צא ולמד

Tzei u’Lemad

- Aaron Rotenberg

  

“Go and learn What Lavan the Arami asked out father Ya’akov to do.”

 

Here in the Haggadah there is reference to the story of Ya’akov and Lavan written in Sefer Bereshit (Genesis). Lavan, Ya’akov’s father in-law, did everything he could to make life hard and miserable for Ya’akov. Rabbi Reuven Bulka suggests that Lavan’s objective was to have total control over the family. Lavan tried cheating Ya’akov out of his wife, and then out of his sheep. Even when Ya’akov left Lavan, Lavan could not let go and chased him down. Lavan resented Ya’akov’s resourcefulness and independence and also recognized the very different moral code  which Ya’akov lived by.  However, Lavan wanted things to be done his way and no other way. An inevitable parting of ways was foreseen by Lavan who tried to come up with ways to hinder Ya’akov and make him stay under his own roof.  Ya’akov’s resourcefulness and determination should be an example to us. Even under the restrictive circumstances laid out by Lavan, our forefather built a family and enough resources to start the type of life he knew was right. The beginnings of our people came from Ya’akov’s family, from a father who was able to rise above his surroundings.  

The Kabbalah teaches us that Yaakov was destined to marry Rachel while his brother Eisav was meant to marry Rachel’s sister, Leah. The original plan was that Rachel would give birth to twelve sons, who would start the nation. These twelve would have control over the twelve astrological signs. Lavan was of course concerned with all this power being taken by his ever-threatening son in-law. By tricking Ya’akov into marrying Leah, Lavan thought he could take control, and prevent the twelve sons from being born, thereby preventing Ya’akov’s descendants from controlling the constellations. But HaShem favours the good, and, as the gemarah notes,   Israel (Yaakov) is not controlled by fate (by the constellations) --  “אין מזל לישראל.” The 12 sons were born anyways with the number of sons being shared by Rachel, Leah and their maidservants. Plans can always change for the better. When situations seem to be going wrong, we must have faith that the result will turn out for the best in the end. As long as our intentions are true, the threats can be overcome.

Sly, scheming and subtle Lavan tried to cover his wickedness using white lies, innocence and clever manipulation. The Haggadah acknowledges the threat of the direct evil nature represented by Pharaoh, who openly showed his hard heart.  However the real danger we are warned of is the hidden yetzer harah (evil inclination) that is symbolized by Lavan. The sins that we try to cover up until we fool even ourselves into not seeing them are the real threat to us as Jewish people.

 

Passover Haggadah- The Feast of Freedom

edited by Rachel Nanne Rabinowicz

The Rabbinical Assembly 1982

 

A Passover Haggadah

As commented upon by Elie Wiesel

Touchstone and Simon and Schuster 1993

 

Haggadah for Passover

by Rav Berg

Yeshivat Kol Yehuda Jerusalem  

 

The Haggadah for Pesach

By Reuven P. Bulka

Machon Pri Ha’aretz

Jerusalem, 1985