"I have sojourned with Laban"

21. "And he commanded them, saying: 'Thus shall you speak to my lord Esau. Your servant Jacob says thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now'" (Beresheet 32:5). At once Jacob introduced himself as Esau's servant, so that Esau would not take heed of the blessings that his father bestowed on him. Jacob put them aside for the end of days.

22. Rabbi Yehuda asks, What did Jacob have in mind when he sent Esau a message reading, "I HAVE SOJOURNED WITH LABAN?" Did this message accomplish anything regarding his mission to Esau? HE ANSWERS, A rumor circulated that no one had ever escaped the clutches of Laban of Aram, as he was well versed in sorcery and wizardry. He was also the father of Beor, who in turn was the father of Bilaam. As it is written, "Bilaam the son of Beor the sorcerer" (Yehoshua 13:22). Yet although Laban was the greatest practitioner of sorcery and wizardry, he could not overcome Jacob, whom he attempted to annihilate in several ways, as it is written, "An Arammian wanted to destroy my father" (Devarim 26:5). AND SO HE SENT HIM THE MESSAGE, "I HAVE SOJOURNED WITH LABAN," TO MAKE HIM AWARE OF HIS POWER.

23. Rabbi Aba said, Everyone was aware that Laban was the best at sorcery and wizardry, and he could use sorcery to do away with anyone he wished. All that Bilaam knew came from Laban. Regarding Bilaam, it is written, "For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed" (Bemidbar 22:6). Because everyone feared Laban and his sorcery, the first words that Jacob sent Esau were, "I have sojourned with Laban." In case Esau thought it was for a short period, perhaps a month or a year, Jacob advised, "and stayed there until now" - twenty years did I stay with him.

24. You may say that he gained nothing, BUT HE SAID TO HIM, "and I have oxen and donkeys" (Beresheet 32:6). These are sentences of judgment, THAT IS, DEMONS. When these two collaborate, they cooperate to harm the world, MEANING IT IS NOT THEIR NATURE TO INFLICT DAMAGE EXCEPT WHEN THEY ARE JOINED. For this reason, it is written, "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together" (Devarim 22:10). FOR THIS CAUSES THESE TWO DEMONS, NAMELY THE OX AND THE DONKEY, TO BE JOINED, AND TO INFLICT DAMAGE ON THE WORLD.

25. THE VERSE, "flocks, and menservants, and women servants," refers to lower crowns OF THE KLIPOT, which the Holy One, blessed be He, slew in Egypt. They are called "the firstborn of cattle" (Shemot 12:29), "the firstborn of the captive" (Ibid.), and "the firstborn of the maidservant" (Shemot 11:5). Esau took fright and came toward him; he feared Jacob as much as Jacob feared him.

26. THIS IS LIKE THE STORY OF a man who was walking along the road when he heard a robber was lurking along the way. When another man approached him, he asks, Where are you from? The man replied that he was from an army brigade. He said, Stay away from me. I have a snake that will kill anyone who approaches me. That man returned to the chief of the brigade, and said, There is a man coming who has a snake that bites and kills anyone who approaches him.

27. The chief heard and was frightened. He said, It is best to go meet and appease him. When the traveler saw the chief, HE WAS AFRAID. He said, Woe is me. Now the chief will kill me. He began to bow and kneel before him. The chief then said, If he really had a snake that kills, he would not have bowed before me. Thus the chief regained his composure, and said, Since he bows so much before me, I shall spare him.

28. This is why Jacob said, "I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now." I lingered with him these twenty years, and I bring with me a snake, which kills people.' Esau heard this and said, 'Woe to me, who shall stand before him, for now Jacob shall kill me with his mouth.' HE THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE HE OVERPOWERED LABAN, BILAAM'S GRANDFATHER, HIS STRENGTH WAS SURELY AS GREAT AS THAT OF BILAAM, OF WHOM IT IS SAID, "FOR I KNOW THAT HE WHOM YOU BLESS IS BLESSED, AND HE WHOM YOU CURSE IS CURSED," AND HE CAN KILL WITH HIS MOUTH.' He then came out to meet him, to appease him.

29. Once he saw him, it is written, "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed" (Beresheet 32:8). When he approached him, he began to bow and prostrate himself before him, as it is written, "and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother" (Beresheet 33:3). Esau said, 'If he had so much power, he would not have bowed before me.' He then began to become haughty again.

30. Come and behold, it is written of Bilaam, "And Elohim came to Bilaam at night" (Bemidbar 22:20). Of Laban, the verse says, "And Elohim came to Laban the Arammian in a dream by night, and said to him, Take heed that you speak not to Jacob..." (Beresheet 31:24). THIS SHOWS US THAT LABAN WAS AS GREAT AS BILAAM. HE ASKS, Why is it written, "that you speak not," rather than 'that you harm not?' HE ANSWERS, Laban did not chase Jacob with an army of men to wage war against him, for the power of Jacob and his sons is greater than that of Laban. But he chased him to kill him with his mouth and destroy everything, as it is written, "An Arammian wanted to destroy my father." This is why it says, "that you speak not," and not, 'that you harm not.' It is also written, "It is in the power of my hand to do." How did he know he had the power? From that which "Elohim of your father spoke to me last night ..."

31. This is the testimony that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded to pronounce, as it is written, "And you shall speak and say before Hashem your Elohim, an Arammian wanted to destroy my father." "And you shall speak" is similar to the verses, "You shall not bear false witness" (Shemot 20:13), AND ALSO, "and has testified...against his brother" (Devarim 19:18).

32. It is written of Bilaam that "he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments" (Bemidbar 24:1), as was his wont, being a diviner. Of Laban TOO, the scripture says, "I have learnt by signs" (Beresheet 30:27), which means that he consulted magic and sorcery TO LEARN of Jacob's plans. When he wanted to destroy Jacob, he planned to do it by enchantment and sorcery, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not permit him to do so. RATHER, HE SAID TO HIM: "THAT YOU SPEAK NOT."

33. This is the meaning of what Bilaam, LABAN'S grandson, said, "Surely there is no enchantment in Jacob, nor divination in Yisrael" (Bemidbar 23:23). For who could prevail against them when my grandfather wished to destroy their father with divination and enchantment but could not, having failed to obtain permission to curse FROM THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, as it is written, "Surely there is no enchantment in Jacob, nor divination in Yisrael."

34. Laban used ten kinds of divination and enchantments from the illumination of the lower crowns, but could not prevail against Jacob. In connection with this, it is written, "and you have changed my wages ten times" (Beresheet 31:41). Laban used all these tools against him, but could not harm him, as it is written, "and changed my wages ten times; but Elohim did not allow him to hurt me" (Ibid. 7). HE ASKS, What is the meaning of "times (Heb. monim)?" HE ANSWERS, It was translated into "kinds (Heb. minim)." It is also written, "the demons, after whom they have gone astray (Heb. zonim)" (Vayikra 17:7). "Times" are literally 'kinds' (Aramaic zinin), the ten kinds of sorcery and divination of the lower crowns OF THE KLIPOT. LABAN employed all of these against him.

35. These ten kinds are, "a divinerthat uses divinations, a soothsayer, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer" (Devarim 18:10-11). There are ten in all, WITH THE DIVINATIONS, IT SEEMS, COUNTED AS TWO KINDS, SINCE IT IS WRITTEN IN THE PLURAL. (I ONLY COUNT 9 POSSIBILITIES)

36. Rabbi Yosi said, Enchantment and divination are two kinds with the same level of strength. When Bilaam came to hurt Yisrael, he used divination, as it is written, "With divinations in their hand" (Bemidbar 22:7). Laban used enchantment against Jacob, but neither succeeded. This is the meaning of the verse, "Surely there is no enchantment in Jacob, nor divination in Yisrael." The words, "there is no enchantment in Jacob," refer to the days of Laban, and "divination in Yisrael" refers to the latter days of Bilaam.

37. Bilaam said to Balak: Come and behold. Who can prevail over them, seeing that all the divination and witchcraft in our crowns are adorned by the illumination of the upper Malchut, and he, ZEIR ANPIN, is bound to them, YISRAEL, as it is written, "Hashem his Elohim is with him, and the trumpet blast of a king is among them" (Bemidbar 23:21). THEREFORE, WE CANNOT USE OUR WITCHCRAFT TO HARM THEM.

38. Rabbi Yehuda said, Heaven forbid that Bilaam would have any knowledge of the upper holiness. HE DISAGREES WITH WHAT WAS SAID - THAT BILAAM KNEW THAT HIS DIVINATION CAME FROM MALCHUT OF HOLINESS. This is because the Holy One, blessed be He, desires no other people or tongue to make use of His glory, but His holy children alone, THAT IS, YISRAEL, WHO ARE CALLED 'CHILDREN TO HASHEM.' He said, "You shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy" (Vayikra 11:44), WHICH MEANS THAT THOSE who are holy shall use holy things. And only Yisrael are holy, as it is written, "For you are a holy people" (Devarim 14:2); you, and no other people, are holy.

39. Those who are unholy find that defilement awaits them. Of them, the scripture says, "He is unclean, he shall dwell alone; outside the camp shall his habitation be" (Vayikra 13:46), THAT IS, AWAY FROM HOLINESS. The impure touches on the impure, as it is written, "And shall cry, unclean, unclean" (Ibid. 45), WHICH MEANS THAT whoever is unclean cries to the unclean; one seeks out his own kind.

40. IN COMMENTING ON RABBI YEHUDA'S OBSERVATION THAT ONE SEEKS OUT ONE'S OWN KIND, Rabbi Yitzchak said, Is it becoming for Jacob, who was holy, to say that he was defiled by Laban and his magic? Could it be possibly be considered a credit to him TO SAY, "I HAVE SOJOURNED WITH LABAN?" Despite what Rabbi Yehuda said, THAT EVERYTHING FOLLOWS ITS OWN KIND, Rabbi Yosi gave another explanation for the difficulty in that verse. It is written, "I am Esau your firstborn" (Beresheet 27:19). HERE, WE SHOULD ASK, is it becoming to a righteous man such as Jacob to change his name to that of an impure one? The explanation is that under the "I," there is a tonal pause. BELOW THE "I" IS WRITTEN THE (TONE) PASHTA, WHEREAS BELOW "ESAU, YOUR FIRSTBORN," IS FOUND THE (TONE) ZAKEF KATON, WHOSE TONE SEPARATES THE WORD "I" FROM "ESAU YOUR FIRSTBORN." What he actually said was "I am who I am, though Esau is your firstborn," as has already been explained.

41. Here also IT IS WRITTEN, "I have oxen and donkeys," that is, do not pay attention to the blessing my father bestowed on me, TO THINK that it was fulfilled in me. He blessed me, "Be lord over your brethren, and let your mother's sons bow down to you" (Beresheet 27:29). Hence, I SAY TO YOU, "to my master Esau;Your servant Jacob." He blessed me with "plenty of corn and wine," yet I have no stock of these; "I have oxen, and donkeys, flocks and menservants," as a shepherd in the field. He blessed me with "the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth," yet instead I "have sojourned with Laban," a sojourner without even a house, let alone "the fatness of the earth." THE LAST WAS NOT FULFILLED IN ME, AS I HAVE NO LAND. I HAVE ONLY SOJOURNED WITH LABAN. HE SAID all this so that Esau would not be jealous of him, on account of the blessings he received, and bring accusations against him.

42. Rabbi Aba said, It is written that Jacob was "a plain man, dwelling in tents" (Beresheet 25:27). HE WAS CALLED "a plain man," because his abode was in two supernal temples, BINAH AND MALCHUT, THE SECRET OF THE TENT OF RACHEL AND THE TENT OF LEAH. He reconciles both sides,WHICH MEANT THAT HE BALANCED AND PERFECTED THE RIGHT AND LEFT COLUMNS. Do not conclude FROM THE VERSE, "I HAVE SOJOURNED WITH LABAN," that he was contaminated by the divination OF LABAN. But in light of Rabbi Yehuda's observation THAT ONE SEEKS OUT ONE'S OWN KIND, ACCORDING TO THE QUESTION OF RABBI YITZCHAK, THE EXPLANATION FOR, "I HAVE SOJOURNED WITH LABAN," is that he was wholeheartedly THANKFUL for the grace and truth shown him by the Holy One, blessed be He. For everybody knows that although no one can be saved from Laban's accusations, the Holy One, blessed be He, rescued me from his hands when Laban wanted to destroy me. THIS IS WHAT HE MEANT BY THE VERSE, "I HAVE SOJOURNED WITH LABAN." FURTHERMORE, he said all this so that Esau would not envy him his blessings, but rather think that they were not fulfilled in him. Thus, Esau would not harbor any hate for him - AS RABBI YOSI EXPLAINED. Of this, the scripture says, "for the ways of Hashem are right" (Hoshea 14:10) and, "You shall be perfect with Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 18:13).