We see that Yaakov Avinu after being in the home of Lavan wasn’t the same Yaakov Avinu who arrived there. Previously, Yaakov had been afraid of Esav. But now, it appears that he had no fear at all. The evil side had lost its grip. The klipah had been quashed. What changed?
What changed was that Yaakov was in the home of Lavan—and precisely there—in an environment filled with dishonesty and deceit—he remained true to who he was. While everyone around him behaved with dishonesty, Yaakov remained honest. This is an incredible level. It is one thing to remain ehrlich when we’re at home, in our own environment, but it’s another level altogether to keep one’s integrity in an atmosphere steeped in dishonesty.
The Tosher Rebbe zt”l, in his Sefer Avodas Avodah, explains that this is why Yaakov Avinu first needed to remain in the academy of Shem v’Ever for fourteen years to toil in Torah—because in order to prevail over the forces of tumah in the house of Lavan, he needed to fortify himself with holiness and loftiness in order to withstand it.
Exaggerations Are a Form of Dishonesty
Our world has become so accustomed to accepting exaggerations and misrepresentations. It has become customary to write and report in dishonest ways, without batting an eyelash. He knows, and everyone knows, that things are exaggerated... but this goes on.
We must take heed and pay attention to the things we say, to the exaggerations that we’re accustomed to telling. Today, it’s normal to say, “It took me two hours to get here!” when, in reality, it took an hour and a quarter. Why are you saying two hours? Such a person will likely misrepresent in the same way when it comes to money—and we must work to rectify this area, step by step.
