In this week's Parsha Yaakov Avinu goes to the home of Lavan. He asks Lavan to marry his daughter Rachel. Lavan agrees to give Rachel as a wife to Yaakov in return for working seven years. After seven years Lavan tricks Yaakov and gives him Leah as a wife. When Yaakov finds out the next morning he was very upset. Lavan gives some excuse for cheating Yaakov. He offers Rachel to Yaakov in return for working an additional seven years. Yaakov agrees and works for another seven years.
Although Yaakov had been cheated, Rashi tells us that he still worked the second set of seven years faithfully and honestly. We all know that Yaakov is the symbol of truth and honesty. Therefore, it isn't such a surprise that he worked so faithfully. But at the same time there is an important message that we can learn from this story that will maybe help us have the strength to survive challenging times and not lose ourselves.
Surely, Yaakov Avinu would have liked to spend more time learning in the Beis Hamedrash instead of being a shepherd for sheep. And even if he understood that he needed to work seven years for his wife, to have to spend an additional seven years of his life shepherding because he had been tricked must have really messed up Yaakov Avinu's life's plans. We know what happens when our schedule gets messed up by an hour, not to mention what we look like when a whole day gets messed up.
Yaakov Avinu accepted it all and understood that Gam zu Letoiva - everything was for the best. He never got into a fight with Lavan and never tried to take revenge.
Now let us look a little further than meets the eye. The Midrash (Pesichta Midrash Rabba Eicha) tells us that when Hashem destroyed the Beis Hamikdash the Avos, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov came forward trying to save Klal Yisrael from exile in their merit. But they never succeeded. Moshe Rabbeinu tried but never succeeded. The Midrash tells us that Rachel Imeinu came forward and started telling over how she allowed Leah to marry Yaakov. Furthermore,
Yaakov was fully aware that Lavan was a trickster so he gave Rachel a secret code that he would know that it was Rachel. Rachel saw her father Lavan planning to send Leah to marry Yaakov. Rachel realized the embarrassment that she would have if Yaakov was to find out so she told Leah the code. Rachel told this to Hashem and said, "I am only human and I overcame myself to save my sister from embarrassment. And even though she would be a rival and competition as another wife to Yaakov, I wasn't envious. All the more so, You Hashem, don't get jealous that the Jews were serving Avoda Zara (idol worship)."
The Midrash tells us that Hashem accepted her claim and in that merit Klal Yisrael will be redeemed from the Galus (exile).
If we would just study this Parsha superficially we would sympathize for Yaakov Avinu for suffering so much. But as we delve deeper we see that the outcome of his suffering will be the merit for our ultimate redemption, may we merit very shortly.
Moshe was a staunch Chassid of the Rabbi Yehuda Arye Leib Alter, the Sefas Emes of Gur. Before any business deal Moshe always made sure to receive the blessing of the Sefas Emes. After the Sefas Emes passed away Moshe didn't feel comfortable going to his son Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter the Imrei Emes of Gur. Moshe's children regularly asked their father why he doesn't visit the new Rebbe and receive his blessing. Moshe wasn't convinced. But his children never gave up. They pressured their father to go and see the Imrei Emes and get a Berocho from him.
Finally Moshe gave in. A big business deal came his way to buy a large forest of lumber. This deal required investing all his money plus taking a large loan from the bank. Moshe agreed to visit the Rebbe for a Berocho. The Rebbe gave Moshe his warm blessing and advised him to go forward with the deal. Moshe bought the lumber. But sadly, the lumber was rotten and Moshe lost all his money. But that wasn't the worst. Now he had the banks chasing him for their money. Moshe had no choice but to run away. He left Poland and escaped to Eretz Yisrael with his family. Moshe repeatedly told his children how wrong they were and how right he had been not wanting to go to his late Rebbe's son. He had lost all his money and arrived in Eretz Yisrael penniless.
When Rabbi Yisrael Alter the Beis Yisrael of Gur and son of the Imrei Emes heard the story he commented, "In reality, my father, the Imrei Emes was right. True Moshe lost his money. But for that he had to run away to Eretz Yisrael and therefore he and his family were saved from the holocaust." What Moshe thought was a tragedy was in actual fact his ticket to safety.
But there is still one question. Whilst going through difficult times what can give us the strength to survive? Even if we know that it is for our future benefit it is still a great challenge. There is a great explanation that brings light to our question. The Passuk tells us that Yaakov worked seven years for his wife and it was like a few single days due to his love for her. In this Passuk lies another explanation. Yaakov knew he had to work for seven years to marry her. But in order to survive he broke down the seven years into single days. He looked at one day at a time. Today I have to work. I am not going to think about tomorrow. Who knows which salvation may arrive tomorrow? I will just think about surviving today. And so Yaakov went on day by day, one day at a time and that gave him the power to survive.
The same applies to us. We are experiencing challenging times the secret key to survival is to look at one day at a time and have belief and trust that the salvation can come any moment, so why worry about tomorrow.
