Bereishit Chapters 28:10-31:54 - Do As You Would Be Done By
by Rabbi Jeremy Rosen
There is a tradition amongst some Talmudic commentators to try to discount any narrative in the Torah that seems to reflect negatively on our founding fathers and mothers. This is partially out of profound respect for these great human beings. But it also reflects an old Pagan tradition to make well-known humans saints, and to cast them as perfect. Just as we tend to do with some rabbis. When in fact the Bible itself indicates that there is no perfect human being. But it is very much concerned with values.
Is “Do as you would be done by” a Jewish value? Last week we read of Rivkah and Yaakov’s attempt at the deception of Yitzchak, taking advantage of his age and blindness. Even if it might well be said it was in a good cause. This week we read of what could be seen as Yaakov’s comeuppance.
Jacob runs away from Esav to Lavan his uncle. Lavan is calculating and has no problem with deception. Yet Lavan, like Esav, is another example of the Midrash setting out to blacken the man’s character and not without justification. Back in Bereishit Chapter 24 we noticed the crucial wording of verse 30 that Lavan ran out to the well in concern when he heard that a man had approached his sister, had arrived. But stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the riches that Avraham’s servant was handing out. Betuel, the father, should have led the negotiations, but he disappears. What happened to him? The Midrash says that he did not agree with the match. But Lavan wanted the money so he killed him. Conjecture perhaps, but Laban’s character is filled out this week in Chapters 29-31. Here too he runs out to the well expecting benefits, as last time. But he must have been disappointed to find his nephew penniless. But he pretends to welcome him and puts him to work.
Yaakov falls in love with Rachel. But Lavan deceives Yaakov when he substitutes Rachel for with Leah on the wedding night. He takes advantage of Yaakov’s ignorance of local custom to get him to work for free for another seven years. And then seven more without pay. He deceives Yaakov which indicates that Yaakov was indeed regarded as deserving for his treatment of his father. But then Yaakov, having been taken advantage of by Lavan, in turn uses his superior knowledge of animal husbandry to massively increase his livestock at Lavan's expense. Our own behavior often results in bad and in good things happening back to us. The cycle continues. Is this all not a case of “Do as You Would Be Done by?” In Shakespearean language, it is "Measure for Measure", and in modern slang, "Tit for Tat"! More precisely, it says that the characteristics with which you act will be applied back to you.
The fact is that the Talmud in general does takes this position. “Mida Kneged Mida” which appears several times in the Talmud and specifically in relation to how God works (Sanhedrin 90a). Yet in life we see it does not always work out that way. And we have to say that this must be more of an ideal for human behaviour, rather than telling us anything about God. And yet we have all these examples of Divine intervene. The whole of Yaakov’s family flees and Lavan pursues. During the night God appears to Lavan and warns him not to speak unkindly to Yaakov. Notice the parallels with God appearing to Pharaoh and Avimelech when they took Avraham’s wife assuming she was a sister. And much later putting words into Bilaam’s mouth turning a curse into a blessing. This puts Lavan in their company as people beyond the monotheistic tradition that God somehow communicates to. Finally, Lavan reconciles with Yaakov with the treaty of GalEd. Sometimes it may take Divine intervention rather than Lavan’s character to bring him round.
For some, it takes external pressure to change. On the other hand, in the case of the personalities we take as human examples, even if or when they may make the inappropriate decisions, they can sometimes see the issues and change things for the better. Sometimes our logic tells us one thing, but our intuition tells us something else. Perhaps God works through intuition too! Of course, there’s a difference between the other hand what is the best for the future of a people and its religion.
Shabbat Shalom
Jeremy
December 2024
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Jeremy Rosen was born in Manchester, England, the eldest son of Rabbi Kopul Rosen and Bella Rosen. Rosen's thinking was strongly influenced by his father, who rejected fundamentalist and obscurantist approaches in favour of being open to the best the secular world has to offer while remaining committed to religious life. He was first educated at Carmel College, the school his father had founded based on this philosophical orientation. At his father's direction, Rosen also studied at Be'er Yaakov Yeshiva in Israel (1957–1958 and 1960). He then went on to Merkaz Harav Kook (1961), and Mir Yeshiva (1965–1968) in Jerusalem, where he received semicha from Rabbi Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz in addition to Rabbi Dovid Povarsky of Ponevezh and Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Shapiro of Yeshivat Be'er Ya'akov. In between Rosen attended Cambridge University (1962–1965), graduating with a degree in Moral Sciences.