| In this week's Torah portion we find ourselves feeling | | | | Yaakov many years earlier, and in uncannily similar |
| really bad for one of the greatest heroes of Jewish | | | | fashion, had duped his own father. |
| history, Yaakov (Jacob). | | | | Which leads to the ultimate questions: Why do we feel |
| We feel bad because we all know the pain and | | | | bad for Yaakov when he gets tricked, but we don't |
| discomfort that accompanies someone taking | | | | feel similar emotions when Yitzchak is tricked? Why in |
| advantage of you. Yaakov fell in love with Rachel, and | | | | history does Yaakov get treated as a near flawless |
| Rachel's father, Lavan, used Yaakov's overwhelming | | | | hero, while Lavan is badmouthed as being an awful, |
| emotions to manipulate him to do whatever Lavan | | | | heartless villain? |
| demanded. The final results were a thankless fourteen | | | | The simple answers include motivation (a), historical |
| years of labor, and an additional unwanted wife. | | | | and textual vindication (b), and surrounding information |
| To accomplish his goals Lavan used the infamous wife | | | | (c).a) Yaakov and Rivka's motivations were clearly to |
| swap trick, sending Rachel's sister Leah to the | | | | serve the world in the best way possible. Lavan's |
| wedding, covered up so she could pretend she was | | | | motivations were deceptive and self-serving.b) The |
| Rachel. | | | | results of Yaakov's tricks were the "right person" being |
| And in the morning, imagine Yaakov's surprise! | | | | chosen for the job. Lavan simply hurt someone |
| As I was reading the parsha, feeling sympathy for | | | | unnecessarily.c) We have no indication here or |
| Yaakov, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the | | | | anywhere else that Yaakov has ever done anything |
| thought: | | | | to harm another. On the other hand, Lavan's story is |
| Hey wait a second! Isn't that exactly what Yaakov did | | | | filled with selfishness, greed, and aggression. |
| to his father, Yitzchak (Isaac), in the previous week's | | | | But then we need to wonder: |
| parsha!?!? | | | | If this is all true, then why did Yaakov suffer so much? |
| A refresher: | | | | I think the answer lies in everything we've said so far. |
| Yitzchak was dying. He was going to bless the son he | | | | It's true that Yaakov's actions were done with the |
| felt should carry on the family traditions. | | | | purest of motivations by an incredible individual, and the |
| Yitzchak chose Aisav (Esau). But Yitzchak's wife, | | | | results were exactly what the world needed... |
| Rivka (Rebecca), knew beyond the shadow of a | | | | But he tricked his father! |
| doubt that he was making the wrong decision, and | | | | Yaakov took advantage of the most important person |
| was willing to do whatever it took so her husband | | | | in his life, using his father's age and physical |
| would bless Yaakov instead. | | | | disadvantages to manipulate the situation. This cannot |
| When Yitzchak sent Aisav out to hunt him something | | | | be overlooked, and punishment was inevitable. |
| to eat, Rivka made a feast with some of their farm | | | | God's wrath happens to people in a manner which we |
| animals, and dressed up Yaakov to look and feel like | | | | call "mida keneged mida" (measure for measure). The |
| the rough and hairy Aisav. Did I mention that Yitzchak's | | | | punishment has a connection to the action which |
| eyes were starting to fail him? | | | | earned the punishment. Yaakov tricked his father using |
| The trick worked like a charm, with Yitzchak not | | | | a false identity, and later was punished through |
| discovering the mistake until Aisav returned expecting | | | | suffering at the hands of a ruse using a false identity. |
| his blessing. | | | | A trick for trick. |
| So, once again: Yaakov was deceived by Lavan. But | | | | |