Rashi states: “’Garti’ (I lived) has a numerical value of 613. He was saying: I lived with Lavan and kept the 6613 mitzvos. I did not learn from his evil ways.”
Sefer Tzemach Dovid asks how Yaakov could possibly have kept all 613 mitzvos. Some mitzvos can only be observed in Eretz Yisroel. Others can only be done by specific people. How could Yaakov have kept all 613 in Lavan’s house?
He answers by quoting his father, the Bnei Yissochor zy”a, who related that the Baal Shem Tov zy”a once was in the house of a non-Jew, and there was an idol in the house. After he left the house, he told his students that he was very happy because he had just fulfilled the entire Torah at once. He explained that it is forbidden to think thoughts of Torah in the presence of avodah zarah (Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chaim 58:20). Therefore, by guarding his thoughts and making sure not to think about Torah, it was considered as if he kept the entire Torah.
So too, the house of Lavan was full of idols. This meant that whenever Yaakov entered the house, he was not permitted to think thoughts of Torah. He had to be very careful with his thoughts in order to make sure he only thought about other things. By doing this, it was considered as if he kept the entire Torah.
