Living with Lavan
In our parashah we learn about Yaakov Avinu’s escape to his uncle Lavan in Charan. He was fleeing the wrath of his brother Esav. The question arises, what was the purpose in fleeing to Charan? Couldn’t Esav pursue him there as well?!
In the Sefer Galia Razah, authored by one of the students of the Arizal, and published from manuscript form by the Be’er Mayim Chaim zy”a, he explains that indeed there was a deep purpose in sending Yaakov to Charan—for Esav was primarily envious of the spiritual shefah with which Yaakov had been blessed. By sending Yaakov to her brother Lavan, Rivkah was signaling to Esav, “You see, he’s residing with a rasha, he’s surely learning from his terrible ways, and he’s squandering his great spiritual shefa. Thus, you have nothing of which to be jealous.”
Indeed, the tzaddikim tell us that Lavan—who hailed from the side of tumah—did everything he could to topple Yaakov Avinu from his lofty spiritual state, and this was the deeper meaning in his attempts to swindle him so many times: He attempted to entrap him in the world of lies and deceit.
And that is precisely what Yaakov meant when he told Esav, לבן "עם שמרתי מצוות ותרי״ג גרתי, with Lavan I resided, but I nevertheless kept all the mitzvos.” “Not only didn’t he succeed in entrapping me in his world of swindling and dishonesty—but I also managed to draw out all the ניצוצות, the holy sparks, that remained within Lavan. And as soon as my work was done, the Ribbono shel Olam commanded me to return home.
