For the newsletter Parshas Vy'etzei
Lavan's claim that 'the daughters are my daughters, the sons are my sons, the flock is my flock' read as the voice of the yetzer hara pressing every generation to raise children and run a business by its own rules.
Part of Bereishit
Reads Lavan's assertion of ownership over Yaakov's family and flock as the yetzer hara's ongoing argument for raising children in a modern, unaffiliated way and running a business without regard for halacha. Credits Yaakov's refusal to listen with his merit to father the Shevatim, and frames that same refusal, raising a family the old-fashioned, Torah-true way, as a path that hastens the coming of Moshiach.
Audio Transcript
In this week's parsha we learn in the Torah that Lavan said to 讬注拽讘, 讛讘谞讜转 讘谞讜转讬 讜讛讘谞讬诐 讘谞讬 讜讛爪讗谉 爪讗谞讬. The girls, the daughters are my daughters. The sons are my sons. The sheep is my sheep. In other words, he claimed that all belongs to him. And the Rabbi learned out from here a strong lesson. Lavan represents the yetzer hara. 讜讘讻诇诇, there are a lot of Lavan's in the world that try to convince Yidden not to do the right thing. And they say to Yidden, when you raise your children, your sons and your daughters, you have to raise it my way. You have to raise it in a modern way. How could you raise them they should be like the old-fashioned people of from from years ago, like the fathers and our grandfathers? You have to do things different, they should be modernized. And then 讜讛爪讗谉 爪讗谞讬 means, 爪讗谉 represents the work, the business. You could learn Torah, but when it comes to business, you have to act my way. What's my way? You have to cheat, you have to do other things which are not so proper. And that's the way he wants you to do.
So the Rabbi says a Yid has to remember that this is the claim of Lavan. And because Yaakov did not listen to Lavan, that's why he raised the Shevatim. And every Yid like that, if he doesn't listen to this Lavan, and he raises the sons and the daughters in a fayne the way it used to be always, in the proper, old-fashioned way, and in business he behaves in 注诇 驻讬 转讜专讛, according to Torah way, without any things which are not allowed to be done, then you raise a family that Hashem is proud of. And if all Yidden reach that do that, then this'll bring 诪砖讬讞 爪讚拽谞讜 讘拽专讜讘 诪诪砖.