D’var Torah
Parashat Vayetzai –
Jacob’s Journey – Calling it as I see it
Special to the
Washington Jewish Week
By Steve Kerbel
Of our patriarchs, Jacob is the most well-developed, from a
literary point of view. We know more
about his youth, his parents, his marriages and relationships, his parenting
skills than we do about those elements of his father’s or grandfather’s
lives. Unfortunately for Jacob, I don’t
know that this increased knowledge inures to his benefit as a leader or role
model.
As our story opens this week (B’reisheet (Genesis)
28:10) Jacob is in flight, at his mother’s urging, fleeing his twin Esau (a
known adversary) and heading toward his maternal uncle, Lavan (who the reader
knows as an unknown adversary). Much has
been written about Jacob’s vision at Beit El, of the ladder reaching the
heavens, and I don’t know that I have anything to add to that treasure trove of
biblical imagery. I would encourage you
to look at the conditional nature of Jacob’s oath when he awakens that morning
(v. 20-22). I’m not so certain it’s such
a virtuous oath – to me it sounds a lot like “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch
yours” not exactly an altruistic expression of faith and loyalty.
I’ll be up front about this – I’m not a raving Jacob
fan. I’m sympathetic, I’m not saying he
had an easy life but there are a lot of textual hints about Jacob’s cleverness
(not always a virtue) and his personal and economic behaviors, his marital and
parental behaviors that seem to indicate that he’s not the greatest guy or role
model.
Getting past the whole selling of the birthright and
deception over the paternal blessing from last week’s portion (I think its clear
both parents contributed to those unseemly episodes), upon Jacob’s arrival he
tells Lavan about the reasons for his arrival in Haran:
On
hearing the news of his sister’s son Jacob, Laban ran to greet him; he embraced
him and kissed him, and took him into his house. He told Laban all that had happened, and
Laban said to him, “You are truly my bone and flesh.” (29:13-14).
Lavan is the ultimate conniver. He deceives Jacob, tries time after time to
trick and take advantage of Jacob, but Jacob, if anything, after the initial
deception of the marriage to Leah, Jacob seems to get the better of Lavan. That Jacob is truly “my bone and flesh” to
Lavan ends up not being such a great gift for Lavan. If anything, the two are too much alike, and
Jacob, both in the management of Lavan’s herds and the in his growth as a
family leader ends up excelling beyond Lavan’s intent for him.
Jacob does see himself as a victim; the irony that we as
omniscient readers revisiting the narrative year after year are able to see,
that Jacob seems to get as much as he gives, that he has deceived and taken
advantage of his father and his brother, and then he is taken advantage of by
his uncle/father-in-law, and later his sons, seems to be lost on him. We can see, that at least with respect to
Jacob, that what goes around comes around. The literary balance, that Jacob
uses his father’s poor vision to deceive him and then Lavan uses a veil to
trick him is lost on Jacob. It’s not clear that Jacob has this level of self
awareness. Later, at this life’s end,
when he meets Pharaoh, Jacob recognizes his life has been a difficult one. It is not clear, even then, that he sees his role
in contributing to his own troubles.
- Why does the Torah give us imperfect characters to serve as role models? How does this challenge us?
- If you could help Jacob, what advice would you offer him?
- How would you deal with a relative/boss like Lavan?
Steve Kerbel, Director of Education of Congregation B’nai
Tzedek, is Chair Emeritus of the Education Directors’ Council of Greater
Washington and a national vice president of the Jewish Educators Assembly.
