A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
A Support Staff
As Yaakov prepares to greet Eisav after his many decades away from home he sends him gifts and a message stating, “Im Lavan Garti—I lived with Lavan.”
Chazal derive from this unusual expression the famous dictum of Yaakov Avinu – Im Lavan Garti V’Taryag Mitzvos Shamarti – I lived with Lavan but I kept all of the 613 Mitzvos (“Garti” and Taryag have the same letters) . This declaration of Yaakov is extraordinary. After years away from home, surrounded by the deceit of Lavan’s home and the decadence of society at large, Yaakov remained the Ish tam yosheiv ohalim he was when he left Eretz Yisrael some 35 years earlier.
How did he do it? What kept him strong? One insight from Chazal is inspiring.
With the fear of his imminent encounter with his brother Eisav looming on the horizon, Yaakov Avinu turns to Hashem Yisborach in prayer. He pleads with Him to spare him from the evil designs of Eisav. In so doing he proclaims “Ki v’makli avarti es haYarden”—for alone with my staff did I cross over the Jordan into foreign lands. The Midrash wonders about the significance of this statement and teaches us that Makli—”my lone staff” referred to by Yaakov Avinu is in fact Torah, Neviim and Kesuvim.
Perhaps this is our clue. The lone support Yaakov leaned on all his years away was his steadfast commitment to Torah. It was not ambition, fame or fortune that drove him. Yaakov did not just earn a living and build a family; rather he stayed true and connected to Torah. Indeed, his staff accompanied him everywhere he went and he leaned upon it to help him on his way. Yaakov not only learned Torah, he depended on it. That provided him the strength and inspiration to hold fast to the values he had learned in the house of his parents, Rivka and Yitzchok.
Boruch Hashem, many people learn. But just learning is not enough. To successfully build the Jewish family as modeled to us by Yaakov Avinu, we need to lean on that same Makel; the staff which embodies our mesorah. We must feel supported by Torah with total trust and devotion, a trust in Halacha, supported by our Emunas Chachamim. Only then can we realize the ambition of Yaakov Avinu of becoming a true Yisrael, Ki Sarisa im Elokim V’im anashim Vatuchal.
Related posts:
- Take Time To Smell The Roses | A Guest Post
- Drawing From The Well of Torah | A Guest Post
- The Grass Is NOT Always Greener on the Other Side | A Guest Post
- Heralding the Unheralded | A Guest Post
- When Kesher is Not a Knot | A Guest Post
