[Avodah] Was Lavan daft, dense or what?

[Zev Sero]

Arie Folger wrote:
> Lavan benefited from an experience we all strive for, but know that, living in 
> times of hester panim, we cannot expect: direct revelation. Before reaching 
> Ya'aqov's camp, G"d appeared to Lavan and told him to abstain from talking to 
> Ya'aqov either good or bad.
> 
> However, moments after relating that incident to Ya'aqov, he asks "lamah 
> ganavta et elohai?!" Is Lavan out of his mind? He just experienced 
> Revelation, and he asks for his idol?! How can he?

Pagans never had a problem acknowledging Hashem's existence and power.
On the contrary, they were quite prepared to accept that any god they
heard of was probably just as real as the ones they knew and worshipped.

As R Avigdor Miller pointed out, Izevel harsha'ah didn't call her sons
Achazbaal and Baalram, but Achazyahu and Yehoram; she was perfectly
willing to worship and honour the god of her husband's subjects, and
couldn't for the life of her understand why they weren't willing to do
her the same courtesy.  She must have thought they were being rude and
rebellious, and needed to be taught a lesson.

Similarly when Lavan made the cairn as a boundary between his domain
and Yaakov's, he proposed that the agreement be judged by both sides'
gods.  What could be more logical to the pagan mind?  But the Torah
tells us that Yaakov didn't accept this proposal, and swore only by
Hashem.

So Lavan wasn't surprised to be visited by his nephew's god, and took
heed of the warning he got.  He didn't attempt to do anything to
Yaakov.  But nor did he see any reason to stop worshipping his own
gods, whom he had no reason to believe less powerful than lehavdil
ours.

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas