In this week’s sedra, where we read about Yaakov’s descent to Charan, his stay with Lavan, his subsequent return to his father’s home – is a reflection of the golus in general.
When Yaakov went to Lavan, it was a tremendous descent – for Lavan was even worse than Pharaoh, as we say in the Hagada, that Pharaoh wanted to destroy the males, and Lavan wanted to uproot everything.
However, this immense descent is for the purpose of the Ultimate Elevation and redemption, as the parsha tells us that not only was Yaakov not influenced in Charan, but he returned from there “wholesome and complete,” to the extent that he also accomplished his mission there, in his golus, and his mission with Lavan haArami, as the Mitteler Rebbe [whose Chag haGeula is celebrated on the 10th of Kislev] explains in Toras Chaim (Bereshis 39a. 34d) the passuk (32:1): “Lavan went and returned to his place” - this means that Yaakov returned and brought back Lavan (from the way he is down here - even lower than Pharaoh) to his high spiritual source.
Following that, Yaakov went on his way – his ascent from golus on his way to Eretz Yisrael, to the dwelling place of his father – which was the purpose of his sojourn in golus.
And the Torah tells us that when Yaakov was yet in golus by Lavan, Yaakov was longing and yearning to return to his father’s home, so much so, that also Lavan felt this longing and desire of Yaakov’s.
To elaborate:
As long as Yaakov was in golus, he knew that this was not his place, he was constantly drawn to go to his true place – and he was doing his avoda in golus as a preparation for the Geula – thus his avoda in golus is also part of his “return” to his true place, “the land of his father.”
And even before reaching his fathers home, he was yearning and craving to return there; not merely once, but as long as he was in golus he longed, yearned and craved again and again!
The Alter Rebbe said that we should live with the times – meaning to live with the sedra of the week: Thus there is a lesson from the above in our contemporary golus:
A Jew must realize that the entire descent into golus, into the multiple darkness of the golus, is for the purpose of the ascent and benefit which will be derived from the golus. So that one can attain the great elevation of the True and Complete Geulah.
As long as one is in golus, he has to “keep on going,” returning to the Geula, and not be distracted or flustered by any obstacles – not even by someone in the stature of Lavan – not to be influenced by his arguments – but one has to keep his focus on the Geula and strive for it.
As long as we are still in golus, we must do our avoda in golus – yet our avoda must be accompanied by our longing and yearning for Moshiach – when will the Geula come already!
Even when one has already yearned for the Geula – and has passed out – if Moshiach has not yet come, we don’t stop yearning – but we yearn, long and crave – we keep on yearning, because Moshiach has not yet come. How can it be possible that one will stop yearning and longing?!
(Shabbos Parshas Vayetze 5746)
