Vayetzei
Lavan
said, “It is not done in our place to give away the younger before the
firstborn.”
29:26
Why did Laban who adopted the
tactics that attack is the best defense here weakens his own case by saying
that “it must not be done so in our country?” Surely his argument would have been stronger
if he had simply said this thing is not done anywhere – not because this was
the local custom but because such a practice was reprehensible wherever it was
followed!...Because he meant, “It is true in your place perhaps such things are
done, that the younger is given precedence over the firstborn, and that his
portion is taken away and given to another, and the younger is given the name
of “firstborn.” But such things are not done “in our country.”
Eliezer Ashkenazi (16th
Century)
Whatever the truth of the matter,
the moral lesson remains clear – sin and deceit, however justified, bring in
their train ultimate punishment. Jacob
himself was the victim of deception, married two wives, though he loved only
one, the peace of his own family being thereby undermined, his children being
divided against each other, the rift between the children of Leah and Rachel
persisting for many long years.
Nechama Leibowitz
(20th Century)
A humiliating impotence is Jacob’s
sensation…He must work. Jacob is indeed,
the first worker in the torah…He works for Laban, he must submit to the power
of an employer who tires to prevent that “filling,’ that autonomy from ever
happening…(Over twenty years) Jacob expands his personal power, his control
over things and people who are in significant relation to him. But in doing this, he has incurred all the
dangers and jealousies attendant on success.
He is the first “self-made man” in the bible…
Aviva Zornberg
(Contemporary)
Laban is considered one of the
most treacherous figures in the torah; he is pictured as a sweet-talking rogue
who loses no opportunity to deceive his immigrant and naïve son-in-law –
cheating him out of his rightful bride and his rightful wages…Laban’s primary concern is the welfare of his immediate
family. To accomplish this he would stop
at nothing. Hence he has no problem in
substituting the weak-eyed Leah for the beautiful Rachel under the marriage
canopy, for no father would want to see his older daughter languish for lack of
a suitable husband. He changes Jacob’s
wages “ten times” because he must foster Jacob’s dependence on him if his
family is to remain with him and not leave
Shlomo Riskin (Contemporary)
When Rachel became aware of what
her father was doing, she realized that her sister was going to be publicly
shamed. She therefore decided to spare
Leah the embarrassment and told her the secret code (she and Jacob had)…as a
result all her sons were able to keep secrets…Benjamin, a son of Rachel, knew
that Joseph had been sold but he kept the secret…Another descendant of Rachel
who was distinguished by keeping silent at crucial times was Queen Esther who
obeyed Mordechai’s instructions not to reveal her
identity even when such a refusal resulted in the King threatening to depose
her.
Bachya Ben Asher (13th
Century)