[Avodah] Balancing Observance and the Interpersonal

[Micha Berger]

By R' Eliezer Eisenberg
<http://havolim.blogspot.com/2019/12/vayeitzei-reconciling-lechaveiro-with.html>

Teaser:
    Havolim
    Thursday, December 05, 2019
    Vayeitzei. Reconciling LeChaveiro with LaMakom

    Overview

    After Yaakov had a dream where he received nevuas Elokim that told
    him to leave Lavan, why did he seek Rachel and Leah's advice and
    consent about leaving?

    1. Rav Gifter
    When your mitzva creates a burden for another person, you have to
    discuss it with him first.

    2. The Shlah, Reb Moshe, and lhbchlch Rav Sternbuch
    Mitzvos should be done with the understanding that they are Hashem's
    gifts to us. It is wrong to do them because we have no choice, and
    consider them to be burdens and hardships that we have to endure. It
    is important to understand this ourselves, and to explain to everyone
    involved why the mitzva is so right and so good, in order that they
    should realize and appreciate that Hashem gave us the mitzva for
    our to'eles.

    3. The Seforno per Reb Chaim Brown
    Yaakov wasn't asking whether to go. He assumed they would go, but was
    asking for advice about the best way to go - should he tell Lavan,
    or sneak away.

    4. Abarbanel
    The Abarbanel says in 28:16, on the story of the Sulam, that Yaakov
    made the neder because he wasn't sure if his vision was a prophecy
    or just a dream. This was, he says, Yaakov's first experience with
    Nevu'ah, so, as was the case with Shmuel Hanavi, he was not sure
    what had happened. If so, perhaps we can say the same is true here,
    that Yaakov wasn't be 100% sure whether it was nevu'ah or just a
    dream. I don't like this approach. It was not the first time, and
    he certainly knew by then that it was Nevu'ah.

    5. RDNJS and ENE, crystallized by a he'ara from Rav Moish Pollack.
    This event is a perfect example of [baderekh shehadam rotzeh leileikh
    molikhin oso]. It seems clear that that the tzivui of Hashem was
    catalyzed by Yaakov's personal choice, by Yaakov's decision to follow
    this particular path. That being the case, Yaakov was obligated
    to discuss it with the people whose entire lives were affected by
    his choice.
    I really like this explanation because of how well it fits the
    order of pesukim and shtims with the story of Miriam and Aharon
    against Moshe.

    Discussion
    ...

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Weeds are flowers too
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   once you get to know them.
Author: Widen Your Tent             - Eeyore ("Winnie-the-Pooh" by AA Milne)
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF