’am episode revolves around
From Aram
Balak brings me, the king of
It is
noteworthy, that according to the Ramban (Devarim 18:9), the prohibition against
the use of omens applies only to the children of Israel, due their unique
relationship with Hashem. Gentiles, on the other hand, are allowed to make use
of omens.
5. Lavan
Attempted to Uproot Everything
On Passover
night we say:
Go forth and
learn what Lavan the Aramean wanted to do to our father Yaakov. Pharaoh had
issued a decree against male children only, but Lavan wanted to uproot everyone
– as it is said, “The Aramean wished to destroy my father.” (Passover Haggada)
It is not
clear when and how Lavan attempted to destroy us, and commentators have made
various suggestions. Many point to the chase in which Lavan catches up with
Yaakov. They note the verse, “I have the power to do you harm, but last night
the God of your father told me saying, ‘Take care from speaking to Yaakov from
good to bad’” (31:29). According to this interpretation, Lavan intended on
wiping out Yaakov and his entire family. The difficulty with this interpretation
is that Yaakov’s wives and children were Lavan’s daughters and grandchildren. In
addition, Lavan was upset because he felt cheated out of his flock. Wouldn’t it
have been sufficient to simply take back the flock?
I would like
to suggest that Lavan never planned on killing Yaakov and his family. Lavan
attempted to uproot everything by never allowing them to return to
Yaakov and
Lavan eventually make a treaty. Has there finally been reconciliation? Did Lavan
finally accept the concept of a chosen nation? There is no explicit answer to
these questions. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that from this point on, we find
no contact between the house of Nachor and the house of Avraham - at least not
until their paths once again cross, when Balak’s messengers travel to Aram to
invite Bila’am to curse the children of Avraham. |
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