The parsha relates that when Yaakov’s flocks increased dramatically in size because of all the spotted and speckled sheep being born, the children of Lavan began to complain that Yaakov’s riches were earned off Lavan’s back and Yaakov had taken his wealth from their father. No matter that Yaakov had separated off Lavan’s sheep to make sure there was no mixing between the flocks, they still grumbled.
The parsha then continues that Yaakov noticed that Lavan himself now looked askance at Yaakov (31:2). Yaakov then knew, and was told by Hashem, that it was time to leave.
What changed? Despite being tricked into marrying Leah, despite being forced to work for years to even earn the right to marry Rachel and Leah, despite being constantly cheated and having the terms of his employment constantly changed (31:41), for 20 years Yaakov tolerated it and did not just walk out the door. What now suddenly made things worse, made things unbearable?
An amazing Seforno: “Va’yar Yaakov es pnei Lavan – ra’ah she’kibel es ha’lashon ha’ra.”
A crook, a cheat, a ganav, someone who doesn’t play fair –- that Yaakov can live with. A ba’al lashon ha’ra -– now all bets are off. That’s too much.
You could turn this into a mussar vort on the chomer ha’issur of lashon ha’ra vs other issurim, but maybe the pshat is simpler than that. In business there is something called reputational risk. A potential loss of $ is bad, but even worse than that is a potential loss of trustworthiness or credibility. You can always make more $, but it’s not so easy to recover one’s good name once it is lost. Yaakov could tolerate to some degree losing money, wages, etc. However, once Lavan’s children began to attack his reputation, his trustworthiness, that he could not abide. “Titein emes l’Yaakov” -– to Yaakov, his credibility was the most precious commodity and one he refused to put it at risk.
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[[must be Keto-man figures he "can always make more $"]]
ReplyDelete"ha'lashon ha'ra"; "Titein emes l'Yaakov"
the two are not incompatible, to the extent that lashon ha'ra is true [the term 'motzei shem ra' is not used] ...Yaakov and Lavon disagree as to the severance payment for an eved Ivri. Yaakov claims, at 30:26*, that he worked seven years for his first wifee, seven years for the second, and the last six years for his children [3 consecutive terms]. Lavan says 'no, the women and the children are rightfully mine (31:43a; Shemos 21:3-4)**; name your parting wages from the flocks' (Devarim 15:14). once Yaakov acquires wealth from the flocks (30:43), Lavan, improperly aggrieved (Devarim 15:18), starts badmouthing Yaakov, telling the world that this his nephew not only swindled his brother Eisav out of an epic blessing, but that he must have acquired his recent wealth through underhanded means. Yaakov figures that although Levi, Yehudah, and his remaining sons shall in any event ultimately claim the crowns of the kehunah, of malchus and of Torah***, he himself cannot "now" [paragraph 3] suffer this unavuncular smirching of his hard-earned good name (Avos 4:17), and so departs* *...
*having spoken first of his send-off at 30:25, shalcheni (t'shalchenu, Devarim 15:12)
**after hearing this 'no', how could Yaakov justify slipping away from Padan Aram with women and children? he based his self-judgment on Avos 2:19, Rav Elazar: Hashem will pay you your wages (Leah, Rachel and the kids), (in the given case) for the mistreatment by Lavan [wages = compensation]
***Yaakov admits to himself that Lavan had a material stake in the birth and upbringing of his sons [and so a stake, tangentially, in these 3 crowns], and so the Torah says (at Devarim 26:5) that he Yaakov was once as an Aramean (ie. the Torah positively but indirectly acknowledges brother/master Lavan) {the reading of 26:5 that Lavan was out to destroy Yaakov, stresses the Aramean's lashon ha'ra, and his reluctance and resentment as to granting a substantial severance deduction derived from his flocks}
* *whenever Yaakov fully reflects the truth, his reputable name Yisra'el can precede him...
"wifee" represents not an attitude, but a typing error. ["wifees" are the very individuals Keto-man targets in his sales campaign...]
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